Minis
Mini Copy Book

Each post in this section is a short précis (summary) of a passage in The Copy Book. All of them are in modern English. They are intended for students of English as a Foreign Language at Elementary Level.

Classical History

The Golden Age of Carausius

A Roman commander facing court martial took refuge in politics, and for ten years London was an imperial capital.

Length: 59 words

Greek and Roman Myths

Heracles and the Girdle of Hippolyte

A princess covets the belt of a warrior-queen, so Heracles is despatched to get it for her.

Length: 120 words

Extracts from Literature

Sense and Sensitivity

Jane Austen wrote as a Christian, but all the better for doing so unobtrusively.

Length: 59 words

Extracts from Literature

The Blessing of Disguise

A mysterious knight and an equally mysterious outlaw agree to preserve one another’s incognito.

Length: 55 words

Anglo-Saxon Era

The Battle of Nechtansmere

King Ecgfrith of Northumbria dismissed repeated warnings about his imperial ambitions.

Length: 58 words

Lives of the Saints

St Bega

An Irish princess fled to Cumbria to escape the Vikings, clutching her precious silver bracelet.

Length: 58 words