Crowned Masterpieces of Eloquence, Representing the Advance of Civilization, as Collected in the World's Best Orations, from the Earliest Period to the Present Time

Crowned Masterpieces of Eloquence was curated by David Josiah Brewer, a U.S. Supreme Court Justice, and originally published in the early 20th century. The collection was designed as a monumental effort to catalog the evolution of human history through the lens of rhetoric and public address, spanning from antiquity to the modern era of the time. It emerged during an era when large-scale, multi-volume reference libraries were common fixtures in educated households, intended to serve as a comprehensive survey of civilizational thought.

The editorial vision behind the series was to preserve the foundational speeches that shaped political, religious, and social discourse. Brewer organized the texts to demonstrate a progression of ideas, positioning oratory as the primary engine for social and political advancement. The work was generally well-received by contemporary scholars and educators as a valuable anthology for students of law and history, and it remains a notable example of the encyclopedic publishing trends prevalent at the turn of the twentieth century.