Short passages for reading, drawn from history, legend, poetry and fiction.
By Ferdinand van Kessel (1648-1696), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
Lord Macaulay describes the toils of a typical country gentleman visiting London in the time of Charles II.
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© Bob Harvey, Geograph. Licence: CC-BY-SA 2.0.
William Shakespeare immortalised his lover in verse, as if holding back for ever the ravages of Time.
© Vadim Smalkov, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
When Raffles Haw comes to sleepy Tamfield, his breathtaking generosity starts turning heads at once, and one belongs to Laura McIntyre.
© Mike Searle, Geograph. Licence: CC-BY-SA 2.0.
From the very first lines, Jane Austen’s classic novel ‘Pride and Prejudice’ pokes affectionate fun at Georgian England.
© Tony Hisgett, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 2.0.
William Shakespeare recalls how the love of his life once teased him to the brink of despair.
© Tanya Dedyukhina, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 3.0.
Literary rumour in the time of Queen Anne said that William Shakespeare owed his extraordinary career to a scurrilous ballad.