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.


16 May 2018

Mother Tongue

 
 Batman : Season 2 Episode 9 
 The Greatest Mother Of Them All


 Scene 1 : Mother Tongue Twister
 


Dick Grayson : Gosh, Bruce, Greek is
still Greek to me.
Aunt Harriet Cooper : It's Greek to a lot
of Greeks too. Heh. It's one of the
world's oldest, most important, most
beautiful languages.
Dick Grayson : It may be, Aunt Harriet
but can't we take a breather and work out
in the gym for a while?
Aunt Harriet Cooper : But the mind needs
exercise too, Dick.
Dick Grayson : Well, my mind is getting
muscle-bound.

Bruce Wayne : There's an old saying,
Dick. A sound mind and a sound body.
A worthy goal.
Aunt Harriet Cooper : Now, what do you
wanna do first? - Parse, conjugate, or
decline?
Dick Grayson : Decline.

Alfred the Butler : It's the Batphone,
sir.  
Bruce Wayne : Hm? Yes. It just occurred
to me, Dick. Commissioner Gordon is a
Greek scholar of note. He may be able
to tell us more than books and
blackboards.
Dick Grayson : I'd like to talk to him.
Bruce Wayne : Excuse us, Aunt Harriet.


 Scene 2 : Dick Does His Homework

FIAPCE
detail
A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/
someone looks at something...

 LOGOS/HA HA