Short passages for reading, drawn from history, legend, poetry and fiction.
© Joecoolandcharlie, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0.
When Richard I heard that the town of Verneuil in Normandy was under threat, he made a vow that few could be expected to take so literally.
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© Sujayadhar, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
The British Empire’s hostile breakup with India should have taught everyone two things: money cannot buy love, and power does not command respect.
By Franz Seraph von Lenbach (1836-1904), via the National Portrait Gallery and Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
Two of the Victorian Age’s most distinguished historians locked horns over the question of whether historians should be nice.
By W. and D. Downey, via the National Archives of Canada and Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
When the young Aga Khan visited London in 1898 he was presented to Queen Victoria, and found her cultural sensitivity deeply touching.
© I Love Colour, Geograph. Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0.
King David expresses his trust in God in terms remembered from his years as a shepherd boy.
By John Everett Millais (1829-1896), from the Metropolitan Museum of Art via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
Shylock is savouring revenge on Antonio for years of disgusting mistreatment, but the judge warns him to temper his demands.