THEN those wicked men bound Edmund, and shamefully insulted him, and beat him with clubs, and afterwards they led the faithful king to an earth-fast tree, and tied him thereto with hard bonds, and afterwards scourged him a long while with whips, and ever he called, between the blows, with true faith, on Jesus Christ; and then the heathen were madly angry, because he called upon Christ to help him. They shot at him with javelins as if for their amusement, until he was all beset with their shots as with a porcupine’s bristles, even as Sebastian was.*
When Hingwar, the wicked seaman, saw that the noble king would not deny Christ, but with steadfast faith ever called upon Him, then he commanded men to behead him. While he was yet calling upon Christ, the heathen with one blow struck off his head; and his soul departed joyfully to Christ. There was a certain man at hand, kept by God hidden from the heathen, who heard all this, and told it afterward even as we tell it here.
Abridged
St Sebastian (?256-?288), a Roman soldier, was martyred during the persecutions passed into law under Emperor Diocletian (r. 284-305). According to the tradition, he was tied to a tree, shot many times over with arrows and left for dead. With the help of St Irene he recovered from his wounds, but after accosting the Emperor and denouncing his policy to his face Sebastian was rearrested and beaten to death.
Précis
The pagan Vikings subjected Edmund to cruel tortures and humiliations. When he received them calmly, always proclaiming his loyalty to Christ, they tied him to a tree and made a sport of throwing javelins at him. When Edmund still remained faithful, they gave up and beheaded him. All this was witnessed, and subsequently written down for posterity. (57 / 60 words)
The pagan Vikings subjected Edmund to cruel tortures and humiliations. When he received them calmly, always proclaiming his loyalty to Christ, they tied him to a tree and made a sport of throwing javelins at him. When Edmund still remained faithful, they gave up and beheaded him. All this was witnessed, and subsequently written down for posterity.
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, just, not, otherwise, unless, until, whereas.
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 Afterward. Despise. Insult.
2 Head. Here. Man.
3 All. Beat. Give.
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.
vl (11+5)
avail. evil. oval. vale. value. veal. veil. vial. vile. viola. vole.
ovule. uvula. viol. voila. voile.
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