Introduction
In December 1192, Richard I was arrested in Vienna and imprisoned at Dürnstein in lower Austria near the Danube, on the orders of his former ally in the Third Crusade, Leopold of Austria. According to legend, his place of captivity was a closely guarded secret but one man was determined to uncover it.
IT was no part of Richard’s character to be, like his rival Philip, a hater of music or minstrelsy. On the contrary, he often practised the arts of song and music himself.
Blondel de Nesle,* a favourite minstrel, who had attended his person, devoted himself to discover the place of his confinement. He wandered in vain, from castle to palace, till he learned that a strong and almost inaccessible fortress, upon the Danube, was watched with peculiar strictness, as containing some state prisoner of distinction.*
The minstrel took his harp, and approaching as near the castle as he durst, came so nigh the walls as to hear the melancholy captive soothing his imprisonment with music.* Blondel touched his harp; the prisoner heard and was silent: upon this the minstrel played the first part of a tune, or lay, known to the captive, who instantly played the second part; and thus the faithful servant obtained the certainty that the inmate of the castle was no other than his royal master.
Either Jean I of Nesle (?1155–1202) or his son, Jean II of Nesle (?-1241). Identifying him with the father, who was Lord of Nesle from 1180 to 1202 and went on the Third Crusade as Richard did, fits in better with the legend.
Richard is known to have composed a song during his captivity, Ja nuns hons pris, which can be heard below.
De Nesle found Richard at Leopold of Austria’s castle in Dürnstein, Austria, where he was kept following capture in December 1192. Henry VI, the Holy Roman Emperor, then had Richard moved to Trifels in Germany at the end of March 1193. By this time secrecy was a thing of the past: Richard was tried for various alleged crimes, and an exorbitant ransom demand of 100,000 marks was made.
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Précis
Sir Walter Scott told the tale of Blondel de Nesle, the minstrel and friend of King Richard I, who learnt of Richard’s kidnap by Leopold of Austria and determined to find him. Blondel found a likely prison, and began to sing one of Richard’s favourite tunes outside. When someone inside joined in, he knew he had found his friend. (59 / 60 words)
Sir Walter Scott told the tale of Blondel de Nesle, the minstrel and friend of King Richard I, who learnt of Richard’s kidnap by Leopold of Austria and determined to find him. Blondel found a likely prison, and began to sing one of Richard’s favourite tunes outside. When someone inside joined in, he knew he had found his friend.
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, just, not, or, otherwise, since, unless, until.
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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.
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 Faith. No. Vain.
2 Contain. Fortress. Have.
3 Know. Person. Place.
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 Part. 2 Touch. 3 Attend. 4 Contain. 5 Tune. 6 Discover. 7 Till. 8 Play. 9 Lie.
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
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?
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