Clay Lane

The Copy Book

A Library of History and Literature in English

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715

A Victim of His Success

Economist Adam Smith so changed the conversation in Britain that most people take his groundbreaking insights for granted.

716

An Embarrassment of Heroes

John Buchan warned that the great figures of history are often beyond their biographers’ comprehension.

717

Sir William Keeps a Prior Engagement

Sir William Napier stopped to console an unhappy little girl, and made her a promise he did not find it easy to keep.

718

Fan Frenzy

Ardent opera buffs descend like locusts on Jenny Lind’s hotel, eager for a memento.

719

Press Agents

When Lord Salisbury asked the Russian Minister of the Interior how many agents the Tsar had in India, the reply came as a shock.

720

Playing with Fire

William Stead warned his fellow-journalists to take care that their bellicose rhetoric did not end in a real war with Russia.