Ep. 687 Scaramouche, Part 6 of 12, by Raphael Sabatini

Is Andre-Louis’ future compromised, after he is mistaken for nobleman in disguise? Raphael Sabatini, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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Thank you to Annie, from the Join us in France Podcast, who helped with the pronunciations of the French names and phrases for this week’s episode. If you’re interested in France at all, you should check out her show. It’s fantastic.

Since we are doing poems from John Donne, I thought that we should actually share today’s poem here, rather in the app area for special features. It will be there, too, if you want to just hear the poem. This was written around 1623 – 400 years ago. I had heard this, but I’d never really understood it. It’s taken from a prose piece he wrote called Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions. It’s in part XVII: Meditation:

No man is an island,

Entire of itself;

Each is a piece of the continent,

A part of the main;

If a clod be washed away by the sea,

Europe is the less,

As well as if a promontory were.

As well as if a manor of thy friends

Or if thine own were;

Any man’s death diminishes me,

Because I am involved in mankind.

Therefore, send not to know

For whom the bell tolls;

It tolls for thee.

So, in these times, the church bells would ring to announce to the countryside important occasions, such as a funeral. No man is an island means we are all a part of the whole, whether we like it, or acknowledge it or not. If one clod is washed away from the shore, Europe is less. If one person dies, we are diminished. For whom does the bell toll? Who just died? Well, when anyone dies, we all die a little. So the bell is tolling for you.

I took my two youngest to the mall for the first time in months. We all three wore masks. Cilla made them for us, and they’re super cute. We were harassed by a fellow patron at the food court – ridiculed by an intimidating stranger for wearing masks. We’re at that point.

Again - “Any man’s death diminishes me, Because I am involved in mankind.”

We’re all in this together. Please stay safe, wear a mask, keep your loved ones safe. Keep strangers safe. It’s not about politics. It’s just about taking care of each other. Because when one person dies, we all die a little.

So here’s the story so far:

Andre-Louis, a privileged lawyer from Gavrillac, is on a mission to speak out for the downtrodden.  After speaking out in Rennes and later at Nantes, he is on the run from the law, who wish to take him to task for inciting rebellion. He runs across some travelling players, and is a cracking success as an actor and author. Then, as he and his fiancé are returning home after a fantastic performance, a coach stops, the door is opened, and Andre-Louis sees Aline, his closest friend in the whole world, who has been worried sick.

And now, Scaramouche, Part 6 of 12, by Raphael Sabatini