The Metamorphoses, or The Golden Ass, is the only Ancient Roman novel to survive in its entirety. The protagonist of the novel is called Lucius. At the end of the novel, he is revealed to be from Madaurus, in ancient Algeria, the hometown of Apuleius himself. The plot revolves around the protagonist's curiosity and insatiable desire to see and practice magic. While trying to perform a spell to transform into a bird, he is accidentally transformed into an ass. This leads to a long journey, literal and metaphorical, filled with in-set tales. He finally finds salvation through the intervention of the goddess Isis, whose cult he joins.

A life of fascination, obsession and deep scientific curiosity. William Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck is an eccentric Nottinghamshire aristocrat whose imagination and curiosity know no bounds. This deceptively simple man struggles to come to terms with a world that is teeming with new knowledge, ill-founded opinion and?gossip. Why does he hide himself away? What is his fascination with tunnels? Will he ever unearth the secrets hidden in his memory? In a sequence of events that are often curious and frequently hilarious he reveals moments of surprising perception and wisdom. Nottingham Playhouse and ajtc have combined their talents to co-produce Nick Wood’s stage adaptation of Mick Jackson’s Booker Prize shortlisted novel. The result is a free-flowing, innovative performance which features live music and a specially commissioned score. The Underground Man is a delectable blend of fact and fiction in which the intriguing details of a complex life are richly explored through the vibrant imagination of a gentle soul.

IN ancient times, when the city of Rome was at the height of its power and splendor, it was the custom, as it is in fact now with the inhabitants of wealthy capitals, for the principal families to possess, in addition to their city residences, rural villas for summer retreats, which they built in picturesque situations, at a little distance from the city, sometimes in the interior of the country, and sometimes upon the seashore. There were many attractive places of resort of this nature in the neighborhood of Rome. Among them was Antium.??The beauty and the salubrity of Antium made it a very attractive place of summer resort for the people of Rome; and in process of time, when the city attained to an advanced stage of opulence and luxury, the Roman noblemen built villas there, choosing situations, in some instances, upon the natural terraces and esplanades of the promontory, which looked off over the sea, and in others cool and secluded retreats in the valleys, on the land. It was in one of these villas that NERO was born.??NERO's father belonged to a family which had enjoyed for several generations a considerable degree of distinction among the Roman nobility, though known by a somewhat whimsical name. The family name was Brazenbeard, or, to speak more exactly, it was Aheno-barbus, which is the Latin equivalent for that word. ?

YOU have heard of Homer, and of the two wonderful poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey, which bear his name. No one knows whether these poems were composed by Homer, or whether they are the work of many different poets. And, in fact, it matters very little about their authorship. Everybody agrees that they are the grandest poems ever sung or written or read in this world; and yet, how few persons, comparatively, have read them, or know any thing about them except at second-hand! ? Homer commences his story, not at the beginning, but "in the midst of things;" hence, when one starts out to read the Iliad without having made some special preparation beforehand, he finds it hard to understand, and is tempted, in despair, to stop at the end of the first book. Many people are, therefore, content to admire the great masterpiece of poetry and story-telling simply because others admire it, and not because they have any personal acquaintance with it.? Now, it is not my purpose to give you a "simplified version" of the Iliad or the Odyssey. There are already many such versions; but the best way for you, or any one else, to read Homer, is to read Homer. If you do not understand Greek, you can read him in one of the many English translations. You will find much of the spirit of the original in the translations by Bryant, by Lord Derby, and by old George Chapman, as well as in the admirable prose rendering by Butcher and Lang; but you can get none of it in any so-called simplified version.??My object in writing this "Story of the Golden Age" has been to pave the way, if I dare say it, to an enjoyable reading of Homer, either in translations or in the original. I have ta-ken the various legends relating to the causes of the Trojan war, and, by assuming certain privileges never yet denied to story-tellers, have woven all into one continuous narrative, ending where Homer's story begins. The hero of the Odyssey—a character not always to be admired or commended—is my hero. And, in telling the story of his boyhood and youth, I have taken the opportunity to repeat, for your enjoyment, some of the most beautiful of the old Greek myths. If I have, now and then, given them a coloring slightly different from the original, you will remember that such is the right of the story-teller, the poet, and the artist. The essential features of the stories remain unchanged. I have, all along, drawn freely from the old tragedians, and now and then from Homer himself; nor have I thought it necessary in every instance to mention authorities, or to apologize for an occasional close imitation of some of the best translations. The pictures of old Greek life have, in the main, been derived from the Iliad and the Odyssey, and will, I hope, help you to a better understanding of those poems when you come to make acquaintance directly with them.??Should you become interested in the "Story of the Golden Age," as it is here related, do not be disappointed by its somewhat abrupt ending; for you will find it continued by the master-poet of all ages, in a manner both inimitable and unapproachable. If you are pleased with the discourse of the porter at the gate, how much greater shall be your delight when you stand in the palace of the king, and hearken to the song of the royal minstrel! ?

WHEN children advance beyond the nursery age, no story is so wonderful as a true story. Fiction to them is never as appealing as fact. I have often been faced with the inquiry: whether or not a story is a true one. The look of gratification, when told that "it actually happened," was most satisfying to me as a story-teller.??The nearer a story is to the life and traditions of the child, the more eagerly it is attended. True stories about our own people, about our neighbors and friends, and about our own country at large, are more interesting than true stories of remote places and people. We naturally are interested in our own affairs, and the nearer they are to us the greater the interest we feel.??That history is just a long, thrilling story of the trials and triumphs of pioneers and patriots is well known to those who have had to do with the teaching of history to youthful minds. That the dry recital of political and governmental history does not interest children is also well known. History should be made vital, vibrant, and personal if we expect children to be stirred by its study.?To gratify the love of children for the dramatic and picturesque, to satisfy them with stories that are true, and to make them familiar with the great characters in the history of their own country, is the purpose of this volume.??It is hoped that through appeal to youthful love of adventure, this collection of stories, covering the entire range of American history, will stimulate the ambition and strengthen the patriotism of those young citizens whose education has been the constant concern of the author for many years.

Non abbiate paura! Nu v? fie team?!Cuvintele rostite de papa Ioan Paul al II-lea ?n octombrie 1978, la inaugurarea pontificatului s?u, aveau s? trezeasc? ?n sufletele polonezilor ?i ale tuturor celor oprima?i de comunism dorin?a de a fi liberi ?i curajul de a lupta pentru libertate. ?n urm?torii ani, papa a devenit cel mai puternic simbol al luptei anticomuniste. Uniunea Sovietic? ?l considera pe Ioan Paul al II-lea (?i, implicit, Biserica Catolic?) o amenin?are la adresa stabilit??ii ?n Europa de Est ?i inamicul num?rul unu al statului. Deloc surprinz?tor, KGB-ul a pus la punct o re?ea impresionant? de spioni ?i agen?i dubli ?i chiar a ?ncercat s?-l asasineze pe pap?.Paradoxal ?ns?, cu c?t erau mai persecuta?i pentru credin?a lor, cu at?t oamenii erau dispu?i s?-?i ri?te via?a pentru libertate. Dovezile lor de curaj sunt impresionante, a?a cum impresionante sunt, dar ?n sens negativ, cazurile preo?ilor care ?i-au tr?dat biserica, trec?nd de partea celui mai mare du?man al acesteia, regimul comunist.Jurnalist ?i ofi?er ?n rezerv? al serviciului de informa?ii al Armatei SUA, John Koehler prezint? cititorilor documente ?i transcrieri ale unor stenograme necunoscute p?n? acum, realiz?nd o cronic? f?r? precedent a R?zboiului Rece dus de URSS ?mpotriva Bisericii Catolice ?i contribuind, astfel, decisiv la cunoa?terea istoriei secolului XX.

Cine-ar fi crezut c? lumea afacerilor poate fi at?t de fascinant? ?i plin? de dramatism? 350 de milioane de dolari investite ?ntr-un model de automobil plin de imperfec?iuni, f?r? s? fie g?sit m?car un responsabil pentru acest e?ec; ascensiunea spectaculoas? a unei mici companii produc?toare de h?rtie fotografic? p?n? la actualul gigant Xerox, ?nceput? de o m?n? de oameni care ?i-au riscat chiar ?i averea personal? pentru o inova?ie revolu?ionar?; b?t?lia titanic? dus? de Rezerva Federal? a Statelor Unite pentru ap?rarea lirei sterline de atacurile speculatorilor; sunt doar c?teva dintre exemplele ce arat? c?, ?n lumea afacerilor ?i a Wall Streetului, oamenii pot da dovad? fie de geniu, spirit de cooperare ?i ?n?elepciune, fie de ?nc?p???nare ?i lips? de ra?iune, indiferent de miza aflat? ?n joc. Un avertisment c? istoria se poate oric?nd repeta.

Fascinant – cea mai bun lucrare de istorie militar din ultimii ani i o analiz edificatoare a disputelor care continu s mocneasc amenintor i azi. O carte extraordinar sub toate aspectele." – The New York Times O relatare palpitant i revelatoare a uneia dintre cele mai zbuciumate i legendare perioade din istoria secolului al XX-lea – Revolta Arab i marele joc" secret de a controla Orientul Mijlociu. CARTE INCLUS PE LISTA CELOR MAI BUNE TITLURI ALE ANULUI DE New York Times Christian Science Monitor NPR Seattle Times St. Louis Dispatch Chicago Tribune American Library Association Bazat pe cercetri extinse i intense, munc asidu n arhive, Lawrence n Arabia aduce o nou perspectiv asupra modului n care s-a configurat lumea Orientului Mijlociu. Cu o aciune de proporii epice, portretizri expresive, accente critice n condamnarea distrugerilor provocate de comploturile coloniale europene, volumul surprinde strlucit felul n care nesbuina trecutului declaneaz suferina prezentului. Printre numeroasele istorii individuale din Primul Rzboi Mondial care vor fi povestite i repovestite n cadrul centenarelor commemorate ntre 2014 i 2018, cea a lui T.E. Lawrence iese n eviden… Cartea lui Anderson nu putea fi mai oportun. Acum, cnd atenia ntregii lumi se concentreaz asupra Siriei i Egiptului, este uluitor s priveti n urm cu o sut de ani i s vezi un tablou asemntor…. Apelnd la o distribuie bogat, Anderson reuete s exploreze haosul din Orientul Mijlociu de la nceputul secolului al XX-lea dintr-o varietate de perspective distincte i revelatoare totodat. O mrturie captivant, de o mare complexitate i profunzime. – The New York Times Book Review Vast, hipnotic i – s ndrznim s o spunem – cinematografic n detaliu, Lawrence n Arabia ilustreaz modul n care biografia i istoria se poteneaz reciproc. – The Wall Street Journal Absorbii de mcelul ce avea loc n traneele Europei n Primul Rzboi Mondial, combatanii occidentali acordau prea puin importan teatrului de lupt din Orientul Mijlociu. Ca urmare, conflictul de aici a fost influenat surprinztor de mult de o mn de aventurieri i ofieri de rang mrunt aflai departe de marile coridoare ale puterii: Curt Prüfer – universitar tern, ataat pe lng Ambasada German din Cairo, Aaron Aaronsohn – renumit agronom provenit din Romnia i sionist nflcrat. William Yale – descendent scptat al unei familii aristocratice americane. n centrul acestui cerc se afla Lawrence – la nceputul lui 1914, doar un arheolog care lucre la spturi prin deerturile Siriei. n 1917 ajunsese deja cea mai romantic figur din Primul Rzboi Mondial, luptndu-se att cu inamicii Marii Britanii, ct i cu propriul guvern pentru a-i transforma n realitate viziunea sa asupra destinului poporului arab. Drumurile ncruciate ale acestor patru personaje – intrigile pe care le-au pus la cale, btliile pe care le-au purtat, trdrile pe care le-au suferit sau le-au uneltit ei nii – oglindesc grandoarea, complexitatea i tragedia rzboiului din deert.

El arte de la guerra es un libro sobre tácticas y estrategias militares, inspirado por Sun Tzu, un famoso autor militar.

Referindu-se la Pesc?ru?ul ?ntr-o scrisoare din octombrie 1895, Cehov nota, ?ntre altele: ?Scriu o pies? pe care probabil nu o voi termina p?n? la sf?r?itul lui noiembrie. O scriu nu f?r? pl?cere, de?i m? tem de conven?iile scenei. E o comedie, exist? trei roluri pentru femei, ?ase pentru b?rba?i, patru acte, peisaje (priveli?tea unui lac), o mul?ime de conversa?ii despre literatur?, pu?in? ac?iune, mult? iubire“. Premiera s-a dovedit dezastruoas?, editorul s?u aduc?ndu-i acuze ca, pild?, la?itatea evident?, caracterul din cale afar? de feminin. Con?tient de geniul s?u, Cehov riposteaz?: ?De ce aceast? calomnie? Dup? reprezenta?ie am luat cina la Romanovi. Pe cuv?ntul meu de onoare. Apoi m-am dus la culcare, am dormit s?n?tos ?i a doua zi am mers acas? f?r? a suspina vreo nemul?umire. Dac? a? fi fost un la?, a? fi alergat de la un editor la altul ?i de la un actor la altul, i-a? fi implorat s? fie ?ng?duitori ?i a? fi petrecut dou? trei s?pt?m?ni ?n Petersburg, agit?ndu-m? cu Pesc?ru?ul meu, cu emo?ie, cu o transpira?ie rece ?n lamenta?ii. Am ac?ionat at?t de rece ?i de responsabil precum un om care a f?cut o ofert? ?i apoi a fost ?nt?mpinat cu un refuz ?i nu mai are nimic altceva de f?cut dec?t s? plece. ?ntr-adev?r, vanitatea mea a fost n?ucit?, dar ?ti?i, nu a fost o lovitur? din senin. A?teptam un e?ec ?i m? preg?tisem pentru el precum te-am prevenit cu o absolut? sinceritate“.

De la ?nfiin?area sa, acum o sut? de ani, MI6 a fost ?nconjurat de mister ?i a avut un aer aproape mitic. Pentru opinia public?, no?iunea de ?spion“ a fost modelat? de universurile fic?ionale ale unor scriitori precum Ian Fleming, p?rintele lui James Bond, ?i John le Carré, creatorul cerebralului Smiley. Gordon Corera le ofer? cititorilor s?i ?ansa unic?, f?r? precedent, de a p?trunde ?n aceast? lume secret? ?i de a observa realitatea care a stat la baza fic?iunii. Cartea prezint? pove?ti individuale – mai degrab? dec?t pe cele ale institu?iilor sau descrierea evolu?iei situa?iei politice de-a lungul timpului –, scopul fiind acela de a explora rela?iile unice ?i personale din spatele spionajului – ceea ce Graham Greene numea ?factorul uman“, cu alte cuvinte, ?n cazul de fa??, motiva?iile ?i loialit??ile unui spion sau ale unui tr?d?tor ?i faptele care decurg de aici.De la ?nceputurile R?zboiului Rece p?n? ?n ziua de azi, MI6 a suferit o transformare extraordinar?, devenind dintr-o organiza?ie de diletan?i, cu iz de club select, una modern?, profesionist?, dar nu mai pu?in controversat?. Iar Gordon Corera ?i dezv?luie deopotriv? e?ecurile ?i succesele de-a lungul timpului, ?n contextele politice aferente. Marile drame ale R?zboiului Rece, ridicarea ?i c?derea Zidului Berlinului, Criza Rachetelor Cubaneze, atacurile de la 11 septembrie 2001, r?zboiul din Irak – toate aceste evenimente care au marcat istoria reprezint? fundalul pentru pove?tile adev?rate cu spioni.Corera prezint? cazurile interesante ale celor care au spionat, au min?it, au ?n?elat ?i, ?n unele cazuri, chiar ?i-au pierdut via?a ?n slujba ??rii pe care au servit-o. ?i oric?t de palpitante ar fi c?r?ile sau filmele cu spioni, ve?i vedea c?, cel pu?in aici, via?a bate filmul.

Conservatorismul pragmatic, conservatorismul lui David Hume, Edmund Burke i, n secolul XX, al lui Michael Oakeshott, se deosebete profund de reacionarism i de ultraconservatorismul virulent. Un conservator pragmatic este un om care gndete fr mituri caluzitoare i fr adevruri absolute, ce confisc i paralizeaz inteligena; este un adversar, i nu un adept, al utopiilor inverse, care aspir la restaurarea trecutului. El este un adept al moderaiei i al gradualismului – nu pentru ca ar avea oroare de schimbrile profunde, ci pentru ca tie c nimic important, nrdcinat ntr-o form de via omeneasc, nu poate fi schimbat brusc. Se comite adesea o confuzie ntre conservatorismul pragmatic i radicalismul de dreapta. Dar este vorba de o eroare de neiertat, cci cele doua forme ale Dreptei se opun diametral: Ostilitatea fa de radicalism, ostilitatea nencetat, implacabil, este definiia esenial a conservatorismului (Robert Cecil, Marchiz de Salisbury). Au existat i n Romania figuri celebre apropiate conservatorismului pragmatic, spre exemplu P. P. Carp. ns, din pcate, tradiia autohton este dominat de radicalismul de dreapta, ilustrat (virulent) de Eminescu i (seren) de Maiorescu, iar ulterior de generaia rtcit: Nae Ionescu, Mircea Eliade, Cioran i Noica.“ (Adrian-Paul Iliescu)

Cartea este rezultatul anchetelor desf??urate ?n paginile revistei Contemporanul – anchete ce au abordat o problema delicat?, ocolit? de nu pu?ini c?rturari: ?Problema evreiasc?". Se pronun?? pe marginea acestei disputate teme actuale personalit??i ca, de pild?, Dumitru ?epeneag, Matei C?linescu, Ion Vianu, Irina Cajal, Ion Iano?i, Nicolae Breban, ?i nu pu?ini al?i importan?i actan?i ai vie?ii sociale, politice ?i culturale din Rom?nia de azi.Un manual indirect de istorie, cartea e destinata studen?ilor, elevilor, profesorilor, precum ?i publicului larg de cititori.

Volumul Dic?iunea ideilor, apar?in?nd profesorului Mircea Martin de la Facultateade Litere a Universit??ii Bucure?ti, este o contribu?ie valoroas? ?i original? la analiza unui raport extrem de important ?n teoriile socio-umane ale cunoa?terii, anume raportul dintre natural, artificial ?i autentic, aplicat asupra discursului metaliterar. Cartea se constituie ca o ?nsumare de analize a acestui raport ?n opera unor teoreticieni ai fenomenului literar rom?ni ?i str?ini: Tudor Vianu, G. C?linescu, B. Fondane, Matei C?linescu, Marcel Raymond, Roland Barthes, Carlos Bouso?o, Jaap Linnvelt. Departe de a fi o simpl? ?nsumare de analize aplicate, cartea este de fapt o critic? aconceptelor folosite deopotriv? de cercetarea antropologic?, cea estetic? ?i cea pur literar? ?i o contribu?ie esen?ial? la un proces de inserare ?nmodernitate a culturii rom?ne. Contribu?iile teoreticienilor rom?ni sunt v?zute ?n raportul lor de originalitate-sincronicitate cu cele ale cercet?torilor str?ini, ?nscriindu-se ?ntr-un proces de organicitate care implic? categorii culturale largi.

O analiz? metodic? ?i patima?? a cumplitei dictaturi ro?ii de care a avut parte Rom?nia. Atitudinea elitelor fa?? de tiran ?i fa?? de clica sa. ?n ce masur? suntem vinova?i? La?itatea este oare una dintre caracteristicile definitorii ale c?rturarului rom?n? La aceste ?i multe alte ?ntreb?ri r?spunde profesorul de filosofie, Ion Iano?i – un veritabil model european. Cartea e destinat? studen?ilor, elevilor, profesorilor, precum ?i publicului larg de cititori.

The Code of Hammurabi (Codex Hammurabi) is a well-preserved ancient law code, created ca. 1790 BC (middle chronology) in ancient Babylon. It was enacted by the sixth Babylonian king, Hammurabi. One nearly complete example of the Code survives today, inscribed on a seven foot, four inch tall basalt stele in the Akkadian language in the cuneiform script. One of the first written codes of law in recorded history. These laws were written on a stone tablet standing over eight feet tall (2.4 meters) that was found in 1901.

Cartea pe care o ?ine?i ?n m?n? este periculoas?. Incomod?, scor?oas?, incendiar? fiind, ?n mod cert, va deranja unele personaje, nelipsite de importan??, din arena politicii rom?ne?ti, care confund? adeseori politica cu diletantismul, tr?d?nd interesele sus?inute cu at?ta patos ?n campaniile electorale. ?n mod sigur, Nu tr?da?i, v? rog! va alarma edilii capitalei ce se ?ntrec ?n a distruge ?micul Paris“ de pe vremuri. Aceast? carte, a?adar, va deranja nu pu?in? lume prin scenele din via?a social-politic? post-decembrist?, cu at?t mai mult, cu c?t umorul ?fichiuitor nu-i este str?in nici pe departe autorului. Nici deta?area…

Demersul Antoanetei Olteanu, reputat? traduc?toare de limba rus? ?iexpert? ?n istoria cultural? a Rusiei, se distinge at?t prin calitatea informa?iilor, adesea inedite, c?t ?i prin compozi?ia complex?, care ?mbin? viziunea sintetic? cu o perspectiv? transcultural? exersat?. Cartea se recomand? de la sine at?t cititorului profesionist, care g?se?te aici o serie de date altfel greu accesibile, c?t ?i celui interesat de istoria ?i cultura Europei ?n ansamblu. Dup? cum anun?? ?i subtitlul, lucrarea reconstituie o istorie cultural? a secolului al XIX-lea, realiz?nd, ?n fapt, o fresc? a uneia dintre cele mai captivante perioade din istoria Rusiei, cea imperial?. Datele prezentate acoper? practic toate Aspectele vie?ii politice, sociale, economice ?i culturale ale acestui interval de timp, marcat at?t de aura ?arilor, c?t ?i de nenum?ratele revolte populare. Tabloul evenimentelor majore este ?ntregit cu minu?ioase inventare de titluri nobiliare, cu date economice consemnate cu acribie, cu o expunere vie a panoramei cutumelor sociale, familiale ?i religioase, merg?nd de la modalit??ile de confec?ionare a juc?riilor sau a bijuteriilor p?n? la istorii ale ceaiului sau vodcii. Atmosfera epocii cap?t? un contur des?v?r?it prin citarea unor fragmente din lucr?ri ?tiin?ifice de referin??, din jurnalele de c?l?torie ?i din publicistica vremii, dar ?i din operele marilor scriitori ai vremii, ca Dostoievski, Gogol ?i Tolstoi. Se contureaz?, astfel, o imagine neconven?ional? a Rusiei, o na?iune confruntat? permanent cu tensiunea unei alegeri fundamentale, care pune ?n opozi?ie modelul str?in ?i inegalabila for?? intern?. Autoarei ?i revine meritul de a fi surprins aspectele esen?iale ale acestei tensiuni, cu ample ecouri ?n perioadamodern? ?i cu evidente efecte asupra mentalit??ii contemporane.

Lucrarea inedit? a lui Nathan Belofsky se concentreaz? asupra ideilor ?i practicilor medicale acceptate de-a lungul veacurilor, pe scar? larg?, ale doctorilor reali, nu ale vracilor ?i aproape to?i doctorii men?iona?i erau figuri medicale importante ale acelor vremuri. Autorul prezint? c?teva dintre cele mai r?sp?ndite practici ?ocante sau ?ndoielnice din fiecare epoc?, ?ncep?nd cu Antichitatea ?i continu?nd cu Evul Mediu, Rena?terea, perioada modern? ?i secolul al XX-lea. Cartea se afl? sub semnul insolitului ?i readuce la via?a, ?ntr-o manier? narativ? ?i deseori umoristic?, momente mai pu?in cunoscute din istoria medicinei. ,,Cartea este o comoar? de fapte uluitoare.“Los Angeles Examiner

New adaptation of 'Hamlet' for a modern black theatrical production. Remember me… Denmark, a Black Empire of modern England, where an intelligent young student discovers the world he once knew has crumbled. Implored to defend what is left of his father’s decaying legacy, Hamlet now faces the greatest moral challenge – to kill or not to kill. Directed by Jeffery Kissoon (RSC, National Theatre, Robert Lepage, Peter Hall and in Peter Brook’s seminal production of The Mahabharata) and adapted with Shakespeare’s text by award-winning playwright Mark Norfolk, this fast-moving version gets straight to the heart of a young man’s dilemma. This first all-black production of Hamlet in Britain makes a striking contribution to the Shakespeare 400 anniversary celebration. For ages 12+

THE Spanish peninsula, separated from France on the north by the Pyrenees, and bounded on the three remaining sides by the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, con-tains an area of 225,600 square miles, being a little larger than France. Nature has reared a very formidable barrier between Spain and France, for the Pyrenees, extending in a straight line 250 miles in length, from the Bay of Biscay to the Mediterranean, and often rising in peaks more than ten thou-sand feet in height, offer but three defiles which carriages can traverse, though there are more than a hundred passes which may be surmounted by pedestrians or the sure-footed mule. The soil is fertile; the climate genial and salubrious; and the face of the country, diversified with meadows and mountains, presents, in rare combination, the most attractive features both of loveliness and sublimity.?History does not inform us when and how this beautiful peninsula—called Hispania by the Romans—first became in-habited. Whether the earliest emigrants crossed the straits of Gibraltar from Africa, or came from Asia, coasting the shores of the Mediterranean, or descended from France through the defiles of the Pyrenees, can now never be known. The first glimpse we catch of Spain, through the haze of past ages, reveals to us the country inhabited by numerous barbaric tri-bes, fiercely hostile to each other, and constantly engaged in bloody wars. The mountain fastnesses were infested with robber bands, and rapine and violence everywhere reigned. The weapons grasped by these fierce warriors consisted of lances, clubs, and slings, with sabres and hatchets, of rude fashion but of keen edge. Their food was mainly nuts and ro-ots. Their clothing consisted of a single linen garment, girded around the waist; and a woollen tunic, surmounted by a cloth cap, descended to the feet. As in all barbarous nations, the hard work of life was performed by the women.??The names even of most of these tribes have long since perished; a few however have been transmitted to our day, such as the Celts, the Gallicians, the Lusitanians, and the Iberians. Several ages before the foundations of Rome or of Carthage were laid, it is said that the Phoenicians, exploring in their commercial tours the shores of the Mediterranean, established a mercantile colony at Cadiz. The colonists growing rich and strong, extended their dominions and founded the cities of Malaga and Cordova. About 800 years before Christ, a colony from Rhodes settled in the Spanish peninsula, and established the city of Rosas. Other expeditions, from various parts of Greece, also planted colonies and engaged in successful traffic with the Spanish natives.??Four hundred years before Christ, the Carthaginian republic was one of the leading powers, and Carthage was one of the most populous and influential cities on the globe. The Carthaginians crossed the narrow straits which separate Africa from Spain, landed in great strength upon the Spanish peninsula, and, after a short but severe conflict, subdued the foreign colonies there, brought the native Spaniards into subjection, and established their own supremacy over all the southern coast. Cadiz became the central point of Carthaginian power, from whence the invaders constantly extended their conquests. Though many of the interior tribes maintained for a time a sort of rude and ferocious independence, still Carthage gradually assumed dominion over the whole of Spain.??In the year 235 B.C., Hamilcar, the father of the illustrious Hannibal, compelled nearly all the tribes of Spain to ack-nowledge his sway. For eight years Hamilcar waged almost an incessant battle with the Spaniards. Still it was merely a military possession which he held of the country, and he erected Barcelona and several other fortresses, where his soldiers could bid defiance to assaults, and could overawe the surrounding inhabitants.