Tea at Trianon: The Hope of November 2006 by Lew Rockwell

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

The Hope of November 2006 by Lew Rockwell

Here is an interesting overview of the state of politics in America by Lew Rockwell. He says that a solid education is vital for a free people. I have the growing impression that people are not taught to reason anymore, but lap up whatever is fed to them by the media.

I am grateful that as a child my parents encouraged lively discussions around the dinner table. The television was in the basement, and so it did not monopolize the family dynamic. We had plenty of books and read aloud to each other, which enriched our conversations. We studied Scripture as a family. We spent a lot of time outdoors, too, roaming the woods, playing with our pets, interacting with friends. I think so many factors contributed to us being strong individuals with independent thought. Now that I am a parent myself I appreciate all the more what my father and mother did for us. Oh, we, my siblings and I, are far from perfect, but at least (I hope) we are not automatons to be manipulated by the media, or by the state. Share

3 comments:

Stephanie said...: So, so true!

By the way, your books look absolutely intriguing and I may have to add them to my Christmas wishlist! Especially after having suffered through Coppola's drivel.; November 29, 2006 at 2:37:00 PM EST
elena maria vidal said...: Thanks, Stephanie! Yes, many of us are disappointed that the film turned out to be so bad. Marie-Antoinette deserves better than a two hour music video. And the same old myth of the queen's frivolity bringing on the Revolution. The Revolution was caused by those who wanted political power for themselves, not by poor Marie-Antoinette. I will be writing more about that in the next few days.

Thanks for stopping by!!; November 29, 2006 at 2:50:00 PM EST
elena maria vidal said...: You are so right, dear Georgette!; November 30, 2006 at 11:23:00 AM EST