#Sir Henry Wotton

[poppyflo2]

more than kisses, letters mingle souls

- John Donne

[philosophicalconservatism]

"Be thine own palace, or the world's thy jail."

John Donne (1572-1631) English poet.

To Sir Henry Wotton.

[sabakos]

Sir Henry Wotton

[poemoftheday]

Poem of the Day 13 June 2024

The Character of a Happy Life BY Wotton, Sir Henry (1568 - 1639)

How happy is he born or taught,

That serveth not another's will;

Whose armour is his honest thought,

And simple truth his highest skill;

Whose passions not his masters are;

Whose soul is still prepar'd for death

Untied unto the world with care

Of princes' grace or vulgar breath;

Who envies none whom chance doth raise,

Or vice; who never understood

The deepest wounds are given by praise,

By rule of state, but not of good;

Who hath his life from rumours freed;

Whose conscience is his strong retreat;

Whose state can neither flatterers feed,

Nor ruins make accusers great;

Who God doth late and early pray,

More of his grace than goods to send,

And entertains the harmless day

With a well-chosen book or friend.

This man is free from servile bands

Of hope to rise or fear to fall;

Lord of himself, though not of lands;

And having nothing, yet hath all.

[brokenbluebouquet]

3/xx Cover piece for a book defending George by Sir Henry Wotton, by comparing him to Robert Deveraux 2nd Earl of Essex (the one Elizabeth I had beheaded for treason in 1601).

Despite being in many ways worse than George, the Earl of Essex was a hero to many in Charles I’s England, due to his reputation as a Calvinist champion. This was who George was attempting to emulate in his campaigns in Cadiz and Rhe.

Needless to say, Essex’s real heir the third Earl, Robert jr, did not like this one bit and this served only to push him further into opposition to the crown.

The book above was published in 1641 - a year before the official start of the civil war - with Essex’s son Robert jr was one of Charles I’s leading opponents.

As an aside Sir Henry was George’s first biographer, meaning this follow up book might have been commissioned by Charles himself as an attempt to stop George’s failures used against him in this delicate time.

[schizophrenology]

He first deceased; she for a little tried To live without him, liked it not, and died.

Poem by Sir Henry Wotton

[mkalodeas]

Oiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!

Listen up. I'm about to go on a Dorian Gray Character Analysis Rampage. Why? Simple, it's because someone decided that we were to be assessed on it for English. Which I will be writing tomorrow...(• ▽ •;) I totally did NOT procrastinate studying or anything...

Umhghhghg *cough* *cought*

Anyway, let me begin with the first character we meet.

In the novel "The Picture of Dorian Gray" written by Oscar Wilde, we are introduced to many different characters whom all have various motives and beliefs. It is through these characters that Sir Oscar Wilde debates many ideas that were scorned by people in the Victorian era.

The first character we are met with is Lord Henry Wotton (Absolute Bastard, The Bastard™[Hate this guy]), this is the character through whom Mr. Wilde displays the ideals of Aestheticism (value beauty) and Hedonism (value pleasure). He is a cold man and he views the world as a means to an end, he has no remorse for any of his actions.

(I'm not just claiming that) "...and certainly Dorian Gray was a subject made to his hand and seemed to promise rich and fruitful results." Chapter 4, page 69 (in the textbook version I own), is a quote from the book that Lord Henry Wotton makes. In fact the entire passage tells the reader how Lord Henry Wotton views the main character; as an experiment. He is a manipulative and despicable person, and he is who Mr. Oscar Wilde chooses to use as the devil's advocate for his main character.

Then there is Basil Hallward; a peaceful, artistic and honest man. Basil is the complete opposite of Lord Henry. Though he does create the infamous picture, he never meant for it to become what it did. The picture was an honest representation of what he thought of Dorian Gray and was something he put much of himself in, as he says in the novel.

Basil is the moral compass of the story and it is for that reason we do not see much of him, because the novel is not about good being triumphant over evil. It is about the error of humankind and the twisted artwork that is the human psyche. Basil is the voice of reason that Mr. Wilde incorporated into his novel.

Finally, Dorian Gray the title character. Whom is weak willed when it comes to any form of responsibility and lacks the discipline to put any action behind the promises he makes to his self-conscience. He is whom the Victorian era would recognise as the epitome of beauty and with that recognition the assumption that he could do no wrong. Beauty back in that time was associated with good and innocence, which when first met Dorian is exactly.

He is a naive and entitled young adolescent, 20 years of age and easily influenced. However, he changes after a single conversation with Lord Henry Wotton and he knows that the ideas Lord Henry has planted in his mind are like weeds that will do him much disgrace. Dorian does not care about that and in fact already begins blaming everyone but himself for his actions and their consequences.

It is through such a thought process and the influence of Lord Henry Wotton that Dorian spirals into the world of Hedonism and Aestheticism where he eventually meets his demise.

Sir Oscar Wilde wrote "The Picture of Dorian Gray" with every intention of shocking the Victorian public and he definitely succeeded. Though that was not the only thing he sought to do, he wanted to shed light on the hypocrisy of the era and how it effected everyone. He did this by using characters like Lord Henry Wotton to embody the ideals of the era and Basil Hallward to be the moral compass. It is Dorian Gray whom is the stand in for consequences of leading such a life and how twisted the thought process of those who do is.

Thank you for reading my manic essay that probably won't help me a single bit. But I just wanted to rant about how much I dislike Dorian and Lord Henry.

Anywho, I have got to go. English test tomorrow and all. Byeeee(づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ

[yallemagne]

Honestly thank you for that anon for mentioning Wotton because you know that fucking bitch would try to sour up Sibyl and Lucy's happiness whenever he encounters because (insert here sexist bullshit about female friendships), unluckily for him Lucy and Sibyl are moisturized, happy, thriving, frolicking, hot victorian girl summer vibes, and many more things that only make him look like a fool to anyone who watches him talk to two young girls eating pastries.

Wotton sees Lucy and Sibyl having a nice time eating pastries and chatting and decides to move closer so he is within hearing range of them.

Feeling smug, he clears his throat and begins: "Female friendships are one of the most shallow types of relationships, possibly more impersonal and meaningless than a gentleman's relationship with a whore. They giggle and titter over the men in their lives for hours on end, and if they find that it is the same man they are fawning over, they will have each others' heads. Truly a fickle thing: a connection based entirely around someone never present. But it's no wonder women can't find anything better to talk about than men. What else are they to speak of? Themselves? There's nothing to say."

The man he's saddled up next to looks at him, confused, just trying to eat his sandwich.

Sibyl hears this tirade and starts to curl in on herself, but Lucy lays a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay. I will handle this." She turns to the unsubtle man and calls him over, much to Sibyl's chagrin. "Lord Henry! What a surprise to see you here!"

Wotton approaches, holding out a hand to accept Lucy's own and press a kiss to it. "The pleasure is all mine, Lady Godalming."

She does not offer her hand and instead smiles up at him ingratiatingly. "I did not say it was a pleasure, sir."

Wotton's eyes flash, but he does not let his expression fall.

"What are you doing here this lovely afternoon, Lord Henry? You're positively bringing down the mood of the entire pastry shop!"

"Well, that--"

"Is it your wife Victoria? Oh, do tell me how she's doing! Have you come here to purchase for her a strawberry tart?"

"How romantic!" Sibyl cries, catching on. "It's very kind of you to be so thoughtful for your dear wife! I haven't met her, but I am sure she's the loveliest woman! And a lucky woman to have so thoughtful a husband!" She's loud enough that the other patrons have turned to look at the group, eyes settling expectantly upon the young lord especially.

At a loss for words, Wotton answers the young women's expectations: "Yes. Of course, I am."

Lucy wrinkles her nose. "Well, you shouldn't. You should know Victoria much prefers raspberry tarts. Something with a bit more bite to it."

Not wanting to lose, Wotton does buy a raspberry tart, his eye twitching as he realizes the price is just slightly higher than that of the strawberry tart.

"They must not be in season," Sibyl surmises.

"But I'm sure your beloved will appreciate the gesture even moreso!" Lucy says with a simper.

Wotton leaves in a huff, and when he returns home and presents his wife Victoria with the pastry, she smiles at him, taking the tiniest bites of the tart and savouring the displeased expression on her husband's face.

[the-queer-classic-lit-ship-ever]

round 3!

but quickly, before the bracket: losers bracket noms are open!

matchups under cut once again!

part ab

les amis de l'abc (les miserables) vs jekyll/lanyon (jekyll and hyde)

frog/toad (frog and toad) vs dorian gray/basil hallward/henry wotton (the picture of dorian gray)

rosencrantz/guildenstern (hamlet and ragad) vs the tinman/the scarecrow (wizard of oz)

antonio/sebastian (twelfth night and/or the tempest) vs dracula/jonathan harker (dracula)

arthur holmwood/jack seward (dracula) vs buttercup/westley (the princess bride)

andrei bolkonsky/pierre bezukhov (war and peace) vs elizabeth bennett/fitzwilliam darcy (pride and prejudice)

henry clerval/victor frankenstein (frankenstein) vs sir toby belch/sir andrew aguecheek (twelfth night)

aramis/pothos/athos/d'artagnan (the 3 musketeers) vs ishmael/queequeg (moby-dick)

part cd

nick carraway/jay gatsby (the great gatsby) vs gilgamesh/enkidu (the epic of gilgamesh)

benedick/beatrice (much ado about nothing) vs jean valjean/javert (les miserables)

samwise gamgee/frodo baggins (lord of the rings) vs penelope/circe (the odyssey)

erik/raoul de chagny/christine daae (the phantom of the opera) vs odysseus/diomedes (the odyssey)

benvolio montague/mercutio (romeo and juliet) vs mina harker/lucy westenra (dracula)

lancelot/arthur/guinevere (arthurian legend) vs orsino/olivia/violacesario (twelfth night)

hamlet/horatio (hamlet) vs enjolras/grantaire (les miserables)

brutus/cassius (julius caesar) vs jack seward/quincey morris (dracula)

[hedonistphilosopher]

Sir Henry Wotton looking as marvelous as usual. May I take you out on a date?

If you would like, but don't expect much to come out of it except for a dinner :)

[underscores-asterisks]

if someone doesn't write a 50k long the picture of dorian gray x diopucci fanfic i'm going to scream. the people yearn for the manipulative bad influence that is dio in the form of sir henry wotton!! the people yearn for innocent naive enrico pucci descending into madness in the form of dorian gray!

[granma-sweetie]

"the face of sir henry wotton" bitch. bitch ass mother fucker. beloathed. die.

[uwmspeccoll]

Marbled Monday

Today’s lovely marbling comes from the book The Lives of Dr. John Donne, Sir Henry Wotton, Mr. Richard Hooker, Mr. George Herbert, and Dr. Robert Sanderson by Isaac (or Izaak) Walton (1593-1683). Walton is best known as the author of The Compleat Angler, a book of verse and proses about the spirit and art of fishing. 

Walton’s original biographies of these men were published individually over time and then as a collection in 1670 and then again with subsequent additions in various editions. This edition was published in 1807 and was printed by T. Wilson and R. Spence in York, England. 

The marbling mainly features a nice reddish-orange color sprinkled over blue, black, and cream. You can see the color difference between photographs of the marbled paper and the final image here, which was captured with our flatbed scanner. The scanner image better shows the pops of blue in the marbling, but the photographs come much closer to the actual color of the reddish-orange. To create this pattern, the darker colors would have been dropped into the water/sizing combination first, followed by the reddish-orange and the cream color, causing the darker colors to constrict and create the look we see here. This is called a Turkish pattern, though it seems like the term is sort of loosely associated with this method more than being strictly about the pattern. 

The cover is blind stamped with a nice diamond pattern and the edges of the book are marbled to match the end sheets. There are two bookplates on the front end sheets, one for a Henry Cockburn and the other for David Cleghorn Thomson. Both were Scottish! 

View more Marbled Monday posts.

-- Alice, Special Collections Department Manager 

[freeartzombie]

He first deceased: She for a little tried

To live without Him: liked it not, and died.

SIR HENRY WOTTON, Upon the Death of Sir Albert Morton’s Wife

[poemoftheday]

Poem of the Day 12 August 2024

You Meaner Beauties Of The Night BY Wotton, Sir Henry (1568 - 1639)

You meaner beauties of the night,

That poorly satisfy our eyes

More by your number than your light;

You common people of the skies,

What are you when the sun shall rise?

You curious chanters of the wood,

That warble forth Dame Nature's lays,

Thinking your voices understood

By your weak accents; what's your praise

When Philomel her voice shall raise?

You violets that first appear,

By your pure purple mantles known,

Like the proud virgins of the year,

As if the spring were all your own;

What are you when the rose is blown?

So, when my mistress shall be seen

In form and beauty of her mind,

By virtue first, then choice, a queen,

Tell me, if she were not design'd

Th' eclipse and glory of her kind?

[davidbrussat]

Going wild over beauty

Beauty is a form of Genius – is higher, indeed, than Genius, as it needs no explanation. It is one of the great facts of the world, like sunlight, or spring-time, or the reflection in dark waters of that silver shell we call the moon. It cannot be questioned. It has its divine right of sovereignty. It makes princes of those who have it. You smile? Ah! when you have lost it you won’t smile. ……