By drie geleenthede het ek oor susters geskryf wat bekendheid verwerf het: die drie Curzons (SêNet, 13.11.2012), veral drie van die sewe Garmans (SêNet, 28.10.2011) en die ses Mitfords (SêNet, 25.10.2011). Hulle is almal sedert 1896 in Engeland gebore en net Deborah Devonshire (gebore Mitford in 1920) leef nog. Die vyf Langhorne-susters was tydgenote (1867-1964), maar hulle is in Amerika gebore, hoewel twee hulle in Engeland gevestig het. James Fox het 'n boek, The Langhorne sisters (1998), oor die vyftal geskryf. Die bekendste suster is Nancy (1879-1964), later lady Astor genoem.
Onlangs het daar 'n omvattende biografie deur Adrian Fort oor Nancy Astor verskyn. Dit is die onderwerp van my volgende brief. Met hierdie skrywe verskaf ek ander inligting sodat my volgende brief nie te lank word nie. Harold Nicolson (1886-1968) se dagboek en briewe is 'n onvervangbare bron van inligting oor gebeure in veral die eerste helfte van die vorige eeu (1907-1963). Ek het oor die eerste gepubliseerde weergawe hiervan (1930-1962) geskryf (SêNet, 10-14.09.2012). Astor was die eerste vrou wat in die Britse parlement, House of Commons, sitting gehad het (1919-1945). As kritiese waarnemer was Nicolson ook daar. Hy het nie 'n hoë dunk van haar as parlementariër gehad nie.
In 1945, dus teen die einde van Astor se openbare lewe, skryf Nicolson oor wat in die parlement gebeur het: "Then Nancy got up. For once she had got some notes in her hand, but each note suggested an idea and each idea some other idea, and then that reminded her of a story her nurse had once told her in [die Amerikaanse staat] Virginia [waar sy gebore is] and how little, now she came to think of it, the British Press knew about Virginia although Sir Walter Raleigh had colonised it and how odd that Raleigh was less known in England than in the United States although we knew all about Philip Sidney [1554-1586] not the VC of course such a nice young man and the best type of Conservative although she herself was not a Conservative really although her husband was and nor was Winston [Churchill, 1874-1965] really since he had been a Liberal once and oh yes she must tell them about Winston she had asked him why he was so cold to her when she first entered the House and he had said because I feel you have come into my bathroom and I have only a sponge with which to defend myself not that she had forgiven Winston we had all forgiven Winston but it was really the merchant navy which had done the great deeds where should we be without the merchant navy now in Plymouth [haar kiesafdeling, wat groot skade in die Tweede Wêreldoorlog gely het].
At that stage Waldorf [Astor (1879-1952), haar tweede eggenoot], who was sitting beside her, gave a slight tug to her dress. 'Now, where was I?' she said looking at her notes. 'Oh yes ...' and then she started again. This was perhaps the last speech she would make in the House of Commons and she had a favour to ask Winston [toe die eerste minister], would he please make her a peer, as she would wake up the House of Lords [die hoër wetgewende vergadering] as she had woken up the House of Commons, and Philip [Kerr] Lothian [1882-1940] always used to say ... At which came another tug from Waldorf, so strong that Nancy sat down suddenly with an expression of pained surprise. I suppose her rambling is amusing, but it rather saddens me, as I like her, and I wish that she would not make quite such an idiot of herself in public" (Harold Nicolson, Diaries and letters, 1939-1945, London: Collins, 1967, p 451).
Die voorafgaande dien as illustrasie van wat Nicolson reeds in 1943 oor Nancy Astor geskryf het: "She has one of those minds that work from association to association, and therefore spreads sideways with extreme rapidity ... It was like playing squash with a dish of scrambled eggs" (p 285).
In die Wikipedia is daar 'n uitstekende artikel oor Astor, hoewel nog net kennis geneem is van 'n resensie oor die biografie wat ek volgende keer gaan bespreek. Ek volstaan met wat oor Astor-aanhalings in die Wikipedia geskryf is. "Lady Astor is nearly as famous for her scathing wit as she is for her political career. Many of the best-known quotations attributed to her are indicative of her personal and political views, such as feminism, temperance and conservatism; others are merely humorous. However, because she is known for her wit, statements are sometimes attributed to her without conclusive proof that she actually said them. Examples of statements that have been attributed to her include:
* I married beneath me. All women do.
* I refuse to admit that I am more than fifty-two, even if that does make my sons illegitimate.
* In passing, also, I would like to say that the first time Adam had a chance he laid the blame on a woman.
* My vigour, vitality, and cheek repel me. I am the kind of woman I would run from.
* One reason why I don't drink is because I wish to know when I am having a good time.
* Pioneers may be picturesque figures, but they are often rather lonely ones.
* Real education should educate us out of self into something far finer; into a selflessness which links us with all humanity.
* The main dangers in this life are the people who want to change everything ... or nothing.
* The only thing I like about rich people is their money.
* The penalty for success is to be bored by the people who used to snub you.
* Women have got to make the world safe for men since men have made it so darned unsafe for women.
* We women talk too much, but even then we don't tell half what we know.
* Jakie [haar seun, 1918-2000], is it my birthday or am I dying? (Seeing all her children assembled at her bedside in her last illness.)
However, by far the most famous quotations attributed to her are taken from alleged exchanges between her and Winston Churchill, though, like the statements above, these are not well documented and may be misattributed. Examples include an instance in which Churchill is supposed to have told Lady Astor that having a woman in Parliament was like having one intrude on him in the bathroom [derde paragraaf hierbo], to which she retorted, 'You're not handsome enough to have such fears.' Lady Astor is also said to have responded to a question from Churchill about what disguise he should wear to a masquerade ball by saying, 'Why don't you come sober, Prime Minister?' Possibly the most famous of all such anecdotes reports that Lady Astor said to Churchill, 'If you were my husband, I'd poison your tea,' to which he responded, 'Madam, if you were my wife, I'd drink it!'"
Johannes Comestor
Kommentaar
Shaaim huh...die arme Ingelse vrou...verwese, tog was daar darem Maggie, al het sy nou ook gedood aan vrotbreinsindroom, net soos Ronnie bv, sy was darem op haar tyd die enigste man in Ingeland...en kyk nou Kate...shaaim, steek sleg af by die SA juffer in Monaco...