Tea at Trianon: The Richard III Angel

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

Saturday, December 28, 2019

The Richard III Angel

From Buckingham Today:

An extremely rare Richard III gold coin that was found by a metal detectorist in Buckingham in September is to be kept in town after £40,000 was raised to ensure it stayed here. The Richard III half angel gold coin was found by detectorist David Bethell at a location within a one mile radius of the town centre in September. There are only seven known examples of the coin in the world and none are on permanent public display. A campaign was launched back in October with the aim of keeping the historic find within the town. The Old Gaol team had until the end of this year to raise £40,000 and although some of the money came from grants, a local interest in keeping hold of the coin needed to be demonstrated first.

Matt Parker, a trustee at the Old Gaol, who was involved in the campaign to keep the find here said: “We needed to raise £40,000 and I am delighted that residents and businesses answered our call through donations and pledges.

“We are delighted with the community interest – we have had lots of support from businesses and pledges from as far away as Australia.

“I cannot give the exact breakdown, but a very substantial amount of what we have raised has come from local fundraisers. (Read more.)