The Copybook

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

259

By Peter Monamy (1681–1749), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

Liberty and Prosperity John Trenchard

There are solid reasons why countries with lower taxes and less regulation tend to be more prosperous.

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260

By Thomas Rowlandson (1756–1827), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

‘God Never Sends Mouths Without Sending Meat’ William Cobbett

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

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261

Thomas Hearne (1744–1817), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

Economy – With a Dash of Love Wilkie Collins

Gabriel Betteredge’s cottage was cosy, his employment rewarding and his status respectable, but his cup of happiness was not quite full.

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262

By Leslie Ward (1851–1922), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

Liberty and the Magistrate John Trenchard

The citizen should not dutifully accept government intrusion as the price of community life.

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263

From the Walters Art Museum, via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

Treat Me Like a King! Flavius Arrianus

When Porus, the Indian king, surrendered to Alexander the Great at Jhelum, he had only one request to make of him.

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264

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

The Wisdom of the People John Trenchard

In one of his ‘Cato Letters’, John Trenchard took issue with the view (popular in Westminster) that the public could not be left to make up their own minds.

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