MDMD Doubt and the Doctrine of Proof

[Terrance]

Thanks for asking Judy. The post makes little sense. But it
will,  I promise. 



Irony is often a pain in the neck. We have talked about this
at length here... but 

On Page 8 of M&D now, and Wicks, has just informed us that
his remembrancer is broken, that he has wasted years, he has
perfected parsonical (and I think there are puns on Parson
from Person) disguise and impersonation and so on, has
beached on these Republican shores (btw, there is an
interesting essay in the Oklahoma City Law Journal on
Republicanism in M&D and the Historical Novel) , stoven,
dismasted, imbecile...

Tenebrae's comments help to check these for us. 

Wicks says he will tell a tale that begins with a hanging. 

Next, he produces a notebook and reads. 

Had I...had I...had a riotous...had I then...

I should closely resemble the nomadic Parson you behold
today. 

I think, even though the irony twists and turns here, it's
important to get
some of the facts, some of the historical facts. 


Mixed into the fiction, with all the postmodern playfulness
and self-consciousness etc.,  are facts of history. 

Dave Monroe and Robert provided some very constructive
discussion of this 
"mixing" during our reading of the novel V. 

see the Pynchon-l archives: Robert Holton, "In the 
Rathouse of History with Thomas Pynchon: Rereading V." 


Had he been the first churchman of *modern* times...


 
A lot of churchman were hung at Tyburn, but after 1718,
defendants convicted of clergyable offenses were frequently
sentenced to transportation and defendants convicted of
non-clergyable offenses were often sentenced to hang and
then pardoned on condition of transportation. 

http://www.unc.edu/~charliem/index.htm

http://www.unc.edu/~charliem/glossary.htm

'resurrection' ? 

http://members.tripod.com/~leseay/index-2.html

Wesley and Whitefield? Methodism might be the most important
religion in M&D. 

I have provided a few excerpts from Max Weber's *The
Protestant Ethic*

I have a lot more to post on these and I will post more. 

Although I want MDMD to continue and although I do need the
distraction, at the moment I am simply overrun with guests,
the recently homelessed members of my family. If only they
would tell amusing tales, but alas, they are telling only
tales of woe. 

Peace, 

T