Tea at Trianon: Mysteries of Machu Picchu

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

Sunday, August 21, 2022

Mysteries of Machu Picchu

From Digital Trends:

Every year, thousands of tourists from around the world flock to the Andes Mountains in Peru. They spend days traversing the rugged terrain — not exactly an ideal vacation for most. But the trek is all worth it in the end. Atop the mountain range, the travelers reach the iconic skyline of Machu Picchu. This breathtaking settlement may take the cake as the most beautiful sight in the world. Oddly enough, however, history entirely forgot its existence for centuries. The famed Inca Empire constructed Machu Picchu in the 15th century. 50 miles north of their capital city of Cuzco, the site displayed their immense wealth and technology. Of course, that prosperity attracted more foes than the Incas could handle. Seeking gold and Catholic converts, Spaniard Francisco Pizarro swept through South America in 1532. While the native peoples vastly outnumbered the conquistadors, Pizarro had guns and horses on his side. The Pizarro and his men ruthlessly sacked Cuzco and executed Emperor Atahualpa. Nearly all of Inca civilization lay in ruins, and yet the soldiers never got anywhere near Machu Picchu. The city was already abandoned and forgotten.
In fact, the remote settlement may have remained a mystery forever if not for the efforts of Hiram Bingham III. An esteemed Yale historian, Bingham left the classroom behind to chase down a myth he couldn't get out of his mind. Maps and records saved from the destruction of the Incas indicated the presence of a city high up in the mountains. Many claimed the site was lost or simply fictional, but Bingham trudged through jungle and mountains to find out. The explorer shocked the world by reaching Machu Picchu in 1911. While it was clear that no humans had lived there for many generations, the lofty community was in remarkably good shape. It was nothing short of a marvel. (Read more.)