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

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1447

By Henry Arthur Payne (1868-1940), Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

The Wars of the Roses by Clay Lane

A struggle between rival Royal Houses begins in 1455, after questions are raised about King Henry VI’s capacity to rule.

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1448

© Diego Delso, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 4.0.

Noah’s Flood by Clay Lane

God’s love proved to be bigger and stronger than all man’s wickedness.

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1449

© Jim Gordon, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 2.0.

Elisha and Naaman the Syrian by Clay Lane

Naaman had very fixed ideas about what it takes to get a miracle.

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1450

© Cocowiki28, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 3.0.

St Wilfrid’s Debt by Clay Lane

The Blessed Virgin Mary adds four years to the life of Bishop Wilfrid, and an angel suggests a suitable thank-you.

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1451

© Jastrow, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

The Siege of Troy by Clay Lane

Paris, prince of Troy, takes the not unwilling Queen of Sparta back home with him, and sparks ten years of diplomatic tension and ten of war.

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1452

© Alden Chadwick, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Silver Swan by Mark Twain

Mark Twain’s attention was drawn off people-watching for a moment by an extraordinarily lifelike machine.

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

© Nicholas Armitage / Clay Lane, 2025

May 8 NS

April 25 OS

The Outbreak of the Second World War : The only truly global conflict in history began when German troops crossed into Poland in September 1939.
In Two Minds : Join these ideas together to a form a single sentence, in at least two different ways.
The First Traffic Lights : The busy crossroads outside the Houses of Parliament was the testing ground for a new technology.
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.
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