One Michael Woodhead was shot upon his tin-buttons, and his doublet burst near his heart, and the bruised bullet fell downe into his breeches and no more hurt… real gem among the civil-war-era tracts I’ve looked over so far, the short pamphlet The Rider of … Read More →
Category Archives: Readings
Monstrous Fish, or “Herring-hag”
Terrifying, isn’t it? This comes (as pictured above) from A description of a strange (and miraculous) Fish, cast upon the sands in the meads, in the Hundred of Worwell, in the County Palatine of Chester, (or Chesshiere. The certainty whereof is here related concerning the … Read More →
A Royal Procession
Some of the old print artifacts I come across in the EEBO (Early English Books Online) archive seem worth sharing. This one’s from An exact description of the manner how His Maiestie and his nobles went to Parliament, on Munday, the thirteenth day of Aprill, … Read More →
Medieval UFO
Here is Bede’s account of an interesting sighting at Bercingum (modern-day Barking) outside the convent built for Ethelburga (ca. 675 AD). From Book IV, Chapter 9, of Ecclesiastical History of the English People (ca. 731): For one night when they had finished singing the morning psalms … Read More →
Hot News: Paper-grabbing and Prorogues
The delivery guy (Andy) leaves the daily paper on top of the heater in the atrium downstairs. As a result it’s pleasantly warm by the time I get down to pick it up. This feels luxurious, somehow, this pre-warmed newspaper. Almost like that pre-warmed shaving … Read More →
Spies & Authors
Seems to me, while reading through some John LeCarre, that there’s a correlation between the characteristics of a spy and common notions regarding the qualities of an author: LeCarre’s spies tend to be unaware of the big picture as they are involved in one operation … Read More →
Settled in Oxford
After a brief stopover in Lilleshall (Shropshire, see above), I’ve arrived at last in Oxford. And it does seem fair to write “at last” because between paperwork, research, and other assorted arrangements, this trip has been in the making for about a year now. It’s … Read More →