Notwithstanding that the King, the Night before the Battle, was in a Dream admonished, that in no wise he should attempt to violate the Church goods of St Cuthbert, or any Thing pertaining to that holy Saint, which he did most presumptuously disdain, destroying as much as he could of the said Goods and Lands belonging to St Cuthbert. He was not only punished by God Almighty in his own Captivity, being taken in the Field of Battle, and sore wounded, having first valiantly fought; but there was also taken with him four Earls, two Lords, the Archbishop of St Andrews, one other Bishop, one Knight, with many others: And in the Battle were slain seven Earls of Scotland, besides many Lords, and fifteen thousand Scotsmen; as also by the Loss of the said Cross, and many other most excellent Jewels and Monuments which were brought from Scotland, and other Noblemen’s Banners, which were all offered to the Shrine of St Cuthbert, for the beautifying and adorning thereof; together with the Black Rood of Scotland (so termed), with Mary and John; made of Silver, being as it were smoaked all over; which was set up in the Pillar next St Cuthbert’s Shrine, in the South Alley.*
Abridged
From ‘The Ancient Rites of Durham’ (1672), edited by John Davies (1623-1693). The original text can be read in ‘Rites of Durham’, originally written in 1593, edited by Joseph Thomas Fowler (1833-1924) and published in 1903 by the Surtees Society (vol. CVII, for 1902).
* The Black Rood remained there until the sixteenth century, when Henry VIII’s government assayers, backed by theologians in keeping with Modern Thought, came to the cathedral and took away everything of monetary value, in this case meaning the silver casket, and burned everything else, meaning the relic within. They tried the same trick with the coffin of St Cuthbert: see Cvthbertvs. The cross vanished from history — unless it is wherever the still-uncorrupted body of St Cuthbert lies.
Précis
David II wore the miraculous relic during the battle; but it brought him no help, for he was defying (said the Rites) the message of a dream the previous night, warning him not to disturb the lands of St Cuthbert. Not was he captured, but he lost the cross, which was added to the treasures of St Cuthbert’s shrine. (59 / 60 words)
David II wore the miraculous relic during the battle; but it brought him no help, for he was defying (said the Rites) the message of a dream the previous night, warning him not to disturb the lands of St Cuthbert. Not was he captured, but he lost the cross, which was added to the treasures of St Cuthbert’s shrine.
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: despite, if, ought, since, unless, until, whereas, whether.
Archive
Word Games
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 Almighty. Up. Wind.
2 Away. Common. Wise.
3 Fierce. Presumptuous. Wood.
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.
lngs (5+1)
lineages. longs. lounges. lunges. lungs.
lingos.
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