Clay Lane

The Copy Book

A Library of History and Literature in English

← Page 1

745

Wilberforce Contra Mundum

John Wesley wrote to a young William Wilberforce to encourage him in his campaign against the slave trade.

746

A Victim of His Success

Economist Adam Smith so changed the conversation in Britain that most people take his groundbreaking insights for granted.

747

An Embarrassment of Heroes

John Buchan warned that the great figures of history are often beyond their biographers’ comprehension.

748

Sir William Keeps a Prior Engagement

Sir William Napier stopped to console an unhappy little girl, and made her a promise he did not find it easy to keep.

749

Fan Frenzy

Ardent opera buffs descend like locusts on Jenny Lind’s hotel, eager for a memento.

750

Press Agents

When Lord Salisbury asked the Russian Minister of the Interior how many agents the Tsar had in India, the reply came as a shock.