Short passages for reading, drawn from history, legend, poetry and fiction.
© Andrew Curtis, Geograph. Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0.
The Sheriff of Northumberland allows wealth and power to go to his head — and his digestion.
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Attributed to Charles Le Brun (1619–1690)
Louis XIV picked up the reins of power in France vowing to drive the national economy in the common interest, not his own.
Kazimierz Alchimowicz (1840–1916)
Naomi lost her husband and two sons in Moab, and returned to Bethlehem with only one comfort in her bitterness, her daughter-in-law Ruth.
Engraved by Robert Hicks (active 1800-1836), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
Statesmen promise to make the country a better place, but they never mention the one thing that would do some good.
Matthias Stom (fl. 1615–1649), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
Samuel Smiles warned that taking care of the pennies should not come before taking care of living.
By the Fairfax Corporation, via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
Amy Johnson of Hull had clocked only ninety hours of flying experience before taking off alone for Australia.