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.

Foreign Views of England

A Day in Georgian London

A foreign tourist writes home with an account of a day in the life of a typical London gentleman.

Length: 109 words

Anecdotes

The Right Words in the Wrong Order

Such was the reputation of the Prussian army in the days of the Frederick the Great that even foreigners wanted to join.

Length: 119 words

International Relations

Pot and Kettle

Richard Cobden wondered how the architects of the British Empire had the nerve to accuse Russia of imperialism.

Length: 60 words

Richard Cobden

Statesman vs Politician

American journalist and poet WC Bryant numbered Richard Cobden MP among the world’s statesmen, not our politicians.

Length: 59 words

Free Trade and Markets

Excess Postage

Rowland Hill calculated that a lower, flatter rate of postage would not only make the public better off and better read, but increase the Revenue.

Length: 114 words

French History

Émilie’s Plan

The night before the Comte de Lavalette was to be executed, his wife Émilie came to visit him with a proposal that left him speechless.

Length: 120 words