Introduction
The Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 forbade Philip V of Spain, grandson of Louis XIV of France, to claim the French throne. But his chief minister, Italian cardinal Giulio Alberoni, egged him on, triggering the ‘War of the Quadruple Alliance’.
WHEN Philip V of Spain, in preparation for his larger assault on France, annexed the islands of Sicily and Sardinia, a British fleet led by Sir George Byng upset his plans by defeating him at the Battle of Cape Passaro on 11th August, 1718.
Smarting at London’s intervention, the following year Philip despatched an armada commanded by an Irish exile, the Duke of Ormonde, to Scotland’s west coast. His aim was to install a friendlier King than George I in the form of the ‘Old Pretender’, James Stuart, whose father James II had unwillingly abdicated in 1688.
However, a storm prevented Ormonde’s fleet reaching the British Isles. A second, smaller force of Jacobites and Spanish marines was defeated at Glen Shiel on June 10th, 1719, after the Royal Navy destroyed their ammunition, stored in the castle on Eilean Donan.*
Britain replied by capturing the Spanish town of Vigo in October, and Philip finally abandoned his ambitions, signing the Treaty of The Hague on 17th February 1720.
‘Jacobites’ is the term for followers of the Old Pretender, James Stuart, from the Latin for James, Jacobus. His own rebellion had failed in 1715; his son Charles (‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’) rebelled again in 1745 against George II, and was defeated.
Précis
King Philip of Spain’s claim to the French throne set off the War of the Quadruple Alliance in 1714, dragging Britain in by threatening the Mediterranean. He attempted to replace George I with James Stuart, the ‘Old Pretender’, but Philip’s armada went astray in a storm, and a small Jacobite-Spanish force was defeated at Glen Shiel in the Scottish Highlands. (60 / 60 words)
King Philip of Spain’s claim to the French throne set off the War of the Quadruple Alliance in 1714, dragging Britain in by threatening the Mediterranean. He attempted to replace George I with James Stuart, the ‘Old Pretender’, but Philip’s armada went astray in a storm, and a small Jacobite-Spanish force was defeated at Glen Shiel in the Scottish Highlands.
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, if, just, must, not, ought, since.
Archive
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.
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 Command. However. West.
2 Armada. Destroy. Force.
3 Aim. Assault. Dispatch.
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.)
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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