THE DECAMERONby Boccaccio GiovanniTHE INDUCTION OF THE AUTHOR TO THE FOLLOWING DISCOURSESGracious Ladies, so often as I consider with my selfe, and observerespectively, how naturally you are enclined to compassion; as manytimes doe I acknowledge, that this present worke of mine, will (inyour judgement) appeare to have but a harsh and offensive beginning,in regard of the mournfull remembrance it beareth at the verieentrance of the last Pestilentiall mortality, universally hurtfull...　

THE RIDDLE HOUSEThe villagers of Little Hangleron still called it "the Riddle House," even though it had been many years since the Riddle family had lived there. It stood on a hill overlooking the village, some of its windows boarded, tiles missing from its roof, and ivy spreading unchecked over its face. Once a fine-looking manor, and easily the largest and grandest building for miles around, the Riddle House was now damp, derelict, and unoccupied.The Little Hagletons all agreed that the old house was "creepy." Half a century ago, something strange and horrible had happened there, somethi　

Historical Lecturers and Essaysby Charles KingsleyContents:The First Discovery of AmericaCyrus, Servant of the LordAncient CivilisationRondeletVesaliusParacelsusBuchananTHE FIRST DISCOVERY OF AMERICALet me begin this lecture {1} with a scene in the North Atlantic 863years since."Bjarne Grimolfson was blown with his ship into the Irish Ocean; andthere came worms and the ship began to sink under them. They had a...　

The Divine Comedytranslated by Henry Wadsworth LongfellowPARADISOParadiso: Canto IThe glory of Him who moveth everythingDoth penetrate the universe, and shineIn one part more and in another less.Within that heaven which most his light receivesWas I, and things beheld which to repeatNor knows, nor can, who from above descends;Because in drawing near to its desireOur intellect ingulphs itself so far,That after it the memory cannot go.Truly whatever of the holy realmI had the power to treasure in my mindShall now become the subject of my song....　

Juanaby Honore de BalzacTranslated by Katharine Prescott Wormeley)DEDICATIONTo Madame la Comtesse Merlin.JUANA(THE MARANAS)CHAPTER IEXPOSITIONNotwithstanding the discipline which Marechal Suchet had introducedinto his army corps, he was unable to prevent a short period oftrouble and disorder at the taking of Tarragona. According to certainfair-minded military men, this intoxication of victory bore a strikingresemblance to pillage, though the marechal promptly suppressed it....　

The Black Death and The Dancing Maniaby J. F. C. Hecker (translated by B. G. Babington)INTRODUCTIONJustus Friedrich Karl Hecker was one of three generations of distinguished professors of medicine. His father, August Friedrich Hecker, a most industrious writer, first practised as a physician in Frankenhausen, and in 1790 was appointed Professor of Medicine at the University of Erfurt. In 1805 he was called to the like professorship at the University of Berlin. He died at Berlin in 1811.Justus Friedrich Karl Hecker was born at Erfurt in January, 1795. He went, of coursebeing then ten years 　

THE COMPARISON OF ALCIBIADES WITH CORIOLANUSby Plutarchtranslated by John DrydenHAVING described all their actions that seem to deservecommemoration, their military ones, we may say, incline the balancevery decidedly upon neither side. They both, in pretty equalmeasure, displayed on numerous occasions the daring and courage of thesoldier, and the skill and foresight of the general; unless, indeed,the fact that Alcibiades was victorious and successful in manycontests both by sea and land, ought to gain him the title of a more...　

The Autobiography of a QuackS. Weir Mitchell, MD, LLDTHE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A QUACKANDTHE CASE OF GEORGE DEDLOWBYS. WEIR MITCHELL, M.D.,LL.D. HARVARD AND EDINBURGHCONTENTSTHE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A QUACKTHE CASE OF GEORGE DEDLOWINTRODUCTIONBoth of the tales in this little volume appeared originally in the ``Atlantic Monthly' as anonymous contributions. I owe to the present owners of that journal permission to use them. ``The Autobiography of a Quack ' has been recast with large additions.``The Case of George Dedlow' was not written with any intention that it should appear in print. I lent the ma　

FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSENTHE UGLY DUCKLINGby Hans Christian AndersenIT was lovely summer weather in the country, and the goldencorn, the green oats, and the haystacks piled up in the meadows lookedbeautiful. The stork walking about on his long red legs chattered inthe Egyptian language, which he had learnt from his mother. Thecorn-fields and meadows were surrounded by large forests, in the midstof which were deep pools. It was, indeed, delightful to walk aboutin the country. In a sunny spot stood a pleasant old farm-house...　

FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSENTHE DUMB BOOKby Hans Christian AndersenIN the high-road which led through a wood stood a solitaryfarm-house; the road, in fact, ran right through its yard. The sun wasshining and all the windows were open; within the house people werevery busy. In the yard, in an arbour formed by lilac bushes in fullbloom, stood an open coffin; thither they had carried a dead man,who was to be buried that very afternoon. Nobody shed a tear over him;his face was covered over with a white cloth, under his head they...　

Balladsby Robert Louis StevensonTHE SONG OF RAHEROA LEGEND OF TAHITITO ORI A ORIORI, my brother in the island mode,In every tongue and meaning much my friend,This story of your country and your clan,In your loved house, your too much honoured guest,I made in English. Take it, being done;And let me sign it with the name you gave.TERIITERA.I. THE SLAYING OF TAMATEAIT fell in the days of old, as the men of Taiarapu tell,A youth went forth to the fishing, and fortune favoured him well....　

CONCLUSION.There was one time of the year which was held in Raveloe to beespecially suitable for a wedding. It was when the great lilacs andlaburnums in the old-fashioned gardens showed their golden andpurple wealth above the lichen-tinted walls, and when there werecalves still young enough to want bucketfuls of fragrant milk.People were not so busy then as they must become when the fullcheese-making and the mowing had set in; and besides, it was a timewhen a light bridal dress could be worn with comfort and seen toadvantage.Happily the sunshine fell more warmly than usual on the lilac tufts　

THE RED ONETHE RED ONEby Jack London1- Page 2-THE RED ONETHE RED ONETHERE it was! The abrupt liberation of sound! As he timed it withhis watch, Bassett likened it to the trump of an archangel. Walls of cities,he meditated, might well fall down before so vast and compelling asummons. For the thousandth time vainly he tried to analyse the tone-...　

THE BOY AND THE WOLVES, OR THE BROKEN PROMISE[18][18] A North American Indian story.Once upon a time an Indian hunter built himself a house in themiddle of a great forest, far away from all his tribe; for hisheart was gentle and kind, and he was weary of the treachery andcruel deeds of those who had been his friends. So he left them,and took his wife and three children, and they journeyed on untilthey found a spot near to a clear stream, where they began to cutdown trees, and to make ready their wigwam. For many years theylived peacefully and happily in this sheltered place, never...　

The Great War Syndicateby Frank StocktonIn the spring of a certain year, not far from theclose of the nineteenth century, when the politicalrelations between the United States and Great Britainbecame so strained that careful observers on both sidesof the Atlantic were forced to the belief that aserious break in these relations might be looked for atany time, the fishing schooner Eliza Drum sailed froma port in Maine for the banks of Newfoundland.It was in this year that a new system of protectionfor American fishing vessels had been adopted in...　

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christby Lew Wallaceto THE WIFE OF MY YOUTH who still abides with meBOOK FIRSTCHAPTER IThe Jebel es Zubleh is a mountain fifty miles and more in length, and so narrow that its tracery on the map gives it a likeness to a caterpillar crawling from the south to the north. Standing on its red-and-white cliffs, and looking off under the path of the rising sun, one sees only the Desert of Arabia, where the east winds, so hateful to vinegrowers of Jericho, have kept their playgrounds since the beginning. Its feet are well covered by sands tossed from the Euphrates, there to l