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The Great Brassey Keeps his Word
Former Luxembourg railways CFL Class 200 No. 211 at Olloy-sur-Viroin.
The railway station as Olloy-sur-Viroin in Belgium, the town where the events in Samuel Smiles’s little anecdote took place. This section of the Sambre and Meuse is no longer operated by Belgium’s national network, but it is still in use as part of the Chemin de fer à vapeur des 3 vallées (Mariembourg-Treignes), a preserved line running steam and other vintage traction such as the diesel railcar shown here, CFL 211, built in 1956.
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The railway station as Olloy-sur-Viroin in Belgium, the town where the events in Samuel Smiles’s little anecdote took place. This section of the Sambre and Meuse is no longer operated by Belgium’s national network, but it is still in use as part of the Chemin de fer à vapeur des 3 vallées (Mariembourg-Treignes), a preserved line running steam and other vintage traction such as the diesel railcar shown here, CFL 211, built in 1956.
“No, indeed, I don’t [replied Brassey]; I supposed he was complimenting me in some way, or thanking me for something.”
“He was complimenting you, sir, to some tune,* and asking, as a souvenir of his happy engagement under the Great Brassey, that you would of your goodness make him a present of the shop, iron, tools, and all belonging!”
“Did he, though! I did not understand that.”
“No sir, but you kept on saying, ‘Oui, oui, oui,’ and the fellow’s delighted, as he well may be, they’re worth £50 or £60.”*
“Oh, but I didn’t mean that, I didn’t mean that. Well, never mind, if I said it, he must have them.”
It must be borne in mind, that at that time, at best, Mr Brassey knew very little French, and his staff were well aware of the fact.
From The Life of George Stephenson and of His Son Robert Stephenson (1868) by Samuel Smiles (1812-1904).
* A phrase meaning ‘extravagantly, to a remarkable degree’.
* According to the Measuring Worth website, £50 in 1854 would be equivalent to almost £5,000 today. This would have to be paid out of Brassey’s own pocket.
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.
Brassey’s assistants told him that the blacksmith had not only been singing his praises, he had been asking him to make him a present of the railway’s forge, stock, tools and all, worth a tidy sum. Brassey was taken aback, but declared that he had given his word and was obliged to keep his promise. (55 / 60 words)
Brassey’s assistants told him that the blacksmith had not only been singing his praises, he had been asking him to make him a present of the railway’s forge, stock, tools and all, worth a tidy sum. Brassey was taken aback, but declared that he had given his word and was obliged to keep his promise.
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, must, or, otherwise, since, whereas, whether, who.
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 Bear. Little. May.
2 Anxious. Mean. Present.
3 Express. Fact. Something.
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 Cut. 2 Iron. 3 Make. 4 Suppose. 5 Stand. 6 Bear. 7 Keep. 8 Shop. 9 Tune.
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
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.
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 in-.
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.
mt (12+3)
emit. mat. mate. meat. meet. met. mete. mite. moat. moot. mute. omit.
emeute. emote. mote.
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