The Copybook

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

May 24 ns May 11 os

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Read short passages similar to those NL Clay collected in his anthologies, to gain a feeling for the language, history and culture of the English-speaking world.

In The Copybook

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The Feast of St Cyril and St Methodius

May 11 os

© Valeria23, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0 Romania.

The Beautiful Side of the Picture by Sabine Baring-Gould

Heathen prince Boris I of Bulgaria (r. 852–889) commissioned St Methodius to paint an impressive scene for his palace walls.

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Featured

© nottsexminer, Wikimeda Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 2.0.

Cuthbert and the Iron Grip by Clay Lane

A boy goes bird-nesting in Cuthbert’s church, and finds himself all in a heap.

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1

By an unknown artist, via the Russian Museum and Wikimedia Commons. Public domain.

And is there Care in Heaven? by Edmund Spenser

Sir Guyon lies in an enchanted swoon, but he is not without help.

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2

By William Stewart Watson (1800-1870), via National Gallieries of Scotland and Wikimedia Commons. Public domain.

Tilting at Windmills by Miguel de Cervantes

Don Quixote seizes his chance to capture a giant for his lady-love, Dulcinea.

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3

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

A Mechanical Miracle by Charles Babbage

The father of computing believed his machine held the key to some of life’s greatest mysteries.

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4

© Marcia Berkowitz Maui Hawaii, Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 3.0.

The Follies of Youth by Robert Louis Stevenson

RL Stevenson was of the opinion that wrongthink was better than groupthink.

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5

By Eduard von Gebhardt (1838–1925), via Wikimedia Commons. Public domain.

Blind Guide by William Wirt

William Wirt recalls an overpowering sermon from a blind man in a little wooden chapel.

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6

© Marie-Lan Nguyen, Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 2.5.

It’s All in the Delivery by Marcus Tullius Cicero

Aeschines paid tribute to the oratory of his greatest rival — whether he meant to or not.

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Clay Lane The Copybook
About Clay Lane nicholas@claylane.uk

© Nicholas Armitage / Clay Lane, 2025

May 24 NS

May 11 OS

The Beautiful Side of the Picture : Heathen prince Boris I of Bulgaria (r. 852–889) commissioned St Methodius to paint an impressive scene for his palace walls.
Thirty Minutes : Describe half an hour in one of these places.
And is there Care in Heaven? : Sir Guyon lies in an enchanted swoon, but he is not without help.
Pirate : For each of these words, suggest others that seem to go with it, and use them to bring a scene to life.
Tilting at Windmills : Don Quixote seizes his chance to capture a giant for his lady-love, Dulcinea.
Kim’s Game : Test your memory with this mental agility game from the pages of Rudyard Kipling.
A Mechanical Miracle : The father of computing believed his machine held the key to some of life’s greatest mysteries.
Essential Nouns : Suggest nouns of essence, such as leadership or supremacy.
The Follies of Youth : RL Stevenson was of the opinion that wrongthink was better than groupthink.
Thick and Thin : Express each of these ideas as a single word.
Break : Explain what each of these common expressions means, and give examples.
Blind Guide : William Wirt recalls an overpowering sermon from a blind man in a little wooden chapel.
It’s All in the Delivery : Aeschines paid tribute to the oratory of his greatest rival — whether he meant to or not.
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