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Clarification
The other week, in response to Steve Sailer’s unappetizing comment about what he wears while blogging, I made the parenthetical remark, “(VFR being a traditionalist website, I always wear a jacket and tie when blogging, even at 2 a.m.)”. I thought the jocular nature of the comment was self-evident. To my surprise, some readers not only took it as a straight statement, but expressed no surprise at what they understood to be my unusual sartorial habits. In fact, I’m sorry to inform them, it was a joke. However, maybe the joke points us in the right direction. I’m reminded of the wonderful passage in Machiavelli’s letter to a friend in which he describes his daily routine, written while he was living in exile on his farm outside Florence and working on The Prince:
When evening comes, I return to my home [from work on his farm and from the tavern], and I go into my study; and on the threshold, I take off my everyday clothes, which are covered with mud and mire, and I put on regal and curial robes; and dressed in a more appropriate manner I enter into the ancient courts of ancient men and am welcomed by them kindly, and there I taste the food that alone is mine, and for which I was born; and there I am not ashamed to speak with them, to ask them the reasons for their actions, and they, in their humanity, answer me, and for four hours I feel no boredom, I dismiss every affliction, I no longer fear poverty nor do I tremble at the thought of death: I become completely part of them. Adela Gereth writes:
Of course you don’t wear a jacket and tie while blogging. Such modern attire lacks the gravitas so necessary to true traditionalism. Posted by Lawrence Auster at April 16, 2008 11:15 PM | Send Email entry |
