Short passages for reading, drawn from history, legend, poetry and fiction.
By Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
Trapped in Crete with his son Icarus, the craftsman and inventor Daedalus realises a bold and desperate plan to get away.
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By Hans Holbein the Younger (?1497-1543), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
Dutch scholar Desiderius Erasmus urged Fausto Andrelini not to miss out on England’s enchanting contribution to good manners.
By Peter Monamy (1681–1749), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
There are solid reasons why countries with lower taxes and less regulation tend to be more prosperous.
By Thomas Rowlandson (1756–1827), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
Riding through Sussex, William Cobbett comes across a large family relaxing together in front of their charming cottage.
Thomas Hearne (1744–1817), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
Gabriel Betteredge’s cottage was cosy, his employment rewarding and his status respectable, but his cup of happiness was not quite full.
By Leslie Ward (1851–1922), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
The citizen should not dutifully accept government intrusion as the price of community life.