Frances Rolleston
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog: Today Back Then
  • People
  • Places
  • Activities & Accomplishments
    • Writings >
      • Mazzaroth
    • Poetry
    • Painting

Origin of the Signs

2/27/2015

0 Comments

 
PictureZodiac
February 27, 1833

I am much amused with your humility about asking a question which no one can answer. No one knows when, or why, these signs were invented.


Frances is deep into research on the signs of the zodiac and names of the stars and constellations. As yet, she has not determined when they were invented and named. That will come later. Meanwhile, she answers her young friend's question in this way:

Sir Isaac Newton thought perhaps the ancient Chiron, if indeed he ever existed and was only a good horseman and not a fabulous monster, might invent them; but Josephus says they were on the stones of the High Priest's breastplate centuries before the Trojan War, and many learned Jewish writer have said that they were borne on the standards of the tribes of Israel.

I have now before me an ancient Rabbinical commentary on the blessing of Jacob, referring most of it to '"King Messiah;" and other Rabbins identify the Bull to Joseph, and the Lion to Judah; the Serpent or Scorpion to Dan, and a Wolf to Benjamin, rest also on ancient Hebrew authorities.

Is it only simple curiosity that spurs her on in her research? No, it is something richer. Her letter continues:

This inquiry has led me to such glorious testimonies of the faith of the ancient Jewish Church in the Divinity and Mediatorial Office of the Blessed Redeemer, that I am fully repaid for years of labour. I find that they attributed all, and even more, of the prophecies to Him, than we have ever done, and their views of "King Messiah" are magnificent.

0 Comments

Hebrew Poetry

2/20/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
February 20th, 1860

The excitement of the brain of which I complained seems to have yielded to  the counter-excitement of the Psalms. There is a young lady here, a real Hebrew scholar, who reads them for me, and is a judge of their accuracy. 


Hebrew and poetry were two of FR's passions. They came together as she spent many hours translating the poetical passages of the Bible into poetic meter.  This letter was written in her 80th year, and she was finding the work on the Psalms reviving to her. Her plan was to begin with Lamech's poem in Genesis and go right through to the Gospels to include the song of Mary and the prophecy of Zacharias.

My object is to keep as close as possible to our admirable E.V., only making it verse, not prose, and generally finding an obscurity in each Psalm, that I alter. I also wish to preserve Hebraisms as often as I can . . . Mine are not paraphrases, but the very closest translation I can give.

FR admired Milton and believed that he thought and wrote Hebraically, and that the meter he used was right for her work.

I find the eleven syllabled line, so often used by Milton in "Samson,"  is the natural tendency of all long Hebrew lines: ten seldom will hold them, twelve should only end a verse or subject.

FR's Metrical Versions of Early Hebrew Poetry was finally published three years after her death.

0 Comments

Love without Romance

2/14/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
February 15, 1828(?)

My dear Henry,
       I am very much gratified by your taking so much interest about my present hobby.



Frances Rolleston had four close friends named Henry: Henry Thompson, Henry Smedley, Henry Townley and Henry Crowther. 

The first three of these were family friends and fellow students in their teens and early twenties, Henry Smedley also tutoring her in languages. 

Henry Crowther, twenty-three years younger, was FR's student in astronomy. Although he was blind, she was able to teach him by using plates and string.

In other letters FR referred to adventures and discoveries she and the Henrys had together. They shared their poetry with each other, and they shared their faith. FR called on them for help in her scholarly research. 

She was not immune to their attractiveness. She praised Henry Townley as elegant in mind and amiable in temper, having the sweetest face ever seen in youth, preeminent in arts, chess and literature.

Yet, although they corresponded or otherwise stayed in contact as long as they lived, none of these friendships ever blossomed into romantic love. They seemed to simply be four Henrys among many other close friendships of FR's life.

0 Comments

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    February 2020
    January 2020
    January 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014

    Categories

    All
    Anglo Saxon
    Anglo-Saxon
    Annesley Hall
    Antiques
    Astronomy
    Ballad
    Bible
    Book
    Buildings
    Canticles
    Character Trait
    Charity
    Charles Dickens
    Christmas
    Colony
    Comfort
    Country Life
    Darwin
    Dean Alford
    Death
    Eclipse
    Fables
    Famine
    Ferns
    Fog
    Frances Rolleston
    Friendship
    Geology
    Ghosts
    Hannah More
    Health
    Hebrew
    H K White
    Horace Walpole
    Humphry Davy
    Hymns
    Infant School
    James Fenimore Cooper
    Janet Taylor
    John Milton
    John Musters
    John Wesley
    Keswick
    Lakes District
    Language
    Law
    Magazines
    Mary Chaworth
    Mathematics
    Mazzaroth
    Missions
    Monarchy
    Motherhood
    Mountains
    Music
    Nature
    Newstead
    Notable People
    Oaks
    Painting
    Penmanship
    Philosophy
    Poetry
    Prayer
    Reading
    Reform
    Regency Period
    Religion
    Riots
    Robert Burns
    Romantic Love
    Royalty
    Shelty
    Sir Walter Scott
    Slavery
    Sleep
    Snow
    Song
    Sonnet
    Teaching
    Temperance
    Thomas Gainsborough
    Travel
    Tudors
    Violets
    Visits
    War
    Washington Irving
    Watnall
    Wedding
    William Herschel
    William Hone
    William Wilberforce
    William Wordsworth
    Women
    Work
    Yorkshire

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photos used under Creative Commons from eamoncurry123, JamesGardinerCollection, chrisada, Kate. Get the picture., aenigmatēs, summonedbyfells, earlynovelsdatabase, Graeme Darbyshire, deweggis, Bosc d'Anjou, Ross Elliott, meret.fuchs, isawnyu, nillamaria, Stifts- och landsbiblioteket i Skara, Newburgh_pig_rm ( pka piggy raymond morelli), Space Ritual, weegeebored, MDreibelbis, Joseph Surface, john_seaman@ymail.com, gailhampshire, j. kunst, Andrew E. Larsen, faith goble, BFS Man, summonedbyfells, ell brown, forum.linvoyage.com, Stuart Grout, PhotoAtelier, Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com, kellyv, Chajm, ell brown, riptheskull, Jonathan Rubio, Books18, garryknight, Boston Public Library, Digital Sextant, CircaSassy, Tim simpson1, Tim Pierce, Matthew's Foundation, Newsum Antiques, wht_wolf9653, Matt From London, UpSticksNGo, gvgoebel, Matt From London, romana klee, Accretion Disc, Emma, Michael and Elway's Excellent Adventures, postman.pete, quinn.anya, distar97, liebeslakritze, andryn2006, Eddi van W., sarahstierch, Joanna Bourne, Kevin Hutchinson, Graham C99, NASA Goddard Photo and Video, f/orme, Kevin M. Gill, @sage_solar
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog: Today Back Then
  • People
  • Places
  • Activities & Accomplishments
    • Writings >
      • Mazzaroth
    • Poetry
    • Painting