March 31: The Ghastly Whim of John Donne (Vol. 15, pp. 364-369)

The poet John Donne died this day in 1631, so we have Isaak Walton taking a break from writing about fishing to give an account of Donne's last days and how much pleasure he took in posing for his death mask — except that the mask was a shroud that wrapped him from head to foot. An eccentric sod, Dr. Donne was.

March 30: The Plague of Milan (Vol. 21, pp. 500-512)

More from Manzoni's "I Promessi Sposi" today, this time a vivid account of the plague that hit Milan in the 17th century and laid waste to most of the city's residents. Not exactly cheery reading.

March 29: Hero and Goddess Break Engagement (Vol. 49, pp. 307-317)

The Norse version of Virgil's "Aeneid," Homer's "Odyssey" and the rest of the Greek epics, and it's just as uninteresting to this reader who has little regard for fantasy. If you are into love triangles and Norse gods and goddesses behaving badly, you might like it.

March 28: Pins and Other Points (Vol. 10: pp. 9-17)

We get the opening to Adam Smith's "Wealth of Nations" today, and one can see even from this snippet why his work endures as one of the cornerstones of modern economic theory. His prose is clear and unburdened by the florid style that afflicts most 18th century writers.

This selection looks at the early attempts at mechanized production, in this case, making pins. Here is where we learn about important economic principles such as the division of labor and how mechanization improved the lot of workers while increasing production.

March 27: When Is a Lie Not a Lie? (Vol. 28: pp. 277-284)

Robert Louis Stevenson checks in today with a remarkable essay entitled "Truth of Intercourse."

Stevenson writes that truth "is something more difficult than to refrain from open lies. It is possible to avoid falsehood and yet not tell the truth ... the cruelest lies are often told in silence ... to speak truth, there must be moral equality or else no respect."

He absolutely hits the mark in this essay on conversation and communication. I had not known of this piece before, but it is brilliant.

March 26: "2,500 Years Ago, Aesop said..." (Vol. 17, pp. 21-30)

The first English language version of Aesop's Fables was published this day in 1484. To get some Aesop today is a welcome break from the heavy and unreadable stuff of the preceeding weeks.

"The Fox and The Grapes," "The Ant and The Grasshopper" and "The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing" are a few of today's stories and are further proof of Aesop's superior grasp of human nature and human frailties.

March 25: How Conscience Makes Cowards of Us All (Vol. 46, pp. 144-158)

Here's an odd commemoration. On this day in 1616, Shakespeare drew up his will (no pun intended). To mark this occasion, we get one of the most famous passages in drama -- the "To Be or Not To Be" soliloquy from "Hamlet."