All is undone – 500th Post!

Just one tiny thread
Loose in the veil of deceit
And all unravels

Japanese cloths collected from my travels

“Oh what a tangled web we weave,

When first we practice to deceive.”

Do you know who wrote it? If you thought Shakespeare then I’m afraid you are mistaken. if you didn’t well aint you just a clever clogs! 🙂

Sir Walter Scott came up with this pithy phrase which he included in “Marmion” which is probably why few people have read it in its original place. Once one of the most beloved of authors he is now relegated to the antiquarian bookstores where his florid and verbose prose sits enshrined in matching leather bound tombs (or tomes) hope that someone wishes to fill several feet of empty bookshelf with something very solid.

I owned a full set of late Victorian illustrated editions of Scott which I always promised I would read. I managed to finish Ivanhoe and made a poor attempt as assailing the Fair Maid of Perth but could not finish the business. Rob Roy left me cold and I finally gave up after having no luck at all with Anne of Geierstein.

Given the influence of this prodigious Scottish scribbler (his novel “The Bride of Lammermor inspired Donizetti to compose “Lucia di Lammermor” and the unforgettable “mad scene”, several other operas and sparked of the Romantic movement in France….not bad.) I feel ashamed not to be able to appreciate his writing but at least we have this little quote to teach us not to tell fibs.

Well this is the 500th post as a magic little note just informs me. I have not practised to deceive but I am sure I have made some errors along the way.

Thanks to all who have joined me on the journey and hope to see you over the next 500 posts!

This is in response to the ever entertaining Ronovan Writes weekly Haiku Challenge and Trabloggers “Mundane – Monday” photo challenge.