Clay Lane

The Copy Book

A Library of History and Literature in English

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901

A Piacere

Sir Hubert Parry advised students at the Royal College of Music to respect their teachers, but to think for themselves too.

In 1918, Sir Hubert Parry reminded students at the Royal College of Music that their teachers were not there to tell them how to play music, but to tell them how other people play music. Putting that knowledge to good artistic use must be, even for students, a very personal affair.

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Picture: By John White Alexander (1856-1915), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.. Source.

902

The War of 1812

In the year that Napoleon’s quest for European Empire faltered at Moscow, President Madison of the USA came to his aid.

In 1783, the American War of Independence ended with the creation of a new sovereign nation, the United States of America. Peace was short-lived, however, as zealous statesmen in Washington were itching to see revolution sweep on through Europe’s monarchies and across Britain’s Empire – especially Canada.

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Picture: © Peter K. Burian, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.. Source.

903

J’Accuse

A faithful feline bides his time until two criminals are brought to justice.

It is usual to suppose that cats are not loyal like dogs, or especially concerned with what does not directly affect them. But Victorian cartoonist Charles Ross tells us about a French cat whose sense of justice was truly single-minded.

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Picture: © Jean Housen, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 4.0.. Source.

904

John Buchan

After two years in South Africa, a Scottish civil servant began turning out best-selling adventure tales.

John Buchan (1875-1940), 1st Baron Tweedsmuir, was a man of many talents: classicist, barrister, writer of serious history and rattling adventure yarns, influential member of the Church of Scotland, high-flying Westminster MP, and from 1935, Governor-General of Canada.

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Picture: National Archives of Canada, via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.. Source.

905

Precision and Dispatch

The first setbacks for the German Empire in the Great War came courtesy of ANZAC troops.

ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) troops were involved from the very beginning of the Great War on August 4th, 1914, not because they were summoned to Europe to protect Britain but because Germany’s growing colonial presence in the South Pacific was a direct threat to their independence.

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Picture: Via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.. Source.

906

An Appeal to the Ladies of England

Manto Mavrogenous hoped that her fellow women might show more solidarity with Greece than many men had done.

On August 12th, 1824, Manto Mavrogenous wrote an open letter to the Ladies of England, soliciting donations to the cause of Greek independence from Ottoman rule. Above all, she needed funds to take Euboia, and make it into a safe island for children and women displaced by the fighting.

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Picture: © Jean Housen, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0.. Source.