Louis XIV: Roi Soileil

How many baths did France’s King Louis XIV take during his long life?

Three: the first when he was baptized, the second when a mistress insisted – and the third when a doctor lanced a sore on his bottom and ordered him to soak the wound in a tub of water.

[Louis XIV also suffered from phimosis - an abnormal growth of foreskin - which made erections painful and intercourse impossible. After refusing to have an operation on religious grounds, Louis eventually consented to a simple surgery and his marriage was consummated (after seven years) on his 23rd birthday.]

[Trivia: During the Middle Ages bathing was rare in Europe, largely because it was considered a sin to expose the body - even to oneself! (Soap was not made in England until 1641.)]

Louis XIV ["Le Roi Soleil"],  (1638-1715) French monarch, king of France (1643-1715) [noted for his reign during the Golden Age of French culture, for his glittering court at Versailles (which attracted writers and artists from all over France), and for his revocation of the Edict of Nantes (guaranteeing toleration to France’s Protestants, 1685)

ps – You can read this, too.

pps – I can’t vouch for the veracity of all this. 

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Le jeune homme, Mohamed Bridji, 21 ans, qui avait apostrophé le président de la République en lui lançant « Va te faire enculer connard, ici t’es chez moi ».

(It’s quite rude.)

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« Au cours de sa visite éclair dans un quartier de La Courneuve, en Seine-Saint-Denis, mercredi soir, Nicolas Sarkozy aurait été insulté par un jeune homme de 21 ans. Ce dernier a été interpellé et jugé vendredi après-midi en comparution immédiate. Les juges du tribunal de grande instance de Bobigny l’ont condamné à 35 h de travaux d’intérêt général. »

Monsieur le Président,

En tant que membre d’Amnesty International, j’ai été choqué de lire ce qui précède.  Comment le pays de Voltaire peut-il punir quelqu’un pour avoir utilisé son droit fondamental d’expression ?

Je vous demande de faire libérer ce jeune homme de sa condamnation immédiatement.

Je vous prie, Monsieur le Président, d’agréer mes sentiments les plus distingués.

R** M***

Article 19
« Tout individu a droit à la liberté d’opinion et d’expression, ce qui implique le droit de ne pas être inquiété pour ses opinions et celui de chercher, de recevoir et de répandre, sans considération de frontières, les informations et les idées par quelque moyen d’expression que ce soit. » (DUDH)

Article X
« Nul ne doit être inquiété pour ses opinions, même religieuses, pourvu que leur manifestation ne trouble pas l’ordre public établi par la Loi. » (DÉCLARATION DES DROITS DE L’HOMME ET DU CITOYEN)

“Artist-who-sells/competes = merchant = prostitute”

Why did Sophocles write what he did, the way he did? 

Each year, three tragic writers competed against each other, as did three to five comic writers. Usually a tragic writer wrote three tragedies and one satyr play for presentation at the festival, while comic writers presented only one play at a time.

What were his motives?  Was he trying to win something, or was he a humble, purely altruistic, totally disinterested artist who offered his laurels to hungry, herbless widows and orphans while his own family starved?

Why did Shakespeare write what he did, the way he did?  Why do we know his name and works and not, say, those of Bill Tremblelance whose plays never sold a single ticket?

Artists compete.  They compete for glory, money, our attention.  Those who do not compete successfully in the marketplace either die young and starving or live to old age as English or drawing teachers.

I sell my talents, time, physical presence every day.  Anybody who works – or makes art – does this. 

pros·ti·tute

/ˈprɒstɪˌtut, -ˌtyut/ Show Spelled      [pros-ti-toot, -tyoot]  noun, verb, -tut·ed, -tut·ing.  –noun

1.  a woman who engages in sexual intercourse for money.

2.  a man who engages in sexual acts for money.

3.  a person who willingly uses his or her talent or ability in a base and unworthy way, usually for money.

Base ways, like beauty, are in the eye of the beholder.  But all successful artists are in the business of selling pleasure.