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 th...

It is indeed a question, Why should we write a book ? -We have but one encouragement without our own conceit, which is, that few, if any, of the accepted wits of the past were ever excellent in the positive feats which we have mentioned. They seem to have possessed an acknowledged. Greatness in their general health, harmony, or proportion of mind, to whose consciousness pleasant truth was congenial, and came through some subtlety of attraction.

This harmony or health of soul must comprise som...

ELIZABETH was about three years old at the death of her mother. She was a princess, but she was left in a very forlorn and desolate condition. She was not, however, entirely abandoned. Her claims to inherit the crown had been set aside, but then she was, as all admitted, the daughter of the king, and she must, of course, be the object of a certain degree of consideration and ceremony. It would be entirely inconsistent with the notions of royal dignity which then prevailed to have her treated ...

‘We gaan het serieus aanpakken,’ zei Beatrix vlak voor ze de troon besteeg. Serieuzer dan haar ouders, die de monarchie met hun huwelijk van onzekerheid en nonchalance aan het wankelen hadden gebracht. Met bijna benauwende plichtsbetrachting stuurde Beatrix het koningschap naar kalme wateren. Tot het jaar 2000. Toen begonnen de zware jaren, waarin haar man en haar ouders stierven, waarin haar Huis ineens toneel werd van de ene affaire na de andere en waarin het ooit zo Oranjegezinde volk ...