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 Night Vesuvius Blew

Pliny was only about nine when his uncle left to go and help rescue the terrified townspeople of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

Length: 177 words

Lives of the Saints

St John Damascene

John’s enduring influence is evident today in the rich sights and sounds of Christian liturgy.

Length: 116 words

John Wesley

Body and Soul

John Wesley urged the medical profession (and his fellow clergy) to remember that drugs are not the answer to every sickness.

Length: 59 words

Liberty and Prosperity

The Trial of the Tolpuddle Six

When farmhand and lay preacher George Loveless was convicted of conspiracy, both charge and sentence made the country gasp.

Length: 117 words

Liberty and Prosperity

Twelve Good Men and Tory

In 1844, Daniel O’Connell was hauled before a Dublin court to answer charges of seditious conspiracy, and he didn’t stand a chance.

Length: 113 words

Poets and Poetry

The Dog and the Water Lilies

William Cowper told Lady Hesketh about a walk beside the river at Olney, and the affecting behaviour of his spaniel Beau.

Length: 118 words