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Well, Robin, on what folly do you employ yourself? Do you cut sticks for our fire o' mornings? Thus spoke Master Hugh Fitzooth, King's Ranger of the Forest at Locksley, as he entered his house. Robin flushed a little. These are arrows, sir, he announced, holding one up for inspection. Dame Fitzooth smiled upon the boy as she rose to meet her lord. What fortune do you bring us to-day, father? asked she, cheerily. Fitzooth's face was a mask of discontent. I bring myself, dame, answered he, neither more nor less. Surely that is enough for Robin and me! laughed his wife. Come, cast off your shoes, and give me your bow and quiver. I have news for you, Hugh, even if you have none for us. George of Gamewell has sent his messenger to-day, and bids me bring Robin to him for the Fair. She hesitated to give the whole truth. (Summary by Vallabh Papdiwala)...

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Adventure, Fiction, Historical Fiction

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Charles Kingsley (June 12 1819 - January 23 1875) was an English divine, university professor, historian, and novelist, particularly associated with the West Country and north-east Hampshire. As a novelist, his chief power lay in his descriptive faculties, which are evident in this novel as he pictures the Egyptian desert and the ancient city Alexandria. Hypatia, 1st published in 1853, is set in 5th Century A.D. Egypt. It centers upon a young orphan monk from a desert monastery who feels called to continue his religious life in the city. He discovers a sister, who is a prostitute living with a band of Goths. Other characters include Hypatia, a lady philosopher based on a historical personage; Cyril, Bishop of Alexandria; Felix, the Roman prefect; a Jewish man who has lost his faith; and an elderly Jewish woman who is like a sorceress. St. Augustine of Hippo makes a brief appearance. (Summary from Wikipedia with additions by Karen Merline)...

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Historical Fiction

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Excerpt: When, in March, 1832, the first volume of the now famous Contes Drolatiques was published by Gosselin of Paris, Balzac, in a short preface, written in the publisher?s name, replied to those attacks which he anticipated certain critics would make upon his hardy experiment....

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Contents Translators Preface............................................................................................................................ 4 PROLOGUE ..................................................................................................................................... 6 THE FAIR IMPERIA........................................................................................................................ 8 THE VENIAL SIN........................................................................................................................... 21 HOW THE GOOD MAN BRUYN TOOK A WIFE. ......................................................................................... 21 HOW THE SENESCHAL STRUGGLED WITH HIS WIFE?S MODESTY. ................................................. 31 THAT WHICH IS ONLY A VENIAL SIN. ........................................................................................................ 38 HOW AND BY WHOM THE SAID CHILD WAS PROCURED. ................................................................... 44 HOW THE SAID LOVE-SIN WAS REPENTED OF AND LED TO GREAT MOURNING. ................

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Excerpt: King Richard II by William Shakespeare.

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Excerpt: Chapter 1. How Sir Agravaine and Sir Mordred were busy upon Sir Gawaine for to disclose the love between Sir Launcelot and Queen Guenever In May when every lusty heart flourisheth and bourgeoneth, for as the season is lusty to behold and comfortable, so man and woman rejoice and gladden of summer coming with his fresh flowers: for winter with his rough winds and blasts cause a lusty man and woman to cower and sit fast by the fire. So in this season, as in the month of May, it befell a great anger and unhap that stinted not till the flower of chivalry of all the world was destroyed and slain; and all was long upon two unhappy knights the which were named Agravaine and Sir Mordred, that were brethren unto Sir Gawaine....

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Excerpt: Chapter 1. Of the joy King Arthur and the queen had of the achievement of the Sangreal; and how Launcelot fell to his old love again. So after the quest of the Sangreal was fulfilled, and all knights that were left alive were come again unto the Table Round, as the book of the Sangreal maketh mention, then was there great joy in the court; and in especial King Arthur and Queen Guenever made great joy of the remnant that were come home, and passing glad was the king and the queen of Sir Launcelot and of Sir Bors, for they had been passing long away in the quest of the Sangreal....

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Preface: An affair which might be deemed worthy of a note of a few lines in any general history has been here expanded to the size of a volume or large pamphlet. The smallness of the scale, and the singularity of the manners and events and many of the characters, considered, it is hoped that, in spite of its outlandish subject, the sketch may find readers. It has been a task of difficulty. Speed was essential, or it might come too late to be of any service to a distracted country....

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Excerpt: William Shakespeare?s Titus Andronicus.

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Excerpt: How Sir Tristram jousted, and smote down King Arthur, because he told him not the cause why he bare that shield. And if so be ye can descrive what ye bear, ye are worthy to bear the arms. As for that, said Sir Tristram, I will answer you; this shield was given me, not desired, of Queen Morgan le Fay; and as for me, I can not descrive these arms, for it is no point of my charge, and yet I trust to God to bear them with worship. Truly, said King Arthur, ye ought not to bear none arms but if ye wist what ye bear: but I pray you tell me your name....

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Excerpt: Chapter 1. How Sir Tristram de Liones was born, and how his mother died at his birth, wherefore she named him Tristram. It was a king that hight Meliodas, and he was lord and king of the country of Liones, and this Meliodas was a likely knight as any was that time living. And by fortune he wedded King Mark?s sister of Cornwall, and she was called Elizabeth, that was called both good and fair. And at that time King Arthur reigned, and he was whole king of England, Wales, and Scotland, and of many other realms: howbeit there were many kings that were lords of many countries, but all they held their lands of King Arthur; for in Wales were two kings, and in the north were many kings; and in Cornwall and in the west were two kings; also in Ireland were two or three kings, and all were under the obeissance of King Arthur....

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Excerpt: Dedication. These to His Memory--since he held them dear, Perchance as finding there unconsciously Some image of himself--I dedicate, I dedicate, I consecrate with tears-- These Idylls....

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Contents Idylls of the King ............................................................................................................................... 4 Dedication ......................................................................................................................................... 4 The Coming of Arthur ...................................................................................................................... 5 Gareth and Lynette ......................................................................................................................... 16 The Marriage of Geraint ............................................................................................................... 45 Geraint and Enid ............................................................................................................................. 61 Balin and Balan ............................................................................................................................... 81 Merlin and Vivien ............................................................................................................

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Excerpt: Rumour: Open your ears; for which of you will stop The vent of hearing when loud Rumour speaks? I, from the orient to the drooping west, Making the wind my post-horse, still unfold The acts commenced on this ball of earth: Upon my tongues continual slanders ride, The which in every language I pronounce, Stuffing the ears of men with false reports. I speak of peace, while covert enmity Under the smile of safety wounds the world: And who but Rumour, who but only I, Make fearful musters and prepared defence, Whiles the big year, sworn with some other grief, Is thought with child by the stern tyrant war, And no such matter? Rumour is a pipe Blown by surmises, jealousies, conjectures And of so easy and so plain a stop That the blunt monster with uncounted heads, The still-discordant wavering multitude....

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Excerpt: A Reading of Life by George Meredith.

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Contents Poem: A Reading of Life?The Vital Choice .................................................................................. 5 Poem: A Reading of Life?With The Huntress .............................................................................. 6 Poem: A Reading of Life?With The Persuader ............................................................................ 7 Poem: A Reading of Life?The Test Of Manhood ....................................................................... 14 Poem: The Cageing Of Ares ........................................................................................................... 19 Poem: The Night-Walk .................................................................................................................... 22 Poem: The Hueless Love ................................................................................................................. 24 Poem: Song In The Songless .......................................................................................................... 25 Poem: Union In Disseverance .......................................................................

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Excerpt: The Poems of Goethe, translated by Edgar Alfred Bowring.

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Contents The Translator?s Original Dedication to the Countess Granville. ..................................................................................... 17 Original Preface. ......................................................................................................................................................... 18 Preface to the Second Edition. ..................................................................................................................................... 21 The Poems of Goethe. ................................................................................................................................................... 22 Dedication. .................................................................................................................................................................. 22 Songs............................................................................................................................................................................ 26 To the Kind Reader. .................................................................................................

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Excerpt: Chapter 1. How Sir Launcelot and Sir Lionel departed from the court, and how Sir Lionel left him sleeping and was taken. Soon after that King Arthur was come from Rome into England, then all the knights of the Table Round re sorted unto the king, and made many jousts and tournaments, and some there were that were but knights, which increased so in arms and worship that they passed all their fellows in prowess and noble deeds, and that was well proved on many; but in especial it was proved on Sir Launcelot du Lake, for in all tournaments and jousts and deeds of arms, both for life and death, he passed all other knights, and at no time he was never overcome but if it were by treason or enchantment; so Sir Launcelot increased so marvellously in worship, and in honour, therefore is he the first knight that the French book maketh mention of after King Arthur came from Rome....

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Excerpt: It is no easy task in this world to distinguish between what is great in it, and what is mean; and many and many is the puzzle that I have had in reading History (or the works of fiction which go by that name), to know whether I should laud up to the skies, and endeavor, to the best of my small capabilities, to imitate the remarkable character about whom I was reading, or whether I should fling aside the book and the hero of it, as things altogether base, unworthy, laughable, and get a novel, or a game of billiards, or a pipe of tobacco, or the report of the last debate in the House, or any other employment which would leave the mind in a state of easy vacuity, rather than pester it with a vain set of dates relating to actions which are in themselves not worth a fig, or with a parcel of names of people whom it can do one no earthly good to remember....

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Excerpt: The History of Tom Jones, A Foundling by Henry Fielding: Volume Two, Containing Books IX through XVIII.

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Excerpt: The Divine Comedy, Volume Three, Paradise [Paradiso] by Dante Aligheri, trans Charles Eliot Norton.

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Contents CANTO I. Proem.?Invocation.?Beatrice and Dante ascend to the Sphere of Fire.?Beatrice explains the cause of their ascent.......................................................................................................................................................... 6 CANTO II. Proem.?Ascent to the Moon.?The cause of Spots on the Moon.?Influence of the Heavens. ........ 10 CANTO III. The Heaven of the Moon.?Spirits whose vows had been broken.?Piccarda Donati.?The Empress Constance. ............................................................................................................................................................. 13 CANTO IV. Doubts of Dante, respecting the justice of Heaven and the abode of the blessed, solved by Beatrice.? Question of Dante as to the possibility of reparation for broken vows. .............................................................. 16 CANTO V. The sanctity of vows, and the seriousness with which they are to be made or changed.?Ascent to the Heaven of Mercury.?The shade of Justinian. .........................................................................................

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Excerpt: They, who to states and governors of the Commonwealth direct their speech, High Court of Parliament, or, wanting such access in a private condition, write that which they foresee may advance the public good; I suppose them, as at the beginning of no mean endeavour, not a little altered and moved inwardly in their minds: some with doubt of what will be the success, others with fear of what will be the censure; some with hope, others with confidence of what they have to speak....

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Contents Areopagitica ? 3 John Milton: A Brief Bio, 1608 - 74 ? 49 L?ALLEGRO ? 50 IL PENSEROSO ? 54 COMUS ? 58 LYCIDAS ? 86

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Excerpt: Are these the only works of Providence within us? What words suffice to praise or set them forth? Had we but understanding, should we ever cease hymning and blessing the Divine Power, both openly and in secret, and telling of His gracious gifts? Whether digging or ploughing or eating, should we not sing the hymn to God....