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.

Stuart Era

A Country Squire in London

Lord Macaulay describes the toils of a typical country gentleman visiting London in the time of Charles II.

Length: 118 words

Japanese History

Will Adams

An Elizabethan mariner reaches Japan under terrible hardships, only to find himself under sentence of death at the hands of his fellow Europeans.

Length: 117 words

Rudyard Kipling

Kim and the Art of Begging

A street urchin of Lahore takes it on himself to provide a naive Tibetan monk with a hot meal.

Length: 110 words

Mediaeval History

The Assassination of Thomas Becket

Four knights thought they were helping their King, but they could not have made a greater mistake.

Length: 117 words

Lives of the Saints

Angels and Men Agree

The birth of Jesus Christ fundamentally changed the relationship between mankind and the angels.

Length: 105 words

Music and Musicians

Mistris Park

Several English pianists impressed Joseph Haydn on his visits to London, but Maria Hester Park was a particular favourite.

Length: 60 words