Greetings,
Today, I published a recreation of an Elizabethan political pamphlet entitled "Fire and Steel: Or; Of Devices Using That Villainous Saltpetre and the Degradation of the Art of Defence". It is available for your download by clicking on the title. This was written for my amusement and to practice my writing of the Elizabethan language, using the spelling and grammar of that period. It was also an exercise in writing to a particular format, that of the political pamphlet.
Unlike our modern political pamphlets which are usually a single piece of paper, sometimes double-sided, the Elizabethan political pamphlet was an essay of some length, published in quarto size, with a full argument described within its pages. This allowed the writer of the pamphlet the full range to discuss their argument and allow their point of view to be made known. There was quite a period in which this form of communication was quite popular and you can find more information from the Wikipedia page, here.
For many people in our modern age these pamphlets would qualify as an essay, or even a small book, but in this age the printed word was the prime source of communication. There was not social media where a person's opinion about subjects was immediately broadcast to the world in a split-second. The pages had to be printed by hand, and the spread around, often by the individual. Most of these were addressed to someone important to gain some authority behind their argument, and also gain some attention.
In my case I used the persona names of individuals in the medieval and Renaissance group that I am a member of, the SCA. I used the subject of firearms on the field of combat, as it is a subject which would have been of concern in the Elizabethan period, and is somewhat of a subject of concern in the SCA, at least to some. I personally think they are just a part of the game that we play like many other things, but they were a suitable subject. It was a useful project and it allowed me to exercise my language abilities which was nice.
Cheers,
Henry.
Showing posts with label conversion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label conversion. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 14, 2020
Fire and Steel: An Elizabethan Political Pamphlet
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Version 2 Complete - Progress Update - 12 March 2014
Greetings,
Well it looks like I have come to the end, or at least for now. I have completed the version 2 of both the modern version and Elizabethan version of my fencing manual. I am hoping that sometime in the not too distant future that I will be able to post links to both versions on this blog for your reading, however that will not be today. I also have no doubts in my mind that this project is not finished and that there will be a version 3 of this project produced.
It has been an interesting process from version 1 to version 2. In many ways the most interesting step was the divergence element which I have noted previously. This is the point where there was a distinct divergence between the modern version and the period version. The modern version began to take more the shape of a lesson book with diagrams and information in a more easily digestible form including diagrams of elements of the manual. The period version on the other hand, developed more complexity in the language and also distinct changes in grammar and typesetting. This means that the words in the one are quite definitively not the same words as in the other, however they do both deliver the same information.
This difference in form though similarity in intent is the reason why this project was started in the first place. There are many people who shy away from sources of the medieval and Renaissance periods because the language is different from the modern. The information on many subjects is there just waiting to be found within the pages of these documents but the language and its format often scares people away from using it. It is this fear that was the original reason that this project was started.
This project is designed to present two manuals which describe the same things, but using different language, one older than the other. This was to demonstrate that while the language may be different the information which is found in it is the same. Rather than having to work out how weapons were used from some guess-work we can read what was written in the period, the trick here is to find familiarity with the language and this project was designed to do just that. The fact that it taught me a lot about the Elizabethan language and Early Modern English in the process which I was able to present in this blog was just a bonus.
Cheers,
Henry.
Well it looks like I have come to the end, or at least for now. I have completed the version 2 of both the modern version and Elizabethan version of my fencing manual. I am hoping that sometime in the not too distant future that I will be able to post links to both versions on this blog for your reading, however that will not be today. I also have no doubts in my mind that this project is not finished and that there will be a version 3 of this project produced.
It has been an interesting process from version 1 to version 2. In many ways the most interesting step was the divergence element which I have noted previously. This is the point where there was a distinct divergence between the modern version and the period version. The modern version began to take more the shape of a lesson book with diagrams and information in a more easily digestible form including diagrams of elements of the manual. The period version on the other hand, developed more complexity in the language and also distinct changes in grammar and typesetting. This means that the words in the one are quite definitively not the same words as in the other, however they do both deliver the same information.
This difference in form though similarity in intent is the reason why this project was started in the first place. There are many people who shy away from sources of the medieval and Renaissance periods because the language is different from the modern. The information on many subjects is there just waiting to be found within the pages of these documents but the language and its format often scares people away from using it. It is this fear that was the original reason that this project was started.
This project is designed to present two manuals which describe the same things, but using different language, one older than the other. This was to demonstrate that while the language may be different the information which is found in it is the same. Rather than having to work out how weapons were used from some guess-work we can read what was written in the period, the trick here is to find familiarity with the language and this project was designed to do just that. The fact that it taught me a lot about the Elizabethan language and Early Modern English in the process which I was able to present in this blog was just a bonus.
Cheers,
Henry.
Sunday, March 2, 2014
EE Version 2 - Progress Update - 2 March 2014
Greetings,
Just a short one to say that I have finished Book One of the Elizabethan English (EE) Version 2 of the project and will soon be moving on to Book Two. I can say one thing for sure and that is that the EE version of this manual is taking its time and that is good because it means I should be able to do a reasonable job at it. It is most definitely a "process" thing.
1. Remove heading and change it to the standard font and centre it.
2. Read through and edit the section changing the language or at least the words in to words closer to the ones of the period.
3. Formatting 1. Change the font of the entire section to a more period one. Insert Drop Cap for the first letter of the section and make sure the formatting is good. Add headers where required.
4. Ligatures. These are jointed characters used in the original formats of the printed word in the Elizabethan period, the addition of these adds to the "flavour" of the printing present.
5. Formatting 2. Alignment, making sure that the ends of the lines are at least close to even, this involves hyphenation. Follow-on words from the end of each page to the beginning of the next page. These are a feature of many documents of the period.
So, 5 steps to transferring the PDE to the EE versions. Most of this has to be done manually as the formatting is a little tricky and there are some font issues. In essence this is making it so the EE version is taking quite a bit longer than I thought, hence my gap in posting. I am hoping that I will at least have all the singular sections done by the end of the month, and hopefully even a completed version, but that will be a "wait and see" sort of thing.
Cheers,
Henry.
Just a short one to say that I have finished Book One of the Elizabethan English (EE) Version 2 of the project and will soon be moving on to Book Two. I can say one thing for sure and that is that the EE version of this manual is taking its time and that is good because it means I should be able to do a reasonable job at it. It is most definitely a "process" thing.
1. Remove heading and change it to the standard font and centre it.
2. Read through and edit the section changing the language or at least the words in to words closer to the ones of the period.
3. Formatting 1. Change the font of the entire section to a more period one. Insert Drop Cap for the first letter of the section and make sure the formatting is good. Add headers where required.
4. Ligatures. These are jointed characters used in the original formats of the printed word in the Elizabethan period, the addition of these adds to the "flavour" of the printing present.
5. Formatting 2. Alignment, making sure that the ends of the lines are at least close to even, this involves hyphenation. Follow-on words from the end of each page to the beginning of the next page. These are a feature of many documents of the period.
So, 5 steps to transferring the PDE to the EE versions. Most of this has to be done manually as the formatting is a little tricky and there are some font issues. In essence this is making it so the EE version is taking quite a bit longer than I thought, hence my gap in posting. I am hoping that I will at least have all the singular sections done by the end of the month, and hopefully even a completed version, but that will be a "wait and see" sort of thing.
Cheers,
Henry.
Sunday, February 9, 2014
EE Version 2 - Progress Update - 9 February 2014
Greetings,
This will no doubt be a very short update. I have completed Version 2 of the PDE version of the manual and sent it off to be read and comments given back. I have also started on Version 2 of the EE version of the manual, and one thing is for sure and that it is going to take quite a bit longer than the PDE version. The PDE version was simply adding some headings, images and fixing some of the wording, the EE version is quite a bit more in-depth than that.
The language is the first part of the process and that is to turn the language backward to its earlier form. This requires reading through the manual and re-wording modern expressions into Elizabethan ones. It also involves removing modern terms and expressions and replacing them with Elizabethan ones. This only one place where the concept of "divergence" really comes into play. I would not be surprised if there is a Version 3 involving further changes to the language.
The next part is formatting. For the modern version that meant adding sub-headings and shortening paragraphs. For this Elizabethan version it means adding drop cap letters for the beginning of each section, ensuring that each page is justified correctly so that the ends of the lines are at least close to lining up, making sure that the follow-on words are present at the end of each page where it is required, and working on the headers to make sure that they are correct. Part of the formatting is changing the font, and that is another question altogether.
It is not just merely changing the font from a modern font to an Elizabethan looking font. There is also making sure that the sizing is correct for the page as compared to headings and footers and so forth. It is also adding ligatures where they are present in the font in order to change things as much as they can. I am using JSL Ancient as the primary font for changing it, unfortunately there is the missing "long s" issue, but only in a single case, in the ligatures it is present. I am hoping that the replacement is sufficient enough to cover this particular deficiency, or that I may be able to find a replacement. For the most part I am hoping that the average reader just won't notice.
There is the question of images with regard to this EE version and I have not decided yet what I will do about this. I would have to either hand-draw the images, something I am not particularly good at, or hope that I can do them electronically and give the final product the best final look. I will give this due consideration and make a decision about it later on.
The process of change from modern to Elizabethan is taking its time and I am fully expecting that this part will take some time to get right. It sure is not as easy as the PDE version and that is for sure. Updates will be written as I get to places where they are appropriate.
Cheers,
Henry.
This will no doubt be a very short update. I have completed Version 2 of the PDE version of the manual and sent it off to be read and comments given back. I have also started on Version 2 of the EE version of the manual, and one thing is for sure and that it is going to take quite a bit longer than the PDE version. The PDE version was simply adding some headings, images and fixing some of the wording, the EE version is quite a bit more in-depth than that.
The language is the first part of the process and that is to turn the language backward to its earlier form. This requires reading through the manual and re-wording modern expressions into Elizabethan ones. It also involves removing modern terms and expressions and replacing them with Elizabethan ones. This only one place where the concept of "divergence" really comes into play. I would not be surprised if there is a Version 3 involving further changes to the language.
The next part is formatting. For the modern version that meant adding sub-headings and shortening paragraphs. For this Elizabethan version it means adding drop cap letters for the beginning of each section, ensuring that each page is justified correctly so that the ends of the lines are at least close to lining up, making sure that the follow-on words are present at the end of each page where it is required, and working on the headers to make sure that they are correct. Part of the formatting is changing the font, and that is another question altogether.
It is not just merely changing the font from a modern font to an Elizabethan looking font. There is also making sure that the sizing is correct for the page as compared to headings and footers and so forth. It is also adding ligatures where they are present in the font in order to change things as much as they can. I am using JSL Ancient as the primary font for changing it, unfortunately there is the missing "long s" issue, but only in a single case, in the ligatures it is present. I am hoping that the replacement is sufficient enough to cover this particular deficiency, or that I may be able to find a replacement. For the most part I am hoping that the average reader just won't notice.
There is the question of images with regard to this EE version and I have not decided yet what I will do about this. I would have to either hand-draw the images, something I am not particularly good at, or hope that I can do them electronically and give the final product the best final look. I will give this due consideration and make a decision about it later on.
The process of change from modern to Elizabethan is taking its time and I am fully expecting that this part will take some time to get right. It sure is not as easy as the PDE version and that is for sure. Updates will be written as I get to places where they are appropriate.
Cheers,
Henry.
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Modern Version 2 Edited - Progress Update - 2 February 2014
Greetings,
Well I have gone through and completed editing in order to form version 2 of the modern version of the manual. The next bit will be to assemble it in its entirety and then work on the formatting. Make sure all the pagination is correct and things are where they are supposed to be.
The editing process was not all that hard considering the original was written in Present Day English (PDE), so in many ways it was actually doing the reverse of what I have done for the Elizabethan English (EE) version. In this case it was to modernise it, to remove some of the older expressions which I used to prod my way toward the EE version and make it more readable for the modern audience. I am getting to the situation that while the EE version will be of use to some the PDE will be read a lot more. This will no doubt be because it will be far easier to read and also to understand.
Part of the process of modernisation included shortening of paragraphs so that it was easier to read. This meant that the reader now gets the information in shorter, sharper pieces rather than the longer discourse of the EE version. This process also included the addition of headings and sub-headings, once again for easier reading of the text and immediate reference to exactly what the section is about. This was designed to transform the text into a more useable format for the reader, so that the information presented can be used in a practical sense.
The other major part of the process was the inclusion of diagrams in parts of the text to specifically point out what is being indicated. These are modern diagrams, developed by myself for the most part, designed to give a graphical representation of some of the words which were written. There are further diagrams that I would have liked to have added however either I was not able to access "free access" version or did not have the skill to produce them myself. This is going to prove the truly interesting part should I decide to include images in the EE version.
My plan is to assemble Version 2 of the PDE version in the next couple of weeks. The next part of the process will be to move on to Version 2 of the EE version, which I think is actually going to be a more tricky prospect as I have intention of doing much the same as I have for the PDE version, but making more appropriate to the period for which I have been aiming. The images are going to be really tricky quite frankly.
Cheers,
Henry.
Well I have gone through and completed editing in order to form version 2 of the modern version of the manual. The next bit will be to assemble it in its entirety and then work on the formatting. Make sure all the pagination is correct and things are where they are supposed to be.
The editing process was not all that hard considering the original was written in Present Day English (PDE), so in many ways it was actually doing the reverse of what I have done for the Elizabethan English (EE) version. In this case it was to modernise it, to remove some of the older expressions which I used to prod my way toward the EE version and make it more readable for the modern audience. I am getting to the situation that while the EE version will be of use to some the PDE will be read a lot more. This will no doubt be because it will be far easier to read and also to understand.
Part of the process of modernisation included shortening of paragraphs so that it was easier to read. This meant that the reader now gets the information in shorter, sharper pieces rather than the longer discourse of the EE version. This process also included the addition of headings and sub-headings, once again for easier reading of the text and immediate reference to exactly what the section is about. This was designed to transform the text into a more useable format for the reader, so that the information presented can be used in a practical sense.
The other major part of the process was the inclusion of diagrams in parts of the text to specifically point out what is being indicated. These are modern diagrams, developed by myself for the most part, designed to give a graphical representation of some of the words which were written. There are further diagrams that I would have liked to have added however either I was not able to access "free access" version or did not have the skill to produce them myself. This is going to prove the truly interesting part should I decide to include images in the EE version.
My plan is to assemble Version 2 of the PDE version in the next couple of weeks. The next part of the process will be to move on to Version 2 of the EE version, which I think is actually going to be a more tricky prospect as I have intention of doing much the same as I have for the PDE version, but making more appropriate to the period for which I have been aiming. The images are going to be really tricky quite frankly.
Cheers,
Henry.
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Divergence - Progress Update 16 January 2013
Greetings,
As anyone following this blog will know, version one of the fencing manual was completed a little while ago. Now it is time for further changes to be made to both the modern and Elizabethan versions of this project. For the most part the biggest change between the modern and Elizabethan versions made in version one was a conversion of spellings and also of punctuation. No grammar was really altered and really only the major punctuation was affected. Moving forward will result in divergence between the modern and Elizabethan manuals.
In the case of the modern version, this will be a process of change toward a more usable format. This means the addition of headings and subheadings for starters in the manual in order that there are not great blocks of text for the reader to deal with. In such technical manuals such as this one smaller blocks of information are much more readily usable for the reader. Further on in this version there will also be an addressing of some of the expression and other more grammatical elements, once again to make it more accessible to the reader.
In the case of the Elizabethan version, the processes involved in change will be, for the most part, focusing on grammatical elements and sentence structures. The punctuation is only one element in the reading of the manual, grammar also has a large part to play in order for this manual to be "Elizabethanized". No doubt there will also be further spelling and punctuation changes in the process of change.
What is going to result is quite a striking divergence between the modern and Elizabethan versions of the manual. While the core elements and teachings of both will remain the same, thus the content remains the same, the format and language elements will change quite markedly. There is no doubt that version one will be the real time where the two versions of this manual will seem the most similar and that big changes will be happening in the process of furthering this project.
Cheers,
Henry.
As anyone following this blog will know, version one of the fencing manual was completed a little while ago. Now it is time for further changes to be made to both the modern and Elizabethan versions of this project. For the most part the biggest change between the modern and Elizabethan versions made in version one was a conversion of spellings and also of punctuation. No grammar was really altered and really only the major punctuation was affected. Moving forward will result in divergence between the modern and Elizabethan manuals.
In the case of the modern version, this will be a process of change toward a more usable format. This means the addition of headings and subheadings for starters in the manual in order that there are not great blocks of text for the reader to deal with. In such technical manuals such as this one smaller blocks of information are much more readily usable for the reader. Further on in this version there will also be an addressing of some of the expression and other more grammatical elements, once again to make it more accessible to the reader.
In the case of the Elizabethan version, the processes involved in change will be, for the most part, focusing on grammatical elements and sentence structures. The punctuation is only one element in the reading of the manual, grammar also has a large part to play in order for this manual to be "Elizabethanized". No doubt there will also be further spelling and punctuation changes in the process of change.
What is going to result is quite a striking divergence between the modern and Elizabethan versions of the manual. While the core elements and teachings of both will remain the same, thus the content remains the same, the format and language elements will change quite markedly. There is no doubt that version one will be the real time where the two versions of this manual will seem the most similar and that big changes will be happening in the process of furthering this project.
Cheers,
Henry.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Progressive Updates: An Explanation
Greetings,
You will have noticed, if you read the earliest articles on this blog that my aim was not merely an intellectual pursuit with regard to discovering Elizabethan English. My research has always been pointed toward a more practical end. The purpose of this study has always been to learn this language in order that I would be able to produce, or re-produce as the case may be, articles using the language which has been the focus of the discovery.
From this point forward the articles for this blog will be less of the formal nature which has been presented thus far, and more an accounting of my own research into Elizabethan English and notes toward the projects which I am engaged in. The intellectual investigation lays the foundation for the further pursuit of actually producing the language in order that it can be used and brought to the light. With regard to this I have my own particular focus in achieving this end as the earlier blogs would have indicated.
For anyone who has not read my profile, I have a deep and involved interest in Historical European Martial Arts and it is for the better understanding of the manuals of the Elizabethan period that I have embarked upon this particular rather long project. My particular favourite manual is on which was written in 1595 and published in England by a fellow by the name of Vincentio Saviolo. The shortened name of this manual is His Practice in Two Books. This manual investigates the use of the rapier alone and also the rapier and dagger in a combative situation, and also contains a second part of the manual dealing with duelling, or as he would put it "honor and honorable quarrels".
While the modern reader can read this manual and get and idea of what Saviolo is discussing, certain expressions and explanations in the text are lost on the modern reader. This is compounded by unfamiliar words and technical jargon which are an integral part of this particular art. The investigation which is presented here is designed to allow me to better understand the language in which this manual was written in order that I can reproduce the actions which are presented and gain a better understanding of the social concepts which are described.
Further to this particular project, there is another of equal, in some instances greater, significance. In this I will be taking a manual which I have written and translating this into Elizabethan English. This manual is based on my own experiences of the use of the rapier over the past approximately twenty years, and the social conventions with regard to its use, based on various historical research into the concepts along with my own understandings of it. These manuals will be presented side-by-side in order that the reader is able to see both the Present Day English and Elizabethan English presented. This is in order that they may understand the language better and thus have less fear of and greater access to the manuals of the period.
The updates which are presented will be of varying length, and only with the regularity of the points of significance actually found in the process of the research. This serves a two-part function in that it allows me to see how my progress is going and also allows the reader to understand the processes which I am going through in order to achieve my end.
Cheers,
Henry.
You will have noticed, if you read the earliest articles on this blog that my aim was not merely an intellectual pursuit with regard to discovering Elizabethan English. My research has always been pointed toward a more practical end. The purpose of this study has always been to learn this language in order that I would be able to produce, or re-produce as the case may be, articles using the language which has been the focus of the discovery.
From this point forward the articles for this blog will be less of the formal nature which has been presented thus far, and more an accounting of my own research into Elizabethan English and notes toward the projects which I am engaged in. The intellectual investigation lays the foundation for the further pursuit of actually producing the language in order that it can be used and brought to the light. With regard to this I have my own particular focus in achieving this end as the earlier blogs would have indicated.
For anyone who has not read my profile, I have a deep and involved interest in Historical European Martial Arts and it is for the better understanding of the manuals of the Elizabethan period that I have embarked upon this particular rather long project. My particular favourite manual is on which was written in 1595 and published in England by a fellow by the name of Vincentio Saviolo. The shortened name of this manual is His Practice in Two Books. This manual investigates the use of the rapier alone and also the rapier and dagger in a combative situation, and also contains a second part of the manual dealing with duelling, or as he would put it "honor and honorable quarrels".
While the modern reader can read this manual and get and idea of what Saviolo is discussing, certain expressions and explanations in the text are lost on the modern reader. This is compounded by unfamiliar words and technical jargon which are an integral part of this particular art. The investigation which is presented here is designed to allow me to better understand the language in which this manual was written in order that I can reproduce the actions which are presented and gain a better understanding of the social concepts which are described.
Further to this particular project, there is another of equal, in some instances greater, significance. In this I will be taking a manual which I have written and translating this into Elizabethan English. This manual is based on my own experiences of the use of the rapier over the past approximately twenty years, and the social conventions with regard to its use, based on various historical research into the concepts along with my own understandings of it. These manuals will be presented side-by-side in order that the reader is able to see both the Present Day English and Elizabethan English presented. This is in order that they may understand the language better and thus have less fear of and greater access to the manuals of the period.
The updates which are presented will be of varying length, and only with the regularity of the points of significance actually found in the process of the research. This serves a two-part function in that it allows me to see how my progress is going and also allows the reader to understand the processes which I am going through in order to achieve my end.
Cheers,
Henry.
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