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43

‘Thy Necessity is Yet Greater than Mine’

By Fulke Greville, Baron Brooke

Elizabethan courtier and soldier Sir Philip Sidney shows that a nobleman can also be a gentleman.

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Picture: © Gouwenaar, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.. Source.

Posted October 5 2017

44

The Free-Wheeler

By Ethel Smyth

Composer Ethel Smyth buys a new-fangled ladies’ bicycle, and scandalises the neighbours.

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Picture: By Henry Summer Watson, via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.. Source.

Posted September 24 2017

45

A Leader by Example

By Samuel Smiles

George Stephenson won the admiration of French navvies by showing them how a Geordie works a shovel.

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Picture: © Velvet, via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0.. Source.

Posted September 18 2017

46

Diplomatic Immunity

By Sir James Melville

Sir James Melville eavesdrops on Queen Elizabeth I’s music practice, and incurs Her Majesty’s displeasure.

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Picture: By Steven van der Meulen (d. 1568), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.. Source.

Posted July 10 2017

47

A Very Special Correspondent

By Samuel Smiles

Pauline de Meulan’s magazine Publiciste was close to going out of business when an anonymous contributor stepped in.

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Picture: By Felix Nadar (1820-1910), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.. Source.

Posted July 5 2017

48

Dr Johnson and the Critic’s Ambush

By James Boswell

A literary man tries to trick Samuel Johnson into an honest opinion, which was neither necessary nor very rewarding.

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Picture: By Rosser1954 (Roger Griffith), Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.. Source.

Posted June 24 2017

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★ St Mary of Egypt Back in the 6th century, Mary was consumed by an addiction so compulsive that she would use and discard anyone to satisfy it.

For Today • March 24 • The Sunday of St Mary of Egypt

★ The Lion and the Ant Richard I thought a veteran Crusader and conqueror of Saladin could handle a few French peasants.

For Today • April 6 • The death of King Richard I

In This Sign Conquer Bishop Eusebius recalls what Constantine told him about the vision that brought him the crown.

Posted February 26 • The Copy Book

Phrases Use phrases such as ‘to the town’ in sentences, with nouns or with verbs.

Posted February 26

The Marks of a Tyrant Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle explains what it is that defines a tyranny.

Posted February 25 • The Copy Book

Keep It Short Plutarch argues that it when it comes to strong speech, less is always more.

Posted February 24 • The Copy Book

Anagrams Shuffle the letters of each of these words to make new ones. See if you can match the number indicated.

Posted February 23 • Think and Speak

Polyword: Mere Make as many words as you can using the letters of one nine-letter word. Can you beat our score?

Posted February 21 • Think and Speak

Go to the Ant Solomon recommends taking lessons from one of God’s smallest but most hard-working creatures.

Posted February 20 • The Copy Book

Chariots of Steam Erasmus Darwin imagines how steam power will change the world.

Posted February 16 • The Copy Book

Music Video Modest Mussorgsky: Sorochinsky Fair: Gopak

Posted February 16

Fragments Develop these short phrases into complete sentences.

Posted February 15 • Think and Speak

The Moral Case for Family Farms Richard Cobden called on Parliament to support small, family-owned farms.

Posted February 14 • The Copy Book

Hiawatha Takes a Photograph Lewis Carroll records a suburban photoshoot in the style of Longfellow.

Posted February 13 • The Copy Book

Nouns of Number William Cobbett gives his son James some helpful examples of collective nouns.

Posted February 13 • The Copy Book

Hiawatha’s Inspiration Henry Longfellow tells us how his tale of a heroic Native American warrior came to him.

Posted February 12 • The Copy Book

Near Synonyms These words have very similar meaning but they are not the same — can you show the difference?

Posted February 12

Music Video Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: Hiawatha: And They Said Farewell Forever

Posted February 12

Music Video Leroy Anderson: Irish Suite: II. The Minstrel Boy

Posted February 11

The Travellers and the Axe Two men find an axe, and then find some trouble, but they aren’t keen on sharing either of them.

Posted February 11 • The Copy Book

Train

Posted February 9 • Think and Speak

The Prophecy of Peter of Pomfret Peter foretold that King John would cease to be England’s sovereign, and he was right, though John still wore his crown.

Posted February 9 • The Copy Book