Cum grano salis so far as their historical veracity goes: one may doubt that so and so did such and such at exactly that place and under those specific circumstances. But sometimes they are true gems and such true glimpses of events in history that they deserve the art of a great novelist. Tomorrow, for example, is noted Saint Publia of Antioch.
Antiochíæ sanctæ Públiæ Abbatíssæ, quæ, transeúnte Juliáno Apóstata, Davídicum illud cum suis Virgínibus canens: «Simulácra Géntium argéntum et aurum», et; «Símiles illis fiant qui fáciunt ea»; Imperatóris jussu, álapis cæsa est, et gráviter objurgáta.
At Antioch, the holy abbess Publia, who with her sisters, when the Apostate Julian was passing by, sang David's Psalm: 'The idols of the heathen are but silver and gold' and 'Like them become all who make them', and so forth. The Emperor stopped and commanded that she be slapped about her face and cruelly beaten.
It is Psalm 135 referred to. From verse 13, in Monsignor Knox's version.
Lord, thy name abides for ever; age succeeds age, and thou art ever unforgotten. The Lord defends his people, takes pity on his servants. What are the idols of the heathen but silver and gold, gods which the hands of men have fashioned? They have mouths, and yet are silent; eyes they have, and yet are sightless; ears they have, and want all hearing, never a breath have they in their mouths. Such the end of all who make them, such the reward of all who trust them.
Emperors, speaking generally, don't like being mocked nor told that they are become deaf and blind and senseless like their idols. It occurs to me that this a perfect parable for the woke. One can only imagine the subsequent events in Abbess Publia's life; when one who's named in the Martyrology dies in peace this fact is usually noted.
The Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra has a livestreamed concert later on, at 1100 if I'm remembering correctly. Stravinsky and Barber, conducted by Santtu-Matias Rouvali, with Valery Sokolov, violinist. (No relation that I could tell of Grigory.) Philippe Giusiano is performing the Warsaw recital this morning (Chopin and Rachmaninov) but since the recording will be at YouTube, I expect I'll listen to that after the GSO.
France Musique is broadcasting a live performance of two Beethoven cantatas (are there more than two? ah, yes; there's, inter alia, the Meeresstille und Glückliche Fahrt which I ought to have thought of at least vaguely and then at least one other; today's are commemorating the death of Joseph II, WoO 87, and the accession of Leopold II, WoO 88). This is probably also at 1100. Tsk.
Time for breakfast. It is foggy and probably overcast above the fog. Am not going out today except for my little walks. The press is concerning itself with with poor Senator Harris having to whine about not getting time to speak and being subjected to 'mansplaining', and with the fly, so I am deducing from this that in all that matters Vice-President Pence did well at last night's debate. And I see that Mr Trump has rejected a 'virtual debate'. We shall see.
Post Tertiam. Was on the telephone for almost half an hour today, most of that wait time, after yesterday's hour (most of that wait time). The woman today told me that USBank suffered a large-scale 'security breach' etc etc and I'm being issued a new card in consequence. Why I was not informed of this Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, or yesterday was a question forestalled by her apology for none of the others having 'caught this'. Am relieved that this card business is done with (this time it's resolved, for sure...) but am going to miss the Berlin Philharmonic's concert Saturday with François-Xavier Roth; Hindemith's viola concerto Der Schwanendreher (Tabea Zimmermann, viola) and C.P.E. Bach's Symphony no 1.
Listened to the Beethoven WoO 87 but switched (just in time) to the GSO for Firebird. Had managed to become absorbed in my reading in any case so it is more true to write that I 'had France Musique on' than that I was 'listening to Beethoven'. Tsk.
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