Am learning a new word this morning...

After completing Lauds: in the fourth lesson at Matins-- on the feasts of saints these three lessons, four through six, are, generally speaking, hagiographical i.e. about the saint's life, chronicled in what often appears to us, at the beginning of-- what a thing to write: we are almost done with the first quarter-- of the century to be a style perhaps overly ready to give credence to pious legend. In any event, St William went into the Italian wilderness to find an answer or two; he spent a couple of years at this.

Porro in soliculo monte biennium inter assiduas preces, vigilias, chameunias, et jejunia commoratus, divina subnixus ope, cæco lumen restituit.

Assiduous at prayer, in keeping vigil, valiantly fasting, in the sure hope that with the divine assistance light would restore his blindness-- but what are chameunias?  St Jerome evidently used the word in one of his letters: χαμευνία is 'sleeping on the ground' i.e. William slept on the hard ground rather than a bed, whatever beds were like in the 11th century. Not from Ikea. I will roust out the letters that I have and see, later on. Now it's time to see if Warrington pushes the right buttons this morning.




***

'Warrington' did push the right buttons. Already this morning there are three articles I want to read but won't wager cash money that I will, as the day progresses: a victory for press freedom in the UK (in the Isle of Man, more precisely: am not really sure about the constitutional arrangements although Elizabeth II is sovereign there, I believe), Dr Kwasniewski on the senses of Scripture, and a notice of Benjamin Appl's performance of Schubert's Winterreise at Coppet on Sunday next.

***

Comments