Sunday, August 26, 2018

By their works shall ye know them

Senator McCain has passed over to that Undiscovered Country whose shores will one day welcome each of us.  Old NFO has some thoughts that are well worth your time.

I'm of two minds.  Old NFO highlights some of the more sordid events in his career, but his passing was a particularly nasty one (I remember what the cancer did to Dad). It brings to mind the passing of Talleyrand, foreign minister successively to French King Louis XVI, the French Revolutionary regime, Napoleon, and then Kings Louis XVIII and Louis-Philippe.  That's quite an odd set of bed fellows, and highlights Talleyrand's (ahem) flexible principles.  But the end comes for all, and Talleyrand was no exception; he fell ill and was in great pain.  It is said that Louis-Philippe came to visit his minister on his death bed.

Inquiring how he was that day, Talleyrand replied "I suffer the agonies of Hell", to which the King is said to have remarked "What, already?"

On the other hand, I recall the words from the Volgi on the event of Senator Kennedy's passing:
I’d instead ask for God’s mercy upon his soul, for if we ask only for justice, we may receive only justice, and even a saint would flinch at that.
May the Lord grant Grace to us all, even such as Sen. McCain.

5 comments:

  1. Sorry, but he's hurt too many people I respect to laud him.

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  2. An occasion to recall the brevity of life. From Psalm 49:

    "For he sees that even the wise die;

    the fool and the stupid alike must perish

    and leave their wealth to others.

    Their graves are their homes forever,

    their dwelling places to all generations,

    though they called lands by their own names.

    Man in his pomp will not remain;

    he is like the beasts that perish. "

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  3. Excellent post and the King's comment reminds me of Wellington at Waterloo replying to his ADC (or was it the wicked Cardigan at the Charge of the Light Brigade?):

    "I appear to have lost my leg, sir."
    "It appears you have, sir."

    They were more smarter than what we are today.

    Rest in peace, McCain.

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  4. Years ago, I listened to Imus in the Morning and McCain was a frequent guest. He seemed to be a bitter, resentful man then.

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  5. Well said. I cannot laud him either, but I still wish for his soul to be greeted with grace and mercy. Not for his sake, but for my own.

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