Originally published between 1909 and 1917 under the name Harvard Classics, this stupendous 51-volume set-a collection of the greatest writings from literature, philosophy, history, and mythology-was assembled by American academic CHARLES WILLIAM ELIOT 1834-1926, Harvard University's longest-serving president. Also known as Dr. Eliot's Five Foot Shelf, it represented Eliot's belief that a basic liberal education could be gleaned by reading from an anthology of works that could fit on five feet of bookshelf. Volume XXI features the 1827 novel I Promessi Sposi The Bethrothed, by Italian writer ALESSANDRO MANZONI 1785-1873, considered the most beloved work in the Italian language. A historical romance inspired by Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe, it is the tale of lovers Renzo and Lucia and their quest to be together. Beautifully evocative of its 17th-century setting, it is noted for its dramatic depiction of plague-addled Milan.