‘A North Eastern Coalfield’ circa 1850, by W. Wheldon. Coal displaced peat and charcoal in part for environmental reasons: trees were becoming so scarce that in 1598 the Bishop of London had to choose between selling wood from his estates and repairing his own house, while burning coal for domestic heating. In any case, alternative fuels were utterly inadequate for industrial mass-production, which has done more to raise living standards and foster democratic accountability than any tax, policy or revolution. Writing in Charles Dickens’s Household Words (1850), Richard Horne commented that the pressure of environmental ‘protection’ fell most unequally on the poor (“according to the immemorial custom of Governments”), when what they really needed “was to be protected from the Lord Mayor and Corporation, and other taxes and duties”.
PERSONS unacquainted with the glaring monstrosities which disfigure the fair face of British legislation would naturally conclude that the said Charles Lennox had either greatly benefitted the coal interest or, at all events, had achieved some very essential service for the country at large, which rendered him a proper recipient of so valuable a gift: they would no doubt, therefore, regret their obliviousness of English history, and ask what the particular service was which Lennox had performed? The answer could not fail to astonish them:- “He was the illegitimate son of the virtuous individual who issued the grant.”*
At length, Parliament interfered, and the right was bought up for the handsome sum of £400,000 in the year 1799;* after which the continued collection of this shilling not only paid the interest of the purchase money at £5 per cent., but, so early as the year 1830, had paid off the purchase money in full, and accumulated a surplus of £341,900!*
Abridged
Abridged from ‘The London Journal of Arts and Sciences’ (New Series) Vol. 21 (1865). Additional information from ‘The Black Diamonds of England’ in ‘Household Words’ No. 11 (June 8, 1850) pp. 241–64 by Richard H. Horne (1802-1884); ‘Fumifugium’ (1661) by Sir John Evelyn (1620-1706), collected in ‘The Miscellaneous Writings of John Evelyn’ (1825), edited by William Upcott (1779-1845); and ‘Annals of Coal Mining and the Coal Trade’ by Robert Lindsay Galloway (1842-1908).
* Charles Lennox (1672-1723), 1st Duke of Richmond, 1st Duke of Lennox, the youngest of the seven illegitimate sons of King Charles II. His mother was Louise de Kérouaille, Duchess of Portsmouth.
* According to the website Measuring Worth, about £40,180,000 today.
* On February 22nd, 1831, interested parties in Newcastle-upon-Tyne (the principal source of London’s coal) resolved to petition Parliament about the tax. Within weeks the levy was no longer being collected, and on May 4th the Mayor of Newcastle hosted a lavish party to celebrate.
Questions for Critics
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.
Précis
This Charles Lennox received all the benefit of the new tax simply for being Charles II’s illegitimate son, and so lucrative was the deal that the Government had to borrow £400,000 to buy out his heirs in 1799. By 1830, the Treasury had recovered the purchase price, paid off all interest, and made nearly as much again in profit. (59 / 60 words)
This Charles Lennox received all the benefit of the new tax simply for being Charles II’s illegitimate son, and so lucrative was the deal that the Government had to borrow £400,000 to buy out his heirs in 1799. By 1830, the Treasury had recovered the purchase price, paid off all interest, and made nearly as much again in profit.
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, because, just, may, or, ought, since, who.
Archive
Word Games
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 Impunity. Natural. Particular.
2 Cause. Issue. Seem.
3 Notorious. Recipient. Surplus.
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.)
Adjectives Find in Think and Speak
For each word below, compose sentences to show that it may be used as an adjective. Adjectives provide extra information about a noun, e.g. a black cat, a round table, the early bird etc..
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Large. 2 Oblivious. 3 Rebellious. 4 Successful. 5 Usual. 6 Present. 7 Consistent. 8 Natural. 9 Additional.
Variations: 1.show whether your adjective can also be used as e.g. a noun, verb or adverb. 2.show whether your adjective can be used in comparisons (e.g. good/better/best). 3.show whether your adjective can be used in attributive position (e.g. a dangerous corner) and also in predicate position (this corner is dangerous).
Confusables Find in Think and Speak
In each group below, you will find words that are similar to one another, but not exactly the same. Compose your own sentences to bring out the similarities and differences between them, whether in meaning, grammar or use.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1.
Amount.
Number.
2.
Ashamed.
Shamed.
3.
Civil.
Polite.
4.
Deduce.
Conclude.
5.
Fresh.
Raw.
6.
Intervene.
Interfere.
7.
Oblivious.
Unconscious.
8.
Right.
Obligation.
9.
Service.
Servitude.
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?
x
0
Add
Your Words ()
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