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Passages for reading. Read them out aloud. Paraphrase or précis them. Discuss them with friends. Does anything surprise or impress you? How does the author work your feelings? Would you use his words? How would you direct the scene in a movie — and who would your stars be?

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On This Day

Sunday September 8 ns August 26 os

For Church feasts falling on September 8 in the New Style calendar, see The Feast of Nativity of the Virgin Mary and Finding of the Kursk icon.

August 26, 1395 os

Meeting of the ‘Vladimir’ Icon (1)

The Theotokos of Vladimir

It is one of the world’s most recognisable works of art, and a symbol of God’s blessing on all Christian Rus’.

September 8, 1380

The Battle of Kulikovo (1)

Dmitri of the Don

Grand Duke Dmitri of Moscow loosened the grip of the Tartar Horde on the people of Russia, but treachery robbed him of triumph.

by Lucy Cazalet 1870-1956

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International Relations

A Credit to His Country

The diplomat’s task is to see the best in other peoples, not to scold them for their failings.

by François de Callières 1645-1717

Lives of the Saints

The Synod of Whitby

In 664, a council at Whitby decided to align the traditions of the Northumbrian Church with those of Rome and Constantinople.

by John Richard Green 1837-1883

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Indian History

Equal before the Law

Queen Victoria assured her subjects that there were no second-class citizens in her eyes.

by Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom 1819-1901

Modern History

The Obstinacy of Fowell Buxton

Fatherless teenage tearaway Fowell Buxton was not a promising boy, but the Gurney family changed all that.

Discovery and Invention

The Ladies’ Diary

A long-lived annual of riddles, rhymes and really hard maths aimed specifically at Georgian Britain’s hidden public of clever women.

Liberty and Prosperity

The Grievances of the South

Victorian MP Richard Cobden believed British politicians supporting the slave-owning American South had been led a merry dance.

by Richard Cobden 1804-1865

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Selected Authors

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William Cullen Bryant

Statesman vs Politician

Joseph Addison

Sweet Counsel

Arthur Penrhys Stanley

Christ is Risen!

Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington

Trunk and Disorderly

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The Start of a Beautiful Friendship

Frederick Douglass

A Selfish Liberty

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Selected Topics

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International Relations

Britain has always demanded respect, open seas, and to be left in peace to ‘work out our own salvation’ — a courtesy we should extend to others.

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The British Constitution

Passages examining Britain’s sometimes baffling constitutional monarchy, and telling the story of its enemies, its champions, and its reformers.

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Free Speech and Conscience

Passages defending the right and obligation of every citizen to judge whatever is good and true, and to talk back to those who govern him.

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Bible and Saints

Tales from the Bible, including the parables of Jesus and the story of Esther, and miracles from the lives of saints, such as our own Cuthbert the Wonderworker.

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Extracts from Fiction

Romance, adventure and comedy from the very best fiction writers, including Jane Austen, the Brontë sisters, Charles Dickens, John Buchan, and many more.

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Discovery and Invention

Tales of scientific innovation and merchant enterprise, from steam power and life-saving medicines to new trade partners far away, and new ways to reach them.

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The Copy Book

Readings in history, society and literature

The Copy Book

Readings in history, society and literature