Introduction
In 1450, King Henry VI was embroiled in the Hundred Years’ War with France. He was losing the war, and everyone knew it; but his noblemen were making a lot of money out of trampling on the rights of Englishmen in the war’s name. Kent was especially hard hit, and late that May Jack Cade emerged as the leader of the county’s discontent. This was how Charles Dickens told his story.
THERE now arose in Kent an Irishman, who gave himself the name of Mortimer,* but whose real name was Jack Cade. Jack, in imitation of Wat Tyler,* though he was a very different and inferior sort of man, addressed the Kentish men upon their wrongs, occasioned by the bad government of England, among so many battledores and such a poor shuttlecock;* and the Kentish men rose up to the number of twenty thousand. Their place of assembly was Blackheath,* where, headed by Jack, they put forth two papers, which they called ‘The Complaint of the Commons of Kent,’* and ‘The Requests of the Captain of the Great Assembly in Kent.’ They then retired to Sevenoaks. The royal army coming up with them here, they beat it and killed their general. Then, Jack dressed himself in the dead general’s armour, and led his men to London.
Jack passed into the City from Southwark, over the bridge, and entered it in triumph, giving the strictest orders to his men not to plunder. Having made a show of his forces there, while the citizens looked on quietly, he went back into Southwark in good order, and passed the night.
* Cade traced his claim to the throne to Edmund Mortimer (?-1425), 5th Earl of March. Mortimer backed Henry IV in his claim to the throne even though his own claim was technically better.
* Wat Tyler led the Peasants’ Revolt in 1381, in the early days of the reign of Richard II. See The Peasants’ Revolt. Dickens portrays Tyler as a man of honour, a dutiful father who was drawn into rebellion by force of circumstance.
* Battledore and shuttlecock is a cousin to the game of badminton, played with rackets (battledores) and a shuttlecock (a feathered ball). Dickens uses the analogy to indicate a weak king, the shuttlecock Henry VI, being batted about by powerful nobleman battledores. One of Cade’s grievances was that the King had surrounded himself with unworthy counsellors who were not the established aristocracy, and named Richard Duke of York as one man who should not have been cold-shouldered by the King. See also One Hand on the Throne.
* According to historian John Stow (1525-1605), this was on July 3rd, 1450.
* For the text, see Mediaeval Sourcebook.
Précis
In the summer of 1450, Jack Cade led a march from Kent to London. The protesters gathered at Blackheath outside the capital to declare their grievances, and then withdrew to Sevenoaks. There the King’s troops confronted them, but the rebels had the victory. After a triumphant visit to the City across the Thames, they returned to Southwark for the night. (60 / 60 words)
In the summer of 1450, Jack Cade led a march from Kent to London. The protesters gathered at Blackheath outside the capital to declare their grievances, and then withdrew to Sevenoaks. There the King’s troops confronted them, but the rebels had the victory. After a triumphant visit to the City across the Thames, they returned to Southwark for the night.
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, because, besides, if, not, or, ought, until.
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.
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