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~ The Mentor: A Little Book for the Guidance of Such Men and Boys as would Appear to Advantage in the Society of Persons of the Better Sort, by Alfred Ayres, 1884
via Hathi Trust Digital Library
“We, Hermia, like two artificial gods,
Have with our needles created one flower,
Both on one sampler, sitting on one cushion,
Both warbling of one song, both in one key;
As if our hands, our sides, voices, and minds,
Had been incorporate. So we grow together,
Like to a double cherry, seeming parted,
But yet an union in partition,
Two lovely berries moulded on one stem;
So, with two seeming bodies, but one heart;
Two of the first, like coats in heraldry,
Due but to one, and crowned with one crest.
And will you rent our ancient love asunder,
To join with men in scorning your poor friend?”
—
Helena of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1600).
“When Celia in As You Like It asked, ‘shall we be sunder’d’ by harsh circumstances, Helena’s is a more psychological question—‘And will you rent our ancient love asunder?’—which clearly echoes the Anglican marriage ceremony, with its ‘Those whom God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.’ She is not accusing Hermia here of taking her man, but of something rather more subtle: letting men into the secret garden of girls’ love.”
Inseparable: Desire Between Women in Literature by Emma Donoghue, reviewed at the Lesbrary.
(via fuckyeahlesbianliterature)
I maintain that the most feels-inducing moment in As You Like It is when Rosalind (as Ganymede) asks Celia to pretend to marry her to Orlando and she says “I cannot say the words.”
ROSALIND
Why then, can one desire too much of a good thing?
Come, sister, you shall be the priest and marry us.
Give me your hand, Orlando. What do you say, sister?
ORLANDO
Pray thee, marry us.
CELIA
I cannot say the words.
ROSALIND
You must begin, ‘Will you, Orlando—’
CELIA
Go to. Will you, Orlando, have to wife this Rosalind?
And most editors gloss “I cannot say the words” with a note about how Celia is nervous about blasphemy, or trying to warn Rosalind that she’s taking the game too far, or some other nonsense.
And Rosalind knows Celia loves her, and pretends to misunderstand her, and makes her play the game. And then Celia starts talking in prose because she just. Can’t.
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Too bad we’re not doing Earnest anymore.
(Source: mariedauphine, via amoderndandy)
Manfully resisting the compelling urge to buy this wicked cute “Onomatopattern” cardigan from Threadless. Comic book SFX!!
This cardigan is such a classy incarnation of the bold comic onomatopoeia attire that’s usually featured here. This would be perfect for adding a subtle touch of Batman ‘66 charm into your daytime wardrobe.
A close-up of the print:
WANT
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ALL THE PARTS YOU CAN REMEMBER - english history in folk songs
tracks:
01. wat tyler - fairport convention ◦ 02. the agincourt carol - the young tradition ◦ 03. the story of the scullion king - steeleye span ◦ 04. with her head tucked underneath her arm - broadside electric ◦ 05. fotheringhay - fairport convention ◦ 06. an old song on the spanish armada - the city waites ◦ 07. the world turned upside down - oysterband ◦ 08. the return to london (from “freeborn john”) - rev hammer ◦ 09. london mourning in ashes - ewan maccoll ◦ 10. duke of marlborough - maddy prior ◦ 11. the vicar of bray - john potter & lucie skeaping with the broadside band ◦ 12. captain kidd - great big sea ◦ 13. turpin hero - eliza carthy ◦ 14. the victory - steeleye span ◦ 15. boney was a warrior - jack shit ◦ 16. the triumph of general ludd - chumbawamba ◦ 17. peterloo - the oldham tinkerskey to historical events:
01. The Peasants’ Revolt, 1381 ◦ 02. Battle of Agincourt, 1415 ◦ 03. Uprising of Lambert Simnel, 1487 ◦ 04. Execution of Anne Boleyn, 1536 ◦ 05. Execution of Mary Queen of Scots, 1587 ◦ 06. Defeat of the Spanish Armada, 1588 ◦ 07. The Diggers, 1649 ◦ 08. Career of John Lilburne, 1638-57 ◦ 09. Great Fire of London, 1666 ◦ 10. Career of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, 1678-1722 ◦ 11. Changes in government and religion, 1660-1714 ◦ 12. Career of William Kidd, 1695-1701 ◦ 13. Career of Dick Turpin, 1730-39 ◦ 14. Battle of Trafalgar, 1805 ◦ 15. Career of Napoleon Bonaparte, 1799-1815 ◦ 16. Mythical career of Ned Ludd, 1800s ◦ 17. Peterloo Massacre, 1819
