On 13-5-2017 12:03, Stephen wrote:
> On 5/12/2017 11:54 AM, Thomas de Groot wrote:
>>> So say thee, now.
>>> At the time you had a lot to say about it. :-)
>>
>> We did, we did! We are of the bragging sort. See our period paintings.
>> :-)
>>
>>>
>
>
> Funny, how whenever we imagine ourselves in the past. We are almost
> always well off.

All joking aside, the wealth is what remains tangible I think, more than 
poverty and decrepitude which are rapidly erased by the wear and tear of 
history and age.

Interestingly, in that respect, there has been a book published recently 
of letters from wives to sailors on the Dutch ships during the wars we 
fought against each others. Those letters were intercepted by English 
privateers and so never reached destination. It is amazing to see how 
literate those humble women were in those days; reading and writing was 
rather common and especially the reading of gazettes, which were also 
sent alongside the letters.

>
>
>>>
>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> You're not saying that work will make them free, are you?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Of course not! Bind them to their looms I say! As one of their minor
>>>> authors once wrote: "and in darkness bind them". That is exactly right
>>>> to increase production.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Good luck with that, then. They are an unruly lot. Much want to rabble
>>> and rouse. Once they get the scent of pink gin. They are harder to herd
>>> than cats.
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Water be the strongest drink then. The Thames can be put to good use for
>> that.
>
> Now that that is going too far. Where's this famed Dutch courage?
>

Indeed, where?


-- 
Thomas

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