George Hickes, Dean of Worcester:
“…for he was of no gentle or forgiving temper, and could retain during many years a bitter remembrance of small injuries ”
“He became indeed a more loving subject than ever from the time when his brother was hanged and his brother’s benefactress beheaded. ”
Editorial Note:
“To do Hickes justice, his whole conduct after the Revolution proved that his servility had sprung neither from fear nor from cupidity, but from mere bigotry. ”
Excerpt From
The History of England, from the Accession of James II — Volume 3
Thomas Babington Macaulay
There is in short nothing of moment to be said in favour of lingering disagreement much less bigotry. The preposterous and dubious utility of argument about divine or hereditary right to rule was the source of limitless and needless hate in the 1680s. The metaphor today of similar debate is further evidence of its uselessness. But bigotry trumps it all:
obstinate or unreasonable attachment to a belief, opinion, or faction, in particular prejudice against a person or people on the basis of their membership of a particular group
Getting human beings to turn around from such pointless confrontation is clearly a momentous effort. What it will take other than historical record to clarify the matter is equally uncertain. The game plan appears to be all or nothing. I think we inevitably learn that victory is nothing but disengagement. What it regrettably fails to prove however is that we’re seldom different from the vanquished. It is instead but a shallow definition of distinction, one from which we are easily persuaded by alternate circumstances and greed.
This morning on my ritual tricycle toot about the neighbourhood I was reminded of something else that is easily overlooked and forgotten; and that is the slow death of loneliness. The gentleman with whom I spoke on the side of the road while walking his dog near the helicopter landing behind the hospital echoed the sterile impression of the local environment.
He spoke first of his late mother (whom I once knew as well) and her lively affection for the little dog. Then he recounted that his spinster sister (whom I also know) had vacated the 6-bedroom house which he (a bachelor) now inhabits alone. He says that THC/CBD relieves anxiety less harmfully than prescription drugs. I concurred. We parted with those characteristics of mutuality and comprehension, the signals of native empathy. But as we both retreated into the sharply contrasting sunlight and shadows of autumn the starkness of the condition humaine was inescapable. As it always is.
Further along the route I met a woman who sets a model example of industry and athleticism. I normally see her tending her garden, a profusion of both flowers and vegetables, the initiation, cultivation and cropping of which consumes her for hours each day. Though approaching eighty years of age she walks about 4Km a day as well. She lives alone but her inviting geniality ensures she never lacks social contact. Whether such conventions succeed to dampen the freight of a table for one I do not know. My ancient friend Louis de la Chesnaye Audette QC OC often quipped that he didn’t mind dining alone because he had the best company, himself! I am inclined to doubt his theatrics. His ample portion of whiskey and soda contributed I suspect to his elation.
The balance of the day, another sunny, warm day, has been pleasant. This is the most memorable fall season we have had in years. Meanwhile I’ve investigated and discovered ways to handle technology. Simply going to You Tube and searching for instructions about anything is the simple answer to otherwise annoying obstruction. As for my car in particular I continue to be governed primarily by mechanical matters; it is the hardware that spells the fortune of operation. My effervescence is presently undiminished. Having engaged in frequent romances with automobiles over the years I am satisfied that this (perhaps fleeting) alliance will be a happy one; though I confess my inability to cultivate the transient association as I age exponentially. My governance of mechanical devices is always reflective of my obsession with precision and clarity, the achievement of which requires time, energy and correspondence.