Saturday, October 29, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
My Pitches for a Less Stupid Edward de Vere Movie
#1: Edward de Vere wrote the plays attributed to Shakespeare. Also, he's a vampire.
#2: Edward de Vere wrote the plays attributed to Shakespeare as part of an unspeakable Dalek plot to unravel the very fabric of time and space itself if not reversed with much running and exclamations of "Don't you see? Marlowe has had his throat cut! The Christopher Marlowe of our continuum was stabbed above the right eye and died instantly six years ago!" and "Who are you and what have you done with the real Queen Elizabeth?" followed by more running.
#2: Edward de Vere wrote the plays attributed to Shakespeare as part of an unspeakable Dalek plot to unravel the very fabric of time and space itself if not reversed with much running and exclamations of "Don't you see? Marlowe has had his throat cut! The Christopher Marlowe of our continuum was stabbed above the right eye and died instantly six years ago!" and "Who are you and what have you done with the real Queen Elizabeth?" followed by more running.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Anonymous: Zombie Edward de Vere Wrote Macbeth and The Tempest
After his death in 1604.
"Tomorrrrrrrow and tomorrrrrrow and tomorrrrrrow.....rrrrr.......brrrrains....."
"Tomorrrrrrrow and tomorrrrrrow and tomorrrrrrow.....rrrrr.......brrrrains....."
Origamisaurs
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Religion and Culture are Complicated
Whenever you read or hear phrases like "The Arab mind is...", substitute a similarly broad cultural group you are more familiar with. For example, "The Anglophone mind is..." Unless hedged with qualifications, could you confidently say much that was both useful and true?
If you can't, treat simple, unqualified statements about other cultures with suspicion.
Likewise, "Islamic ideology..."
Substitute "Christian ideology..."
I would hope, if you either are a Christian or know many, that you would respond that self-described Christians hold very diverse beliefs, and generalized statements without qualification should be made with caution.
I believe that Muslim belief is equally diverse.
If you can't, treat simple, unqualified statements about other cultures with suspicion.
Likewise, "Islamic ideology..."
Substitute "Christian ideology..."
I would hope, if you either are a Christian or know many, that you would respond that self-described Christians hold very diverse beliefs, and generalized statements without qualification should be made with caution.
I believe that Muslim belief is equally diverse.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Because Everything Goes Better with Ninjas
From Improv in Toronto
Imagine this. A single ninja, standing silently by himself. Beside him sits a sign urging people to fight. Walking along the pathway, you notice said ninja, the sign, and lastly a foam sword laying at your feet. You pick it up.
Seemingly from thin air, ninjas appear.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Science! History! Fun!
Mike Outmesguine shares this video:
My son, Mikey, and his classmates put on a demonstration for his school. His class created their own culture faire after learning about ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt. His class set up tables and demonstrations for parents and the lower grades at the school.
Pretty darned adorable!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Monday, October 17, 2011
Consulting Peter von Danzig
In German medieval swordplay, nachschlagen means striking after, a blow that follows the first bind. In modern German it means to look up, refer to, or consult. I suspect the etymology travels from following up in swordplay to following up a question.
It can also mean a grace note in music.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Occupy Harfleur Movement Comes to Colonial Plantation, PA, October 15-16
La Belle Compagnie will bring an October 1414 impression to Colonial Plantation's Medieval Days event October 15-16, 2011, in Media, PA.
We will portray the early 15th c. England that is 99% English, with part of the remaining 1% having a completely valid dynastic claim to the throne of France through Isabella of France, great-great-grandmother of the current king, Henry V.
We are the 99%, plus the other 1%, who are also us.
Our demands? Thank you for asking. Normandy, Touraine, Anjou, Maine, Brittany, Flanders, a fully restored Duchy of Aquitaine in full sovereignty, the lordship of Provence, the one million six hundred thousand crowns outstanding from the ransom of Jean II of France, and two million crowns as dowry for the Princess Catherine of France, to wed Henry V.
We believe in making explicit and coherent demands, so you know where you stand.
At this time the Valois royal princes of France have been going at each other since 1407 like a bottle of scorpions, lightly shaken, so I think we can offer an attractive alternative.
We believe the French deserve a king who is fit, rested, pious and doesn't intermittently believe he is made of glass.
In October of 1414, the king is not yet ready to sail to France to reclaim his inheritance, so our impression will be of the Compagnie in Carlisle, where one of our number has undertaken to perform a deed of arms against a Scots esquire.
We will portray the early 15th c. England that is 99% English, with part of the remaining 1% having a completely valid dynastic claim to the throne of France through Isabella of France, great-great-grandmother of the current king, Henry V.
We are the 99%, plus the other 1%, who are also us.
Our demands? Thank you for asking. Normandy, Touraine, Anjou, Maine, Brittany, Flanders, a fully restored Duchy of Aquitaine in full sovereignty, the lordship of Provence, the one million six hundred thousand crowns outstanding from the ransom of Jean II of France, and two million crowns as dowry for the Princess Catherine of France, to wed Henry V.
We believe in making explicit and coherent demands, so you know where you stand.
At this time the Valois royal princes of France have been going at each other since 1407 like a bottle of scorpions, lightly shaken, so I think we can offer an attractive alternative.
We believe the French deserve a king who is fit, rested, pious and doesn't intermittently believe he is made of glass.
In October of 1414, the king is not yet ready to sail to France to reclaim his inheritance, so our impression will be of the Compagnie in Carlisle, where one of our number has undertaken to perform a deed of arms against a Scots esquire.
Thursday, October 06, 2011
Douglas Vs. Clifford: 1414 or 1415
…also, the same year, on the 15th of October, the king granted his letters of safe conduct to Sir William Douglas, of Drumlanrig in Scotland, chevalier, (to hold good till 8 November following) to come to the town of Berwick, with six Persons in his retinue, to perform certain feats of arms, with this Sir John Clifford, and six other Englishmen. But they not coming at the said time, the king, 16 December following, renewed his said letters of safe conduct, for them to come to Carlisle, at the request of John de Neville, Warden of the West Marches, to hold good till 15 February following. And then meeting accordingly, this John Lord Clifford, and six other English, encountered as many Scots, viz. himself with the aforesaid Sir William Douglas, Sir William Harrington with Sir David Mynges, Knt. Sir Ralph Greystoke with William Edmundson, Esq; Sir Christopher Curwen, of Workington, with ... . Halyburton, (whom he hurt in the neck) and Sir John Lancaster of Holgell Castle and Ridale, with Sir John St. Leger, Knt.; in. which exercise the English had the prize.
A supplement to the four volumes of The peerage of England: 1750
A supplement to the four volumes of The peerage of England: 1750
Wednesday, October 05, 2011
Before Agincourt
In France an intermittent civil war, punctuated by truces, had been going on since 1407 between the Burgundians and the Orleanist faction that later became known as the Armagnacs. King Charles VI had suffered from bouts of insanity since 1392, and his relatives feuded over who would control France while he was incapacitated. Simmering for some time, the rivalry between Burgundy and Orleans became openly violent when the king’s nephew, John the Fearless, duke of Burgundy, had the king’s brother, Louis, duke of Orleans, assassinated in Paris November 23, 1407.
The two factions bid against each other for English support. Negotiations began between the English and the Burgundians and the Burgundians offered sufficiently attractive terms that an English army supported the Burgundians in breaking the blockade of Paris at the battle of St. Cloud on November 9, 1411.
The desperate Orleanists offered even better terms, and in May of 1412 the English agreed to support them. In August the English launched an expedition to Normandy under the duke of Clarence. Clarence arrive in Normandy only to discover that the French factions had made temporary peace while he was en route, and had to content himself with extracting promises of a large indemnity to depart, some in cash and with hostages as surety for the rest.
Around this time the earl of Warwick did much destruction on the frontiers of Calais, burning Samer and taking Wissant by storm.
Afterwards, he held a deed of arms at Calais beginning the twelfth day of Christmas.
James I, king of Scots, had been captured by English pirates in 1406, and delivered to the English crown. He would not be ransomed until 1424.
Murdoch Stewart, Duke of Albany, grandson of Robert II of Scotland, had been captured at the battle of Homildon Hill in 1402. He would remain an English prisoner until 1416, when he would be traded for Henry Percy, second earl of Northumberland, son of Henry “Hotspur” Percy
1413
Henry V was crowned king of England April 9, 1413.
In the spring of 1413 a popular revolt encouraged by the duke of Burgundy took control of the city of Paris and the persons of the king and dauphin for several months. Called the Cabochien revolt after one of their leaders, Simon Caboch of the wealthy but low-status guild of butchers, they wore white hoods as livery. The Burgundian knights Leon de Jacqueville and Robert de Mailly were also described by Monstrelet and the monk of saint-Denys as leaders of the revolt.
Orleanist ministers and servants in the royal households, as well as Paris burghers of the Orleans faction, were imprisoned, murdered and executed.
By July, the Duke of Orleans and his allies were gathering their forces and pressing for the release of the King, Quean and Dauphin. King Charles VI was described as then being ‘in good health”.
Around this time the English took, plundered and burnt the small town and monastery of Treport in Normandy.
Cabochien brutality had alienated potential supporters within Paris, and the Orleans party was accumulating powerful forces outside the city.
By the middle of September the duke of Burgundy and most of his supporters had left Paris and the Orleans faction was in control of the city and the royal court.
In September an embassy from England, led by the earl of Warwick and Henry Chichele, bishop of St. Davids, met at Leulinghen, halfway between Calais and Boulogne with ambassadors for the French king, but were only able to agree on an eight month truce.
By November 14, 1413, the duke of Burgundy had been accused of raising troops in breach of royal proclamations.
1414
Oldcastle's Lollard revolt was intended to begin with an attack on the king at Twelfth Night at Eltham palace. Forewarned by spies and informers, the king crushed the revolt, which seems to have had little support, on January 10th. Seventy or eighty were captured and 45 executed. On March 28 the king offered a general pardon to all rebels who submitted before midsummer.
On January 24th the truce with France was extended through February 2nd, 1415.
January 26th, the Armagnacs issued a summons for a French army to assemble against the Duke of Burgundy, who was marching on Paris with 2,000 men, having left Lille on the 23rd.
February 3rd Beauchamp was appointed captain of Calais.
In February, the duke of Burgundy retreated from his position outside Paris.
The English Parliament met at Leicester April 30th.
The King received envoys from both the Burgundians and Armagnacs at Leicester between April and June. Several embassies were also sent to Paris in April, May and July-August.
In May, the Armagnacs invaded the Burgundian territory of Artois, taking and plundering Soissons with brutality that was remarkable by contemporary standards. Monstrelet reports that English fought on both sides in the assault.
The Armagnacs besieged Arras without success in June. The count d'Eu and Lord Montagu did arms in the mines.
In September John of Burgundy signed the peace treaty of Arras
October 20th, Beauchamp was appointed an envoy to the Council of Constance, and he had reached the city no later than January of 1415.
In November Parliament met again, and at that point it was clear the Henry V was prepared to go to war with Parliament’s support if his claims were not met.
On December 13, John de Clifford asked the king to order John Neville, warden of the Marches, to be present at a combat between him and William Douglas of Drumlanrig at Carlisle. Safe conduct was granted for Douglas “to him and six persons chosen by him, attended by eighty horsemen, to go to Carlisle, to perform certain feats of arms before judges, against Sir John de Clifford and six persons of his nomination”.
The combat was accomplished some time before the safe conduct expired on February 15, 1415. It seems to have been a series of single combats.
Douglas had visited England several times earlier as part of Scottish embassies to negotiate the release of King James and a truce with England.
1415
In February, an English embassy visited Paris, but the French were unwilling to agree to Henry’s demands. Portuguese men-at-arms, who were English allies, were with the English and fought four different challenges against the French at that time, but no English did. It seems likely that it was English policy not to seek or accept such combats, either to avoid hampering the diplomatic effort, or because the English wanted to husband their resources for the expected war.
In February Henry was also preparing for war by impressing tentmakers and seamen.
In March he sent to Holland and Zeeland to hire ships.
On April 11, he gave orders to seize all English and foreign ships above twenty tons.
On April 16 the king’s chancellor declared to his council the king’s intent to make a voyage to recover his inheritance.
On April 24th, it was announced that the truce with France was extended to June 8.
In June, a final embassy from France arrived in England, but was a failure. The French offered an enlarged Aquitaine, marriage with Catherine of France and a dowry of 800,000 francs, but Henry demanded Normandy, Anjou, Touraine, Poitou, Maine and Ponthieu in addition.
On April 29, the king ordered his treasurer to pay wages to various retinues, and had indentures drafted for several retinues for the expedition.
The two factions bid against each other for English support. Negotiations began between the English and the Burgundians and the Burgundians offered sufficiently attractive terms that an English army supported the Burgundians in breaking the blockade of Paris at the battle of St. Cloud on November 9, 1411.
The desperate Orleanists offered even better terms, and in May of 1412 the English agreed to support them. In August the English launched an expedition to Normandy under the duke of Clarence. Clarence arrive in Normandy only to discover that the French factions had made temporary peace while he was en route, and had to content himself with extracting promises of a large indemnity to depart, some in cash and with hostages as surety for the rest.
Around this time the earl of Warwick did much destruction on the frontiers of Calais, burning Samer and taking Wissant by storm.
Afterwards, he held a deed of arms at Calais beginning the twelfth day of Christmas.
James I, king of Scots, had been captured by English pirates in 1406, and delivered to the English crown. He would not be ransomed until 1424.
Murdoch Stewart, Duke of Albany, grandson of Robert II of Scotland, had been captured at the battle of Homildon Hill in 1402. He would remain an English prisoner until 1416, when he would be traded for Henry Percy, second earl of Northumberland, son of Henry “Hotspur” Percy
1413
Henry V was crowned king of England April 9, 1413.
In the spring of 1413 a popular revolt encouraged by the duke of Burgundy took control of the city of Paris and the persons of the king and dauphin for several months. Called the Cabochien revolt after one of their leaders, Simon Caboch of the wealthy but low-status guild of butchers, they wore white hoods as livery. The Burgundian knights Leon de Jacqueville and Robert de Mailly were also described by Monstrelet and the monk of saint-Denys as leaders of the revolt.
Orleanist ministers and servants in the royal households, as well as Paris burghers of the Orleans faction, were imprisoned, murdered and executed.
By July, the Duke of Orleans and his allies were gathering their forces and pressing for the release of the King, Quean and Dauphin. King Charles VI was described as then being ‘in good health”.
Around this time the English took, plundered and burnt the small town and monastery of Treport in Normandy.
Cabochien brutality had alienated potential supporters within Paris, and the Orleans party was accumulating powerful forces outside the city.
By the middle of September the duke of Burgundy and most of his supporters had left Paris and the Orleans faction was in control of the city and the royal court.
In September an embassy from England, led by the earl of Warwick and Henry Chichele, bishop of St. Davids, met at Leulinghen, halfway between Calais and Boulogne with ambassadors for the French king, but were only able to agree on an eight month truce.
By November 14, 1413, the duke of Burgundy had been accused of raising troops in breach of royal proclamations.
1414
Oldcastle's Lollard revolt was intended to begin with an attack on the king at Twelfth Night at Eltham palace. Forewarned by spies and informers, the king crushed the revolt, which seems to have had little support, on January 10th. Seventy or eighty were captured and 45 executed. On March 28 the king offered a general pardon to all rebels who submitted before midsummer.
On January 24th the truce with France was extended through February 2nd, 1415.
January 26th, the Armagnacs issued a summons for a French army to assemble against the Duke of Burgundy, who was marching on Paris with 2,000 men, having left Lille on the 23rd.
February 3rd Beauchamp was appointed captain of Calais.
In February, the duke of Burgundy retreated from his position outside Paris.
The English Parliament met at Leicester April 30th.
The King received envoys from both the Burgundians and Armagnacs at Leicester between April and June. Several embassies were also sent to Paris in April, May and July-August.
In May, the Armagnacs invaded the Burgundian territory of Artois, taking and plundering Soissons with brutality that was remarkable by contemporary standards. Monstrelet reports that English fought on both sides in the assault.
The Armagnacs besieged Arras without success in June. The count d'Eu and Lord Montagu did arms in the mines.
In September John of Burgundy signed the peace treaty of Arras
October 20th, Beauchamp was appointed an envoy to the Council of Constance, and he had reached the city no later than January of 1415.
In November Parliament met again, and at that point it was clear the Henry V was prepared to go to war with Parliament’s support if his claims were not met.
On December 13, John de Clifford asked the king to order John Neville, warden of the Marches, to be present at a combat between him and William Douglas of Drumlanrig at Carlisle. Safe conduct was granted for Douglas “to him and six persons chosen by him, attended by eighty horsemen, to go to Carlisle, to perform certain feats of arms before judges, against Sir John de Clifford and six persons of his nomination”.
The combat was accomplished some time before the safe conduct expired on February 15, 1415. It seems to have been a series of single combats.
Douglas had visited England several times earlier as part of Scottish embassies to negotiate the release of King James and a truce with England.
1415
In February, an English embassy visited Paris, but the French were unwilling to agree to Henry’s demands. Portuguese men-at-arms, who were English allies, were with the English and fought four different challenges against the French at that time, but no English did. It seems likely that it was English policy not to seek or accept such combats, either to avoid hampering the diplomatic effort, or because the English wanted to husband their resources for the expected war.
In February Henry was also preparing for war by impressing tentmakers and seamen.
In March he sent to Holland and Zeeland to hire ships.
On April 11, he gave orders to seize all English and foreign ships above twenty tons.
On April 16 the king’s chancellor declared to his council the king’s intent to make a voyage to recover his inheritance.
On April 24th, it was announced that the truce with France was extended to June 8.
In June, a final embassy from France arrived in England, but was a failure. The French offered an enlarged Aquitaine, marriage with Catherine of France and a dowry of 800,000 francs, but Henry demanded Normandy, Anjou, Touraine, Poitou, Maine and Ponthieu in addition.
On April 29, the king ordered his treasurer to pay wages to various retinues, and had indentures drafted for several retinues for the expedition.
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