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The Iliad of Homer: The Redemption of the Body of Hector
The Redemption of the Body of Hector.
The gods deliberate about the redemption of Hector's body. Jupiter sends Thetis to Achilles, to dispose him for the restoring it, and Iris to Priam, to encourage him to go in person and treat for it. The old king, notwithstanding the remonstrances of his queen, makes ready for the journey, to which he is encouraged by an omen from Jupiter. He sets forth in his chariot, with a waggon loaded with presents, under the charge of Idaeus the herald. Mercury descends in the shape of a young man, and conducts him to the pavilion of Achilles. Their conversation on the way. Priam finds Achilles at his table, casts himself at his feet, and begs for the body of his son: Achilles, moved with compassion, grants his request, detains him one night in his tent, and the next morning sends him home with the body: the Trojans run out to meet him. The lamentations of Andromache, Hecuba, and Helen, with the solemnities of the funeral.
The time of twelve days is employed in this book, while the body of Hector lies in the tent of Achilles; and as many more are spent in the truce allowed for his interment. The scene is partly in Achilles' camp, and partly in Troy.
Seek their black ships, and clear the crowded strand,
All stretch'd at ease the genial banquet share,
And pleasing slumbers quiet all their care.
Not so Achilles: he, to grief resign'd,
His friend's dear image present to his mind,
Takes his sad couch, more unobserved to weep;
Nor tastes the gifts of all-composing sleep.
Restless he roll'd around his weary bed,
And all his soul on his Patroclus fed:
The form so pleasing, and the heart so kind,
That youthful vigour, and that manly mind,
What toils they shared, what martial works they wrought,
What seas they measured, and what fields they fought;
All pass'd before him in remembrance dear,
Thought follows thought, and tear succeeds to tear.
And now supine, now prone, the hero lay,
Now shifts his side, impatient for the day:
Then starting up, disconsolate he goes
Wide on the lonely beach to vent his woes.
There as the solitary mourner raves,
The ruddy morning rises o'er the waves:
Soon as it rose, his furious steeds he join'd!
The chariot flies, and Hector trails behind.
And thrice, Patroclus! round thy monument
Was Hector dragg'd, then hurried to the tent.
There sleep at last o'ercomes the hero's eyes;
While foul in dust the unhonour'd carcase lies,
But not deserted by the pitying skies:
For Phoebus watch'd it with superior care,
Preserved from gaping wounds and tainting air;
And, ignominious as it swept the field,
Spread o'er the sacred corse his golden shield.
All heaven was moved, and Hermes will'd to go
By stealth to snatch him from the insulting foe:
But Neptune this, and Pallas this denies,
And th' unrelenting empress of the skies,
E'er since that day implacable to Troy,
What time young Paris, simple shepherd boy,
Won by destructive lust (reward obscene),
Their charms rejected for the Cyprian queen.
But when the tenth celestial morning broke,
To heaven assembled, thus Apollo spoke:
Has Hector tinged with blood of victims slain?
And can ye still his cold remains pursue?
Still grudge his body to the Trojans' view?
Deny to consort, mother, son, and sire,
The last sad honours of a funeral fire?
Is then the dire Achilles all your care?
That iron heart, inflexibly severe;
A lion, not a man, who slaughters wide,
In strength of rage, and impotence of pride;
Who hastes to murder with a savage joy,
Invades around, and breathes but to destroy!
Shame is not of his soul; nor understood,
The greatest evil and the greatest good.
Still for one loss he rages unresign'd,
Repugnant to the lot of all mankind;
To lose a friend, a brother, or a son,
Heaven dooms each mortal, and its will is done:
Awhile they sorrow, then dismiss their care;
Fate gives the wound, and man is born to bear.
But this insatiate, the commission given
By fate exceeds, and tempts the wrath of heaven:
Lo, how his rage dishonest drags along
Hector's dead earth, insensible of wrong!
Brave though he be, yet by no reason awed,
He violates the laws of man and god."
Are doom'd both heroes, (Juno thus replies,)
If Thetis' son must no distinction know,
Then hear, ye gods! the patron of the bow.
But Hector only boasts a mortal claim,
His birth deriving from a mortal dame:
Achilles, of your own ethereal race,
Springs from a goddess by a man's embrace
(A goddess by ourself to Peleus given,
A man divine, and chosen friend of heaven)
To grace those nuptials, from the bright abode
Yourselves were present; where this minstrel-god,
Well pleased to share the feast, amid the quire
Stood proud to hymn, and tune his youthful lyre."
"Let not thy wrath the court of heaven inflame;
Their merits, nor their honours, are the same.
But mine, and every god's peculiar grace
Hector deserves, of all the Trojan race:
Still on our shrines his grateful offerings lay,
(The only honours men to gods can pay,)
Nor ever from our smoking altar ceased
The pure libation, and the holy feast:
Howe'er by stealth to snatch the corse away,
We will not: Thetis guards it night and day.
But haste, and summon to our courts above
The azure queen; let her persuasion move
Her furious son from Priam to receive
The proffer'd ransom, and the corse to leave."
Swift as a whirlwind, on the message flies,
Meteorous the face of ocean sweeps,
Refulgent gliding o'er the sable deeps.
Between where Samos wide his forests spreads,
And rocky Imbrus lifts its pointed heads,
Down plunged the maid; (the parted waves resound;)
She plunged and instant shot the dark profound.
As bearing death in the fallacious bait,
From the bent angle sinks the leaden weight;
So pass'd the goddess through the closing wave,
Where Thetis sorrow'd in her secret cave:
There placed amidst her melancholy train
(The blue-hair'd sisters of the sacred main)
Pensive she sat, revolving fates to come,
And wept her godlike son's approaching doom.
Then thus the goddess of the painted bow:
"Arise, O Thetis! from thy seats below,
'Tis Jove that calls."—"And why (the dame replies)
Calls Jove his Thetis to the hated skies?
Sad object as I am for heavenly sight!
Ah may my sorrows ever shun the light!
Howe'er, be heaven's almighty sire obey'd—"
She spake, and veil'd her head in sable shade,
Which, flowing long, her graceful person clad;
And forth she paced, majestically sad.
(The way fair Iris led) to upper air.
The deeps dividing, o'er the coast they rise,
And touch with momentary flight the skies.
There in the lightning's blaze the sire they found,
And all the gods in shining synod round.
Thetis approach'd with anguish in her face,
(Minerva rising, gave the mourner place,)
Even Juno sought her sorrows to console,
And offer'd from her hand the nectar-bowl:
She tasted, and resign'd it: then began
The sacred sire of gods and mortal man:
Maternal sorrows; long, ah, long to last!
Suffice, we know and we partake thy cares;
But yield to fate, and hear what Jove declares
Nine days are past since all the court above
In Hector's cause have moved the ear of Jove;
'Twas voted, Hermes from his godlike foe
By stealth should bear him, but we will'd not so:
We will, thy son himself the corse restore,
And to his conquest add this glory more.
Then hie thee to him, and our mandate bear:
Tell him he tempts the wrath of heaven too far;
Nor let him more (our anger if he dread)
Vent his mad vengeance on the sacred dead;
But yield to ransom and the father's prayer;
The mournful father, Iris shall prepare
With gifts to sue; and offer to his hands
Whate'er his honour asks, or heart demands."
And from Olympus' snowy tops descends.
Arrived, she heard the voice of loud lament,
And echoing groans that shook the lofty tent:
His friends prepare the victim, and dispose
Repast unheeded, while he vents his woes;
The goddess seats her by her pensive son,
She press'd his hand, and tender thus begun:
And thy heart waste with life-consuming woe:
Mindless of food, or love, whose pleasing reign
Soothes weary life, and softens human pain?
O snatch the moments yet within thy power;
Not long to live, indulge the amorous hour!
Lo! Jove himself (for Jove's command I bear)
Forbids to tempt the wrath of heaven too far.
No longer then (his fury if thou dread)
Detain the relics of great Hector dead;
Nor vent on senseless earth thy vengeance vain,
But yield to ransom, and restore the slain."
And we submit, since such the will of heaven."
Jove orders Iris to the Trojan towers:
"Haste, winged goddess! to the sacred town,
And urge her monarch to redeem his son.
Alone the Ilian ramparts let him leave,
And bear what stern Achilles may receive:
Alone, for so we will; no Trojan near
Except, to place the dead with decent care,
Some aged herald, who with gentle hand
May the slow mules and funeral car command.
Nor let him death, nor let him danger dread,
Safe through the foe by our protection led:
Him Hermes to Achilles shall convey,
Guard of his life, and partner of his way.
Fierce as he is, Achilles' self shall spare
His age, nor touch one venerable hair:
Some thought there must be in a soul so brave,
Some sense of duty, some desire to save."
And swift at Priam's mournful court arrives:
Where the sad sons beside their father's throne
Sat bathed in tears, and answer'd groan with groan.
And all amidst them lay the hoary sire,
(Sad scene of woe!) his face his wrapp'd attire
Conceal'd from sight; with frantic hands he spread
A shower of ashes o'er his neck and head.
From room to room his pensive daughters roam;
Whose shrieks and clamours fill the vaulted dome;
Mindful of those, who late their pride and joy,
Lie pale and breathless round the fields of Troy!
Before the king Jove's messenger appears,
And thus in whispers greets his trembling ears:
From Jove I come, Jove makes thee still his care;
For Hector's sake these walls he bids thee leave,
And bear what stern Achilles may receive;
Alone, for so he wills; no Trojan near,
Except, to place the dead with decent care,
Some aged herald, who with gentle hand
May the slow mules and funeral car command.
Nor shalt thou death, nor shall thou danger dread:
Safe through the foe by his protection led:
Thee Hermes to Pelides shall convey,
Guard of thy life, and partner of thy way.
Fierce as he is, Achilles' self shall spare
Thy age, nor touch one venerable hair;
Some thought there must be in a soul so brave,
Some sense of duty, some desire to save."
His gentle mules and harness to the car;
There, for the gifts, a polish'd casket lay:
His pious sons the king's command obey.
Then pass'd the monarch to his bridal-room,
Where cedar-beams the lofty roofs perfume,
And where the treasures of his empire lay;
Then call'd his queen, and thus began to say:
Partake the troubles of thy husband's breast:
I saw descend the messenger of Jove,
Who bids me try Achilles' mind to move;
Forsake these ramparts, and with gifts obtain
The corse of Hector, at yon navy slain.
Tell me thy thought: my heart impels to go
Through hostile camps, and bears me to the foe."
Sad Hecuba renews, and then replies:
"Ah! whither wanders thy distemper'd mind?
And where the prudence now that awed mankind?
Through Phrygia once and foreign regions known;
Now all confused, distracted, overthrown!
Singly to pass through hosts of foes! to face
(O heart of steel!) the murderer of thy race!
To view that deathful eye, and wander o'er
Those hands yet red with Hector's noble gore!
Alas! my lord! he knows not how to spare.
And what his mercy, thy slain sons declare;
So brave! so many fallen! To claim his rage
Vain were thy dignity, and vain thy age.
No—pent in this sad palace, let us give
To grief the wretched days we have to live.
Still, still for Hector let our sorrows flow,
Born to his own, and to his parents' woe!
Doom'd from the hour his luckless life begun,
To dogs, to vultures, and to Peleus' son!
Oh! in his dearest blood might I allay
My rage, and these barbarities repay!
For ah! could Hector merit thus, whose breath
Expired not meanly, in unactive death?
He poured his latest blood in manly fight,
And fell a hero in his country's right."
With words of omen, like a bird of night,
(Replied unmoved the venerable man;)
'Tis heaven commands me, and you urge in vain.
Had any mortal voice the injunction laid,
Nor augur, priest, nor seer, had been obey'd.
A present goddess brought the high command,
I saw, I heard her, and the word shall stand.
I go, ye gods! obedient to your call:
If in yon camp your powers have doom'd my fall,
Content—By the same hand let me expire!
Add to the slaughter'd son the wretched sire!
One cold embrace at least may be allow'd,
And my last tears flow mingled with his blood!"
Twelve costly carpets of refulgent hue,
As many vests, as many mantles told,
And twelve fair veils, and garments stiff with gold,
Two tripods next, and twice two chargers shine,
With ten pure talents from the richest mine;
And last a large well-labour'd bowl had place,
(The pledge of treaties once with friendly Thrace:)
Seem'd all too mean the stores he could employ,
For one last look to buy him back to Troy!
Around him furious drives his menial train:
In vain each slave with duteous care attends,
Each office hurts him, and each face offends.
"What make ye here, officious crowds! (he cries).
Hence! nor obtrude your anguish on my eyes.
Have ye no griefs at home, to fix ye there:
Am I the only object of despair?
Am I become my people's common show,
Set up by Jove your spectacle of woe?
No, you must feel him too; yourselves must fall;
The same stern god to ruin gives you all:
Nor is great Hector lost by me alone;
Your sole defence, your guardian power is gone!
I see your blood the fields of Phrygia drown,
I see the ruins of your smoking town!
O send me, gods! ere that sad day shall come,
A willing ghost to Pluto's dreary dome!"
The sorrowing friends his frantic rage obey.
Next on his sons his erring fury falls,
Polites, Paris, Agathon, he calls;
His threats Deiphobus and Dius hear,
Hippothous, Pammon, Helenes the seer,
And generous Antiphon: for yet these nine
Survived, sad relics of his numerous line.
Why did not all in Hector's cause expire?
Wretch that I am! my bravest offspring slain.
You, the disgrace of Priam's house, remain!
Mestor the brave, renown'd in ranks of war,
With Troilus, dreadful on his rushing car,[249]
And last great Hector, more than man divine,
For sure he seem'd not of terrestrial line!
All those relentless Mars untimely slew,
And left me these, a soft and servile crew,
Whose days the feast and wanton dance employ,
Gluttons and flatterers, the contempt of Troy!
Why teach ye not my rapid wheels to run,
And speed my journey to redeem my son?"
Forgive his anger, and produce the car.
High on the seat the cabinet they bind:
The new-made car with solid beauty shined;
Box was the yoke, emboss'd with costly pains,
And hung with ringlets to receive the reins;
Nine cubits long, the traces swept the ground:
These to the chariot's polish'd pole they bound.
Then fix'd a ring the running reins to guide,
And close beneath the gather'd ends were tied.
Next with the gifts (the price of Hector slain)
The sad attendants load the groaning wain:
Last to the yoke the well-matched mules they bring,
(The gift of Mysia to the Trojan king.)
But the fair horses, long his darling care,
Himself received, and harness'd to his car:
Grieved as he was, he not this task denied;
The hoary herald help'd him, at his side.
While careful these the gentle coursers join'd,
Sad Hecuba approach'd with anxious mind;
A golden bowl that foam'd with fragrant wine,
(Libation destined to the power divine,)
Held in her right, before the steed she stands,
And thus consigns it to the monarch's hands:
His grace restore thee to our roof and arms.
Since victor of thy fears, and slighting mine,
Heaven, or thy soul, inspires this bold design;
Pray to that god, who high on Ida's brow
Surveys thy desolated realms below,
His winged messenger to send from high,
And lead thy way with heavenly augury:
Let the strong sovereign of the plumy race
Tower on the right of yon ethereal space.
That sign beheld, and strengthen'd from above,
Boldly pursue the journey mark'd by Jove:
But if the god his augury denies,
Suppress thy impulse, nor reject advice."
To raise our hands; for who so good as Jove?"
He spoke, and bade the attendant handmaid bring
The purest water of the living spring:
(Her ready hands the ewer and bason held:)
Then took the golden cup his queen had fill'd;
On the mid pavement pours the rosy wine,
Uplifts his eyes, and calls the power divine:
On lofty Ida's holy hill adored!
To stern Achilles now direct my ways,
And teach him mercy when a father prays.
If such thy will, despatch from yonder sky
Thy sacred bird, celestial augury!
Let the strong sovereign of the plumy race
Tower on the right of yon ethereal space;
So shall thy suppliant, strengthen'd from above,
Fearless pursue the journey mark'd by Jove."
Despatch'd his bird, celestial augury!
The swift-wing'd chaser of the feather'd game,
And known to gods by Percnos' lofty name.
Wide as appears some palace-gate display'd.
So broad, his pinions stretch'd their ample shade,
As stooping dexter with resounding wings
The imperial bird descends in airy rings.
A dawn of joy in every face appears:
The mourning matron dries her timorous tears:
Swift on his car the impatient monarch sprung;
The brazen portal in his passage rung;
The mules preceding draw the loaded wain,
Charged with the gifts: Idaeus holds the rein:
The king himself his gentle steeds controls,
And through surrounding friends the chariot rolls.
On his slow wheels the following people wait,
Mourn at each step, and give him up to fate;
With hands uplifted eye him as he pass'd,
And gaze upon him as they gazed their last.
Now forward fares the father on his way,
Through the lone fields, and back to Ilion they.
Great Jove beheld him as he cross'd the plain,
And felt the woes of miserable man.
Then thus to Hermes: "Thou whose constant cares
Still succour mortals, and attend their prayers;
Behold an object to thy charge consign'd:
If ever pity touch'd thee for mankind,
Go, guard the sire: the observing foe prevent,
And safe conduct him to Achilles' tent."
And mounts incumbent on the wings of winds,
That high, through fields of air, his flight sustain,
O'er the wide earth, and o'er the boundless main;
Then grasps the wand that causes sleep to fly,
Or in soft slumbers seals the wakeful eye:
Thus arm'd, swift Hermes steers his airy way,
And stoops on Hellespont's resounding sea.
A beauteous youth, majestic and divine,
He seem'd; fair offspring of some princely line!
Now twilight veil'd the glaring face of day,
And clad the dusky fields in sober grey;
What time the herald and the hoary king
(Their chariots stopping at the silver spring,
That circling Ilus' ancient marble flows)
Allow'd their mules and steeds a short repose,
Through the dim shade the herald first espies
A man's approach, and thus to Priam cries:
"I mark some foe's advance: O king! beware;
This hard adventure claims thy utmost care!
For much I fear destruction hovers nigh:
Our state asks counsel; is it best to fly?
Or old and helpless, at his feet to fall,
Two wretched suppliants, and for mercy call?"
Pale grew his face, and upright stood his hair;
Sunk was his heart; his colour went and came;
A sudden trembling shook his aged frame:
When Hermes, greeting, touch'd his royal hand,
And, gentle, thus accosts with kind demand:
Is seal'd in sleep, thou wanderest through the night?
Why roam thy mules and steeds the plains along,
Through Grecian foes, so numerous and so strong?
What couldst thou hope, should these thy treasures view;
These, who with endless hate thy race pursue?
For what defence, alas! could'st thou provide;
Thyself not young, a weak old man thy guide?
Yet suffer not thy soul to sink with dread;
From me no harm shall touch thy reverend head;
From Greece I'll guard thee too; for in those lines
The living image of my father shines."
Are true, my son! (the godlike sire rejoin'd:)
Great are my hazards; but the gods survey
My steps, and send thee, guardian of my way.
Hail, and be bless'd! For scarce of mortal kind
Appear thy form, thy feature, and thy mind."
(The sacred messenger of heaven replied;)
But say, convey'st thou through the lonely plains
What yet most precious of thy store remains,
To lodge in safety with some friendly hand:
Prepared, perchance, to leave thy native land?
Or fliest thou now?—What hopes can Troy retain,
Thy matchless son, her guard and glory, slain?"
Who search the sorrows of a parent's heart,
And know so well how godlike Hector died?"
Thus Priam spoke, and Hermes thus replied:
On this sad subject you inquire too much.
Oft have these eyes that godlike Hector view'd
In glorious fight, with Grecian blood embrued:
I saw him when, like Jove, his flames he toss'd
On thousand ships, and wither'd half a host:
I saw, but help'd not: stern Achilles' ire
Forbade assistance, and enjoy'd the fire.
For him I serve, of Myrmidonian race;
One ship convey'd us from our native place;
Polyctor is my sire, an honour'd name,
Old like thyself, and not unknown to fame;
Of seven his sons, by whom the lot was cast
To serve our prince, it fell on me, the last.
To watch this quarter, my adventure falls:
For with the morn the Greeks attack your walls;
Sleepless they sit, impatient to engage,
And scarce their rulers check their martial rage."
(The mournful monarch thus rejoin'd again,)
Ah tell me truly, where, oh! where are laid
My son's dear relics? what befals him dead?
Have dogs dismember'd (on the naked plains),
Or yet unmangled rest, his cold remains?"
The power that mediates between god and men)
Nor dogs nor vultures have thy Hector rent,
But whole he lies, neglected in the tent:
This the twelfth evening since he rested there,
Untouch'd by worms, untainted by the air.
Still as Aurora's ruddy beam is spread,
Round his friend's tomb Achilles drags the dead:
Yet undisfigured, or in limb or face,
All fresh he lies, with every living grace,
Majestical in death! No stains are found
O'er all the corse, and closed is every wound,
Though many a wound they gave. Some heavenly care,
Some hand divine, preserves him ever fair:
Or all the host of heaven, to whom he led
A life so grateful, still regard him dead."
And joyful thus the royal sire replied:
"Blest is the man who pays the gods above
The constant tribute of respect and love!
Those who inhabit the Olympian bower
My son forgot not, in exalted power;
And heaven, that every virtue bears in mind,
Even to the ashes of the just is kind.
But thou, O generous youth! this goblet take,
A pledge of gratitude for Hector's sake;
And while the favouring gods our steps survey,
Safe to Pelides' tent conduct my way."
To tempt my youth, for apt is youth to err.
But can I, absent from my prince's sight,
Take gifts in secret, that must shun the light?
What from our master's interest thus we draw,
Is but a licensed theft that 'scapes the law.
Respecting him, my soul abjures the offence;
And as the crime, I dread the consequence.
Thee, far as Argos, pleased I could convey;
Guard of thy life, and partner of thy way:
On thee attend, thy safety to maintain,
O'er pathless forests, or the roaring main."
And snatch'd the reins, and whirl'd the lash around:
Before the inspiring god that urged them on,
The coursers fly with spirit not their own.
And now they reach'd the naval walls, and found
The guards repasting, while the bowls go round;
On these the virtue of his wand he tries,
And pours deep slumber on their watchful eyes:
Then heaved the massy gates, removed the bars,
And o'er the trenches led the rolling cars.
Unseen, through all the hostile camp they went,
And now approach'd Pelides' lofty tent.
On firs the roof was raised, and cover'd o'er
With reeds collected from the marshy shore;
And, fenced with palisades, a hall of state,
(The work of soldiers,) where the hero sat.
Large was the door, whose well-compacted strength
A solid pine-tree barr'd of wondrous length:
Scarce three strong Greeks could lift its mighty weight,
But great Achilles singly closed the gate.
This Hermes (such the power of gods) set wide;
Then swift alighted the celestial guide,
And thus reveal'd—"Hear, prince! and understand
Thou ow'st thy guidance to no mortal hand:
Hermes I am, descended from above,
The king of arts, the messenger of Jove,
Farewell: to shun Achilles' sight I fly;
Uncommon are such favours of the sky,
Nor stand confess'd to frail mortality.
Now fearless enter, and prefer thy prayers;
Adjure him by his father's silver hairs,
His son, his mother! urge him to bestow
Whatever pity that stern heart can know."
And in a moment shot into the skies:
The king, confirm'd from heaven, alighted there,
And left his aged herald on the car,
With solemn pace through various rooms he went,
And found Achilles in his inner tent:
There sat the hero: Alcimus the brave,
And great Automedon, attendance gave:
These served his person at the royal feast;
Around, at awful distance, stood the rest.
And, prostrate now before Achilles laid,
Sudden (a venerable sight!) appears;
Embraced his knees, and bathed his hands in tears;
Those direful hands his kisses press'd, embrued
Even with the best, the dearest of his blood!
Pursued for murder, flies his native clime)
Just gains some frontier, breathless, pale, amazed,
All gaze, all wonder: thus Achilles gazed:
Thus stood the attendants stupid with surprise:
All mute, yet seem'd to question with their eyes:
Each look'd on other, none the silence broke,
Till thus at last the kingly suppliant spoke:
Think of thy father's age, and pity mine!
In me that father's reverend image trace,
Those silver hairs, that venerable face;
His trembling limbs, his helpless person, see!
In all my equal, but in misery!
Yet now, perhaps, some turn of human fate
Expels him helpless from his peaceful state;
Think, from some powerful foe thou seest him fly,
And beg protection with a feeble cry.
Yet still one comfort in his soul may rise;
He hears his son still lives to glad his eyes,
And, hearing, still may hope a better day
May send him thee, to chase that foe away.
No comfort to my griefs, no hopes remain,
The best, the bravest, of my sons are slain!
Yet what a race! ere Greece to Ilion came,
The pledge of many a loved and loving dame:
Nineteen one mother bore—Dead, all are dead!
How oft, alas! has wretched Priam bled!
Still one was left their loss to recompense;
His father's hope, his country's last defence.
Him too thy rage has slain! beneath thy steel,
Unhappy in his country's cause he fell!
For him thus prostrate at thy feet I lay;
Large gifts proportion'd to thy wrath I bear;
O hear the wretched, and the gods revere!
See him in me, as helpless and as old!
Though not so wretched: there he yields to me,
The first of men in sovereign misery!
Thus forced to kneel, thus grovelling to embrace
The scourge and ruin of my realm and race;
Suppliant my children's murderer to implore,
And kiss those hands yet reeking with their gore!"
Touch'd with the dear remembrance of his sire.
Then with his hand (as prostrate still he lay)
The old man's cheek he gently turn'd away.
Now each by turns indulged the gush of woe;
And now the mingled tides together flow:
This low on earth, that gently bending o'er;
A father one, and one a son deplore:
But great Achilles different passions rend,
And now his sire he mourns, and now his friend.
The infectious softness through the heroes ran;
One universal solemn shower began;
They bore as heroes, but they felt as man.
From the high throne divine Achilles rose;
The reverend monarch by the hand he raised;
On his white beard and form majestic gazed,
Not unrelenting; then serene began
With words to soothe the miserable man:
Unhappy prince! thus guardless and alone
Two pass through foes, and thus undaunted face
The man whose fury has destroy'd thy race!
Heaven sure has arm'd thee with a heart of steel,
A strength proportion'd to the woes you feel.
Rise, then: let reason mitigate your care:
To mourn avails not: man is born to bear.
Such is, alas! the gods' severe decree:
They, only they are blest, and only free.
Two urns by Jove's high throne have ever stood,
The source of evil one, and one of good;
From thence the cup of mortal man he fills,
Blessings to these, to those distributes ill;
To most he mingles both: the wretch decreed
To taste the bad unmix'd, is cursed indeed;
Pursued by wrongs, by meagre famine driven,
He wanders, outcast both of earth and heaven.
The happiest taste not happiness sincere;
But find the cordial draught is dash'd with care.
Who more than Peleus shone in wealth and power
What stars concurring bless'd his natal hour!
A realm, a goddess, to his wishes given;
Graced by the gods with all the gifts of heaven.
One evil yet o'ertakes his latest day:
No race succeeding to imperial sway;
An only son; and he, alas! ordain'd
To fall untimely in a foreign land.
See him, in Troy, the pious care decline
Of his weak age, to live the curse of thine!
Thou too, old man, hast happier days beheld;
In riches once, in children once excell'd;
Extended Phrygia own'd thy ample reign,
And all fair Lesbos' blissful seats contain,
And all wide Hellespont's unmeasured main.
But since the god his hand has pleased to turn,
And fill thy measure from his bitter urn,
What sees the sun, but hapless heroes' falls?
War, and the blood of men, surround thy walls!
What must be, must be. Bear thy lot, nor shed
These unavailing sorrows o'er the dead;
Thou canst not call him from the Stygian shore,
But thou, alas! may'st live to suffer more!"
Here let me grow to earth! since Hector lies
On the bare beach deprived of obsequies.
O give me Hector! to my eyes restore
His corse, and take the gifts: I ask no more.
Thou, as thou may'st, these boundless stores enjoy;
Safe may'st thou sail, and turn thy wrath from Troy;
So shall thy pity and forbearance give
A weak old man to see the light and live!"
While kindling anger sparkled in his eyes,)
Nor seek by tears my steady soul to bend:
To yield thy Hector I myself intend:
For know, from Jove my goddess-mother came,
(Old Ocean's daughter, silver-footed dame,)
Nor comest thou but by heaven; nor comest alone,
Some god impels with courage not thy own:
No human hand the weighty gates unbarr'd,
Nor could the boldest of our youth have dared
To pass our outworks, or elude the guard.
Cease; lest, neglectful of high Jove's command,
I show thee, king! thou tread'st on hostile land;
Release my knees, thy suppliant arts give o'er,
And shake the purpose of my soul no more."
Achilles, like a lion, rush'd abroad:
Automedon and Alcimus attend,
(Whom most he honour'd, since he lost his friend,)
These to unyoke the mules and horses went,
And led the hoary herald to the tent;
Next, heap'd on high, the numerous presents bear,
(Great Hector's ransom,) from the polish'd car.
Two splendid mantles, and a carpet spread,
They leave: to cover and enwrap the dead.
Then call the handmaids, with assistant toil
To wash the body and anoint with oil,
Apart from Priam: lest the unhappy sire,
Provoked to passion, once more rouse to ire
The stern Pelides; and nor sacred age,
Nor Jove's command, should check the rising rage.
This done, the garments o'er the corse they spread;
Achilles lifts it to the funeral bed:
Then, while the body on the car they laid,
He groans, and calls on loved Patroclus' shade:
The deeds of mortals touch the ghosts below,
O friend! forgive me, that I thus fulfil
(Restoring Hector) heaven's unquestion'd will.
The gifts the father gave, be ever thine,
To grace thy manes, and adorn thy shrine."[252]
Where full before him reverend Priam sate;
To whom, composed, the godlike chief begun:
"Lo! to thy prayer restored, thy breathless son;
Extended on the funeral couch he lies;
And soon as morning paints the eastern skies,
The sight is granted to thy longing eyes:
But now the peaceful hours of sacred night
Demand reflection, and to rest invite:
Nor thou, O father! thus consumed with woe,
The common cares that nourish life forego.
Not thus did Niobe, of form divine,
A parent once, whose sorrows equall'd thine:
Six youthful sons, as many blooming maids,
In one sad day beheld the Stygian shades;
Those by Apollo's silver bow were slain,
These, Cynthia's arrows stretch'd upon the plain:
So was her pride chastised by wrath divine,
Who match'd her own with bright Latona's line;
But two the goddess, twelve the queen enjoy'd;
Those boasted twelve, the avenging two destroy'd.
Steep'd in their blood, and in the dust outspread,
Nine days, neglected, lay exposed the dead;
None by to weep them, to inhume them none;
(For Jove had turn'd the nation all to stone.)
The gods themselves, at length relenting gave
The unhappy race the honours of a grave.
Herself a rock (for such was heaven's high will)
Through deserts wild now pours a weeping rill;
Where round the bed whence Achelous springs,
The watery fairies dance in mazy rings;
There high on Sipylus's shaggy brow,
She stands, her own sad monument of woe;
The rock for ever lasts, the tears for ever flow.
Remember theirs, and mitigate thy own.
The care of heaven thy Hector has appear'd,
Nor shall he lie unwept, and uninterr'd;
Soon may thy aged cheeks in tears be drown'd,
And all the eyes of Ilion stream around."
With silver fleece, which his attendants slew.
The limbs they sever from the reeking hide,
With skill prepare them, and in parts divide:
Each on the coals the separate morsels lays,
And, hasty, snatches from the rising blaze.
With bread the glittering canisters they load,
Which round the board Automedon bestow'd.
The chief himself to each his portion placed,
And each indulging shared in sweet repast.
When now the rage of hunger was repress'd,
The wondering hero eyes his royal guest:
No less the royal guest the hero eyes,
His godlike aspect and majestic size;
Here, youthful grace and noble fire engage;
And there, the mild benevolence of age.
Thus gazing long, the silence neither broke,
(A solemn scene!) at length the father spoke:
My careful temples in the dew of sleep:
For, since the day that number'd with the dead
My hapless son, the dust has been my bed;
Soft sleep a stranger to my weeping eyes;
My only food, my sorrows and my sighs!
Till now, encouraged by the grace you give,
I share thy banquet, and consent to live."
With purple soft and shaggy carpets spread;
Forth, by the flaming lights, they bend their way,
And place the couches, and the coverings lay.
Then he: "Now, father, sleep, but sleep not here;
Consult thy safety, and forgive my fear,
Lest any Argive, at this hour awake,
To ask our counsel, or our orders take,
Approaching sudden to our open'd tent,
Perchance behold thee, and our grace prevent.
Should such report thy honour'd person here,
The king of men the ransom might defer;
But say with speed, if aught of thy desire
Remains unask'd; what time the rites require
To inter thy Hector? For, so long we stay
Our slaughtering arm, and bid the hosts obey."
To finish all due honours to the dead,
This of thy grace accord: to thee are known
The fears of Ilion, closed within her town;
And at what distance from our walls aspire
The hills of Ide, and forests for the fire.
Nine days to vent our sorrows I request,
The tenth shall see the funeral and the feast;
The next, to raise his monument be given;
The twelfth we war, if war be doom'd by heaven!"
Till then our arms suspend the fall of Troy."
The old man's fears, and turn'd within the tent;
Where fair Briseis, bright in blooming charms,
Expects her hero with desiring arms.
But in the porch the king and herald rest;
Sad dreams of care yet wandering in their breast.
Now gods and men the gifts of sleep partake;
Industrious Hermes only was awake,
The king's return revolving in his mind,
To pass the ramparts, and the watch to blind.
The power descending hover'd o'er his head:
"And sleep'st thou, father! (thus the vision said:)
Now dost thou sleep, when Hector is restored?
Nor fear the Grecian foes, or Grecian lord?
Thy presence here should stern Atrides see,
Thy still surviving sons may sue for thee;
May offer all thy treasures yet contain,
To spare thy age; and offer all in vain."
And raised his friend: the god before him goes:
He joins the mules, directs them with his hand,
And moves in silence through the hostile land.
When now to Xanthus' yellow stream they drove,
(Xanthus, immortal progeny of Jove,)
The winged deity forsook their view,
And in a moment to Olympus flew.
Now shed Aurora round her saffron ray,
Sprang through the gates of light, and gave the day:
Charged with the mournful load, to Ilion go
The sage and king, majestically slow.
Cassandra first beholds, from Ilion's spire,
The sad procession of her hoary sire;
Then, as the pensive pomp advanced more near,
(Her breathless brother stretched upon the bier,)
A shower of tears o'erflows her beauteous eyes,
Alarming thus all Ilion with her cries:
Ye wretched daughters, and ye sons of Troy!
If e'er ye rush'd in crowds, with vast delight,
To hail your hero glorious from the fight,
Now meet him dead, and let your sorrows flow;
Your common triumph, and your common woe."
Nor man nor woman in the walls remains;
In every face the self-same grief is shown;
And Troy sends forth one universal groan.
At Scaea's gates they meet the mourning wain,
Hang on the wheels, and grovel round the slain.
The wife and mother, frantic with despair,
Kiss his pale cheek, and rend their scatter'd hair:
Thus wildly wailing, at the gates they lay;
And there had sigh'd and sorrow'd out the day;
But godlike Priam from the chariot rose:
"Forbear (he cried) this violence of woes;
First to the palace let the car proceed,
Then pour your boundless sorrows o'er the dead."
Slow rolls the chariot through the following tide;
Even to the palace the sad pomp they wait:
They weep, and place him on the bed of state.
A melancholy choir attend around,
With plaintive sighs, and music's solemn sound:
Alternately they sing, alternate flow
The obedient tears, melodious in their woe.
While deeper sorrows groan from each full heart,
And nature speaks at every pause of art.
Around his neck her milk-white arms she threw,
"And oh, my Hector! Oh, my lord! (she cries)
Snatch'd in thy bloom from these desiring eyes!
Thou to the dismal realms for ever gone!
And I abandon'd, desolate, alone!
An only son, once comfort of our pains,
Sad product now of hapless love, remains!
Never to manly age that son shall rise,
Or with increasing graces glad my eyes:
For Ilion now (her great defender slain)
Shall sink a smoking ruin on the plain.
Who now protects her wives with guardian care?
Who saves her infants from the rage of war?
Now hostile fleets must waft those infants o'er
(Those wives must wait them) to a foreign shore:
Thou too, my son, to barbarous climes shall go,
The sad companion of thy mother's woe;
Driven hence a slave before the victor's sword
Condemn'd to toil for some inhuman lord:
Or else some Greek whose father press'd the plain,
Or son, or brother, by great Hector slain,
In Hector's blood his vengeance shall enjoy,
And hurl thee headlong from the towers of Troy.[253]
For thy stern father never spared a foe:
Thence all these tears, and all this scene of woe!
Thence many evils his sad parents bore,
His parents many, but his consort more.
Why gav'st thou not to me thy dying hand?
And why received not I thy last command?
Some word thou would'st have spoke, which, sadly dear,
My soul might keep, or utter with a tear;
Which never, never could be lost in air,
Fix'd in my heart, and oft repeated there!"
Her weeping handmaids echo groan for groan.
"O thou, the best, the dearest to my heart!
Of all my race thou most by heaven approved,
And by the immortals even in death beloved!
While all my other sons in barbarous bands
Achilles bound, and sold to foreign lands,
This felt no chains, but went a glorious ghost,
Free, and a hero, to the Stygian coast.
Sentenced, 'tis true, by his inhuman doom,
Thy noble corse was dragg'd around the tomb;
(The tomb of him thy warlike arm had slain;)
Ungenerous insult, impotent and vain!
Yet glow'st thou fresh with every living grace;
No mark of pain, or violence of face:
Rosy and fair! as Phoebus' silver bow
Dismiss'd thee gently to the shades below."
Sad Helen next in pomp of grief appears;
Fast from the shining sluices of her eyes
Fall the round crystal drops, while thus she cries.
Tne mildest manners with the bravest mind,
Now twice ten years (unhappy years) are o'er
Since Paris brought me to the Trojan shore,
(O had I perish'd, ere that form divine
Seduced this soft, this easy heart of mine!)
Yet was it ne'er my fate, from thee to find
A deed ungentle, or a word unkind.
When others cursed the authoress of their woe,
Thy pity check'd my sorrows in their flow.
If some proud brother eyed me with disdain,
Or scornful sister with her sweeping train,
Thy gentle accents soften'd all my pain.
For thee I mourn, and mourn myself in thee,
The wretched source of all this misery.
The fate I caused, for ever I bemoan;
Sad Helen has no friend, now thou art gone!
Through Troy's wide streets abandon'd shall I roam!
In Troy deserted, as abhorr'd at home!"
Distressful beauty melts each stander-by.
On all around the infectious sorrow grows;
But Priam check'd the torrent as it rose:
"Perform, ye Trojans! what the rites require,
And fell the forests for a funeral pyre;
Twelve days, nor foes nor secret ambush dread;
Achilles grants these honours to the dead."[255]
Their mules and oxen harness to the wain,
Pour through the gates, and fell'd from Ida's crown,
Roll back the gather'd forests to the town.
These toils continue nine succeeding days,
And high in air a sylvan structure raise.
But when the tenth fair morn began to shine,
Forth to the pile was borne the man divine,
And placed aloft; while all, with streaming eyes,
Beheld the flames and rolling smokes arise.
Soon as Aurora, daughter of the dawn,
With rosy lustre streak'd the dewy lawn,
Again the mournful crowds surround the pyre,
And quench with wine the yet remaining fire.
The snowy bones his friends and brothers place
(With tears collected) in a golden vase;
The golden vase in purple palls they roll'd,
Of softest texture, and inwrought with gold.
Last o'er the urn the sacred earth they spread,
And raised the tomb, memorial of the dead.
(Strong guards and spies, till all the rites were done,
Watch'd from the rising to the setting sun.)
All Troy then moves to Priam's court again,
A solemn, silent, melancholy train:
Assembled there, from pious toil they rest,
And sadly shared the last sepulchral feast.
Such honours Ilion to her hero paid,
And peaceful slept the mighty Hector's shade.[256]
Here are the facts and trivia that people are buzzing about.


text:
(first posted 11/7/2012) Designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, this lovely Alfa coupe was not only a feast for the eyes in that largely vulgar mid-seventies period, but was also an influential one. The Alfetta GT was one of a few key designs of the period that had a profound and lasting effect on styling trends, including the Japanese, like the Corolla GT-S. The Alfetta showed the way out of the styling wilderness the Japanese had created for themselves. The unfortunate result was that cars like the fast, cheap but ultra-reliable Corolla GT-S helped put Alfa out of business in the US.
At the time of the Alfetta GT, Japanese styling was lost in a wild and woolly jungle that was a bizarre mixture of US influences combined with homegrown touches (1975 Corolla at top). But for a few exceptions, it did not result in handsome or timeless cars. The clean and angular school of design that was particularly practiced by Bertone and others in Italy was adopted by the Japanese wholesale (1985 Corolla bottom), and even exaggerated. It was one of the more dramatic, sudden and lasting shifts of Japanese styling ever.
Of course, we can take that one significant step back further to explore the influences on the Alfetta GT. The 1968 Lamborghini Espada was one of the most, if not the most significant milestone in this new trend away from the Pininfarina curves. Its influence on the Alfa is all too obvious, keeping in mind that the Espada was a very long and low car, while the Alfetta sat on the platform of the sedan that was also the source of its name.
The Alfetta sedan that arrived in 1972 was a significant new vehicle for Alfa, inasmuch as it ushered in a new generation of cars that finally were not a direct evolution of the Giulia/Giulietta that dated back to the early fifties. The Alfetta sat on a new platform that located the transmission at the rear of the car, for better weight distribution. The rear axle used a de Dion axle, a solid hollow beam connecting the wheels but not carrying the weight of the differential and axle shafts.
The Alfetta and the GT were sold in the US starting in 1975, under a variety of names. The sedan petered out by 1979, but the coupe had much longer run, thanks to the implant of Alfa's first modern V6 engine, which turned it into the GTV-6, from 1981 through 1986. That delicious confection of chrome induction tubes and soul-stirring mechanical music gave the Alfetta a new lease on life, especially in the performance-hungry US. The 1.8 and 2.0 fours of the early version put out some 124hp, which was not sufficient in the face of competition from new small hot hatches like the VW GTI, the Corolla GT-S, and others, especially considering its higher price tag.
Alfa's reliability woes were a heavy drag on its reputation and sales during the seventies. Alfas, like other certain European cars had been fundamentally well-built cars in the fifties and sixties, although always needing a bit more TLC than average. But during the seventies, many European makes suffered from the twin effects of having to make many drastic changes to meet US emission standards as well as the amenities Americans increasingly demanded. And labor problems exacerbated these issues.
Adding power windows and numerous other electric and electronic devices that were not well engineered, integrated or built caused a large portion of the woes, and it was endless failures with these peripherals that contributed to the declining rep of cars like Peugeot, Alfa and others that were once fairly easy to fix and simple cars. And vulnerability to rust was of course another significant factor, but then they weren't the only ones to suffer that fate.
This particular example is a bit of an enigma to me, because I'm having a hard time placing it exactly in terms of its year of build and origin. The bumpers don't look like the larger ones fitted to US imports, at least the later ones. But the speedometer reads in mph. BTW, that highly unique dash layout places the tachometer alone directly in front of the driver, and the other instruments including the speedometer are in the center nacelle. Looks cool, but lets just say it was not commonly replicated.
The Alfettas were delightful cars when they were running right. The rear transaxle made for almost perfect 50/50 weight distribution, and everyone raved about the superb handling. And the GTV-6 of course added that oomph and sound which became legendary.
But Alfetta GTs have not become the collector cars that their timelessly beautiful predecessors are, and are languishing in a state of; well, similar to this one. Running, but not exactly completely intact. It was a pleasant surprise just to find this one at all, ironically sitting in front of that symbol of enduring ruggedness, a might oak tree. Makes for a nice juxtaposition.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
A passenger who was arrested at San Francisco International Airport in October while carrying 100 pellets of cocaine inside his body has pleaded guilty to a federal drug charge.
Emmanuel Amankwa, 55, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White in San Francisco on Thursday to one count of possessing more than 500 grams of cocaine with the intent to distribute it.
He will be sentenced by White on April 11. In a plea agreement, prosecution and defense lawyers agreed to recommend a sentence of between five years and six years and eight months in prison, but the actual sentence will be up to White.
Amankwa had arrived at the airport on a flight from Long Beach and was attempting to board a flight to Japan when he was arrested by federal customs agents on Oct. 23.
U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag said an investigation revealed he was carrying 100 latex-wrapped pellets containing a total of 995 grams, or two pounds and three ounces, of cocaine in his body.
According to an affidavit filed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agent Alex Chan on Oct. 24, authorities became suspicious when a records check showed Amankwa was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York in 1992 and later convicted of attempting to smuggle about three pounds of heroin in a false-sided suitcase.
Agents observing Amankwa in October also noticed he was walking awkwardly and clenching his stomach, Chan wrote. When questioned, Amankwa said he was a spiritual counselor from New York on his way to Japan, but gave inconsistent statements about his travel plans, according to the affidavit.
Amankwa was then detained and taken to a hospital, where he passed 81 cocaine pellets within a few hours (pictured above) and admitted to investigators he had swallowed a total of 100 pellets, Chan wrote.
Under federal law, the conviction of possessing more than 500 grams of cocaine with intent to distribute it carries a minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum of 40 years.
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text:
Heidelberg's North American Operations Log Strong Sales Success at drupa
KENNESAW, GA—June 18, 2012—Heidelberg's North American arms made an especially strong showing across all product categories at drupa 2012, further expanding the company's majority share of the domestic print media market. Printers' keen interest in the huge range of efficient, productive solutions offered by Heidelberg gave a clear signal that investment confidence is returning to the North American market. Products accounting for more than 40 percent of orders taken were among the roughly 60 technology innovations launched by Heidelberg at the international trade show.
In total, Heidelberg received orders for more than 30 presses, almost 40 postpress solutions, and 30 prepress, workflow and CtP solutions from printers based in North America.
Said Harald Weimer, president of Heidelberg USA, "drupa 2012 reinforced Heidelberg's dominance as an industry leader and technology innovator, and showed the North American market to be progressive and dynamic. We hosted more than 600 American commercial, packaging, label and digital printers during the show, an encouraging increase over drupa 2008 attendance.
"In light of the uptick in investment and these outstanding sales results, we will redouble our efforts to help North American printers seize the strongest possible competitive advantage in the markets they serve. We look forward to sharing these innovations with our U.S. customers in the coming months," Weimer added.
Ken Freek, vp product management, Heidelberg Canada, commented, "It was great to see that drupa remains a strong focus for information gathering, decision making and, of course, ordering for Canadian printers, more than 100 of whom attended the trade show. Many placed orders for new equipment to support the process of retooling for the future. We clearly caught a sense of optimism from many key people in the Canadian printing industry."
More than 30 presses sold
Standouts in the sheetfed offset category were Heidelberg's new flagship Speedmaster XL 106 and the new Speedmaster XL 75 Anicolor press, as printers voted with their wallets for these and other solutions designed and manufactured to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and yield maximum profit for their business.
Tom Staib, president of DWS Printing Associates (a label printer company in Deer Park, NY), which signed one of the first orders for the Speedmaster XL 106 in the United States, could well have been speaking for other buyers when he said of his company's investment decision, "We did not want to catch up with our competitors. We want to be a technology leader."
The sales of Heidelberg's digital printing solutions, Linoprint C901 and Linoprint C751, controlled by Heidelberg's Prinect software, affirmed the market's confidence in Heidelberg's cross-platform capabilities and expertise.
To summarize drupa, Weimer stated, "drupa has once again demonstrated its importance as a major industry trade show. As for Heidelberg North America, our expectations of the trade show have been more than satisfied. We will now work hard with our customers so that they can profitably bring our drupa innovations to market."


text:
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I was 29 when I got married, and I did not expect to be happy.
Although the outward details of my life are bound to differ from everyone else's, my emotional life is probably not so unusual. I am ordinary in most ways. I am ordinary in my fears and ordinary in my lusts. Although I could have made other decisions, my decisions, too, are ordinary.
I believed I wouldn't have a happy marriage because I didn't think I would have a happy life at all. My mother is mentally ill, and growing up with her had left me with shame and fear and anxiety. I remember once, when I was a child, my mother slapping me repeatedly during a family wedding. As her hand landed on my ear, my nose, my lips, I was conscious of all the people watching, and I felt embarrassed for her. I felt literally like two people, one feeling my own torment and one feeling pain for her.
One result of growing up in a family like mine is you lose hope; you don't think good things will happen to you. I proposed to my wife because I thought she wanted me to. I was going away for business, and she said she wanted a ring. Several years later, she told me that I had misinterpreted her, that when she had asked me to buy her a ring, she had meant only that the city I was visiting was famous for garnet jewelry and she would've liked to have some. This part of my story is just a variation of the cliché of a man proposing because he has been given an ultimatum.
When you have a marriage that begins this way and you have a personality like mine, there are bound to be problems. Often, in the early years of my marriage, I felt indifferent towards my wife. I once told her, "I sometimes think I don't love you." We were sitting at our glass-topped dinner table. My wife looked at me over the rim of her eyeglasses. After a moment, she said, "I know you do."
"How do you know?" I asked.
"I see how you light up when I come into a room." Until she told me this, I hadn't known I smiled when I saw her.
Around this time, the first of my friends confessed his adultery. We were standing in the back of a darkened hall, watching someone give a speech. Tom* had a glass of wine in his hand, and he had come from another reception and appeared pretty buzzed. As we chatted, Tom offhandedly mentioned that he was seeing a woman on the side. She was younger than he was and engaged. I asked him where exactly they had sex. He said she worked in the hotel business and so had access to rooms.
For several weeks afterward, whenever Tom and I met, we would talk about this woman. I began building a fantasy of her in which she looked like a movie star. I googled her to try to find a picture. Imagining this woman, I started to find my own wife less attractive. My wife has very light hair on her legs. She usually shaves her legs to just above her knees. Suddenly, I started being annoyed that she didn't shave all the way up her thighs.
It was a while before I saw Tom's wife, Lauren, after he disclosed his affair to me. Lauren has pale skin that she makes even whiter with makeup. It gives her a Kabuki appearance. Lauren, Tom, my wife, Christine, and I sat in a booth at a restaurant, and all through the meal Lauren was unpleasant. Among other things, she scolded Tom for going to the bathroom too many times. Usually I find Lauren annoying. That night, though, every time I looked at her, I felt sad. She was wearing a shawl, and it made her appear shrunken.
She did not know that her husband was cheating, yet to me she looked like someone who was ill and suffering. When my wife and I left and were walking down a sidewalk, I put my arm around her. It is hard after you have known someone for a while to see her afresh. Sometimes when I have done something that hurts my wife so much she cries, I can suddenly see her with new eyes, suddenly see her without preconceptions. That night, having seen Lauren being harmed, I was able to look at Christine as if she were a stranger. I could see her as someone who could be hurt, someone wanting to be happy. I lifted my wife's hand to my lips and kissed it. "I love you," I said.
The image of Lauren in the booth that night, wrapped in a shawl, her face ashen, has become a touchstone. I think of her, and a rush of protective love for my wife floods into me. What happened that night was not just that the door into adultery got heavier, but that I began to understand how much I loved my wife.
One of the things women don't realize is that most married men live in a culture of adultery. We see it all around us. We have friends who have cheated on their wives. We have been on business trips where we went to strip clubs and our colleagues went into the back for hand jobs or more. We don't tell our wives, of course. A lot of husbands still operate with the idea that what gets revealed among men stays among men. Part of this is based on boyhood ideas of not snitching. Part of it, however, is based on a more cynical motive: If we were to tell our wives, they would begin watching us more closely, and as most of us married men keep in mind the possibility that one day we too will have an affair, to tell our wives would be to diminish this chance.
You might believe that your husband or your father or your boyfriend doesn't think this way. Researchers say that one of the strongest predictors of men who cheat and men who don't is opportunity. This suggests that most men at least toy with committing adultery. Social scientists estimate that about 30% of married men cheat on their wives. To get a feel for what this number means, imagine that 30% of married men shoplift. A world in which this were true would feel crazy.
Even if a man is committed to remaining faithful, he is affected by the adultery he sees around him. In his head, adultery becomes a secret passage out of the marriage. Promiscuity takes on the allure of adventure, of a life not lived. When we are fighting with our wives, the prospect of adultery can come to us. When there are sexual problems, the fact that we know men who are having lots of sex outside their marriage makes these problems bother us more. The knowledge of other people's unfaithfulness is one reason fights with our spouses can sometimes spiral out of control. As we fight, we become unhappy, and we think about the options that we are not exercising. So we blame our wives not just for what we are fighting about but also for our choice to not cheat.
Although my love for my wife had become more real to me, as had my recognition that I didn't want to be without her, I still felt not just envy when I heard of friends' affairs but like a wimp for not making passes.
My friend Will, who married young, had been with his wife for 17 years when we got to know each other. Will's wife has emotional problems. She has tried to commit suicide in front of her children by drinking bleach and by climbing out the window of their apartment. Because Will was so unhappy in his marriage, he went out every night, and when he would tell me about his secret life, it sounded glamorous. The many women he slept with, the world that can open up when a woman tells you her story — all this appeared part of a richer life than the one I was leading. But then Will's wife learned of his affairs and threw him out.
Suddenly, he went from living in a large, beautiful apartment to living in two rooms with bedbugs and having a neighbor who fed her cats in the building's communal hallway. Most of Will's money vanished. The first time I met him after he was forced to leave home, I took him to a grocery store to buy him food. He was in his mid-40s, and his furniture included a futon and milk crates. He said that he couldn't sleep, worrying that his children would hate him. He said that his wife had told his parents what he had done. My friend's misery was my great good fortune. I talked to him every day, and I heard his problems, heard how lonely he now got on Friday and Saturday nights. While I still envied Will for his many sexual partners, I could see that there were real consequences to cheating.
But what made me realize most poignantly that promiscuity is not some grand adventure came from seeing friends enter the world of commercial sex. My experience has been that commercial sex becomes more common as men get older and their lives get busy and disposable income is greater. Its appeal is that by sleeping with different women, men can delude themselves into thinking they are as charismatic as James Bond.
One of my friends is a Greek Orthodox priest, another installs telephones, one works in the city morgue, one works in advertising, several are in construction, several others are editors, investment bankers, real-estate agents, actors, musicians. Only four haven't gone to brothels or massage parlors that offer a little something extra at some point while married. Recently a friend told me about how one night, as he was going in for a massage, he saw an incoming call from his wife on his cell phone and sent it to voicemail. Later, when he left the establishment, he listened to the message. It was his little boy, calling to say good night.
Another friend told me about going into a brothel he had been to before and being asked by a new security guard to take out his penis. The guard didn't recognize my friend, and undercover cops posing as clients supposedly aren't willing to do this. My friend unzipped.
I was once traveling for work and a sales representative took my boss and me to a brothel. My boss is a good guy, friendly, cheerful. He has a son with Down syndrome with whom he is madly in love, and he is also very respectful of how important his wife is in taking care of their child. And yet, there we were: in a room with a row of swimsuit-clad Russian women lined up on a sofa. All of them were watching a television that was bolted to the ceiling. The sales rep and my boss went into rooms in back. I stayed in front. I had come along because I hadn't known exactly where we were going, and the main reason I didn't participate was because I was scared of letting anyone at work have something over me. The other two men, who were drunk, their pupils dilated, didn't notice that I remained up front.
There was a rawness to being in the brothel that somehow separated lust from all the other illusions that had clothed it — if only I were with this woman, I'd be different; the problem is my wife and not me. Seeing the drunk men and the women in swimsuits was like seeing these illusions as a sort of insanity. When sad or worried, I still periodically find myself thinking that if I were with someone else, my life would be better. This lie can come in a sly way. I see a young woman walking down the sidewalk and then I think about being young and then I fantasize about being with the young woman, and then I'm suddenly a young man. I confuse the fantasy of being young with being with this woman.
But I am getting better at catching myself. I can see my mind moving into delusions, and I am able to reel it back. Also, I find that the years of being married have made me happier. Sometimes when I'm waiting for my wife in a restaurant and I mistake a woman for her, I get excited and realize I'm smiling.
*Not his real name
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text: Blasting-Area All Alysha wanted for Mother's Day was a trip to Camping World to look at RVs, so that's what we did. What we didn't know was that in Texa,s there are blue laws, those are the laws in the south that prohibit entertainment or leisure on the Lord's Day. The same law that says you can't but whiskey on a Sunday also means you can't buy a motorcoach when you should be at church. So, out of protest, we took the kids to the Snake Farm instead. Two months later, we had a 30 ft Winnebago and found ourselves on the road to escape the heat of Texas. It's been over a year now, and the Pandemic has made our Winnie invaluable. This is a selection of images made from the road, usually shot without composing through a windshield as the world goes by. Other times from RV parks or points of interest along the way. I hope you enjoy these snapshots. Creating them is one of the few things keeping me sane during these trying times.


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Global 'Major Love Prayer'/Meditation this TUESDAY, APRIL 25!
Saturday, April 22, 2017 1 comment
♥ Major Love Prayer / Meditation ♥
♥ TUESDAY, April 25th ♥
♥ Worldwide at the same moment! ♥
(...Global time chart link below...)
Dear Global MJFam ~ Please join us this coming Tuesday, April 25th for #MajorLovePrayer! WE'RE SENDING OUT A MAJOR LOVE in global unity, at the same moment in every nation! 💞🌎 We first focus our hearts in love, then connect in spirit around the world, healing and infusing the planet with much-needed LOVE, PEACE and POSITIVE ENERGY! ♥ ♥ ♥ This will be the 92nd month we've come together as ONE in honor of Michael Jackson and the children of the world. EVERYONE is invited... family, friends, all faiths/beliefs, all nations, wherever you are, whether you'll be online or not. To participate, just follow the simple instructions below, or visit www.majorloveprayer.org (info available in 23 languages). Please help spread the word! :D Thx! ♥
Many countries have had seasonal time changes in the past few weeks, so please verify the time for your location at timeanddate.com/s/35ks
- 2pm/14:00 Los Angeles/Seattle/Vancouver (PDT)
- 3pm/15:00 Denver/Albuquerque/Calgary (MDT)
- 4pm/16:00 Chicago/Winnipeg/Mexico City(CDT)
- 5pm/17:00 New York/Toronto/Caracas (EDT)
- 18:00 Halifax/Buenos Aires/Santiago
- 21:00 Reykjavik/Accra (UT/GMT)
- 22:00 London/Lisbon/Kinshasha (BST)
- 23:00 Paris/Berlin/Warsaw/Cairo/CapeTown (CET/MEZ)
- 00:00 Helsinki/Athens/Bucharest/Moscow/Istanbul/Jerusalem
- 01:00 Dubai (26th) - 01:30 Tehran (26th)
- 02:30 Mumbai/New Delhi (26th)
- 03:00 Dhaka/Almaty (26th)
- 04:00 Bangkok/Jakarta/Hanoi (26th)
- 05:00 Beijing/Singapore/Manila/Taipei (26th)
- 06:00 Tokyo/Seoul (26th)
- 07:00 Sydney/Brisbane/Melbourne (26th)
- 09:00 Auckland/Suva (26th)
... MORE AT -> http://timeanddate.com/s/35ks
1) Relax, breathe deeply and focus yourself in LOVE. (If you need help with this, try thinking of WHO you love deeply first.) Let your heart fill with JOY and GRATITUDE. Breathe LOVE. Be LOVE. It's okay if it takes a couple of minutes to get there! Just breathe with as much LOVE as you can for a while to start...
2) When you're ready, visualize reaching out with that love energy and CONNECTING to all of us across the world who are joining you today. Together we will form a GLOBAL GRID of LOVE, connected and essentially holding hearts across oceans and continents!
3) Next, LET YOURSELF LOVE ALL THE WORLD! Let the feeling EXPAND, GROW and ENCOMPASS EVERYTHING & EVERYONE! Send this MAJOR LOVE outward, to every molecule, across oceans, continents, forests and deserts. You may visualize Earth from above, the whole planet glowing in the beautiful light of MAJOR LOVE. You may focus on particular areas with great need as you send your love across the planet. With this MAJOR LOVE, all are HEALED. All are in PEACE. All are LOVED. WE LOVE YOU MORE!
4) Stay in this feeling, embraced in HARMONY - for several minutes if you can! Hold the vision and know it is true. We ask that this MAJOR LOVE remains amplified and fully available to all in need from this point forward. 💞 When you are ready, refocus on your surroundings, feel the ground beneath you, open your eyes and carry this love with you today and always! ♥
With GRATITUDE ~
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
.... Thank you all for joining in this global healing and for keeping Michael's legacy of LOVE in your heart! Let us continue to CHANGE THE WORLD! Much LOVE and gratitude! ♥ (~ the MLP team)
Next #MajorLovePrayer: MAY 25th
Posted by MajorLovePrayer | Category: MonthlyMLPs
- BeGodsGlow said...
Much LOVE and GRATITUDE to all who joined #MajorLovePrayer today! ❤❤❤ Thank you for always being there to share in this beautiful wave of love, and for loving and honoring Michael in so many ways. {{{hugs}}} Have a wonderful month, dear friends!
- April 26, 2017 at 12:02 AM


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Locating Naturalization Records, Getting Past a Brick Wall, Understanding Citizenship Columns in 1920 Census, Russian Émigré
Rhonda's Tips, April 20, 2000
Locating Naturalization Records
Q: How can I find the records of my Great Grandfather's naturalization? He came to Philadelphia from Ireland about 1870 and I believe he was naturalized in 1916. Where can I write to obtain a copy of the record? -- William
A: The first thing you will need to do, if you haven't done so already, is to locate your great grandfather in the 1920 census. If you suspect that he was naturalized in 1916, this information should show up in the 1920 census.
Once you have established that your ancestor did in fact get naturalized in 1916, then you will be in search of those records. After 1906, the Immigration and Naturalization Service in Washington, DC was the body responsible for naturalization, and as such they have the naturalization records.
However, it may be that there are some microfilmed indexes or records for the area in which your ancestor was living when he was naturalized. Once you have established his whereabouts in 1920, I would suggest searching the Family History Library Catalog under that area for Naturalization and Citizenship to see if there are some microfilmed records of use to you. If not, then you will need to contact INS directly at 425 Eye Street NW, Washington, DC 20536.
Getting Past a Brick Wall
Q: My father died when I was young so I couldn't ask him about our family history. My grandfather also passed away before I could find any information. All I've found so far is: My Great Great Grandfather's name was Joseph Richardson his wife's name is unknown. Great Grandfather Harvey C Richardson born May 18, 1854 somewhere in Indiana. His wife's name was Katherine A Flood born Nov. 14 1863 somewhere in New York. They met and married in Washington, Iowa Nov. 24, 1884. They had 5 children and my grandfather was the youngest. Any ideas of what I should do next? I've searched and searched but to no avail I've come up empty handed in census records, the Internet, and CD-ROMs. -- Dennis
A: You have begun your research sort of in the middle of the research process. In genealogy the rule of thumb is to work from the known to the unknown. However, this doesn't mean jumping back to the furthest generation known and starting there.
Working from the known to the unknown means to get records on the events and people that you know about. That means getting death certificates for your father and grandfather. These may include information on your grandparents and great grandparents. You will then need to get the marriage record for your great grandparents. This may hold clues as to where in Indiana and New York they were married. Also, don't forget to get their death certificates too.
You mentioned that you had used census records, but you didn't say if you had just relied on indexes or which families you had tried to find. It may be that you need to return to these records and begin to search for all the families, tracing them back through each of the census years.
Also, keep in mind that when you are working with the published indexes, what you are forced to use when working with earlier census, that not everyone is included in those books. The published census indexes tend to include only the head of the family plus anyone living in the household that is of a different surname. So it is possible where your great grandfather and great grandmother are concerned, you may have found their family in the index.
Understanding Citizenship Columns in 1920 Census
Q: I have a question about column 14 (Naturalized or Alien) on the 1920 census. The ledger clearly shows three responses to the column Na , Pa , and Al . I figured that Na is naturalized and Al is Alien but I am clueless to what Pa means. The Pa is clearly written differently than Na . In both cases on the ledger where it appears the wife's Pa is crossed out and replaced with Al . Both cases show year of Naturalization -- Loretta
A: First, you have guessed correctly. The Al stands for Alien. This is a person who has not begun the naturalization process and is still considered a resident alien in the country.
The Na stands for Naturalization. This individual has completed the naturalization process and are now a naturalized citizen. Depending on when this took place, the records may be at the INS in Washington, or at a county courthouse.
The Pa stands for Papers. This means the the immigrant is involved in the naturalization process, however they have not yet completed all the steps. It is possible that in the column where you normally would see the date of naturalization that the enumerator elected to include the date that the first filing took place. For those that took place after 1906, the records will be found at the INS 425 Eye Street NW, Washington, DC 20536.
Russian vâmigré
Q: I am trying to find relatives of my two granduncles in the US. Their names are Isaac and Aaron Kemler, emigrated from Russia between 1900 and 1905. How do I go about it? -- Israel
A: The first step to this is to try to determine where your granduncles were likely to have entered the United States. This can usually be done by first locating them in the census records. In your case, the 1910 and 1920 census would be the first step.
It may require that you go through the indexes to different ports in search of your granduncles. The good news is that if they came through New York, that they arrived during one of the periods that have been indexed.
An easier way to possibly find out where and exactly when they immigrated would be to turn to the naturalization records, if you find from the census that they were naturalized. If they were, you will want to contact the Immigration and Naturalization Services in Washington to get a copy of the naturalization records. In those records you should find the information about when and what port they came through. It might even supply you with the boat on which they arrived.
Rhonda R. McClure is a professional genealogist specializing in celebrity trees and computerized genealogy. She has been involved in online genealogy for fifteen years. She is an award-winning author of several genealogy how-to books, including The Complete Idiot's Guide to Online Genealogy, The Genealogist's Computer Companion, and Finding Your Famous and Infamous Ancestors. She may be contacted at [email protected].
See more advice from Rhonda in her columns Expert Tips, Tigs and Trees, and Overheard in the Message Boards.


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- Edition: King John
The Book of Martyrs (Modern)
- Introduction
- Texts of this edition
- Contextual materials
- Chronicon Anglicanum
- Introduction to Holinshed on King John
- Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland 1587
- Actors' Interpretations of King John
- King John: A Burlesque
- The Book of Martyrs, Selection (Old Spelling)
- The Book of Martyrs, Modern
- An Homily Against Disobedience and Willful Rebellion (1571)
- Kynge Johann
- Regnans in Excelsis: The Bull of Pope Pius V against Elizabeth
- Facsimiles
King John
[Early dealings with the French king and the Pope]
2After the death of King Richard, called Coeur-de-Lion, reigned his brother, John, Earl of Morton. Afterward the archbishop put the crown on his head, and swore him to defend the Church, and to maintain the same in her good laws, and to destroy the ill. And except he thought in his mind to do this, the archbishop charged him not to presume to take on him this dignity. And on St. John Baptist's day next following, King John sailed into Normandy and came to Rouen, where he was royally received, and truce concluded between him and the French king for a time. And thither came to him the Earl of Flanders, and all other lords of France that were of King Richard's band and friendship, and were sworn unto him.
3Not long after this, Philip the French king made Arthur knight, and took his homage for Normandy, Brittany, and all other his possessions beyond the sea, and promised him help against King John. After this, King John and the French king talked together with their lords about one hour's space, and the French king asked so much land for himself and Knight Arthur, that King John would grant him none, and so he departed in wrath.
4The same year a legate came into France, and commanded the king, in pain of interdiction, to deliver one Peter out of prison, that was elect to a bishopric; and thereupon he was delivered. After that the legate came into England, and commanded King John, under pain of interdiction, to deliver the archbishop whom he had kept as prisoner two years; which the king denied to do till he had paid him six thousand marks, because he took him in harness in a field against him, and swore him upon his deliverance that he should never wear harness against any Christian man. This time divorce was made between King John and his wife, daughter of the Earl of Gloucester, because they were in the third degree of kindred. And afterwards, by the counsel of the French king, King John wedded Isabel, daughter of the Earl of Angoulême; and then Arthur of Britanny did homage to King John for Britanny and others. At this time fell strife between King John and Geoffrey, the Archbishop of York, for divers causes: first, because he would not suffer and permit the sheriff of York in such affairs as he had to do for the king within his diocese; secondly, because he did also excommunicate the said sheriff; thirdly, because he would not sail with him into Normandy, to make the marriage between Lewis, the French king's son, and his niece, etc.
5After this, A.D. 1202, Philip the French king, in a communication between King John and him, required that the said King John should part with all his lands in Normandy and Pictavia which he had beyond the sea, unto Arthur his nephew, and that incontinent, or else he would war against him; and so he did. For when King John denied that request, the next day following, the French king, with the said Arthur, set upon certain of his towns and castles in Normandy, and put him to much disquietness. But he (the Lord so providing, who is the giver of all victory) had such repulse at the Englishmen's hands, that they, pursuing the French men in their flight, did so follow them to their hold, and so pressed upon them, that not only they took the said Arthur prisoner with many other of the Frenchmen, but also gave such an overthrow to the rest, that none was left to bear tidings home. This Arthur was nephew to King John, and son to Geoffrey, which was the elder son to John. For King Henry the Second (to make the matter more evident) had eight children: one William, which died in his childhood; the second, Henry, which died also, his father being yet alive; the third, Geoffrey, Earl of Britanny, which likewise deceased in his father's days, leaving behind him two children, Arthur and Brecea; the fourth, Richard Cœur-de-Lion, king; the fifth, John, now reigning; and three other daughters besides. The same Arthur, being thus taken in war, was brought before the king at the castle of Falaise in Normandy; who, on being exhorted with many gentle words to leave the French king, and to incline to his uncle, answered again stoutly and with great indignation, requiring the kingdom of England, with all the other dominions thereto belonging, to he restored to him, as to the lawful heir of the crown. By reason whereof he (provoking the king's displeasure against him) was sent to the tower of Rouen, where at length, whether by leaping into the ditch, thinking to make his escape, or whether by some other privy hand, or by what chance else, it is not yet agreed upon in stories, he finished his life. By occasion whereof the foresaid King John was had after in great suspicion; whether justly or unjustly, the Lord knoweth.
6The year following, historiographers write that King John, for lack of rescue, lost all his holds and possessions in Normandy through the force of the French king.
7After these losses, came other troubles upon him, with other as great or more great enemies. That is, with the Pope and his popelings, by occasion of choosing of the Archbishop of Canterbury as in this history following by Christ's grace is to be declared.


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Renishaw pioneers skills development initiative with WMMMC and Coventry University
Renishaw announcing a nationwide education initiative
The nationwide shortage of skilled engineers has long been recognised as a constraint on UK industry. The challenge posed by globalisation to UK manufacturers is to develop robust, automated, productive processes, which demand manufacturing engineering skills that are in increasingly short supply. Renishaw is announcing a nationwide education initiative, which will be launched at the West Midlands Manufacturing Measurement Centre (WMMMC) based within Coventry University in Spring 2008.
At its state-of-the-art machining facility at Stonehouse, Gloucestershire, Renishaw demonstrates that it is possible to manufacture successfully in the UK if the right technologies and techniques are employed.The company has distilled its approach into a 2-day course, developed with the assistance of WMMMC staff, which is aimed at manufacturing engineers in companies of any size, from SMEs right up to aerospace OEMs.
The course is based around a concept called the Productive Process Pyramid™, which is used to systematically identify and control sources of variation in machining processes, resulting in increased automation, improved process capability, and reduced scrap and rework. Students will learn about design for manufacture, control of process inputs, environmental stability, machine performance optimisation, tracking machine geometry changes, process set-up, in-cycle process control and on-machine verification. They will leave with an action plan to implement process improvements in their factories.
The WMMMC will be the first of a network of Renishaw Productivity Centres, each equipped with contemporary machine tools and Renishaw metrology equipment, as well as education facilities. Many local SMEs may qualify for regional funding to cover some of their costs. In the case of the WMMMC, support may be available through the Manufacturing Advisory Service - West Midlands.
Over the next few months, Renishaw plans to establish similar Centres in other regions, forging relationships with local funding bodies to ensure that SMEs throughout the country have access to contemporary manufacturing engineering education.
About Renishaw
For over 30 years Renishaw, one of the world's leading metrology companies, has supplied products to manufacturing companies worldwide, all designed to increase productivity and improve product quality in a competitive manufacturing environment.
The company has a wide product range and a customer base across a broad spectrum of different industry sectors. Renishaw was best known for its probe systems for co-ordinate measuring machines (CMMs) and CNC machine tools, supplying many engineering companies in the sectors of aerospace, automotive and precision piece-part manufacture. However the company has successfully diversified into other product areas, such as encoder systems for position feedback, dental CAD/CAM systems, laser calibration products for machine performance control, and Raman microscopes for spectral analysis of materials.
For more information visit www.renishaw.com
About the West Midlands Manufacturing Measurement Centre
The West Midlands Manufacturing Measurement Centre opened in September 2006 and is equipped with the latest measurement technology; providing practical advice, training, and consultancy to manufacturing businesses in the West Midlands region.
The West Midlands Manufacturing Measurement Centre was established by Coventry University Enterprises (CUE Ltd) and forms part of the Future Manufacturing Applied Research Centre (FMARC) which is the interface between industry and manufacturing applied research and education at Coventry University.
The main driver for the development of the Centre was a general market recognition of the knowledge gap with regard to general understanding and appreciation of measurement issues, and the potential for increased profitability and efficiency through effective use of advanced measurement techniques.
Funded by Advantage West Midlands to the tune of £700k and working closely with the Manufacturing Advisory Service, the centre will provide the region's manufacturing firms with a focal point for measurement expertise and services – a key underlying technology that supports all manufacturing activities.
Our partners include the National Physical Laboratory, Manufacturing Advisory Service – West Midlands, Advantage West Midlands, the On Machine Manufacturing Project, Coventry University Future Manufacturing Applied Research Centre (FMARC) and the Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform (BERR).
For more information visit www.wmmmc.co.uk
About MAS-WM
MAS-WM is dedicated to helping manufacturers in the West Midlands improve any aspect of their manufacturing operations, processes, production or materials technologies.
MAS-WM can provide direct assistance on any manufacturing issue such as plant layout, productivity surveys and lean manufacture, waste reduction, process improvement, material selection and testing, product development, rapid prototyping, kanban, SMED, quality control gap analysis, metrology, and technical queries.
For more information visit www.mas-wm.org.uk.
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Darkling is a word that was initially used adverbially, modifying a verb, (e.g. leaving darkling, with the sense leaving in a dark sort of way); developing uses encompassed its use as an adjective (a darkling footpath), and as a noun. It may have moral reverberations - so that for example in Henry Porter's play Two Angry Women of Abingdon, it has the association with deeds which are 'shady'. Coleridge used it when he was talking about the Christian soul - (in Religious Musings, Christmas Eve, 1794.) Samuel Johnson could not find the verb, to darkle, and so was puzzled by the word, though later this verb did appear - initially in the English Dialect Dictionary (itself a kind of shadowy, darkling version of the Oxford English Dicionary) - where it meant roughly the opposite of to sparkle. The -ling ending is suggestive of a diminutive, and also of a process, a movement.
- Alphabetized by author
- Ah, love, let us be true
To one another! for the world, which seems
To lie before us like a land of dreams,
So various, so beautiful, so new,
Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light,
Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain;
And we are here as on a darkling plain
Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight,
Where ignorant armies clash by night.
- Matthew Arnold, in "Dover Beach" (1867), St. 4
- Darkling I listen; and for many a time
I have been half in love with easeful Death
- John Keats, in "Ode to a Nightingale" (1819)
- For, you trow, nuncle,
The hedge-sparrow fed the cuckoo so long,
That it's had it head bit off by it young.
So, out went the candle, and we were left darkling.
- William Shakespeare, in King Lear, Act I:IV


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The Internal Revenue Service said Tuesday it will delay the start of next year's filing season by up to two weeks to give programmers time to finish updating the agency's computers.
The 16-day shutdown, which ended last week, came at a critical time as the agency was working to update more than 50 systems used to process returns, the IRS said in a statement.
The filing season had been set to start Jan. 21. Acting IRS head Danny Werfel said the agency is working to shorten the delay and will announce the exact start date in December.
The delay will affect early filers, many of whom rush their returns to the IRS so they can get refunds quickly.
The April 15 deadline for filing individual tax returns, which is set by law, remains unchanged.
"Readying our systems to handle the tax season is an intricate, detailed process, and we must take the time to get it right," Werfel said. "The adjustment to the start of the filing season provides us the necessary time to program, test and validate our systems so that we can provide a smooth filing and refund process for the nation's taxpayers."
This is the second year in a row the agency will have to push back the date when it starts processing tax returns. This year, the agency delayed filing season until Jan. 30 for most filers because Congress made last-minute changes to the tax law.
Federal income tax refunds averaged more than $2,800 this year. The IRS issued more than $228 billion in refunds this year. Most of that money was issued before March 1.


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Ann Coulter on tour: "I think a baseball bat is the most effective way these days" to talk to liberals
As Media Matters for America noted, right-wing pundit Ann Coulter's new book, How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must): The World According to Ann Coulter, was released on October 5 by Crown Forum. Although Coulter is not signing books in person this time around, there has been no shortage of opportunities to watch or listen to interviews with Coulter on various media outlets. As Media Matters for America noted, she appeared on FOX News Channel's Hannity & Colmes on October 4 and on ABC's Good Morning America on October 5. Her tour continues, with more recent appearances again on FOX News Channel, as well as on MSNBC and Bill O'Reilly's radio show; during her appearances, she promotes her new book and proffers her opinion on such subjects as the debates, the war in Iraq, women, and Democrats.
Coulter on her gender:
- PAUL W. SMITH (host): If you were to have the ear of President Bush for a minute or two before he goes into the debate on Friday, what would you say to him?
COULTER: No more Mr. Nice Guy. You really gotta point out Kerry's absurd positions and inconsistencies. I mean, I understand that there's the risk of offending, of upsetting my gender, which really wants to know which one of you will cooperate better, but it's just absurd. Kerry, you know, denouncing the war in Iraq because we don't have enough allies, the coalition involved and we're bearing such a large part of the cost and casualties, but complaining that we did too much outsourcing in Afghanistan. It's absurd that he [Kerry] wants this multilateral coalition in Iraq, which apparently we'll only achieve when France and Germany are on board, you know, we have dozens of other countries, four of the six world's largest economies, but it's not a true multilateral coalition until we have France and Germany. [WJR, The Paul W. Smith Show, 10/6/04]
Coulter on liberals and Democrats:
- COULTER: Usually all you have to do is defend the United States of America. That enrages them [Democrats]. [FOX News Channel, FOX & Friends, 10/6]
- COULTER: I think the problem the Democrats have is, no one really believes they're authentic patriots and they would ever say that any war in defense of America is the right war at the right time in the right place. They wouldn't fight any place.
They keep having this apocryphal idea that there's some war they would fight. On the criteria they have set out, you know, they wouldn't fight World War II. [...] And everyone knows that Democrats won't fight a war. [MSNBC, Scarborough Country, 10/6]
- LINDA VESTER (host): You say you'd rather not talk to liberals at all?
COULTER: I think a baseball bat is the most effective way these days. [FOX News Channel, DaySide with Linda Vester, 10/6]
- COULTER: Not only attention, it is to try to discredit us, and I mean, this was more the point of my book Slander, though somewhat of this book, and that is liberals don't wanna take you on on substance. What they wanna do is say this person is crazy, this person is stupid, don't listen to this person, this person is a fascist -- danger, danger -- America, do not listen. They are afraid of public debate. [The Radio Factor with Bill O'Reilly, 10/6]
(Coulter on Gore: "Al Gore is nuts." Coulter on Kerry: Kerry "is as crazy as their [Democrats'] last presidential candidate [Gore] was"; "Kerry will improve the economy in the emergency services and body bag industry." Coulter on New Yorkers: "Oh God, they're so stupid in New York!")
- COULTER: I think the problem Democrats have is, no one really believes they're authentic patriots and they would ever say that any war in defense of America is the right war at the right time in the right place. They wouldn't fight any place. They keep having this apocryphal idea that there's some war they would fight. On the criteria they have set out, you know, they wouldn't fight World War II. [...] And everyone knows that Democrats won't fight a war. [MSNBC, Scarborough Country, 10/6]
Coulter on Senator John Edwards:
- STEVE DOOCY (FOX & Friends co-host): So what's your headline after the debate last night?
COULTER: Vote for Kerry-Edwards because Edwards's old man used to learn math on TV. [FOX News Channel, FOX & Friends, 10/6]
- COULTER: Every answer was some personal anecdote. It's all about him and what happened to him. I mean, his response to Israel is he was at the King David Hotel during the pizzeria bombing, and therefore Israel has a right to defend itself. Well, what if he hadn't been at the King David Hotel? Would Israel still have a right to defend itself? Why is everything a personal story with this snake oil salesman? [FOX News Channel, FOX & Friends, 10/6]
- COULTER: Does anyone believe when Edwards is in his little girlie voice with his girlie hands, saying we will track the terrorists down where they are. We will stop them. We will kill them. All Cheney has to say is, we'll take care of it. [FOX News Channel, FOX & Friends, 10/6]
- COULTER: I think people have different ways of viewing John Edwards because I kept hearing how he was unbelievably persuasive, and the jury awards, and that he can charm the birds out of the trees ... I must not be a bird because I just want to strangle him when I see him talking. He would channel the victims in front of the jury, I mean, he was pretending he was a baby who had died in the womb and said to the jury, she is speaking to you through me. I can feel her. Who would fall for that? It's so creepy. It makes my skin crawl. [MSNBC, Imus in the Morning, 10/6]
- COULTER: But even on reading the transcript, I think Edwards was an absolute ninny. These long, personal stories about the glow from the television and his father wasn't -- you know, wasn't putting groceries away, wasn't helping his mother, wasn't cleaning the cat litter, this endless story about we should vote for him because his father learned math off the TV? [MSNBC, Scarborough Country, 10/6]
- COULTER: And I think the vice presidential debate, showing this Dan Quayle with more effeminate hand gestures as the vice presidential candidate for the Democrats, hurt the Democrats a lot. [MSNBC, Scarborough Country, 10/6]


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Foxboro, MA – Tom Brady looked like his old self in limited action as New England dumped Tampa Bay, 25-21, in exhibition action on Friday.
Showing no ill effects from the mild sprain of his left knee suffered earlier in the week during a scrimmage, Brady finished a sizzling 11-of-12 for 107 yards and a touchdown.
Ryan Mallett took over for Brady and tallied 137 yards and one score on 12- of-20 efficiency for the Patriots, who improved to 2-0 in the preseason.
Danny Amendola totaled a game-high 71 yards and caught Brady's TD pass on six receptions, while Zach Sudfeld added the other touchdown grab. Tim Tebow picked up 30 yards on six rushes, but completed just one of his seven pass attempts for minus-1 yard.
Mike Glennon finished 12-of-22 for 121 yards, two scores and one interception for the Buccaneers, who rallied from an 18-7 deficit but fell short.
Mike James racked up a game-best 81 yards on 15 carries, while Kevin Ogletree and David Douglas were beneficiaries of Glennon scoring passes in defeat.