Fate of the Flora

I recently read a very interesting account of the Versailles gardens, and it prompts me to look in to those gardens during the 18th Century.

Of course, the land at Versailles as a long history. They cover nearly 2,000 acres, but during the time of Louis XIV, a goodly portion was transformed into formal gardens in the French style, which was perfected by Andre Le Notre, who became the King's landscape artist, planning special areas to suit the King's taste with bosquets of various themes. Bosquets, from the Italian word "bosco" or grove, are formal plantations of trees with walkways or paths of gravel or stone.

Upon the King's death in 1715, the palace and gardens entered into a time of uncertainty, and by 1722, the new Louis, the XV, reeled in the funds for non-essential things, including the gardens. The only significant addition to the Gardens was the Bassin de Neptune, built from 1738-1741. Louis VX was an avid botanist, and devoted most of his attention to an botanical garden on site. Botanical gardens generally have scientific, educational or ornamental purpose. But the King fell ill with small pox and died in 1774, and along with this death came the death of the formal garden in preference of a more natural, rambling landscape that the English garden offers.

But owing to the topography of the land, the attempts to convert Le Notre's work to an English garden failed. Louis XVI ordered palisades, the labor-intensive clipping of hedges that formed walls in the bosquets, to be replaced with lime and chestnut trees. He also had therotte des Bains d'Appolon built, a rockwork in the English style, designed by his landscaper, Hubert Robert.

In 1792 by order of the National Convention, a political assembly formed during the French Revolution, some of the trees at Versailles were felled, while some parts of the Grand Parc were parceled off and dispersed. Louis Claude Marie Richard, director of the botanical gardens, lobbied to save Versailles. He succeeded in preventing further dispersing, suggesting to use the gardens to grow vegetables and fruits for "the people". The gardens became open to the public, with people seen doing their laundry in the fountains! For shame, but as they say, c'est la vie!

Off with this Head?

Alas, poor William, I knew him, Horatio......well, at least when he was alive and well and had a head on his shoulders!!

Recently a team of archaeologists were claiming that William Shakespeare's head was probably stolen from his grave, where he was buried in Stratford-upon-on, in England. They have stated that in 1794, supposedly, trophy hunters took the head as somewhat of a prize. Kind of interesting to have the head of a genius in one's possession. Though the story of his missing head was long ago discredited,  new radar technological studies may prove the story needs further investigation.

Lead archaeologist Kevin Colls, of Staffordshire University, told The Guardian, British newspaper. "It was very obvious, within all the data we were getting, that there was something different going on at that particular spot. We have concluded it is signs of disturbance, of material being dug out and put back again."

Shakespeare, oddly enough, has an inscription on his grave that reads, "Good friend, for Jesus’ sake forbear, / To dig the dust enclosed here. / Blessed be the man that spares these stones, / And cursed be he that moves my bones." Who wants to play around with a threat like that? Look what happened with those who disturbed King Tut! The vicar of the Holy Trinity Church says that though he is not convinced of the grave robbery theory, church has no plans to allow an exhumation. 

A Taste worth Acquiring

With St. Patrick's Day approaching, I wanted to look into 18th Century Ireland, and one of is most important national treasures! And what might that be? Well, its Guinness Stout! Though of as the "national" drink of Ireland, it brings the Irish together, with both men and women enjoying it, with rich and poor wanting a glass, said to have health properties, and administered in hospitals at one time as a source of vitamins!

The brewery's founder was Arthur Guinness, son of a land steward, who was employed by the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Cashel. Arthur most have made an impression on the cleric, because, upon his death, he left Arthur 100 pounds in his will! In 1755 Arthur invested the money in a brewery in Leixlip, and partnered up with his brother Richard.

By 1758, Arthur moved to Dublin to brew beer. He signed a 9,000 lease on St. James' gate Brewery for pounds per year. He was so successful that in 1766 he was named the master of the Dublin Corporation of Brewers.

In 1761 he married Olivia Whitmore, and had 21 children with her! Ten survived.

IN 1788 Guinness began producing a dark Porter beer, and had outlets for sale throughout all of Ireland. They say that during the Napoleonic Wars the sale of his Porter increased three-fold. The darker beer was so successful, that lighter ales were dropped.

During the political unrest in the 1790's, he was at odds with the United Irishmen because he supported the Union of Great Britian, and there was talk of a boycott of his black protestant beer. Arthur lived from 1725 - 1803, and was not only an entrepreneur but a philanthropist too.

His family is still held in the highest regard, and known for their charitable works done for their employees, Dubliners and Ireland in general. His descendents have been mayors of Dublin, baronets and peers. DNA testing reveals that the family is closely related to a branch of the MacCartin clan, in the baroney of Kinelarty.

This St. Paddy's Day, don't forget to raise a glass of Guinness. It's got wonderful particular flavor, said to be an acquired taste. I think it's a taste worth the acquiring.
Slainte!

A Worthy Woman!

This week has been International Women's Week. In this day and age, personally, I don't see the need, but I guess some women still want to make a point. Nevertheless, I did see an interesting article about the so-called "female Paul Revere". Her name: Sybil Ludington. She lived from 1761 to 1839, but her most proud moment was her evening ride of over 40 miles  (more than twice Paul Revere's journey) to warn her father's militia that British solders were coming!

This is how it went down: In 1777, Someone had come to warn the Ludington's of looting going on in Danbury, Connecticut. The 16 year old Sybil sprung into action, volunteering to rouse the scattered militia. She rode from 9pm that night until daybreak with a stick in hand to ward off bandits. Though the militia was too late to save the town of Danbury, they helped drive the British back to their ships. General Washington thanked her personally. In 1935, a statue was erected in her honor in Carmel, NY.

What's in a Name?!

Recently we have been appalled, or at least should be, at the lengths to which negative campaigning has gained momentum in this year's political campaigns, especially on the Grand Old Party's side. It's been likened to school yard bullying, with juvenile name-calling, i.e. big ears, sweating like a pig, peeing in his pants, and on and on. You would think we are trying to elect six-year-olds. Being a long-time conservative, I am beyond saddened.

But I looked into the name-calling phenomenon, and actually it goes way back, and it was just as ugly, though we have the benefit of social media and television to further it along. Monarchies have been bashed, but out own country, going as far back as Washington's time, the mudslinging was on full display, and the political elite were not beyond calling poor old John Adams, "His Rotundity". Today, we'd call that fat-shaming.  

IN 1796 Alexander Hamilton, under the pen name "Phocion" (he didn't even use his real name), attacked Thomas Jefferson on the pages of the Gazette of the United States, a prominent Philadelphia Federalist-leaning newspaper. He resorted to the dirty politics of personal behavior, claiming that Jefferson was having an affair with one of his slaves. (Of course, it was true), but he went on to say that Jefferson was a "coward" and that "Mr. Hamilton was a pillar of virtue". Ahhh, remember bid Bill Clinton and his time under the Oval Office desk!

Adams said if Jefferson was elected, the country would descend into civil war, with the freeing of the slaves, and the implication that Jefferson was an atheist. Adams said Jefferson's supporters were “cut-throats who walk in rags and sleep amid filth and vermin.” Jefferson liked the personal, physical trait insult, calling Adams “old, querulous, bald, blind, crippled, toothless Adams.” Geez...these were men we have immortalized as statesmen!

By Andrew Jackson's election, a bit later on, handbills accused Jackson of being a cannibal after the massacre of 500 Indians, “the blood thirsty Jackson began again to show his cannibal propensities, by ordering his Bowman to dress a dozen of these Indian bodies for his breakfast, which he devoured without leaving even a fragment.”

Don't get me wrong, it doesn't make any excuse for today's bad behavior. You would think we have gone beyond these tactics, but I guess not. That's why it's so easy to see why folks choose to stay home on election day, but that's not good either. It's our right, our privilege , our duty to have our say. We may not like the choice, but we do have it, even if we have to resort to writing in a name on our election day ballot!

A New Kind of Swan

Last night I watched a wonderful program, PBS's Independent Lens, which featured a documentary about Misty Copeland, ABT's, (American Ballet Theatre's) principal ballerina, crowned  on June 30, 2015. But the most striking thing about her coronation is that Misty the first African American woman to be promoted to principal dancer in ABT's 75-year history.

It's quite an achievement when you think that the most compelling image we generally have of the ballerina is the White Swan from Swan Lake. And, indeed, the ABT and every major ballet company in history has thought that until now!

How lovely to see that someone can be acknowledged on their merit rather than their race, or nationality, or particular look. I find it so inspiring, as the ballet has always been close to my heart.

When I was little, my Mom took me to start lessons, as this was her passion from a little girl, and with that love of the art in mind, she took me to see what it was like. Though I loved it in general, I was too scared, too shy to try. I was about 5 or 6, and I cried my way out of it. Understanding me, she did not say you must, and so we left. It was not until much later, that I tried again, more as a form of exercise, and I found it a wonderful, ethereal experience, but now I was too old to pursue it seriously. And so, watching Misty last night, I thought I would look at Ballet in the 18th Century.

Of course, Ballet is a type of performance art that originated in the Italian Renaissance court in the 15th Century, with technique and a vocabulary all its own based in French. But by the 18th Century, the ballet had moved from the royal court to the Paris Opera, with the director Lully preserving the form, but moving it forward to a much larger spectacle with choreography and costuming that liberated the dancer. This also was the point in time (no pun intended) that pointework came into fashion: Wearing the heel-less shoe, with the box toe that you could stand on, known as the demi-pointe.

The mid-18th Century dancer Marie Camargo of the Paris Opera Ballet was the first to hear these shoes, making her able to leap and twirl like never before. Eventually after the French Revolution, the shoe further evolved into the shoe we know today, secured by ribbons and incorporating pleats under the toes to enable dancers to fully extend their feet. It's truly a beautiful and graceful look. But it is not without cost, and I don't mean dollars. Years of physical abuse do take toll on the foot's shape. But I think every ballerina would say it's worth it.

Interestingly enough, the first dancers to get up on toe did so with an invention designed by Charles Didelot in 1795. His "flying machine" pointe shoes helped lift dancers up with on their toes before leaving the ground. The look was so airy that choreographers started looking for more ways to employ the technique in the performances.

By the way, my Mom kept her old "flying machines" and one day gave them to my daughter to keep, because she too loves the ballet.

Valentine's - 18th Century Style

That day of LOVE is coming around again, so I looked into some 18th century information and found the following: 

The Valentine's Day poem can be found in the collection of English nursery rhymes Gammer Gurton's Garland (1784):

The rose is red, the violet's blue,

The honey's sweet, and so are you.
Thou art my love and I am thine;
I drew thee to my Valentine:
The lot was cast and then I drew,

And Fortune said it shou'd be you.

Sounds familiar, huh?!

Also, in 1797, "The Young Man's Valentine Writer" was published in England, which held many suggestions for sentimental verse. This was supposed to help out the lovesick, lovelorn, the passionate, the flirtatious, etc. printers had already started producing Valentine stock cards, but there's nothing like a handmade card, with a special, personal greeting.

Personally, I like to receive a personal card, but lately I like to give a Valentine dessert treat. I'm working on that now as a matter of fact, but if it all goes south, I may have to - last minute - resort to an email greeting?? haha

Thank God for the option.