Clay Lane

The Copy Book

A Library of History and Literature in English

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223

The Trial of the Tolpuddle Six

When farmhand and lay preacher George Loveless was convicted of conspiracy, both charge and sentence made the country gasp.

224

Twelve Good Men and Tory

In 1844, Daniel O’Connell was hauled before a Dublin court to answer charges of seditious conspiracy, and he didn’t stand a chance.

225

The Dog and the Water Lilies

William Cowper told Lady Hesketh about a walk beside the river at Olney, and the affecting behaviour of his spaniel Beau.

226

Desperate Measures

Sir Philip Francis told the House of Commons that it must not let ministers manufacture crises as an excuse for grabbing more power.

227

The Character of Charles II

Scottish scholar and clergyman Gilbert Burnet sets before us a picture of a King who was something of a Solomon in his virtues and his vices.

228

Heaven’s Harbour

The lives of men are like voyages across stormy seas, but we no longer have to sail them as if they were uncharted waters.