Palaces, temples and empires crumble and are buried in the dust. Our social and philosophic systems have their day and cease to be. Lives which are resplendent in virtue, heroic in action, radiant in loving kindness are the enduring glory of the world. The following pages would present lives which portray these qualities and, if possible, make them live before us. To do this the authors often quoted their words or the words about them written by their near friends.