Tea at Trianon

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, February 11, 2012

Guerrilla Leader: T.E. Lawrence and the Arab Revolt

Professor of Military Theory James Schneider examines the leadership genius of T. E. Lawrence, known to history as “Lawrence of Arabia.” Schneider demonstrates how the lessons learned and taught by Lawrence in the Middle East could have prevented many modern military disasters had they been heeded. Lawrence’s success in the Middle East was rooted in his leadership abilities. A fearless, intelligent leader can make a world of difference, as Lawrence demonstrated. Schneider traces Lawrence’s growth as a leader from the beginning of his military involvement until his death in 1935. Lawrence was not a trained soldier but as a scholar. After a youth spent in traveling and learning languages Lawrence joined the British army at the beginning on the First World War and because of his mastery of Arabic and Middle Eastern geography was given espionage work on the Turkish front. His study of the Arab culture enabled him to win the confidence of that tribal people and he led them to victory after victory against their Turkish oppressors, changing the course of the war. Lawrence’s ideal was not to annihilate the enemy but rather pester them through guerilla attacks. It was only when Lawrence violated his own high code of honor that his emotional deterioration led to the end of his glorious career. Schneider gives the reader detailed descriptions of Lawrence’s military encounters as well as showing the inner turmoil and reflections of the man of conscience and principle that Lawrence was. “Lawrence’s intense psychological struggle in the desert brought him to a profound moral conversion that would lead ultimately to his personal redemption….Yet today the world waits in vain for Lawrence’s vision of peace in the Middle East.” (p.307) Guerrilla Leader is highly recommended for serious students of the Middle East and of military history.

This review originally appeared in the February 2012 edition of the Historical Novels Review.

(*NOTE: This book was sent to me by the Historical Novel Society in exchange for my honest opinion.)

The Birthday of Dickens

The world celebrated the great storyteller whose novels changed the world.

Prince Charles laid a wreath at the author's grave in Poets' Corner as part of a service at Westminster Abbey. The Royal couple also visited the Charles Dickens Museum in London. A service also took place in Portsmouth where Dickens was born, with readings by actor and biographer Simon Callow and actress Sheila Hancock. Meanwhile, a 24-hour "readathon" is taking place in countries from Albania to Zimbabwe. (Read entire article.)

A discussion of Dickens and the Gordon Riots, HERE. Share

Friday, February 10, 2012

Unrest in Eden

Unrest in Eden is the fourth novel in a series about the adventures of Father Ignaz Pfefferkorn, a character based upon a real life eighteenth century Jesuit missionary, musician and scholar, who in Weinburg’s stories is a sleuth as well. Forced to leave his beloved mission in Mexico, Father Ignaz survives both the disbanding of his Order as well as imprisonment and torture in a Spanish prison. Released through the intervention of the Austrian Imperial family, Father Ignaz begins the long trek across Europe to his hometown in Germany where he has long dreamed of being reunited with his sister Isabella. In spite of his precarious health and near starvation, he is able to complete his journey, thanks to the kindness of such persons as Eveline the innkeeper in Strasbourg. While the priest is overjoyed to find his sister and her family thriving and happy to see him, he soon discovers that the village he has idealized is torn with strife. In an effort to save another priest who has been unjustly accused, Father Ignaz takes up a hunt for a murderer, putting his own life and reputation at risk. Combining the elements of a thriller and a mystery, Unrest in Eden is an outstanding work of historical fiction for the flawless research as reflected in the detailed authenticity of the settings and descriptions. As Father Ignaz struggles with those who oppose him, he also struggles with himself as a man, who often finds the loneliness of his calling a heavy cross. My only complaint about the book is that at the end Father Ignaz acts in a way that is completely out of character, going against everything he has believed in and suffered for, which weakened the integrity of the novel for me. Nevertheless, it is a book to be enjoyed by anyone who relishes well-written historical novels.

This review originally appeared in the February 2012 edition of the Historical Novels Review.

(*NOTE: This book was sent to me by the Historical Novel Society in exchange for my honest opinion.)

The Battle for Religious Freedom Begins

From The Revered Review:

What has been called a fight for religious freedom for Catholics all over America has begun and voices from small towns to big cities are being heard. Catholic bishops, religious leaders and those of the Catholic faith have expressed outrage at being forced to go against their religious beliefs.

In letters, online blogs, emails, and videos, many are calling a mandate under Obamacare an attack on the Catholic religion—and an attack all religious freedoms— and a violation of the Constitution.
Under the new healthcare law, all employers—including Catholic employers— must provide employees with health care that covers sterilization, drugs that induce abortions, and contraception—which are all against the beliefs of the Catholic religion.

Despite efforts by the Catholic Church for an exemption from this mandate, the Obama Administration did not waiver. Twelve days ago, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius sent a letter indicating that the mandate would not be withdrawn and nonprofits and the Catholic Church would have a year to adapt to the rule.

Bishops Blast Rule in Obamacare

Now, the outrage by the Catholic Church is palpable. Bishops across the country wrote letters to those in their diocese. Some priests even spoke from the pulpit on mass this past Sunday, speaking about this fight for religious freedom. Letters from bishops appeared in many weekly bulletins across the country, blasting the mandate in the health care law that would force Catholics to go against their beliefs.

Calling for members of the Church to join him in “prayer and in an all-out effort to have our freedom restored,” Bishop David M. O’Connell, of the Diocese of Trenton, wrote a letter that was handed out after Sunday masses. (Read entire article.)

Some reflections from Stephanie Mann about how this has happened before. Share

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Ena of Battenburg

The Mad Monarchist reports on the granddaughter of Queen Victoria who became a Catholic — and Queen of Spain.

Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg was born Victoria Eugenie Julia Ena on October 24, 1887 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland to Prince Henry of Battenberg and Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom. Her father was the third son Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine by his morganatic wife Countess Julia von Hauke, a fact which put Princess Victoria Eugenie on a rather lower rung of the social ladder than other royals. On the other hand, her mother was the youngest child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and royals did not come much more prestigious than that. She was named in honor of her grandmother, Queen Victoria, and her godmother the Spanish-born Empress Eugenie of France who was living in exile in Britain at the time after the downfall of the Second French Empire. She grew up at the court of Queen Victoria and Princess Ena (as she was called) grew to be a very lovely young lady, good natured but rather distant. Her mother, Princess Beatrice, considered her rather problematic as a youngster but she was well liked and her family, Queen Victoria included, were very protective of her. (Read entire post.)

Troubled Adolescence

What's wrong with the kids?

Adolescence has always been troubled, but for reasons that are somewhat mysterious, puberty is now kicking in at an earlier and earlier age. A leading theory points to changes in energy balance as children eat more and move less.

At the same time, first with the industrial revolution and then even more dramatically with the information revolution, children have come to take on adult roles later and later. Five hundred years ago, Shakespeare knew that the emotionally intense combination of teenage sexuality and peer-induced risk could be tragic—witness "Romeo and Juliet." But, on the other hand, if not for fate, 13-year-old Juliet would have become a wife and mother within a year or two.

Our Juliets (as parents longing for grandchildren will recognize with a sigh) may experience the tumult of love for 20 years before they settle down into motherhood. And our Romeos may be poetic lunatics under the influence of Queen Mab until they are well into graduate school.

What happens when children reach puberty earlier and adulthood later? The answer is: a good deal of teenage weirdness. Fortunately, developmental psychologists and neuroscientists are starting to explain the foundations of that weirdness. (Read entire article.)

Friends of Marie-Antoinette

On the Tea at Trianon Forum we are trying to compile a list of the Queen's friends with some biographical information and portraits. Share

God's Jury

There is a new book which blames the Inquisition for all the atrocities of modern times. It seems a little far-fetched to me. It is not as if religious persecution began with the Inquisition. Sadly, people have used religion as an excuse to be cruel to each other throughout history. In ancient times, the Jews were horribly tortured by the Greeks for keeping the Jewish religion, as later the Christians were persecuted by the Romans, and so on and so forth. Catholics were tortured and interrogated in the British Isles by Protestants. To base an entire book on the premise that the Inquisition was the foundation for modern tyranny is going a little too far. According to the WSJ:

Do such explicit comparisons serve, as Mr. Murphy asks rhetorically, to "establish a firm link between now and then—between suggestive cultural practices in our own time and the reality of events that occurred centuries ago"? The answer is surely "no." Historians can never establish "the reality of events that occurred centuries ago." They can only reconstruct those events for which adequate sources remain—and they must always stand ready to consider new sources that alter the apparent "reality." The link between "now and then" can never be "firm." (Read entire post.)