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Essays, Letters & Speeches — page 15
1,400 public-domain essays, letters & speeches books, summarised. Page 15 of 30.
Trivia
Logan Pearsall Smith
A collection of brief, luminous observations, this work captures the fleeting ironies of human existence through the eyes of a self-aware, whimsical observer. These prose sketches transform the mundane into the profound, offering a sharp, witty meditation on what it means to be alive.
Bunyan Characters (1st Series)
Alexander Whyte
To study the moral landscape of the soul, one must look past the surface of human affairs to the hidden springs of character, where the deepest battles between shadow and light are fought and won.
Medieval English Literature
W. P. (William Paton) Ker
The study of old texts reveals the spirit of past ages, showing that even the most distant medieval authors shared our fundamental human concerns.
When Africa awakes: The "inside story" of the stirrings and strivings of the new Negro in the Western world
Hubert H. Harrison
The dawn of a new consciousness is breaking across the African diaspora, signaling an era where the struggle for dignity and self-determination can no longer be ignored by the powers of the Western world.
A Rambler's lease
Bradford Torrey
The world belongs to those who find joy in its quiet corners. This collection of essays invites readers to claim a personal lease on the natural world, regardless of who holds the legal deed.
Darwiniana
Asa Gray
A scholarly champion of early evolutionary theory reconciles the biological mechanisms of natural selection with a deep, enduring faith in a purposeful, divinely ordered universe.
Our Lady Saint Mary
J. G. H. (Joseph Gayle Hurd) Barry
This work serves as a devotional companion, inviting readers to contemplate the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary through a series of sermons and meditations that emphasize her ongoing role in the spiritual life of the faithful.
The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 05, No. 30, April, 1860: A Magazine of Literature, Art, and Politics
Various
This collection serves as a vibrant, multifaceted snapshot of the intellectual and social currents defining the American mid-nineteenth century. It captures a nation balancing earnest self-improvement with a restless, expanding identity.
Three addresses on the relations subsisting between the white and colored people of the United States
Frederick Douglass
These addresses provide a searing, historical record of the struggle for racial justice in the United States, capturing the transition from slavery to a fragile, contested freedom. They serve as an urgent demand for the nation to honor its founding promise of equality.
At Large
Arthur Christopher Benson
The life of a contemplative man is a series of quiet experiments in solitude and connection, where the deepest truths are discovered not in grand systems, but in the small, flickering light of daily experience.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 60, Number 371, September 1846
Various
This September 1846 issue of a storied literary magazine captures the intellectual pulse of the mid-nineteenth century, blending sharp political commentary, travel narrative, and the period’s penchant for spirited, often humorous, personal memoir. It is a snapshot of Victorian life, caught between the rigid…
Charles Sumner: his complete works, volume 12 (of 20)
Charles Sumner
This collection of nineteenth-century political oratory and correspondence captures the high-stakes friction of the American Civil War’s final months and the subsequent, volatile dawn of Reconstruction. It serves as a dense, scholarly archive of one man’s unwavering commitment to the abolitionist cause and national…
The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 12, No. 73, November, 1863: A Magazine of Literature, Art, and Politics
Various
This collection captures the intellectual pulse of 1863, blending urgent wartime commentary with profound explorations of history, science, and the evolving spirit of a nation divided against itself.
The Christian Foundation, Or, Scientific and Religious Journal, March, 1880
Various
This collection of essays and reflections serves as a vigorous defense of Christian theology against the rising tide of nineteenth-century materialism and evolutionary thought. It argues that modern scientific skepticism fails to account for the origins of morality, the structure of law, and the fundamental…
Russia: Its People and Its Literature
Pardo Bazán, Emilia, condesa de
An intellectual bridge between the Latin spirit and the vast, enigmatic Russian soul, this survey navigates the intersection of history, politics, and the profound literary innovations that emerged from the frozen, autocratic North.
The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 02, No. 10, August, 1858: A Magazine of Literature, Art, and Politics
Various
The pursuit of knowledge, whether through the meticulous study of nature or the quiet reflection of the scholar, remains a timeless human endeavor. This collection captures the mid-nineteenth-century intellectual spirit, offering a diverse window into the cultural, social, and political preoccupations of its era.
The Influence of Darwin on Philosophy, and other essays in contemporary thought
John Dewey
To think is to act, and to act is to transform the world—a radical shift in perspective that defines the intellectual legacy of a changing modern age.
An Author's Mind
Martin Farquhar Tupper
The mind of a writer is a crowded, clamorous, and often contradictory workshop. Here, the reader explores a sprawling collection of essays that serve as a confessional, a notebook, and a philosophical inquiry into the act of creation.
A Mechanical Account of Poisons in Several Essays
Richard Mead
A rigorous, early-eighteenth-century attempt to explain the mechanics of toxins through physical law rather than occult mystery, shifting the study of venom into the realm of observable, observable anatomy.
Journeys to Bagdad
Charles S. (Charles Stephen) Brooks
The urge to abandon the ledger for the winding road finds its most articulate expression in these pages. A quiet, contemplative invitation, these essays capture the restless spirit of the armchair traveler.
Ephemera Critica
John Churton Collins
A polemical call to arms, this volume demands that literature be treated with the same rigorous, professional standard as science, decrying the slipshod habits of late-Victorian criticism and university education.
Gleanings of a Mystic: A Series of Essays on Practical Mysticism
Max Heindel
The seeker of spiritual understanding finds here a guide to the hidden mechanics of human evolution, where daily life becomes a sacred laboratory for the soul. This collection of essays serves as a bridge between the physical and the metaphysical, outlining a path of disciplined service and conscious growth.
Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science, Volume 22. July, 1878
Various
This collection captures the Victorian appetite for discovery, blending historical analysis, travel observation, and intimate fiction into a singular, sprawling mosaic of nineteenth-century intellectual life.
Civilisation: Its Cause and Cure
Edward Carpenter
HOOK Modern society is a profound sickness, a departure from nature that fragments the human soul; the only remedy is a return to a unified, instinctive life beyond artificial morality.
The Silent Isle
Arthur Christopher Benson
A man trades the frantic pace of professional life for a quiet, deliberate existence, only to find that contentment is not a destination one reaches, but a fragile, shifting state of mind. This meditative work explores the tension between the call of the world and the deep, often isolating, necessity of the inner life.
Stage-Land
Jerome K. (Jerome Klapka) Jerome
The stage is a world where virtue is always rewarded, villains always lose their way in the final act, and patent-leather boots are worn even by those shipwrecked on desert islands.
The Continental Monthly, Vol. 2, No. 1, July, 1862
Various
This collection of mid-Civil War journalism offers a vibrant, unfiltered window into the pulse of the Union as it grappled with the existential crises of slavery, economic transformation, and national identity. It captures the urgent, often turbulent spirit of 1862 through a sophisticated mix of political analysis…
As We Are and As We May Be
Walter Besant
The city is a fragile organism, and its health depends entirely on the deliberate, collective cultivation of those who dwell within its most neglected corners.
Historical and Political Essays
William Edward Hartpole Lecky
History is best understood not merely as a record of dry facts, but as a transfiguring medium that reveals the moral truths and permanent forces shaping the rise and fall of nations.
Light Science for Leisure Hours: A series of familiar essays on scientific subjects, natural phenomena, &c
Richard A. (Richard Anthony) Proctor
Scientific inquiry reveals the hidden mechanisms of our world, transforming the mundane into the extraordinary through patient, lucid observation. These essays bridge the gap between technical complexity and the curious, non-specialist mind.
Speeches, Addresses, and Occasional Sermons, Volume 2 (of 3)
Theodore Parker
The moral pulse of a nation beats in its public discourse. This collection of sermons and addresses captures the urgent, uncompromising voice of a reformer confronting the spiritual and political crises of nineteenth-century America.
The works of the Reverend George Whitefield, M.A., Vol. 4 (of 6)
George Whitefield
This fourth volume of a prolific eighteenth-century ministry captures the fervent, combative spirit of an era defined by religious awakening and deep theological discord. It serves as both a public record of conviction and a personal ledger of faith.
Portraits of places
Henry James
The art of travel lies not in the mere accumulation of sights, but in the patient, observant distillation of the spirit of a place. These reflections invite the reader to wander through a changing world with an eye sharpened by history and grace.
State of the Union Addresses
Grover Cleveland
These annual reports offer a rare, direct window into the mind of a nineteenth-century leader navigating a nation in the throes of rapid industrialization. They serve as a sober, methodical record of the American executive’s constitutional obligations during a transformative era.
The Young Lady's Mentor: A Guide to the Formation of Character. In a Series of Letters to Her Unknown Friends
Anonymous
A series of intimate, didactic letters offers a blueprint for the "formation of character," urging young women to transform their internal lives to better serve their families and their faith.
The American Quarterly Review, No. 18, June 1831 (Vol 9)
Various
A sprawling 19th-century review analyzing the debates, literature, scientific discoveries, and political tensions shaping early American identity.
Unaddressed Letters
Unknown
A wandering diplomat leaves behind a collection of intimate, unaddressed missives that capture the quiet beauty of the East, the eccentricities of human nature, and the ache of romantic devotion.
A Day at a Time, and Other Talks on Life and Religion
Archibald Alexander
A word of hope spoken during dark days can reach far beyond the immediate crisis, offering quiet, enduring strength to anyone facing uncertainty.
Education and life
James H. (James Hutchins) Baker
A vision of human potential that fuses classical philosophy with modern educational practice, demanding that schools cultivate heroic character, civic duty, and intellectual power over mere utilitarian routine.
Riverby
John Burroughs
Walking through quiet fields and wild mountain slopes reveals a landscape alive with sudden, minute dramas for anyone patient enough to pay close attention.
The Young Maiden
A. B. (Artemas Bowers) Muzzey
A quiet moral instruction manual from antebellum America, this text charts a woman’s passage from youth to marriage with solemn urgency, treating daily household conduct as the ultimate crucible of the human spirit.
An essay on the American contribution and the democratic idea
Winston Churchill
A nation built on lofty ideals confronts its own history of imperialistic overreach and internal economic inequality as it rallies to fight for global democracy.
Bill Nye's Chestnuts Old and New
Bill Nye
A wide-ranging collection of nineteenth-century lampoons pokes relentless fun at literary debates, local politics, high society, and the absurd trials of frontier life.
Jungle Folk: Indian Natural History Sketches
Douglas Dewar
A keen, affectionate eye turns away from big-game hunting to illuminate the vibrant, noisy world of India's everyday birds and small creatures.
Limbo, and Other Essays
Vernon Lee
Nature softens human hands; old houses hold the weight of ordinary lives; and true devotion often requires stepping aside for a colder, grander order.
The Fantasy Fan, December 1933: The Fans' Own Magazine
Various
A rare window into early science fiction fandom captures a vibrant, passionate subculture locked in fierce debates over the boundaries of weird horror and speculative fiction.
A Collection of Rare and Curious Tracts on Witchcraft and the Second Sight: With an Original Essay on Witchcraft
Unknown
Driven by fear, politics, and local malice, a society turns its courts against its most vulnerable neighbors under the banner of divine duty.
Last Essays of Maurice Hewlett
Maurice Hewlett
A reflective observer wanders through English countryside, historic memoirs, and classical verse, weighing how quiet daily routines hold the same enduring weight as grand historical shifts.