Introduction
Bishop John of Hexham (?-721) is better known today as St John of Beverley, as he had been Abbot of the monastery in Beverley, North Yorkshire, before being elevated to the See of Hexham. His contemporary Bede was a great admirer, and told this story of him.
DURING the Lenten fast, Bishop John and his monks used to retire to a cottage in woodland across the Tyne, beside a graveyard dedicated to the Archangel Michael.* One year, John persuaded a young lad to stay with them whose head was all scabs and scales and sorry wisps of hair, and who had never been able to speak a word.
At the end of the first week, John called the boy in, and made him put his tongue out. The bishop traced the sign of the cross over it, and ordered him to say ‘Yes’ – which he did. John then had him repeat the alphabet, some words, and finally some whole sentences; but soon the lad was talking without any help – non-stop, for a day and a night, until he fell asleep from exhaustion.
Under John’s direction, the local doctor cured the scabs and scales, and the hair grew luxuriantly back; and that silent, disfigured boy went home a very chatty, confident young man.
On St Michael the Archangel, see also Michaelmas and St Wilfrid’s Debt. Bede’s authority for the miracle was Berthun, Bishop John’s former chaplain and his successor as Abbot of Beverley.
Précis
In the early eighth century, Bishop John of Hexham invited a mute and sickly boy to join his monks on a Lenten retreat. During the fast, John made the sign of the cross on the boy’s tongue, and coached him in basic words until he spoke fluently by himself. John also helped the local doctor cure the boy’s physical ailments. (60 / 60 words)
In the early eighth century, Bishop John of Hexham invited a mute and sickly boy to join his monks on a Lenten retreat. During the fast, John made the sign of the cross on the boy’s tongue, and coached him in basic words until he spoke fluently by himself. John also helped the local doctor cure the boy’s physical ailments.
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, besides, despite, just, or, otherwise, who.
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 Cross. Whose. Woodland.
2 Final. Man. Sorry.
3 Fast. Sentence. Until.
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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