[thechat] An age of business

Tony Crockford tonyc at boldfish.co.uk
Sat May 17 09:45:12 CDT 2003


"We live not in an age of philosophy. The days of chivalry are gone by.
Barbarism itself had its magnanimity; but we are dropped on an age of
business, in which the meanness of commerce has crept upon the heart,
and absorbed all the nobleness of the national mind. From the first
moment that the person of ____________ has been in our power, the
general talk has been nothing but how much he was worth as a shew! [sic]
What a vast property might be realized, by exhibiting him in a cage at
5s. per head!"




The above refers to Napoleon Bonaparte and comes from a newspaper
published on August 6 1815.

(I'm transcribing it for web reading - jpg here:
http://www.torbytes.co.uk/op/tm7/lv1/item816-def.htm)


Everything changes and everything remains the same.

Apparently old Bony wanted to go and live in America, but we said no and
banished him to St Helena, but not before several people wanted to make
money from parading him in a cage and at least one chap claimed that
banishment was illegal!

Apparently The Habeus Corpus Act says: "no subject, being an inhabitant
or resident of England, &c. shall be sent prisoner into Scotland, &c. or
unto places beyond the seas.

Just thought I'd share that - it's beginning to get longwinded &
tedious!

cheers

Tony




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