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Passages for reading. Read them out aloud. Paraphrase or précis them. Discuss them with friends. Does anything surprise or impress you? How does the author work your feelings? Would you use his words? How would you direct the scene in a movie — and who would your stars be?

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On This Day

Sunday September 8 ns August 26 os

For Church feasts falling on September 8 in the New Style calendar, see The Feast of Nativity of the Virgin Mary and Finding of the Kursk icon.

August 26, 1395 os

Meeting of the ‘Vladimir’ Icon (1)

The Theotokos of Vladimir

It is one of the world’s most recognisable works of art, and a symbol of God’s blessing on all Christian Rus’.

September 8, 1380

The Battle of Kulikovo (1)

Dmitri of the Don

Grand Duke Dmitri of Moscow loosened the grip of the Tartar Horde on the people of Russia, but treachery robbed him of triumph.

by Lucy Cazalet 1870-1956

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International Relations

A Credit to His Country

The diplomat’s task is to see the best in other peoples, not to scold them for their failings.

by François de Callières 1645-1717

Lives of the Saints

The Synod of Whitby

In 664, a council at Whitby decided to align the traditions of the Northumbrian Church with those of Rome and Constantinople.

by John Richard Green 1837-1883

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Greek and Roman Myths

The Gordian Knot

Alexander fulfilled the letter of a prophecy and he did become ruler of the world, but it wasn’t quite fair.

John Wesley

Body and Soul

John Wesley urged the medical profession (and his fellow clergy) to remember that drugs are not the answer to every sickness.

by John Wesley 1703-1791

Myths and Legends

Out of Reach

Odysseus recalls meeting Tantalus and Sisyphus, for whom relief was everlastingly beyond their grasp.

by Homer 8th century BC

Extracts from Literature

Fricassée in France

In the opening lines of Laurence Sterne’s Sentimental Journey, the narrator explains the perverse whim that led him to leave his home shores behind.

by Laurence Sterne 1713-1768

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James Hall Nasmyth

Ye’re Nae Smith!

Charles Dickens

Mrs Nickleby’s Cold Cure

W. Somerset Maugham

The Lessons of Empire

Mandell Creighton

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William Cowper

A Kitten’s Jest

Mark Twain

Beginner’s Luck

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Free Speech and Conscience

Passages defending the right and obligation of every citizen to judge whatever is good and true, and to talk back to those who govern him.

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Sport and Sportsmen

Stories from the world of cricket, football and other sports, and the men and women who have played them.

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Animal Stories

Fables and true tales about animals, including a dog who regularly commuted to Matlock, a horse who didn’t approve of bad language, and a cat who saved her owners from an earthquake.

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Discovery and Invention

Tales of scientific innovation and merchant enterprise, from steam power and life-saving medicines to new trade partners far away, and new ways to reach them.

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Poets and Poetry

Passages from English verse, from Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf to Shakespeare’s sonnets, Tennyson’s Charge of the Light Brigade, Kipling’s If and many more.

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Character and Conduct

Stories illustrating noble deeds in matters both great and small, such as the noble gesture of Sir Philip Sidney, and the determination of Benjamin Disraeli.

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The Copy Book

Readings in history, society and literature

The Copy Book

Readings in history, society and literature