Clay Lane

The Copy Book

A Library of History and Literature in English

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277

Three Criminal Types

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

278

Fatal Counsel

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

279

The Battle of Assandun

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

280

The Duel of the Kings

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

281

The Murder of Edmund Ironside

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.

282

The Crimes of Mr Pitt

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.