David Jones, artist and poet (1895-1974) begins his PREFACE TO THE ANATHEMATA :
'I have made a heap of all that I could find.' (1) So wrote Nennius, or whoever composed the introductory matter to Historia Brittonum. He speaks of an 'inward wound' which was caused by the fear that certain things dear to him 'should be like smoke dissipated'. Further, he says, 'not trusting my own learning, which is none at all, but partly from writings and monuments of the ancient inhabitants of Britain, partly from the annals of the Romans and the chronicles of the sacred fathers, Isidore, Hieronymous, Prosper, Eusebius and from the histories of the Scots and Saxons although our enemies . . . I have lispingly put together this . . . about past transactions, that [this material] might not be trodden under foot'. (2)
(1) The actual words are coacervavi omne quod inveni, and occur in Prologue 2 to the Historia.
(2) Quoted from the translation of Prologue 1. See The Works of Gildas and Nennius, J.A.Giles, London 1841.
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The leadership struggle within the Australian Labor Party, between the current Prime Minister Julia Gillard and her predecessor the deposed former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, has dominated the News in Australia over the last two weeks. Tomorrow there will be a spill, a vote and a result.
The winner of that will then return to the leadership struggle against the Leader of the Federal Opposition, Tony Abbott.
We've just noticed this book cover and the blog post about it at
Letterology. Lincoln seems as relevant as ever.
detail
A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/
someone looks at something ...
LOGOS/HA HA
