Would you buy a used myth from these folks?

I've been trying to learn more about John Morton. I
get the feeling that Morton was too shrewd to leave a
paper trail for biographers.

Since I haven't found a full-length biography of him,
I've settled for "The Wars of the Roses through the
lives of five men and women of the 15th century."
John Morton is one of the four men and Margaret
Beaufort is the one woman.

I'm getting good exercise in making allowances for
bias.

On p. 3 of his introduction Desmond Seward writes:
"Most of the novelists subscribe to the strange cult
of King Richard's innocence, which has mushroomed
during recent years. (The Richard III Society numbers
thousands and even has Japanese members)"

I've read the whole book, but I found nothing about
the "strange cult" of Thomas More's super-athletic
priest, who managed to carry wooden chests, shovels,
corpses around the Tower grounds single-handed. There
was nothing about possible alchemical practices that
might have allowed the priest to make himself
invisible and inaudible while he was digging ten foot
graves next to occupied buildings.

I didn't find anything about the "strange cult" of
Shakespeare's historical accuracy, either. How have
generations of playgoers managed to confuse a roaring
good melodrama with historical fact? Surely Marie
can't be the only person who's noticed how much
Shakespeare had to compress historical events to make
them fit an afternoon's play?

Yet Desmond Seward quotes both More and Shakespeare
early and often. He uses the expression "no doubt"
so much that I can't have much confidence in him.

This book has a great concept and good illustrations,
but you need a generous supply of salt when you're
reading the text.

Marion







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--- In , marion davis
<phaecilia@y...> wrote:
> I've been trying to learn more about John Morton. I
> get the feeling that Morton was too shrewd to leave a
> paper trail for biographers.
>
> Since I haven't found a full-length biography of him,
> I've settled for "The Wars of the Roses through the
> lives of five men and women of the 15th century."
> John Morton is one of the four men and Margaret
> Beaufort is the one woman.
>
>Oh, Desmond Seward, 'Nuff said.

Katy

Pam wrote: Well, no doubt, he would jump into the
1480's precursor to the red British
phone booth and change into SuperPriest. He came from
another planet, so he had the formula for making
Klingon "cloaking devices" for his cloak. No doubt.

Marie asked: If we can't find a good source, should we
do our own work?

Next project?

***

Howabout a graphic novel edition of More's Richard
III?

It would show his work as the caracature that it
really is.

Are there any illustrators on the list who'd be
willing to take this on? Or does anyone know any
illustrators who'd be willing?


***

Marion wrote:
> I didn't find anything about the "strange cult" of
> Shakespeare's historical accuracy, either. How have
> generations of playgoers managed to confuse a
roaring
> good melodrama with historical fact? Surely Marie
> can't be the only person who's noticed how much
> Shakespeare had to compress historical events to
make
> them fit an afternoon's play?

Pam's answer: The Time Travel Machine was one of the
stage props.

***

The props department must have had a grand time with
that. How did Shakespeare survive to retirement age
with Richard Burbage threatening to kill him and the
props department well justified in supporting
Burbage's threat? <G>

***

Pam wrote: ... if you own this book, you'll never need
syrup of ipecac!

***

I'll save my hard-earned cash until Richard III
Society has published a graphic novel of More's
Richard III. There's no room on my groaning
bookshelves for Seward's version of the Tudor myth.

Marion







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