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Harvard Classics - Reading Guide - JuneJun 1: Marlowe's DR. FAUSTUSThrilling Play by Tutor of Shakespeare For the best blank verse in English, read "Dr. Faustus," the masterpiece of Marlowe, who gave Shakespeare lessons in playwriting. This genius knew the secret of gripping drama. Read from Marlowe's DR. FAUSTUS ................... Vol. 19, pp. 241-250 Jun 2: Rousseau's A SAVOYARD VICAR"Back to Nature" in the Seventeenth Century A "Back to Nature" movement in the seventeenth century was headed by Rousseau, who believed that civilization was degrading. To save money for his work, he entrusted each of his children to the tender mercies of a foundling house. Read from Rousseau's A SAVOYARD VICAR ..... Vol. 34, pp. 239-249 Jun 3: MOTION OF THE HEART AND BLOODPulse Aids Epochal Discoveries Galileo, by holding his pulse while watching a swinging cathedral lamp, evolved a theory that made clocks possible. Harvey, by feeling his pulse, educed that arteries carry blood. Read from MOTION OF THE HEART AND BLOOD .... Vol. 38, pp. 75-86 Jun 4: Goethe's EGMONT'Neath the Iron Hand of Spain Spain sent the Duke of Alva to subdue the Netherlands. In quelling disorder he killed the people's hero, Count Egmont. From this story Goethe made a famous play. Read from Goethe's EGMONT ............ Vol. 19, pp. 253-259 Jun 5: Adam Smith's WEALTH OF NATIONSThe Rent of Land from Human Food Even to-day rent is paid in terms of human food. It sounds primitive, but it happens right at your door—here in the United States, in compliance with a law as old as man. Read from Adam Smith's WEALTH OF NATIONS .... Vol. 10, pp. 149-157 Jun 6: Dana's TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MASTA Shrill Cry in the Night! A crew faced the hazardous prospect of rounding the bleak Cape Horn in midwinter. Imagine the terror when a sudden scream pierced the misery-laden air. What was it? A man overboard or a lost soul? Read from Dana's Two YEARS BEFORE THE MAST .... Vol. 23, pp. 285-295 Jun 7: HAMLET"There's Rosemary—that's for Remembrance!" Do you know the rest of Ophelia's famous line? "Hamlet" is the most popular play in the entire world. It has been quoted so often that reading it is like meeting an old friend. Read from HAMLET ........................ Vol. 46, pp. 176-183 Jun 8: WOOLMAN'S JOURNALEloquence Wins Over Prejudice The plain, homely appearance of Woolman impressed unfavorably the orthodox Quakers in London whom he was sent to meet. They told him his coming was not necessary. But Woolman spoke with such simplicity and sincerity that even those most opposed became his friends. Read from WOOLMAN'S JOURNAL ............. Vol. 1, pp. 302-312 Jun 9: THE PSALMSEnchanting Songs of David The songs of David pleased King Saul, but when David became too popular with the people, the king feared for his throne and banished him. Read from THE PSALMS ..................... Vol. 44, pp. 168-179 Jun 10: Sophocles' OEDIPUS, KING OF THEBESHorrible Prophecy Fulfilled King OEdipus of Thebes as a babe was abandoned on Mount Cithaeron to die. Years after he was thought dead he returns to Thebes and unknowingly slays his father, marries his mother— and thus fulfills the word of the oracle. Read from Sophocles' OEDIPUS, KING OF THEBES ... Vol. 8, pp. 209-223 Jun 11: Spenser's THE EPITHALAMIUMHe Sang of His Beautiful Elizabeth To commemorate his marriage to the beautiful Elizabeth, Spenser wrote one of the most enchanting nuptial hymns. Read: Spenser's THE EPITHALAMIUM ........... Vol. 40, pp. 234-245 Jun 12: THE BHAGAVAD-GITAVishnu Holds Up a Battle "Two armies of ancient India were about to engage in a momentous battle. Arjuna, heroic leader of the Pandu hosts, foreseeing great slaughter, hesitates. He implores the divine Vishnu to intervene. The conversation of the warrior and the god is a gem of Hindu literature. Read from THE BHAGAVAD-GITA ................ Vol. 45, pp. 785-798 Jun 13: Plutarch's ARISTIDESAthens Flouts Aristides Athenians gave Aristides the title of "The Just." Later they wanted to banish him. One voter wanted Aristides banished merely because he was weary of hearing him called " The Just." Read from Plutarch's ARISTIDES ............... Vol. 12, pp. 85-94 Jun 14: Plato's CRITOA Philosopher Prefers Prison Cell "Socrates unceasingly strove for beauty, truth, and perfection. Sentenced to death on a false charge, he refused to escape from the death cell, even when opportunity was offered. Read: Plato's CRITO ............................... Vol. 2, pp. 31-43 Jun 15: Froissart's WAT TYLER'S REBELLIONStrikers Storm the Tower of London Led by Wat Tyler in 1381, great troops of villagers and rustics marched on London—laid siege to the Tower—sacked the apartments of the King and murdered his ministers. Froissart gives first-hand information of this rebellion. Read from Froissart's WAT TYLER'S REBELLION ....... Vol. 35, pp. 60-72 Jun 16: Byron's MANFREDSpirits at the Top of the World The inaccessible mountain tops were ever venerated as the haunts of all mysteries. Manfred, hero of Byron's play, seeks upon the high Alps the aid of spirits, specters, and goblins. What unearthly adventures await him! Read from Byron's MANFRED .................... Vol. 18, pp. 415-428 Jun 17: Eliot's BRIEF NARRATIVERisked His Scalp in Prayer John Eliot put his life at the mercy of the redmen to get them to listen to his preachings. He wrote vividly about his settlements of Christian Indians. Now villages and Indians have disappeared. Only his story remains. Read: Eliot's BRIEF NARRATIVE ................ Vol. 43, pp. 138-146 Jun 18: GRIMM'S TALESCinderella Lives To-day Cinderella inspires all alike—the artist's brush, the author's pen, the child's fancy. To-day she is a living, vital character to be seen on stage and screen. No one ever forgets her lightning change. Read from GRIMM'S TALES ....................... Vol. 17, pp. 98-104 Jun 19: Holinshed's OUR ENGLISH DOGSFreaks of the Dog Fad in England A writer of Elizabethan times said that no other country had as many dogs as England. Once Henry VII ordered all mastiffs to be hung because they "durst presume to fight against the lion," England's regal beast. Read: Holinshed's OUR ENGLISH DOGS ....... Vol. 35, pp. 350-356 Jun 20: Darwin's VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLENo Salt for These Birds Galapagos Islands are the home of fearless birds, to which horses, cows, and men are only roosting places. Darwin saw the South Pacific when few travelers knew that wonderland. Read from Darwin's VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE .... Vol. 29, pp. 403-413 Jun 21: Ruskin's SESAMEWould You Converse with Royalty? Why gossip with lesser persons when you might be talking to queens and kings? Just how we may get to talk to queens and kings, Ruskin delightfully points out and escorts us to the very doors of the audience chamber. Read from Ruskin's SESAME .................. Vol. 28, pp. 99-110 Jun 22: Pliny's LETTERSPliny Tells Ghost Stories Pliny, who lived in the first century after Christ, tells of a ghost who dragged his jangling chains through a house in Athens and so terrified the inmates that they fled panic-stricken. But the ghost met his equal. Read from Pliny's LETTERS .................... Vol. 9, pp. 311-314 Jun 23: Mill's AUTOBIOGRAPHYGreek Scholar at Three John Stuart Mill—one of the greatest intellects in England—tells how his father educated him. At the early age of three years he began the study of Greek, and at twelve started writing a book of his own . Read from Mill's AUTOBIOGRAPHY ............. Vol. 25, pp. 9-20 Jun 24: THE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTSHad No Right Hand A handsome young man was seen to eat only with his left hand, which was contrary to the customs of Arabia. The youth, when urged, told why he used only his left hand, and revealed a story of love and adventure and the lover's need for gold—all happening in ancient Cairo. Read from THE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS .... Vol. 16, pp. 120-133 Jun 25: HERRICK'S POEMSAdvice to Virgins from a Wise Man "Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, Old Time is still a-flying; And this same flower that smiles today, to-morrow will be dying? "Herrick was only a humble country minister with a wealth of wisdom and a keen appreciation of life, which he expressed in lyrics of wonderful beauty and melody. Read: HERRICK'S POEMS .................. Vol. 40, pp. 334-340 Jun 26: BEOWULFIn the Lair of the Green-Eyed Monster At the bottom of the ocean was the home of the monster who had desolated the king's halls. Beowulf, bravest of warriors, descended beneath the waves to fight the beast. The king's men, waiting above, saw the waves become colored with blood. Hero or monster—who had won? Read from BEOWULF ............................ Vol. 49, pp. 45-50 Jun 27: BACON'S ESSAYSDo You Take Poison Daily? There is a human trait most poisonous to a man's blood. Man seeks to avoid it because he knows that it lies like a curse upon him. Just what is the poisonous human failing? Who are most subject to it? Bacon tells you in one of his best essays. Read from BACON'S ESSAYS ..................... Vol. 3, pp. 22-26 Jun 28: Darwin's VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLEPages from the Pampas Book of Etiquette A very definite etiquette is followed by a stranger on the vast plains of South America. "Ave Maria" is the common salutation. If the stranger is on horseback, he does not alight until invited to do so by his host. Once in the house, the stranger must converse a while before asking shelter for the night. Read from Darwin's VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE ...... Vol. 29, pp. 51-60 Jun 29: Shakespeare's MACBETH"Is That a Dagger I See Before Me?" Macbeth, spurred on by the ambitious and crafty Lady Macbeth, committed murder to secure the crown of Scotland. But he paid dearly for his gain. Ghostly guests appeared at his banquet and threatened him with dire threats. Read from Shakespeare's MACBETH .......... Vol. 46, pp. 357-365 Jun 30: Mill's ON LIBERTYRather King Than Majority "Democracy" has not always been the choice of oppressed people. The tyranny of the majority is a recognized evil as harmful as the misrule of a king. And rather than exchange a lesser evil for a greater, a rule by king has often been preferred to a republic. Read: Mill's ON LIBERTY ..................... Vol. 25, pp. 195-203 |