S. Worthen | Weblog

After lunch at fish! and shopping at the Borough Market, intertext, gillo, and I wandered into Southwark Cathedral. Not far beyond John Gower's splendidly well painted tomb lay that of a seventeenth-century deviser of pills. If epitaphs were spam, this would be. Lockyer's epitaph was photographed and transcribed by gillo.

Here Lockyer: lies interr'd enough: his name
Speakes one hath few competitors in fame:
A name soe Great, soe Generall't may scorne
Inscriptions whch doe vulgar tombs adorne.
A diminution 'tis to write in verse
His eulogies whch most mens mouths rehearse.
His virtues & his PILLS are soe well known..
That envy can't confine them vnder stone.
But they'll surviue his dust and not expire
Till all things else at th'universall fire.
This verse is lost, his PILL Embalmes him safe
To future times without an Epitaph

Our outing was organized by the visiting Canadian intertext, proud dog-owner and academic, and gillo, who has already done a fine job of writing up our day's adventures. Sticky toffee pudding and drummers from Titus Andronicus were involved.

Thanks to a visit from irisbleu and lifegivingsword, I've now been 'round Atlantis, a bookshop devoted to occult literature. I was tempted by The Historical Atlas of the Crusades, as well as a copy of Brian Froud's Faeries book, but resisted on both counts. A book of ritual I browsed through included one which showed the Holy Grail interpreted in different ways by different cultures: in India, it was a pot of tea. In Ireland, a glass of Guiness. If "favorite liquid refreshment" equals "Holy Grail", then mine is fresh fruit juice.

For the first time in too many months, I played Settlers of Catan again. Although experienced Carcassone players, it was the first Settlers game for haggisthesecond and naxos. C. and I pursued slightly risky strategies, and naxos won the game. The evening also featured my fourth Dr. Who episode ever, and dinner with a transient lazyknight. As chance would have it, the three new-series Dr. Who episodes quite elegantly comprised a complete plot arc for one particular character.

As long as I'm on the subject of visits, I neglected to mention that I've now met redjanet and lowredmoon! They were out erranding conveniently close, and a pleasant afternoon at the pub was easily arranged. I learned about all sorts of places which would be lovely to visit if only we had a car, and the challenges of home decorating.