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Beneath a clutter of mediaeval legend lies a heartwarming tale of a Russian Prince and his peasant bride.
Over the centuries, the tale of St Peter and St Fevronia has been told and retold with growing embellishment. But at its core lies a touching and credibly historical story of married love from the infancy of Christian Rus’, and the Church keeps their feast on June 25th (July 8th) as a Day of Family, Love and Faithfulness.
Posted July 9 2018
860
A doctor is wondering how to apologise for being drunk on the job, when he receives a letter from his patient.
George Fordyce (1736-1802), an eminent Scottish physician on the staff at St Thomas’s Hospital in London, did not often make house calls — not, at any rate, twice at the same address. But Samuel Rogers, a friend of Byron, recalled one occasion when luck was very much on his side.
Posted July 5 2018
861
Legend tells how Richard the Lionheart’s favourite singer found where Leopold of Austria had stowed him.
In December 1192, Richard I was arrested in Vienna and imprisoned at Dürnstein in lower Austria near the Danube, on the orders of his former ally in the Third Crusade, Leopold of Austria. According to legend, his place of captivity was a closely guarded secret but one man was determined to uncover it.
Posted July 4 2018
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A conspiracy of European monarchs sought to delay Richard the Lionheart’s homecoming long enough for John to steal his crown.
During the Third Crusade in 1189-1192, Richard I of England offended Philip II of France by jilting his sister Alys, and quarrelled with Leopold of Austria. He tried to come home incognito, but in December 1192 he was spotted at Vienna, arrested on various charges including murder, and hauled up before Henry VI, the Holy Roman Emperor.
Posted July 4 2018
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The flamboyant English poet went to extreme lengths to get a refund on an unsatisfactory purchase.
After moving to Ravenna in 1819, poet Lord Byron bought a black horse which had a tendency to trip and throw his rider, as Byron discovered only the second time he rode him. Byron demanded his money back, and as he cheerfully confessed to Edward Trelawny, things started to get a little ugly.
Posted July 3 2018
864
During the Orlov Revolt of 1769, Greek islanders get their hands on a copy of Homer’s epic tale of Troy.
During the Greek Revolution of 1821-1829, against the Ottoman Empire, Irishman Edward Blaquière found his fund-raising in London hampered by doubts over whether today’s Greeks were worthy of their ancient forebears. Blaquiere showed them that the spirit of Achilles, wrathful hero of the Trojan War, lived on.
Posted July 2 2018