SIR George Bowes and his brother Mr Robert being driven by an hard siege, and wanting provision, yielded the castle, and they and the soldiers were dismissed, carrying their arms with them as it was covenanted. Upon the first news of the fears, which the Earl of Sussex brought against them, the Earls fled to Hexham, from thence seeking byways to Naworth Castle.* Whence the two Earls fled into Scotland, the Earl of Northumberland hid himself in the house of Hector of Harlaw an Armstrong,* having confidence in him that he would be true to him, who notwithstanding for money betrayed him to the Regent of Scotland.*
It was observed that Hector being before a rich man, fell poor of a sudden, and so hated generally that he never durst go abroad, insomuch, that the Proverb to take Hector’s cloak, is continued to this day among them, when they would express a man that betrayeth his friend who trusted him.*
* Naworth Castle near Brampton in Cumbria, a few miles east of Carlisle. The castle had been the seat of the Dacre family but at the time of the Rising it was in the possession of Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk, whose late wife Elizabeth was a Dacre. Norfolk was a Catholic and under lingering suspicion, so it required a payment of £10,000 to establish title to the estates, handed over in 1601.
* Hector ‘Eckie’ Graham, a member of the powerful Armstrong family, was a freebooter (a mercenary or outlaw) living in the Scottish Borders at Har(e)law Tower, some ten miles northwest of Gretna. Because those living on the English-Scottish border were legally required to pay for its defence, the ‘Debatable Lands’ around it were wild and uninhabited except by those who took no responsibility and recognised no governments.
* James Stuart, 1st Earl of Moray, acted as Regent for his nephew King James VI of Scotland from 1567 to 1570. King James (1566-1625), son of the deposed and banished Mary Queen of Scots, was three when the Rising began in September 1569. The price of the betrayal was £2,000. Percy was taken into custody by James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton (?1516-1581) and handed over to the Regent, who in turn handed him on to Elizabeth’s cousin Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon (1526-1596). Percy was executed at York on August 22nd, 1572. Westmorland escaped to the Continent.
* The locals might well hold Hector’s betrayal in contempt, given the price they paid for loyalty. Sussex and Bowes proceeded to round up sympathisers from among the ordinary people of the Northeast, and publicly hanged them. Bowes liked to boast that from Newcastle to Wetherby, sixty by forty miles, there was not a village but he had hanged a man there. Sixty-three constables were hanged on one day in Durham.
Précis
Although the rebels gained Barnard Castle, news of approaching forces loyal to the Queen persuaded the two earls to abandon their campaign. Northumberland sought refuge with Hector of Harlaw, whom he thought an ally, but Hector betrayed him to his enemies. Ever after, locals said that a man who betrayed his friend had ‘taken Hector’s cloak.’ (56 / 60 words)
Although the rebels gained Barnard Castle, news of approaching forces loyal to the Queen persuaded the two earls to abandon their campaign. Northumberland sought refuge with Hector of Harlaw, whom he thought an ally, but Hector betrayed him to his enemies. Ever after, locals said that a man who betrayed his friend had ‘taken Hector’s cloak.’
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: about, although, because, despite, if, not, or, since.
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 Fell. Issue. March.
2 Arm. Come. Man.
3 Deliverance. Go. Priest.
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. Queen. 2. Priest. 3. House. 4. Turn. 5. Hearing. 6. World. 7. Issue. 8. Arm. 9. Set.
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.
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.
gns (10+5)
agonies. agonise. gains. genes. genies. genius. genus. gins. guineas. guns.
gens. gnus. goons. igneous. iguanas.
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