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Short passages for reading, drawn from history, legend, poetry and fiction.

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229

Abigail Brodsky, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.

The Abduction of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs

John Clayton, a British colonial official lost in the African jungle, is caught unawares by Kerchak, the gorilla.

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230

© MM, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.

The Boldness of Junius Mauricus by Pliny the Younger

Pliny admired Julius Mauricus because he spoke his mind, and Emperor Nerva because he let him.

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231

© Med, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0.

A Ransom of Iron by Anonymous (‘A. H.’)

When Brennus the Gaul broke through the gates of Rome, Marcus Furius Camillus was far away in exile.

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232

By Francesco de’ Rossi (1510–1563), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

An Execrable Crime by Anonymous (‘A. H.’)

Marcus Furius Camillus knew he must make the Falisci submit to Rome, but the method one man proposed was more than he could stomach.

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233

By Andrea Mantegna (1431–1506), via the Royal Collection and Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

O, You Hard Hearts! by William Shakespeare

Marullus was disgusted at the way that the fickle people of Rome turned so easily from one hero to another.

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234

© Greg Willis, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0.

The Lion’s Share by Sir Roger L’Estrange

Following a succesful hunting partnership, the Lion explains how the spoils are to be divided.

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May 13 NS

April 30 OS

St Erkenwald, Light of London : The seventh-century Bishop of London helped kings and clergy to shine Christian light into the darkness of mere religion.
The Martyrdom of St James the Great : James, brother of John the Evangelist, was executed for his faith by a close friend of the Emperor Caligula.
Abstract : Use these words in sentences as a Noun, Verb or Adjective.
Better By Example : Gregory urged the persecuted Christians of Nazianzus to be the better men.
Speed Clues : Help a friend to guess five words in under a minute.
A Proper Game of Cricket : Mary Mitford makes an appeal for the traditional village cricket match.
Mini Bios : Write a short paragraph about a prominent person, but don’t start any sentence with he or she.
A Thousand Commas : Assess the punctuation of this sentence, according to the author’s own principles.
Batter My Heart : John Donne gives God a free hand to do whatever needs to be done.
Window Seat : Describe the view from one of the following vantage points.
Repeat Offender :
In Two Minds : Join these ideas together to a form a single sentence, in at least two different ways.
The First Traffic Lights : The busy crossroads outside the Houses of Parliament was the testing ground for a new technology.
Good Companions : Explain what these wise classical authors are telling us.
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