[Bryn-gwlad] Very late reply - Was: Re: Obedience and oaths

[tmcd at panix.com]

Speaking of "very late reply": I'm indulging in inbox archaeology to
try to get the inbox down to a mere 12500 messages.

On Wed, 29 Nov 2006, James Crouchet wrote:
> > On the other hand, I would not hesitate in such a case, but that's
> > because I've already thought it out, and I had and have no dual
> > obedience.  The only oath I have sworn, and still hold by, is my
> > oath to my dear liege lady in the Middle Kingdom.  If I had combat
> > archery gear, and if she were to point to the king of the Middle,
> > or the king of Ansteorra, and said "kill me that king", I would
> > cheerfully say "certainly, my lady.  On your head the sin" and let
> > fly.  Shakespeare said it better in Henry V, Act 4:
>
> That is one view of honor and duty and one common in earlier
> times. The vassel's duty is obedience and obedience is honor. But
> Castiglioni ("The Book of the Courtier", early 1500s) felt that
> neither duty nor honor were satisfied by carrying out an act that
> would bring dishonor on one's liege. Not only were you not bound to
> do it, you were bound to refuse the order -- a very dangerous act in
> that time. You could not serve your prince by contributing to his
> dishonor.

You presuppose that killing one's king is dishonorable.  As the
Devil's Dictionary puts it: "There are four kinds of homicide:
felonious, excusable, justifiable and praiseworthy".

I haven't specified why my lady would want me to slay the king of the
Middle.  Perhaps he denigrated her and denied her her just rights.
Or maybe not: as her lowly retainer [1], who am I to question her?

Not that my dear Kay would want me to kill a king.  She is far too
tenderhearted and would not want to distress the queen.  This may be
affecting my poise of disinterest, knowing that it'll likely not
happen.

Dannet de Lincoln

[1] She has a Pelican _and_ a Laurel from long ago _and_ a court
baroness, yet.  Cancel out similar terms from both sides of the
equation, and I'm a nobody serving a brass-hat Laurel.

-- 
Tim McDaniel; Reply-To: tmcd at panix.com