What does a fierce, french firebrand have in common with a Roman general's daughter and a virtuous Roman noblewoman? On the surface, very little.

Today we move from drunkards in a London tavern deep into the magical Athenian woods, on to the summer retreat of Windsor, and rounding ourselves out with a trip down the catwalk to a hip-hop soundtrack, and arriving back in North London.

I'll tell you right now: you are not going to wring today's word out of me. Not by pain, not by persuasion, not even by the promise of caffeine and crumpets.

Today, we have a task before us. Massive; gigantic; or some would say, colossal; mightily gargantuan; of elevated importance; tremendous - and at the same time, great.

Today we head back to Northern Spain, for Uncle William's 1594 tale of lofty vows of chastity, love-struck lords, and — a filthy little mystery for you.

Today, time is running down, and perhaps out of joint, but no cursed spite. Well, actually, come to think of it, curses do come into play in our play...

Today's word has trundled through history in many shapes and sizes: strapped to the backs of donkeys; shoved into stagecoaches; heaved into the holds in ships, and wheeled briskly through airports by those who have left it a little late for their flight.

Today's word we find catalogued and categorized in the tales of two star-crossed lovers; a jealous moorish general; a rather mopey Danish prince, and even within a later sonnet.

There is something lurking... it copies voices... it shadows movement. It is a master of mockery; a chameleon of caricature. It has been walking amongst us since the Gods of Mount Olympus; wrapped in the legend of the Pharaohs of Egypt, and even woven within the lore of Ancient Britain and Scandinavia.

Sometimes, the facts are plain. The sky is blue. The toast is burnt. The dog did, in fact, eat your homework. But other times, well, it's all a bit foggier...

There is something that is stirring within my bosom. Something that can be attached to anger, coupled with curiosity, inclined to interest, and stapled to suspicions.

Today I place before you the question: what knits together Uncle Will's tale of a King who throws a royal tantrum so colossal it spans 16 years; a shepherd and a suspiciously lifelike statue, and his tumultuous tale of a winging war hero, so allergic to humility, he practically begs a mob to banish him?

Today, we start off with this question: what do the following phrases have in common? "All that glitters is not gold;" "Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble," and "Gilding the lily"?

Well, here we are. We have come to the end of our tenth series - but, before we drop the curtain and dim the lights on the stage of series ten, one shimmering word of William's we have yet to explore.

Today we turn our gaze - perhaps squintingly slightly - toward a word that is practically aglow with charm and elegance.

Today we delve into the charmingly defective, the elegantly botched, the gloriously sub-optimal, and the perfectly imperfect.

Now what could we possibly be chewing over today? What topic might we be mulling, brooding, gnawing, fretting, marinating, percolating, or mentally chewing upon, like a philosophical goat with a "penchant" for Latin?

Take a deep breath... that's it... now, imagine yourself on a warm night in Venice: the stars are shining... and a gentle breeze...

Education is a funny thing. It, like many things, swings in and out of favor. Across history, we see the thirst for knowledge and the enervation of intelligence during the Enlightenment; the Victorian era, and the post World War Two period of peace and prosperity.

Today, the story of a feeble King, who vainly attempts to rule his realm while his courtiers indulge in a "Game of Murderous Musical Thrones."