Short passages for reading, drawn from history, legend, poetry and fiction.
© 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.
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© 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.
© Aaron Burden, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.
A benevolent lecturer has to persuade a class of restless girls to stay inside on a rainy day.