QUOTE(feisty @ Nov 8 2007, 08:45 AM) [snapback]501959[/snapback]
THE DAY I ALMOST WEPT IN THE BRITISH LIBRARY, REDISCOVERED
Sir Brajendranath Seal, Calcutta; to Sir William Rothenstein, London; 1916
"We in India, are by force of our position observers. Many of us are denied an effective participation in the world struggle, but we have a compensation in the privilege of being on-lookers, and, let us hope, also fore-lookers and far-lookers. And we trust that in the rational simplification of life which is bound to come when the wasteful fury has been laid, the still small voice of the East, and in particular of India and China—the one with her vision of the Inner Peace, and the other with her cult of the Social Peace--may obtain a hearing where now the roar or the shriek of death-dealing engines is heard. Your precious gift of the six portraits will always be treasured by me as one of my 'household gods'. As for the dedication to Rabandrinath and myself, I do not know what to say. My friends will say that to steal into the shadow of … with Rabindranath is my luck, for me, it is enough that I possess your affection, a place in your heart, which is one of the very few things left to me as a haven of refuge in a world which has cruelly betrayed an idealist’s first love. But so long as there is Will Rothenstein to look up to, the world is, in spite of disillusionments and heartbreaks, cannot be sullen or forbidding. Yours ever in love and hope…"
Sir Brajendranath Seal, Calcutta; to Sir William Rothenstein, London; 1916
"We in India, are by force of our position observers. Many of us are denied an effective participation in the world struggle, but we have a compensation in the privilege of being on-lookers, and, let us hope, also fore-lookers and far-lookers. And we trust that in the rational simplification of life which is bound to come when the wasteful fury has been laid, the still small voice of the East, and in particular of India and China—the one with her vision of the Inner Peace, and the other with her cult of the Social Peace--may obtain a hearing where now the roar or the shriek of death-dealing engines is heard. Your precious gift of the six portraits will always be treasured by me as one of my 'household gods'. As for the dedication to Rabandrinath and myself, I do not know what to say. My friends will say that to steal into the shadow of … with Rabindranath is my luck, for me, it is enough that I possess your affection, a place in your heart, which is one of the very few things left to me as a haven of refuge in a world which has cruelly betrayed an idealist’s first love. But so long as there is Will Rothenstein to look up to, the world is, in spite of disillusionments and heartbreaks, cannot be sullen or forbidding. Yours ever in love and hope…"
Rad. I want to write letters like that. I recognize your post because there's nothing like a history rush and I'm not sure everyone else can understand that. I got one not too long ago when I was reading about the 1580 Auto De Fe (Inquisitorial punishment ceremony) observed by King Philip II in Spain. Terribly interesting and revealing. Nothing so quotable, however.
