Wednesday 20 October 2010

The Edwardians

I have started watching Downton Abbey and it made me think of how life would have been in a country home. As Knole is the one I know best, I thought of The Edwardians by Vita Sackville-West. Then reading this passage it connected to our earlier one by Chinua Achebe and ancestors. We may cross so much more than centuries and continents but still ancestors journey with us.

'Then...there is another danger which you can scarcely hope to escape. It is the weight of the past. Not only will you esteem material objects because they are old.... you will venerate ideas and institutions because they have remained for a long time in force;... You inherit your code ready made. That waxwork figure labelled Gentleman will be forever mopping and mowing at you. Thus you would never forget your manners, but you would break a heart, and think yourself a rather fine fellow for doing it... You will never tell lies - avoidable lies - but you will always be afraid of the truth. You will never wonder why you pursue it because it is a thing to do. And the past is to blame for all this; inheritance, tradition, upbringing; your nurse, your father, your tutor, your public school, Chevron, your ancestors.' Vita Sackville-West The Edwardians






Vita Sackville-West

8 comments:

  1. I so wantt o visit Knole, especially after reading the book about it earlier this year. Have yet to catch any of downton abbey though.

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  2. I havent seen any Downton Abbey yet either-shameful! Would love to read Sackville-West book and visit Knole too! For me dreams of a country home always conjure up visions of Castle Howard aka Brideshead....

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  3. Thanks for posting the pictures. I liked the bokos and I would really like to go see Knoloe someday.

    Thanks again and great blog :-)

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  4. Am watching and enjoying Downton Abbey. We all have difficulties with the 'ready-made codes' we inherit, but for these people the burden of their ancestors seems to dictate their whole lives.

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  5. I saw trailers for Downton Abbey on TV when I was in Switzerland and I was longing to see it (definitely my cup of tea!) I'll just have to be patient...or read about the real Edwardians in the meantime.

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  6. I love Downton Abbey, I love knowle, I love V Sackville-West! Fantastic post.

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  7. This was a great quote!! It is so true. And sometimes we don't even realize how encoded we are until after the fact. Really something to think about!
    Wonderful post, as always =)

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  8. I very much enjoyed reading these words! And I would love to live in a home like in that first picture!

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Ooh how lovely more stripes on the page...
Thank you for taking the time.