Monday, August 30, 2010

Correspondence from Richard Carew to Tim Brennan 30 August 2010

Goode freynde,

A worde of warninge from mine archiv -

One day the lionne feignede to be ƒick and went a limping up to the unicorn, his chief enemy. He did grete himme and said to unto himme, 'Let us put aƒide all that we have donne in the paƒt, because I am no longer able to harme anyone at all. Fore, I am olde and suffering from physicke various. May afore I dye, I would verye much likke to ƒpeak with my wiffe who is in yon wildernesse. So, kind ƒir, if I might be ƒo bolde, lende me thine horne to uƒe aƒ a walking ƒticke on my journey ƒince it iƒ just the right lengthe and very ƒturdy. I promise to return it to ye aƒ ƒoon aƒ I reach my wife; I give you my word.' The unicorn believed himme welle and pitied hiƒ feignede diƒtreƒƒ, ƒo he loanede the lyon hiƒ horne and waƒ thus left defenceleƒ. Said lion then inflicted a serious wounde upon the unicorn and laid him low. The unicorn ƒaid, 'You are guilty not ƒo much of cruelty as of treachere, ƒince you repaid my kindeneƒƒe with actƒ wickede and dothe betraye the promiƒe ye made unto me.' The lyon ƒaid, ‘Thou art a foole, don't you knowe welle the ƒaying,

The man who prolongƒ hiƒ enemyeƒ life
Takes ƒomething from hiƒ own;
clemence dothe notte entail
Showing mercy to oneƒ enemye.

The unicorn replied, 'Thou art a traitor, do you not knoweƒt that in the ƒame boke it iƒ written:

Let the victory which we contriveƒt by the ƒword
Be an honourable victorye or no victorye at all
Let not poƒterity rede that I won by guile; no perfidy
Should obƒcure my triumph.

Therefor, aƒ we read in Eccleƒiaƒticuƒ XII: Do not ever truƒteth thine enemye. Alwayƒ protect thine ƒelf from himme, even if he comths to thee humble and ƒupplicating. The truth of thiƒ be playne to ƒee.

Thine humble servant
RC