This is the view west down what was once the nave of Shaftesbury Abbey in Wiltshire. The photographer is standing with his back to the stone cross which marks the position of the High Altar. The large stone monument in the foreground is a cenotaph dedicated to the memory of King Edward the Martyr. His remains were interred at the Abbey about a year after his assassination on March 18th, 978 — the feast of the translation of his relics is kept on February 13th — but they were hastily removed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the sixteenth century. Remains uncovered in 1931 were identified as Edward’s and are now in the care of the Russian Orthodox Church at Brookwood Cemetery in Woking.
FOR such a celestial light was shed on the place, that even with its beams the lame were enabled to walk, the blind to see, and the dumb to speak, and all who laboured under any infirmity were healed.* Multitudes from all parts of the kingdom resorted to the martyr’s tomb, and among the rest his murderess took her journey thither. Having mounted her horse she urged him to go forward, when lo! he who before out-stripped the winds and was full of ardour to bear his mistress, now by the will of God stood immovable, nor could her attendants move him at all with their shouts and blows. Their labour was still in vain when another horse was put in his place.
On this, Ælfthryth, seeing God’s miracle, became exceedingly penitent, insomuch that for many years her flesh, which she had nourished in delicacy, she mortified with hair-cloth at Wherwell,* sleeping on the ground, and afflicting her body with all manner of sufferings. Elfery also, whom we have mentioned before as having destroyed the monasteries of the monks,* bitterly repenting of his fault, removed the king’s sacred body from that mean place, and interred it with due honour at Shaftesbury.*
From ‘Flowers of History’ Vol. 1 by Roger of Wendover (?-1236), translated (1849) by J. A. Giles. Some names have been modernised.
* Edward and his backers stood firmly behind St Dunstan’s renewal of the country’s Benedictine monasteries, a policy supported by his late father Edgar. Ælfthryth and her party were determined to dissolve the monasteries, and use them as communities for married clergy and their families. Monasticism had been such an important part of the Christian religion since the fourth century (and voluntary celibacy long before that) that his assassination earned Edward honour as a martyr for the Christian faith. His feast is kept on the date of his death, March 18th.
* Wherwell is a village on the River Test in Hampshire, some nine miles northwest of Winchester. An Abbey was founded there in 986 by Ælfthryth, and she retired there in repentance for her part in Edward’s death and also for her campaign against monasteries. She died there on November 17th, 1002, and was buried at the Abbey. The assassination of Edward and its unintended consequences foreshadowed an even more famous case, The Assassination of Thomas Becket.
* Elfery had masterminded the dissolution of monasteries in the province of Mercia, many of them recently re-established by St Æthelwold, Bishop of Winchester. It was this campaign that had led to the eventful Synod of Calne in 975: see Dunstan’s Deliverance.
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
However, rumours soon spread of miracles at Edward’s humble grave. Ælfthryth felt obliged to visit too, but no horse would carry her there. Conscience-stricken, she completely reversed her former policy (which she had pursued in defiance of Edward) of suppressing England’s monasteries, retired to a convent herself, and let Edward be buried in honour at Shaftesbury Abbey. (57 / 60 words)
However, rumours soon spread of miracles at Edward’s humble grave. Ælfthryth felt obliged to visit too, but no horse would carry her there. Conscience-stricken, she completely reversed her former policy (which she had pursued in defiance of Edward) of suppressing England’s monasteries, retired to a convent herself, and let Edward be buried in honour at Shaftesbury Abbey.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 60 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 50 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: besides, if, must, or, ought, unless, until, whereas.
Archive
Word Games
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 Grind. Stand. Woman.
2 Enable. Light. One.
3 Come. Part. Quest.
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.)
Opposites Find in Think and Speak
Suggest words or phrases that seem opposite in meaning to each of the words below. We have suggested some possible answers; see if you can find any others.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1.
Blind.
2.
Come.
3.
Enable.
4.
Find.
5.
Grace.
6.
Honour.
7.
Restless.
8.
Take.
9.
Urge.
Variations: 1.instead of opposites, suggest words of similar meaning (synonyms). 2.use a word and its opposite in the same sentence. 3.suggest any 5 opposites formed by adding im-.
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.
mtd (5+1)
mated. meted. moated. mooted. muted.
emoted.
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