I should have perhaps made more of an effort on my one day off this week. I should be editing a book which I am part way through. I managed to only translate a few lines of Latin, and spent the day reading the wonderful Jan Potocki and playing Vikings 878 the boardgame with Stalin. Stalin won, sadly, but only because he captured my beloved home town of Bridport, and I dispatched the entire English army to track the cur down. I should perhaps be more prudent in future.
The idea about attending the Hay on Wye Literary Festival has been shot in the foot. Sean Walsh has recently, and most lamentably, developed a neurological condition in which he collapses sometimes, unable to get up. This is embarrasing for him, particularly when he goes to the bar to get a round in. As a result I have said that I will visit him at home next week on his day off. He's still writing, having a sympathetic colleague which has gotten him his old job back. So at least that's something. Indeed, Mrs. Richter cannot attend because she has her End of Module Assesment coming up, so must study. I understand her predicament.
Yesterday there may have been some opportunity which arose. It is a position as an 'Associate' working for a company that does charity work and manages grant allocation, and was extended. It is perhaps possible that I may cinch it, but I am not about to hold my breath. The chances are I probably won't get it, but one remains hopeful. Should I be deemed a suitable candidate, I shall certainly continue my cursus honorum and begin studying towards a degree in law, with a view to becoming a barrister. In the meantime, I shall have to bide my time in that... place (which does not bear thinking about). One bites one's tongue, does one's duty, and does the best one can, under the circumstances.
Seemingly this (potential) opportunity is a government funded scheme. This may provide some evidence that the current administration is actually serious about 'levelling up' and creating 'higher paid, higher skilled jobs' for those from working class backgrounds that have taken the time and trouble to invest their time and money into becoming more well educated. The position itself is specifically aimed at those from working class backgrounds. Granted, the job has absolutely nothing to do with anything I spent a dozen years studying towards at university, but this isn't 1463 in the time of Cosimo de' Medici, it's Dark Age Britain, so that is only to be expected. In some countries, when one studies law, one becomes a lawyer. When one studies medicine, one goes into the medical profession. When one studies classical history, one becomes a classical historian. Evidently this approach does not apply here. (' Transferrable skills' is merely a term which attempts to apply clearly evident irrelevance to something which is supposedly relevant). In any case, this potential opportunity may provide a stepping stone towards upping my game, so to speak. It may buy me some time to get what I need done (that is, publish a shed load of books).
Speaking of which, I have an appointment with the luthier's mother soon (that author intimately acquainted with the great classicist Peter Jones), to discuss that little job. This again will provide an impetus for me formatting my own books, which is a happy coincidence.
Today is Her Majesty the Queen's birthday. I read on the BBC News website that Her Majesty said that the novelty of birthdays wears off at such a venerable age. For the past few years I have always penned a poem for Her Majesty, honouring her birthday, and had I not read that little quote, I would have done this again. However, this is Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee, so a little poem is insufficient to mark such an occasion. Therefore an entire play is much more fitting. The artist I hired, an old school friend, Clare, just got back to me this morning on her way out of the door heading to work. We have a (virtual) meeting scheduled for tomorrow morning to discuss the cover artwork for my play, in honour of HM's Platinum Jubilee, Boadicea: Queen of the Iceni. This is excellent, as it means I am on target to publish it on my self set deadline of June the 3rd, when the celebrations begin. Clare is concerned about what medium she should use. She has suggested acrylics or pastels (the former because she cannot afford oils). Therefore I shall have to buy her some very high quality oil paints, because if one does a job, one must do it to the best of one's ability. Besides, acrylics only last a generation or so, being made of cheap plastic compounds. Oils last for much longer, and I wish to have this painting framed and preserved for as long as possible. It commemorates something very special, and indeed marks the occasion of my first published play (one of many...). I am very much looking forward to seeing Boadicea be brought to life, not only in text upon a page, but brought to life in the vibrancy and colour of a magnificent oil painting which shall adorn my room for many years to come. I should very much like to hand it down to my daughter, so that it stays in the family, seeing as she is all that will remain of me once I have passed to the other side, be it above or below (at the whim of Thanatos - should the ancient hermetic writings contain any truth, which I believe they do).
Here's a little something I translated from Stobaeus' hermetic 'fragments' (26.4):
When they are peaceful, so the soul also returns to its proper peaceful course. If the soul liked to repay justice, then the soul also does the duty of a judge. If the soul was a musician, then the soul also sings. If the soul loved the truth, then the soul also devotes itself to philosophy. Indeed, it is almost a necessity that these souls are appropriate to their way, to see them do what they loved doing on earth. Because, if, they fell into humanity, the souls had forgotten their proper nature and even more so for the souls which are further away, in revenge the souls remind themselves of the way of being, of those things which had been locked away.
Bibliography
Nock, A.D. (2002 [1954]) Hermes Trismegistus [vol.4] - Stobaeus’ Extracts and Fragments 23-29 and Various Fragments, Collection of the Universities of France courtesy of the William Budé Association, Paris.
Max.
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