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Essays, Letters & Speeches — page 13
598 public-domain essays, letters & speeches books, summarised. Page 13 of 13.
A Supplication for the Beggars
Simon Fish
This is a fierce, polemical petition disguised as a plea from the destitute, aimed at dismantling the immense wealth and influence of the English clergy on the eve of the Reformation. It is a bold, early blast against the monastic system, written with the focused intensity of a man who believed the nation’s…
Appletons' Popular Science Monthly, October 1899: Vol. LV, May to October, 1899
Various
This collection of scientific and social inquiry captures the intellectual pulse of the turn of the century, offering a panoramic view of late-Victorian thought on progress, charity, and the natural world. It stands as a primary record of an era grappling with the transition from traditional knowledge to empirical…
"Bethink Yourselves!"
Tolstoy, Leo, graf
A profound, searing indictment of humanity’s capacity for self-destruction, this work challenges the moral legitimacy of war during the Russo-Japanese conflict. It remains a timeless, urgent plea for individual conscience over national obedience.
The Gentle Reader
Samuel McChord Crothers
The Gentle Reader is a meditative, companionable guide through the pleasures of literature, reminding us that reading is a personal encounter rather than an academic chore. It celebrates the quirks of the mind and the joy of finding oneself in a book.
The Rural Magazine, and Literary Evening Fire-Side, Vol. 1 No. 01 (1820)
Various
The nineteenth-century American landscape comes alive through this collection of practical advice, scientific observation, and moral reflection, painting a vivid portrait of a society deeply rooted in the rhythms of the earth.
A Letter on the Abolition of the Slave Trade: Addressed to the freeholders and other inhabitants of Yorkshire
William Wilberforce
A moral plea to end the slave trade, this work argues that national righteousness and economic stability are inextricably linked to the cessation of human trafficking.
Charles Sumner: his complete works, volume 18 (of 20)
Charles Sumner
The promise of the American experiment is measured here against the harsh realities of post-Civil War governance. These pages document a persistent fight to align the nation’s laws with the mandate of human equality.
Moral Poison in Modern Fiction
R. Brimley (Reginald Brimley) Johnson
This critical study examines how the changing moral landscape of early 20th-century literature—specifically the rise of "sex-revolt" themes—threatens the stability of social values, family life, and the emotional development of post-war youth.
The Birth-Time of the World and Other Scientific Essays
John Joly
The Earth is a vessel of hidden clocks, from the salt in the sea to the radioactive decay within its very stones, all ticking toward a vast and ancient understanding.
Europe After 8:15
H. L. (Henry Louis) Mencken
Three American travel writers strip away the romanticized myths of pre-war Europe, revealing a continent of artificial night life, provincial absurdities, and carefully manufactured pleasure.
Heart of Man
George Edward Woodberry
Poetry, politics, and religion spring from a single source deep in the human spirit, revealing that our highest cultural ideals and everyday democratic strivings are woven from the same universal heart.
Lectures of Col. R. G. Ingersoll, Volume I: Including His Answers to the Clergy, His Oration at His Brother's Grave, Etc., Etc
Robert Green Ingersoll
A sweeping, fiery assault on religious dogma, this collection of nineteenth-century lectures champions human reason, scientific progress, and individual liberty over ancient superstition and fear.
Wild Apples
Henry David Thoreau
A wild, wind-bitten fruit, growing untouched on a rocky New England hillside, holds more vitality, ancient history, and genuine poetry than all the pampered, flawless produce of a cultivated garden.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 64, No. 393, July 1848
Various
This Victorian compendium captures the pulse of 1848, blending rigorous political commentary with rugged frontier narratives and the rhythmic, nostalgic longing of mid-century British literature.
Outspoken Essays
William Ralph Inge
The shadow of the Great War looms over these pages, yet the author finds in the decay of old institutions a stark, urgent clarity that remains bracingly relevant to any era of social upheaval.
The World's Great Sermons, Volume 07: Hale to Farrar
Unknown
A broad spectrum of nineteenth-century pulpit eloquence explores how eternal principles engage with practical life, human suffering, and modern progress.
Essays in Little
Andrew Lang
Delight in the lively company of a veteran man of letters as he roams through his favorite books, champions forgotten poets, and defends the enduring magic of a well-told tale.
Literary Taste: How to Form It: With Detailed Instructions for Collecting a Complete Library of English Literature
Arnold Bennett
Cultivating a lifelong appreciation for enduring books requires systematic effort, practical strategy, and an honest engagement with the emotions driving all creative expression.
The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 03, No. 16, February, 1859: A Magazine of Literature, Art, and Politics
Various
A mid-nineteenth-century literary journal brings together biting social satire, political upheaval, financial chicanery, and refined textual criticism in one eclectic volume.
Prose Fancies (Second Series)
Richard Le Gallienne
To find wonder in a world choked with routine, one must look past the grey roofs of the everyday and learn to see with the luminous, defiant eyes of an artist.
The Barbarism of Berlin
G. K. (Gilbert Keith) Chesterton
When a nation tears up its own solemn pledges, it abandons not just its honour, but the foundational principles that allow civilized society to exist.
The Little Review, November 1914 (Vol. 1, No. 8)
Various
Radical artists, pacifists, and iconoclasts clash across poetry, drama, and cultural criticism as Europe descends into the devastation of the First World War.