The Ancien Regimeby Charles KingsleyPREFACEThe rules of the Royal Institution forbid (and wisely) religious orpolitical controversy. It was therefore impossible for me in theseLectures, to say much which had to be said, in drawing a just andcomplete picture of the Ancien Regime in France. The passagesinserted between brackets, which bear on religious matters, wereaccordingly not spoken at the Royal Institution.But more. It was impossible for me in these Lectures, to bringforward as fully as I could have wished, the contrast between the...　

Life of Marion.Life of Marion.DOBEIN JAMES.1- Page 2-Life of Marion.Preface.During the siege of Charleston, in May, 1780, the grammar school atSalem, on Black river, where I had been placed by my father, Major JOHNJAMES, broke up; and I was compelled to abandon my school boy studies,and become a militia man, at the age of fifteen. At that time of life it was a...　

History Of The BritonsHistory Of The BritonsNenniusTranslated by J. A. Giles1- Page 2-History Of The BritonsI. The Prologue.1. Nennius, the lowly minister and servant of the servants of God, bythe grace of God, disciple of St. Elbotus,* to all the followers of truthsendeth health. * Or Elvod, bishop of Bangor, A.D. 755, who first adopted...　

KWAIDAN: Stories and Studies of Strange ThingsKWAIDAN: Stories andStudies of Strange ThingsBy Lafcadio Hearn1- Page 2-KWAIDAN: Stories and Studies of Strange ThingsTABLE OF CONTENTSTHE STORY OF MIMI-NASHI-HOICHI OSHIDORITHE STORY OF O-TEI UBAZAKURA DIPLOMACY OF AMIRROR AND A BELL JIKININKI MUJINA ROKURO-KUBI A DEADSECRET YUKI-ONNA THE STORY OF AOYAGI JIU-ROKU-...　

MUGBY JUNCTIONMUGBY JUNCTIONBy Charles Dickens1- Page 2-MUGBY JUNCTIONCHAPTER IBARBOXBROTHERSI"Guard! What place is this?""Mugby Junction, sir.""A windy place!""Yes, it mostly is, sir.""And looks comfortless indeed!""Yes, it generally does, sir."...　

IS SHAKESPEARE DEAD?(from My Autobiography)Scattered here and there through the stacks of unpublished manuscript which constitute this formidable Autobiography and Diary of mine, certain chapters will in some distant future be found which deal with "Claimants"claimants historically notorious: Satan, Claimant; the Golden Calf, Claimant; the Veiled Prophet of Khorassan, Claimant; Louis XVII., Claimant; William Shakespeare, Claimant; Arthur Orton, Claimant; Mary Baker G. Eddy, Claimantand the rest of them. Eminent Claimants, successful Claimants, defeated Claimants, royal Claimants, pleb Claim　

Modern Customs and Ancient Laws of Russiaby Maxime KovalevskyLecture 6The Origin, Growth, and Abolition of Personal Servitude in RussiaAn account of the origin, growth, and abolition of serfdom inRussia might easily be made to fill volumes, so vast and sovarious are the materials on which the study of it is based. Butfor the purpose now in view, that of bringing before your noticethe general conclusion to which Russian historians and legistshave come as to the social development of their country, perhapsa single lecture will suffice. In it I cannot pretend to do more...　

The Adventures of Pinocchioby C. Collodi[Pseudonym of Carlo Lorenzini]CHAPTER 1How it happened that Mastro Cherry, carpenter,found a piece of wood that wept and laughed like a childCenturies ago there lived"A king!" my little readers will say immediately.No, children, you are mistaken. Once upon a timethere was a piece of wood. It was not an expensive pieceof wood. Far from it. Just a common block of firewood,one of those thick, solid logs that are put on the fire inwinter to make cold rooms cozy and warm....　

A LOST OPPORTUNITY."Then came Peter to Him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brothersin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?" . . . ."So likewise shall My heavenly Father do also unto you, if yefrom your hearts forgive not every one his brother theirtrespasses."ST. MATTHEW xviii., 21-35.In a certain village there lived a peasant by the name of IvanScherbakoff. He was prosperous, strong, and vigorous, and wasconsidered the hardest worker in the whole village. He had threesons, who supported themselves by their own labor. The eldest...　

A SIMPLIFIED ALPHABET(This article, written during the autumn of 1899, was aboutthe last writing done by Mark Twain on any impersonal subject.)I have had a kindly feeling, a friendly feeling, a cousinlyfeeling toward Simplified Spelling, from the beginning of themovement three years ago, but nothing more inflamed than that.It seemed to me to merely propose to substitute one inadequacyfor another; a sort of patching and plugging poor old dentalrelics with cement and gold and porcelain paste; what was reallyneeded was a new set of teeth. That is to say, a new ALPHABET....　

Massacre at Parisby Christopher MarloweTable of Contents with inital stage directions* Dramatis Personae* Scene 1: Enter Charles the French King, [Catherine] the QueeneMother, the King of Navarre, the Prince of Condye, the Lord highAdmirall, and [Margaret] the Queene of Navarre, with others.* Scene 2: Enter the Duke of Guise.* Scene 3: Enter the King of Navar and Queen [Margaret], and his[olde] Mother Queen [of Navarre], the Prince of Condy, theAdmirall, and the Pothecary with the gloves, and gives them...　

CORIOLANUSCORIOLANUSWilliam Shakespeare16081- Page 2-CORIOLANUSDramatis PersonaeCAIUS MARCIUS, afterwards CAIUS MARCIUS CORIOLANUSGenerals against the Volscians TITUS LARTIUS COMINIUSMENENIUS AGRIPPA, friend to CoriolanusTribunes of the People SICINIUS VELUTUS JUNIUS BRUTUSYOUNG MARCIUS, son to Coriolanus A ROMAN HERALD...　

Tarzan the Terribleby Edgar Rice BurroughsCHAPTERI The PithecanthropusII "To the Death!"III Pan-at-leeIV Tarzan-jad-guruV In the Kor-ul-gryfVI The Tor-o-donVII Jungle CraftVIII A-lurIX Blood-Stained AltarsX The Forbidden GardenXI The Sentence of DeathXII The Giant StrangerXIII The MasqueraderXIV The Temple of the GryfXV "The King Is Dead!"XVI The Secret WayXVII By Jad-bal-lulXVIII The Lion Pit of Tu-lurXIX Diana of the JungleXX Silently in the NightXXI The ManiacXXII A Journey on a Gryf...　

The Lost HouseThe Lost Houseby Richard Harding Davis1- Page 2-The Lost HouseIIt was a dull day at the chancellery. His Excellency the AmericanAmbassador was absent in Scotland, unveiling a bust to Bobby Burns,paid for by the numerous lovers of that poet in Pittsburg; the FirstSecretary was absent at Aldershot, observing a sham battle; the Military...　

The Story of My Heartby Richard JefferiesAN AUTOBIOGRAPHYCHAPTER ITHE story of my heart commences seventeen years ago. In the glowof youth there were times every now and then when I felt thenecessity of a strong inspiration of soulthought. My heart wasdusty, parched for want of the rain of deep feeling; my mind arid and dry,for there is a dust which settles on the heart as well as that which fallson a ledge. It is injurious to the mind as well as to the body to be alwaysin one place and always surrounded by the same circumstances. A species ofthick clothing slowly grows about the mind, the 　

1872FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSENTHE WILD SWANSby Hans Christian AndersenFAR away in the land to which the swallows fly when it iswinter, dwelt a king who had eleven sons, and one daughter, namedEliza. The eleven brothers were princes, and each went to schoolwith a star on his breast, and a sword by his side. They wrote withdiamond pencils on gold slates, and learnt their lessons so quicklyand read so easily that every one might know they were princes.Their sister Eliza sat on a little stool of plate-glass, and had abook full of pictures, which had cost as much as half a kingdom. Oh,