May 21: An Honest Man Defined (Vol. 40, pp. 430-440)

Alexander Pope was born this day in 1688, so we get his "Essay on Man," a long poem concerning the state of man that's filled with advice tempered with wit. Not bad.

May 20: Shakespeare's Finest Work (Vol. 40, pp. 270-276)

On this day in 1609, William Shakespeare's sonnets were entered in the London Stationer's Register. There may be disagreements over which was his finest play, but most are in agreement that Shakespeare's wisdom was distilled and concentrated into these little sonnets. They apparently were personal messages never meant to be published. Posterity is thankful that they were preserved.

May 19: Golden Advice on Manners (Vol. 2, pp. 128-138)

Some of Epictetus' advice on how to live one's life — mainly to be content with what life offers you and that serenity is the way to happiness. Typical Stoic philosophy.

May 18: The Night Life of Flowers (Vol. 17, pp. 334-341)

Ever wonder why flowers seem so droopy at dawn's first light? Hans Christian Anderson has the answer today. It's because they get tired of standing around during the day, so when the sun goes down, the flowers party the night away.

May 17: An Honest Life's Reward (Vol. 2, pp. 24-30)

In his "An Apology of Socrates," Plato — one of Socrates' greatest disciples — writes of his mentor's speech to the judges who condemned him to death for impiety. A better translation would have made this selection more understandable.

May 16: Favorite Superstitions of Celtic Imagination (Vol. 32, pp. 145-155)

Part of Ernest Renan's literary essay, "The Poetry of the Celtic Races" that's an overview of Celtic literature. Not terribly interesting.

May 15: Glimpses Into the Beyond (Vol. 20, pp. 102-114)

Dante was born this day in 1265, so of course, we get the heart of his "Inferno." His fire and brimstone filled description of Hell has become the standard version for how people imagine this place where the wicked and sinful are punished for all eternity. Hallucinatory rubbish!