Clockwise round the grid from the square between 6 and 7 runs a quotation which could have referred to the three unclued lights, and its source (7,2,3,3,5,3,3,7,4,3,2,5,5).
Across
9 Top part is the place to go in ships (5)
10 Wild party girl cycling (4)
11 Ex-president twice cut back tropical plants (5)
12 Unbounded profusion bewildered lunatic (7)
13 Article on devilish debonair Michael Gove? (10)
15 Microstate near heart of Burundi hoards gold (5)
18 He might steal object inside present (8)
19 But for squaddies we may serve mocktails (6)
21 Rebecca’s boy, second in hunt after sea snakes (4)
24 Primrose played this role in Twelfth Night (5)
25 Monarch astride a wild ass (5)
26 Sea duck finally fears what cats often do (4)
28 Trainee aboard three-master (6)
29 Tramline altered Liverpool Street perhaps (8)
34 Arboreal beast – it’s one of the deadly ones (5)
36 Mignonne quality? It’s Dianne’s when dancing (10)
37 Goddess turned male punches wandering boffin (7)
38 Old fools, they could be upside-down (5)
39 English actor and Irish poet leaving hotel (4)
40 Brother and father crossing drowned valley (5)
Down
1 One of a duo warming up cold listeners? (7)
2 Famous novelist has had coats of granular leather (10)
3 Spiteful poet hides bill of exchange (6)
4 Broadway star ejects male wastrel (5)
5 Praiseworthy Bella disturbed about proscribed group (8)
6 Rascal headed own goal? (5)
7 Roman poet’s nothing like Humpty-Dumpty (5)
8 Seabird kebab’s sound (4)
14 Aged tree encroaches on another tree (5)
20 Trained assassin somewhat often in jail (5)
22 Capital godly sort meets Venetian villain (8)
23 White wine roused no rector (4)
27 Corner in first half of untroubled game (7)
30 Old German unclothed in country (6)
32 Be stingy towards tax in Troon (5)
33 Fruit and veg Romeo ingested (5)
34 Cross old actor (4)
Download a printable version here.
A first prize of £30 and two runners-up prizes of £20 for the first correct solutions opened on 11 August. Please scan or photograph entries and email them (including the crossword number in the subject field) to crosswords@spectator.co.uk, or post to: Crossword 2713, The Spectator, 22 Old Queen Street, London SW1H 9HP. Please allow six weeks for prize delivery.
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