Victoria becomes Queen; Gretel Witters; and Saxon Deor

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It's so funny. I f I found this app on my phone and a hello and a very good whatever it is. Monday, Monday. Monday the first of June. Happy first day of June. And I found this app on my phone that where you create songs. And I put in the lyrics, oh bead, venerable bead of Jaro. And the music that came out was some hideous American sounding song pronouncing bead as bed and venerable as venerable. And I'm gonna try and find a way of playing it to you because I think you'll find it funny. And now I'm out and about in Trent in the pouring rain, but nice rain, not too cold or anything, and and not too heavy, more like feeling perhaps like you're in a cloud. And I'm in the fields behind the pub giving the dogs a walk, and it's obviously bell practice night, Monday night for the Trent bell ringers, and so I'm just gonna let you enjoy the sound of the I like the timbre of the bells here. They were a little bit more active a few minutes ago. And as we move away from the church and go to the far end of the field, you can just hopefully hear birds and raindrops and perhaps a little bit of panting. Hopefully not from me, but from Doggo Abby. So my son had an A level today, and he's only got one A level left, so he's very close now to finishing school in its entirety because on Thursday that's his final night boarding at the school here, but then he's home and just goes back to school for a final day called Kemem, short for commemoration, where the boys dress up smartly and the parents are involved, and it's a day of going to Cherbourne Abbey, going to the chapel, going to the individual houses that the boys go to, thanking the school, the teachers from the school and the heads of houses and all of that, and speeches are made, and then it ends rather disgracefully sometimes. I think with a ball where the upper sick from both the boys' school and the girls' school have a you know, they they spend the evening at a ball, and but the parents are there too, and and I've been to this ball, and some of the parents got outrageously drunk, and lots of the well most of the boys and girls seem to be drunk, but I just hope it's not really too. I don't like it when people get really horrifically drunk because I just feel they're wasting an opportunity to make memories because you know once they get to that stage they won't remember what they're doing. So, yeah, that's the plan. And my daughter went off for a mock exam today, an A-level mock, and I think she was okay. I've been giving her massages in the evening, which is her way of relaxing, and it's the only contact really she wants. She's a little bit neurodivergent, that's the phrase they use now, and it means that there's lots of things. Well, there are lots of things it means, but one of them is that she doesn't like being intimacy, and so that's fine. I just she but she does love to be massaged, so I give her a shoulder massage or foot massage, something like that. But it means that when I'm doing it, she then starts to unwind and starts to chitter-chatter to me, and it's been intense because I haven't been able to take my eye off her really, and I like going off, as you know, to visit abbeys and cathedrals and so on, and I that's really got to be on hold just for the moment. I'm meant to meet up with Aidan. Hello, Aidan, if you're listening, and I think all those sorts of things will now leave for the summer, but that's fine. In the summer, she'll be able to go off and meet her friends, she's got lots of girlfriends, plus a boyfriend who's meant to be there. Her boyfriend's meant to be the strongest boy in the school, the whole of the school, and he's also, as of Thursday night, a black belt in judo. A black belt in judo, it's incredible. His sister is black belt too, and she she sorry, I'm in the field trying to work out where she'll be next. Lots of long grass, it's really nice actually, and she performs internationally, I think. Do you say perform for judo? Who knows? And I'm gonna have to stop recording in a second because it's very, very rainy. What other news? I'm thinking of my mother still quite a lot. I need to call my stepfather soon, have a catch-up with him. I'm conscious that husband's parents are in their 80s and getting older, and we need to see them soon. They're the most delightful, gorgeous people, and as soon as I met them, I can sort of see where my husband gets his character from. And um I I slightly uh there's words in English to envy you envy some someone for something, but you don't, you know, it's a positive envy. So what word might that be? So I envied them, I envied him. I envied him his parents because how fortunate he was and what an impr what a great stable start he would have had in life. Hopefully it wouldn't be hard. Yeah, as I say, it looks like it's a word missing, because energy isn't it one of the uh deadly sins, I think it is. Uh of course jealousy is another horrible word. Jalousy. And these are all considered and coveting that's another awful word that's in the uh box, of course. Energy, covetousness, jealousy. Whereas actually there could be a word meaning you you know it's sort of admire, really, isn't it? But it's more than that. It's you wish that you'd had it yourself, but it doesn't mean you you are in in a state of negative miserableness, you're just thinking, okay, that would be that would have been great. But having said that, my you know, my mum was spectacular in so many ways, and and I think for when I think about the peculiarities I've got in terms of its sort of intellectual interests and and also just a sort of passion, a lust for life, she gave me that definitely. We used to spend time together in London when we lived in the east of London, just talking passionately about the world and politics and art and theatre, and just we would walk about looking at things, admiring things, discuss coming up with plans, and in the evenings we would drink pints of lager together and smoke cigarettes and talk about this, that, and and our careers, everything really. She was very supportive of my army career, and she was she was disappointed when I left when I did, but she did understand it's difficult in the army to maintain marriages and relationships because you're often posted, and people have to come with you and be often bored because they're just posted with you and expected to make a life, or you're posted separately, in which case you know that can be disastrous too because you work so closely with people that inevitably you form close relationships, and it's not so much that people are just having casual affairs all the time. I think it's more that you get into these close professional relationships where you you learn to lean on people and find people funny and interesting and kind and all those things because you see much much more of them than you would do in a civilian sphere where it's you know just nine to five or I mean not always of course, but anyway, that's that little waffle, and tomorrow's Tuesday, husband's off to London, daughter's got another exam in the afternoon, and I've just got a day of trying to get all my jobs done, and I'm going to do a little bit of um historical research around the church of St Guennis, and uh you'll probably see me post quite a bit on it tomorrow because I've got some photos I need to upload, but I just want to get the detail right before I before I do that because there's some really interesting stuff. It's always quite tricky when you you've got pictures of a church that was built, for example, this one. It was built on a on a plot that was used by the Saxons back in. I mean goodness, it's 500 really, so soon after the birth of Christianity or Latin Christianity in our country. Um, not that it was Latin, but yeah, very early on. Obviously, it was the Celtic form of Christianity brought over from Wales, it looks like, and there were wells there, but there were also Neolithic um mounds and earthworks and signs of all sorts, and that there's so much potential to explore more, and of course it's not that very that far from Boscastle and not that far from Tin Tadgel, crucially, so um it just shows what an important part of the British Isles it was for international links and trading, certainly with Britain also down to the Iberian coast and beyond. And uh I watched a podium on Tint quite recently, and the the things they're now finding there to show just how important it was because of course it was tucked if you look at these places on the map, they're tucked around the corner, um not so exposed as the as the southern flank of Cornwall and closer, closer and easier to get to to Wales, and then you and then you of course you go then up the uh you head west and you you'll suddenly find yourself right in the heart of England, coming up rivers through Bristol and and so on. So it's a it's a neat little little place to have as uh as a little Vic. I think I'll leave it at that and concentrate on the dogs because they're having a little bit of a fight. And I just I'm still out on the walk and I had a tiny listen to this just to check the wind, and I am sorry if it picked up a little bit. And I heard myself say west through to Bristol, and of course it's east, not west, silly old Gretel. And I don't know, are you still going to be listening to this when I lose all my marbles when I'm in my 90s and I'm chattering to you about who's sitting next to me in the old people's home and who's taking their teeth out, and and who's who's pulling their tights down in a kind of crazy way, or starting to sing old songs, and it actually it might be there, it could be worse, it could be duller podcasts than a podcast from an old people's home telling you what the old people actually get up to. Anyway, that's for the future. Stay with me, don't move, and you too could listen to such fabulous stories straight from an old people's home in Sherbourne. Time now to go into the pub, join husband, and think about what kind of pizza I'd like. Good morning, it's Tuesday morning, and before I take little part for a walk, I've got in front of me a short history of our own time. A new reign begins. And I read a little bit of this a long time ago. It was written by an MP, and I'll try and find his name. The front cover of the book has been torn off, so I sort of lost the details of it. But this is about the beginning of the reign of Queen Victoria. And what's interesting about it is that it's a reminder of how little she was known, and that the the that Britain and the the the colonies really were taken by complete surprise to have this little young lady pronounced queen, and there was a lot of concern as to whether she would be on to the job. Well, that audio wasn't very good. How about this? Is this a little bit better? Come on, Gretel, I need to sort it out. I'm gonna concentrate this week on trying to improve the audio a little bit so that I give you as good as an an experience as it's possible to give, because it I I know I'm sort of laxadaisical and I don't think you mind that too much because you know I'm not professional. But on the other hand, you know, I want to, especially for those of you who are volunte subscribers, I want to give you as good as an experience as possible. Especially because I've got so many lovely things to share with you from the past that have been written, and I want you to be able to hear and enjoy the words. And we're now on a very long grass little walk that was so familiar to us. It's got lots of lovely lumps and bumps and humps. Uh I'm surrounded by tall trees, some of them oaks, some of them firs, horse chestnuts, beech, lots of beech, a real variety, and all the cars zipping about for the poor unfortunates who've got to go to work. And not long ago that was that was me. I used to work at one point five days a week at the girls' school, and each day was ten hours, and it it sounds like that's a lot, and it was, but the work was so varied that I really enjoyed it. I loved working with the girls, looking after them, asking if they were okay, but it also involved a lot of things that were trickier, and in the end, I decided that well, particularly because I had to keep going down to London to see my mother. In fact, I think when I started this, I was still working, I'm not sure. And it was just too tricky because in the end, if you're not what's the word, if you're if you're not being it's not that I wasn't reliable because I always let them knew what was going on, but I I I just my head wasn't w where I was working. It's it's very difficult. I mean, maybe you're in that situation where you're you're being paid to do a job, but you you know that you're you're not either you you're not enjoying it, or you can't give it the time, or or sometimes you can give it the time, but you can't give it your your mind and your and your heart and your your commitment and your passion. And it I think people know when that's the case, but also it it just feels difficult when you're in that situation, and it's sort of the beginning of a a dissonance within your life that can lead to a horrible feeling of stress because you know that you're not you're not being as professional as you'd like to be. And because I was working at the girls' school, that's where my daughter goes, we were getting a discount towards the fees. So it was quite a big decision that for me to give up the work and just concentrate on uh being being with my mother and being at home and living a different sort of life. But husband was supportive and and I'm so glad that it was able to happen because you know it's all been stressful enough. Having said that, there is something wonderful about working in the sense that it gives you another environment to be in and another set of people to enjoy being with, and you know, so it has its upsides too. But getting back to where I am, I'm now on the banks overlooking Sherbourne. I could see the Abbey with its squat tower. I was looking at a sketch done last night by a very famous local chap, Gibb, who has written a lot on the history of the Abbey, and he wrote a he did a lovely sketch of what what the abbey and the surrounding surrounding area looked like when there was the fire of 1437, the fire over the Battle of the Fonts. And unfortunately I can't read what he's written to you because it's still within copyright, but it's a brilliant account of the battle that took place, and I've talked about a l a few times, and it it's his I've got one of his uh diagrams of uh Sherborne as it as it was with as when it was an abbey, and I've got it on my on my wall, and I'm very proud of it because it's an original uh drawing that he he he did. And so anyway, I what I want to do is carry on in a minute when I sit on my bench reading to you about the beginnings of the reign of Queen Victoria. It's an area that we haven't looked at before, but we have concentrated uh s somewhat on the 1800s, because two two of my favourite authors, well, three if you include all the brontes, I suppose you can't lump them together. So you've got the three Brontes, and then you've got Dickens and Hardy, and they're all from those times, and so it it's a very interesting period, and of course it's also a period when America exploded worldwide and became really the most important country in the world. Apologies if you're from China or Russia or countries that you you think were more important. And one exciting piece of news is although, as you know, I'm I've got to stay close to my daughter at the moment, it as long as I just go away for one night, and as long as my husband is here and not away at work, and so he's able to focus on her, then then then that's okay. And my son is sailing in a couple of weeks' time, and there's an event that parents are invited to, and it's a long way away in Kent, and so nearby Heaver Castle was it is the perfect place for me to stop at. So I'm spending a night in the Anne Boleyn suite at Heaver Castle, and I'm going to be enjoying recording from there. I I stayed at Heaver Castle before, but I was with my daughter, and I don't think I did much in the way of recording. I did a little bit, but I'm planning to do quite a lot, and I'm going to find as much as I can of old writings about it, so that I it's all out of copyright, but also I just, as you know, I love reading things that were written hundreds of years ago. I love the style of writing, I love how how sometimes it's politically incorrect and well, it's just often written in quite a what's the word, a subjective way. And I think subjective writing makes it more interesting because I don't know, I suppose it's like if you go to an art gallery with someone and they've got quite um particular views about the pictures they're showing you, I think that that could be interesting because it's it's it's nice to hear an opinion and uh hear a view. And these days when you read a a history book, it it always feels that you're reading something that's just completely objective, and sometimes you want to sort of say to the author, okay, but what do you think? What do you think happened to the princes in the tower? Go on, have a guess, have a go. And they don't want to, they just want to say, here are all the facts, and uh, you know, I'm a historian, I can't possibly, I can't possibly have a view. It's not true for all of them, of course, but anyway, I'm now walking uphill, you probably can hear me panting, and I'm about to go over the brow of the hill to take Puppy into the area behind Sherborne Castle. Before I do that, actually, I'm just gonna see if you can enjoy hearing all the birds around here. And then can't quite get under it and has to come through with me. Right, through we go, and the fields look different again from when I saw them last week. All neatly cropped and looking like a a scene from painting. But luckily the path that the track that we go on is all slept, so it's long grass and cow parsley, buttercups and clover that's blossoming. I rem whenever I see clover and blossoming clover, it brings me back to my childhood memories of collecting it and of course always looking for the four leaf clover with my friends and making b daisy chains and picking buttercups and putting it under someone's chin and asking the totally irrelevant question whether they like butter or not, depending on whether the yellow is reflected. Oh dear. As though it mattered, as though but it was just anything to do. As children you're constantly finding ways to impress your friends and interact and find things to do, and all you've got is the natural landscape around you. But if you've got phones, then you don't need to find things to do from the natural landscape because you have got phones, and so I I hope so much that future generations will be the generations that have phones taken away from them. It looks like that's the way it's going to go with schools, and then that might give uh then parents might have the courage to do that as well. And then phones will be considered part of adult life. But we have got to set examples, and I I can be terrible sometimes at finding myself you know, uploading photos but then getting distracted and letting time go by. And it it's such a truism, and I know that we all know it, but I have to remind myself that that the thing that you find yourself doing during your day is the thing that that is it is the way that you spend your life, you know, the way you spend your time becomes who you are and how you spend your life. And I don't want to look back at a time, you know, when I'm saying if I get fortunate enough to be, I don't know, in my eighties, imagine if I'm in a situation where perhaps I can't walk anymore or can't see or anything like that. I I would look back and I would say, Oh, why didn't I just get out more stretch my legs, go for long hikes? So I don't want to have regrets. So as I stand overlooking Sherbonne Newcastle, Newcastle, even though it was built in the 1500s, 400 years before actually 300 years before the events I'm going to read about happened. Let's start a short history of our own times shows how old it is. Chapter one A New Reign Begins Before half past two in the morning on the morning of june twentieth, eighteen thirty seven, William IV was lying dead in Windsor Castle, while the messengers were already hurrying off to Kensington Palace to bear to his successor her summons to the throne. With William ended the reign of personal government in England. King William had always held to and exercised the right to dismiss his ministers when he pleased and because he pleased. In our day we should believe that the constitutional freedom of England was outraged if a sovereign were to dismiss a ministry at mere pleasure, or to retain it despite of the expressed wish of the House of Commons. The manners of William IV had been, like most of his brothers, somewhat rough and overbearing. He had been an unmanageable naval officer, he had made himself unpopular while Duke of Clarence, by his strenuous opposition to some of the measures which were especially desired by all the enlightenment of the country. He was, for example, a determined opponent of the measures for the abolition of the slave trade. But William seems to have been one of the men whom increased responsibility improves. He was far better as a king than as a prince. He proves that he was also able at least to understand the first duty of a constitutional sovereign which, to the last day of his active life, his father, George III, could never be brought to comprehend, that the personal predilections and prejudices of the king must sometimes give way to the public interest. Isn't it crazy to read this and think how could they have how could they have coped? And it was so it seems so recent. We we must judge William by the rains that went before and not the rain that came after him, and admit that on the whole he was better than his education, his early opportunities, and his early promise. We just had a bit of rough and tumble with a German shepherd dog, and uh it was all fine. I mean as long as the other dogs don't bite, I don't mind how how boisterous they are, and the puppy's actually getting bigger now and stronger. It's quite windy, but I've got the little microphone, and it's a bit chilly, and England can just go from heat wave, which we had last week, to it feeling autumnal, and of course we're in June now, and June isn't as pretty a month as May, but I mean what is time and what are names that we give things? It's just about enjoying whatever season we're in. I remember reading once when they were asked, someone was asked, it was an author, and he was asked what his favourite season was, and he said, whichever whichever season I'm in, and I thought that's a good answer. It's difficult sometimes to think that, but it's a very good answer, isn't it? Always be happier with the time you're in. That was puppy just whizzing through the kissing gate, which is something that I can't do as much. Do you remember the days if you've had children when kissing gates you did stop and you did all give each other kisses, and then they've become teenagers and they don't want that quite so much. Before I carry on with the reading, I'm just standing by the edge of a wood where there was a very noisy wren a minute ago, and lots of lovely bird life, so I'm just gonna stand here and let you enjoy it as I stand by a little baby oak tree that's doing its best to compete with all the others and is cleverly leaning out towards the edge of the woodline so it can catch the light and the sun. And I've got puppy at my feet scampering about. She likes munching on various leaves. I don't know what goodness it gives her, but she seems to do it instinctively, so I think I'll let her be. And there's a very mature oak tree to my left looking beautiful and very rounded in its shape, like the classic tree that children draw. I'll be quiet now and let you enjoy the birds, although they seem to have gone quite quiet because I'm here. William IV, third son of George III, had no children who could have succeeded to the throne, and that the crown passed therefore to the daughter of his brother, who was the fourth son of George, the Duke of Kent. This was the Princess Alexandrina Victoria, who was born at Kensington Palace on may twenty fourth, eighteen nineteen. The princess was therefore at this time little more than eighteen years of age. The Duke of Kent died a few months after the birth of his daughter, and the child was brought up under the care of his widow. She was well brought up, both as regards her intellect and her character, her training was excellent. She was taught to be self reliant, brave, and systematical. Prudence and economy were inculcated on her as though she had born to be poor. One is not generally inclined to attach much importance to what historians tell us of the education of contemporary princes or princesses, but it cannot be doubted that the Princess Victoria was trained for intelligence and goodness. There is a pretty description given by Miss Wynne of the manner in which the young sovereign received the news of her accession to the throne. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Howley, and the Lord Chamberlain, the Marquis of Conningham, left Windsor for Kensington Palace, where the Princess Victoria had been residing, to inform her of the king's death. It was two hours after midnight when they started, and they did not reach Kensington until five o'clock in the morning. They knocked, this is a quote, they knocked, they ran, they thumped for a considerable time before they could rouse the porter at the gate. They were again kept waiting in the courtyard, then turned into one of the lower rooms where they seemed forgotten by everyone. Sorry my phone's telling me I'm too close to the I'm too close to the phone. I've got it set so that I can't hold the phone too close to me. Sorry, let me try and carry on. So they were forgotten by everybody. They rang the bell and desired that the attendant of the Princess Victoria might be sent to inform her Royal Highness that they requested an audience on business of importance. Another delay and another ringing to inquire the cause. The attendant was then summoned, who stated that the princess was in such a sweet sleep that she could not venture to disturb her. Then they said we are come on business of state to the queen, and even her sleep must give way to that. It did, and to prove that she did not keep them waiting, in a few minutes she came into the room in a loose white nightgown and shawl, her nightcap thrown off and her hair falling upon her shoulders, her feet in slippers, tears in her eyes, but perfectly collected and dignified. The Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne, was presently sent for and a meeting of the Privy Council summoned for eleven o'clock when the Lord Chancellor administered the usual oaths to the Queen, and her Majesty received in return the oaths of allegiance of the cabinet ministers and other privy councillors present. The interest or curiosity with which the demeanour of the young Queen was watched was all the keener because the world in general knew so little about her. Not merely was the world in general thus ignorant, but even the statesmen and officials in closet communication with court circles were in almost absolute ignorance. The young Queen had not been previously sorry, had been kept in previously I beg your pardon the young Queen had been previously kept in such seclusion by her mother that not one of her acquaintance and not one of the attendants at Kensington, not even the Duchess of Northumberland, her governess, had any idea what she have any idea what she is or what she promises to be. That's a quote. There was enough in the court of the two sovereigns who went before Queen Victoria to justify any strictness or seclusion which the Duchess of Kent might desire for her daughter. No one can read even the most favourable descriptions given by contemporaries of the manners of those two courts without feeling grateful to the Duchess of Kent for resolving that her daughter should see as little as possible of their ways and their company. That's interesting, isn't it? It is not necessary to go into any formal description of the proclamation of the Queen, her appearance for the first time on the throne in the House of Lords when she progued Parliament in person, and even the gorgeous festival of her coronation, which took place on june twenty eighth in the following year eighteen thirty eight. It is a fact, however, well worthy of note, amid whatever records of court ceremonial and of political change, that a few days after the accession of the Queen, Mr Montmontifore was elected Sheriff of London, the first Jew who had ever been chosen for that office, and that he received knighthood at the hands of Her Majesty when she visited the city on the following Lord Mayor's Day. He was the first Jew whom royalty had honoured in this country since the good old times when royalty was pleased to borrow the Jews' money. The expansion of the principle of religious liberty and equality which has been one of the most remarkable characteristics of the reign of Queen Victoria could hardly have been more becomingly inaugurated than by the compliment which sovereign and city paid to Sir Moses Monte Fiore. The first signature attached to the act of allegiance presented to the Queen at Kensington Palace was that of her eldest surviving uncle, Ernest Duke of Cumberland. The fact may be taken as an excuse for introducing a few words here to record the severance of the connection which had existed for some generations between this country and Hanover. The connection was only personal, the Hanoverian kings of England being also by succession sovereigns of Hanover. The crown of Hanover was limited in its descent to the male line, and it passed on the death of William IV to his eldest surviving brother, Ernest Duke of Cumberland. The change was in almost every way satisfactory to the English people. The indirect connection between England and Hanover had at no time been a matter of gratification to the public of this country, and Englishmen were not by any means sorry to be rid of the Duke of Cumberland. This is also interesting because it's it's quite new to me, I don't know about you. Not many of George III's sons were popular. The Duke of Cumberland was probably the least popular of all. His manners were rude, overbearing, and sometimes even brutal. Rumour not unnaturally exaggerated his defects, and in the mouths of many his name was the symbol of the darkest and fiercest passions and even crimes. Some of the popular reports with regard to him had their foundation only in the common detestation of his character and dread of his influence, but it is certain that he was profligate, selfish, overbearing and quarrelsome. It was felt in England that the mere departure of the Duke of Cumberland from this country would have made the severance of the connection with Hanover desirable, even if it had not been in other ways an advantage to us. Later times have shown how much we have gained by the separation. It would have been exceedingly inconvenient, to say the least, if the crown worn by a sovereign of England had been hazarded in the war between Austria and Prussia in eighteen sixty six. Our reigning family must have seemed to suffer indignity if that crown had been roughly knocked off the head of its wearer, who happened to be an English sovereign, and it would have been absurd to expect that the English people could engage in a quarrel with which their interests and honour had absolutely nothing to do for the sake of a mere family possession of their ruling house. Lord Melbourne was the first minister of the crown when the Queen succeeded to the throne. He was a man who then and always after made himself particularly dear to the Queen and for whom she had the strongest regard. He was of kindly, somewhat indolent nature, fair and even generous towards his political opponents, of the most genial disposition towards his friends. He was emphatically not a strong man. He was not a man to make good grow where it was not already growing. He was a kindly counsellor to a young queen, and happily for herself, the young queen in this case had strong, clear sense enough of her own not to be absolutely dependent on any counsel. Lord Melbourne was not a statesman. His best qualities, personal kindness and good nature apart, were purely negative. He was unfortunately not content even with a reputation for a sort of indolent good nature which he might well have deserved. He strove to make himself appear hopelessly idle, trivial and careless. When he really was serious and earnest, he seemed to make it his business to look like one in whom no human affairs could call up a gleam of interest. We have amusing pictures of him as he occupied himself in blowing a feather or nursing a sofa cushion while receiving an important and perhaps highly sensitive deputation from this or that commercial interest. Those who knew him insisted that he really was listening with all his might and mane, that he had sat up all night before studying the question, which he seemed to think so unworthy of any attention, and that so far from being wholly absorbed in his trifles, he was at very great pains to keep up the appearance of a trifler. Now this is very much like my son, Tom. He's like that. He comes across as not taking a serious interest in things and being very sort of casual and relaxed, but actually that's not deeply what he is. Such a masquerading might perhaps have been excusable or even attractive in the case of a man really brilliant and commanding talents, but in Lord Melbourne's case the affectation had no such excuse or happy effect. He was a poor speaker, only fitted to rule in the quietest times. Debates were then conducted with a bitterness of personality unknown, or at all events very rarely known in our days. Even in the House of Lords, language was often interchanged over the most violent virulent hostility. And we'll leave it there. Other than we'll just one more line which is interesting. Lord Melbourne's constant attendance on the young queen was regarded with keen jealousy and dissatisfaction. So I'm now going to try feet, which I'm not very good at. I'm going to try and read a few emails from you. First of all, thank you so much to Friar Bernard, and I've had permission from everybody to read them, so that's great. Halleluja Gretel, I hope this finds you well. One of my friends to whom I introduced your podcast informed me that you mentioned me in yesterday's episode. I went and listened. Thank you so much. I like the way you pronounce my name Bernard Accent on the first syllable. That's how my mum used to say it. So I wonder if Americans say Bernard or something like that. Bernard I realise that your dear mother has passed. May she rest in peace. I've decided to listen to your podcast from the point where I left off, fifth of january twenty twenty five. I feel that were I to simply jump to the present, I would be skipping your lent for the sake of Easter. I want to experience what you did as best I can in the sequence which you experienced it. I will do my best to catch up. The more I listen, the more I enjoy and appreciate. Please do not soften your criticisms and critiques of Catholicism for my sake. I taught high school for twenty four years, and I have pretty tough skin. Another of my favourite poems is The Hound of Heaven by Francis Thompson. When I was in my twenties and struggling to accept my poor eyesight, I really identified with this piece, and as a matter of fact I had the whole thing committed to memory. Now I especially remember the final lines where the author quotes Our Lord All which I took from thee I did but take, not for thy harms, but just that thou must might seek it in my arms, all which thy child's mistake, fancies as lost I have stored for thee at home. Rise, clasp my hand and come. Halt's by me that footfall is my gloom after all, shade of his hand outstretched carelessly. Ah, fondest, blindest, weakest, I am he whom thou seekest. Thou dravest love from thee, who dravest me all those references to blindness. Where would I be without poetry and music? God bless you, Gretel, and God bless Kevin Stroud, who perhaps has given me a pen pal with love from across the pond. So thank you so much, Bernard. That was so lovely. And let's also look at a message maybe from we have a message from Alison. Thank you for your parcel. What a lovely surprise. I'm still some episodes behind. I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your episodes with Headley Thorne. Hello, Headley, if you're listening. Appreciate your friendship so much. We've gone from just sort of knowing each other a little bit to I I think can. Considering ourselves as friends, which is wonderful. I'm also enjoying Villette, said Alison. Quite different from what I expected, much lighter so far. So that's from Alison. Thank you so much. And we have Barbara. I enjoyed reading your witterings so much No no, I beg your pardon, that was my reply. Greetings from Ohio. Thank you so much for the welcome gift of Bronte Country and the notebook. I continue to enjoy your wanderings, readings and witterings a fun new word to me. I've particularly enjoyed Villette, your French sounds lovely. I think my faves so far have been Deer Bead and Peeps. Congrats on the Holland sponsorship, and I trust the pod has served to occupy, challenge, and broaden you. I agree it's best to let the family trauma rest, best for your health and your healing. Resolution will come round in its own time. Mine did and with no intervention on my part, apart from prayer. We've had a lovely spring in Ohio, only just now getting humid, but it's been a real Canada weather up to now. It's only now time to begin gardening or even planting flowers. We've actually had frost a couple of times this May, and snow isn't unusual in April, but from now until mid October the weather here is likely to be wiltingly hot and humid. Air conditioning becomes a medical necessity unless one lives on a mountain top. In the west of our country, drought and heat have become life threatening, and lately our southern states are experiencing devastating tornadoes. So far Ohio seems to be a sweet spot, and then she says Oh no, I may have just challenged the earthquake fault we've said to be atop. I think I'm wittering, so have a lovely summer and keep growing. Now what a lovely message that was. And then we have a message from dear Michelle Dear Gretel, your parcel arrived. You really shouldn't have because I know how expensive postage is, but I'm delighted that you thought of me. Pulling out all the little gifts was like emptying out a Christmas stocking sent from England. You won't believe it, but I was looking around the house for just such a little notebook. The WH Smith pencil I'm going to use exclusively for doing the New York Times crossword, and the green pen is for writing silly notes for my husband. I do one every morning. How lucky you are to have such a wonderful music festival right in Sherbourne, and I assume all within walking distance from your house. Maybe I should plan a trip for next spring. The bookmark kit says it's a red squirrel, but it turned out to be a rabbit hole. John picked it up and read out loud Scirius vulgaris, and we both agreed that our big chunky grey squirrels were a lot more vulgar than cute little red ones, so of course we had to find the scientific name for the grey squirrels, which is uh Schiarus carolinensis. Hang on, Carolinensis, there we go. And then we wondered if our red squirrels were imported from England. But no, North American red squirrels are not related to yours. I didn't know that. Anyway, now you get an idea of what passes for entertainment in our house. How lovely was that? And have I got one more hello from Brendan? I thought you were on great form in the first half of the episode, and this is the episode where I said it was a waste of time listening to it. I love listening to your observations on life and the world around you. I think it's amazing that having a busy home life. You're determined to pursue your interests and share them with the world. The best podcast by a country mile, have a great time in Cornwall. I mean it really can't be, but that's really, really kind. And then I've got something from Michelle again, and she sent a picture of the baptism of Ethelbert, the King of Kent, and it's a gospel reading from that time. The Lord a the Lord appointed not from that time, I beg your pardon, that's related to it. The Lord appointed seventy two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two into every town and place where he himself was about to go, and he said to them, The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few, therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest, to send out his labourers into the harvest. Go your way, behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no money bag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, peace be to this house, and if a son of peace isn't there, your peace will rest upon him, but if not it will return to you and remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you, heal the sick in it, and say to them The kingdom of God has come near to you. And then finally from Bernard, he sent a video of bird song, and it's an eleven year old boy who can imitate fifty birds. I've just watched it and it's wonderful, and I I can't s I can't send it to you, but if you're interested, let me know and I'll I'll send it to you. It's so lovely because it's an autistic boy with Tourette's and he entered a talent show and his mother was so nervous he was going to get teased, but I he aced it to use the language of the young American boys, and it was a lovely report. So thank you so much, Bernard, and just please do send me things. And for those who voluntarily contribute to this show and subscribe, I do send parcels probably twice a year, one at Christmas time and then at another time. And there's not much in the parcels, just a few things and a card from me. So it would be lovely if I got a few more subscribers. But for those who do subscribe, once again, I just want to say thank you. And please, as I always say, do stop because you don't want to keep going forever, or have a break, uh, have a year's break, whatever you want, because you know I don't want you to feel you have to keep paying the money every month, but it is appreciated, and when it comes in, it enables me to continue with this podcast, and maybe with time, if it increases, it'll help me pay for hotels or whatever as I zip around the country and continue to try and make this an interesting podcast where we visit different areas and look at different buildings and different things. And I'm going to end this sort of random little episode with the Anglo Saxon poem Dior. Weyland well knew about exile. That strong man suffered much. Sorrow and longing, and wintry exile stood him in company. Often he suffered grief after Nithad fettered him, put supple bonds of sinew upon the better man. That passed away, this also may. To be old Ihild, her brother's death was less cause for sorrow than her own state when she discovered she was with child. She could never think anything but ill would come of it. That passed away, this also may. Many of us have learned that Gayet's love for Meethild grew too great for human frame. His sad passions stopped him from sleeping. That passed away, this also may. For thirty years Theodric ruled the Mayoring stronghold. This was known to many. That passed away, this also may. We have heard of the wolfish mind of Ermanaric. He held wide sway in the realm of the Goths. He was a cruel king. Many a warrior sat full of sorrow, waiting for trouble, often wishing that his kingdom might be overcome. That passed away, this also may. If a man sits in despair, deprived of all pleasure, his mind moves upon sorrow, it seems to him that there is no end to his share of hardship. Then he should remember that the wise lord often moves about this middle earth, to many a man he grants glory, certain fame, to others a sad lot. I will say this about myself, that once I was a skop of the Heodingas, dear to my lord, Deor was my name. For many years I had a fine office and a loyal lord, until now Heorenda, a man skilled in song, has received the land that the guardian of men first gave to me. That passed away. This also may. Goodbye for now. Thank you for joining me.