tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19545049.post8335109864168934713..comments2024-03-14T05:56:44.390+00:00Comments on Edward II: Edward II Prefers Speaking French To Latin And Therefore Is Stupid, 'Experts' ClaimKathryn Warnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00397714441908100576noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19545049.post-30225392940951086962010-07-13T14:55:44.426+01:002010-07-13T14:55:44.426+01:00Clement, yes, in many ways Edward so ahead of his ...Clement, yes, in many ways Edward so ahead of his time - definitely born at the wrong time, poor lamb. :(<br /><br />Anerje, I thought you'd like that bit! Great, isn't it?<br /><br />Kate, I'm glad you appreciate him - me too. (Obviously...;)<br /><br />Gabriele, I love that verse about Latin! :) About English - I was hoping to discuss that in this post, but it was getting a bit long, so I'm hoping to write another post about it sometime soon. Basically, there's no direct evidence that Ed spoke English, but I'm sure he did, partly for the reason you mention. And yes, no doubt that was another reason for a bout of lip-curling and nose-wrinkling...;-)Kathryn Warnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00397714441908100576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19545049.post-40419075265820832832010-07-13T14:16:43.970+01:002010-07-13T14:16:43.970+01:00BTW, do we know if Edward spoke English as well? I...BTW, do we know if Edward spoke English as well? I think the AngloNorman upper class and court members could get along without it or with but a passivle knowledge, but since Ed sometimes spent time with lower class people (his merry band of swimmers and such) he might have spoken English. That would have been another point for members of his court to wrinkle their uppity little noses at. ;)Gabriele Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17205770868139083575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19545049.post-46595362535562169872010-07-12T17:11:53.960+01:002010-07-12T17:11:53.960+01:00Well, I don't blame Ed for prefering to get a ...Well, I don't blame Ed for prefering to get a translation. I'm reading Tacitus in a bilingual edition, and I don't consider myself stupid. Maybe a bit lazy. :) <br /><br />I bet he'd have gotten a grin out of the verses I found in the toliet of the Department for Classical Philologies:<br /><br />- Latin is a language<br />- As dead as it can be.<br />- First, it killed the Romans,<br />- And now it's killing me.Gabriele Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17205770868139083575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19545049.post-36861008446509780622010-07-12T01:22:39.024+01:002010-07-12T01:22:39.024+01:00How amazing that the document is brought to life b...How amazing that the document is brought to life by a bit of emotion. Unusual and wonderful. I agree with Susan. Makes sense that he would speak French for the benefit of her and the many other people whose native tongue it was. That Edward, he really wanted to do things his way. Good on him.<br />Kate PlantagenetAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19545049.post-43705509701574599082010-07-11T19:19:22.683+01:002010-07-11T19:19:22.683+01:00I'd forgotten all the nonsense written about E...I'd forgotten all the nonsense written about Edward and his Coronation oath! It's unbelievable he should be called 'stupid'. Might not the words 'innovative', 'asserting himself', 'independence' and as Susan says, 'consideration', be used instead?:> Ah, but that would be too positive for him! Great post Kathryn!<br /><br />And of course, I LOVED the wording and temper display to bring Piers back! Those clerks must have been quaking!Anerjehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16305237339979790391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19545049.post-72043174742148282772010-07-11T17:39:39.727+01:002010-07-11T17:39:39.727+01:00In all this I think we can see Edward's person...In all this I think we can see Edward's personality comming through. It seems to me he was a less formal and more 'modern' king and ahead of his time.Clement Glenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14116966238223089211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19545049.post-29255923800079989572010-07-11T16:32:03.838+01:002010-07-11T16:32:03.838+01:00Good point, Susan. I wonder if her fans would thi...Good point, Susan. I wonder if her fans would think that this implies Isabella was less than perfectly educated so cannot possibly be true?Kathryn Warnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00397714441908100576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19545049.post-49859086764214884412010-07-11T16:28:25.336+01:002010-07-11T16:28:25.336+01:00Poor Edward! I wonder if the decision to take the ...Poor Edward! I wonder if the decision to take the oath in French wasn't partly out of consideration for Isabella herself. But that couldn't be, could it?Susan Higginbothamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13517907583894026599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19545049.post-86005306258476187872010-07-11T16:01:07.595+01:002010-07-11T16:01:07.595+01:00Exactly, Ragged Staff! I always think that poor E...Exactly, Ragged Staff! I always think that poor Edward II is damned if he did, damned if he didn't as far as lots of people are concerned; even if the things he did were completely normal by contemporary standards, there's always someone who'll pop up to have a snide little dig at him for doing it.Kathryn Warnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00397714441908100576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19545049.post-28579673674713998242010-07-11T15:18:58.394+01:002010-07-11T15:18:58.394+01:00I think you've hit the nail on the head, Kathr...I think you've hit the nail on the head, Kathryn. When someone decides they don't like someone, nothing they do can possibly be used as evidence that they're anything other than rotten!Ragged Staffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13285451640470655380noreply@blogger.com