3.155 e-mail; Montaigne; TLS report (167)
Willard McCarty (MCCARTY@VM.EPAS.UTORONTO.CA)
Thu, 22 Jun 89 21:20:48 EDT
Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 3, No. 155. Thursday, 22 Jun 1989.
(1) Date: Wednesday, 21 June 1989 2359-EST (31 lines)
From: KRAFT@PENNDRLS
Subject: Mailer Rejection
(2) Date: 21 June 1989 (61 lines)
From: R22750@UQAM
SUBJECT: Montaigne
(3) Date: 21 June 1989 (48 lines)
From: Willard McCarty <MCCARTY@vm.epas.utoronto.ca>
Subject: items from the Times Literary Supplement
(1) --------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wednesday, 21 June 1989 2359-EST
From: KRAFT@PENNDRLS
Subject: Mailer Rejection
Among other problems that I have experienced on e-mail
recently is the inability to get messages onto a mailer list
of which I am a legitimate member, although messages were
delivered to me by the list. Even more frustratingly, my
attempt to reach the POSTMASTER at the list site was
similarly rejected.
In the event that any other HUMANISTS are having similar
problems, here is the explanation and solution offered by
our local e-mail expert. Hopefully it will help you
overcome "mailer rejection" without needing to resort to
more traditional professional help!
Bob Kraft (CCAT)
Subject: Mail to USCVM
To: KRAFT@PENNDRLS
USCVM has a service virtual machine called a mailer. They expect
incoming electronic mail to be sent to that machine, which forwards it
to the user. We have sent mail to the mailer in the past. Every so
often a site that runs a mailer switches to an "improved" version of
the mailer software that rejects mail from sites which do not have
mailers. I have changed our table of mailers so that BITMAIL will send
mail directly to individual users at USCVM rather than to the mailer.
I think this will fix the problem. Let me know if you have any further
trouble.
(2) --------------------------------------------------------------64----
Date: 21 June 1989
From: R22750@UQAM
SUBJECT: Montaigne
A three-page article in the French newspaper LIBERATION of june 15 about
the sensational discovery of what can be construed as the first
draft of Montaigne's Essays prompted me to ask Toulouse Humanist
R. Gauthier to summarize the find. He himself went directly to his
colleague Ithurria and sent me the following, which I believe will
be of interest to all Humanists.
M. Pierssens
----------------------------------------------------
On May the 20th Mr Ithurria wrote the following announcement for
the benefit of his colleagues at Toulouse-le Mirail :
A few months ago, I informed you of the discovery of a collection of
Apophthegms, dating back to 1560, the margins of which were crammed
with handwritten annotations in french, about 5000 notes and citations.
I have now completely decyphered it and feel confident that :
- The writer's annotations are without doubt from the same period
as the edition of the book itself (1560-1580). The book is by
Lycosthenes and was recorded by VILLEY, an expert on the sources
and evolution of Montaigne's ESSAYS (thesis written in 1908) who has
been regrettably forgotten since. Lycosthenes is mentionned in the 1908
Index.
- There are many affinities with "Montaigne's Library" such as we
know it from the work of specialists, especially concerning his being
strongly influenced by Plutarch (Moralia, The Lives , Amyot) and by the
italian "Historians", Guicciardini, Machiavelli.
-Most of the anecdotes or statements about ancient characters that
Montaigne reproduced in his works are pinpointed by the writer with a set
of cross-references to the book itself and to other works. Let us be
reminded that the LYCOSTHENES contains 6000 apophthegms with more
than 800 thematic entries.
- The nature of the writer's work closely resembles that of
Montaigne as we know it, owing to Andre Tournon's thesis "La Glose et
l'Essai" : Montaigne himself tells us that he has no "gardoire" (a note-book
in which he could keep all his citations) ; precisely the handwritten
annotations are "centrifugal" , they explode into many contradictory points of
view on various themes and are full of legal references, the
importance of which has been highlighted by Andre Tournon. The latter
who is informed of my work, considers that there are already "strong
points" which should enable me to identify this writer as Montaigne's
spiritual brother, if not as Montaigne himself.
- Last, the writer's choice of words is very similar to that of Montaigne,
since almost all rare words used by the writer are the same rare words
used once or twice in the ESSAYS as they have been listed with the help of a
program called LEAKE.
There are enough serious arguments to scientifically support what
remains an hypothesis and, at least, to prepare the edition of a book
which should be fundamental as far as "Cultural practices of the stopeenth
century" are concerned.
Etienne Ithurria.
Toulouse le -Mirail
(translated by R. Gauthier@FRCICT81. BITNET)
(3) --------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 21 June 1989
From: Willard McCarty <MCCARTY@vm.epas.utoronto.ca>
Subject: items from the Times Literary Supplement
Three interesting things from the TLS, no. 655, 16-22 June.
1. A review by Oswyn Murray of books by Eric Havelock, Jack
Goody, Ruth Finnegan, Bruno Gentili, and Jasper Svenbro, on
orality and literacy. Murray speculates about the crucial role
of the pioneers in communications theory. "The communications
theorists were prophets before their time, preparing the way of
the Computer.... Without their theories, the computer might have
developed peacefully as a tool for scientists; it was their
claims for the importance of communications technology which made
IT the name of the game, and eased the path to money and power
for the new computer barons. We are perhaps indeed undergoing
another `literate revolution', which has been called into
existence by the prophets of the 1960s; but if so we should note
the signs that indicate how man in fact remains in control of his
destiny, and moulds technology to his own ends. For it was not to
be (as they predicted) an age of television: the new technology
has in fact been directed away from the image, and back towards
the (processed) word. It is the Message that has made the
Medium."
2. A tribute to Bruce Chatwin by Hans Magnus Enzensberger. "For
the unwillingness -- or incapacity -- to perform according to the
invisible rules of the game has by now become a necessary
condition for meaningful writing. In a culture where everybody is
talented, you need a peculiar sort of immunity to survive.
Chatwin never delivered the goods that critics or publishers or
the reading public expected. Not fearing to disappoint, he
surprised us at every turn of the page. He ignored the
mainstream, but neither did he settle for the niche of the anti-
novel or bury himself in the chic dead-end of some self-
proclaimed avant-garde."
3. A note by Stuart Klawans on the phenomenal success in the U.S.
of a book first privately printed by the author and distributed
from his home, _Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun_, with
endorsements from the executives of half a dozen powerful
corporations. "Robert Schuller, pastor to the corporate elite,
calls the text `inspiring'. John C. Bahnsen, a bridigier-general
in the US Army, testifies that the book's advice has led him to
`inward reflection'."
Willard McCarty