Clay Lane

The Copy Book

A Library of History and Literature in English

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1507

Richard Arkwright

Arkwright invented the factory, without which modern life would be impossible.

1508

The Sacred Snakes of Kefalonia

Once a year, regular as clockwork, the little snakes slither into the convent for a Feast of the Virgin Mary.

1509

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor

A gifted composer of classical music in the romantic tradition, admired by Stanford, Elgar, and Sullivan.

1510

The Science of Salix

Edward Stone wondered if the willow tree might have more in common with the Peruvian cinchona tree than just its damp habitat.

1511

The Seikilos Epitaph

Lost for seventeen centuries, caught up in a war, and used as a pedestal for a plant pot, this is the world’s oldest surviving song.

1512

The Selfish Cat

A tortoiseshell laments his hard life among heartless humans.