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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

From the Archive

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History

‘We are Free Men of Novgorod’

The politicians of Novgorod, angry at Moscow’s interference, thought they would teach her a lesson by selling out to Poland.

Cynewulf

The Six Leaps of Faith

The eighth-century English bishop and poet Cynewulf explores a prophecy from the Song of Solomon.

by Cynewulf fl. ?800

Scottish History

The Spider and the King

Sir Walter Scott tells of the tale of how a little spider inspired Robert the Bruce to win his country’s sovereignty.

by Sir Walter Scott 1771-1832

Classical History

Rhetoric and the Beast

God alone can save civilisation, said Socrates, when clever campaign strategists teach aspiring politicians how to play on the public’s hopes and fears.

by Plato ?424/423 BC - 348/347 BC

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Selected Authors

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Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Liberty-Lovers

Frederick Douglass

A Selfish Liberty

Adam Smith

Disbanding Empire

Arthur Penrhys Stanley

Christ is Risen!

Mark Twain

Beginner’s Luck

John Bright

International Intermeddling

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Selected Topics

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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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International Relations

Britain has always demanded respect, open seas, and to be left in peace to ‘work out our own salvation’ — a courtesy we should extend to others.

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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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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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The USA

Tales from our cousins to the West, telling of their independence from Britain, their bloody civil war, and their runaway prosperity — and the slender thread by which it hangs.

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Extracts from Fiction

Romance, adventure and comedy from the very best fiction writers, including Jane Austen, the Brontë sisters, Charles Dickens, John Buchan, and many more.

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The Copy Book

Readings in history, society and literature

The Copy Book

Readings in history, society and literature