Short passages for reading, drawn from history, legend, poetry and fiction.
By William Hogarth (1697–1764), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
Jochebed hides her baby son from Pharaoh’s soldiers, only for him to be discovered by Pharaoh’s daughter.
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By Georgios Kastrofylakas, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
Abbot Elfric unpacks the meaning of the gifts of the Three Wise Men.
© ruth and johnny, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 2.0.
Young Thomas Arne goes to extreme lengths to conceal his musical talent from his family.
© David Dixon, Geograph. Licence: CC-BY-SA 2.0.
James Hargreaves’s historic invention was not without its critics when it first appeared.
© Helmut Zozmann. Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0.
Samuel Smiles explains how Tudor England was transformed from sleepy backwater to hive of industry.
By Scipione Pulzone (1544–1598), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
The Pope and the King of Spain decide that the time has come to rid England of her troublesome Queen, Elizabeth I.