16 June 2020

Bl**dy B*ss, Tacitus, and Liturgiam Authenticam

Many readers may not be admirers of the late Elizabeth Tudor, alias Bullen's Daughter. Perhaps I am not so myself. But I am moved to repeat this paragraph from a Times news item concerning an Elizabethan Court ms (a translation of Book 1 of the Annales) newly ascribed to the Lady concerned.

"Elizabeth retained Tacitus's celebrated brevity ... Dr Philo suspects that Tacitus's staccato style echoed Elizabeth's own. 'She follows the contours of the Latin syntax with remarkable commitment, even as the risk of obscuring the sense in English', he said.".

Happy memories of that very fine [no irony here] Magisterial document about how to translate Liturgical Latin, Liturgiam Authenticam!

Sir Ronald Syme. Over the moon. Would have been.


4 comments:

  1. Dear Father. Can you point ABS to an exegesis of today's reading, 1 Kings 21:17-29 ?

    There is online the Rev George Leo Haydock's collection - but not for all verses - and one does want to, as is said, drill down into the entire text because of the felicitous - Behold I will bring evil upon thee, and I will cut down they prosperity, and I will kill of Achab him that pisseth against the wall...

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  2. Syme. Described by Public Orator, De Tacito non tacitus. No verb.

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  3. Really Father? Did you apply this principle when marking your pupils' work?

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