Back to text
An Execrable Crime
Camillus punishes the treacherous schoolmaster.
Camillus punishes the treacherous schoolmaster, another of the frescoes painted by Francesco de’ Rossi (1510–1563) in 1545. It shows the disgraced academic being stripped ready to be whipped into town by the pupils he had tried to use as political leverage.
Back to text
Camillus punishes the treacherous schoolmaster, another of the frescoes painted by Francesco de’ Rossi (1510–1563) in 1545. It shows the disgraced academic being stripped ready to be whipped into town by the pupils he had tried to use as political leverage.
Camillus, struck with horror at the treachery of this man, at length exclaimed, “Execrable villain, offer thy abominable proposals to creatures like thyself, and not to me; we fight not against innocence, but against men - men who have used us ill indeed, but yet whose crimes are virtues, when compared to thine.” He then ordered him to be stripped, his hands tied behind him, and then to be whipped into the town by those very scholars he would have betrayed.
Camillus, after this, when he returned to Rome, met with such ingratitude, that to avoid being brought to trial for some supposed offence,* he determined to leave Rome; and, lifting up his hands to heaven, entreated they might one day be sensible of their ingratitude and injustice.*
* He was accused of appropriating the spoils of war for his own use, a handy tool in the hands of unscrupulous rivals if everyone does it but it is technically illegal. It was by the same ruse that Robert Clive fell victim to the East India Company he had served so well: see Clive of India.
* See A Ransom of Iron.
1. What is the author aiming to achieve in writing this?
2. Note any words, devices or turns of phrase that strike you. How do they help the author communicate his ideas more effectively?
3. What impression does this passage make on you? How might you put that impression into words?
Based on The English Critic (1939) by NL Clay, drawing on The New Criticism: A Lecture Delivered at Columbia University, March 9, 1910, by J. E. Spingarn, Professor of Comparative Literature in Columbia University, USA.
Instead of seizing the opportunity given to him, Camillus publicly denounced the treacherous schoolmaster, and arranged for the kidnapped children to thrash him all the way back to town. In Rome, however, Camillus was still under a cloud, and some trumped up charges were enough to secure his banishment — vowing as he went that the Senate would regret their decision. (60 / 60 words)
Instead of seizing the opportunity given to him, Camillus publicly denounced the treacherous schoolmaster, and arranged for the kidnapped children to thrash him all the way back to town. In Rome, however, Camillus was still under a cloud, and some trumped up charges were enough to secure his banishment — vowing as he went that the Senate would regret their decision.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: although, if, must, otherwise, ought, since, until, whether.
Jigsaws Based on this passage
Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Horror. Ingratitude. Proposal.
2 I. Thyself. Tie.
3 Raise. Thy. Very.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Homonyms Find in Think and Speak
Each of the words below has more than one possible meaning. Compose your own sentences to show what those different meanings are.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1. Tie. 2. Like. 3. Lead. 4. Man. 5. Draw. 6. Left. 7. Order.
High Tiles Find in Think and Speak
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
Your Words ()
Post Box : Help Available
You are welcome to share your creativity with me, or ask for help with any of the exercises on Clay Lane. Write to me at this address:
See more at Post Box.
If you like what I’m doing here on Clay Lane, from time to time you could buy me a coffee.
Buy Me a Coffee is a crowdfunding website, used by over a million people. It is designed to help content creators like me make a living from their work. ‘Buy Me a Coffee’ prides itself on its security, and there is no need to register.
