Famous Affinities of History: The Romance of Devotion. Volume 1

COMPLETE 4 VOLUMES - Classic Love Stories from History - Famous Affinities of History - The Romance of Devotion - Volumes 1-4, Complete By Lyndon Orr – THE STORY OF ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA Of all love stories that are known to human history, the love story of Antony and Cleopatra has been for nineteen centuries the most remarkable. It has tasked the resources of the plastic and the graphic arts. It has been made the theme of poets and of prose narrators. It has appeared and reappeared in a thousand forms, and it appeals as much to the imagination to-day as it did when Antony deserted his almost victorious troops and hastened in a swift galley from Actium in pursuit of Cleopatra. The wonder of the story is explained by its extraordinary nature. Many men in private life have lost fortune and fame for the love of woman. Kings have incurred the odium of their people, and have cared nothing for it in comparison with the joys of sense that come from the lingering caresses and clinging kisses. Cold-blooded statesmen, such as Parnell, have lost the leadership of their party and have gone down in history with a clouded name because of the fascination exercised upon them by some woman, often far from beautiful, and yet possessing the mysterious power which makes the triumphs of statesmanship seem slight in comparison with the swiftly flying hours of pleasure. But in the case of Antony and Cleopatra alone do we find a man flinging away not merely the triumphs of civic honors or the headship of a state, but much more than these—the mastery of what was practically the world—in answer to the promptings of a woman's will. Hence the story of the Roman triumvir and the Egyptian queen is not like any other story that has yet been told. The sacrifice involved in it was so overwhelming, so instantaneous, and so complete as to set this narrative above all others. Shakespeare's genius has touched it with the glory of a great imagination. Dryden, using it in the finest of his plays, expressed its nature in the title "All for Love." THE STORY OF ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA ABELARD AND HELOISE QUEEN ELIZABETH AND THE EARL OF LEICESTER MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS AND LORD BOTHWELL QUEEN CHRISTINA OF SWEDEN AND THE MARQUIS MONALDESCHI KING CHARLES II. AND NELL GWYN MAURICE OF SAXONY AND ADRIENNE LECOUVREUR THE STORY OF PRINCE CHARLES EDWARD STUART THE EMPRESS CATHARINE AND PRINCE POTEMKIN MARIE ANTOINETTE AND COUNT FERSEN THE STORY OF AARON BURR GEORGE IV. AND MRS. FITZHERBERT CHARLOTTE CORDAY AND ADAM LUX NAPOLEON AND MARIE WALEWSKA THE STORY OF PAULINE BONAPARTE THE STORY OF THE EMPRESS MARIE LOUISE AND COUNT NEIPPERG THE WIVES OF GENERAL HOUSTON LOLA MONTEZ AND KING LUDWIG OF BAVARIA LEON GAMBETTA AND LEONIE LEON LADY BLESSINGTON AND COUNT D'ORSAY BYRON AND THE COUNTESS GUICCIOLI THE STORY OF MME. DE STAEL THE STORY OF KARL MARX FERDINAND LASSALLE AND HELENE VON DONNIGES THE STORY OF RACHEL DEAN SWIFT AND THE TWO ESTHERS PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY AND MARY GODWIN THE STORY OF THE CARLYLES THE STORY OF THE HUGOS THE STORY OF GEORGE SAND THE MYSTERY OF CHARLES DICKENS HONORE DE BALZAC AND EVELINA HANSKA CHARLES READE AND LAURA SEYMOUR