Introduction
At the close of the reign of Elizabeth I, historian John Stow (1525?-1605) looked back over the May Day celebrations in the time of her father Henry VIII. Those were the early, happier years (1515 by Stow’s reckoning) when Henry still rode out with his Spanish wife Catherine of Aragon, and before the country was thrown into turmoil and bloodshed by the English Reformation.
IN the month of May, namely on May-day in the morning, every man, except impediment, would walk into the sweet meadows and green woods, there to rejoice their spirits with the beauty and savour of sweet flowers, and with the harmony of birds, praising God in their kind; and for example hereof, Edward Hall hath noted,* that King Henry VIII, as in the 3rd of his reign, and divers other years, so namely, in the 7th of his reign, on May-day in the morning, with Queen Katherine his wife, accompanied with many lords and ladies, rode a-Maying from Greenwich to the high ground of Shooter’s Hill*, where, as they passed by the way, they espied a company of tall yeomen, clothed all in green, with green hoods, and bows and arrows, to the number of two hundred. One being their chieftain was called Robin Hood,* who required the king and his company to stay and see his men shoot.
* Edward Hall (?1496-1547) was a lawyer, historian and MP for Much Wenlock and Bridgnorth, who compiled a chronicle entitled The Union of the Two Noble and Illustre Families of Lancastre and Yorke (1548) (or ‘Hall’s Chronicle’) charting the Wars of the Roses and the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII. William Shakespeare turned to it as a source of material for his history plays.
* Shooter’s Hill is a district in South East London within the Royal Borough of Greenwich, and at 433 ft one of the highest points in Greater London.
* William Langland, writing around the time of Richard II (r. 1377-1399), testifies that dashing outlaw Robin Hood was already a household name. The earliest surviving ballads of his exploits date to the fifteenth century. In 1521 the Scottish historian John Major (1467-1550) assigned Robin (or Robert as he named him) to the days of Richard I (r. 1189-1199). For his opinion of Robin, see A Prince Among Thieves.
Précis
Elizabethan historian John Stow tells us that one May Day early in Henry VIII’s reign, the King and Catherine his queen were out riding when they were waylaid by a party claiming to be Robin Hood and two hundred of his merry men. Robin insisted that the royal company halt, and watch a demonstration of superior archery. (57 / 60 words)
Elizabethan historian John Stow tells us that one May Day early in Henry VIII’s reign, the King and Catherine his queen were out riding when they were waylaid by a party claiming to be Robin Hood and two hundred of his merry men. Robin insisted that the royal company halt, and watch a demonstration of superior archery.
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: about, because, despite, may, otherwise, ought, since, whether.
Word Games
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.
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.
