The Copybook

Short passages for reading, drawn from history, legend, poetry and fiction.

385

By William Blake Richmond (1842-1921), Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

The Glory of Athens by Thomas Babington Macaulay

Classical Greece has been an inspiration to every generation because she stands for the triumph of liberty and reason over prejudice and power.

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386

Photo by George E. Koronais, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

The Liberty of Athens by Thomas Babington Macaulay

The supreme arts and literature of ancient Athens all sprang from the State’s refusal to interfere in the life of the citizen.

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387

By Helen Allingham (1848-1926), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

The Duties of Government by John Bright

John Bright told his Birmingham constituents that if Britain was indeed a great nation, it was because her public was contented and not because her empire was wide.

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388

By Henri Jannin (1816-?), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

International Intermeddling by John Bright

John Bright asked the people of Birmingham to spread the word that a great nation, like any good citizen and neighbour, does not meddle officiously in the affairs of others.

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389

© Romeneverfell, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.

The Foolish Emperor by Theodoret of Cyrus

Emperor Julian cast off his Christian upbringing to gain the favour of Rome’s pagan gods, but in the heat of battle they deserted him.

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390

By Charles West Cope (1811–1890), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.

Truth By Statute? by John Milton

John Milton reminded Parliament that the Truth wasn’t what they and their fact-checkers in Stationers’ Hall made it.

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© Nicholas Armitage / Clay Lane, 2025

April 30 NS

April 17 OS

Two Letters Home : A German soldier stopped the Great War so he could ask Captain Hulse to post a letter for him.
Smile : Choose adjectives of praise for these nouns, at about the 7/10 level.
The Making of Mark : St Mark wrote his Gospel as a summary of the preaching of St Peter.
Zheng He and the Rise of Malacca : Malacca became a refuge from the overbearing empires of the Far East, thanks to a celebrated Chinese admiral.
Confusables : Compose sentences to bring out the similarities and differences between these words.
Jill and I : Include yourself in these sentences about Jill.
Saddled : Use these words in sentences, and see if you can use one of them as a verb.
Russia’s Heroic Stand : In 1941, with much of the West subdued, Adolf Hitler bent the full force of his hatred on Moscow.
Approachable : Replace the verb ‘can’ with these alternatives, and explain how the meaning of the sentence has changed.
The First Easter : In a translation from the Authorized Version of the Bible, published in 1611, St Mark recounts the discovery of Christ’s empty tomb.
A Collect for Easter Day : A short prayer from the Book of Common Prayer, for the day of Christ’s resurrection.
The Gambler : Which well-known expression is Dr Johnson talking about here?
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