The Copybook

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

79

Attributed to William Scrots (fl. 1537-1553), via Wikimedia Commons. Public domain.

An Accident of Births by Mark Twain

On the same day in 1537, so the story goes, two baby boys were born, but the similarity between them ended there.

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80

By Frank Moss Bennett (1874-1952), via Wikimedia Commons. Public domain.

A Word of Advice by Ben Jonson

Advice that is not based on honesty, humility and deep reflection is mere craft.

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81

© Rauantiques, Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 4.0.

A Hot Tip by Benjamin Disraeli

Benjamin Disraeli revealed the secret behind holding one’s place at the top of Parisian society.

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82

By the Revd Thomas Streatfield (1777-1848), via Wikimedia Commons. Public domain.

Rest Cure by Charles Dickens

Whenever Charles Dickens felt his exhausting workload was starting to take its toll, he knew just what to do.

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83

© ArghoRoy118, Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 3.0.

The Water Truce by Rudyard Kipling

The animals in the jungle agree that amidst the drought, the sport of hunter and hunted has to be suspended.

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84

By Ivan Makarov (1822–1897). Wikimedia Commons. Public domain.

Believe Me by Fyodor Dostoevsky

A loving parent doesn’t want her son to be a success; she wants him to be a fine human being.

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May 6 NS

April 23 OS

A Tale of a Garter : Following the Battle of Crécy in 1346, Edward III instituted an order of chivalry in honour of St George, inspired (some said) by something he picked up in the street.
What to Do With a Glove Full of Angels : Henry VIII and his mistress Anne Boleyn were disappointed once again in their hopes of catching Thomas More with his fingers in the till.
Good Companions : Explain what these wise classical authors are telling us.
The Rule of the Road : Being a free citizen doesn’t mean that everyone else has to get out of your way.
Blind Courage : George Santayana reprimanded politicians and military men who thought war was good for the country’s soul.
Patience : Make a single sentence out of these three ideas.
The Angel Cried : A hymn sung in the weeks after Easter, imagining how Gabriel brought the news of Christ’s resurrection to Mary.
She was a Phantom of Delight : Mary Wordsworth wasn’t pretty or bookish, but she was kind and vital, and William loved her.
Hardly : Tone down these bold assertions with ‘hardly’.
The Death of Julius Caesar : When Julius Caesar entered the Senate that day, a note warning him of treachery was clutched in his hand — unread.
Two Letters Home : A German soldier stopped the Great War so he could ask Captain Hulse to post a letter for him.
Smile : Choose adjectives of praise for these nouns, at about the 7/10 level.
The Making of Mark : St Mark wrote his Gospel as a summary of the preaching of St Peter.
Zheng He and the Rise of Malacca : Malacca became a refuge from the overbearing empires of the Far East, thanks to a celebrated Chinese admiral.
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