Ancient Poems, Ballads and Songs of the Peasantry of EnglandEdited by Robert BellINTRODUCTION.IN 1846, the Percy Society issued to its members a volume entitled ANCIENT POEMS, BALLADS, AND SONGS OF THE PEASANTRY OF ENGLAND, edited by Mr. James Henry Dixon. The sources drawn upon by Mr. Dixon are intimated in the following extract from his preface:-He who, in travelling through the rural districts of England, has made the road-side inn his resting-place, who has visited the lowly dwellings of the villagers and yeomanry, and been present at their feasts and festivals, must have observed 　

Shelley : AN ESSAYby Francis ThompsonThe Church, which was once the mother of poets no less than ofsaints, during the last two centuries has relinquished to aliens thechief glories of poetry, if the chief glories of holiness she haspreserved for her own. The palm and the laurel, Dominic and Dante,sanctity and song, grew together in her soil: she has retained thepalm, but forgone the laurel. Poetry in its widest sense, {1} andwhen not professedly irreligious, has been too much and too longamong many Catholics either misprised or distrusted; too much and...　

Of the Balance of Tradeby David HumeIt is very usual, in nations ignorant of the nature of commerce,to prohibit the exportation of commodities, and to preserve amongthemselves whatever they think valuable and useful. They do notconsider, that, in this prohibition, they act directly contrary totheir intention; and that the more is exported of any commodity, themore will be raised at home, of which they themselves will always havethe first offer.It is well known to the learned, that the ancient laws of ATHENSrendered the exportation of figs criminal; that being supposed a...　

380 BCPROTAGORASby Platotranslated by Benjamin JowettPROTAGORASPERSONS OF THE DIALOGUE: SOCRATES, who is the narrator of theDialogue to his Companion; HIPPOCRATES; ALCIBIADES; CRINAS;PROTAGORAS, HIPPIAS, PRODICUS, Sophists; CALLIAS, a wealthyAthenian. Scene: The House of CalliasCom. Where do you come from, Socrates? And yet I need hardly ask thequestion, for I know that you have been in chase of the fair...　

Falkby Joseph ConradA REMINISCENCESeveral of us, all more or less connected with thesea, were dining in a small river-hostelry not morethan thirty miles from London, and less than twentyfrom that shallow and dangerous puddle to whichour coasting men give the grandiose name of "Ger-man Ocean." And through the wide windows wehad a view of the Thames; an enfilading view downthe Lower Hope Reach. But the dinner was exe-crable, and all the feast was for the eyes.That flavour of salt-water which for so many ofus had been the very water of life permeated our...　

ARTAXERXES437-359 B.C.by Plutarchtranslated by John DrydenTHE first Artaxerxes, among all the kings of Persia the mostremarkable for a gentle and noble spirit, was surnamed theLong-handed, his right hand being longer than his left, and was theson of Xerxes. The second, whose story I am now writing, who had thesurname of the Mindful, was the grandson of the former, by hisdaughter Parysatis, who brought Darius four sons, the eldestArtaxerxes, the next Cyrus, and two younger than these, Ostanes and...　

DRAKESTAILDRAKESTAIL was very little, that is why he was called Drakestail;but tiny as he was he had brains, and he knew what hewas about, for having begun with nothing he ended by amassing ahundred crowns. Now the King of the country, who was veryextravagant and never kept any money, having heard that Drakestailhad some, went one day in his own person to borrow his hoard, and,my word, in those days Drakestail was not a little proud of havinglent money to the King. But after the first and second year, seeingthat they never even dreamed of paying the interest, he became...　

Original Short Stories, Vol. 8.By Guy de MaupassantVOLUME VIII.CLOCHETTETHE KISSTHE LEGION OF HONORTHE TESTFOUND ON A DROWNED MANTHE ORPHANTHE BEGGARTHE RABBITHIS AVENGERMY UNCLE JULESTHE MODELA VAGABONDTHE FISHING HOLETHE SPASMIN THE WOODMARTINEALL OVERTHE PARROTA PIECE OF STRINGCLOCHETTEHow strange those old recollections are which haunt us, without our beingable to get rid of them.This one is so very old that I cannot understand how it has clung sovividly and tenaciously to my memory. Since then I have seen so many...　

THE BRONZE RINGOnce upon a time in a certain country there lived aking whose palace was surrounded by a spacious garden.But, though the gardeners were many and the soil wasgood, this garden yielded neither flowers nor fruits, noteven grass or shady trees.The King was in despair about it, when a wise old mansaid to him:"Your gardeners do not understand their business: butwhat can you expect of men whose fathers were cobblersand carpenters? How should they have learned to cultivateyour garden?""You are quite right," cried the King....　

The Lady of LyonsorLove and Prideby Edward Bulwer LyttonTo the author of "Ion."Whose genius and example have alike contributed towards the regenerationof The National Drama,This play is inscribed.PREFACE.An indistinct recollection of the very pretty little tale,called "The Bellows-Mender," suggested the plot of this Drama.The incidents are, however, greatly altered from those in the tale,and the characters entirely re-cast.Having long had a wish to illustrate certain periods of the French...　

1861REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENTby John Stuart MillPREFACE.THOSE who have done me the honour of reading my previous writings will probably receive no strong impression of novelty from the present volume; for the principles are those to which I have been working up during the greater part of my life, and most of the practical suggestions have been anticipated by others or by myself. There is novelty, however, in the fact of bringing them together, and exhibiting them in their connection; and also, I believe, in much that is brought forward in their support. Several of the opinions at all events, 　

　 Revelation 21:9　　1　　NIGHT FELL CLEAN and cold in Dublin, and wind moaned beyond my room as if a million pipes played the air. Gusts shook old windowpanes and sounded like spirits rushing past as I rearranged pillows one more time, finally resting on my back in a snarl of Irish linen. But sleep would not touch me, and images from the day returned. I saw bodies without limbs or heads, and sat up, sweating.　I switched on lamps, and the Shelbourne Hotel was suddenly around me in a warm glow of rich old woods and deep red plaids. I put on a robe, my eyes lingering on the phone by my fitfu　

The VillageAfter hoeing, or perhaps reading and writing, in the forenoon, Iusually bathed again in the pond, swimming across one of its covesfor a stint, and washed the dust of labor from my person, orsmoothed out the last wrinkle which study had made, and for theafternoon was absolutely free. Every day or two I strolled to thevillage to hear some of the gossip which is incessantly going onthere, circulating either from mouth to mouth, or from newspaper tonewspaper, and which, taken in homoeopathic doses, was really as...　

POST-MORTEM POETRY [1]In Philadelphia they have a custom which it would be pleasantto see adopted throughout the land. It is that of appending topublished death-notices a little verse or two of comforting poetry.Any one who is in the habit of reading the daily PhiladelphiaLEDGER must frequently be touched by these plaintive tributesto extinguished worth. In Philadelphia, the departure of a childis a circumstance which is not more surely followed by a burialthan by the accustomed solacing poesy in the PUBLIC LEDGER.In that city death loses half its terror because the knowledge...　

The Little DreamAn Allegory in six scenesBY JOHN GALSWORTHYCHARACTERSSEELCHEN, a mountain girlLAMOND, a climberFELSMAN, a glideCHARACTERS IN THE DREAMTHE GREAT HORN |THE COW HORN | mountainsTHE WINE HORN |THE EDELWEISS |THE ALPENROSE | flowersTHE GENTIAN |THE MOUNTAIN DANDELION |VOICES AND FIGURES IN THE DREAMCOWBELLSMOUNTAIN AIRFAR VIEW OF ITALYDISTANT FLUME OF STEAMTHINGS IN BOOKSMOTH CHILDREN...　

[Original Dedication of First Essay, Omitted in subsequent Editions,]To William Wilberforce, Esq., MPMY DEAR SIR In contemplating, the public characters of the day, no one among them appears to have more nearly adopted in practice the principles which this Essay develops than yourself. In all the most important questions which have come before the senate since you became a legislator, you have not allowed the mistaken considerations of sect or party to influence your decisions; so far as an unbiased judgement can be formed of them, they appear generally to have been dictated by compre