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Boswell's London Journal

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Written by: Rod Boyle

Category: Books

Published: 03 July 2024

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This was an enjoyable easy read. And the story of the Journal's discovery, along with the efforts to bring it to publication, are every bit as interesting as the contents.

This, fleshing out my 18th Century reading, a contemporary of Laclos, Cassanova, Lord Chesterfield, familiar with the famous actors Garrick and Sheridan, Samuel Johnson, too many others to list but the degeneracy of an age frankly laid bare for all to read.

The 'plot' - as such, a young Scottish gentleman gains a tolerable allowance from his father and sets himself about London a proper gentleman of leisure. Arranging introductions and meeting all of the people of quality (and many of none) he fully sets out the descriptions of the pleasures and vicissitudes of youth. 

Some highlights, as nobody ever follows my recommendations anyways (and - while enjoyable I wouldn't describe it as 'essential')

Samuel Johnson's take on Melancholy - "Melancholy people" said he, "are apt to fly to intemperance, which gives a momentary relief but sinks the soul much lower in misery." & "Mr. Johnson said today that a woman's preaching was like a dog's walking upon his hinder legs. It was not done well, but you were surprised to find it done at all."

This familiarity stood him on good stead, as he was later to write "The Biography of Samuel Johnson".

Thursday, 7 April 1763 - "I breakfasted with Temple. This day was afterwards passed in dissipation which has left no traces on my brain."

Friday, 15 April 1763 - "Temple and I dined at Clifton's. I remember nothing more." This Temple proving a bad acquaintance. The footnotes ironically point out that at this point he would be considered abstinent, or temperate, given the spirit of the age.

Thursday, 19 May 1763 - "We had a good dinner and plenty of wine. I resolved to be merry while I could, and soon see whether the foul fiend of the genitals had prevailed."

His attending the Tower of London to visit the prisoners, then later attending their execution, which throws him into a dreadful state of mind. Or his six weeks spent in convalescing from the Clap (gonorrhea) - his third such dose already as a young man, then immediately off to pleasure himself with the ladies of the town, embodying perfectly the memory of youth.

Wednesday, 13 of April 1763 "...I should have mentioned last night that I met with a monstrous big whore in the Strand, whom I had a great curiosity to lubricate, as the saying is. I went into a tavern with her where she displayed to me all the parts of her enormous carcass, but I found that her avarice was as large as her ass, for she would by no means take what I offered her. I therefore pulled the bell, and discharged the reckoning, to her no small surprise and mortification..." and then continues to complain of the waiters who enable and profit by these little enterprises...

Conversations, some dull, others more sparkling, he strikes you as a man of no great depth or substance (but at this age he was still young), filled with ambition, detailed notes describing his transgressions (of surprisingly vanilla tastes), the High debauch (wherein he treats the ladies to chambers and wine), vs the Low debauch, wherein his pleasure is seized in the alleys or streets, in his notes resolving no more of the Low Debauches, and then within the week subsequently indulging yet again;

Tuesday 10 May 1763 "...At the bottom of the Haymarket I picked up a strong, jolly young damsel, and taking her under the arm I conducted her to Westminster Bridge, and then in armour complete did I engage her upon this noble edifice. The whim of doing it there with the Thames rolling below us amused me much. Yet after the brutish appetite was sated, I could not but despise myself for being so closely united with such a low wretch."

I'll need to find the rest of Boswell's journals, and read his "Biography of Samuel Johnson", whom he held in great esteem, and from the quotes given and the reviews of others was well deserved.

Trump, Biden, The Debate and Biden's obligation to Democracy

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Written by: Rod Boyle

Category: Blog

Published: 03 July 2024

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I pay as much attention to US politics as I do our own, more even, for while we have problems (and, boy, do we ever) it does set a body's mind at ease to see they're general to the world. France, for example. And the UK, for a very long time.

And now the USA.

Biden should step down. He was necessary, to defeat Trump, but as long as we thought he had a fighting chance we'd turn a blind eye to his age. But, given his debate performance, we can't turn a blind eye any longer.

He should step down. He's far too old for this. The fact that he's not stepping down is proof of his unfitness to govern. His own interests aside, for the sake of his party, for the sake of the country, he should step down.

Just as there are limits to how old you must be to run for president - minimum age 35 I believe, there should be a maximum age - probably best set as no more than 60, or more ideally, 50.

This is no longer about the Democrats vs Republicans, it's now about democracy vs dictatorship. And - as he's made very clear - not a benevolent dictatorship, dictatorship more along the lines of Putin or Xi.

Biden should step down. There is no shortage of skilled leaders within the party, leaders that would have no problem rallying the masses behind them. His unwillingness to cede the reins, call it a day, is exactly why he should cede the reins, call it a day, it's no longer about him, his fitness to govern, both of which we have good reason to question. It's about maintaining the vaguest semblance of democracy that once gone will be very hard to restore. 

The Canada Day Promenade...

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Written by: Rod Boyle

Category: Blog

Published: 01 July 2024

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This morning, up and at-em, after a fashion, brunch with a friend.

On Baker St, a Canada Day breakfast put on by the Lions' Club, half tempted to grab some but a 2 block long line puts me off. It's put off even the junkies and the homeless, who you see clearing the neighborhood for more peaceful circumstance.

Sitting, having a coffee, another acquaintance spots me and joins. Only by this time my belly is beginning to announce a bit of dissatisfaction with my previous few days diet of Vodka and Hot Sauce. 

Inside, the key to the bathroom is gone, damned fucking tourists, and I sit on the steps to wait...

Eventually, when the second of her twins has been safely delivered and flushed the tourist exits, I snatch the key from her and admit myself...

There is somewhat an air of desperation to this, my belly is in full rebellion, the Canada Day fireworks are an easy 13 hours too early...

Lunch is cancelled, make my way home, my digestion, entirely off, I should have considered my diet before challenging the streets and public places, at home, a few more eruptions and I think the danger has passed, there can be nothing left in me...

Still, now, time to go to work and fingers crossed there's no more nonsense...