Short passages for reading, drawn from history, legend, poetry and fiction.
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By John Simpson (1782–1847), Art Institute of Chicago, via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
William Wilberforce told Parliament that the more his opponents slandered him, the more he was sure he was winning.
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By Gerard van Honthorst (1592-1656) or his circle, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
Conspiracies and dynastic expectations swirled around James I’s daughter from the age of nine.
© Сайт Новгородской епархии (website of the Eparchy of Velikiy Novgorod). Used with permission.
It started as an honest mistake, became a diplomatic standoff, and brought down an Empire.
By Henry Treffry Dunn (1838-1899), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
Dr Watson is looking for rooms in London, and an old colleague suggests someone who might be able to help him.
By William Blake (1757-1827), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
John Stuart Mill reminds us that governments and the courts must never be allowed to criminalise matters of belief or opinion.
By William Beechey (1753-1839), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0.
Charles Dickens sketches for us the shyly ingratiating youth who gets himself in a tangle in the presence of Beauty.