MDMD 18th Century Madness & Gothic

[Terrance]

Paul Mackin wrote:
> 
> There are also gothic-STYLE buildings in the U.S. including the Washington
> National Cathedral (Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul) planned in the 19th
> Century and only completed about a decade ago. As magnificient as the
> Midieval originals Due to its high positioning in this little town the
> towers are higher than any other building. Not a good thing to be I suppose.
> I live fairly close to it. Help.

Wicks describes the approach to St. Helena as if reading it in a
nautical or navigational book. 
Having never been to the Island it's obvious (not only to the astute
Miss Tenebrae, but to the  Twins) that Wicks is not relying so much upon
his broken remembrancer as upon his Baedeckering imaginative faculty. I
suspect he is embellishing (this despite the fact that the young Wicks
will have no part in this leg of the adventure and so his embellishments
and exaggerations are not self-aggrandizing  ) a little more than usual.
To add a little Irish truth to it, he's has been drinking. He says that
the Island drives its inhabitants mad. He seems to suggest that
Maskleyne will emerge from the Island a sane man. How Maskelyne managed
to hold onto his marbles is not clear, but some distraction (ghastly and
salty misbehavior) from the Lunar events seems to be one possibility.
LeSpark offers (playfully, sardonically, ironically) that perhaps an
attack of Reason saved the Rev.d Astronomer from certain lunacy. 

Is Maskelyne mad? Or is it all theatre? 
Yes, I do think Mr. Pynchon alludes to Mr. Swift. 

Back to this Sirius question
Why is the star "inverted among the wires"? M&D.107

In New York we have all manner of Gothic architecture. My favorite is
that "Celebration of Markets," that cathedral of Capitalism--Z or
Woolworth. 

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/medny/buttowski/