Subject: ‘Sea’

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A great Elizabethan

Posted in Historical articles, History, Royalty, Sea, Ships on Sunday, 31 January 2016

This edited article about Sir Walter Raleigh first appeared in Look and Learn issue number 551 published on 5 August 1972.

Execution of Raleigh, picture, image, illustration

After risking his life countless times in the service of his country, Sir Walter Raleigh was executed on a charge of treason, by Oliver Frey

He was a gallant, witty, brave and light-hearted adventurer, a typical example of those members of the Devon gentry who had been engaged in maritime adventure, often of a piratical nature, ever since the reign of Henry VIII. He was tall and handsome and his name was surrounded by legends.

He had thrown his mantle on the ground to help Elizabeth I to walk dry-shod over a puddle, they said, and he had scribbled verses with a diamond on a window pane to attract her attention. There was the tale that once, while he was lying in prison under sentence of death, he had asked for one night of freedom to rescue a lady, promising to return afterwards, and actually doing so when his wish had been granted. Whether or not these stories were true, there was one thing that could not be denied.

The name of Sir Walter Raleigh was one that was known throughout the whole of the land.

Although the pampered favourite of Elizabeth, he had done much for England. He had been tireless in his efforts to create a colony in America, he had helped to prepare the English fleet which had eventually defeated the Spanish Armada, and he had fought with distinction in Ireland. He had taken part in various expeditions against the Spanish, notably at Cadiz where he had been wounded, and he had sailed at the head of an expedition to Guinea, vainly seeking the fabled El Dorado, which was supposed to be a treasure house of gold.

But all that was in the past.

Now he was considered to be nothing more than a discredited adventurer who was guilty of treason. Locked up in the Tower for this crime, he had languished there for almost thirteen years, which had given him plenty of time indeed to reflect on how he had contributed to his own downfall.

His star had begun to wane in the reign of Elizabeth, when he had married one of her maids of honour, a presumption for which he had been punished by being put in the Tower for a while before being banished to the country. His fall from grace had been greeted with delight by the whole population, for his greed, arrogance and the fact that he was a suspected atheist, had made him the most unpopular man in England.

When he had been allowed to return to court, he had immediately quarrelled with the Queen’s new favourite, the Earl of Essex. The fact that he had helped to put down the revolt that Essex had eventually led against the Queen made no difference to the feeling of the people. Essex had been their favourite, and his death under the headsman’s axe, thanks partially to Raleigh, was merely another black mark against him.

The death of Elizabeth and the accession of James I had marked the final phase of Raleigh’s downfall. He was the last of that great band of soldier-sailors who had added lustre to Elizabeth’s reign, and for that very reason James disliked him. Men like those, men who thrived on warring with Spain were not to his taste. He wanted only peace and Raleigh had been quick to show that he was utterly against this policy.

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The best pictures from educational trade cards, 117

Posted in Ancient History, Architecture, Arts and Crafts, Best pictures, Boats, Customs, Educational card, Historical articles, History, Legend, Leisure, Politics, Sea, Ships, Theatre on Thursday, 26 November 2015

We have selected three of the best pictures from our large collection of 19th and early 20th century educational trade cards.
The first picture shows Croesus showing his treasures to Solon.

Croesus, picture, image, illustration

Croesus showing his treasures to Solon, 6th Century BC

The second picture shows the Marriage of the Doge and the Adriatic.

Doge, picture, image, illustration

Marriage of the Doge and the Adriatic in Venice

The third picture shows a Winter Carnival in St Petersburg in 1765.

carnival, picture, image, illustration

Winter Carnival in St Petersburg in 1765

High-resolution scans of all educational cards can be found in the Look and Learn picture library.

The best pictures from educational trade cards, 112

Posted in Aerospace, Ancient History, Architecture, Aviation, Best pictures, Boats, Customs, Disasters, Educational card, Famous battles, Historical articles, History, Sea, Ships, Transport, Travel, War on Thursday, 26 November 2015

We have selected three of the best pictures from our large collection of 19th and early 20th century educational trade cards.
The first picture shows an Ancient Egyptian funeral ceremony.

Ancient Egypt, picture, image, illustration

Ancient Egypt, funeral ceremony

The second picture shows Francisque Arban being rescued by Italian fishermen, 1846.

balloon, picture, image, illustration

Francisque Arban rescued by Italian fishermen after his balloon crashed into the Adriatic, 1846

The third picture shows the Battle of Milazzo, 260 BC.

Milazzo, picture, image, illustration

Milazzo, the first Roman naval victory over Carthage in 260 BC

High-resolution scans of all educational cards can be found in the Look and Learn picture library.

The best pictures from educational trade cards, 101

Posted in Africa, Ancient History, Archaeology, Architecture, Educational card, Famous landmarks, Heroes and Heroines, Historical articles, History, Legend, Music, Myth, Royalty, Sea, Ships, Travel on Thursday, 26 November 2015

We have selected three of the best pictures from our large collection of 19th and early 20th century educational trade cards.
The first picture shows Orpheus playing his lyre.

Orpheus, picture, image, illustration

Orpheus playing his lyre

The second picture shows Frederick the Great playing the flute.

Frederick the Great, picture, image, illustration

Frederick the Great of Prussia and a flute concert

The third picture shows tourists in Egypt.

Egypt, picture, image, illustration

The Pyramids viewed from the outskirts of Cairo

High-resolution scans of all educational cards can be found in the Look and Learn picture library.

The best pictures from educational trade cards, 97

Posted in America, Ancient History, Animals, Best pictures, Bible, Bravery, Customs, Educational card, Famous battles, Flags, Geography, Geology, Heroes and Heroines, Historical articles, History, Minerals, Myth, Religion, Saints, Sea, Ships, Travel, War, Weapons on Thursday, 26 November 2015

We have selected three of the best pictures from our large collection of 19th and early 20th century educational trade cards.
The first picture shows Jason making a sacrifice to the Gods to aid the Argo in its voyage.

Argo, picture, image, illustration

Sacrifice to the Gods to aid the Argo in its voyage

The second picture shows gold prospectors in Alaska.

Gold prospectors, picture, image, illustration

Gold prospectors, Alaska

The third picture shows St James the Great, patron saint of Spain.

St James the Great, picture, image, illustration

St James the Great, patron saint of Spain

High-resolution scans of all educational cards can be found in the Look and Learn picture library.

The best pictures from educational trade cards, 94

Posted in Actors, Ancient History, Architecture, Best pictures, Customs, Educational card, Fairy Tale, Famous Composers, Famous landmarks, Historical articles, History, Legend, Literature, Magic, Music, Politics, Sea, Ships, Theatre on Thursday, 26 November 2015

We have selected three of the best pictures from our large collection of 19th and early 20th century educational trade cards.
The first picture shows the words and music for the popular English song, ‘Rule Britannia’.

Rule Britannia, picture, image, illustration

Rule Britannia

The second picture shows Aladin and the magic lamp.

Aladin, picture, image, illustration

Aladin and the magic lamp

The third picture shows Ancient Greek theatre.

theatre, picture, image, illustration

Ancient Greek theatre

High-resolution scans of all educational cards can be found in the Look and Learn picture library.

The best pictures from educational trade cards, 90

Posted in America, Architecture, Best pictures, Country House, Educational card, Historical articles, History, Law, Sea, War on Thursday, 26 November 2015

We have selected three of the best pictures from our large collection of 19th and early 20th century educational trade cards.
The first picture shows a Russian Country House.

 Russia, picture, image, illustration

A Russian Country House

The second picture shows San Francisco and the prison island, Alcatraz.

San Francisco, picture, image, illustration

San Francisco and Alcatraz

The third picture shows the distribution of tinned food to soldiers in India.

Indian army, picture, image, illustration

Distribution of tinned food to soldiers in India

High-resolution scans of all educational cards can be found in the Look and Learn picture library.

The best pictures from educational trade cards, 89

Posted in Animals, Art, Artist, Best pictures, Boats, Educational card, Famous artists, Historical articles, History, Industry, Invasions, Religion, Sea, Ships, War, Weapons, Wildlife on Thursday, 26 November 2015

We have selected three of the best pictures from our large collection of 19th and early 20th century educational trade cards.
The first picture shows Raphael working on his portrait of Pope Leo X with Cardinals Giulio de’ Medici and Luigi de’ Rossi.

Raphael, picture, image, illustration

Raphael working on his portrait of Pope Leo X with Cardinals Giulio de' Medici and Luigi de' Rossi

The second picture shows William the Conquerer falling onto the sand of Pevensey Bay in 1066.

Normans, picture, image, illustration

The conquest of England by the Normans, with William the Conquerer, having fallen onto the sand of Pevensey Bay, at which he exclaimed, 'By the splendour of God, I have taken seisin of England! – I hold its earth in my hands!'.

The third picture shows whaling off the coast of South America.

Whaling, picture, image, illustration

Whaling off the coast of South America

High-resolution scans of all educational cards can be found in the Look and Learn picture library.

The best pictures from educational trade cards, 54

Posted in Africa, Best pictures, Educational card, Fish, Historical articles, History, Leisure, Nature, Sea, Ships, Trade, Transport, Travel, Wildlife on Tuesday, 24 November 2015

We have selected three of the best pictures from our large collection of 19th and early 20th century educational trade cards.
The first picture shows a large draper’s shop in Venice selling fabrics from many lands, 1150.

Venice, picture, image, illustration

Market in Venice selling fabrics from many lands, 1150

The second picture shows an ice bridge on the coast of Greenland.

Greenland, picture, image, illustration

Ice bridge on the coast of Greenland

The third picture shows passengers boarding a ship of the Austrian Lloyd line at the port of Suez.

Suez, picture, image, illustration

Passengers boarding a ship of the Austrian Lloyd line at the port of Suez, Egypt

High-resolution scans of all educational cards can be found in the Look and Learn picture library.

The best pictures from educational trade cards, 25

Posted in Best pictures, Boats, Cars, Educational card, Famous battles, Historical articles, History, Inventions, Religion, Sea, Ships, War, Weapons on Monday, 23 November 2015

We have selected three of the best pictures from our large collection of 19th and early 20th century educational trade cards.
The first picture shows men, women and children being whipped by monks.

monks chastising, picture, image, illustration

Men, women and children being whipped by monks

The second picture shows Acetylene headlights on a motor car and a motorcycle.

headlights, picture, image, illustration

Acetylene headlights on a motor car and a motorcycle

The third picture shows French Gunboats at Paknam, Siam.

Paknam, picture, image, illustration

French Gunboats at Paknam, Siam

High-resolution scans of all educational cards can be found in the Look and Learn picture library.