The Copybook

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

259

© Eric Jones, Geograph. Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0.

The Wise Man of Pencader Gerald of Wales

During his Welsh campaign, Henry II asked one of his allies what he thought the future of Wales would look like.

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260

Thomas Pennant (1726-1798), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

The Battle of Coleshill Jamieson Boyd Hurry

It rankled with Henry II that Wales did not pay to him the honour she had paid to his great-grandfather, William the Conqueror.

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261

By Ernest Goupil (1814-1841), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

Earthquake in Concepcion Charles Darwin

Charles Darwin was on hand in 1836 to witness the catastrophic effects of a series of earthquakes in Chile.

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262

By Edwin Landseer (1802–1873), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

Vige, the Viking’s Dog Snorro Sturluson

Vige was the inseparable companion of swashbuckling Viking warlord Olaf Tryggvason, who picked him up in Ireland.

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263

By Richard Burchett (1815–75), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

Fair and Loving Words Edward Hall

On the night when Edward IV won his crown back from Henry VI, he had to decide how to deal with those who had still been backing Henry during the day.

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264

By Ary Scheffer (1795-1858), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

‘Nobody Wants to Invade You’ Richard Cobden

Richard Cobden told an Edinburgh peace conference that the biggest threat to the United Kingdom’s security was her own foreign policy.

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