Re: The Federated Kingdoms

[raybrown@macline.co.uk (Raymond A. Brown)]

At 3:10 pm 16/4/98, John Cowan wrote:
>Rhaifun Bryn yscrifef:
>
>> If the
>> Platagenets were still there at the end of War of the Roses, wouldn't they
>> have followed the same route to absolutism as the French monarchs did?
>
>Well, for a bit, I think; Elizabeth I *was* pretty absolutist.

Yep - all the Tudors were so disposed.

>As far
>as I can tell, two things blocked absolutism: the fact that it took the
>Stuarts quite a while to feel their way into the English governmental
>system (James IV was as absolute a King as you might want, and the
>Scots Parliament had no such traditions of independence as the English),
>and the fact that the Georges had a similar problem, by which time it
>was too bloody late.

And a good thing too :-)

[....]
>> would've have been just as bloodthirsty.  I'm afraid I have no great regard
>> for either Tudors or Stuarts, but they did help (although certainly quite
>> unintentionally!) prevent Britain following the French absolutist monarchy
>> pattern.
>
>Not the Tudors, surely.  The Stuarts, yes, as explained above.

I agree, on reflexion.

>
>> Almost certainly the lowland, English speaking Scots would've gone
>> Calvinist/Knoxist; but the Gaelic Highlands remained Catholic.  If they
>> hadn't sided with the Stuarts after the so-called "Glorious Revolution"
>> which brough William of Orange over here, they might not have been
>> slaughtered in such numbers with the subsequent depopulation of the
>> Highlands.
>
>Yes, what about the Glorious Revolution?  I can't make up my mind whether
>it happened here or not.

I'm rather biased on this - so I leave it to you.

> If it did, then we could actually do without
>the Georges: the balance of power had definitely shifted to Parliament
>(which became a constitutional issue in America later: was America
>subject to the English P. or not?  We said not.)  But G.R. -> '15 -> '45 ->
>depopulation.
>
>Maybe depopulation took the form of a return to Ireland, under the
>relatively benign rule of the Kemrese?  Language wouldn't be a barrier,
>and neither would religion.

No indeed - but as a Celtophile, I hate the idea of Celts retreating again.
Can't we keep the Highlands Gaelic?

>I always snicker when I see Scottish heroes in the movies in Highland
>dress --- about like George Washington dressed as a Plains Indian,
>with feather headdress and all!

I've never noticed Hollywood being overconcerned with historic accuracy.
It's the color & drama that count!

[....]
>
>Besides, I need the French Revolution, complete with Napoleon, to provide
>the exigent threat that causes the formation of the Federated Kingdoms
>in 1805.

OK - but try to keep some real Celts on my island - they surely don't all
have to retreat to Ireland?

[....]
>
>On another note:  the Channel Islands, though attached to the English
>crown, certainly speak something between Brithenig and Brzhoneg.
>The dukes of Normandy who became kings of England remained only dukes
>in the islands, and they have their own legislatures (true both
>*Here* and *There*).

*Here* the Channel Islanders actually continued speaking Norman French
which developed its own way quite independent of mainland French.  The
language continued to be used until the early years of this century, I
believe.  How about allowing a little bit of Norman French to remain?

Raifun.

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Written in Net English        Humor not necessarily marked

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