Short passages for reading, drawn from history, legend, poetry and fiction.
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.
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From the Chemical Heritage Foundation, via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
Sir Humphry Davy pleads with Britain’s scientists not to be bought by Napoleon’s gold.
Photo by Captain Tanner, from the Imperial War Museums via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
Archbishop Damaskinos of Athens took his wartime protest straight to the top.
© Hertzsprung, via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0.
Sir John Seeley urged us to cherish our close ties to India and other nations beyond Europe.
© Bikashrd, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
A maths prodigy from Madras became so wrapped up in his sums that he forgot to pass his examinations.
Via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
Adam Smith argued that the Bengal Famine of 1769 would have been much less of a tragedy under a free trade policy.