Tea at Trianon: Lost Connections

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, August 23, 2023

Lost Connections

Between Ancient Ireland and Egypt. From Brehon Academy:

The Stowe Missal is an early Irish liturgical manuscript written in the 8th century. It is one of the most important sources of information about early Irish Christianity. The manuscript contains a number of prayers and hymns, as well as a calendar of saints. One of the most interesting passages in the Stowe Missal is a prayer that mentions the desert monks, and in particular, Anthony of Egypt. The prayer reads:
May God protect us from the dangers of the desert, and may he grant us the grace of following the example of Anthony of Egypt.
Anthony of Egypt was a famous early Christian monk who lived in the 3rd and 4th centuries. He is considered to be the founder of Christian monasticism. Anthony left his home and family to live in the desert, where he devoted himself to prayer and asceticism. He became a popular figure, and many people came to him for guidance and spiritual advice. The teachings of Anthony of Egypt had a profound impact on early Irish Christianity. Irish monks were inspired by his example of asceticism and his commitment to prayer. They also adopted many of his practices, such as solitary living and the use of the desert as a place of spiritual retreat.

The passage above suggests that there was a connection between early Irish Christianity and the desert monastic tradition of Egypt. It is possible that some Irish monks travelled to Egypt to study with the desert fathers, and that they brought back with them the teachings of Anthony of Egypt.

In addition to the Stowe Missal, there are a number of other early Irish sources that mention the desert monks. These sources include the Book of Armagh, the Book of Leinster, and the Annals of the Four Masters. These sources suggest that there was a significant interest in the desert monastic tradition in early Ireland.

The Litany of Irish Saints by Oengus of Tallaght (fl. 800) also mentions the burial of seven Egyptian monks in County Antrim. The passage reads: In Uillaigh, Co. Antrim, seven Egyptian monks (manchaib Egipt) were buried. The passage does not give any further details about the monks, such as their names or the date of their death. However, it does suggest that there was a community of Egyptian monks in County Antrim in the 8th century. The evidence suggests that there was a connection between Ireland and Egypt in the 8th century, and that some Egyptian monks may have travelled to Ireland. Reference to the burial of seven Egyptian monks in County Antrim is a reminder of this connection, and it is a fascinating piece of Irish history. (Read more.)