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The Copy Book

A Library of History and Literature in English

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1453

The Tragedy of Hamlet

The Prince of Denmark is bound to avenge his father’s murder.

The Danish Prince came home to find his father mysteriously dead, and his uncle ready to marry his mother the Queen, and claim the crown.

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Picture: © DanNav, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 3.0.. Source.

Posted January 31 2016

1454

The Hound of the Baskervilles

Is an old family legend being used as a cover for a very modern murder?

Local superstition about a family legend going back to the English Civil War (1642-1651) blames the death of Charles Baskerville on a giant, ghostly hound, but Sherlock Holmes doesn’t seem to be able to take it seriously.

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Picture: © Derek Harper, Geograph. Licence: CC-BY-SA 2.0.. Source.

Posted January 30 2016

1455

A Nation’s Wealth

By Richard Cobden

It is not politicians and their policies that create wealth, but the hard work and ingenuity of ordinary people.

Richard Cobden MP led the fight in the House of Commons to repeal the Corn Laws, which taxed imports of grain in order to shore up Britain’s agriculture industry. The laws caused the price of bread to rise, making the poor poorer; after the laws were repealed, Britain became the manufacturing centre of the world.

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Picture: © Rover Car Club of Australia, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 2.0.. Source.

Posted January 29 2016

1456

The Legend of Beowulf

The oldest surviving heroic legend in English begins with a wild creature of the fens that hunts men for prey.

‘Beowulf’ is the oldest surviving epic in English. Set in Scandinavia, it tells of a hero who pays off a debt of honour, by helping a family friend to rid his neighbourhood of a wretched but deadly enemy.

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Picture: © Jonathan Billinger, Geograph. Licence: CC-BY-SA 2.0.. Source.

Posted January 28 2016

1457

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

A knight issues a bizarre challenge to King Arthur and his court.

One New Year’s Eve, a knight rode into King Arthur’s hall. He was green, all over, and he made a strange offer.

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Picture: © Nachosan, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 3.0.. Source.

Posted January 28 2016

1458

‘God Save the King!’

The simple melody of the United Kingdom’s national anthem has stirred the souls of some great composers.

‘God Save the King’ was an eighteenth theatre song composed to keep English hearts strong in the face of a Scottish rebellion whipped up by France. Later, it was hailed across oppressed Europe as the anthem of popular liberty, and became one of Ludwig van Beethoven’s favourite tunes.

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Picture: © Jorge Royan, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 3.0.. Source.

Posted January 27 2016

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In This Sign Conquer Bishop Eusebius recalls what Constantine told him about the vision that brought him the crown.

Posted February 26 • The Copy Book

Phrases Use phrases such as ‘to the town’ in sentences, with nouns or with verbs.

Posted February 26

The Marks of a Tyrant Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle explains what it is that defines a tyranny.

Posted February 25 • The Copy Book

Keep It Short Plutarch argues that it when it comes to strong speech, less is always more.

Posted February 24 • The Copy Book

Anagrams Shuffle the letters of each of these words to make new ones. See if you can match the number indicated.

Posted February 23 • Think and Speak

Polyword: Mere Make as many words as you can using the letters of one nine-letter word. Can you beat our score?

Posted February 21 • Think and Speak

Go to the Ant Solomon recommends taking lessons from one of God’s smallest but most hard-working creatures.

Posted February 20 • The Copy Book

Chariots of Steam Erasmus Darwin imagines how steam power will change the world.

Posted February 16 • The Copy Book

Music Video Modest Mussorgsky: Sorochinsky Fair: Gopak

Posted February 16

Fragments Develop these short phrases into complete sentences.

Posted February 15 • Think and Speak

The Moral Case for Family Farms Richard Cobden called on Parliament to support small, family-owned farms.

Posted February 14 • The Copy Book

Hiawatha Takes a Photograph Lewis Carroll records a suburban photoshoot in the style of Longfellow.

Posted February 13 • The Copy Book

Nouns of Number William Cobbett gives his son James some helpful examples of collective nouns.

Posted February 13 • The Copy Book

Hiawatha’s Inspiration Henry Longfellow tells us how his tale of a heroic Native American warrior came to him.

Posted February 12 • The Copy Book

Near Synonyms These words have very similar meaning but they are not the same — can you show the difference?

Posted February 12

Music Video Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: Hiawatha: And They Said Farewell Forever

Posted February 12

Music Video Leroy Anderson: Irish Suite: II. The Minstrel Boy

Posted February 11

The Travellers and the Axe Two men find an axe, and then find some trouble, but they aren’t keen on sharing either of them.

Posted February 11 • The Copy Book

Train

Posted February 9 • Think and Speak

The Prophecy of Peter of Pomfret Peter foretold that King John would cease to be England’s sovereign, and he was right, though John still wore his crown.

Posted February 9 • The Copy Book