So is this it - closure I mean, after the deleted post said we had one week. Now me being one of the awful 70% English who it said did not know how to discuss... and other such stuff it still seems a shame that this small community must disperse. If the admin no longer can do it or does not want to then that we must accept.

Of all the forums I have looked into this one has the best lay out - and used to have the best content too. A sad day then but a fond farewell to most posters here. I have enjoyed your company greatly , leaned much and had many   laughs. Trike would put in a vivid last Post here but all I can think of is Peter Sellers opening shots in the film  The Party as he took a very  very      long time to end it all.

If this is it then thanks for the memory, folks. Regards, P.

I hope something can be salvaged, P, but if nordmann's heart is not in maintaining/co-ordinating (and doing all the other work I haven't mentioned) the site he must do what he feels is correct and appropriate.  I haven't made any serious and meaningful posts the last couple of days because I haven't had an inspiration about which to post.  Like yourself, I will be sorry to see the site go (if it does).

LadyinRetirement wrote:

I hope something can be salvaged, P, but if nordmann's heart is not in maintaining/co-ordinating (and doing all the other work I haven't mentioned) the site he must do what he feels is correct and appropriate.  I haven't made any serious and meaningful posts the last couple of days because I haven't had an inspiration about which to post.  Like yourself, I will be sorry to see the site go (if it does).

Lady,

"I will be sorry to see the site go (if it does)."
That's the right sentence, LiR and mine too.

If it does?
According to our Verhofstadt it can be agreed on a Custom Union and hence no trouble I suppose at the Irish, "Northen Ireland" border (as Temperance recently says in her "UK and Northern Ireland")
https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20190331_04292447
Keywords: Custom Union and no trouble at the Irish border
If that is agreed next week nordmann's heart will perhaps cheer up again...
In any case I do as if we will be eternal and seemingly MM and the new Abelard are still there too to contribute...
And coincidentally I wanted this evening to speak about the Japanese "era" related to the emperor's reign and still in use in Japan...that is the true tradition with  all its pomp and ceremony...and I swear on my Prime Communion Soul that I hadn't the intention to make a comparison with that other Island...

Kind regards to both from Paul.

Dear all,
I have just registered on your forum and I am heartbroken to learn this strange story.
nordman does what he wants, of course, and no one has the right to ask him to continue if he doesn't really want to anymore.
But I would like to tell you that this forum may be smaller than the others, but it is great for the quality and richness of human relations.
I know of some forums that claim to be the biggest or the "best" for this or that but they can envy something they don't have and that you have: your exquisite sensitivity.
As the philosopher Bergson said:

Quote :

Consciousness is a small flame that wavers and shakes

, that is,

Quote :

Consciousness is a link between what has been and what will be, a bridge between the past and the future

and what you do in this forum seems to me to be exceptional without you being aware of it.
Then as far as brexit or not brexit is concerned, these are things we don't control.

I do not renounce to make a thread on the Epistolae duorum amantium (Letters of the two lovers) as I promised and why not treads about Bergson or Molière.
You are of an exquisite sensibility that is becoming increasingly rare on the net.

with kind regards,
Abelard

Abelard, I wanted to reply about Molière and the stuff that I had to learn in the Humaniora (it seems to be Belgian Dutch) (MM, being already half of a Frenchman, didn't recognize the word, in Belgian French it is Humanités and seemingly in France it is the Baccalaureat) and a lot about my favourites from French literature...
But I have to explain Belgium on Historum and it looks like to become a controversy between me, my friend Laumesfeld from the Lorraine tudesque, a new one and the old Linschoten...and I will need a lot of time to construct my defense...and also about our question of the Ardennes some comments to Sparky and the French dumazeldan...
And I have only each evening one evening and already in delay for the ritual "coffee with petit beurres and chocolats" at nine o'clock with the partner...

Kind regards from Paul.

nordmann wrote:

...and whose previous rather heterosexual lascivious designs on my mother has resulted in me being the illegitimate offspring of (presumably) myself...

Good Lord, what interesting theological avenues one could wander down while contemplating that rather peculiar scenario.


Quite Greek too, I suppose: those Olympians were always getting themseves into sexual and gynaecological pickles of one kind or aother. It could make an interesting thread.


Abelard - I used to love Molière and Racine when I was younger. Long time ago now and I haven't read or seen any French drama for decades. But the French have to admit Shakespeare could do both tragedy and comedy as brilliantly as either of the French writers. Racine was so cold, so stately so controlled, but utterly obsessed with the rules of classical drama. I must look up what he said (if anything) about our lad's flouting of the Aristotelian guidelines. I suspect Racine would have found Shakespeare's creative chaos* vulgar, undisciplined and artistically rather embarrassing. No idea what Molière thought about him, but perhaps he acknowledged the funny bits in the Englishman's  plays were sometimes - well, quite funny.


I suppose the whole "Last Post" business is now officially The Elephant in the Room Trunk II - so I won't say a word. But I might change my location to somewhere nice and neutral and quite inoffensive, like the Isle of Man. But then, I might not.


EDIT: *Creative chaos - typical - English drama's version of "muddling through": we did it even to Aristotle's Poetics.

Temperance wrote:

....
Abelard - I used to love Molière and Racine when I was younger. Long time ago now and I haven't read or seen any French drama for decades. But the French have to admit Shakespeare could do both tragedy and comedy as brilliantly as either of the French writers. Racine was so cold, so stately so controlled, but utterly obsessed with the rules of classical drama. I must look up what he said (if anything) about our lad's flouting of the Aristotelian guidelines. I suspect Racine would have found Shakespeare's creative chaos* vulgar, undisciplined and artistically rather embarrassing. No idea what Molière thought about him, but perhaps he acknowledged the funny bits in the Englishman's  plays were sometimes - well, quite funny.


EDIT: *Creative chaos - typical - English drama's version of "muddling through": we did it even to Aristotle's Poetics.

Dear Temperance,
I don't understand how quoting Molière could suggest that some people should admit this or that in relation to Shakespeare .
I'm afraid it's still a mystery to me.
William Shakespeare is a genius author for the whole world and I must confess that I do not see the point in saying that a great internationally recognized author would be greater than another depending on his nationality.

These works are to be included in the treasures of world literature with those of Anton Pavlovich Chekhov or Tenessee Williams for example.
They are, in my opinion, made to be appreciated for what they are, that is, artistic works that are part of a common heritage and not as cultural battles.
Don't you think so?

With kind regards,
Abelard

I am well rebuked. 


The "cultural battle" has been going on for some time now, alas, as this very interesting Telegraph article reveals.


How We Learnt to Love Racine


THE British have never cared for Jean Racine. He is the victim of Francophobia and Bardolatry. Even in his lifetime (1639-99), when French culture dominated the Continent even more than French arms, Racine was seen as a kind of literary Louis XIV: all rhetorical pomp and static tableaux. The caricature stuck. From Dryden to Garrick and Dr Johnson, the British proclaimed Shakespeare's preeminence over the French as if they were fighting for the Duke of Marlborough.


I remain very fond of Racine, even if he does come across as an Aristotelian control-freak. When I was a seventeen-year-old, I loved to proclaim Phèdre's opening line:


"Tout m'afflige, me nuit et conspire à me nuire!" - her version of "Infamy! Infamy! They've all got it infamy!" Poor old Phèdre. But I jest - a foolish and  dangerous thing to do these days, I acknowledge. You must forgive me.

I like Tennessee Williams too - I'll discuss him anytime, but perhaps best not here.

On that note - over and out.

I didn't mind Racine (I studied Mithridate for A level).  The girls in the year behind me studied Corneille's Le Cid and how I envied them.  Abelard, if you read this, last year we discussed the Canal Plus (shown on BBC2 in the UK) version of Louis XIV's life.  I think we thought (generally speaking) that it was well acted but that there were quite a few liberties taken in respect of what really happened in Louis XIV's life.  I was disappointed that they had a made-up playwright and didn't focus on Moliere or any of the other great writers (or artists of other sorts) from Louis XIV's reign.  No Mancini sisters either (I know they weren't playwrights but they were interesting characters and were completely excised from the history).

Abelard wrote:

Dear all,
I have just registered on your forum and I am heartbroken to learn this strange story.
nordman does what he wants, of course, and no one has the right to ask him to continue if he doesn't really want to anymore.
But I would like to tell you that this forum may be smaller than the others, but it is great for the quality and richness of human relations.
I know of some forums that claim to be the biggest or the "best" for this or that but they can envy something they don't have and that you have: your exquisite sensitivity.

Abelard,

as I have now nearly finished my urgent replies in two threads on Historum, which I already mentioned to you, I see now that I forgot to thank you for your heart warming (don't be surprized if I sometimes invent new English words) reply. Which "hearten us, buck up again"? (welke ons terug 'n riem onder het hart steekt).
And BTW nordmann hears it now once from another source...
PS. As I am interested in French literature I want to start a thread on the "language" forum, when I have time.

Kind regards from Paul.

Abelard wrote:

You are of an exquisite sensibility that is becoming increasingly rare on the net.

Crikey, we were rather, weren't we? Just read through some excellent, if rather ancient, threads, and it seems such a shame that dear old Res His is slowly dying. Mind you, we've been saying that for ages now, and the old place splutters, gasps again and carries on. It's two years since Priscilla posted "The Last Post" and, lockdown misery and Brexit (also Prexit) bitterness notwithstanding, we are still here - just.

But when nordmann disappears, everyone else does, too. Where are you, sir, if it is not presumptuous of me to ask? Do hope you are just away on your staycation, and not poorly again. I seem to remember an old thread by ferval ( a much-misssed poster) where concern was expressed for the Boss's whereabouts - that must have been several years ago. Trike, if I remember correctly, effected a miracle and brought forth said Leader in a flash of glory and rejoicing. Not even a rousing chorus of Rule Britannia from Priscilla and myself could do that now - although if we get thrashed by our German colleagues, partners and friends next Tuesday, nordmann may well show up again. Not that he would ever gloat, of course, were England to be humiliated on home ground. It will probably end in a penalty shoot-out, God help us.

Hope this isn't my last post. Come on, chaps - heaven forfend that apathy and boredom do not succeed where Covid and Brexit failed.

I check in every day, but don't usually have much to say: you are all much more knowledgable about historical events than I am, but I enjoy the discussions when I understand them. Haven't really noticed it is dying, though I belong to three other boards and two of them at least have only about 4 really active members, and some of them in one board are really old, and just enjoy the Mornington Crescent sections (as do I).