Short passages for reading, drawn from history, legend, poetry and fiction.
By Arthur Hughes (1832-1915), via Wikimedia Commons. Public domain.
‘Alpha of the Plough’ thought the Victorians understood Christmas and New Year better than we do.
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© Michael Garlick, Geograph. CC BY-SA 2.0.
Sir Roger explains why he makes Christmas such a special time for all his neighbours.
© Julian Paren, Geograph. CC BY-SA 2.0.
Baldur was the toast of Valhalla, but Loki was determined to take him down.
© Martin Falbisoner (1978-), Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 3.0.
In this ‘Cautionary Tale’, we hear what happened when naughty Jim gave his nurse the slip.
© Auckland Museum, Wikimedia COmmons. CC BY-SA 4.0.
The politicians of Georgian England went to surprising lengths to shield domestic businesses from overseas competition.
By Sir John Everett Millais (?-1896), via Wikimedia Commons. Public domain.
Thomas Carlyle felt that English criticism of Goethe revealed more about his critics than his poems.