The Copybook

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

331

By Isaac Robert Cruikshank (1789–1856), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

Three Criminal Types by Karl Philipp Moritz

Karl Philipp Moritz described three kinds of criminal in Georgian England, from the gentlemanly cutpurse to the deadly footpad.

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332

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

Fatal Counsel by Henry of Huntingdon

King Edmund Ironside’s courageous defence of his crown against the invading Danes was undermined by treachery at home.

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333

By Matthew Paris (1200-1259), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence Public domain.

The Battle of Assandun by Henry of Huntingdon

The invading Danes fought so fiercely that Edmund Ironside, the young English king, threw all caution to the wind.

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334

© Jakub T. Jankiewicz, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.

The Duel of the Kings by Henry of Huntingdon

Edmund Ironside, King of England, and Cnut the Great, King of Denmark, fought hand-to-hand for one of European history’s richest purses.

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335

© Akoliasnikoff, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0.

The Murder of Edmund Ironside by Henry of Huntingdon

Edric’s treason handed the crown of England to Cnut the Great, but Cnut was not so poor a judge of character as to believe that a traitor could be trusted.

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336

From the studio of William Hoare (1707–1792), Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

The Crimes of Mr Pitt by William Pitt the Elder

William Pitt was a rising star of British politics in 1741, so much so that Horace Walpole MP felt he needed his wings clipped — an operation fraught with peril.

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© Nicholas Armitage / Clay Lane, 2025

April 23 NS

April 10 OS

A Tale of a Garter : Following the Battle of Crécy in 1346, Edward III instituted an order of chivalry in honour of St George, inspired (some said) by something he picked up in the street.
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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