Chariots

[andrew at cee.hw.ac.uk]

LARSSON at vax1.mankato.msus.edu asks re Blake's Jerusalem:

> I hope that our British correspondents will clarify the reason for
> this song's incorporation within the Establishment, given the most
> Un-Establishment character of its poetic origin.

It mentions `The Lamb of God' - so it must be `religious', England's
`Green and Pleasant' - so it is `patriotic' and it has a `nice tune'
which can really raise the rafters at yer average `publick school' -
so letting off steam which might otherwise lead to undesirable
`undercover' activity in the dorms.

And, anyway, what with all that inbreeding and having to learn Greek
from the age of 3 the public school cream are too rich and thick
and/or ignorant of their surroundings to know their Arrows from their
Elbow, let alone realise that a Satanic Mill is something their
fathers probably own (if they have not sold it to the Japanese for
circuit board assembly or rented it to the plebs out as a `Heritage
Site', that is).

(To those who do not know our quaint little ways, public schools are
were the rich and powerful send their little darlings to obtain a
private education, private schools are were the not quite so rich and
not often very famous send their little darlings to obtain an
education in Oxbridge hurdle-jumping [nice link back to that original
film, eh?] while the plebs go to state schools where they obtain
anything ranging from an education to what can only be described as an
`education' - actually, I mislead, the latter usually requires
continued study at Her Majesty's Pleasure).


Andrew Dinn
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And though Earthliness forget you,
To the stilled Earth say:  I flow.
To the rushing water speak:  I am.