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Post by The Duchess on May 13, 2020 19:57:15 GMT -5
Something amusing and kind of endearing from Pepys' diary (4 March 1668/9) --
Just the thought of the gloomy, peremptory Duke sat on the ground with his wife and her ladies playing a word game is splendid.
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Post by The Duchess on Dec 22, 2020 19:34:47 GMT -5
I've filed this anecdote away on my computer, but like a fool, I forgot to note where I found it. Nevertheless, it's frankly adorable, and as I look outside at the snow blanketing the ground, I can't help but think of it...
Men in silk stockings, lace, ruffles, and great big wigs throwing snowballs at each other and riding sleighs over the frozen Thames... Essentially what the inside of my head looks like at any given time.
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Post by Abraham on Dec 23, 2020 7:10:39 GMT -5
When Queen Caroline, George II's wife, was passing away, the normally mean (if we're honest here) King was apparently taking it very hardly. As she lay dying, the Queen told the distraught King to marry again after she was gone. The King responded tearfully, "No, madam! I shall only have mistresses!"
How romantic.
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Post by Abraham on Dec 23, 2020 12:53:53 GMT -5
Another one:
When King James VI/I was a child, he was entrusted to the care of the Countess of Mar (his mother, Mary Queen of Scots, had already been deposed). His tutor was an extremely harsh Calvinist by the name of George Buchanan who sought instill in the King a sense of Presbyterianism and respect for the will of his subjects. One of the stories he told James was about the Earl of Angus, who was known as "Bell-the-Cat" for his role in the kidnapping of King James III (i.e. he was the only noble brave enough to "bell the cat", like Aesop's mice).
One day, young James and his friend, John Erskine (later the Earl of Mar and one of the Ruthven Raiders) were playing rather loudly, and Buchanan shouted to James that if he didn't quiet down he would "whip his breech". James tauntingly replied to his tutor that "we will see who would dare bell the cat". Furious, Buchanan grabbed James and gave him the thrashing of his life. The Countess of Mar heard the boy's wailing and hurried into the room. She began shouting at Buchanan, asking him how he dare lay his hands on God's anointed king. Buchanan replied, "Madam, I have whipped his arse. You may kiss it if you please."
Asserting one's authority as king and getting a sound spanking for one's trouble seems to have been a pretty universal Stuart thing, to be honest.
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Post by The Duchess on Dec 23, 2020 16:02:42 GMT -5
Another one: When King James VI/I was a child, he was entrusted to the care of the Countess of Mar (his mother, Mary Queen of Scots, had already been deposed). His tutor was an extremely harsh Calvinist by the name of George Buchanan who sought instill in the King a sense of Presbyterianism and respect for the will of his subjects. One of the stories he told James was about the Earl of Angus, who was known as "Bell-the-Cat" for his role in the kidnapping of King James III (i.e. he was the only noble brave enough to "bell the cat", like Aesop's mice). One day, young James and his friend, John Erskine (later the Earl of Mar and one of the Ruthven Raiders) were playing rather loudly, and Buchanan shouted to James that if he didn't quiet down he would "whip his breech". James tauntingly replied to his tutor that "we will see who would dare bell the cat". Furious, Buchanan grabbed James and gave him the thrashing of his life. The Countess of Mar heard the boy's wailing and hurried into the room. She began shouting at Buchanan, asking him how he dare lay his hands on God's anointed king. Buchanan replied, "Madam, I have whipped his arse. You may kiss it if you please." Asserting one's authority as king and getting a sound spanking for one's trouble seems to have been a pretty universal Stuart thing, to be honest. By all intents and purposes, Buchanan thoroughly traumatised poor James. Even in his adulthood, James would become upset whenever he saw someone who resembled Buchanan or whenever someone brought him up. But now that we're on the topic of James VI/I... When he was riding into London from Edinburgh in 1603, James was slightly perturbed by the people pressing around him, trying to get a look at their new, foreign king. James complained to one of his companions about the awful crowd, and received the reply of, "They just want to see your face," or something to that extent. James then proclaimed, "Well then, I'll pull down my breeches and they shall see my arse!" James also had the habit of lecturing Parliament, and did so whenever the opportunity arose. However, he had a bit of a speech impediment -- as did Charles I and James II, fun fact -- and a very thick Scottish accent. He also had the habit of fiddling with his codpiece when talking, and if we were to walk and talk with someone, he would sling his arm about their shoulders and end up steering them in circles alongside him. For as weird as James was, however, he remains a criminally underrated king. He was incredibly smart and a peacemaker, though he wasn't the best judge of character. However, his son and his grandsons also struggled in that department... |
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Post by Abraham on Dec 23, 2020 18:33:22 GMT -5
We need to bring codpieces back, tbh.
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Post by andrew on Dec 24, 2020 10:58:14 GMT -5
One of those fairly insignificant historical anecdotes that always resonated with me occurred on the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg. While the Confederates were assembling for what would be known as Pickett's Charge, looking out of the trees across the long and deadly slope that they must cross, a startled rabbit bolted from their position, causing one young grayback to exclaim, "Yeah, you run, old hare! If I was a old hare, I'd run too!"
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Post by Abraham on Dec 24, 2020 11:28:14 GMT -5
One of those fairly insignificant historical anecdotes that always resonated with me occurred on the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg. While the Confederates were assembling for what would be known as Pickett's Charge, looking out of the trees across the long and deadly slope that they must cross, a startled rabbit bolted from their position, causing one young grayback to exclaim, "Yeah, you run, old hare! If I was a old hare, I'd run too!" I wonder what happened to him... |
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Post by Abraham on Dec 24, 2020 11:41:24 GMT -5
As a young boy, George III put on a family play of Addison's Cato together with his playmate (and possible brother, lol) Lord North.
Later, the play was to become so closely associated with the American Revolution that George Washington had it performed for the men at Valley Forge. Nathan Hale's famous last words ("My only regret is that I have but one life to give for my country") were also lifted from the play.
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Post by Aurelia on Dec 24, 2020 14:01:44 GMT -5
One of those fairly insignificant historical anecdotes that always resonated with me occurred on the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg. While the Confederates were assembling for what would be known as Pickett's Charge, looking out of the trees across the long and deadly slope that they must cross, a startled rabbit bolted from their position, causing one young grayback to exclaim, "Yeah, you run, old hare! If I was a old hare, I'd run too!" I was just looking at the site of Pickett's Charge last weekend... they had a substantial amount of snow there and alot of the landscape was just blanketed, but you could still make out "the Angle". The guide said how one soldier described the aftermath as something like 'so many bodies littered the field that you could walk the entire distance without touching the ground.' They had just about made it right up to the Union cannons, but they didn't get through with enough men to hold it. (We probably need a Gettysburg thread... !) |
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