Human Affairs
The Insanity Defense
“All he did savoured of utter lethargy. In a word, you would not have thought him a man at all, but some absurd abortion due to a mad fit of destiny.” […]
Honor
Human Affairs
The Life and Doings of a Degenerate Priest
“That night the pardoner and the constable, after supper, sat down to play at cards, and they began to quarrel over the game, and make use of bad language. The pardoner called the constable a thief, and the constable called him a liar.” […]
History
An End to the Peace
“Then King Harald sent the man named Herleif, and with him the contingent of Germans, to meet King Hring, and had them set up hazel stakes on the battlefield for him and claim the site of the battled, and pronounce the breaking of peace and friendship.” […]
Violence
Death with Honor
“Now, at the urging of King Attila, they seized Hogni and cut out his heart. Hogni’s strength was so immense that he laughed while he suffered this torture.” […]
Britons and Celts
The Bishop of Battle
” Then Odo, the good priest, the bishop of Bayeux, galloped up, and said to them, ‘Stand fast! stand fast! be quiet and move not! fear nothing, for if God please, we shall conquer yet.'” […]
Human Affairs
Wearing the Horns of the Bull
“I declared that I should rejoice to see her go in and out of our patron’s house whenever she liked, as I was convinced of her honesty. So we all three continued to have a good understanding as to this, and have never heard more about it.” […]
Britons and Celts
The Violent Youth of a Violent Hero
“His dagger with the other hand drew out,
In spite of all his men so throng about,
And boldly without either fear or dread,
Upon the spot he stick’d young Selbie dead.” […]
Greek and Roman
The Stink of Commerce
““Who ever saw a Roman emperor or his spouse indulging in commerce?” With these words, he gave orders that at that very hour, merely allowing time for the crew to disembark, the ship was to be given to the flames.” […]
Britons and Celts
The Cat Who Caught a Cock
“But I minding another thing, and seeing that scratching could not move him, suddenly I leapt up and caught him by the genitals with my teeth, and bit so hard, that at last he cried out.” […]
Viking
A Dignified Duel
“Then Horwendil endeavoured to address the king first, asking him in what way it was his pleasure to fight, and declaring that one best which needed the courage of as few as possible. For, said he, the duel was the surest of all modes of combat for winning the meed of bravery, because it relied only upon native courage, and excluded all help from the hand of another.” […]