Caput III. Buchananus et Haddonus et Gloriana
by Michael Lambert
March 2023
Caput III. Buchananus et Haddonus et Gloriana
by Michael Lambert
March 2023
Eye… It is not so different from the olde times to nowe. Though Caesar hath changed the New Year from Kalendae Martiae to Kalendae Ianuariae; Mars remains the deus. He is busy. This month begins the campaigning season of men and arms. And, in the copse the hare runs to find a mate
Not all is well, for Mars has stolen a day from the coming month, to give him 31 days. And, Aphrodite, the dea of Kalendae Apriles, her tears of loss are Apru rains
The court at Hampton wakens from winter sleep. The last of the olde wine, the last of yester-year apples, be-gone; and poets sing new songs. A young queen is in the garden; all pay court to Gloriana
Queen Elizabeth was asked, …which of two poets did she prefer, Buchanan or Haddon? If the question were posed to you, you state your preference. If the same question is posed to a reigning sovereign… The Queen’s reply is …
…Buchananum omnibus antepono, Haddonum nemini postpono.
We will review the era’s political and religious context, and then parse Renaissance Latin
Mary Stuart departed Scotland age six. She returned to Scotland in 1561 a French king’s widow and Catholic, age 19. In 13 years of absence, Catholic Scotland had embraced Protestantism. Can Mary navigate her way through protestant Scotland?
In 1561, Elizabeth had been queen three years. England was gripped with fear. A Stuart queen with French allies may place her yet on the English throne. The claim was through her mother Margaret; elder sister to King Henry VIII. English soldiers were sent north and joined rebel protestant Scots. The campaign was inept. But diplomacy won for England what arms failed to do; the Treaty of Edinburg removed the French. Scotland had a Protestant church and a Protestant council. Mary Stuart did not sign the treaty
The assumption is the question posed was in Latin. Elizabeth replied in kind as courtesy demands. Further, the remainder of the quote we have this date was probably a longer sentence, with two ending phrases
Buchanan and Haddon, are referred to by their Latinized names, Buchananus and Haddonus. Each poet is the direct object of their respective phrase, Buchananum and Haddonum
Now, let us look at each phrase’s verb. Elizabeth uses the same verb for both phrases; pono is a third conjugation, transitive verb. The verb’s sense is; I put or I place. However, Elizabeth adds a twist to the verb’s sense, she used a prefix
Using the same verb, each with its own prefix, shades the sense with each phrase having equal weight and respect. Haddonus is English and Protestant and Buchananus is Scottish and Catholic (later adopting Protestantism). Each man wrote congratulatory poetry; Haddon wished Princess Elizabeth recovery from illness and Buchanan praised Mary Stuart in anticipation of her marriage
Finally, each phrase has a middle word, omnis is a third-declension adjective acting as an adverb, omnibus is in the plural with the sense; all. nemo is a pronoun, with the sense; nobody or no one. The pronoun is acting adverbially
The trick is equilibrium of the body politic. Here is a translation of the Queen’s speech…
…I prefer all [of] Buchanan, I esteem nobody [less than] Haddon