The Copybook

Short passages for reading, drawn from history, legend, poetry and fiction.

631

By George Romney (1734-1802), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

Call of Duty Horatio, Lord Nelson

When Horatio Nelson stepped aboard HMS Victory in September 1805, the great Admiral knew he had every reason to stay on dry land.

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632

By PaulT (GuntherTschuch), Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.

‘Ah! Freedom is a Noble Thing’ John Barbour

John Balliol had to decide whether his first loyalty was to the throne of Scotland or to the man who put him there.

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633

Via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

A Simple Folk Without Guile John Barbour

What were the Scots thinking back in 1290, when they asked King Edward I of England, of all people, to choose them a king?

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634

By John Charles Maggs (1819–1896), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

Roof Riders Karl Philipp Moritz

On a visit to England in 1782, young German author Karl Philipp Moritz was very excited about riding on an English stage.

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635

© Peter McDermott, Geograph. Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0.

It’s Better by Rail The Annual Review

A contributor to the ‘Annual Review’ shared a flurry of facts about the new Liverpool and Manchester Railway, showing what a blessing it already was.

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636

© Jonathan Billinger, Geograph. Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0.

Roses and Poor-Rates Thomas Babington Macaulay

When Robert Southey called for a fairer and greener economy, Thomas Macaulay warned that only politicians and bureaucrats would thank him.

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