Short passages for reading, drawn from history, legend, poetry and fiction.
By Amedeo Preziosi (1816–1882), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
Diplomat William Eton warns his fellow Englishmen that shutting down debate does not make for a more united society.
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By Barbara Krafft (1764–1825), Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
The offices of the Cheeryble Brothers are humming with excitement over two upcoming weddings, and Tim Linkinwater finds the mood is catching.
By Harold Copping (1863-1932), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
Mill owner William Grant was deeply hurt by a scurrilous pamphlet circulated by a fellow businessman, and vowed the miscreant would live to regret it.
From the John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
William Jerrold saw the new-fangled sewing machine as an opportunity to get women into the professions — but time was of the essence.
By James Whittle and James Laurie (1812), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
In 1798, ‘Plays on the Passions’ appeared in London bookstores, but no one seemed to know who had written them.
© Simon Speed, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
Composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor recalls his experiences as a judge in the distrustful world of music festivals and brass band contests.