The Copybook

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

1513

© Andrew Hill, Geograph. Licence CC-BY-SA 2.0.

Edith and Edward by Clay Lane

A King and Queen gentler than the times in which they lived.

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1514

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

Byron and Hercules by Clay Lane

Lord Byron could not have hoped for a better omen in his support for the oppressed people of Greece.

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1515

Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

The Third Siege of Missolonghi by Clay Lane

The cruelty of the Ottoman Turks so shocked Europe that the tide of opinion turned against them.

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1516

© Jon Thomson, Wikimedia Commons. Licence CC-BY-SA 2.0.

How Alfred Burnt the Cakes by Charlotte Yonge

A popular tale of scorched cakes and a scolded king.

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1517

© Martpan, Wikimedia Commons. Licence CC-BY-SA 3.0.

The Gift Thrice Given by Clay Lane

A story about William the Conqueror’s father, Robert the Magnificent.

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1518

© Alex Saunier, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 2.0 France.

The Hobbit by Clay Lane

Tolkien’s tale of dragons, magic rings and enchanted gold is one of the masterpieces of English literature.

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

© Nicholas Armitage / Clay Lane, 2025

April 23 NS

April 10 OS

St George, Patron Saint of England : George served in the Roman army and lies buried in Israel, yet he makes an ideal patron for England.
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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