October 2 – Falsely charged, mutilated and martyred

September 30, 2013

St. Leodegar (also Leger or Leodegarius) Bishop of Autun, born about 615; died a martyr in 678, at Sarcing, Somme. His mother was called Sigrada, and his father Bobilo. His parents being of high rank, his early childhood was passed at the court of Clotaire II. He went later to Poitiers, to study under the […]

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Pontifical Orders and Titles of Nobility

September 30, 2013

Pontifical decorations are the titles of nobility, orders of Christian knighthood and other marks of honour and distinction which the papal court confers upon men of unblemished character who have in any way promoted the interests of society, the Church, and the Holy See. The titles range all the way from prince to baron inclusive, […]

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MacArthur warns Congress of military defeat’s dire consequences for America

September 26, 2013

General MacArthur, sitting before the Committee of Military Affairs in the House of Representatives, on April 26, 1933, spoke in firm tones… If ever there were more prophetic words, they are not recorded in history…. “There is nothing more expensive than an insufficient army. To build an army to be defeated by some other fellow’s […]

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King Begs for Help

September 26, 2013

According to AFP: Jordan’s King Abdullah II on Tuesday pleaded for more support for the swelling number of Syrian refugees, warning that his country was overwhelmed. Abdullah said that Syrian refugees already were the equivalent of one-10th of the Jordanian population and could reach 20 percent — or one million people — by next year. […]

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Crown Prince and Princess of Japan visit Fukushima refugees

September 26, 2013

According to Royalty News: The Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako returned to visit some of the…refugees in Fukushima who have been unable to return home since the earthquake and have been living temporarily in Koriyama because of the still ongoing issues at Fukushima…site of the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl. They also visited […]

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The feudal bond was a generalized bond

September 26, 2013

We note that this intense family-like and hierarchical relationship existed in varying degrees throughout all levels of medieval society—not just among feudal lords. In fact, any individual could be at once both servant and master. These multiple bonds actually set the standard for unifying society beyond mere family and clan-like ties. French historian Marc Bloch […]

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September 27 – These exemplary nobles personified virtue

September 26, 2013

Saint Elzéar of Sabran, Count of Arian, and Saint Delphina of Glandenes St. Elzear (also spelled Eleazarus) was descended of the ancient and illustrious family of Sabran, in Provence; his father, Hermengaud of Sabran, was created count of Arian (Ariano), in the kingdom of Naples; his mother was Lauduna of Albes, a family no less […]

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September 27 – St. Vincent de Paul had special charity to the impoverished nobility

September 26, 2013

St. Vincent de Paul founded a special organization for the relief of the nobility of Lorraine who had sought refuge in Paris during the Thirty Years War. In that period of the war known as the French period Lorraine, Trois-Evechés, Franche-Comté, and Champagne underwent for nearly a quarter of a century all the horrors and […]

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September 28 – Good King Wenceslaus

September 26, 2013

(Also Vaclav, Vaceslav.) Duke, martyr, and patron of Bohemia, born probably 903; died at Alt-Bunzlau, 28 September, 935. His parents were Duke Wratislaw, a Christian, and Dragomir, a heathen. He received a good Christian education from his grandmother (St. Ludmilla) and at Budweis. After the death of Wratislaw, Dragomir, acting as regent, opposed Christianity, and […]

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September 29 – The Angelic Inspiration of Chivalry

September 26, 2013

Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael _____________________ Saint Michael the Archangel: “Who is like God?” In Hebraic, mîkâ’êl, means “Who is like God?” The Scriptures refer to the Archangel Saint Michael in four different passages: two of them, in Daniel’s prophesy (chap. 10, 13 and 21; and chap. 12, 1); one in Saint Jude Thaddeus (single […]

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September 29 – In battle or in prison, he never missed Mass

September 26, 2013

Blessed Charles of Blois (1320- September 29, 1364) Charles is the son of Guy I of Blois-Châtillon, count of Blois, by Margaret of Valois, a sister of king Philip VI of France. Early in life, he felt a call to be a Franciscan friar, but political duty kept him in secular life. Following his marriage […]

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September 29 – Military Orders of St. Michael

September 26, 2013

Military Orders of St. Michael (1) A Bavarian Order, founded in 1721 by Elector Joseph Clemens of Cologne, Duke of Bavaria, and confirmed by Maximilian Joseph, King of Bavaria, 11 September 1808. Pius VII, 5 Feb. 1802 granted to priests decorated with this order all the privileges of domestic prelates. Under Louis I it was […]

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September 24 – Our Lady of Ransom

September 23, 2013

Feast of Our Lady of Ransom (also known as Our Lady of Mercy) 24 September commemorates the foundation of the Mercedarians. [Nobility.org note: The most current historical dates and facts can be found in the Mercedarian history book, available here: http://orderofmercy.org/charism.html] On 10 August, 1223, the Mercedarian Order was legally constituted at Barcelona by King […]

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Court upholds obligatory oath to Queen

September 23, 2013

According to CTV News: Forcing would-be Canadians to take an oath to the Queen as a condition of citizenship is constitutional…an Ontario court ruled Friday. The Citizenship Act requires applicants for citizenship to swear or affirm they will be “faithful and bear true allegiance to Queen Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Canada, her heirs and […]

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Swedish royal family will begin to teach government how a budget works

September 23, 2013

According to The Local: Starting next year, the royals must provide a proper balance sheet and income statement detailing how they spend the money they receive from the state, complete with comments and notes, according to the government’s budget bill presented earlier this week… King Carl XVI Gustaf and his family receive an annual sum…of […]

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The Duke of Alba gave everything to serve his king

September 23, 2013

Far more than merely a general, [the Duke of Alba] was also an active creator of Spanish military power. For over forty years he led the campaigns of the crown in the peninsula and in Europe, administered the army’s supplies, coordinated military and naval movements, organized payments and liaised with the soldiers. His family alliances […]

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A Family-like Relationship

September 23, 2013

The feudal bond was an extremely personal relationship imbued with the family spirit. In fact, the institution began when desperate families entered the households of local leaders who led them in the fight for survival from barbarian invasion and social strife. Historian Franz Funck-Brentano notes that, in this way, a relationship was formed “whose members […]

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September 23 – He ensured the immunity of non-combatants in warfare

September 23, 2013

St. Adamnan of Ireland, Abbot He was the eighth in descent from the great Nial, king of Ireland, and from Conal the Great, ancestor of St. Columbkille. His parents were eminent for their rank and virtue. He was born in the year 626, at Rathboth, (1) now called Raphoe, in the county of Donegal, and […]

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September 25 – Princely Umpire in a deadly sport

September 23, 2013

St. Albert of Jerusalem Patriarch of Jerusalem, one of the conspicuous ecclesiastics in the troubles between the Holy See and Federick Barbarossa; date of birth uncertain; died 14 September, 1215. He was in fact asked by both Pope and Emperor to act as umpire in their dispute and, as a reward, was made Prince of […]

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September 25 – St. Aunarius

September 23, 2013

St. Aunarius (Or Aunacharius). Bishop of Auxerre in France, born 573, died 603. Being of noble birth, he was brought up in the royal court, but evinced a desire to enter the clerical state, was ordained priest by St. Syagrius of Autum, and eventually was made Bishop of Auxerre. His administration is noted for certain […]

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Princess Royal to first name request: “Actually, I prefer Mrs.”

September 19, 2013

According to The Telegraph: Traditionally, the Prime Minister makes an annual visit to Balmoral during September. In 2011, David and Samantha Cameron visited on the weekend of the Braemar Gathering, of which the Queen is chieftain. Tony Blair’s visit to the Highland Games in 2003 was notable for the lack of enthusiasm exhibited by his […]

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Fidelity to royal crown and mace

September 19, 2013

According to BBC News: Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, visited Jersey to mark 350 years since the Royal Mace was given to the island by King Charles II. The current Bailiff of Jersey, Sir Michael Birt, said he felt the mace was an important part of island history and felt privileged to be part of […]

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King Willem-Alexander: Welfare state is “unsustainable”

September 19, 2013

According to the Associated Press: King Willem-Alexander delivered a message to the Dutch people from the government Tuesday in a nationally televised address: the welfare state of the 20th century is gone. …the monarch’s traditional annual address on the day the government presents its budget for the coming year. It was Willem-Alexander’s first appearance on […]

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King describes Muslim Brotherhood as “wolves” and “Masonic”

September 19, 2013

According to the Gatestone Institute: Jordan’s King Abdullah has turned down a request from Hamas to re-open its offices in his country, according to informed sources in Amman. The sources said that the Qataris offered hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to Jordan in return for allowing Hamas to open offices in the kingdom. […]

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Abbé Edgeworth: King Louis’ Irish Confessor

September 19, 2013

by Rev. George W. Rutler Among the singularities of the French monarchy was the tradition of having Scottish bodyguards. Scottish history has not been riddled with pacifism, and the Scots along with the fiery Castilians, were used as mercenaries as early as Charlemagne. An “Auld Alliance” between Scotland and France was sealed in 1295, and in […]

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The Feudal Bond Was Practical and Flexible

September 19, 2013

[T]he feudal bond was a flexible bond especially in times of crisis. It arose during a period of chaos and barbarian invasions before the ninth and tenth centuries when families and individuals were overwhelmed by the nearly insurmountable obstacles of surviving amidst the disorder. We might liken the emergence of the feudal bond to the […]

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Prince Metternich and the world-renowned Sacher torte

September 19, 2013

Culinary prowess fits well with diplomatic achievement. Fine cheeses and Prince Talleyrand’s genius, for example, saved France from being carved up by its victors during the Congress of Vienna, in the wake of Napoleon’s defeat. Austria’s great champion in this Congress of nations gathered in Vienna, was Prince Klemens Wenzel von Metternich. While he may […]

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September 19 – She begged donations to ransom Christian captives

September 19, 2013

Blessed Mary de Cervellione (or De Cervello) Popularly styled “de Socos” (of Help) Saint, born about 1230 at Barcelona; died there 19 September, 1290. She was a daughter of a Spanish nobleman named William de Cervellon. One day she heard a sermon preached by Blessed Bernard de Corbarie, the superior of the Brotherhood of Our […]

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September 19 – The Pope asks Princess Mary to marry James II of England

September 19, 2013

Another voice, the most august of all, was now to break silence. The arguments of Kings, Cardinals, Ambassadors, and of her own family had failed to shake the purpose or convince the mind of the young Princess. Moved by a desire to benefit the Catholics of England, and as much perhaps by the solicitations of […]

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September 20 – Court preacher to Charles V

September 19, 2013

Saint Alonso de Orozco Mena Alphonsus de Orozco was born in Oropesa, Province of Toledo, Spain, on the 17th of October 1500, where his father was governor of the local castle. He began his studies in the nearby Talavera de la Reina and for three years he was a choir boy in the Cathedral of […]

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Royal Navy toasts the birth of Prince George

September 16, 2013

According to the Sunday Mirror: Six hundred sailors have gathered to toast the birth of Prince George in a tradition dating back hundreds of years. The Royal Navy personnel gathered at Portsmouth Naval Base, Hampshire, to “splice the mainbrace” – a celebration involving drinking a tot of rum. Splicing the mainbrace…refers to fixing the main […]

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General MacArthur: 1942 Father of the Year

September 16, 2013

“Arthur,” the General admitted, “is the only one who can tolerate my singing.” Arthur learned the old army songs fast, and Mrs. MacArthur would hurry breakfast along when she heard, down the hall, the bellowed duet of “Old soldiers never dieeee—” followed by shrieks of boyish laughter. Thus the Commander in Chief of the Southwest […]

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Defining the Misunderstood Feudal Bond

September 16, 2013

The feudal bond is any of a broad range of mutually beneficial relationships within the rule of law that bind individuals together in society from top to bottom. It is characterized by one party that seeks protection and another that seeks service. It often involved the distribution of land and offices in return for these […]

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September 16 – The pope who exacted tribute from the Mohammedan ruler of Tunis

September 16, 2013

Pope Blessed Victor III Born in 1026 or 1027 of a non-regnant branch of the Lombard dukes of Benevento; died in Rome, 16 Sept., 1087. Being an only son his desire to embrace the monastic state was strenuously opposed by both his parents. After his father’s death in battle with the Normans, 1047, he fled […]

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Turkish war tents turned into Mass vestments after 1683 victory in Vienna

September 16, 2013

The spoils of war from King Jan Sobieski’s great victory on September 12, 1683, against the 150,000 Muslim Turks outside Vienna were immense, but perhaps none received a better fate than the war tents. They were brought back to Poland, where loving and pious hands turned some of them into rich Mass vestments, as can […]

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September 17 – Noble calm in all controversy, even when correcting the pope

September 16, 2013

St. Robert Francis Romulus Bellarmine (Also, “Bellarmino”). A distinguished Jesuit theologian, writer, and cardinal, born at Montepulciano, 4 October, 1542; died 17 September, 1621. His father was Vincenzo Bellarmino, his mother Cinthia Cervini, sister of Cardinal Marcello Cervini, afterwards Pope Marcellus II. He was brought up at the newly founded Jesuit college in his native […]

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September 17 – Stigmata of St. Francis of Assisi

September 16, 2013

Early in August, 1224, Francis retired with three companions to “that rugged rock ‘twixt Tiber and Arno”, as Dante called La Verna, there to keep a forty days fast in preparation for Michaelmas. During this retreat the sufferings of Christ became more than ever the burden of his meditations; into few souls, perhaps, had the […]

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Military, Social, and Religious History of Chivalry and Knighthood

September 16, 2013

Chivalry (derived through the French cheval from the Latin caballus) as an institution is to be considered from three points of view: 1) the military, 2) the social, 3) and the religious. We shall also here consider: 4) the history of chivalry as a whole. 1) MILITARY In the military sense, chivalry was the heavy […]

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In her anguish, the Marchioness of Cadiz appeals to her husband’s mortal enemy to rush to his aid

September 12, 2013

The perilous situation of the Christian cavaliers pent up and beleaguered within the walls of Alhama, spread terror among their friends, and anxiety throughout all Andalusia. Nothing, however, could equal the anguish of the Marchioness of Cadiz, the wife of the gallant Roderigo Ponce de Leon. In her deep distress, she looked round for some […]

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Buckingham Palace exhibit displays the gowns, robes, jewels and floral arrangements from Queen Elizabeth’s coronation 60 years ago

September 12, 2013

According to The New York Times: “The Queen’s Coronation 1953” (until Sept. 29) …exhibition’s most extraordinary elements are the queen’s…21-foot, violet velvet train, which was held up by her six maids of honor, and the peers’ costumes tipped with ermine tails. • The purple velvet Robe of Estate was embroidered…using 18 different types of gold […]

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September 12 – The Holy Name of the Virgin Mary; in thanksgiving for the victory over the Turks at Vienna

September 12, 2013

The Festival of the Holy Name of the Virgin Mary Pope Innocent XI extended this feast to the universal Church as a solemn thanksgiving for the relief of Vienna, when it was besieged by the Turks in 1683. The Turks had formerly laid siege to Vienna, under Solyman the Magnificent, in 1529, in the reign […]

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September 12 – Simon de Montfort Crushes the Albigensians at Muret

September 12, 2013

At the Battle of Muret on 12 September 1213 the Crusading army of Simon IV de Montfort defeated the Catharist, Aragonese and Catalan forces of Peter II of Aragon, at Muret near Toulouse. Simon IV de Montfort was the leader of the Albigensian Crusade to destroy the Cathar heresy and incidentally to join the Languedoc […]

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Video – Redefeating the Turks: the Battle of Vienna, September 12, 1683

September 12, 2013

Before he set out, Sobieski had sent a letter to Innocent XI, in which he wrote: “When the good of the Church and Christianity is concerned I shed my blood to the last drop, together with the whole kingdom. Since my kingdom and I are two bulwarks of Christianity”. To commemorate Sobieski’s victory Pope Innocent […]

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September 13 – He had a mouth of gold

September 12, 2013

St. John Chrysostom (Chrysostomos, “golden-mouthed” so called on account of his eloquence). Doctor of the Church, born at Antioch, c. 347; died at Commana in Pontus, 14 September, 407. John — whose surname “Chrysostom” occurs for the first time in the “Constitution” of Pope Vigilius (cf. P.L., LX, 217) in the year 553 — is […]

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September 14 – His gallant defeat saved Canada from the French Revolution

September 12, 2013

Marquis de Louis-Joseph Montcalm-Gozon A French general, born 28 Feb., 1712, at Candiac, of Louis-Daniel and Marie-Thérèse de Lauris; died at Quebec 14 Sept., 1759. He was descended from Gozon, Grand Master of Rhodes of legendary fame, The warlike spirit of his ancestors had given rise to the saying: “War is the tomb of the […]

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September 14 – Formerly a sign of abject disgrace, it now adorns even crowns and crests

September 12, 2013

The Cross could not be decently mentioned amongst Romans, who looked upon it as an unlucky omen, and as Cicero says, not to be named by a freeman. However, the Emperor Constantine attributed his victory in the Quintian fields, near the bridge Milvius, to the Cross of the Christians, the inscription of which he caused […]

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September 15 – This Saint Felt the Pains of Purgatory

September 12, 2013

St. Catherine of Genoa (also known as Caterina Fieschi Adorno.) Born at Genoa in 1447, died at the same place 15 September, 1510. The life of St. Catherine of Genoa may be more properly described as a state than as a life in the ordinary sense. When about twenty-six years old she became the subject […]

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September 15 – Grandmother of Good King Wenceslaus

September 12, 2013

St. Ludmilla Wife of Boriwoi, the first Christian Duke of Bohemia, born at Mielnik, circa 860; died at Tetin, near Beraun, 15 September, 921. She and her husband were baptized, probably by St. Methodius, in 871. Pagan fanatics drove them from their country, but they were soon recalled, and after reigning seven more years they […]

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September 11 – Italian army invades the Papal State without a declaration of war

September 9, 2013

The King of Italy sends an ultimatum to Blessed Pope Pius IX As the French military situation deteriorated [in the Franco-Prussian War], the government in Florence grew bolder. Near the end of August [1870], the Italian cabinet issued a circular letter to all the governments of Europe, in which it declared that the time had […]

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September 11 – Burned slowly to death at Nagasaki

September 9, 2013

Blessed Charles Spinola Born in Genoa in 1564, he was the son of the Count of Tassarolo, and the nephew of Cardinal Philip Spinola. He was educated in Spain and in the Jesuit school in Nola, Italy. He entered the noviatiate in 1584, and was ordained in 1594. In 1596, he received a letter appointing […]

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Left-wing protesters burn Queen Elizabeth in effigy

September 9, 2013

According to Sky News: Left-wing protesters have staged a demonstration against Britain’s involvement in the International Olympics Committee in Buenos Aires. Around 250 demonstrators chanted anti-British slogans and burned an effigy of the Queen and a Union Flag outside the committee. The protest was the latest by the Quebracho group that in April last year […]

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Princess Royal threatened during visit to Argentina

September 9, 2013

According to The Telegraph: The five-day visit is being made in Princess Anne’s capacity as a member of the International Olympic Committee. Protest group Quebracho…has vowed to disrupt proceedings, claiming it will be able to enter the theatre. Quebracho, a far left-wing group, not only wants the return of the Falklands to Argentina but also […]

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Cambodia opposition party appeal to King to resolve election impasse

September 9, 2013

According to AFP: Cambodia’s opposition party has called on the nation’s king to resolve a festering dispute over elections in July which saw strongman Prime Minister Hun Sen retain power. …opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) …allege massive vote-rigging. …its leader Sam Rainsy on Monday sent a letter to Cambodia’s constitutional monarch King Norodom Sihamoni […]

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Alfred the Great’s dying words to his son

September 9, 2013

The last of the works attributed to Alfred which need be specially mentioned, is the collection of proverbs, or sayings, in verse and prose, found amongst the Cotton manuscripts…. In almost the last of the series, the King addresses his son: “Thus quoth Alfred: My dear son, sit thou now beside me, and I will […]

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The Family Spirit and the State

September 9, 2013

This family spirit permeated the truly Christian State, which assumed images and customs by which “people soon began to conceive of the State as a kind of family.”(*) The Christian State came to be governed with great family-like affection and even by families themselves. This sentiment of affection is actually a most important element of […]

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September 10 – Arrested while preaching

September 9, 2013

St. Edward Ambrose Barlow (Alias RADCLIFFE and BRERETON.) Priest and martyr, born at Barlow Hall, 1585; died 10 September, 1641. He was the fourth son of Sir Alexander Barlow, Knight of Barlow Hall, near Manchester, by Mary, daughter of Sir Uryan Brereton, Knight of Handforth Hall, Co. Chester, and was baptized at Didsbury Church 30 […]

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Bethlehemites: Military and Religious Orders

September 9, 2013

Bethlehemites I. MILITARY ORDERS There were two military orders dedicated to Our Lady of Bethlehem and known under the name of Bethlehemites. Mathew Paris calls attention to the former in his “Grande Chronique” (tr. Huillard-Bréholles, Paris, 1840, 8vo, III, 300) where he mentions that Henry III of England authorized them to open a house in […]

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Heredity’s role in the making of General Douglas MacArthur

September 5, 2013

The story behind General Douglas MacArthur—what makes his gallant stand in World War II one of the great fighting epics of history—is told here for the first time. There are more than a thousand years of Fighting MacArthurs in his blood. One of the oldest proverbs in Scotland is: “There is nothing older, unless the […]

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He pledged on his honor to return to prison, and amazingly, he did

September 5, 2013

According to the Metro: Capt Robert Campbell wrote to Kaiser Willhelm II during World War I begging to be released so he could see his mother, Louise, for the final time. The German leader granted him two weeks’ compassionate leave as long as he kept his word as an officer to go back to the […]

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Scottish independents voice disdain for hereditary head of state

September 5, 2013

According to the Daily Express: Some 63 per cent of voters called for a ballot on Scotland’s next head of state in the event of separation, with only 22 per cent saying the royals should be retained without question. …repeated demands for an independent Scotland to become a republic have obviously shaken confidence in the […]

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