Tea at Trianon: Spring Cleaning

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, April 25, 2007

Spring Cleaning

I have been rearranging my blogroll, adding and subtracting. I removed a few links to blogs that I do not visit all that often and I did not have the impression that they were visiting here much, if at all. I have scruples about linking to people who may not want to be associated with what may be regarded as too controversial. I added some people who have linked to this site and/or visit often. If anyone wants to link to this blog please do so and I will add a reciprocal link. If I removed anyone who wanted a mention here, just let me know, I will put you back. Meanwhile, I am trying to keep things from getting cluttered.... Share

2 comments:

Ecgbert said...: Many thanks for the link.; April 25, 2007 at 5:32:00 PM EDT
elena maria vidal said...: It just makes it more convenient for us, dear young fogey, since we read your blog at least once a day around here.; April 25, 2007 at 5:38:00 PM EDT