Last month's issue, if you recall, was sent out in html and much prettier than this plain text;(sigh) but apparently many email servers automatically send attachments to the SPAM bin or simply don't allow them. Since I want you all to be able to get the eZine, I'm doing it for now in text. (I spent HOURS creating a pretty HTML version to offer as well, but it took so long to load when I pulled it up, I didn't think anyone would want to wait that long.) I'm looking for a better way...but until I find it, here's what we've got: (a lot!) ************************************************************
Happy Valentine's Day! Happy Valentine's Day!
If you read this before Valentine's Day, and haven't finalized any plans yet, here's a great idea for married-with-children folks: ( I got this from Mark Merrill from www.FamilyFirst.net.)
“Renew your wedding vows. It doesn't have to be anything elaborate...Repeat the same vows you took on your wedding day, or use different words. The point is to show each other and your kids how committed you are to your marriage. Finish up the evening showing them your wedding album or video.”
Don't you love it? Sounds good to me, Mark. If you read this after Valentine's Day, consider using the idea for your Anniversary. For Singles: Pamper yourself. Buy yourself flowers, set a beautiful table or go to a nice restaurant. Reflect on the love of God, which is surely big enough to include you. *********************************************************************************************************
Here's something exciting! For my fiction readers, I have a NEW short story called, "Secrets". What's it about? Well actually, it's a ....secret (tee hee). I am going to charge $7.97 for the story on my website, but right now, because you are my subscribers you will get this exciting new story for F.R.E.E.! (I'll tell you how to get it later in this issue).
And now, for our look at the Regency! Here's what's ahead:
Facts: George IV served WHAT at his Coronation?! Fashion Regency Underclothing: What it Was (Or,Wasn't?) Figures: What REALLY Happened to King George III?
From, European Magazine July 1821 The following is an abstract of the bill of fare for the Coronation Banquet for George IV:
“Hot Dishes:--160 tureens of soup—89 of turtle—40 of rice—and 40 Verimicelli, 169 dishes of fish, comprising 80 of turbot—40 of trout—40 of salmon—160 hot joints—including 80 of venison—40 of roast beef, with three barons—40 of mutton, and veal—169 dishes of vegetables, including potatoes, peas, and cauliflowers.—489 sauce boats—240 of lobster—120 butter—120 mint."
"Cold Dishes:--80 dishes of braized ham—80 savory pies—80 dishes of daubed geese, two in each,--80 dishes of savory cakes—80 pieces of beef fraized—80 dishes of capons braized, 2 in each—1,190 side dishes of various sorts—320 dishes of mounted pastry—320 dishes of small pastry—400 dishes of jellies and creams—100 dishes of shell fish, 80 of lobster and 80 of crayfish—161 dishes of cold roast fowls—889 dishes of cold house-lamb."
"Total Quantities:--7,422 lbs. of beef—7,033 lbs. of veal—29,474 lbs of mutton—20 quarters of house-lamb—29 legs of house lamb—5 saddles of lamb—55 quarters of grass lamb—160 lamb’s sweetbreads—389 cows heels—400 calves feet—250 lb of suet—160 geese—720 pullets and capons—1610 chickens—520 fowls—1730 lbs of bacon—550 lobs of lard—912 lbs of butter—84 hundred eggs. All of which are independent of the eggs, butter, flour, and necessary articles in the pastry and confectionary departments. The total supply for serving up the Banquet was 6794 dinner plates, 1406 soup plates, 1499 dessert plates, 288 large ale and beer pitchers. Every room was furnished with porcelain of different patterns; among which the dessert course was conspicuous for its variety and beauty.” *********************
Pretty amazing, no? One thing that really gets me is that there were "80 (dishes) of crayfish" at the Coronation. Did you notice that? I know lots of people eat and enjoy “crayfish.” And just for the record, I love lobster. (I grew up on Long Island!) But here in Ohio we have lawns that are invaded by crayfish (really!) and mine is one of them. Since moving here, I have come to regard the little critters as something akin to pesky rodents (I was nice and didn't say rats!) So, now I will always remember that my pesky, mud-mound building, lawn-ruining rodent-like crayfish are fit for kings! (Won't stop me from hating them, though.)
FASHION: Regency Underclothing: What It Was (Or, Should We Say, What It Wasn't?)
During the 18th century, women were required to wear layers and layers of clothing consisting largely of a good amount of underclothing. Chemises, stockings, stays (corsets), hoops, panniers, and layers of petticoats. By the time of the Regency, costume had undergone a downright shocking reversal, ( beginning in France, which in turn was taking its ideas from classical Greek and Roman styles of antiquity).
When this “Empire Style” crossed the channel into England, it became a little less risque, thanks to the more modest English, but the ideal of a long, straight dress, revealing the human figure beneath had still to be maintained. All those petticoats, in short, had to go. Same for the long corsets, the hoops, the panniers.
What remained was a simple chemise, sometimes accompanied by a short corset (precursor to the modern bra) which served to raise and support the bust, also sometimes accompanied by a petticoat. The Regency is famous in caricature for the lack of female undergarments, but this propensity of exhibitionism was far less common than the cartoonists' would have you think.
Most women, like Jane Austen and her heroines and neighbors and townspeople, wore sufficient undergarments to be dressed quite modestly. The Empire day-dress used sundry manner of textile trickery to conceal even the bust (such as, frills, lace, ruches and ruffs) so that day garments were sufficiently modest. The few who made do without the short corset and petticoat were probably given the most attention by newspapermen simply because they were, well, newspaperMEN!
Evening dress was more revealing, requiring a square, low bodice, but women were free to use shawls, scarves, feathers, and what-not (all of which came in an amazing quantity of sizes and styles, especially as the Regency wore on), so that they could often wrap themselves up a bit, if they so desired. Even to modern eyes, however, gowns from the day are revealing; but the reasoning behind the style was that the body was more beautiful than anything used to cover it (the “classical” line of reasoning) and so it was merely being given freedom to shine, so to speak.
Conclusion: There have always been people of poor taste, who used the fashion “to an extreme”, who did not wear adequate underclothing, and who, unfortunately, represent the era to some minds. But even drawers were worn by women as early as 1804, (though admittedly not yet popular; they were taken from men's clothing and considered coarse and crude by many). When Princess Charlotte was discovered to use them it was considered shocking by the older set, but her example did much to popularize them with the masses, for the Princess herself was always very popular. (Much more than her father, the Regent, I might add!) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ANNOUNCEMENT: Valentine's Day Special! (Good for the month of February)
EIGHT FREE EBOOKS for the purchase of one. Before the Season Ends. Do you already own a copy? Great time to get one as a gift for a reader you know. You will get all the e-books to share or keep for yourself. Still not sure whether or not to try the book? Now is a good time to go for it. To see the list of FREE eBooks you can download immediately upon purchase, go to:
******************************************************************************************************** This Month's Regency Figure Article: What REALLY Happened to King George (III)?
George William Frederick, (4June 1738-29January 1820), or King George III, is said by many to have gone mad, necessitating the Regency. But is this what really happened?
Not according to recent research.
Actually, the research isn't all that new, which is why it irks me to see anyone referring to the King as having gone insane.
In 1994 the movie, 'The Madness of King George” tried to set the record straight—sort of. If I remember correctly, there was a little blurb at the end stating that the King actually suffered from Porphyria, a disease of the blood. I have to think that most people never read the blurb, though this is, in fact, the modern consensus of what the King's malady actually was. Porphyria.
So—what, really, is porphyria? Dictionaries will merely tell you that it is a metabolic disorder that affects the blood, secondarily. The main cause of symptoms, however, is not a result of how the blood is affected, but the accumulation of porphyrins in the body, which are toxic to tissue in high concentrations.
Porphyrins, in turn, are actually precursors of heme—an essential part of the blood. In the disease state, the porphyria is not manufactured into heme, as it should be, thereby leaving it to roam the system, which is the root of the trouble.
There are differing types of porphyria, which result in differing symptoms, but the King is thought to have had the blood type (“hepatic porphyria”) which affects the nervous system, and results in abdominal pain, neuropathy, seizures and mental disturbances, including hallucinations, depression, anxiety and paranoia. (Little wonder that 19th century doctors thought he was nuts!)
Interestingly, research has shown that the disease is hereditary and plagues the British royal family, stemming from Scottish monarchs (James 1 and Mary 1 of the Scotland). Queen Anne of Great Britain, Queen Victoria's granddaughter Charlotte, and prince William of Gloucester (not the current Prince William!) all probably had the illness, as well as Vincent Van Gogh.
These all suffered from what is called, “Acute Intermittent Porphyria” which is certainly what the King had also, as can be attested by his record of episodes; 1.1765 – a brief episode. 2.1788 –a longer episode. A Regency Bill is discussed. 3.1810—final,debilitating attack; the King is considered insane and Parliament meets to enact a Regency Bill.
The King never returned to his senses, or to power, and he was locked away at Windsor Castle until his death in 1820.
Some of the mystifying behaviour he was said to display? Well, he claimed to talk to angels. (Common nowadays, no?)
He spoke for hours on end without pause; and he once greeted an oak tree as though it were King Frederick William III of Prussia. Before he died, he prattled incessant nonsense for upwards of 50 hours, then lapsed into a coma and death.
King George was a popular monarch in Britain for most of his reign. Here in the States we tend to think badly of him, no doubt due to the fact that our forefathers saw fit to blame him entirely for all the injustices and wrongs they suffered as a British colony.
But he was a thoughtful, domestic man; he loved to cultivate crops and build gardens and was dubbed “farmer George” because of it. He remained faithful to his wife for his lifetime, which was singular for a Hanoverian monarch and much admired by the British people. And he espoused thrift and economy; ( the very opposite of what his son, the Regent, did.)
In short, I cannot help but to like this King. He was not able to foster a good relationship with his eldest son, and in fact, was disliked by his own father. But he was a King with a conscience, and, except for an occasional stubborn streak (which he showed in his refusal to give up the colonies for so long), he was a reasonable man, savvy enough in the political arena to retain the power of the throne to a great degree, and had a sincere desire to do what was right.
As to his having had porphyria, (alas,'tis sad!) the best thing I can say is that, if not for the disease, we would not have had the Regency. That, indeed, would have been a great loss.
NEW ARTICLE: NEW ARTICLE: NEW ARTICLE: NEW ARTICLE: NEW AR
Love those elegant scenes of Regency Balls in Pride and Prejudice? What about the glam hair-do's, the sparkling jewels and accessories? How did the ladies back then get themselves ready, beforehand? How long did it take? Read on, for a glimpse of one young lady's preparations and see for yourself. (Hint: It wasn't fast, cheap, or easy!)
To read the article, “Getting Ready for the Ball: Pride and Prejudice Revisited,” click on the following link. It will take you to eZineArticles.com where I published this article, taken from an excerpt of my book, Before the Season Ends. If you haven't read the book, here's a small glimpse of it.(If clicking on the link doesn't work;just cut and paste into your browser.)
My article about Beau Brummell (from last month's eZine) was also published online: If you didn't see it last month, go here: http://ezinearticles.com/?id=138667
Mystery Web Link: A new feature of the eZine. Each month there'll be a different mystery web link for your enjoyment. (PS: Dont click on this month's link if you don't want a religious lift!) http://wandascountryhome.com/forsale/index.html
(After following the link don't forget to come back and read the rest of this eZine! I've got more good stuff ahead!)
This following little story is just perfect for my ezine for two reasons: It includes elements of both Regency interest, and faith interest! (Wow! I never expected to find this in my inbox, but I did!) Taken from, “ A Dose of Inspiration Ezine”
"The Fog Lifted"
It was June 18, 1815, the Battle of Waterloo. The French under the command of Napoleon were fighting the Allies (British, Dutch, and Germans) under the command of Wellington. The people of England depended on a system of semaphore signals to find out how the battle was going. One of these signal stations was on the tower of Winchester Cathedral.
Late in the day it flashed the signal:
"W-E-L-L-I-N-G-T-O-N---D-E-F-E-A-T-E-D- -."
Just at that moment one of those sudden English fog clouds made it impossible to read the message. The news of defeat quickly spread throughout the city. The whole countryside was sad and gloomy when they heard the news that their country had lost the war. Suddenly the fog lifted, and the remainder of the message could be read. The message had four words, not two. The complete message was: "W-E-L-L-I-N-G-T-O-N- - -DE-F-E-A- T-E-D- - -T-H-E- - -E-N- E-M-Y!" It took only a few minutes for the good news to spread. Sorrow was turned into joy, defeat was turned into victory!
So it was when Jesus was laid in the tomb on the first Good Friday afternoon. Hope had died even in the hearts of Jesus' most loyal friends. After the frightful crucifixion, the fog of disappointment and misunderstanding had crept in on the friends of Jesus. They had "read" only part of the divine message. "Christ defeated" was all that they knew. But then on the third day--Easter Sunday--the fog of disappointment and misunderstanding lifted, and the world received the complete message: "Christ defeated death!" Defeat was turned into victory; death was turned to life!
--James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) pp. 165-166.
Are you still with me? Good! (In case you haven't noticed, this issue is longer than the last one. But we're almost done!) Just thought I'd share this letter I got from a reader named Annie from the UK. She wrote me recently and said:
I got your book in the post yesterday...and I read it straight through, I was that hooked. I think the only time I got up was to make cups of coffee, so you must be doing something right!...your writing style is so fluent as to make it very readable and I fell in love with Ariana almost at once. I just have to add that I loved the scene where all Mr. Mornay's servants came in to get a look at Ariana. I was laughing out loud for ages! That gets my vote for the best part of the book. ... I really enjoyed it and have already promised to lend it to my friend after I told her all about it. Regards Annie.xx
I was interviewed....I was interviewed....I was interviewed....I was interviewed!... (It was fun)
Go here for my interview with an editor from ReaderViews.com and their book review of, Before the Season Ends. http://www.readerviews.com/
You may have to put my name in a search box to find the interview. (I didn't want to print the whole interview here so please follow the link to read it!! ) it will also be availabe to read on my website soon.
FREE DOWNLOAD: My new short story “Secrets”. I will keep the link available for about ONE WEEK; After that, the story will be available for a price. (If you read this late, and you are a subscriber, email me and I will send you the story at no charge. Likewise, if you become a new subscriber, I will send you the story fr.ee).
In return for getting it at no cost, however, I'd appreciate it if you would RECOMMEND the story and/or my website to a friend THIS WEEK. Why not forward this email to someone right now? Lots of people would appreciate it.
Finally, if you read the story, I'd love to hear your thoughts about it. (Liked it, didn't like it, would read again, wouldn't read again, etc. ) Here's the link to get the story:
