KING CYRUS, in 550 B.C., defeated Astyages, the Median king, capturing the royal city, Ecbatana. That city was the forerunner of Hamadan of today. History also states that later in 333 B.C. this same city of Ecbatana fell into the hands of Alexander the Great, then but 23 years old, after his smashing victory at […]
A Bit Of History Of The Supreme Court And The Buildings Occupied
Early the most important points of distinction in the career of Chief Justice Marshall seem to have been, first, that he took an active part, under Washington, in the attack on the home of the then Colonial Chief Justice Chew in Germantown; second, that he has by all means the greatest claim among Americans to […]
A brooding, stolid city is Prague
A brooding, stolid city is Prague; the sombre capital of a restless, feverish people. It is the hotbed and “darling seat” of all Bohemia; and Bohemia languishes for her lost independence as Israel did by the waters of Babylon. She does not, however, pine in hopeless despair like the Hebrews, but nourishes a keen expectation […]
A Bull Fight – Spain Travel
First, I saw a great wooden circus open to the sky, with one row of boxes above, an amphitheater below, and an immense ring separated from the amphitheater by a red barrier six feet high, and an alley about five feet wide. Then I saw 14,000 Spaniards, the men wearing civilized trousers and chimney-pots, the […]
A Bullfight In Madrid
There was a great bullfight, the first Sunday afternoon that we spent in Madrid. Of course we did not go to such a performance on Sunday. I do not think it would tempt me on any day, for I am not fond of cowardice and cruelty, which are the two prominent features of the performance. […]
A By-Path in Spain
IT was four o’clock of a beautiful morning when we sallied from Astorga, or rather from its suburbs, in which we had been lodged: we directed our course to the north, in the direction of Galicia. Leaving the mountain Telleno on our left, we passed along the eastern skirts of the land of the Maragatos, […]
A Century Of Gloom – The Penal Laws
WILLIAM III., of Orange, was inclined to observe, in good faith, the articles agreed upon at the surrender of Limerick, namely, to allow the conquered liberty of worship, citizen rights, so much as remained to them of their property, and the means for personal safety recognized before the departure of Sarsfield and his men. The […]
A Chapter Wholly Away From Mount Vernon
THERE is only one account of that significant day in the life of Washington and the future mistress of Mount Vernon. It is handed down by the grandson of “the charming widow”: “The colonel was introduced to various guests (for when was a Virginian domicil of the olden time without guests?), and above all, to […]
A Chemical Laboratory Of The Gods
SAVING the silver-mining town of Oruro, I came down the mountains on the little narrow gauge which connects it with its seaport, Antfagasta, in Chile. The distance is 600 miles, or about as far as from New York to Cleveland. The track is only two feet six inches wide. It is, I believe, the longest […]
A Coach Journey From London To Edinburgh
AS an example of the ordinary means of inland travel in the old coaching days, with its little incidents and annoyances, we are able to give an account, also by Mrs. Catherine Roget, of a journey from London to Edinburgh, ten years later, again accompanied by her son and daughter, now aged fourteen and ten […]