Extravagance
The man who endowed Sackville College was Thomas Sackville, 1st Earl of Dorset. And a very sober, dour man of God he looked, too.
His son and heir Richard, on the other hand, was described as “one of the seventeenth century’s most accomplished gamblers and wastrels.” He pissed away much of his birthright. He did build the College – I’m not sure how breakable wills were in those days – but he never added all the things his father wanted, like a regular quarterly stipend for the inmates.
It as struggled ever since.
If you go to his Wikipedia page, you can see Richard in all his glory. Doesn’t he look like a world class wastrel? I particularly want to call attention to his shoes, picture above.
We were told they were made of porcelain.
How in the sam hill would that work? I’ve thought about it. They must surely have started by taking a cast of his foot, because a ceramic shoe would have no give. The heel looks heavy enough, but if any part of the shoe shattered while he was standing, it would’ve cut his feet to ribbons. Was he carried around in a sedan chair?
They’d known about porcelain from China for ages, but the Europeans had just begun working out how to manufacture it themselves and hadn’t sorted it all out yet. I get that it would be trendy, but it would be so damned dangerous.
Happy Fourth, Yanquis! And yes, we voted. Results expected tomorrow. Miraculous, isn’t it?
Posted: July 4th, 2024 under history.
Comments: 5
Comments
Comment from Durnedyankee
Time: July 4, 2024, 9:35 pm
Yes, you can call today “Labor” day because as I understand the faux Conservatives point, Labor will be increasing taxes now that they’ve swept into power over yonder.
They’re sure to cut immigration too!
His shoes…I get the poofy outfit is de rigueur for the period, but you want to specifically highlight his poofy shoes.
Are we sure those outfits weren’t borrowed at the portrait shop, sort of like that thing back in the 80’s and 90’s where you could dress up as an ugly saloon girl to have your likeness drawn as the Earl here clearly did.
Porcelain…perhaps he pissed in them when he took them off after a hard night of wastreling.
Comment from Surly Ermine
Time: July 4, 2024, 9:39 pm
Wow, the guy’s the cover boy for “Fop Life”.
Comment from Anonymous
Time: July 5, 2024, 12:58 am
17 February (appropriate year)
Brumley:
Good morning Sir; breakfast?
Richard Sackville, 2nd Earl of Dorset:
No Brumley -it’s straight off to bed – rather a long night.
Brumley: Very good Sir. Will that be all?
Richard Sackville, 2nd Earl of Dorset:
Oh, yes. Lord Sauron told me that everyone is wearing porcelain shoes in Mordor. Have a pair made for me. Something stylish.
Brumley:
Sir?
Richard Sackville, 2nd Earl of Dorset:
Brumley, we’ve talked about this attitude. I’m growing rather impatient with you.
Brumley:
It shall be done Sir. I need no further instruction on the matter.
27 May (appropriate year)
Richard Sackville, 2nd Earl of Dorset:
Brumley, what are these on the library table?
Brumley,:
The shoes you had me order Sir. It took some time to find the proper shoemaker.
Richard Sackville, 2nd Earl of Dorset:
I did? How interesting. I don’t see how anyone could possibly get a foot into one Bromley. I wonder what I was thinking. Put them away.
Comment from Uncle Al
Time: July 5, 2024, 1:40 am
It looks like somebody murdered a chicken for that shoe ornament. Did English poultry in 1620 include Polands?
Comment from Durnedyankee
Time: July 5, 2024, 3:05 am
I see the wikipeoples thought it very important to demonstrate the diversity of the Earl’s kitchen.
Thank heaven, I was burning to know.
As for the Duck of Earl, stockings or garish tattoos, decisions, decisions.
Write a comment
Beware: more than one link in a comment is apt to earn you a trip to the spam filter, where you will remain -- cold, frightened and alone -- until I remember to clean the trap. But, hey, without Akismet, we'd be up to our asses in...well, ass porn, mostly.<< carry me back to ol' virginny