One further point inspired by George Washington's letter

Boy, educated men of the 18th century could write!

Declaration of Independence -- what George Washington had to say about it

  July 4, 2026 -- 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

It is currently quite possible to have a sad or sour view of the Declaration, the Revolution, or the United States,

But I am going to celebrate by including this famous letter from President George Washington to the synagogue of Newport Rhode Island.  It speaks for itself on more than one subject.

Gentlemen: While I received with much satisfaction your address replete with expressions of esteem, I rejoice in the opportunity of assuring you that I shall always retain grateful remembrance of the cordial welcome I experienced on my visit to Newport from all classes of citizens. The reflection on the days of difficulty and danger which are past is rendered the more sweet from a consciousness that they are succeeded by days of uncommon prosperity and security. If we have wisdom to make the best use of the advantages with which we are now favored, we cannot fail, under the just administration of a good government, to become a great and happy people. The citizens of the United States of America have a right to applaud themselves for having given to mankind examples of an enlarged and liberal policy—a policy worthy of imitation. All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship. It is now no more that toleration is spoken of as if it were the indulgence of one class of people that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights, for, happily, the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens in giving it on all occasions their effectual support. It would be inconsistent with the frankness of my character not to avow that I am pleased with your favorable opinion of my administration and fervent wishes for my felicity. May the children of the stock of Abraham who dwell in this land continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other inhabitants—while everyone shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree and there shall be none to make him afraid. May the father of all mercies scatter light, and not darkness, upon our paths, and make us all in our several vocations useful here, and in His own due time and way everlastingly happy. — G. Washington

Dancing for death -- a repellant story

 Another story from the Guardian: the murder of Kawthar Bashar al-Husayjawi, an Iraqi teenager (15 y.o.) who was killed by her family for refusing  a marriage they had arranged  for her.  She had been forced into an earlier marriage at 13! She seems to have been denied any practical education or any form of autonomy, but after a year of mistreatment she was able to get a divorce. But her family insisted that Kathwar marry a man  of their choice who  was a drug- and alcohol dealer.

It wasn't long before a group of family members emptied a gun in Kwathar and buried an axe  in her skull,

Here she is. She looks like a kid, but she obviously had a strong backbone.

Did you know...

 ...that one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence was named Button Gwinnett?

A remarkable story from the Ukrainian front-- from the Guardian

 ‘You’re not one of us, are you?’: How a Ukrainian soldier survived two weeks in a Russian dugout | Ukraine | The Guardian

I don't think there's any point in me summarizing this story,  Its interest is in  hearing the voice of a soldier who knows more about the crucial war of our time than the rest of us ever will.

Skyshow in the Czech Republic -- and some thoughts on space-junk

 

Two skywatchers were lucky enough to catch a comet  crossing an asteroid.   Apparently there's a certain ppopular mystique surrounding "Xs in the sky" (look it up!) but this seems to be a normal (and wonderful) sample of the workings of the universe.

A thought I hadwhilewriting this:  we are lucky that our region of space is rather clean and calm.  Big meteor strikes are rare, no rogue planets  since the formation of the moon and  we seem to be in no imminent danger from a nearby supernova.

The Star Trek universe is built around human beings searching for "life." You have to wonder sometimes why they bother, given that so much of the "life" they find is nasty or hopelessly eccentric. There are lots of military dictatorships and repressive religious establishments.

It would make more sense if Star Fleet's primary mission was making sure that the solar system was not in danger of being destroyed by some manifestation of "non-life."

But then its easy to make the case that Star Trek (the franchise) is part of our own hopeless eccentricity. 

A stimulating morning --Jethro Tull and James M. McPherson

 This morning I have been listening to a 1984 concert by Jethro Tull on YouTube while reading the last chapter  and the epilog of James M. McPherson's extraordinary Battle Cry of Freedom:  the American Civil War.  It was quite an experience.

I have been following Jethro Tull since ~1970 and have seen them three times in  concert. Ian Anderson, the leader of the band, started out playing an eccentric style of flute music, writing ambitious songs, and creating interesting lyrics. The video of this concert is truly excellent and  made me think of how remarkable the human ability to create music is.

McPherson's book is a masterpiece of American history.  It uses numerical data to capture the complex economic situation (very important!), the individal personalities (largely taken from the diaries and memoirs that so many soldiers, politicians and journalists produced during and after the war. The historiography of this crucial era is treated very briefly but brilliantly.

The Battle Cry of Freedom is a remarkable achievement.  I know something about history  -- I have written a fair number of books, but they are pretty short by comparison.  I am astonished by McPherson and I can't really imagine how he did it.

One aspect of BCF is worth mentioning,  The last chapter, "We Are All Americans;" is one of the most dramatic pieces of historical writing I have ever seen.  That's largely because it describes the reactions of various witnesses to the high drama of the end of the war.

Have a look:

Lincoln's visit to Richmond produced the most unforgettable scenes of this unforgettable war.  With an escort of only ten sailors, the president walked the streets while Porter peered nervously at every window for would-be assassins.  But the Emancipator  was soon surrounded by an impenetrable cordon of black people shouting"Glory to God! Glory! Glory! Glory!" "Bless the Lord!" "The great Messiah!" "I knowed him as soon as I seed him.  He's been in my heart four long years. Come to free his children from bondage. Glory, Hallelujah!" Several freed slaves touched Lincoln to make sure he was real.   "I know I am free, shouted an old woman, for I have seen Father Abraham and felt him."  Overwhelmed by rare emotions, Lincoln said to one black man who fell on his knees in front of him, "Don't kneel  to me.  That is not right. You must kneel to God only, and thank  Him for the liberty  you will enjoy hereafter." 

Are you a fan of micro-states?

 A fan of microstates named Vlad Geo Top is letting us know that the Bektashi Order -- a branch of Islam -- might establish itself as an independent state in suburban Tirana, the capital of Albania.  Next to no people live there and I'm not even sure they are Bektashis or consider themselves as such.

Thanks, Vlad!

IMAGES: The flag.

A view of the microstate -- not exactly crowded.

Interstellar images turned into music

This is marvellous.

A super-cargo ship of the 15th century

livescience.com has a fascinating article on the discovery of a huge cog -- a late medieval cargo ship -- off the coast of Denmark.

The researchers discovered the vessel off Copenhagen in Øresund, or "the Sound" in English — the strait between Denmark and Sweden. They described it as a "super ship" that could transport hundreds of tons of cargo at low cost during a period of burgeoning trade in the 14th and 15th centuries. "The find is a milestone for maritime archaeology," excavation leader Otto Uldum said in a statement. "It is the largest cog we know of, and it gives us a unique opportunity to understand both the construction and life on board the biggest trading ships of the Middle Ages."

The discovery was made accidentally as part of seabed investigations for a new artificial island that Denmark plans to create off Copenhagen. Researchers removed what they described as "centuries of sand and silt" to reveal the outline of the ship, which they named Svælget 2 after the channel in which it was found. Svælget 2 was well preserved on the seabed, located 43 feet (13 m) below the surface. Sand protected its starboard side, which retained traces of delicate rigging — unheard of in previous cog wrecks. The researchers also identified a brick galley, the first in a medieval ship in Danish waters, which allowed the crew to cook hot meals on an open fire. Artifacts on the ship included cooking materials, such as pots and bowls, and the crew's personal objects, such as hair combs and rosary beads for prayer, according to the statement. The researchers have yet to find Svælget 2's cargo. Uldum noted that the hold wasn't covered, so cargo barrels would have floated away from the ship as it sank. However, with no signs of military use, Svælget 2 is likely to have been a merchant ship, the researchers said.

And here's a pic of a modern reconstruction of another medieval cog, the Kamper Kogge, sailing down IJsse river in the Netherlands. A historic replica of a medieval cog, the Kamper Kogge, sailing down IJsse river in the Netherlands. (Image credit: Sjo via Getty Images) Svælget 2 was constructed in 1410, a fact the researchers deduced by tree-ring dating annual growth patterns on the ship's wood. The team also compared the patterns to previously published tree-ring data and determined that the ship's planks were from Poland, while the frame of the ship came from the Netherlands. Furthermore, construction patterns suggested that the planks were imported while the frame was cut at the ship's building site, indicating that the construction relied on a complex timber trade network across Northern Europe, according to the statement.

The giant ship was designed for a perilous journey from the Low Countries (including what is now the Netherlands) to the trading towns of the Baltic. A cog of this size would have allowed for the transportation of bulky everyday goods such as salt, timber, bricks and basic food items over long distances, which the researchers said would have previously only been done for luxury goods.

"The cog revolutionised trade in Northern Europe," Uldum said. "It made it possible to transport goods on a scale never seen before."

The researchers discovered the vessel off Copenhagen in Øresund, or "the Sound" in English — the strait between Denmark and Sweden. They described it as a "super ship" that could transport hundreds of tons of cargo at low cost during a period of burgeoning trade in the 14th and 15th centuries.

"The find is a milestone for maritime archaeology," excavation leader Otto Uldum said in a statement. "It is the largest cog we know of, and it gives us a unique opportunity to understand both the construction and life on board the biggest trading ships of the Middle Ages."

The discovery was made accidentally as part of seabed investigations for a new artificial island that Denmark plans to create off Copenhagen. Researchers removed what they described as "centuries of sand and silt" to reveal the outline of the ship, which they named Svælget 2 after the channel in which it was found.

Svælget 2 was well preserved on the seabed, located 43 feet (13 m) below the surface. Sand protected its starboard side, which retained traces of delicate rigging — unheard of in previous cog wrecks. The researchers also identified a brick galley, the first in a medieval ship in Danish waters, which allowed the crew to cook hot meals on an open fire. Artifacts on the ship included cooking materials, such as pots and bowls, and the crew's personal objects, such as hair combs and rosary beads for prayer, according to the statement. The researchers have yet to find Svælget 2's cargo. Uldum noted that the hold wasn't covered, so cargo barrels would have floated away from the ship as it sank. However, with no signs of military use, Svælget 2 is likely to have been a merchant ship, the researchers said. Svælget 2 was constructed in 1410, a fact the researchers deduced by tree-ring dating annual growth patterns on the ship's wood. The team also compared the patterns to previously published tree-ring data and determined that the ship's planks were from Poland, while the frame of the ship came from the Netherlands. Furthermore, construction patterns suggested that the planks were imported while the frame was cut at the ship's building site, indicating that the construction relied on a complex timber trade network across Northern Europe, according to the statement. The giant ship was designed for a perilous journey from the Low Countries (including what is now the Netherlands) to the trading towns of the Baltic. A cog of this size would have allowed for the transportation of bulky everyday goods such as salt, timber, bricks and basic food items over long distances, which the researchers said would have previously only been done for luxury goods. "The cog revolutionised trade in Northern Europe," Uldum said. "It made it possible to transport goods on a scale never seen before." A historic replica of a medieval cog, the Kamper Kogge, sailing down IJsse river in the Netherlands. (Image credit: Sjo via Getty Image)

A small piece of the "real" Jack Vance

Here's what I meant t0 include:

From Jack Vance's sf novel The Book of Dreams. ...Gersen sauntered along Corrib Place, looking into shops, which here affected a special eclat and offered only goods of eclat and distinction and elegance...Gersen paused ten minutes to watch a pair of puppets at a game of chess. Thhe puppets were Maholibus and Cascadine, characters from the Comic Masque. Each had captured several pieces; each in turn, after deliberation, made his move. When one captured a piece the other made gestures of rage and agitation. Maholibus made a move and spoke in a creaking voice:"Checkmate!" Cascadine cried out in anguish.He struck himself on the forehead and toppled backward off his chair. A moment later he picked himself up; the two arranged the pieces and started a new game....

The New Justinian

I have been writing a history of the Middle Ages, meant for people who are interested, bright but not necessarily well-informed. It's going to have many pictures and maps, selected quotations by famous or interesting medieval people.

But not footnotes. I'm not going to use all the academic structure. I'm lazy, in poor health, and my intended readers wouldn't care.

Just today it occcured tp me that there are more than a few resemblances between the Roman (Byzantine) emperor and Justinian I (527-565 CE) and Donald Trump. Justinian is basically known for his conquest of important provinces that the empire had lost in the previous century and some spectacular official and religious art. Let's have a look at some of these accomplishments, and make some rough comparisons.

Gotta hand up by Dear Old Dad. Actually his predecessor was his UNCLE Justin who has to be accounted a self-made man. It would be ludicrous to attach the same adjective to the older man.

Persecution of heretics and Jews -- admittewly pretty standard activity of Christian and evew some pagan emperors; indulged in by the Persians, too. I'd rate "compiling an enemies list," reasonably comparable to persecution I'll state right at the beginning that I'm not inclined to give monarchs the benefit of the doubt, especially if they have reputations as great comquerors. especially when the ministers of the crown have no evidence and act on malice, to please the monarch.

Reconquest of Italy, Sicily, North Africa (Tunisia and part of Algeria). Justinian had very talented generals, Belisarius and Narses, but when war broke out with Persia resources ran short and Italy was wrecked. Comparison --too many wars?

The Art -- especially the basilica of Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom) and the mosaics at Ravenna Justinian claimed credit for the basilica in grandiose terms by asserting his superiority to Solomon, who built the Temple of God at Jerusalem. That statement makes sense, since monuments of this sort are often credited to the people who finance them. Justinian however comes out on top in on taste. We can't be sure about Old Justinian's personal taste or influence on design (but do you really think he didn't have the final word on every aspect of the project?). The new emperor's taste seems to involve breaking old stuff he disapproves of and slapping more gold on things he thinks need it.

Showed contempt for the institutions and precedents of the Roman legal tradition. Sure, it's called the Code of Justinian, but he didn't write it. The lawyers who created it produced a lasting and influential compilation. Justinian's personal contribution to lawmaking included changing the laws of marriage to enable him, a respectable senator (appointed by Justin!), to marry a notorius actress/courtesan (Theodora). During his own reign he abolished the office of consul, the oldest and formerly the highest position in the state ever since the abolition of the kingship.

A contemporary speaks. Procopius, a courtier, wrote three works on the m Justinian regime, a massive book on the wars, a shorter the bbuildings and a third on the Secret History, which told the readers the TRUTH: the emperor was a demon.

Now Procopius in his public works comes across as very educated in the Greek classical tradition; his "secret" (real?) opinions make him look malicious or hysterical. I don't know if any writer or commentator who is part of the current regime, puts a good face on it, but will be revealed as hysterical when his true opinions are revealed in the post-Trump era. There will be a famous work on the current regime, but can it be written by a talented insider? Is there such a person? Hardly seems possible.

LOTS MORE COULD BE SAID.

Charlie Angus quotes Dietrich Bonhoeffer: “We are not to simply bandage the wounds of victims beneath the wheels of injustice, we are to drive a spoke into the wheel itself.”

Has the next world war already begun?

Since I started seriously reading social media and blogs I have learned some important things from Umair Haque at The Issue. I haven't been reading him as much in recent months, but he still has the ability to make a realLy good point when he comes across one. I can't dismiss his conclusions just because they are uncomfortable or more colorful than I would have put them.

You have a look.

Canada is heaven (2)

I believe I wrote a post a year or so ago with the title "Canada is Heaven" My point was not that Canada is perfect -- far from it -- but relatively speaking most of us Canadians have it awfully good compared to the other 8 billion human beings on this earth.

Here's a story that struck me much the same way. a bus hijacking (?) in Hamilton, Ontario, that went right (?).

The incident raises a number of questions and reflections.

Is hijack the right word ?

Is the cop's use of term "mental illness" at the press conference approriate?

Finally, it seems awfully clear that it is preferable to be at a bus stop in Hamilton than to be a school girl in the state of Niger, Nigeria, where you and your teachers might be kidnapped by gunmen with unclear motivations.

But if you use the Hamilton transit system at the wrong time, you might find yourself hard to make clear judgments.

An excellent review by Ken Mondschein of Pas d’armes and Late Medieval Chivalry: A Casebook.

If you have a general interest in the Middle Ages, you might want to subscribe to the Medieval Review. It is free and includes reviews on all sorts of scholarly subjcts. There are limitations. It is likely that most of the reviews you get will be of limited interest to you (I am not very interested in monographs on theologians and philosophers). The most important reviews of high profile books seem to appear in long-established journals -- but they are not free. The Medieval Review, however, will often provide you with information you didn't know you were interested in.

I am including an excellent review by Ken Mondschein of a book that I and some of my regular readers wll be interested in. I point out that it is reasonably priced! Hooray for the Liverpool University Press

In fact if you look around you'll find an open access version of the book!

The Mondchein review:

Brown-Grant, Rosalind, and Mario Damen, eds. Pas d’armes and Late Medieval Chivalry: A Casebook

Reviewed by Ken Mondschein Massachusetts Historical Swordsmanship ken@kenmondschein.com

Recent writings by Steven Muhlberger and others, as well as public history such as the Met’s 2019 exhibit about Maximillian I, have shown the late medieval tournament is a fertile field for studying elite alliances, politicking, and self-fashioning. Within the tournament, we can find worlds, much as one day historians will no doubt pick apart our own day’s professional sports. The difference is that in the late Middle Ages and early modern period, the ruling class was also the athletic class, making their sports and games of key interest. As the title makes clear, this is a casebook, but it is also the first work, save for a chapter in Barber and Barker’s oft-cited 1989 Tournaments, Jousts, Chivalry, and Pageants in the Late Middle Ages, specifically on this form of tournament. As such, it is a valuable addition to the literature.

The present volume is a study of pas d’armes, a form of late-medieval tournament that originated in Spain in the early fifteenth century. The pas featured a “home team” defending a locale, such as a pillar or stone (a perron), against all comers. Despite its theatrical trappings and rich symbolism, this was still a dangerous affair, and fatalities were not unknown, particularly in the earlier and less-regulated pas. From its birthplace in Iberia, this tournament form spread to France and, especially, Burgundy, where it both took on elements of state theatre and was made safer by being brought firmly under the control of rulers.

The first part of the book presents primary sources detailing fifteen pas spanning approximately 80 years, from 1428 to 1507, as well as one literary antecedent, the Romance of Ponthus and Sidoine. Interestingly for one interested in the study of medievalism, the literary exemplar shows more parallels with modern medieval combat-sport aesthetics--mighty men bashing each other with weighty swords to the point of exhaustion, yet forbidding the thrust--whereas the real-world accounts are both more vaguely described and also more contained--for instance, the pollaxe fight between Jacques de Lalaing and Pierre de Chandio in 1449 is limited to seventeen blows--and do use thrusts.

The primary sources regarding the fifteen pas d’armes, ranging from poetry to financial accounts, similarly have much to offer the reenactor, as well as the historian. Clothing, armor, and horse trappings are meticulously described. The particular forms, rules, and conditions to govern the emprise--in other words, the social structures meant to regulate and contain violence--are also specified, as are the richly symbolic and meaningful theatric trappings and heraldry.

The second part of the book contains some very interesting interpretive essays. Thalia Brero, Mario Damen, and Klaus Oschema detail how the pas d’armes changed over time from its fifteenth-century origins into the nascent state system of the sixteenth century. Anne D. Hedeman and Justin Strugeon look at heraldry and symbolism in the Pas de Samur. Mario Damen and Michelle Szkilnik examine the political and Arthurian literary environment of the 1463 Pas du Perron Fée in held in Bruges. Mariana Viallon discusses the later legacy of the roleplaying from the 1493 Pas des armes de Sandricourt. Alan V. Murray considers the spread of the pas d’armes to early sixteenth century Scotland with the Wild Knight of the Black Lady (as well as the possible racial overtones of the “Black Lady’s” identity). In the sixth and last essay, Rosalind Brown-Grant continues Ruth Mazo Karras’s work in From Boys to Men to extend the notion of the performance of elite masculinity from mere domination to display and conspicuous consumption. Finally, arms and armor expert Ralph Moffat contributes an excellent glossary.

Overall, this is an excellent book, and a much-needed and much-welcomed study of a previously neglected subject.

Kirth Gersen goes shopping

From Jack Vance's sf novel The Book of Dreams.

...Gersen sauntered along Corrib Place, looking into shops, which here affected a special eclat and offered only goods of eclat and distinction and elegance...Gersen paused ten minutes to watch a pair of puppets at a game of chess. Thhe puppets were Maholibus and Cascadine, characters from the Comic Masque. Each had captured several pieces; each in turn, after deliberation, made his move. When one captured a piece the other made gestures of rage and agitation. Maholibus made a move and spoke in a creaking voice:"Checkmate!" Cascadine cried out in anguish.He struck himself on the forehead and toppled backward off his chair. A moment later he picked himself up; the two arranged the pieces and started a new game....