A Drinking Song

Wine comes in at the mouth 

And love comes in at the eye; 

That’s all we shall know for truth 

Before we grow old and die. 

I lift the glass to my mouth, 

I look at you, and I sigh.

-- William Butler Yeats

"Whatever she does, she does charmingly, and all of her actions are gracious. Her gentleness is so attractive, her kindness so engaging, her modesty so adorable . . . Oh! Elise, I wish you had seen her!"
-- Moliere, The Miser

Praise the Lord, ye servants. O praise the Name of the Lord.

Blessed be the Name of the Lord, from this time forth, for evermore.

The Lord's Name is to be praised,
from the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same.

The Lord is high above all nations, and His Glory above the heavens.

Who is like unto the Lord our God, that hath His dwelling so high, 

and yet humbleth Himself to behold the things that are in heaven and earth!

He taketh up the simple out of the dust, and lifteth the poor out of the mire;

that he may set him with the princes, even with the princes of his people.

He maketh the barren woman to keep house,

and to be a joyful mother of children.

-- Psalm 113

-- Theodore Roosevelt

It's Been A Long, Long Time . . . .

Bing Crosby and Les Paul

Violin Song #1

Hope Deferred

Summer is come again. The sun is bright,

And the soft wind is breathing. Airy joy

Is sparkling in thine eyes, and in their light

My soul is shining. Come; our day's employ

Shall be to revel in unlikely things,

In gayest hopes, fondest imaginings,

And make-believes of bliss. Come, we will talk

Of waning moons, low winds, and a dim sea,

Till this fair summer, deepening as we walk,

Has grown a paradise for you and me.

But ah, those leaves!--it was not summer's mouth

Breathed such a gold upon them. And look there--

That beech how red! See, through its boughs half-bare,

How low the sun lies in the mid-day south!--

'Tis but a wandering memory that hath shone

Back from the summer mourning to be gone.

See, see the dead leaves falling! Hear thy heart,

Which, changing ever as seasons come and go,

Takes in the changing world its mournful part,

Return a sigh, an echo sad and low

To the faint, half inaudible sound

With which the leaf goes whispering to the ground!

O love, the winter lieth at the door--

Behind the winter, age and something more.

-- George MacDonald, Violin Songs and Other Poems

Love Vigilantes

Happy Veteran's Day, brothers.

"Love demands a firm, courageous heart."

-- Moliere

"Presently the fairies began to bestow their gifts on the princess. The youngest ordained that she should be the most beautiful person in the world; the next, that she should have the temper of an angel; the third, that she should do everything with a wonderful grace; the fourth, that she should dance to perfection; the fifth, that she should sing like a nightingale; and the sixth, that she should play every kind of music with the utmost skill." -- Charles Perrault, The Sleeping Beauty

"There is no wall so high it shuts out slander."

-- Moliere

Skip James - Devil Got My Woman

Don't come by my house tonight. I'm going to be spending some quality time with a bottle of whiskey.

Joshua Bell - Dance of the Blessed Spirits

There's always something else beautiful to discover.

"'Tch,' say they, 'how should God perceive it? Is there knowledge in the Most High?' Lo, these are the ungodly, these prosper in the world, and these have riches in posession. And then I said, 'Then have I cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in naivety.'
All the day long have I been punished, and chastened every morning. Yea, and I had almost said even as they; but lo, then I should have condemned the generation of Thy children.

Then thought I to understand this, but it was too hard for me."

-- Psalm 73:12-16

"See that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently."

-- 1 Peter 1:22

"You have bewitched me body and soul, and I love, I love, I love you. And wish from this day forth never to be parted from you."

-- Jane Austen

I'm watching Pride & Prejudice again, and I've only now noticed for the first time that the younger sisters are Carey Mulligan and Jena Malone. Adorable. I love it so when girls are just unapologetically girls.

I'm not so naive as to believe that that time, or any time in this world's history, was a golden age or a paradisical utopia (other than Paradise itself, of course). But there are so many beautiful, good, and lovely things which we've now lost.

I wonder, too, that the feminists who've spent the last half or three quarters of a century diligently destroying every vestige of gentility and chivalry under the names of patriarchy and patronization have not yet figured out that all the centuries and millennia of accumulated rules, manners, etiquette, and customs were men's way of understanding (or at least attempting to, anyway), accommodating, and protecting women. Imperfect, to be sure. But compare the behavior of antique gentlemen to the misogynistic, violent, abusive, porn-addicted rape culture of this generation of males (I will not name them men), and judge for yourself which is better. I know which I prefer; and for that I offer no apologies.

No Compromise

This is my favorite Christian song. (Contemporary, that is--not including all the great hymns, psalms, choral masterpieces, and sacred music of the past.) This song pretty much defines the essence of my spiritual life; and indeed, played a major part in shaping it. Even as a young boy, I deeply and instinctively admired those who stood uncompromising against great opposition and at great cost; Elijah, John the Baptist, Daniel and his friends.... The picture above (which is the cover of the album from which this song comes) illustrates it beautifully.

I watched the new Cinderella movie again recently, and as it did the first time, it moved me profoundly. "Have courage and be kind". Even so.

Something Beautiful

Here's something to dream over; a complete set of first edition Andrew Lang fairy books.

This, I think, was the art of bookmaking at its highest. The beauty of the exterior was as magical as that of the interior, and it was as appealing to the eye as it was to the imagination. One can imagine how having a set of books like this in the nursery could have nourished the intellect and stirred the imagination of a Victorian child. If it had been me, I think I could have been content to have dwelt alone with my books and my dreams. Even now, I would love to have these in my library. I could spend countless hours lost in Fairyland.

"I say Wolf, for all wolves are not of the same sort; there is one kind with an amenable disposition – neither noisy, nor hateful, nor angry, but tame, obliging and gentle, following the young maids in the streets, even into their homes. Alas! Who does not know that these gentle wolves are of all such creatures the most dangerous!"

-- Charles Perrault, original author of Little Red Riding Hood