Quick Excerpts, from a Library of 492 Titles

Generated 2022-07-28 13:25:46

Excerpt #1, from Around the World on a Bicycle Volume II, by Thomas Stevens

…just as the sun is finishing his race for the day by painting the sky with fanciful tints and streaks. The long, straight avenue which I have wheeled down, for miles hereabout runs east and west. The sun, rotund and fiery, sets immediately in the perspective of the avenue; and at his disappearance there shoot from the same point iridescent javelins that spread, fan-like, over the whole heavens. A sight never to be forgotten is the long white road and the ribs of the glorious celestial fan meeting together in the vista-like distance; and–oh, for the brush and palette and genius of a Turner!–one of the rainbow-tinted javelins spits the crescent moon and holds it to toast before the glowing sunset fires, like a piece of green cheese. The heat of the night is ominously suggestive of shed’s popularly conceived temperature, and, in the absence of the customary punkah and nodding, see-sawing wallah, a villager is employed to sit beside my charpoy and agitate the air immediately about my head with a big palm-leaf fan. But sleep is next to impossible; the morning finds me feeling but little refreshed and with a decided yearning to remain all day long in the shade instead of taking to the road. Not a moment’s respite is possible from the oppressive heat; an hour in the saddle develops a sensation of grogginess and an amphibian inclination for wallowing in some road-side tank….

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Excerpt #2, from The Poetics of Aristotle, by Aristotle

…irrational parts. Everything irrational should, if possible, be excluded; or, at all events, it should lie outside the action of the play (as, in the Oedipus, the hero’s ignorance as to the manner of Laius’ death); not within the drama,–as in the Electra, the messenger’s account of the Pythian games; or, as in the Mysians, the man who has come from Tegea to Mysia and is still speechless. The plea that otherwise the plot would have been ruined, is ridiculous; such a plot should not in the first instance be constructed. But once the irrational has been introduced and an air of likelihood imparted to it, we must accept it in spite of the absurdity. Take even the irrational incidents in the Odyssey, where Odysseus is left upon the shore of Ithaca. How intolerable even these might have been would be apparent if an inferior poet were to treat the subject. As it is, the absurdity is veiled by the poetic charm with which the poet invests it. The diction should be elaborated in the pauses of the action, where there is no expression of character or thought. For, conversely, character and thought are merely obscured by a diction that is over brilliant. XXV With respect to critical difficulties and their solutions, the number and nature of the sources from which they may be drawn may be thus…

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Excerpt #3, from A Doll’s House : a play, by Henrik Ibsen

…Just look at those! RANK. Silk stockings. NORA. Flesh-coloured. Aren’t they lovely? It is so dark here now, but tomorrow—. No, no, no! you must only look at the feet. Oh well, you may have leave to look at the legs too. RANK. Hm!— NORA. Why are you looking so critical? Don’t you think they will fit me? RANK. I have no means of forming an opinion about that. NORA. [looks at him for a moment]. For shame! [Hits him lightly on the ear with the stockings.] That’s to punish you. [Folds them up again.] RANK. And what other nice things am I to be allowed to see? NORA. Not a single thing more, for being so naughty. [She looks among the things, humming to herself.]…

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Excerpt #4, from Curiosities of Human Nature, by Samuel G. Goodrich

…to find out this and that, mentioning the different parts contained in that theorem. His father then asked how he came to inquire about that. He replied, that he had found out such a thing, naming some of the more simple problems; and thus, in reply to different questions, he showed that he had gone on his own investigations, totally unassisted, from the most simple definition in geometry, to Euclid’s thirty-second proposition. This, it must be remembered, was when Pascal was but twelve years of age. His subsequent progress perfectly accorded with this extraordinary display of talent. His father now gave him Euclid’s Elements to peruse at his hours of recreation. He read them, and understood them, without any assistance. His progress was so rapid that he was soon admitted to the meetings of a society of which his father, Roberval, and some other celebrated mathematicians were members, and from which afterwards originated the Royal Academy of Sciences, at Paris. During Pascal’s residence with his father at Rouen, and while he was only in his nineteenth year, he invented his famous arithmetical machine, by which all numerical calculations, however complex, can be made by the mechanical operation of its different parts, without any arithmetical skill in the person who uses it. He had a patent for this invention in 1649. His studies, however, began to be interrupted when he…

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Excerpt #5, from Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog), by Jerome K. Jerome

…This evening, however, they had evidently made a mistake, and had put the wind round at our back instead of in our face. We kept very quiet about it, and got the sail up quickly before they found it out, and then we spread ourselves about the boat in thoughtful attitudes, and the sail bellied out, and strained, and grumbled at the mast, and the boat flew. I steered. There is no more thrilling sensation I know of than sailing. It comes as near to flying as man has got to yet—except in dreams. The wings of the rushing wind seem to be bearing you onward, you know not where. You are no longer the slow, plodding, puny thing of clay, creeping tortuously upon the ground; you are a part of Nature! Your heart is throbbing against hers! Her glorious arms are round you, raising you up against her heart! Your spirit is at one with hers; your limbs grow light! The voices of the air are singing to you. The earth seems far away and little; and the clouds, so close above your head, are brothers, and you stretch your arms to them. We had the river to ourselves, except that, far in the distance, we could see a fishing-punt, moored in mid-stream, on which three fishermen sat; and we skimmed over the water, and passed the wooded banks, and no one spoke….

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Excerpt #6, from Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka

…So, while the women were leant against the desk in the other room catching their breath, he sallied out, changed direction four times not knowing what he should save first before his attention was suddenly caught by the picture on the wall—which was already denuded of everything else that had been on it—of the lady dressed in copious fur. He hurried up onto the picture and pressed himself against its glass, it held him firmly and felt good on his hot belly. This picture at least, now totally covered by Gregor, would certainly be taken away by no-one. He turned his head to face the door into the living room so that he could watch the women when they came back. They had not allowed themselves a long rest and came back quite soon; Grete had put her arm around her mother and was nearly carrying her. “What shall we take now, then?”, said Grete and looked around. Her eyes met those of Gregor on the wall. Perhaps only because her mother was there, she remained calm, bent her face to her so that she would not look round and said, albeit hurriedly and with a tremor in her voice: “Come on, let’s go back in the living room for a while?” Gregor could see what Grete had in mind, she wanted to take her mother somewhere safe and then chase him down from the wall. Well, she could certainly try it! He sat unyielding on his picture. He would rather jump at Grete’s face….

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Excerpt #7, from Roget’s Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases, by Peter Mark Roget

…situation; take the lead, play first fiddle, set the fashion; give the law to; carry with a high hand; lay down the law; ride in the whirlwind and direct the storm [Addison]; rule with a rod of iron &c (severity) 739. Adj. at the head, dominant, paramount, supreme, predominant, preponderant, in the ascendant, influential; arbitrary; compulsory &c 744; stringent. at one’s command; in one’s power, in one’s grasp; under control. Adv. in the name of, by the authority of, de par le Roi [Fr.], in virtue of; under the auspices of, in the hands of. at one’s pleasure; by a dash if the pen, by a stroke of the pen; ex mero motu [Lat.]; ex cathedra [Lat.], from the chair. Phr. the gray mare the better horse; every inch a king [Lear]. 780, 737a. Government – N. government, legal authority, soveriegn, sovereign authority; authority &c 737; master &c 745; direction &c 693. [nations] national government, nation, state, country, nation- state, dominion, republic, empire, union, democratic republic; kingdom, principality. [subdivisions of nations] state government [Lat.], state; shire [Brit.]; province [Can.]; county [Ire.]; canton [Switz.]; territory…

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Excerpt #8, from Roughing It in the Bush, by Susanna Moodie

…inclined to this opinion. He always paced the public streets with a slow, deliberate tread, and with his eyes fixed intently on the ground–like a man who had lost his ideas, and was diligently employed in searching for them. I chanced to meet him one day in this dreamy mood. “How do you do, Mr. Wilson?” He stared at me for several minutes, as if doubtful of my presence or identity. “What was that you said?” I repeated the question; and he answered, with one of his incredulous smiles– “Was it to me you spoke? Oh, I am quite well, or I should not be walking here. By the way, did you see my dog?” “How should I know your dog?” “They say he resembles me. He’s a queer dog, too; but I never could find out the likeness. Good night!” This was at noonday; but Tom had a habit of taking light for darkness, and darkness for light, in all he did or said. He must have had different eyes and ears, and a different way of seeing, hearing, and comprehending, than is possessed by the generality of his species; and to such a length did he carry this abstraction of soul and sense, that he would often leave you abruptly in the…

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Excerpt #9, from Arms and the Man, by Bernard Shaw

…another. LOUKA. (rising impatiently). Oh, I must behave in my own way. You take all the courage out of me with your cold-blooded wisdom. Go and put those logs on the fire: that’s the sort of thing you understand. (Before Nicola can retort, Sergius comes in. He checks himself a moment on seeing Louka; then goes to the stove.) SERGIUS. (to Nicola). I am not in the way of your work, I hope. NICOLA. (in a smooth, elderly manner). Oh, no, sir, thank you kindly. I was only speaking to this foolish girl about her habit of running up here to the library whenever she gets a chance, to look at the books. That’s the worst of her education, sir: it gives her habits above her station. (To Louka.) Make that table tidy, Louka, for the Major. (He goes out sedately.) (Louka, without looking at Sergius, begins to arrange the papers on the table. He crosses slowly to her, and studies the arrangement of her sleeve reflectively.) SERGIUS. Let me see: is there a mark there? (_He turns up the bracelet and sees…

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Excerpt #10, from Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, by William Shakespeare

…HAMLET. He was a man, take him for all in all, I shall not look upon his like again. HORATIO. My lord, I think I saw him yesternight. HAMLET. Saw? Who? HORATIO. My lord, the King your father. HAMLET. The King my father! HORATIO. Season your admiration for a while With an attent ear, till I may deliver Upon the witness of these gentlemen This marvel to you. HAMLET. For God’s love let me hear. HORATIO. Two nights together had these gentlemen, Marcellus and Barnardo, on their watch In the dead waste and middle of the night, Been thus encounter’d. A figure like your father, Armed at point exactly, cap-à-pie, Appears before them, and with solemn march Goes slow and stately by them: thrice he walk’d By their oppress’d and fear-surprised eyes, Within his truncheon’s length; whilst they, distill’d Almost to jelly with the act of fear, Stand dumb, and speak not to him. This to me In dreadful secrecy impart they did, And I with them the third night kept the watch, Where, as they had deliver’d, both in time, Form of the thing, each word made true and good, The apparition comes. I knew your father; These hands are not more like. HAMLET. But where was this?…

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Excerpt #11, from French Idioms and Proverbs, by de V. Payen

…Je le saisis à bras le corps = I seized him round the waist (in a struggle). Ils se sont battus corps à corps = They fought hand to hand. Je l’ai fait à mon corps défendant = I did it reluctantly, in self-defence. Prendre du corps = To get fat. Il a l’âme chevillée dans le corps = He has as many lives as a cat. Corsaire À corsaire, corsaire et demi = Set a thief to catch a thief. [“Ars deluditur arte.”–CATO. “A trompeur, trompeur et demy.”–CHARLES D’ORLÉANS, Rondel, 46.] _Corsaires contre corsaires ne font pas leurs affaires_ = Dog does not eat dog. (See Loup.) [“Corsaires contre corsaires, L’un l’autre s’attaquant ne font pas leurs affaires.”–LA FONTAINE, Tribut envoyé par les animaux à Alexandre, imitating Régnier, Satire xii., ad fin., who took it from the Spanish De corsario a corsario no se llevan que los barriles.] Corvée C’est une vraie corvée! = What a nuisance! What a bore!…

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Excerpt #12, from Helps to Latin Translation at Sight, by Edmund Luce

…159. +Lari+ = Lake Larius (= Como), N. of Milan. 160. +Benace+ = Lake Benacus (= Garda), W. of Verona. +fremitu marino+ = with roar as of the sea. 168. +adsuetum malo+ = trained in hardship. –Mackail. +Volscosque verutos+ = and the Volscian spearmen (light infantry). +verutos+ = armed with the verutum (or veru = lit. a spit), a javelin. 170. +Scipiadas+, Greek patronymic form = Lat. Scīpĭōnēs. +maxime Caesar+ = Augustus. 172-173. After Actium, 31 B.C., Augustus spent more than a year in reducing and settling the East (+imbellem Indum+) whose forces had been wielded by Antony. –Sidgwick. 173. +Saturnia tellus+, in allusion to Saturn’s reign in Latium in the age of gold. 174-175. +tibi res … fontes+ = for thee I enter on themes of ancient glory and skill (i.e. in agriculture) and dare to unseal (+recludere+) the sacred springs; +res laudis+, the theme of the Aeneid, +res artis+, of the Georgics. 176. +Ascraeum carmen+ = the song of Ascra, i.e. the Georgics, because Hesiod (author of Works and Days to which Vergil is much indebted) was born at Ascra, near Helicon, in Boeotia. –S.]…

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