The Copybook

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

667

From the Vaux Passional, via the National Library of Wales and Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

Trial and Crucifixion by William Langland

In ‘Do-bet,’ the sequel to his popular ‘Vision of Piers the Ploughman,’ Will Langland dreams about the trial of Jesus Christ before Pontius Pilate, and what followed.

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668

From the Benedictional of St Athelwold, via the British Library and Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

The Triumphal Entry by William Langland

Will Langland, a contemporary of Geoffrey Chaucer, dreams he is looking for his old friend Piers the Ploughman in Jerusalem just when Christ rides in on a donkey.

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669

By Tomhannen, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

On Top of the World by Dr Maria Montessori

Maria Montessori takes some of her pupils up onto a roof terrace, and witnesses a eureka moment.

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670

By Sir John Gilbert (1817-1897), Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

Leading from the Front by Thomas Elmham

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.

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671

From the Passion of St Edmund, via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

The Martyrdom of St Edmund the King by Elfric of Eynsham

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

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672

From the Utrecht Psalter, via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

Gifts of the Spirit by Cynewulf

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

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April 23 NS

April 10 OS

St George and the Dragon : In one of the world’s most popular legends, bold hero St George rides to the rescue of a maiden in distress.
Christ is Risen! : Felicia Skene recalls the Easter celebrations on one emotionally-charged night in Athens
Approachable : Replace the verb ‘can’ with these alternatives, and explain how the meaning of the sentence has changed.
The First Easter : In a translation from the Authorized Version of the Bible, published in 1611, St Mark recounts the discovery of Christ’s empty tomb.
A Collect for Easter Day : A short prayer from the Book of Common Prayer, for the day of Christ’s resurrection.
The Gambler : Which well-known expression is Dr Johnson talking about here?
If I Had But Two Little Wings : Samuel Taylor Coleridge holds on to those precious moments when loneliness is a problem for tomorrow.
Red Eye : Reconstruct the speaker’s original words from these reports.
Responsible : Combine each group of ideas into a single sentence, in as many ways as you can.
Opposites : Suggest words that seem opposite in meaning to the words in this list.
Three of a Kind : For each of these things, think of three different varieties of it.
The Son of God Goes Forth to War : A hymn in praise of St Stephen, the first Christian martyr.
Peace Plan : Report this brief exchange between Anna and M. Pierre and Tolstoy’s War and Peace
Metaphors : Choose one of these words and use it metaphorically, not literally.
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