Short passages for reading, drawn from history, legend, poetry and fiction.
Thomas Rowlandson (1756–1827), Public domain.
Lord George Gordon marched at the head of 50,000 protestors to the House of Commons, to demand that George III’s England did not become like Louis XVI’s France.
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By an anonymous artist of the English School, circa 1560, via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
Mary I’s fear for her throne had risen to such a pitch that her Chamberlain felt threatened by a three-year-old child.
After Samuel Cooper (1609–1672), via the National Portrait Gallery and Wikimedia Commons. Licence: ? Public domain.
In 1657, Sir John Evelyn celebrated Christmas in a church for the first time in years. Unfortunately, someone told the authorities what he was doing.
By Bruno Liljefors (1860–1939), Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
Sir Nicholas L’Estrange recalls two astonishing eyewitness accounts of the resourcefulness the fox.
© HoppyH, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
When William Shakespeare agreed to be godfather to Ben Jonson’s baby boy, he forgot that he would have to think of a gift for his christening.
By John Linnell (1792–1882), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public Domain.
A prophet-for-hire agreed to help Balak, King of Moab, try to do something about the flood of Israelites pouring into his kingdom.