Tea at Trianon: From the Pit of Hell

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

Thursday, July 5, 2007

From the Pit of Hell

On the theme of revolutionary violence, well, it all seems to reach new levels of weirdness. Via the NOR. Share

5 comments:

Anonymous said...: All the more reason to homeschool. School (even parochial) is mostly job-prep, anyway. If it's dangerous to be in school, then let's alter it.. not with force, but with wisdom. Homeschool, or gather with little others and co-homeschool. If only I had it to do over again..

Carol; July 5, 2007 at 2:21:00 PM EDT
elena maria vidal said...: There are so many more options for parents than there were a few years ago. When iniquity abounds, grace abounds all the more.; July 5, 2007 at 2:58:00 PM EDT
Anonymous said...: This and other forms of gang violence had started in the 80's and people thought it would go away. Immediate action should have been taken at that time even with verbal abuse, but that was overlooked as well.; July 5, 2007 at 8:29:00 PM EDT
Anonymous said...: Another reason why we'll be homeschooling. And people are worried about Catholic priests - they need to be more worried more about public school teachers and fellow students!; July 6, 2007 at 7:20:00 PM EDT
elena maria vidal said...: Good point!!; July 6, 2007 at 8:20:00 PM EDT