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‘Ah! Freedom is a Noble Thing’
A bridal crown made by G. Hagstrom in 1797, kept today at the Nordiska Museet in Stockholm. Barbour, who was Archdeacon of Aberdeen and well versed in matters of theology, let it be known that for him a King’s first and sacred duty was to his people; whatever treaties, alliances or fealties he may take upon himself in law, they must come second to this holy bond — and ideally, he will not burden himself with them at all.
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A bridal crown made by G. Hagstrom in 1797, kept today at the Nordiska Museet in Stockholm. Barbour, who was Archdeacon of Aberdeen and well versed in matters of theology, let it be known that for him a King’s first and sacred duty was to his people; whatever treaties, alliances or fealties he may take upon himself in law, they must come second to this holy bond — and ideally, he will not burden himself with them at all.
CLERKS may question,* when they fall into debate, whether, if a man bid his thrall do aught, and at the same time the thrall’s wife come to him and demand her due, he should leave undone his lord’s behest, and first pay his debt, and afterwards fulfil his lord’s command, or leave his wife unpaid, and do what he is ordered. I leave the solution to them of more renown. But since they make such comparison between the duties of marriage and a lord’s bidding to his thrall, ye may see verily, though none tell you, how hard a thing this thraldom is. For wise men know well that marriage is the strongest bond that any man can undertake.*
But thraldom is far worse than death. As long as a thrall lives it mars him, body and bones, while death troubles him but once.
* Barbour was Archdeacon of the Kirk of St Machar in Aberdeen, and himself a clerk of audit to the Royal Household.
* Barbour’s argument is that if a serf owes a duty to his lord akin to the marriage bond, a married serf is in a terrible position because he must decide whether his first duty is to his lord or to his wife. John Balliol was on the horns of the same dilemma: whether his first duty was to his master Edward I, or to his wife the Scottish people. For Barbour, no King or State should ever drift into such a conflict of loyalties. Scotland’s king must be sovereign, and not subject to a foreign lord. (Barbour’s argument is a little blurred today because ever since Scotsman James VI became James I of England in 1603, the King of Scotland and the King of England has been the same person; a closer modern parallel might be Scotland’s relationship with the European Union.)
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.
Barbour noted how some lawyers equated duties to a feudal lord with the duties of marriage. But what about a married serf: where does his first loyalty lie? Barbour said a Scottish king under English lordship had a similar conflict of loyalties, one so intolerable and so insoluble that his condition was worse than death itself. (56 / 60 words)
Barbour noted how some lawyers equated duties to a feudal lord with the duties of marriage. But what about a married serf: where does his first loyalty lie? Barbour said a Scottish king under English lordship had a similar conflict of loyalties, one so intolerable and so insoluble that his condition was worse than death itself.
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: although, if, must, not, otherwise, unless, until, whether.
Sevens Based on this passage
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Variations: 1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words. 2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words. 3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
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 Afterward. Else. Lord.
2 Can. Come. His.
3 Order. They. You.
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.)
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.
wry (4)
awry. wary. weary. wiry.
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