We have upstairs on the hallway wall a pre-execution picture of Charles 1st. Painted on board and acquired, together with a handkerchief soaked in his blood, by a distant Stuart supporting ancestor. No one else in the family wanted the gruesome thing so it ended up with us. The hanky dipped in the blood from the Kings severed head, so some barely discernible four century old writing on the back of the picture tells us, was thought to cure scrofula. None of us has scrofula so it must be true. British readers will understand why today of all proroguing days Angus has looked up this long dead king in an old school book. Charles 1 prorogued parliament and caused some major problems. Somethings never change and some politicians never learn. This is what the old school text book said about the King. It is strangely pertinent today :
'It was enough for him to believe that he was acting within his rights; whether, in so doing and enforcing his own will he was serving the people's interests it was for him and not for them to judge. Moreover he had the singularly unfortunate habit of forgetting that, if he wished to enforce unpopular measures, it was at least advisable to seek means of conciliation instead of accumulating causes of irritation; that if he was bent on alienating one section of the community, it would be politic to secure support in other quarters '.
6 comments:
Sometime back in the distant past, I did a university paper on C17th English political history. (Albeit, in a small provincial university somewhere in the Commonwealth). There really is nothing new under the sun, but what seems like a good idea at the time, might not be judged as such in the future.
You are so right. However, until now I'd never thought that 17th century parliamentary procedure would be so important.
Hari OM
If there is one thing I know for certain about history, Angus, it is that it will repeat itself... sigh... YAM xx
Well, it was what happened in the past forms the basis of what happens today. Here in New Zealand the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi between the British Government and the tribes of New Zealand forms the basis of some of our laws today, particularly laws relating to the use of fauna and the use of land. Something I sticks to my mind from reading history is that it is often written by the victor. Not too sure how appropriate that is in today's media driven environment.
As always, you provide insightful historical context. Thanks - much appreciated. When the news came through yesterday I was sitting in an office at SSE in Aberdeen with four engineers. All of us were dumbstruck with horror and despair.
Gail (the usual "cheers" doesn't seem appropriate).
We think BOJO has already lost his head.
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