The Dominion of the Airby J. M. BaconCHAPTER I. THE DAWN OF AERONAUTICS."He that would learn to fly must be brought up to the constant practice of it from his youth, trying first only to use his wings as a tame goose will do, so by degrees learning to rise higher till he attain unto skill and confidence."So wrote Wilkins, Bishop of Chester, who was reckoned a man of genius and learning in the days of the Commonwealth. But so soon as we come to inquire into the matter we find that this good Bishop was borrowing from the ideas of others who had gone before him; and, look back as far as we wil
Meditations on First Philosophyby Rene Descartes1641Prefatory Note To The Meditations.The first edition of the Meditations was published in Latin by Michael Soly of Paris "at the Sign of the Phoenix" in 1641 cum Privilegio et Approbatione Doctorum. The Royal "privilege" was indeed given, but the "approbation" seems to have been of a most indefinite kind. The reason of the book being published in France and not in Holland, where Descartes was living in a charming country house at Endegeest near Leiden, was apparently his fear that the Dutch ministers might in some way lay hold of it. His fr
FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSENTHE MONEY-BOXby Hans Christian AndersenIN a nursery where a number of toys lay scattered about, amoney-box stood on the top of a very high wardrobe. It was made ofclay in the shape of a pig, and had been bought of the potter. Inthe back of the pig was a slit, and this slit had been enlarged with aknife, so that dollars, or crown pieces, might slip through; and,indeed there were two in the box, besides a number of pence. Themoney-pig was stuffed so full that it could no longer rattle, which is...
BOOK II: OF THE TRAVELLING OF THE UTOPIANSIF any man has a mind to visit his friends that live in some othertown, or desires to travel and see the rest of the country, heobtains leave very easily from the syphogrant and tranibors whenthere is no particular occasion for him at home: such as travel,carry with them a passport from the Prince, which both certifiesthe license that is granted for travelling, and limits the time oftheir return. They are furnished with a wagon, and a slave who...
SHERLOCK HOLMESTHE ADVENTURE OF THE COPPER BEECHESby Sir Arthur Conan DoyleThe Adventure of the Copper Beeches"To the man who loves art for its own sake," remarked SherlockHolmes, tossing aside the advertisement sheet of the DailyTelegraph, "it is frequently in its least important and lowliestmanifestations that the keenest pleasure is to be derived. It ispleasant to me to observe, Watson, that you have so far grasped thistruth that in these little records of our cases which you have been...
A Little Tour In Franceby Henry JamesWe good Americans - I say it without presumption - are too apt to think that France is Paris, just as we are accused of being too apt to think that Paris is the celestial city. This is by no means the case, fortun- ately for those persons who take an interest in modern Gaul, and yet are still left vaguely unsatisfied by that epitome of civilization which stretches from the Arc de Triomphe to the Gymnase theatre. It had already been intimated to the author of these light pages that there are many good things in the _doux pays de France_ of which you get n
Legend of Don Munio Sancho de Hinojosa.IN THE cloisters of the ancient Benedictine convent of SanDomingo, at Silos, in Castile, are the mouldering yet magnificentmonuments of the once powerful and chivalrous family of Hinojosa.Among these reclines the marble figure of a knight, in complete armor,with the hands pressed together, as if in prayer. On one side of histomb is sculptured in relief a band of Christian cavaliers,capturing a cavalcade of male and female Moors; on the other side, thesame cavaliers are represented kneeling before an altar. The tomb,...
AFTER THE DANCE"AND you say that a man cannot, of himself,understand what is good and evil; that it is allenvironment, that the environment swamps theman. But I believe it is all chance. Take myown case . . ."Thus spoke our excellent friend, Ivan Vasilie-vich, after a conversation between us on the impos-sibility of improving individual character withouta change of the conditions under which men live.Nobody had actually said that one could not ofoneself understand good and evil; but it was ahabit of Ivan Vasilievich to answer in this way thethoughts aroused in his own mind by conversation,.
THE SEVENTH LETTERby Platotranslated by J. HarwardPLATO TO THE RELATIVES AND FRIENDS OF DION. WELFARE.You write to me that I must consider your views the same as those ofDion, and you urge me to aid your cause so far as I can in word anddeed. My answer is that, if you have the same opinion and desire as hehad, I consent to aid your cause; but if not, I shall think morethan once about it. Now what his purpose and desire was, I caninform you from no mere conjecture but from positive knowledge. For...
ITALIAN WITHOUT A MASTERIt is almost a fortnight now that I am domiciled in a medievalvilla in the country, a mile or two from Florence. I cannot speakthe language; I am too old not to learn how, also too busy when Iam busy, and too indolent when I am not; wherefore some willimagine that I am having a dull time of it. But it is not so.The "help" are all natives; they talk Italian to me, I answerin English; I do not understand them, they do not understand me,consequently no harm is done, and everybody is satisfied. In orderto be just and fair, I throw in an Italian word when I have one,...
THE SEVEN FOALSTHERE was once upon a time a couple of poor folks who lived ina wretched hut, far away from everyone else, in a wood. Theyonly just managed to live from hand to mouth, and had great difficultyin doing even so much as that, but they had three sons, andthe youngest of them was called Cinderlad, for he did nothing elsebut lie and poke about among the ashes.One day the eldest lad said that he would go out to earn his living;he soon got leave to do that, and set out on his way into the world.He walked on and on for the whole day, and when night was beginning...
What Diantha Didby Charlotte Perkins GilmanCHAPTER I.HANDICAPPEDOne may use the Old Man of the Sea,For a partner or patron,But helpless and hapless is heWho is ridden, inextricably,By a fond old mer-matron.The Warden house was more impressive in appearance than its neighbors.It had "grounds," instead of a yard or garden; it had wide pillaredporches and "galleries," showing southern antecedents; moreover, it hada cupola, giving date to the building, and proof of the continuingambitions of the builders.The stately mansion was covered with heavy flowering vines, also with...
THE CELESTIAL RAILROADNot a great while ago, passing through the gate of dreams, Ivisited that region of the earth in which lies the famous City ofDestruction. It interested me much to learn that by the publicspirit of some of the inhabitants a railroad has recently beenestablished between this populous and flourishing town and theCelestial City. Having a little time upon my hands, I resolved togratify a liberal curiosity by making a trip thither.Accordingly, one fine morning after paying my bill at the hotel,and directing the porter to stow my luggage behind a coach, I...
THE ENCHANTED CANARYIONCE upon a time, in the reign of King Cambrinus, there lived atAvesnes one of his lords, who was the finest manby which Imean the fattestin the whole country of Flanders. He ate fourmeals a day, slept twelve hours out of the twenty-four, and the onlything he ever did was to shoot at small birds with his bow andarrow.Still, with all his practice he shot very badly, he was so fat andheavy, and as he grew daily fatter, he was at last obliged to give upwalking, and be dragged about in a wheel-chair, and the people...
The Poet at the Breakfast Tableby Oliver Wendell HolmesPREFACE.In this, the third series of Breakfast-Table conversations, a slightdramatic background shows off a few talkers and writers, aided bycertain silent supernumeraries. The machinery is much like that ofthe two preceding series. Some of the characters must seem like oldacquaintances to those who have read the former papers. As I readthese over for the first time for a number of years, I notice onecharacter; presenting a class of beings who have greatly multipliedduring the interval which separates the earlier and later...
The Origin and Nature of Emotionsby George W. CrileMiscellaneous PapersBYGEORGE W. CRILE, M.D.PROFESSOR OF SURGERY, SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY VISITING SURGEON TO THE LAKESIDE HOSPITAL, CLEVELANDEDITED BY AMY F. ROWLAND, B. S.PREFACEIN response to numerous requests I have brought together into this volume eight papers which may serve as a supplement to the volumes previously published[*] and as a preface to monographs now in preparation.[*] Surgical Shock, 1899; Surgery of the Respiratory System, 1899; Problems Relating to Surgical Operations, 1901; Blood Pressure in Surge