Short passages for reading, drawn from history, legend, poetry and fiction.
By Richard Paton (1717–1791), from the Royal Museums, Greenwich, via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
While inspecting troops in Colchester for duty against Napoleon, the Duke of York came upon one man who gave new meaning to the word Veteran.
Read
By Antoine-Jean Gros (1771-1735), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
Plutarch tells us how Alexander the Great came to bond with Bucephalus, the mighty stallion that bore him to so many victories.
© Bwierc, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0.
Nothing seemed likely to stop Napoleon Bonaparte from conquering Europe, but one little fellow slowed him up a bit.
© Robert Struthers, Geograph. Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0.
William Wordsworth looks back on a life of disappointments and regrets, and finds in them reasons to be thankful.
By Joseph Lange (1751–1831), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
An amateur composer once asked Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart how he thought of his lovely music and — for one performance only — the maestro told him.
© Otwarte Klatki, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0.
A pretty young milkmaid plans just a little bit too far ahead.