ANST - FW: Musing on July 6: Hankerings and Utopia

[j'lynn yeates]

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- -----Original Message-----
From: Ellsworth Weaver [mailto:astroweaver at yahoo.com]
Sent: Thursday, July 06, 2000 23:15
To: 2thpix at surfari.net
Subject: Musing on July 6: Hankerings and Utopia


Dear Folk,

On this date in history July 6, 1535, a great intellect, philosopher,
politician, and knight, Thomas More was executed. He had come to
trial
on July 1st, was found guilty of treason, and executed by Henry VIII,
Lizzie I’s dad.

Thom was born in Feb 7, 1478 in London to Agnes and John More. Dad
was
a lawyer and later a judge. Thom  went to Oxford U. when he was 14.
At
18 he went to study law -- ruined the boy. At 26 he entered
Parliament.
Fella even became an Under-Sherriff of London. No, that is not like
Barney Fife; not hardly.

It was at the age of 37 he was sent to Antwerp -- folks there did
like
English wool -- and began writing his famous book Utopia. Fact is, he
invented the term. "U" or "Eu" meaning perfect, "topia" is land. It
was
his vision of a perfect land, a prefect society. He finished that in
1516, what four hundred eight-something years ago?  It is still read.

It was inevitable that Hank VIII would notice him. Hank knighted him
and made him a Sub-Treasurer. A short time later he was elected
Speaker
of the House of Commons. He also got interested in defending
Catholicism , which was a definite turning point for him. On October
25th, 1529 Hank made Thom Lord Chancellor of England. Cardinal Wolsey
had just been relieved of the post.

See, everything would have been really cooking for Thom except that
Hank had this hankering. What king does not at some time or another?
Hank wanted a son and decided that he needed a new wife to get one.
Problem was that Hank was already married to a Catherine of Aragon
who
had given him a daughter Mary. Hank had fallen for a tempting
enchantress with six fingers on one hand, Anne Boleyn. Kate, by the
way, had previously married Arthur, Hank’s elder brother but Art
passed
away.  So does all Art when faced with greedy royalty. Anyway, Kate
Aragon was no longer in favor. Hank petitioned the Pope to dissolve
his
marriage. The Pope said no way. Hank said fine, he would start his
own
branch of Catholicism but based in England. Neat idea, franchising.

When Hank told the English bishops what he proposed, they mostly all
said, "Attaboy, Hank, we’re with you!" This was on May 15, 1532. The
very next day Thom quit being chancellor. Not only did he resign, he
started writing books pro-Roman Catholic and sort of just a little
anti-Hank Catholic. In 1534 he was offered the guest room in the
Tower
of London. Hey, he could have fed the ravens or chased the ghosts
around. Oh, probably not, he did have a rather strict booking.

And then on July 1, 1535 he was convicted of treason on really
perjured
testimony and beheaded 5 days later.

What about Hank? Well, Anne did not give him a son but did give him
the
best ruler in my opinion England ever had: Lizzie I. Anne was
convicted
of treason and arm-wrestling with an admirer. Hank had her shortened,
too. I wonder if that spoiled Lizzie's view of men any? Jane Seymour
replaced Anne and finally gave Hank a son, Eddie VI, a weak kid
thrown
in with some really powerful sisters. He lived to be all of six.
Since
Lizzie died without an official child (as I told you earlier, we will
not discuss Sir Francis Bacon as being Lizzie’s kid. Really, I know
nothing about that), Hank’s line died out. You might remember that
line
was started by that danged Hank Tutor (VII) who had Ricky III bumped
off. All his efforts for just two kings and a queen, then to be
replaced by Jimmie Stuart. I know, we all loved him in "Harvey" and
"It’s a Wonderful Life." Dinna ken he could do a Scottish burr, didya
neu, laddies?

In 1935, Sir Thom More was made a Roman Catholic saint. In 1960
Robert
Bolt wrote a wonderful play called "A Man for All Seasons" which was
made into a movie in 1966. It is all about Thom. Go rent it at better
independent video stores. (Friends don’t let friends rent at
Bl#ckb*ster."

What have we learned? While some men dream of Utopia, others are
making
a kingdom on earth? It is dangerous to say no to kings?  It takes
some
folks 400 years to make it big in the saint game? I think my take on
all of this is "Thank heavens for little girls!" Hank could have
saved
us all a lot of trouble if he had had that as his motto. Besides,
Hank,
it is the dad who determines the sex of the child. Trust me on this.

Hey, thanks for those ecards and eletters coming in from darkest
Tejas
and elsewhere. Do write. An especial hello to you Stargators!

Saying what I think I think, I think,
Ells


=====
"That proves you are unusual," returned the Scarecrow; "and I am
convinced that the only people worthy of consideration in this world
are the unusual ones. For the common folks are like the leaves of a
tree, and live and die unnoticed." -- L. Frank Baum in _The Land of
Oz_

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