[lit-ideas] Re: Pictish Vocatives
- From: David Ritchie <ritchierd@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 07 Feb 2005 12:49:28 -0800
Very droll.
Here, in exchange, are some excerpts from Geoffrey Regan, "Military
Anecdotes." Unlike that author, who cites sources, I make no suggestion
that they are true.
During the First World War a distinguished classical scholar was accosted in
a London street by a lady who tried to hand him a white feather as he was
not in uniform. "I am surprised that you are not fighting to defend
civilization," she added. "Madam," replied the scholar, "I am the
civilization they are fighting to defend."
On his return from the Mexican war in 1848 William Tecumseh Sherman was
asked by President Taylor what he thought of the lands the U.S. had won.
"Between you and me, sir, I feel that we'll have to go to war again."
Taylor was horrified. "What for?" "To make them take the darn country back
again."
The Duke of Wellington and Ulysses S. Grant were famous for not liking
music. At the Congress of Vienna in 1815, Wellington was forced to sit
through Beethoven's, "Wellington's Victory." Afterwards a Russian envoy
asked him if the music had been anything like the real thing. "By God, no.
If it had been that bad I would have run away myself."
In 1739, the Russians and Turks, who had been at war, met to conclude terms
of peace. The commissioners were Marshal Keith for the Russians and the
Grand Vizier for the Turks. These two personnages met and carried on the
negotiations by means of interpreters. When all was concluded, they rose to
separate, but just before leaving, the Grand Vizier suddenly went to Marshal
Keith, and, taking him cordially by the hand, declared that it made him
'unco' happy to meet a countryman in his exalted station. Keith asked for
an explanation. "Dinna be surprised, I'm o' the same country wi' yoursell
mon! I mind weel seein' you and your brother, when boys, passin' by to the
school at Kircaldy; my father, sir, was bellman o' Kircaldy."
David Ritchie
Portland, Oregon
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