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2003-05-09 - 9:19 a.m.

Questions, past and future

My long awaited copy of Charny�s Demands Pour La Joute, Le Tournois et La Guerre arrived Monday � ironically just before Lasik. Sigh. I can�t read for long stretches at a time while my eyes heal. The first English translation I�ve seen and now I have to wait to read it.

For anyone that I have not inflicted this knowledge on: Sir Geoffroi de Charny was a premiere 14th century French knight, author of the manuals used by the French Knighthood Order of the Star. I�m hoping it wasn�t his fault the 500 person Order adopted that stupid �Never retreat� rule that took out two-thirds of the members in short order. His writing seems far too practical, but I�m not sure of the genesis of that stupidity.

Anyway, Charny wrote a book of questions concerning the duties of knights, questions for jousts, tournaments and war (the three major activities, in order of escalation, of a chevalier�s duties). There are, by the way, no answers.

But the questions alone are instructive, for the questions a man chooses to ask both define his priorities and morals and serve as an outline for his life�s striving.

Anyway, I�ve only seen bits of this work quoted in footnotes so very happy to have an entire translation.

I will be happier when I can read it straight through. And y�all can look forward to more summaries and essays as more intriguing bits turn up. Or just skip my diary those days.


Questions of the future occupy the remainder of my day - for I have design work to complete � and no further time to dwell on the musings of the past.

Scribble to Theo

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