Xenophon was a mercenary, philosopher and military leader of ancient Greece born in Erchia near Athens around -4302, N 1 and died towards -3553. Besides the Anabasis, he wrote a sequel to the History of the War of the Peloponnese of Thucydides entitled The Hellenics. His historical work is impartial, according to Lucien de Samosate, one of the authors that Xenophon inspired. Xenophon prepared minds for the possibility and profits of the conquests of Alexander the Great: in the Anabasis, besides an idealized vision of Asia, he shows that an expeditionary force of elite soldiers can cross the...

INTRODUCTION. In the whole history of the English people there is no period so absolutely heroic, so full of enthralling interest, as that in which the might of England made itself apparent by land and sea-the period which saw good Queen Bess mistress of English hearts and Englishmen and sovereign of the great beginnings which have come to such a magnificent fruition under Victoria. That was indeed a golden time-an age of great venture and enterprise-a period wherein men's hearts were set on personal valor and bravery-the day of great deeds and of courage most marvelous. To write down a...

PREFACE. As free use is made in the following story of the names of personages who played important parts in and during the last Tartar Conquest of China, the Author believes that a slight sketch of that turbulent epoch may not be uninteresting to his readers. Twenty-two dynasties have given some two hundred and forty Emperors to the Celestial Kingdom; of these, two were Tartars, who obtained the throne by conquest and bloodshed. In the course of time, however, the first Tartar family, with the whole of their race, were either massacred or driven from the land by a Chinese leader, who, by...

INTRODUCTION Everyone who has had the pleasure of Mr. Poskitt's acquaintance knows that that estimable Yorkshireman is not only the cheeriest of hosts, but the best of companions. Those of us who have known the Poskitt High Tea (a much more enjoyable meal than a late dinner) know what follows the consumption of Mrs. Poskitt's tender chickens and her home-fed hams. The parlour fire is stirred into a blaze; the hearth is swept clean; the curtains are drawn; the decanters, the cigars, and the quaint old leaden tobacco-box appear beneath the shaded lamp, and Mr. Poskitt bids his guests to cheer...

Of certain Events which happened at East Hardwick Manor House, August 27-28, 1642. At seven of the clock I turned away from the window, where, for a full hour, I had stood flattening my nose against the pane in a vain attempt to see something of interest in the dripping garden or the dank meadows outside. Sir Nicholas moved in his deep chair by the fire and then groaned, his old enemy catching him afresh and tweaking his great toe. Seeing that his pain had awakened him I went over and stood at his side. I saw the firelight glint on his frosted hair, and it woke in me some sleeping memory of a...

Extract: THE PRECIOUS TEN. According to our religious belief, the last best work of God is the human race. According to the observation of biologists, the highest product of evolution is the human race. According to our own natural inner conviction, this twofold testimony is quite acceptable: we are the first class. Whatever our merits when compared with lower species, however, we vary conspicuously when compared with one another. Humanity is superior to equinity, felinity, caninity; but there are degrees of humanness. Between existing nations there is marked difference in the qualities we...