Sir Walter Raleigh in 1598, in a painting attributed to William Segar (1564–1633). The map behind him shows Cadiz in Spain, a reference to the Cadiz Expedition of 1596 which Raleigh led. Nine years after Sir Francis Drake’s famous raid on Cadiz, which history now remembers as ‘the singeing of the King of Spain’s beard’, Sir Walter took another fleet to Spain and dealt Philip II of Spain (r. 1556–1598) another smarting blow from which his campaign to claim England for himself (by right of his late wife Queen Mary I of England) never recovered.
Introduction
Walter Raleigh was not always popular in England, as in John Aubrey’s phrase he was ‘damnable proud’, but his gracious demeanour in the weeks preceding his execution in 1618 changed that. One of the best-loved tales of Sir Walter goes back to the early 1580s, when he was still a relative unknown at court with little more than the clothes on his back — though they were all he needed.
HE was born at Budley in this county,* of an ancient family, but decayed in estate, and he the youngest brother thereof. He was bred in Oriel College in Oxford; and thence coming to court, found some hopes of the queen’s favours reflecting upon him. This made him write in a glass window, obvious to the queen’s eye,
Fain would I climb,
yet fear I to fall.
Her majesty, either espying or being shown it, did underwrite,
If thy heart fails thee,
climb not at all.
However he at last climbed up by the stairs of his own desert.
But his introduction into the court bare an elder date from this occasion: this captain Raleigh coming out of Ireland to the English court in good habit (his clothes being then a considerable part of his estate) found the queen walking, till, meeting with a plashy place, she seemed to scruple going thereon. Presently* Raleigh cast and spread his new plush cloak on the ground; whereon the queen trod gently, rewarding him afterwards with many suits, for his so free and seasonable tender of so fair a foot cloth. Thus an advantageous admission into the first notice of a prince is more than half a degree to preferment.
From ‘ Worthies of England’ Vol. 1 (of 3) (1662) by Thomas Fuller (1608-1661).
* Walter Raleigh (?1554-1618) was born at Hayes Barton near Budleigh Salterton, Devon.
* ‘Presently’ here means ‘at once’. Compare William Shakespeare’s Henry V Act II Scene 3, where Gower says: “Captain Fluellen, you must come presently to the mines; the Duke of Gloucester would speak with you.”
Questions for Critics
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.
Précis
Seventeenth-century historian Thomas Fuller told how Walter Raleigh had left a message on Queen Elizabeth I’s window testing her likely reception of him, and received a teasing reply beneath encouraging him to try his luck. He had already come favourably to her notice, when the well-dressed soldier sacrificed a cloak to save Elizabeth wetting her feet in a puddle. (59 / 60 words)
Seventeenth-century historian Thomas Fuller told how Walter Raleigh had left a message on Queen Elizabeth I’s window testing her likely reception of him, and received a teasing reply beneath encouraging him to try his luck. He had already come favourably to her notice, when the well-dressed soldier sacrificed a cloak to save Elizabeth wetting her feet in a puddle.
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, just, not, or, ought, unless, whether.
Archive
Word Games
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 But. Place. Thereon.
2 Considerable. County. Stair.
3 Decay. Free. Much.
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.)
Homophones Find in Think and Speak
In each group below, you will find words that sound the same, but differ in spelling and also in meaning. Compose your own sentences to bring out the differences between them.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1.
Bare.
Bear.
2.
Wood.
Would.
3.
Frees.
Freeze.
4.
Knot.
Not.
5.
Hart.
Heart.
6.
Seam.
Seem.
7.
Meat.
Meet.
8.
Desert.
Dessert.
9.
Write.
Wright.
Confusables Find in Think and Speak
In each group below, you will find words that are similar to one another, but not exactly the same. Compose your own sentences to bring out the similarities and differences between them, whether in meaning, grammar or use.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1.
At last.
Lastly.
2.
Cast.
Throw.
3.
Custom.
Habit.
4.
Me.
I.
5.
Novel.
New.
6.
Reward.
Repay.
7.
Suit.
Suite.
8.
Then.
Next.
9.
Till.
Until.
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.
sprs (11+1)
aspires. spares. spars. sparse. spears. spires. spores. sprees. spurious. spurs. supers.
spoors.
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