The quote is from "Memoirs of the court of England : during the reign of the Stuarts, including the protectorate by Jesse, John Heneage, 1815-1874":
I found that through the Oxford English Dictionary, where I was researching the word "treason," because I'm seeing some people using it to denounce Donald Trump and other people insisting it has only a very narrow meaning that obviously cannot apply.
I'm keeping my distance from the hysteria of the day. Oh? Does "hysteria" have a special narrow meaning to which I ought to confine myself?
The theory of a wandering uterus was developed in Ancient Greece, being mentioned in many sections of the Hippocratic treatise "Diseases of Women". Plato talks of the uterus as a separate being inside women, while Aretaeus described it as "an animal within an animal" (less emotively, "a living thing inside a living thing"), which causes symptoms by wandering around a woman's body putting pressure on other organs. The standard cure for this "hysterical suffocation" was scent therapy, in which good smells were placed under a woman's genitals and bad odors at the nose, while sneezing could be also induced to drive the uterus back to its correct place....I decline the confinement and will go wandering, like an errant womb.
"Treason," according to the OED, is "The action of betraying; betrayal of the trust undertaken by or reposed in any one; breach of faith, treacherous action, treachery." The use of the word hinges on an understanding of the trust, the faith. All politicians take on a trust and all are continually subject to the accusation that they are betraying it. It's a strong-sounding word, but a speaker can choose to let loose with a strong word, and it's for the listener to decide how excited to get about it. I've heard too many strong words in the last 2 years, and they have very little effect on me now.
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Either a strange typo in the original, or Dr. Price interfered in the Albemarle's marriage and with their servants excessively.
I decline the confinement and will go wandering, like an errant womb.
I would suggest Meade try scent therapy, but with your anosmia...
" I've heard too many strong words in the last 2 years, and they have very little effect on me now."
The effect on those not consumed with politics is often the opposite of what the user of the 'strong words' intended, and that has certainly been true of the over-the-top words used against Trump. He is lucky even in the enemies who attack him. And it all ensures that the front-page story remains Trump, Trump, Trump.
Of course, it's not just luck. He has a certain talent and it keeps getting misunderestimated.
Monck (Duke of Albemarle) had been one of Charles I's and Cromwell's generals, so he knew all about treason, having switched sides twice.
I wandered lonely as a cloud
I rained on someone's parade
I ruined a solar panel's output
Ignorance, half of the therapy might work.
Overusing a word diminishes its power. "Treason" is no exception.
English has a lot of words, more words than any other language (stemmed at least). So I guess that means devaluing words isn't as great a concern in English as it would be in other languages?
"Treason" has a very narrow meaning legally, in the United States. It is the only crime defined in the Constitution itself:
"Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort. No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open court."
Whether or not Trump's actions meet the dictionary definition of "treason", I would have to agree that they don't meet the legal definition.
An American does not look to the OED for the definition of "treason." An American looks to the constitution.
This is all fake anyway, so why try to parse it?
The Left came up with this new meme and were going to employ it no matter what Trump said or did during the Putin meet. An analysis of all the email flowing between all the interested parties would confirm this. For this ginned-up controversy, we set new gin records--or at least levels not seen since the turn of the 19th Century in Britain.
I was looking at a Facebook thread and somebody said something neutral about Trump and some ninny jumped down their throat saying that this is the worst thing ever to happen to Americans. It was so bad she had to stay home that day. She didn't know if we could ever recover.
Democrats and the Left are immunizing Trump with their constant and over-the-top invectives. Instead of wearing down the Trump image, it makes him stronger against their next volley by causing many people like me to instinctively side with someone who is being treated unfairly.
It occurs to most of us that the Democrats and Left use personal attacks on Trump because they don't have any policies that resonate with the majority of Americans.
So they go on creating a larger than life Trump who is connected to EVERY issue and topic of the day. They could not do a better job if they were on his reelection team.
Strong words were needed to settle the American West.
"It occurs to most of us that the Democrats and Left use personal attacks on Trump because they don't have any policies that resonate with the majority of Americans."
Absolutely. Let's discuss the current Democratic Party talking points:
$15/hour minimum wage? We see how that's going in Seattle: Lost jobs and increased automation.
Universal health care? Socialist Vermont and Maryland (state motto: "More taxes than you can image") priced their proposals and took to their fainting couches.
Open borders? See the European Union.
Free college education? No studies have been done on that, but see Universal Health Care for an idea of what that boondoggle will cost.
Infrastructure Rebuilding Program: This was proposed by our local D candidate at a forum. Of course, we tried that in 2008 under Obama, who was shocked to learn that "shovel-ready" programs were a myth.
See? They can't argue the merits of their position. That's why they have to distract us.
I've heard too many strong words in the last 2 years, and they have very little effect on me now.
Hear! Hear!
"Diseases of Women"
Considering the MSM prime audience and the Dem target demographic, whipping up hysteria is not so irrational for progs, even if it looks insane to us cynical conservatives.
The Democrat Party has literally officially been caught soliciting aid from the Russians on several occasions to collude in efforts to undermine our elections.
Ted Kennedy for example.
Hillary Clinton on multiple occasions colluded with Russians and committed treason.
Obama was caught on video telling the Russians he would have more flexibility to commit treason after his final election.
They are just bad people who are enemies of freedom.
They don’t believe a single word they say.
They must be defeated.
Treatment for hysteria used to be way more fun.
And they think Achilles is a heel.
CharlesI II Was a happy King that played his role well with the help of Louis XIV money and spent it on all living well with many lovers. He was nice to both sides. His flaw was a religious Catholic son who followed him and started up the religious war again.
Nobody doesn't like Charles II.
Oh brother, tradguy. All Charles's children were bastards, but James II was Charles's I.
Treason gown, Divorce Pants..Fuck Me Heels..
ALTHOUSE says: "... strong words ... have very little effect on me now."
Really? I consider/admire you something of a WordWonk, so it shocks me to hear you say that - especially in the process of dumbing/numbing-down the word "treason'.
If a word like that is now considered some commonplace throw-away, what, for god's sake is left to get disturbed by?
I think public figures - like Brennan - that say such things should be put in the public stocks.
The Left came up with this new meme and were going to employ it no matter what Trump said or did during the Putin meet.
The indictments for acts which were known months ago were handed down by Rosenstein on Friday.
Dems immediately called for the meeting to be cancelled.
Trump had planned to go into the room alone with Putin.
This was already being framed as a violation of national security.
Trump misspeaks and the media yells, "treason"!
Like they hadn't already agreed to do so the Thursday before.
I just want to see the gown! I could use something like that in my closet.
I think she (mostly) means little of the intended effect, since she certainly noted the word. The avant-garde becomes old hat, unfortunately.
Brennan's actual crimes are much worse than his bark. That's where we need to encourage the others with very public punishment.
Even the largest lefty of them all says the democrats are a joke.
"First of all, it is a joke. Half the world is cracking up in laughter. The United States doesn’t just interfere in elections. It overthrows governments it doesn’t like, institutes military dictatorships. Simply in the case of Russia alone—it’s the least of it—the U.S. government, under Clinton, intervened quite blatantly and openly, then tried to conceal it, to get their man Yeltsin in, in all sorts of ways. So, this, as I say, it’s considered—it’s turning the United States, again, into a laughingstock in the world." --Chomsky
*hiccup*
The effect on those not consumed with politics is often the opposite of what the user of the 'strong words' intended
Yes. I want to see the strategy- and it is only just a strategy- fail so we all don't have to put up with it anymore.
Treasonpalooza. Funny, Dickin.
If the Democrats aren't knowingly committing treason themselves as we speak, it would be the first accusation they've made against Republicans in the last 50 years that wasn't pure projection designed to provide cover for their own sins.
The awful part is that it always, always, always works. All Dems have to do is accuse Republicans of something, and then they get carte blanche to do it themselves all they want. The act of projection makes the worst case scenario for them in the public eye to be "both sides are just as bad", even if what the Dems are doing is 10,000 times worse.
For example, does anyone here think that the Left has ever refrained from practicing "McCarthyism" (i.e. hiring and firing based on political ideology) for the last 60 years? It's blatantly obvious by now that it's their ONLY criteria. How else do you think Hollywood, academia, etc. became so monolithically leftist? But because 70 years ago they made a Republican who did it (with far better reasons) into a monster, they were never ever ever held to the same standard themselves.
Projection ALWAYS works. All you need is a complete lack of ethics. It's so depressing.
Trump clearly is guilty of treason against her majesty's right to sit on the American throne. But we all know that Hillary's only throne is ever going to be "Standard American."
Or is it "American Standard"?
I think the "treason-gown" may refer to petit (a/k/a petty) treason, which included a wife's rebellion against her husband.
The constitutional meaning is important if you want to demand 2 witnesses to the same overt act when you won’t make a confession in open court.
tradguy,
It wasn't Charles II's son who was Catholic, but his brother the Duke of York, who became king as James II. He was visibly and obnoxiously Catholic in a protestant England. He is the reason, in my opinion, that the 'faithfully execute the laws' clause is so prominent in our early documents. James II overused the dispensing power, where the crown could overrule legal or parliamentary restrictions on certain individuals and their employment. Remember, that the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and the expulsion of James II was less than 100 years before our Revolution. Anyway, Charles II favorite son, born of a mistress (he had no legitimate children), was the Duke of Monmouth. Had his head cut off after Sedgemoor by James II.
Also, the 'Treason Gown' mentioned might be her more Puritan or Cromwellian dress. As mentioned earlier, Monck was a great 'trimmer', and new when to jump ship. It was his decision to march his army south to secure the Restoration of Charles II.
They've ratcheted up the words used to slur the President every since Trump walked down that golden stairway. From clown, joke, rude, and buffoon thru racist, bigot, misogynist, and liar to collusion. Recently upped to treason. A quick check in the thesaurus doesn't leave many unused options. I'm not sure I've heard the word sedition yet, but that might backfire on them since their hands aren't clean. The only higher level word might be Judas, but do they really want to invoke a religion they seem to hate? I think treason is the top of the smear chain. Since they can't find a more damaging word they will get shriller. Treason it is. Take the son of a bitch out back and shoot him! That would be legal wouldn't it?
Trump has a lot of get out the vote appearances to do. Reruns of Season2 of the Trump Show. Will he be given more leeway or reigned in? Possibly impeached!? Tune in 2019 for Season3 of the greatest political theater ever.
Darrell said...
This is all fake anyway, so why try to parse it?
The Left came up with this new meme and were going to employ it no matter what Trump said or did during the Putin meet
Anti-Trump memes/frames that have failed to date:
Gluttony
Impotence
Stupidity
Wrath
Sloth
Bad taste/Vulgarity
Crudity/Inarticulateness
Theft/Fraud
Mafia connections
Rape
Murder
Child rape
Incest
Torture
Genocide
Terrorism
Treason
...what else, I'm sure I've missed some.
What else is left?
Projection ALWAYS works. All you need is a complete lack of ethics. It's so depressing.
The magic is that when you accuse someone else of what you have done, then in turn it's hard to accuse you of it, because everybody thinks they're so smart and they say ooh, tu quoque, like they really speak Latin. (Or, now, whataboutism. Like using YOLO because carpe diem is too hard to spell.)
Todd Galle said...
Also, the 'Treason Gown' mentioned might be her more Puritan or Cromwellian dress.
You needn't overcomplicate things. What is meant by a treason gown is that she looks so good in it that she could say "hang the queen," and anybody in the room with her will either forgive her or say, "I'm sorry, I didn't hear you, I was staring at your tits (so advantageously displayed in that gown)."
I, for one, look forward to the release on October 25 or so of the Mueller Special Prosecutor Findings: The Early Years, Volume 1 (of an eventual 25 volumes), which will no doubt muddy the waters over the definitions of treason and hysteria beyond anything before seen in the US. Telling the servants to wait without isn't gonna work this time.
I will, no doubt, laugh as hard reading this document as when I read the Starr Report way back when, linked by Drudge on the early Internet, back when we used dial up modems and AOL CDs.
Politics provides an endless amusement if you don't take it too damn seriously.
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