The Copybook: Readings in history and literature

★

The Feast of the Ascension

May 16 os

The Last Commandment by Cynewulf

Anglo-Saxon poet Cynewulf imagines the farewell between Jesus and his Apostles, forty days after his resurrection.

★

The Fall of Constantinople

May 29

The Fall of Constantinople by Clay Lane

Hospitality and sympathy, but no help - the Byzantine Emperor learns a bitter lesson about western diplomacy.

★

Featured

No Smoke Without Fire by Patrick Fraser Tytler

Sir Walter Raleigh was within his rights to experiment with the Native American habit of smoking tobacco, but he should have told his servants first.

1

The Peasants’ Revolt by H. W. Dulcken

In 1381, young King Richard II was faced with a popular uprising against tax rises.

2

Jack Cade’s Revolt by Charles Dickens

Jack Cade brought a protest to London with right on his side, but then threw it all away.

3

The Black Rood of Scotland from The Rites of Durham

When the Reformers sold off the treasures of Durham Cathedral, they sold a priceless piece of Scottish history into oblivion.

4

The Voyage of John Cabot by Edith Louise Marsh

On the Feast of St John the Baptist, June 24th, 1497, Venetian navigator John Cabot claimed North America for the King of England.

5

Isabella Calls Time by H. W. Dulcken

The Despensers ensured that King Edward II never left their sight, but it was what Queen Isabella was doing that should have worried them.

6

The Battle of Bannockburn by H. W. Dulcken

Edward II hoped to outshine his famous father by bringing Scotland under the English crown, but Robert the Bruce was ready for him.

Mediaeval History