Clay Lane

The Copy Book

A Library of History and Literature in English

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1249

Our Lady’s Mantle

Shortly after Askold and Dir founded Kiev in 862, they launched a brazen but ill-fated assault on the capital of the Roman Empire.

In the 860s, just as the Great Army led by Vikings Ingwaer and Halfdan was swarming over England, Viking warlords Askold and Dir were establishing the great cities of Novgorod and Kiev as the foundations of Rus’. Almost at once the pagan settlers set their sights on the greatest prize of all, Constantinople, capital of the Roman Empire.

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

1250

The Duel

Sir Mulberry Hawk’s coarse conduct towards Kate Nickleby has awoken a spark of decency in Lord Frederick Verisopht.

Sir Mulberry Hawk has preyed upon the weak character of Lord Frederick Verisopht for years, but the young nobleman has finally stood up to his ‘friend’ over Hawk’s ungentlemanly conduct towards pretty Kate Nickleby. The breach is irreparable, and has come at last to a duel.

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Picture: © Michael E. Cumpston, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0.. Source.

1251

Heracles and the Augean Stables

Heracles shows his capacity for thinking outside the box, but spoils it by trying to be just a little bit too clever.

Heracles has murdered his children in a fit of anger, and is performing a series of ‘Labours’ for his cousin King Eurystheus, to work off his guilt. Eurystheus would be just as happy if Heracles perished in his Labours, and in sending him now to clean out the stables of Augeas, King of Elis, appears to hope he can disgust him to death.

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Picture: © Tony Esopi, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0.. Source.

1252

Merchants of Muscovy

In 1553, Richard Chancellor set out on a perilous voyage to Russia in order to bypass the Hanseatic League’s customs union.

Richard Chancellor (?1521-1556) was the first Englishman to establish diplomatic relations with Russia, following an arduous, four-month voyage through uncharted Arctic waters. Tsar Ivan IV was delighted with his new trade partners, despite complaining that English merchants make money for themselves, and not for their princes.

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Picture: By Konstantin Korovin (1861-1939), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.. Source.

1253

Not a Scratch!

Hapless extremists try to wipe out a miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary.

This is far from the only tale of its kind concerning the ‘Kursk Root’ icon, named after its discovery in the 13th century among the shrubs of a forest near the ruins of Kursk in Russia. The icon, which escaped both the USSR and the Nazis, is kept today in New York, and last visited England in 2012.

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Picture: © Гондарева Илга (Ilga Gondareva), Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0.. Source.

1254

A True Gentleman of Verona

A young man from the Italian city on the Adige River demonstrates that class has nothing to do with wealth.

Samuel Smiles’s ‘Self-Help’ enthusiastically encouraged working men to take advantage of Britain’s entrepreneurial economy. Yet he never once promised riches; he promised dignity and self-respect, and told this tale to illustrate their superiority.

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Picture: © Jakub-Hałun, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.. Source.