Clay Lane

The Copy Book

A Library of History and Literature in English

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181

Of Hares, Hounds and Red Herrings

In January 1807, newspapers breathlessly reported that Napoleon Bonaparte’s rampage across Europe was at an end — but was it true?

182

The Prisoner from Provence

When Saint-Mars arrived to take over as warden of the Bastille in 1698, staff at Paris’s most famous prison had eyes only for his prisoner.

183

Invitation to a Viking

The interminable squabbling among the Slavic peoples around the southeast Baltic prompted their leaders to drastic action.

184

An Admirable English Custom

Dutch scholar Desiderius Erasmus urged Fausto Andrelini not to miss out on England’s enchanting contribution to good manners.

185

The Fall of Icarus

Trapped in Crete with his son Icarus, the craftsman and inventor Daedalus realises a bold and desperate plan to get away.

186

‘God Never Sends Mouths Without Sending Meat’

Riding through Sussex, William Cobbett comes across a large family relaxing together in front of their charming cottage.