Re: Codex Argenteus - the Silver Bible

From: Jim Webster (Jim_at_zerospam.mok.net)
Date: 07/30/04 

Date: Fri, 30 Jul 2004 21:59:56 +0100

"Martin Reboul" <martin@spamfukreboul1471.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
news:Y3zOc.230$N57.133@newsfe2-gui.ntli.net...
>
> "Jim Webster" <Jim@zerospam.mok.net> wrote in message
> news:cee9pk$ta7$1@newsg1.svr.pol.co.uk...
> >
> > "Martin Reboul" <martin@spamfukreboul1471.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in
message
> > news:1KyOc.221$N57.147@newsfe2-gui.ntli.net...
> > >
> > > "Robert Stonehouse" <ew65@bcs.org.invalid> wrote in message
> > > news:4109f5e5.4246146@news.cityscape.co.uk...
> > > > On Fri, 30 Jul 2004 04:21:36 GMT, "Martin Reboul"
> > > > <martin@spamfukreboul1471.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:
> > > > ...
> > > > >All that matters (to me) is doing the right thing. The Greeks, our
> > great
> > > friends
> > > > >and loyal allies for centuries, are rightly hurt by what appears to
be
> > > British
> > > > >reluctance to return a very important national treasure (what if
the
> > Crown
> > > > >Jewels were pinched, then sold to a Greek - same thing).
> > > > ...
> > > > Incidentally, does anyone know where the Crown Jewels are now? The
> > > > pre-Restoration ones, I mean: those in the Tower mostly date from
the
> > > > 1660s.
> > >
> > > Sadly, most were melted down and broken up by Puritan zealots shortly
> > after the
> > > Civil War. At the time this was fiercely opposed by many, and some may
> > have gone
> > > 'missing'.
> >
> > remember there was an army to pay at the time. Armies owed large sums in
> > back pay are fractious creatures at best
> >
> >
> > >
> > > One piece owned by the Crown since 1471 definitely survived, the ring
> > taken from
> > > the body of Warwick the Kingmaker after the battle of Barnet (now in
> > Liverpool
> > > City Musuem), but that was hardly a 'crown jewel'.
> > >
> > > What survived exactly, I have no idea - someone will know. It was a
> > tragedy, and
> > > an unconscionable act of vandalism.
> >
> > hardly that, we didn't need it, but we did have to pay off the army and
> > demobilise large chunks of it
>
> That is true, but they were worth little in scrap, something pointed out
at the
> time. IIRC, there was quite an argument about whether Henry V's crown (I
think?)
> c/w battle damage from Agincourt, should be melted down. It doesn't exist
today
> AFAIK.

isn't it still on his tomb?

>
> We didn't need them of course, but more to the point, they were highly
symbolic
> of the 'eternity' and majesty of the Crown, I think that's why they 'had
to go'
> more than for any financial reasons. The terrible damage done to stained
glass
> and ancient funeral monuments by zealous Puritan idiots at the time
produced
> little or no financial gain, it was just pure vandalism for the sake of
it. Damn
> them I say!

of course, but if people hadn't destroyed things in this country we wouldn't
have room to move. Imagine London if there hadn't been the fire. Or if
nothing had been demolished after 1700, or 1800
Not only that but it is only when they knock something down we realise how
wonderful it was :-)))

I think we just have to treasure the bits that survive

Jim Webster