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Short passages for reading, drawn from history, legend, poetry and fiction.

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337

By NASA/JPL, via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain image.

The Vast Depths of Infinity by Thomas Wright

Thomas Wright offers his readers a way of thinking about the enormous distances involved in any description of the solar system.

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338

© Anne Dirkse, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.

Written in the Skies by Thomas Wright

Though some other sciences may seem to destroy it, astronomy restores a sense of religious awe.

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339

© Salvatore Capuano, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain image.

A Surfeit of Lampreys by Lucius Cassius Dio Cocceianus

Augustus, the Roman Emperor, invited himself to dine at the luxury Naples villa of Publius Vedius Pollio, but a broken goblet thoroughly spoilt the evening.

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340

© Graham Robertson, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0.

A Rush to Judgment by Samuel Smiles

As a young man, surveyor Thomas Telford was a red-hot political activist who yearned for revolution, but admittedly he had read just one book on the matter.

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341

© LenskiyS, wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.

‘We are Free Men of Novgorod’ by Clay Lane

The politicians of Novgorod, angry at Moscow’s interference, thought they would teach her a lesson by selling out to Poland.

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342

© Roger Butterfield, Geograph. Licence CC-BY-SA 2.0.

Brutus of Britain by Clay Lane

Back in the days of the prophet Samuel, so the story goes, a grandson of Trojan hero Aeneas brought civilisation to the British Isles.

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May 29 NS

May 16 OS

The Last Commandment : Anglo-Saxon poet Cynewulf imagines the farewell between Jesus and his Apostles, forty days after his resurrection.
The Fall of Constantinople : Hospitality and sympathy, but no help - the Byzantine Emperor learns a bitter lesson about western diplomacy.
The Royal Oak : In 1680, Samuel Pepys sat down with Charles II to record how, many years before, a bold double-bluff saved the King from Cromwell’s men.
Lost and Found : What would you in these difficult situations?
They Might Not Need Me : Read these lines of verse out aloud.
The Turn : Ben Jonson tells us how we should measure a life well lived.
Music Video : Julius Benedict, Piano Concerto in E flat: II. Andante,
The Character of George Washington : Thomas Jefferson recalls the virtues (and a few faults) of the first US President.
Amen to That : John Bright declared it was time stop fighting wars around the world for ‘British interests’.
Arena : Use these nouns in sentences of at least ten words in length.
Q & A :
Deep Harmony : In the midst of the US Civil War, a simple melody briefly brought the warring factions together.
Thirty Minutes : Describe half an hour in one of these places.
And is there Care in Heaven? : Sir Guyon lies in an enchanted swoon, but he is not without help.
Pirate : For each of these words, suggest others that seem to go with it, and use them to bring a scene to life.
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