Clay Lane

The Copy Book

A Library of History and Literature in English

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607

Leading from the Front

Henry V’s chaplain Thomas Elmham, an eyewitness of the battle of Agincourt, gave us this account of the King in the moments before the fighting began.

608

The Martyrdom of St Edmund the King

Edmund, King of the East Angles, is given a stark choice by the Viking warrior who has ravaged his realm.

609

Gifts of the Spirit

Anglo-Saxon poet Cynewulf reminds us that God’s gifts to men are many and varied, and nobody ever gets them all.

610

Stale and Hearty

Archdeacon and diplomat Peter of Blois was a frequent guest at the laden tables of King Henry II, but he had little appetite for the fare on offer.

611

The Voyage of Sigurd

Back in the eleventh century English refugees founded New York, but it wasn’t in North America.

612

Home from Home

In Constantinople, capital of the Roman Empire, a man from Kent founded a glittering church for English refugees.