Introduction
Writer and courtier Sir Philip Sidney died on October 17th, 1586, from a wound he had suffered while fighting in support of Dutch independence from Spain at the Battle of Zutphen on September 22nd. He was just 31. The account below is by Philip’s devoted friend Fulke Greville, who served James I as Chancellor of the Exchequer.
THE weather being misty, their troops fell fatally within shot of their [the Spanish Army’s] muskets, which were laid in ambush within their own trenches. An unfortunate hand out of those trenches brake the bone of Sir Philip’s thigh with a musket-shot.* The horse he rode upon, was rather furiously choleric, than bravely proud, and so forced him to forsake the field.
Passing along by the rest of the Army, where his uncle the General was,* and being thirsty with excess of bleeding, he called for drink, which was presently brought him; but as he was putting the bottle to his mouth, he saw a poor soldier carried along, who had eaten his last at the same feast, ghastly calling up his eyes at the bottle. Which Sir Philip perceiving, took it from his head, before he drank, and delivered it to the poor man, with these words, Thy necessity is yet greater than mine.* And when he had pledged this poor soldier, he was presently carried to Arnhem.*
Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester. Robert’s sister Mary married Sir Henry Sidney, and Philip was their son, and Robert’s favourite nephew.
Greville tells us that Sidney had originally worn armour on his thigh, but seeing other captains were more lightly armoured, took his own protection off.
Generally remembered as ‘Your need is greater than mine’. For a not dissimilar tale from a slightly later period, see The Price of Treachery.
At Arnhem, the wound turned gangrenous and Sir Philip died there on October 17th, 1586. He was buried with honours in ‘Old’ St Paul’s Cathedral on February 16th, 1587; however, that church was destroyed in ‘London Was, but Is No More!’ in 1666, and nothing of Sidney’s resting place remains.
Précis
Elizabethan courtier Sir Philip Sidney was wounded at the Battle of Zutphen in 1586, mortally as it proved; even so, when he saw another badly wounded soldier gasping for a drink, Sir Philip handed over his bottle to him, untouched, saying that the other’s need was greater than his own. (50 / 60 words)
Elizabethan courtier Sir Philip Sidney was wounded at the Battle of Zutphen in 1586, mortally as it proved; even so, when he saw another badly wounded soldier gasping for a drink, Sir Philip handed over his bottle to him, untouched, saying that the other’s need was greater than his own.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 45 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: although, because, despite, if, must, ought, whether, who.
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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. 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 Hand. Misty. My.
2 His. Lie. Mouth.
3 Being. Present. So.
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?
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