OF which proposition of his I approving, we (that is to say, Careless and I) went, and carried up with us some victuals for the whole day — viz. bread, cheese, small beer, and nothing else, and got up into a great oak that had been lopt some three or four years before, and being grown out again, very bushy and thick, could not be seen through, and here we staid all the day.* I having, in the mean time, sent Penderell’s brother to Mr Pitchcroft’s, to know whether my Lord Wilmot was there or no, and had word brought me by him at night that my lord was there, that there was a very secure hiding hole in Mr Pitchcroft’s house, and that he desired me to come thither to him. Memorandum,* That while we were in this tree we see soldiers going up and down, in the thicket of the wood, searching for persons escaped, we seeing them now and then peeping out of the wood.*
* Latin for ‘it ought to be remembered’.
* This was September 6th, 1651. On May 30th, 1660, the day after the King’s restoration, Parliament resolved “That the Lords be desired to join with this House, in beseeching the King’s Majesty, to appoint a Day to be set apart for publick Thanksgiving to God, throughout this Realm, for the great Blessing and Mercy God hath vouchsafed to the People of these Kingdoms, after their manifold and grievous Sufferings, in the happy Restoration of his Majesty to his People and Kingdoms.” May 29th was chosen, and quickly became known as Royal Oak Day or Oak Apple Day in commemoration of the stirring events at Boscobel House. It ceased to be an official Public Holiday in 1859.
* Even Charles Dickens, who did not like the Stuarts, admitted that Charles’s flight made a gripping tale. “The escape of Charles after this battle of Worcester did him good service long afterwards,” he told his children, “for it induced many of the generous English people to take a romantic interest in him, and to think much better of him than he ever deserved.” Dickens disapproved of his namesake’s autocratic policies (many a president of a ‘democratic republic’ has since been far worse) but he knew a good story when he heard it.
Précis
Careless supplied the King with bread, cheese and small beer, and the two men clambered up into the oak tree to wait there until nightfall. As it was not quite autumn, the oak was in full leaf, and screened them well; they however could see Cromwell’s men beating the neighbouring wood in the search for survivors of the battle. (59 / 60 words)
Careless supplied the King with bread, cheese and small beer, and the two men clambered up into the oak tree to wait there until nightfall. As it was not quite autumn, the oak was in full leaf, and screened them well; they however could see Cromwell’s men beating the neighbouring wood in the search for survivors of the battle.
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: because, despite, if, must, otherwise, unless, whether, who.
About the Authors
Samuel Pepys (1633-1703) studied at St Paul’s School in London, and at Magdalene College, Cambridge, graduating in 1653. He married Elizabeth St Michel (1640-1669) two years later, and the couple at first relied on the hospitality of Samuel’s cousin Sir Edward Montagu (later Earl of Sandwich). Sir Edward brought Samuel into Naval administration, and after Pepys had escorted Charles II home across the Channel to his Restoration in 1660 he was appointed Clerk of the Acts at the Navy Office, work in which he excelled. Promoted Secretary to the Navy in 1673, he also served as a magistrate and as MP for Castle Rising and later Harwich; but in 1679 Pepys was relieved of his Navy post and briefly remanded to the Tower on suspicion of Popery. He was reappointed in 1684 but retired in 1690 after more charges were laid, following the Glorious Revolution. Pepys is best known today for his diary, which he began on January 1st 1660 and kept up until May 31st, 1669, when his eyesight began to fail.
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 Ask. Tell. Wood.
2 Make. Then. Thick.
3 Mean. Out. Send.
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.)
High Tiles Find in Think and Speak
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
Your Words ()
You are welcome to share your creativity with me, or ask for help with any of the exercises on Clay Lane. Write to me at this address:
See more at Email Support.
If you like what I’m doing here on Clay Lane, from time to time you could buy me a coffee.
Buy Me a Coffee is a crowdfunding website, used by over a million people. It is designed to help content creators like me make a living from their work. ‘Buy Me a Coffee’ prides itself on its security, and there is no need to register.
