Short passages for reading, drawn from history, legend, poetry and fiction.
By Henri-Paul Motte (1846–1922), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
As Rome’s grip on Gaul tightened, one man still dared to defy them.
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© BazzaDaRambler, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0.
After an accident at a level crossing, the bosses of the Leicester and Swannington Railway acknowledged that drivers needed more than lung power.
© Nick Allen, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0.
The British Empire may be said to have started when Elizabethan importers got into a fight with the Dutch over the price of pepper.
By Johannes Vingboons (1616–1670), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
The Sultan of Aceh in northern Sumatra welcomed his guests from Christian England with an unexpected gesture of friendship.
© Tilliebean, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0.
The Despensers ensured that King Edward II never left their sight, but it was what Queen Isabella was doing that should have worried them.
From the Holkham Bible (?1320-?1330) via the British Library and Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
Edward II hoped to outshine his famous father by bringing Scotland under the English crown, but Robert the Bruce was ready for him.