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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

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Liberty and Prosperity

The Grievances of the South

Victorian MP Richard Cobden believed British politicians supporting the slave-owning American South had been led a merry dance.

by Richard Cobden 1804-1865

Extracts from Poetry

The Charge of the Light Brigade

Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s famous poem about a suicidal cavalry charge during the Battle of Balaclava on October 25th, 1854.

by Alfred, Lord Tennyson 1809-1892

Liberty and Prosperity

Honourable Mr Fox

The colourful Foreign Secretary humbly accepted a lesson in manners from a local tradesman.

by Samuel Smiles 1812-1904

Railways

The Bluebell Line

The Bluebell line in Sussex was the first failing British Railways line to be taken over by volunteers.

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Selected Authors

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Richard Cobden

The Open Sea

Jane Austen

Swept off her Feet

William Cullen Bryant

Statesman vs Politician

Frédéric Bastiat

The Broken Window

Robert Louis Stevenson

By the Toss of a Coin

John Milton

Truth By Statute?

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Poets and Poetry

Passages from English verse, from Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf to Shakespeare’s sonnets, Tennyson’s Charge of the Light Brigade, Kipling’s If and many more.

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Myths and Legends

Stories of wisdom, wonder and imagination from the Fables of Aesop and the epics of Homer to the folklore of India, Japan, Russia and Britain.

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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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The British Constitution

Passages examining Britain’s sometimes baffling constitutional monarchy, and telling the story of its enemies, its champions, and its reformers.

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Sport and Sportsmen

Stories from the world of cricket, football and other sports, and the men and women who have played them.

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France

Stories about our friends across the Channel, from Roman times to the Hundred Years’ War, her bloody Revolution, and the giddying rise and fall of Emperor Napoleon.

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The Copy Book

Readings in history, society and literature

The Copy Book

Readings in history, society and literature