"I went to
see Major General Harrison hung drawn and quartered. He was looking as
cheerful as any man could in that condition."
Samuel Pepys, 13th October 1660
Can someone remind me please: all this noisy, bright & explosive local celebration - is it because it nearly came off or because it didn't come off after all?
Anyway, it's a jolly good show! I love when people go over the top, especially if it's to do with religion.
And don't get me wrong: was it a bad thing that a major bloodshed was avoided? No, it wasn't. Was Guido & Co's plan misguided? Perpaps it was. But was it a noble try on the part of English Catholic nobility? By king, it was! And even if I were to be hanged, drawn & quartered for saying this, I hope I'd still have the courage and strength - preferably reinforced with a pint or two - to say it again: Yes, it was!!
(I know I qualify - locally - for a punch on the jaw for this declaration, but I also know that whoever would deliver the punch would qualify for a justified retaliation: any power that persecutes Catholicism qualifies, by definition, for abolishment).
*although the pub's not a free house, so I guess I'd have to take pride instead.
