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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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Rudyard Kipling

Kim and the Art of Begging

A street urchin of Lahore takes it on himself to provide a naive Tibetan monk with a hot meal.

by Rudyard Kipling 1865-1936

Extracts from Literature

A Solemn Duty

Monsieur St Aubert falls seriously ill on a walking tour with his daughter Emily, and before the end asks an unexpected favour.

by Ann Radcliffe 1764-1823

Extracts from Literature

The Pimpernel Fails to Show

Lady Blakeney agrees to spy for the French Revolutionary government in return for her brother’s life.

by Baroness Orczy 1865-1947

Discovery and Invention

Guns and Chaldrons

In 1770, agriculturist Arthur Young published his diary of a six-month tour of the north of England, which included a visit to the coalfields and ironworks of the Tyne.

by Arthur Young 1741-1820

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Selected Authors

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William Wordsworth

The Rainbow

A. G. Gardiner

The Letter of the Law

John Bright

The Righting of Wrongs

Jawaharlal Nehru

The Indian Mutiny

William Ewart Gladstone

The Din of Diplomacy

John Trenchard & Thomas Gibson

Keeping the Colonies

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Selected Topics

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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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Music and Musicians

The artistic struggles and triumphs of composers from the British Isles and abroad, many in their own words — and accompanied by their music.

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Sport and Sportsmen

Stories from the world of cricket, football and other sports, and the men and women who have played them.

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Greece

Tales about the cradle of Western civilisation, from Socrates and the first democracies to the fall of the Roman Empire, the Ottoman yoke, and Britain’s part in the fight for independence.

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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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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 Copy Book

Readings in history, society and literature

The Copy Book

Readings in history, society and literature