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.


02 December 2012

Regarding The Question ] certain broadbrush statements ( in the blank of an eye

.
The SPEAKER: The Prime Minister will return to the question.

Ms GILLARD: Then when they are called on to actually make good on this evidence, they failed to do so. Here we are, a Godwin Grech moment for the Leader of the Opposition, and there is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition with her smear—

Mr Pyne: Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. You asked the Prime Minister to return to the question and she completely ignored you, and kept talking about something that has nothing to do with the question. Was she there or wasn't she?

The SPEAKER: The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. The difficulty with the word 'relevance' does not mean you will get the answer you want. Often you have in mind an answer you think is out there. It does not mean that someone is not being relevant to the entire question asked. The Prime Minister has the call and will refer to the question before the chair.

Ms GILLARD: In terms of the question before the chair, I have answered about how I witnessed documents as a lawyer. The nature of sleaze and smear is that you come in and try to engage in these broadbrush statements.   
    
- extract from Hansard for 29 November 2012, the last day of Parliament for this year.
Q: What are you looking at?

A: you are looking at What you are looking at.
         


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