Egg, Cornwall. Taken out (with others) every year at Easter. Cast in Plaster of Paris in a jelly egg mould, and engraved with the inscription on Raphael's tomb in the Pantheon. Done in spring 2009 after a trip to Rome.
"Ille hic est Raffael, timuit quo sospite vinci, rerum magna parens et moriente mori."
"Here lies that Raphael by whom Nature feared to be conquered while he lived, and when he was dying, feared herself to die."
E M Forster's Commonplace Book has arrived.
An interesting thought about studying Greek and Latin: he believes it is essential in schools at an early age so that students have a vision of a world where Christianity is not the only force animating cultural endeavour.
