PART II - BOOK - "GULLIVER'S TRAVELS" by Jonathan Swift - HIS DISCOURSE ON LAW AND LAWYERS

In case you didn't read my PREVIOUS BLOG POST - "PART I" - I'll begin with an almost exact lead-in to this DISCOURSE.......

In an effort to expand my thinking and gain new knowledge, I joined a CLASSICS BOOK CLUB, which chose this book for discussion this month. I am VERY impressed by how creative the author, JONATHAN SWIFT was. 

His main character, GULLIVER can't stay still, so he chooses to leave home and set sail for years at a time. He lands in several different locations, where he is exposed to a variety of "INTELLIGENT CREATURES".  

GULLIVER describes WAR, LAW, and LAWYERS, to a HOUYHNHNM,  an inhabitant of a far-off island, whose community is so KIND and POSITIVE that it doesn't even have a word in their language for LYING or FALSEHOOD. How could they understand WAR, LAW, and LAWYERS?

In my previous BLOG POST, I shared directly from the book how GULLIVER described WAR. In THIS POST I'm sharing how he described LAW and LAWYERS.

Keep in mind that GULLIVER'S TRAVELS was first published in 1726. That's a LONG time ago and you would think a lot has changed since then. But, APPARENTLY NOT.

Be sure to note where the author CAPITALIZES or ITALICIZES a word for EMPHASIS. I found this enriched my reading experience.

As you begin to read below, it will CHALLENGE you, because the 1726 language is quite tedious...... but STICK WITH IT and let me know your reaction(s) to what was written.

"I assured his Honour, that Law was a Science wherein I had not much conversed, further than by employing Advocates in vain, upon some Injustices that had been done me. However, I would give him all the Satisfaction I was able.

I said, there was a Society of Men among us, bread up from their Youth in the Art of proving by Words multiplied for the Purpose that White is Black and Black is White, according as they are paid. To this Society all the rest of the People are Slaves. For Example, if my Neighbour hath a mind to my Cow, he hires a Lawyer to prove, that he ought to have my Cow from me. I must then hire another to defend my Right, it being against all Rules of Law that any Man should be allowed to speak for himself. Now, in this Case, I who am the true Owner lie under two great Disadvantages. First, my Lawyer being practiced almost from his Cradle in defending Falsehood, is quite out of his Element when he would be an Advocate for Justice, which is an Office unnatural, he always attempts with great Awkwardness, if not with ill Will. The second Disadvantage is, that my Lawyer must proceed with great Caution, or else he will be reprimanded by the Judges, and abhorred by his Brethren, as one that would lessen the Practice of the Law. And therefore I have but two Methods to preserve my Cow. The first is to gain over my Adversary's Lawyer with a double Fee, who will then betray his Client by insinuating that he hath Justice on his side. The second way is for my Lawyer to make my Cause appear as unjust as he can, by allowing the Cow to belong to my Adversary; and this, if it be skillfully done, will certainly bespeak the Favor of the Bench. Now, your Honour is to know that these Judges are Persons appointed to decide all Controversies of Property, as well as for the Trial of Criminals, and picked out from the most dexterous Lawyers, who are grown old or lazy, and having been biased all their Lives against Truth and Equity lie under such a fatal Necessity of favoring Fraud, Perjury, and Oppression, that I have known several of them refuse a large Bribe from the side where Justice lay, rather than injure the Faculty by doing anything unbecoming their Nature or their office.

It is a Maxim among these Lawyers, that whatever hath been done before, may legally be done again: And therefore they take special Care to record all the Decisions formerly made against common Justice, and the general Reason of Mankind. These under the Name of Precedents they produce as Authorities to justify the most iniquitous Opinions; and the Judges never fail of decreeing accordingly

In pleading, they studiously avoid entering into the Merits of the Cause; but are loud, violent and tedious in dwelling upon all Circumstances which are not to the Purpose. For Instance, in the Case already mentioned; They never desire to know what Claim or Title my Adversary hath to my Cow, but whether the said Cow were Red or Black, her Horns long or short; whether the Field I graze her in be round or square, whether she was milked at home or abroad, what Diseases she is subject to, and the like; after which they consult Precedents, adjourn the Cause, from Time to Time, and in Ten, Twenty or Thirty Years come to an Issue.

It is likewise to be observed that this Society hath a particular Cant and Jargon of their own, that no other Mortal can understand, and wherein all their Laws are written, which they take special Care to multiply; whereby they have wholly confounded the very Essence of Truth and Falsehood, of Right and Wrong; so that it will take Thirty Years to decide whether the Field, left me by my Ancestors for six Generations, belongs to me or to a Stranger three hundred Miles off.

In the Trial of Persons accused for Crimes against the State the Method is much more short and commendable: The Judge first sends to sound the Disposition of those in Power, after which he can easily hang or save the Criminal, strictly preserving all due Forms of Law.

Here my Master interposing, said it was a Pity, that Creatures endowed with such prodigious abilities of Mind as these Lawyers by the Description I gave of them must certainly be, were not rather encouraged to be Instructors of others in Wisdom and Knowledge. In answer to which I assured his Honour, that in all Points out of their own Trade they were the most ignorant and stupid Generation among us, the most despicable in common Conversation, avowed Enemies to all Knowledge and Learning, and equally disposed to pervert the general Reason of Mankind in every other subject of Discourse, as in that of their own Profession."

My sincere apologies to any LAWYERS if you find it in poor taste that I shared these paragraphs........ I did find these passages humorous, assuming one is willing to laugh at oneself. In 300 years, many things remain the same.

JOAN

PART I - BOOK - "GULLIVER'S TRAVELS" by Jonathan Swift - HIS DISCOURSE ON WAR

In an effort to expand my thinking and gain new knowledge, I joined a CLASSICS BOOK CLUB, which chose this book for discussion this month. I am VERY impressed by how creative the author, JONATHAN SWIFT was. 

His main character, GULLIVER can't stay still, so he chooses to leave home and set sail for years at a time. He lands in several different locations, where he is exposed to a variety of "INTELLIGENT CREATURES".  

GULLIVER describes WAR, LAW, and LAWYERS, to a HOUYHNHNM,  an inhabitant of a far-off island, whose community is so KIND and POSITIVE that it doesn't even have a word in their language for LYING or FALSEHOOD. How could they understand WAR, LAW and LAWYERS?

In this BLOG POST I'm sharing directly from the book, how GULLIVER described WAR. I will immediately publish my NEXT BLOG POST where I'll share how he described LAW and LAWYERS.

Keep in mind that GULLIVER'S TRAVELS was first published in 1726. That's a LONG time ago and you would think a lot has changed since then. But, APPARENTLY NOT.

Be sure to note where the author CAPITALIZES or ITALICIZES a word for EMPHASIS. I found this enriched my reading experience.

As you begin to read below, it will CHALLENGE you, because the 1726 language is quite tedious...... but STICK WITH IT and let me know your reaction(s) to what was written.

"He asked me what were the usual Causes or Motives that made one Country go to War with another. I answered they were innumerable, but I should only mention a few of the chief. Sometimes the Ambition of Princes, who never think they have Land or People enough to govern: Sometimes the Corruption of Ministers, who engage their Master in a War in order to stifle or divert the Clamour of the Subjects against the Evil Administration. Difference in Opinions hath cost many Millions of lives: For instance, whether Flesh be Bread, or Bread be Flesh; whether the Juice of a certain Berry be Blood or Wine; whether Whistling be a Vice or a Virtue; whether it be better to kiss a Post, or throw it into the Fire; what is the best Colour for a Coat, whether Black, White, Red or Grey; and whether it should be long or short, narrow or wide, dirty or clean, with many more. Neither are any Wars so furious and bloody, or of so long Continuance, as those occasioned by Difference in Opinion, especially if it be in things indifferent.

Sometimes the Quarrel between two Princes is to decide which of them shall dispossess a Third of his Dominions, where neither of them pretend to any Right. Sometimes one Prince quarrelleth with another, for fear the other should quarrel with him. Sometimes a War is entered upon,  because the Enemy is too strong, and sometimes because he is too weak. Sometimes our Neighbors want the Things which we have or have the Things which we want; and we both fight, till they take ours or give us theirs. It is a very justifiable Cause of War to invade a Country after the People have been wasted by Famine, destroyed by Pestilence, or embroiled by Factions amongst themselves. It is justifiable to enter into War against our nearest Ally, when one of his Towns lies convenient for us, or a Territory of Land, that would render our Dominions round and complete. If a Prince sends Forces into a Nation, where the People are poor or ignorant, he may lawfully put half of them to Death, and make Slaves of the rest, in order to civilize and reduce them from their barbarous Way of Living. It is a very kingly, honourable and frequent Practice, when one Prince desires the Assistance of another to secure him against an Invasion, that the Assistant, when he hath driven out the Invader, should seize on the Dominions himself, and kill, imprison or banish the Prince he came to relieve. Alliance by Blood or Marriage, is a frequent Cause of War between Princes, and the nearer the Kindred is, the greater is their Disposition to quarrel: Poor Nations are hungry, and rich Nations are proud, and Pride and Hunger will ever be at Variance. For these Reasons, the Trade of a Soldier is held the most honourable of all others: Because a Soldier is a Yahoo* hired to kill in cold Blood as many of his own Species, who have never offended him, as possibly he can."

*NOTE - A Yahoo is a humanoid creature dominated by the Houyhnhnms

What did you think???


JOAN

BOOK - THE MILL ON THE FLOSS by GEORGE ELIOT (1860)

When I first started reading this book for our local CLASSICS BOOK CLUB I had just come off of 2 NONFICTION books and was a bit frustrated - I wasn't getting "the point". A friend in Book Club said, "It's just a story - a novel - about a family". Ok, so I settled in, relaxed and went with it.  About halfway through I couldn't put it down.

Some of the author's sentences run a full paragraph long. In the beginning, I felt she should "get on with it", but after a while, I didn't even notice. What I DID notice is that GEORGE ELIOT can uniquely describe in detail, a situation or an emotion that may be hard for most of us to put into words. WOW!

The story itself progressed beautifully and each character was fully developed - I felt as if I knew each one of them. The main character, MAGGIE was faced with such challenges ALL of her life. All she really wanted was to be loved and recognized - first by her father and mother, then her brother, then other family/friends and ultimately by a LOVER.....

I want to share some examples of GEORGE ELIOT'S brilliant writing talent. This and her story-telling is why her book is considered a "CLASSIC".  As you read the following, keep in mind that it was written in the year 1860. 

Pg 37

We keep apart when we have quarrelled, express ourselves in well-bred phrases, and in this way preserve a dignified alienation, showing much firmness on one side, and swallowing much grief on the other.

Pg 40

Our delight in the sunshine on the deep-bladed grass to-day, might be no more than the faint perception of wearied souls, if it were not for the sunshine and the grass in the far-off years which still live in us, and transform our perception into love.

Pg 71

Mrs. Tulliver had lived fourteen years with her husband, yet she retained in all the freshness of her early married life a facility of saying things which drove him in the opposite direction to the one she desired. Some minds are wonderful for keeping their bloom in this way, as a patriarchal gold-fish apparently retains to the last its youthful illusion that it can swim in a straight line beyond the encircling glass.

Pg 215

But you youngsters nowadays think you're to begin with living well and working easy; you've no notion of running afoot before you get on horseback. Now, you must remember what you are - you're a lad of sixteen, trained to nothing particular. There's heaps of your sort, like so many pebbles, made to fit in nowhere.

Pg 259

When uncultured minds, confined to a narrow range of personal experience, are under the pressure of continued misfortune, their inward life is apt to become a perpetually repeated round of sad and bitter thoughts: the same words, the same scenes are revolved over and over again, the same mood accompanies them - the end of the year finds them as much what they were at the beginning as if they were machines set to a recurrent series of movements.

Pg 340

And there was that slight pressure of the hands, and momentary meeting of the eyes, which will often leave a little lady with a slight flush and smile on her face that do not subside immediately when the door is closed, and with an inclination to walk up and down the room rather than to seat herself quietly at her embroidery, or other rational and improving occupation.

Pg 375

But this must end some time - perhaps it ended very soon, and only seemed long, as a minute's dream does.

Pg 402

The middle-aged, who have lived through their strongest emotions, but are yet in the time when memory is still half passionate and not merely contemplative, should surely be a sort of natural priesthood, whom life has disciplined and consecrated to be the refuge and rescue of early stumblers and victims of self-despair.

Ok if you've read this far, what do you think? Incredible? Or too wordy for your taste?

JOAN

NO BLOG POST SINCE AUGUST 2018????

WHAT???  Ok, so how is THAT possible? 

• SEPTEMBER - 13 days touring IRELAND with great friends (8 couples and me)
• OCTOBER - 4 nights in VA (a group of 9 women friends) - a full day of wine tasting, a food/culture/historic walking tour of FREDERICK MD, and a day at the WATERFORD FAIR (artisan crafts) in WATERFORD, VA
• OCTOBER - the next weekend..... 3 nights in NASHVILLE, TN for a GLORIOUS wedding (my neighbor's beautiful daughter). Truly a work of art (both the WEDDING and the BRIDE!).
• OCTOBER - 2 weeks later..... BACK SURGERY - ugh - FUSION of L4/5.  The first 2 weeks were VERY tough - the bottom half of my body felt like it had the flu - achy, achy, achy!!  After that, it was one day at a time, getting stronger and WALKING more. I was told it would be a 3-month initial recovery (it's 12 WEEKS TODAY!!), actually 3-6 months and up to a year for a FULL recovery.  I'm well on my way and what a difference the surgery has made already.  WOW!!!
• NOVEMBER - HEALING and THANKSGIVING - my first long distance drive (over an hour) by myself.
• DECEMBER - well, you all know how December can be with family and friend events..........
• JANUARY - a 5 night get-away to the BAHAMAS with a BESTIE for a little SUN and WINTER TAN
• JANUARY - Book Clubs. Reading books for Book Clubs. Lunches/Dinners out with friends. Did I say "reading books for Book Clubs...??  

And here we are.  

NEW YEAR'S REFLECTIONS AND REALIZATIONS - 

• I've had THREE MAJOR surgeries in the past 1.5 yrs (hip and knee replacements and spinal fusion).  Ok, FIVE SURGERIES in 3 years if you count my 2 EYE SURGERIES - MACULAR HOLE REPAIR and subsequent CATARACT REMOVAL.  I've realized how much each surgery has taken a toll on my body/psyche.  Recovering from surgery isn't for sissies, that's for sure.  And my recovery isn't over yet.  All of these surgeries were to improve my quality of life and ability to WALK and TRAVEL with more ease (and NO PAIN).  I remain focused on that end result.  
• NEVER UNDERESTIMATE the importance of having a pet.  CLOVER!!! has been a GODSEND.  She's good company.  She's highly entertaining.  She literally makes me LAUGH OUT LOUD.  She reminds me (regularly) to GET UP FROM THE COMPUTER or to PUT MY BOOK DOWN and pay attention to her.  She challenges me to get up and WALK to the door and let her out.  These may sound like "LITTLE THINGS" but when you're recovering from surgeries, they are "BIG THINGS".  Oh, and she SLEEPS later than I do in the morning!!
• FAMILY and FRIENDS mean the WORLD to me. My 2 SISTERS over-saw my surgery on my behalf and took care of me those first few days when I could do very little for myself. I received a VERY thoughtful POST SURGERY CARE PACKAGE before this last surgery from my NEPHEW/WIFE. Visits, emails, cards, phone calls, flowers, chocolates, meals, lunches out, time together with friends...... I am SO GRATEFUL and so VERY VERY BLESSED.

Yes, IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS......... 

JOAN

2nd ANNUAL "HOW THINGS ARE MADE DAY"

It has always fascinated me to watch something being MADE. I'm hoping to pass on this CURIOSITY and APPRECIATION for the time and effort it takes for something to be HAND-MADE, MANUFACTURED or PRODUCED.  

So, a few weeks ago I took my NIECE, my GRAND-NEPHEW and my 4 GRAND-NIECES on our 2nd ANNUAL "HOW THINGS ARE MADE DAY".

This year it was harder than ever to find a summer day when all 5 kids (and one mom) were ALL available for a day like this. TENNIS LESSONS, SWIM MEETS, HORSE SHOWS, LACROSSE CAMP........ you get the idea.

We finally found a Friday AFTERNOON - NOT a WHOLE DAY, but I'll take it.

Naturally, some of the places I had chosen were only open for TOURS on Mondays-Thursdays. Others were already booked full. But I found TWO interesting places to spend our afternoon.

First we visited KREIDER FARMS (established in 1736) in Manheim, PA. 

I spent about 10 years living in Lancaster County in the 1970's and 1980's. I LOVED the open country-side and watching the COWS wandering about in the fields. AT THE SAME TIME EVERY DAY, the cows followed each other into the barn to be milked. One day I visited a farm and the farmer put one of the milking machines onto my finger so I could experience the sensation. WEIRD. After they were milked, those cows just MOZIED back into the fields to WANDER around and EAT until it was time for their next milking. It all seemed so NATURAL, EARTHY, and KIND.  

Well, things have changed and I was quite DISTURBED to see all of the cows held CAPTIVE, ALL DAY, EVERY DAY in one building with very little space to move around. These cows NEVER go outside and roam around the fields, as I had remembered. Oh the GUILT of sharing THIS milking experience with my grand-nephew and nieces, when I was expecting to share a very different experience!!

Yet when I asked my 12-year-old if she thought the cows minded being all crowded in one small space as they filed into the milking circular, she responded "THEY DON'T SEEM TO MIND IT AT ALL".  Phew!

THANKFULLY none of the kids seem worse off for this learning experience. My NIECE and I however, are very SAD that farming has become such a FACTORY experience for the animals.

We all enjoyed learning about the MILKING PROCESS - fascinated by the COMPUTERIZATION of IDENTIFYING each cow as they stepped onto the MILKING CIRCULAR, then MEASURING the output of MILK and then watching the tubes CARRY the milk immediately to the REFRIGERATED area of the barn. 

It took only a SECOND for each of us to reach into the crate for a bottle of CHOCOLATE MILK that they offered.

So, ON TO THE NEXT STOP!!

We drove 15 min to LITITZ, where I attended BOARDING SCHOOL (Linden Hall School for Girls) in 11th GRADE and where I also LIVED FOR 2 YEARS in my 20's when I was MARRIED. I LOVE this cute little town.

Right across the street from Linden Hall is the OLDEST PRETZEL BAKERY IN AMERICA. Back in the day, we each made a pretzel, they baked it in their WOOD-FIRED OVENS and we ATE the hard pretzel after it was baked. DELICIOUS!

They no longer bake them for us, but they DID give us a small bag of PRETZELS that were made in their large FACTORY nearby.

The kids really enjoyed LEARNING how to TWIST a PRETZEL into shape!

An ANNUAL tradition of SHARING EXPERIENCES WITH AUNT JOAN that I hope these KIDS will always remember.

JOAN

A LOCAL, AUTHENTIC, PENNSYLVANIA GERMAN FOLK FESTIVAL FEATURING LIFE IN THE 18TH & 19TH CENTURIES

(MERRY and ME)

Something on Facebook or perhaps in a random email that I received, mentioned the GOSCHENHOPPEN HISTORIANS 52nd ANNUAL FOLK FESTIVAL this weekend. It's in PERKIOMENVILLE in Montgomery County, only 45 min from me. 

WHO KNEW?! Sounded quirky enough, so I sent an email out to a few girlfriends to see if anyone wanted to join me.

(ANNA and MARIANNE)

AUTHENTIC PENNSYLVANIA GERMAN FOLKLIFE of the 18TH AND 19TH CENTURIES.

MERRY, ANNA, MARIANNE and I were all quite surprised and impressed with the QUALITY of the exhibits, the KNOWLEDGE of the exhibitors and the HUGE amount of EFFORT it took to present this FESTIVAL. The variety of CRAFTS and SURVIVAL SKILLS demonstrated was amazing. After 52 YEARS of doing this, I guess they know what they're doing. 

BROOM-MAKING - MERRY couldn't resist taking one home with her!!

ANNA was NOT TEMPTED to buy any handmade TIN PRODUCTS.......

MEDICINAL HERBS and other foods were typically grown in their well-kept GARDENS.

CHILDREN were kept busy SEWING STUFFED, FABRIC DOLLS

ARTISTRY, TOOLS and BOWLS were carved FROM WOOD

CLEANING and SPINNING WOOL

STRAW for HATS and BEEHIVES

HAND- ROLLED CIGARS

VERY LOW ALCOHOL BEER was made for BREAKFAST (can you believe that?!). They also made "HIGHER OCTANE BEER" for the ADULTS to enjoy later in the day. All was stored in small wooden casks. Naturally, the HOPS were grown in their GARDEN.

RE-CREATING DAILY HOUSEHOLD TASKS

 

THE HISTORIC HENRY ANTES PLANTATION HOME on the property has an OUTDOOR BRICK OVEN (bread waiting to be baked).

The PERIOD CLOTHING was OUTSTANDING and ABUNDANT

HOMEGROWN and HOMEMADE PENNSYLVANIA GERMAN FOODS

("POTATO CANDY" made mostly with CONFECTIONERS SUGAR)

               


Before we left, we relaxed and enjoyed some HOMEGROWN PEACHES OVER HANDMADE VANILLA ICE CREAM

An INTERESTING and ENTERTAINING experience for ADULTS and KIDS. Maybe you can enjoy the 53rd ANNUAL next year?!

JOAN