Showing results by author "ciesse" in All Categories

This collection will put in one place, all the Farewell (or last) Addresses made by each of the 43 ex-US presidents.The first, George Washington's "Farewell Address", issued as a public letter in 1796, was one of the most influential statements of republicanism. Drafted primarily by Washington himself, with help from Hamilton, it gives advice on the necessity and importance of national union, the value of the Constitution and the rule of law, the evils of political parties, and the proper virtues of a republican people. He called morality "a necessary spring of popular government". He said, "...

In LibriVox’s Multilingual Poetry Collection, LibriVox volunteers read their favourite public-domain poems in languages other than English. (Summary by David Barnes)

Alexandre Dumas padre (1802-1870), escritor francés de ascendencia haitiana, es el autor más prolífico de su país. Excelente conversador y relator de historias, añora el perdido arte de la conversación, cuando las personas sabían “escuchar bien y razonar mejor” y podian expresar con propiedad y sencillez ideas profundas, lamentando que las generaciones futuras no tendrán ese privilegio.Advierte a sus lectores que va a buscar sus historias al mundo imaginario, único refugio contra la realidad de una época triste y deslucida. Busca inspiración en el pasado, en una sociedad que se ...

The town of Hadleyburg had the reputation of being the most honest town in a wide area, indeed an incorruptible community. The elders took this reputation so to heart that they brought up their children shielded from all temptation and trained thoroughly in total honesty. However, a stranger passing through the community was seriously offended by the actions of residents of this Utopia, and he vowed to gain revenge. After several years he came up with the perfect plan to embarrass the town and expose its hypocrisy. (Introduction by Leonard Wilson)

The Life, Adventures & Piracies of the Famous Captain Singleton is a "bipartite adventure story whose first half covers a traversal of Africa, and whose second half taps into the contemporary fascination with piracy. It has been commended for its depiction of the homosexual relationship between the eponymous hero and his religious mentor, the Quaker, William Walters." (Summary by Wikipedia)

Flower Fables is Louisa May Alcott's first book, penned at 16 for Ralph Waldo Emerson's daughter, Ellen.(Summary by Clarica)

Personal correspondence of Bohemian religious reformer John Huss (Jan Hus) from 1411 when he was exiled from Prague through his death by burning as heretic in 1415 by order of the Council of Constance. These were first published in 1536 by the German Protestant reformer Martin Luther and his introduction is included here. - Summary by Rom Maczka

A collection of the letters which Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy wrote while in Italy and Switzerland. Mendelssohn, a multifaceted talent of the Romantic era, composed a diverse array of works, including symphonies, concertos, piano music, and chamber pieces. (Summary by Mozartjr)

"Letters from Hell" is a didactic Christian fantasy novel, with a faint resemblance to C.S. Lewis' "The Screwtape Letters." Otto, the narrator, has died in the prime of life. Through letters, he relates the torments and regrets that are a consequence of the self-centered and dissipated life he led in the world. He also describes the fates of other lost souls who inhabit Hell. (In this work, Hell is not the place of eternal torment, but the "holding area" until the final judgment.)There is also a preface written by George MacDonald. - Summary by TriciaG

This third collection of the correspondence of Oscar Wilde includes the letters Wilde wrote from prison. It begins with notes of thanks to the friends who stood by him after his arrest, and ends with discussions of his plans for after his release. De Profundis, the long letter Wilde wrote to his lover, Lord Alfred Douglas, is represented by the expurgated 1913 edition as well as suppressed portions that were later published elsewhere. The letters are sourced from auction catalogues, biographies, and other texts in the public domain. For a complete collection of Wilde's letters, please see "The...

Walter Crane (1845 - 1915) was a renowned artist and the illustrator of numerous books, among them "The Happy Prince and Other Stories" by Oscar Wilde and Edmund Spenser's "Faerie Queene" as well as many collections of Fairy Stories. He is considered as one of the most influential and indeed prolific illustrators and creators of children's books. This is a recording of two short books containing one poem each written and beautifully illustrated by Crane, "The Sirens Three" from 1886 (black and white illustrations in the second section of the book) and "Queen Summer" from 1891 (with coloured ...

"Some delights of the ancient town of Stratford-upon-Avon and the country round about, together with a sketch of the life of Mr. William Shakespeare, in which many things both new and entertaining are to be found...and wherein certain fanatics are handsomely confuted." "Certain fanatics" refers to insistent doubters of Shakespeare's authorship of the great literary works attributed to him. The quoted statement appears before the Preface. The book, which was published in 1913, charmingly describes the area's structures, history, and lore. ~ Lee Smalley

Wharton's 1917 novella Summer, like her more famous work Ethan Frome, is set in a very small rural New England town. Charity Royall longs to escape the claustrophobic confines of North Dormer and the inappropriate advances of her guardian Mr. Royall, who adopted her as a child from the nearby Mountain community. Hope arrives in the form of city boy Lucius Harney, who has come to research the architecture of the region; but will his presence in Charity's life mean her salvation - or her undoing? (Introduction by Elizabeth Klett)

LibriVox volunteers bring you 16 recordings of "Summer Dawn" by William Morris.This was the Weekly Poetry project for July 10, 2022. ------When this poem was first published in 1856 it had no title. Subsequently, the 1858 edition gave the sonnet its title of "Summer Dawn." And it is a sonnet, though it does not follow traditional English or Italian models. Perhaps Morris was giving hint of the Provençal 'alba.' These poems in their early form were conversations between two lovers. The requirement is that each stanza end with the word 'alba' [dawn]. Morris ends lines five and eleven this way. ...

A rich widow or two. An owner of 1000 acres of fine land. An heiress to the 1000 acres. Nefarious visitors of various sorts after the land, jewels, or whatever else they can get. Meddlers and neighbors. Faithful retainers and stalwart protectors. Comedy abounds. - Summary by ToddHWCast list:Joshua Wicks, owner of "close onto 1,000 acres": Wayne CookeMr. Peter Schultz, sometimes vendor of sausages: Greg GiordanoMr. Barry Bland, an Englishman possessed of a shady reputation and a talkative daughter: Andrew JamesCount de Musset, after the 1,000 acres and Arvilla Wicks: RémiArchie Barton, a young...

Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB (29 September 1758 – 21 October 1805) was an English flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He won several victories, including the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, during which he was killed. These are the letters that he wrote to Lady Hamilton, with whom he was having a notorious affair until his death in 1805. (Summary by Wikipedia)

A collection of nine letters written by the sixth president of the United States, John Quincy Adams, to his teenage son. "Their purpose is the inculcation of love and reverence for the Holy Scriptures, and a delight in their perusal and study." - Summary by Dale Barkley

Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB (29 September 1758 – 21 October 1805) was an English flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He won several victories, including the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, during which he was killed. These are the letters that he wrote to Lady Hamilton, with whom he was having a notorious affair until his death in 1805. (Summary by Wikipedia)

"Being some Account of Life and Work in the Province of Canterbury, South Island." A set fo 26 letters covering the Author's period of service in New Zealand as an Anglican priest. They cover his parochial work in Christchurch, on the West Coast, and Timaru. This is interspersed with commentary on Diocesan matters along with accounts of his journeys between New Zealand and England. - Summary by Beeswaxcandle

A series of letters on the early occupation of the colony, the Aborigines, etc addressed by Victorian pioneers to his Excellency Charles Joseph La Trobe Esq. , Lieutenant-Governor of the Colony of Victoria in response to a circular letter sent by him to a number of early settlers dated 29th July 1853. -It cannot be claimed for these papers that they are infallible records of our early history at every point.( from the preface),The last section ends with lists of Aboriginal words and phrases as were collected by a lady. I'm in 2 minds about these, I respect her desire to keep a record but do ...