The Copybook: Readings in history and literature

1

Strong Speech by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson traced a common thread running throughout English literature.

2

Double Standards by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson wondered why New Yorkers elected to Congress the kind of man they would turn out of their own homes.

3

No Offence by Ralph Waldo Emerson

The people who oil the wheels of society are not the people who never give offence, they are the people who never take any.

4

A Work of Art by Ralph Waldo Emerson

The man who seems frustratingly dull and awkward may shine in other company, and we owe it to him and to ourselves to read the signs.

5

The Fact-Lovers by Ralph Waldo Emerson

American essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson saw the demand for hard evidence as a peculiarly English trait.

6

The Liberty-Lovers by Ralph Waldo Emerson

American essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson praises the English public for still loving freedom, despite their politicians.