And we, with Christian belief and faithfulness, and according to your honourable request and my honourable commandment will not leave it undone, and are furthermore willing that you send unto us your ships and vessels, when, and as often as they may have passage, with good assurance on our part to see them harmless. And if you send one of your Majesty’s council to treat with us, whereby your country merchants may with all kinds of wares, and where they will, make their market in our dominions, they shall have their free mart with all free liberties through my whole dominions with all kinds of wares, to come and go at their pleasure, without any let, damage, or impediment, according to this our letter, our word, and our seal, which we have commanded to be under-sealed.*
Written in our dominion in our town and in our palace in the Castle of Moscow, in the year seven thousand and sixty, the second month of February.*
Original spelling.
* “Thus, in spite of the jealousy of Germans, Poles, and Swedes,” wrote Henrietta Marshall (1867-1941) in her Short Sketch of European History (1920), “‘a window was opened into Europe’”, the long-cherished desire of Tsar Ivan. “Had it not been for this jealousy Russia would have developed much faster than it did. But all these nations feared lest Russia should become powerful, and did their best to shut her out from the commerce, the learning, the industries, and the weapons of warfare of western Europe. It is even said that the king of Sweden threatened with death the English sailors and adventurers who tried to trade with Russia.”
* This was written in February 1554, the month before Sir Richard Chancellor set out for England. Until 1700, the Russian government followed the convention of the Greek Church and counted the years ‘Anno Mundi’, in the year of the world, i.e. from creation, supposedly 5509 years before the birth of Christ. On this basis, the year AD 1554 was AM 7062, not AM 7060. The discrepancy was not Ivan’s fault. In another copy, the letter ends “In the yere 7042 the monethe of februarye”, a different error from which we may nevertheless gather that what Ivan wrote in Russian was to be translated “in the year 7062 the month of February”.
Précis
Ivan promised that the English would conduct their business free from irksome taxes, and under his royal protection. He then suggested that Edward send a trade minister to Moscow, to discuss the products the English wanted to trade in, and where they wanted to go. The Tsar ended with his State seal and the date, given in the Russian style. (60 / 60 words)
Ivan promised that the English would conduct their business free from irksome taxes, and under his royal protection. He then suggested that Edward send a trade minister to Moscow, to discuss the products the English wanted to trade in, and where they wanted to go. The Tsar ended with his State seal and the date, given in the Russian style.
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: although, besides, despite, if, just, may, must, until.
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 Answer. Have. Into.
2 According. Let. You.
3 Can. Furthermore. Palace.
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 ()
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