The Literary and Philosophical Society of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Photo by Michael D. Beckwith. Public domain image. Source
Clay Lane

The Copy Book

A Library of History and Literature in English

October 16 October 3 OS

The Copy Book is an ever-growing library of short passages from history and literature, intended for practice in paraphrase and précis or simply for reading pleasure. They include brief summaries and eyewitness accounts of major events in our national history, and extracts from fables, poetry, plays, novels, political speeches and biography. Many were included by NL Clay in his anthologies of ‘straightforward English’.

See Also Subjects Authors Years

Archive

What follows is an index to all 1557 posts in The Copy Book. You can keep up-to-date with new posts, and discover old posts you may have missed, with the Clay Lane Blog, where you will also find a selection of word games and exercises in grammar and composition.

The posts are currently listed most recent first. Use the buttons below to sort the posts alphabetically, or shuffle the list so you can find posts from right across the collection.

Sort New to Old A to Z Shuffle

1

Ministerial Myopia

We all want our politicians to be clever men, but being cunning isn’t the same as being wise.

2

A Most Successful Holiday

The best holidays are the ones that make us long for home.

3

The Object of a Liberal Education

Thomas Huxley believed that if schools did not ground their pupils in common sense, life’s examinations would be painful.

4

Heracles and Omphale

As penance for involuntary manslaughter, Heracles was sentenced to slavery under the playful rod of Omphale, Queen of Lydia.

5

Laughter in the House

Sir Philip Sidney reminded comedians that when the audience is laughing they aren’t necessarily the better for it.

6

The Perils of the Learned

Persian scholar Al-Ghazali feared for any country where morals were lagging behind brains.