Sir Peter Carew (?1514-1575) participated in a rebellion in the West of England at much the same time as Sir Thomas Wyatt’s rebellion in Kent, and for the same reason: unhappiness at Mary’s proposed marriage to Philip II, King of Spain. Unlike Wyatt, Carew escaped with his life and a severe reprimand. Elizabeth was charged with complicity in both uprisings, and to her utter astonishment sent to the Tower. As her boat drew near, Foxe tells us, “Her Grace desired of the Lords, that ‘She might not land at the stairs where all traitors and offenders customably used to land’ [i.e. the Traitors Gate, pictured above]; They answered that ‘it was past their remedy; for that otherwise they had in commandment’.”
“I PRAY you, my Lord! [interrupted the boy] give me the figs ye promised me!”
“No, marry,”* quoth he, “thou shalt be whipped if thou come any more to the Lady Elizabeth, or the Lord Courtney!” The boy answered, “I will bring the Lady, my Mistress, more flowers!” Whereupon the child’s father was commanded to permit the boy no more to come into their chambers.
And the next day, as Her Grace was walking in the garden, the child, peeping in at a hole in the door, cried unto her, saying, “Mistress! I can bring you no more flowers!” Whereat, she smiled, but said nothing; understanding thereby, what they had done.
Wherefore, afterwards, the Lord Chamberlain rebuked his father highly; commanding him to put him out of the house. “Alas, poor infant!” quoth the father. “It is a crafty knave!” quoth the Lord Chamberlain. “Let me see him here no more!”
As given in ‘Tudor Tracts: 1532-1588’ (1903) edited by Albert Frederick Pollard (1869-1948).
* A euphemism for the oath ‘[By] Mary!’.
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
Growing angry, Mary’s Lord Chamberlain had the Lieutenant of the Tower summon the boy’s father and demand that he no longer play go-between for Elizabeth and Edward. The boy, however, managed to warn Elizabeth of what was afoot, which prompted the Lord Chamberlain, brushing aside the protests of the agonised father, to insist on the boy’s permanent banishment from home. (60 / 60 words)
Growing angry, Mary’s Lord Chamberlain had the Lieutenant of the Tower summon the boy’s father and demand that he no longer play go-between for Elizabeth and Edward. The boy, however, managed to warn Elizabeth of what was afoot, which prompted the Lord Chamberlain, brushing aside the protests of the agonised father, to insist on the boy’s permanent banishment from home.
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, besides, just, or, since, until, whereas, 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 Child. Go. Which.
2 Ask. Discretion. Quoth.
3 Chamber. Further. There.
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.)
Subject and Object Find in Think and Speak
Use each word below in two sentences, first as the subject of a verb, and then as the object of a verb. It doesn’t have to be the same verb: some verbs can’t be paired with an object (e.g. arrive, happen), so watch out for these.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1. Apple. 2. Will. 3. Command. 4. Make. 5. Let. 6. Year. 7. Boy. 8. Understanding. 9. Head.
Variations: 1.use your noun in the plural (e.g. cat → cats), if possible. 2.give one of your sentences a future aspect (e.g. will, going to). 3.write sentences using negatives such as not, neither, nobody and never.
Statements, Questions and Commands Find in Think and Speak
Use each word below in a sentence. Try to include at least one statement, one question and one command among your sentences. Note that some verbs make awkward or meaningless words of command, e.g. need, happen.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Let. 2 Call. 3 Marry. 4 Command. 5 Resort. 6 Use. 7 Bring. 8 Garden. 9 Ask.
Variations: 1. use a minimum of seven words for each sentence 2. include negatives, e.g. isn’t, don’t, never 3. use the words ‘must’ to make commands 4. compose a short dialogue containing all three kinds of sentence: one statement, one question and one command
Add Vowels Find in Think and Speak
Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.
tb (5+2)
tab. taboo. tub. tuba. tube.
tibia. tibiae.
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