medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
John Briggs wrote:
> No, it's the Abbot of St Augustine's writing to the dean of Wells
asking
> for the loan of the servant 'L' to hew out Seven Pillars of Wisdom.
..
and, regarding Lawrence/Ruskin:
> So, Pillars = Wisdom, and Lamps = Architecture. It ought to be the
other
> way around - but it isn't :-)
My mind is now awash with metaphors, playing well-lit but confusing
games (sides of seven only) with each other. Some of them are rushing
around Venetian deserts bombing railway lines; others are sitting
outside canalside palazzo in Syria, doing delicate watercolours. Yet
more are dallying with Foolish Virgins, but there appear to be three
extra of these.
If servant 'L' - assumed to be Adam Lock, master of the Wells West Front
- was as stimulated by such as I now am, it is no surprise his Elder
Lady Chapel is full of goats and monkeys who play music together, and
men clutching desperately at oversized birds.
But I do promise not to post citing sources - John's source is the same
as mine, I have published on it and was even in the room when the
original paper was given - from memory again. My email and books are not
co-located, but that's no excuse if it wastes others' time.
Thankfully, responses so far - T E Lawrence included - are just as
relevant to the *actual* text. Thank you, all. More thoughts and
references welcomed.
Would anyone say there was anything specifically Marian about the image
of 'seven PILLARS of wisdom' -- or is it just a poetic/rhetorical way of
alluding to a religious building?
Jon Cannon
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