Introduction
Hild or Hilda was a seventh-century Northumbrian princess who at the age of thirty-three became a nun. Taught by St Aidan, she was one of the early English Church’s most respected figures and was given the care of a monastery for men and women at Hartlepool, moving to Whitby in about 657. There she trained clergy to preach the gospel and lead church services for Christians all over the kingdoms of the English.
WHEN she had for some years governed this monastery [Hartlepool],* wholly intent upon establishing a regular life, it happened that she also undertook either to build or to arrange a monastery in the place called Streaneshalch [Whitby], which work she industriously performed; for she put this monastery under the same regular discipline as she had done the former; and taught there the strict observance of justice, piety, chastity, and other virtues, and particularly of peace and charity; so that, after the example of the primitive church, no person was there rich, and none poor, all being in common to all, and none having any property.
Her prudence was so great, that not only indifferent persons, but even kings and princes, as occasion offered, asked and received her advice; she obliged those who were under her direction to attend so much to reading of the Holy Scriptures, and to exercise themselves so much in works of justice, that many might be there found fit for ecclesiastical duties, and to serve at the altar.*
* Hild was appointed to the monastery in what is now Old Hartlepool in 649, and remained there until 657 or 658, when Aidan encouraged her to move to Whitby. The monastery at Hartlepool (for both men and women, as the monastery at Whitby was) was founded by another remarkable woman, Heiu, the first nun in Northumbria. It would appear that on her arrival Hild found the monastery somewhat lacking in daily discipline, and impressed Aidan by the way she knocked it into shape.
* Bede mentions five bishops trained at Whitby, and an unspecified number of other clergy. Another of Hild’s pupils was the elderly, shy and completely unmusical farm-hand Caedmon: see Caedmon Learns to Sing. Hild also presided — a responsibility more usually left to bishops — over one of the most important councils in the history of the English Church, the Synod of Whitby in 664. See The Synod of Whitby.
Précis
In 657, a Northumbrian princess was appointed Abbess of a new monastery at Whitby, under the guidance of St Aidan. St Bede tells us that she brought to it the same gentle efficiency she had shown earlier in Hartlepool, and soon the monastery was turning out dozens of respected clergymen, and Hild herself was giving wise counsel to princes. (59 / 60 words)
In 657, a Northumbrian princess was appointed Abbess of a new monastery at Whitby, under the guidance of St Aidan. St Bede tells us that she brought to it the same gentle efficiency she had shown earlier in Hartlepool, and soon the monastery was turning out dozens of respected clergymen, and Hild herself was giving wise counsel to princes.
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: about, because, despite, just, may, ought, whereas, whether.
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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 Ecclesiastical. Govern. Monastery.
2 Advice. Not. Prudence.
3 Ask. Charity. Poor.
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.)
Subject and Object Find in Think and Speak
Use each word below in two sentences, first as the subject of a verb, and then as the object of a verb. It doesn’t have to be the same verb: some verbs can’t be paired with an object (e.g. arrive, happen), so watch out for these.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1. Great. 2. Exercise. 3. Church. 4. Offer. 5. Discipline. 6. Being. 7. Might. 8. Common. 9. Example.
Variations: 1.use your noun in the plural (e.g. cat → cats), if possible. 2.give one of your sentences a future aspect (e.g. will, going to). 3.write sentences using negatives such as not, neither, nobody and never.
Opposites Find in Think and Speak
Suggest words or phrases that seem opposite in meaning to each of the words below. We have suggested some possible answers; see if you can find any others.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
Variations: 1.instead of opposites, suggest words of similar meaning (synonyms). 2.use a word and its opposite in the same sentence. 3.suggest any 5 opposites formed by adding -less.
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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