Once I was a clever boy learning the arts of Oxford... is a quotation from the verses written by Bishop Richard Fleming (c.1385-1431) for his tomb in Lincoln Cathedral. Fleming, the founder of Lincoln College in Oxford, is the subject of my research for a D. Phil., and, like me, a son of the West Riding. I have remarked in the past that I have a deeply meaningful on-going relationship with a dead fifteenth century bishop... it was Fleming who, in effect, enabled me to come to Oxford and to learn its arts, and for that I am immensely grateful.


Friday 16 October 2015

St Denis - a further thought


Following on from the post on the Medieval Religion discussion group which I copied about St Denis Theresa Gross-Diaz posted this comment

"That ten kilometers [ the distance St Denis walked carrying his severed head and preaching as he went ] provoked my favorite Enlightenment bon mot:
Upon hearing this story told by Cardinal de Polignac. Mme du Deffand (friend of Voltaire) replied, "en de telles affaires, il n'y a que le premier pas qui coute." "

I think we can all agree with that, be we n'er so Enlightened.

Paris - Cathédrale Notre-Dame - Portail de la Vierge - PA00086250 - 003.jpg 

St Denis
Statue on the left portal of Notre Dame in Paris 

Image: Wikipedia
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