In the annals of British history, the year 1678 stands out as a time of unparalleled paranoia, where the English public was whipped into a frenzy over a fantastical and entirely fabricated threat: the Popish Plot. This elaborate tale, crafted by the masterful fabricator Titus Oates, involved a fictitious Catholic conspiracy to assassinate King Charles … Continue reading The Great Catholic Conspiracy: the 1678 Popish Plot
Tag: history
The Haunting of Power and Remorse
Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan, painted by Ilya Repin in 1885 - Public Domain Stare into the absolute, tormenting agony etched in those eyes! I first encountered this haunting image as a schoolboy, and it's lingered in my memory ever since. The distress conveyed in those eyes is almost tangible. They're wide, brimming … Continue reading The Haunting of Power and Remorse
The Spider and the Fly by Mary Howitt
Not exactly leading the canon of poetry but this cute little ditty has a profound message, a message I personally should have heeded a few times over the course of my adult life; but sadly didn't. I'm not and never have been a vain person, however, when we meet those insidious flatterers in life, it … Continue reading The Spider and the Fly by Mary Howitt
Shy Peasant
I find a deep resonance with the figure in this portrait; he embodies my own inner turmoil. He stands as the very essence of the sorrowful introvert, contentedly secluded from a world that has granted him nothing but relentless adversity. His eyes, brimming with profound pathos, tell a story of enduring pain and sadness. If … Continue reading Shy Peasant
Germinal
Émile Zola’s Germinal, published in 1885, is a hefty tome that plunges readers into the sooty, grimy world of French coal miners in the 19th century. With its bleak depictions of class struggle, social injustice, and the human spirit’s tenacity, it’s hardly the kind of book you’d expect to read at a comedy club. Yet, … Continue reading Germinal
Wording 