A puppy, unanounced and unordered, arrives in a crate at Mr. Murchison's house. Humorous events follow.

Born into the influential Welsh Salusbury family and married to the rich brewer Henry Thrale, Hester Piozzi was associated to the most illustrious figures of London society in her time, among others the famous Samuel Johnson, to whose biography her diaries added valuable details. After surviving Mr. Thrale and her second husband Gabriel Mario Piozzi, at the age of 80, she fell in love with William Augustus Conway, to whom she wrote these letters.

Maude is a novella by Christina Rossetti, written in 1850 but published posthumously in 1897. Considered by scholars to be semi-autobiographical, the protagonist is 15-year-old Maude Foster, a quiet and serious girl who writes poetry that explores the tensions between religious devotion and worldly desires. The text includes several of Rossetti's early verses, which were later published as part of her collections of poetry.

Best remembered for his poetry, James Elroy Flecker was also a playwright, novelist and prose writer. This collection of his idiosyncratic prose writings includes The Last Generation (a short science fiction story), short sketches, a dialogue, and several critical studies.

Francisco Pizarro (1471 - 1541) was born into poverty, the illegitimate son of a Spanish soldier. After a brief career as a swineherd, he volunteered to join an expedition to the colony of Darien in Panama. He rose through the ranks to become right hand man of the governor. After hearing rumours of a rich country of gold to the south, he received permission from the king of Spain to lead an expedition to explore and attempt to conquer the Peruvian empire. This biography describes how, with an army of only 168 men, he was able to subjugate an entire nation.

Baring-Gould's humorous observations on the various Christian sects to be found in "the most learned church in the most religious country in the world" (i.e., London in 1870) contains a challenge to Christians of today to focus on the substance of faith rather than the forms of public worship.

From the velocipede to the motor cycle in twenty chapters. A short history of the British bicycle industry from its origins in a Coventry sewing machine factory in 1868 to its transformation into one of the countries most important industries. A reminder of the days when bicycles ruled the roads from the Pitman's Common Commodities and Industry Series.

During the captivity of Mary, Queen of Scots, plots, conspiracies, and intrigue engulfed the country. Catholics were apprehensive of Protestants; Scots mistrusted the English. No one felt completely safe. Into the midst of this turmoil was thrust a tiny baby girl, rescued from a storm-tossed sea, the solitary survivor of the wreck of the Bride of Dunbar. Was this unfortunate child - adopted and raised in the bosom of a loving family - connected to the displaced and unhappy Queen Mary? Would she eventually find herself at the mercy of the Elizabeth, Queen of England, or would she find happy bliss with her one true love?

This collection of hymns have been translated from the poetry to the Latin church, arranged in the order of the Christian year. "This volume is intended for hours of devotion, and the vast storehouse of sacred poetry of the Latin Church has been put under tribute to supply the material," writes the author, Reverend John Brownlie, in the preface. The collection includes hymns for Christmas, Easter, All Saints' Day, Advent, and more.

The Tragedy of Mariam (1613) is the first original drama written in English by a woman. Elizabeth Cary drew on Jewish histories by Josephus to create a closet drama (written to be read, rather than performed live) about Mariam, the second wife of Herod the Great. At the beginning of the play, Mariam believes that Herod has been killed by Octavius, and struggles with how to respond. On the one hand, she is relieved, as she is angry with Herod for killing her brother and grandfather. On the other, she knows that he loved her, and she feels caught by her sense of duty as his wife. When Herod unexpectedly returns, Mariam must decide what to do.