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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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Poets and Poetry

King Arthur’s Last Request

The legendary British warrior makes ready for his final journey, leaving Sir Bedivere with one last duty to perform.

by Alfred, Lord Tennyson 1809-1892

Free Speech and Conscience

No Danger in Discussion

It should never be labelled ‘dangerous’ to subject Government policy to calm and honest criticism.

as printed in The Morning Chronicle 1792

Extracts from Literature

A Glide Into the Future

A dinner host enthralls his guests with an extraordinary scientific experiment.

by H. G. Wells 1866-1946

Discovery and Invention

The Richmond Shilling

For centuries our coal industry was plagued by regulations and taxes, but a tax imposed in 1667 seemed to have nothing to do with coal at all.

from The London Journal of Arts and Sciences 1865

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Selected Authors

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A. A. Milne

The Brighteners of Cricket

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

A Curious Incident

Laurence Sterne

Fricassée in France

William Cobbett

Of Hares, Hounds and Red Herrings

William Cowper

The Candidate

George Savile, 1st Marquess of Halifax

Dominion and Liberty

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Selected Topics

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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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Myths and Legends

Stories of wisdom, wonder and imagination from the Fables of Aesop and the epics of Homer to the folklore of India, Japan, Russia and Britain.

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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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Greece

Tales about the cradle of Western civilisation, from Socrates and the first democracies to the fall of the Roman Empire, the Ottoman yoke, and Britain’s part in the fight for independence.

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Bible and Saints

Tales from the Bible, including the parables of Jesus and the story of Esther, and miracles from the lives of saints, such as our own Cuthbert the Wonderworker.

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Russia

Stories from our cousins in the East, from Rurik the Viking and the Baptism of Rus’ to trade with Ivan the Terrible, a visit from Peter the Great, and the last Emperor.

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The Copy Book

Readings in history, society and literature

The Copy Book

Readings in history, society and literature