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 Tragedy of Coriolanus

Roman statesman Gnaeus Marcius Coriolanus was thrust out the City for his hardline politics, but he did not stay away for long.

Length: 114 words

Mediaeval History

The Harrying of the North

Charles Dickens laments William the Conqueror’s brutal rampage through rebellious Durham and Yorkshire.

Length: 111 words

Extracts from Literature

On His Blindness

At first, John Milton struggled to come to terms with the loss of his eyesight.

Length: 59 words

Parables of Jesus

The Parable of the Talents

Three servants are engaged to invest their master’s money in the markets.

Length: 119 words

Norman Era

One Vast Heap of Booty

Embarrassed by the behaviour of his Norman bishops and abbots, King William I asked monk Guitmond to come over and set an example.

Length: 119 words

Mediaeval History

Hereward the Wake

Charles Dickens tells the story of Hereward the Wake, the last Englishman to stand up to William the Conqueror.

Length: 114 words