An early eighteenth-century icon of All Saints. It shows Jesus Christ against a golden disc, with the four evangelists (Matthew as a winged man, Mark as a lion, Luke as a bull and John as an eagle) arranged about the edge. Surrounding the disc is a band of angels and saints; St Helen holds the True Cross below, Mary is to Christ’s right and John the Baptist to his left. Above him is the Throne of Preparation, symbolising the Judgement Seat: it is apparently empty because ‘no man has seen God at any time’. Paradise is at the bottom: ‘Abraham’s bosom’, representing the place where good men are gathered after death according to Lk 16:19-31, is on the left; on the right is the Good Thief crucified next to Jesus, to whom Jesus promised that “today you will be with me in Paradise” in Lk 23:39-43.
THESE are the footsteps which all the saints, as they were returning to their Country, left behind, that, treading in their prints, we might also follow them in their joys.* Let us consider that Paradise is our country,* as well as theirs: and so we shall begin to reckon the Patriarchs as our fathers.
Why do we not, then, hasten and run, that we may behold our Country and salute our parents? A great multitude of dear ones is there expecting us: a vast and mighty crowd of parents, brothers, and children, secure now of their own safety, anxious yet for our salvation, longs that we may come to their sight and embrace — to that joy which will be common to us and to them — to that pleasure expected by our celestial fellow-servants, as well as ourselves — to that full and perpetual felicity.
Translated from the Latin of St Bede (?672-735), in ‘Mediæval preachers and mediæval preaching’ (1856) by John Mason Neale (1818-1866). Some minor emendations have been made.
See Romans 4:12, where St Paul bids us follow in the footprints of Abraham. In 1 Peter 2:21, we are bidden to follow in the footsteps of Christ, and all the disciples of Christ follow one another in these same steps in [getjvref:2 Corinthians 12:18].
See Philippians 3:20: “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ”. ‘Conversation’ is a Middle English word for what we today might call the business of daily relationships; Paul is saying that Christians should live as if they already lived in the country of heaven, adapting themselves to its culture and ways in advance.
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
Bede urged his listeners to think of themselves as citizens of heaven, living its culture as one nation with all who have gone before. He reminded them that this would include not only famous prophets and patriarchs, but also deceased family members, who even now keenly watch their progress in the race, and cheer them home to welcoming arms. (59 / 60 words)
Bede urged his listeners to think of themselves as citizens of heaven, living its culture as one nation with all who have gone before. He reminded them that this would include not only famous prophets and patriarchs, but also deceased family members, who even now keenly watch their progress in the race, and cheer them home to welcoming arms.
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: about, although, because, despite, or, ought, whereas, whether.
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 Hindrance. Might. Race.
2 All. Then. Whoever.
3 According. Neither. Safety.
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.)
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 Consider. 2 Race. 3 Rise. 4 Print. 5 Follow. 6 Leave. 7 Run. 8 Stretch. 9 Expect.
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
Verb and Noun Find in Think and Speak
Many words can serve as noun or verb depending on context: see if you can prove this with the examples below. Nouns go well with words such as the/a, or his/her; verbs go well after I/you/he etc..
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Print. 2 Snow. 3 Leave. 4 Work. 5 Race. 6 Honour. 7 Course. 8 Run. 9 Stretch.
Variations: 1.if possible, use your noun in the plural, e.g. cat → cats. 2.use your verb in a past form, e.g. go → went. 3.use your noun in a sentence with one of these words: any, enough, fewer, less, no, some.
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.
bll (5+1)
ball. bell. belle. bill. bull.
boll.
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