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.

The British Constitution

Dominion and Liberty

Following the Restoration of King Charles II, the country charted a well-planned course between the extremes of civil licence and Government control.

Length: 115 words

Greek Myths

Scylla and Charybdis

After safely negotiating the alluring Sirens, Odysseus and his crew must now decide which of Scylla and Charybdis would do the least damage.

Length: 110 words

Greek Myths

Odysseus and the Sirens

Armed with a length of stout cord and a large ball of wax, Odysseus and his crew prepare to face the music of the Sirens.

Length: 118 words

Stuart Era

Interview with a Shepherd

After getting lost on a woodland walk and spraining his ankle, Samuel Pepys felt amply compensated when he stumbled across a flock of sheep.

Length: 116 words

British Myths and Legends

A Eulogy for Sir Lancelot

Sir Ector, who has searched fruitlessly for his brother for seven years, finds him at last, lying in state in the Joyous Gard.

Length: 58 words

French History

‘The Empire is Peace!’

Guy de Maupassant reflects on the way that a statesman’s place in history has so often been defined not by deeds or character but by his one-liners.

Length: 107 words