Thursday, September 18, 2008

Who would you have to dinner



Today was about Jane Austen
and Sir Walter Scott, so I invited
my dear friend Cass to come
talk to my students about her
love for this man and his writings.
Recently we found The Waverly Novels,
about 4 volumes, and jumped up and
down in the used bookstore. It was
what she was looking for: Rob Roy,
Anne of Geierstein, and others. Each
volume has 3 or 4 books in it. My Austen
book is like that ~~ three of her best in
one volume. I asked the students WHAT
author would they like to sit next
to at a dinner. Many did Lewis and
Tolkein, but some had some interesting
ones that together would make a lively
evening. Cass, of course , would have
Sir Walter and prob. Jane on the other
side. I hope I would be in the next seat.

This Latin phrase was said of Christopher
Wren and his St. Paul's Cathedral. It
is applicable to Scott and his Abbotsford.
"Si monumentum requiris circumspice"
"If you are looking for a monument,
look around you." He lived out a biblical
worldview in the home that he built from
a small farmhouse to a grand house.
Everything in it preserves history. Even
his desk in his study was made from wood
from the Spanish Armada. He had a longing
for things that last and matter.
His descendants still live in part of the house.
His longing is being realized!

The image “http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/usbiography/stu/images/scott-450.jpg” cannot be displayed, because it contains errors.



1 comment:

podso said...

I wonder if the "monument" could mean something other than literal! I'll look for some this weekend! By the way, I would love to be at that dinner table!