Previous William Thomas Sherman Info Page postings, quotes, observations, etc.
["SCTV, 1/20/79 - "THE SAMMY MAUDLIN SHOW" ("ON THE WATERFRONT, AGAIN")"]
(Here's another shanty.)
["Songs & Sounds of the Sea - Rio Grande" -- From the 1973 National Geographic LP, 'Songs & Sounds of the Sea']
["Frank Chacksfield and His Orchestra ~ My Foolish Heart" -- from the movie soundtrack to the 1957 Samuel Goldwyn film starring Susan Hayward]
Observe how so many well known celebrities, once widely admired and respected and now getting on in their retirement years, are suddenly, as it were, made subject of a kinds of scandal and or embarrassment. Rest assured those who are the target of such attacks, despite all their real or exaggerated failings, are actually among the truly good people. Meantime the real slime balls and professional criminals, you will never even hear criticized -- ever -- not even once; protected as they are by Satan and hell -- whose province it is to both bring about scandal and have such scandal chastised. No lack of people who talk and blame, and yet how many actually value candid, impartial, and honest truth?
"By my soul itself will I mount up unto Him.
I will soar beyond that power of mine whereby I cling to the body, and
fill the whole structure of it with life."
~ Augustine, Confessions, Book X, ch. 7, 11.
The strange and, in its way, exotic history and mystery of Byzantium remains an intriguing one for many of us to attempt to penetrate and have further revealed to us; that we might be able to recreate in our mind and imaginations that for us very peculiar and far off cultural universe and that is our link between the ancient and the modern world. So naturally authoritative and well written books and articles on the subject continue by me to be most welcome. One example of the latter I happened to come across (and, not surprisingly after reading Gibbon) the other day was:
"Imperial ideology in middle Byzantine court culture: the evidence of Constantine [VII] porphyrogenitus's de ceremoniis"
by Woodrow, Zoe Antonia (2001)
-- Durham theses, Durham University; and available at Durham
E-Theses Online (in .pdf) at:
http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/3969/
To quote one small portion, she relates:
"The founder of the Macedonian dynasty, Basil I, had himself come from humble origins. Arriving in Constantinople, he had been taken into service as a groom in the household of a member of the Empress's family, thereby gaining peripheral access to the court. Exactly how he first attracted the attention of the Emperor, Michael III, is unclear, though from two accounts we hear that it was by virtue of his physical strength. What is undeniable is the swiftness with which he consolidated his position within the court and the ruthlessness with which he appropriated the imperial title. Having entered the palace he became a favourite of the Emperor and when, on the insistence of the Caesar, Bardas, the position of grand chamberlain (parakoimomenos) became vacant Basil received the appointment. Later, en route to Crete with an expeditionary force, responding to orders from the Emperor, Basil murdered Bardas amongst rumours of a plot by the Caesar and on their return to Constantinople was himself appointed co-emperor. In 867 he had Michael murdered and took the reigns of government for himself."
38. It is necessary neither to be so devoted to the Father, as to rob Him of His Fatherhood, for whose Father would He be, if the Son were separated and estranged from Him, by being ranked with the creation, (for an alien being, or one which is combined and confounded with his father, and, for the sense is the same, throws him into confusion, is not a son); nor to be so devoted to Christ, as to neglect to preserve both His Sonship, (for whose son would He be, if His origin were not referred to the Father?) and the rank of the Father as origin, inasmuch as He is the Father and Generator; for He would be the origin of petty and unworthy beings, or rather the term would be used in a petty and unworthy sense, if He were not the origin of Godhead and goodness, which are contemplated in the Son and the Spirit: the former being the Son and the Word, the latter the proceeding and indissoluble Spirit. For both the Unity of the Godhead must be preserved, and the Trinity of Persons confessed, each with His own property.
39. A suitable and worthy comprehension and exposition of this subject demands a discussion of greater length than the present occasion, or even our life, as I suppose, allows, and, what is more, both now and at all times, the aid of the Spirit, by Whom alone we are able to perceive, to expound, or to embrace, the truth in regard to God. For the pure alone can grasp Him Who is pure and of the same disposition as himself; and I have now briefly dwelt upon the subject, to show how difficult it is to discuss such important questions, especially before a large audience, composed of every age and condition, and needing like an instrument of many strings, to be played upon in various ways; or to find any form of words able to edify them all, and illuminate them with the light of knowledge. For it is not only that there are three sources from which danger springs, understanding, speech, and hearing, so that failure in one, if not in all, is infallibly certain; for either the mind is not illuminated, or the language is feeble, or the hearing, not having been cleansed, fails to comprehend, and accordingly, in one or all respects, the truth must be maimed: but further, what makes the instruction of those who profess to teach any other subject so easy and acceptable— viz. the piety of the audience— on this subject involves difficulty and danger.
69. Why need I speak of the things of ancient days? Who can test
himself by the rules and standards which Paul laid down for bishops and
presbyters, that they are to be temperate, soberminded, not given to
wine, no strikers, apt to teach, blameless in all things, and beyond
the reach of the wicked, without finding considerable deflection from
the straight line of the rules? What of the regulations of Jesus for
his disciples, when He sends them to preach? The main object of these
is— not to enter into particulars -— that they should be of such virtue,
so simple and modest, and in a word, so heavenly, that the gospel
should make its way, no less by their character than by their
preaching.
~ Gregory Nazianzen (c.330-c.390 A.D.), Oration 2: In Defence of His Flight to Pontus, etc.