May 7: A Bishop Bargains (Vol. 42, pp. 1074-1078)

The English poet Robert Browning was born this day in 1812, so we get two overwritten poems on vanity. And the maddening pattern of this series continues. You get a compelling stretch with Faraday, Machiavelli and Huxley, followed by bad drama and worse poetry. The selections made by the editors, in my view, are eminently second-guessable.

May 6: A Poor Artist Defies a Rich Duke (Vol. 31, pp. 373-384)

More from Cellini's autobiography, this time his account of an epic beef with a Duke over how to create a statue. More self-promotion to cement Cellini's status as the Commander McBragg of the Renaissance.

May 5: Strange Adventures in Man's Clothes (Vol. 26, pp. 7-21)

Spanish playwright Pedro de la Barca Calderon died this day in 1681, so we get the opening to his 1635 masterwork "Life is a Dream." Again, the drama of this era holds no interest for me.

May 4: A Champion of Science (Vol. 26: pp. 209-219)

English botanist and educator Thomas Henry Huxley, who was born this day in 1825, delivers a spirited defense of science and its importance to the future prosperity of mankind in today's selection.

"Science and Culture" is taken from a speech Huxley gave at Mason College (now the University of Birmingham) in 1880. Huxley says that by leaving the enforced certainty of the Middle Ages behind and embracing a new way of thinking, society improved for the better.

"The assertion which outstrips evidence is not only a blunder, but a crime," he said. Words to remember whenever dogma attempts to trump scientific fact.

May 3: Why Machiavellian? (Vol. 36, pp. 7-17)

Today is Niccolo Machiavelli's birthday, who was born this day in 1469. Today's reading is from the opening to his book, "The Prince," which remains one of the best how-to books on politics nearly five centuries after it was written.

So, how does one become a prince? Machiavelli writes that you either inherit a power base, or you create one. When people want to better their condition, they are always ready to find a new leader. He reminds us that "he who is the cause of another's greatness is himself undone, since he must work either by address or force, each of which excites distrust in a person raised to power."

In other words, one cannot keep power unless you have a united following and have all your potential rivals accounted for.

May 2: First Sparks of Electricity (Vol. 30, pp. 61-72)

English scientist Sir Michael Faraday explains the principles of magnetism and what make them lead to the existence of electricity and conductivity. He explains it all in a way that makes him the 19th century version of Mr. Wizard, and about 150 years later, this lecture remains a model of fascinating clarity.

May 1: What Would You Ask Judas Iscariot? (Vol. 27, pp. 270-283)

The 19th century English essayist William Hazlett's "Persons One Would Wish to Have Seen," is a rambling mess of an essay about a discussion he and his friends had — what famous people would they most like to meet? Newton, Boccaccio, Cromwell, Chaucer and Judas were among those on the list. It's not the best example of his work, but it is sadly the only one in this series. He deserves better.