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Area: Medieval, Msg #54, 13:13:06 31 Jul 90
From: Ioseph of Locksley
To: All
Subject: Bardic Perogative
On the subject of Bardic Immunity....herewith a little letter I wrote to HM of
the West lo these many years ago, when I made a Satire on the West Kingdom's
"no weapons longer than a cubit in the revel hall" rule.......
Perhaps this might help to make the matter clearer.
(I -still- sing the song to HM of the West every chance I get....:-) )
BEING A MISSIVE IN VERSE TO JAMES I PT. I, KING IN THE WEST,
FROM THE WHYTE BARD OF THE KINGDOM OF ATENVELDT, SENT IN THE
HOPES OF HIS MOST SOVEREIGN MAJESTY'S SEEING Y BARDD GWYN'S
POINT AND REASON.
A King, upon His Royal Throne, in Majesty and Pomp
Can make the Law, and hear it read, proclaimed by Herald's Trompe
His Will is the Kingdom's Will, His Word, the Kingdom's Law
Obeyed and loved by everyone, down to the last bourgeois.
The people, on the other hand, who are the corner-stone
of any Reign, have no real voice before the Royal Throne.
And thus, it falls to lesser men to point out, in a Song,
Where the Crown is doing Right...and where It's doing Wrong.
And, if a Royal Counselor can tell the King: "Not so!"
And speak up with impunity, and not expect a blow,
And try to alter Royal Will in Curia, then why
Cannot another voice at least be heard to testify?
The Praise of Royal Counselors is cheap. Their Jobs depend
Upon the King's most Royal Will..and, thus, they might pretend
To praise and laud and glorify for fear of Favour's loss.
...and Kings then hear no truthful word unbound by flattering dross.
We know that Kings are NEVER wrong...they're only "ill-advised,"
But, sometimes, error in Their Reign can win a Booby-Prize.
A Bard MUST give this Prize, you see, and given it has been!
Shall he then be frowned upon, or told that it's a Sin?
Bards are BORN, not made by Kings. They call NO man "My Liege!"
No Kingdom's Citizens are they; their Voice and Harp besiege
The Ramparts of Stupidity...the Battlements of Wrong....
AND THAT'S THE REASON, MY LORD KING, FOR NASTY LITTLE SONGS!
And, if a Bard is told to cease, and cannot speak his will,
Who then shall approach the King to give the bitter pill?
And if Bards sing of other Lands, in tones derogative,
Suffer them to sing UNSCATHED: it's their Perogative.
They're Citizens of Everywhere, the People's Voice, you see,
And, Bard I am, and Bard I was, and EVERMORE shall be:
-The Whyte Bard
January, 1974
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* Origin: <Deus ex Machina-BBS Free Atenveldt! 602-439-8070> (Opus 1:114/29)