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.

Liberty and Prosperity

The Boldness of Junius Mauricus

Pliny admired Julius Mauricus because he spoke his mind, and Emperor Nerva because he let him.

Length: 119 words

Classical History

A Ransom of Iron

When Brennus the Gaul broke through the gates of Rome, Marcus Furius Camillus was far away in exile.

Length: 117 words

Classical History

An Execrable Crime

Marcus Furius Camillus knew he must make the Falisci submit to Rome, but the method one man proposed was more than he could stomach.

Length: 119 words

Poets and Poetry

O, You Hard Hearts!

Marullus was disgusted at the way that the fickle people of Rome turned so easily from one hero to another.

Length: 57 words

Aesopica

The Lion’s Share

Following a succesful hunting partnership, the Lion explains how the spoils are to be divided.

Length: 57 words

The British Constitution

A Coy and Humorous Dame

The English ‘Cato’ cautioned that sabre-rattling sanctions and other forms of coercion are never in the country’s economic interest.

Length: 119 words