Henry V

London, England Visited November 1997

I’ve made two visits to Westminster Abbey but have never put one of the notables buried in the cathedral into this blog because they never let me take pictures in the cathedral. My typical policy: no picture, no post. But I’ve lifted the ban because there are some great stories to be told.  And I've got a cheesy picture of me in front of the church verifying my visit. 

I’ve decided to begin with King Henry V, mostly because of an unexpected 24-hour Henry-fest that my brother and I took in cold, rainy Londtontown back in 1997. But first some bio.





Laurence Olivier as
Henry V

The man who became Henry V was born in Wales as Henry of Monmouth in 1386. His father was King Henry IV of the House of Lancaster. In the convoluted world of the British monarchy young Henry’s cousin Richard II was king during his youth. Henry IV was exiled and Henry V was actually a ward of Richard II when his father Henry IV led an uprising against Richard II leading to an overthrow of the monarchy. This established Henry IV on the throne and made Henry V Prince of Wales. You might need to read that again to follow the plot.




Contrary to Shakespeare's take, Henry V had already distinguished himself as a soldier in his teenage years – a trait that would define the entirety of his life. At the age of 16 during the Battle of Shrewsbury he was shot in the face with an arrow. It stuck and the extraction left him with a significant scar. Henry ascended to the throne upon his father’s death in 1413. History seems to portray Henry as a strong but politically balanced sovereign, who demonstrated an ability to decisively put down potential rebellions while building a stable and prosperous regime.




Ian McKellan as Henry V

Henry V praying at Agincourt

But it is Henry’s foreign policy that he is most known for – specifically his nearly obsessive intentions to conquer France. Henry felt he had a sovereign right to rule France and set about campaigning (militarily) to that end. His military career is ultimately defined by his victory over the French at the Battle of Agincourt. Agincourt is a remarkable victory by any standards. At the time of the battle the English army was decimated by sickness and malnutrition. While troop estimates vary widely most reliable numbers indicate that going into battle the French forces outnumbered the British 4 or 5 to 1. It should have been a slaughter. But almost miraculously the English crushed the superior French forces on the field. In fact the victory was so decisive that scholars generally estimate that the French casualties outnumbered the English by a ratio of 9 to 1!




Christopher Plummer as
Henry V



Richard Burton as
Henry V

 


Kenneth Branagh as
Henry V

Eventually Henry was able to use Agincourt and other victories to establish his claim as regent of France. His legitimacy was cemented with his marriage to Katherine of Valois, the French King’s daughter. However, even with titular rule over France, Henry never stopped trying to extend his actual power on the continent. On a campaign in 1422 Henry became ill and died at the age of 35. He was brought back to London and buried in Westminster Abbey. The next in line for the throne was his infant son Henry VI. But the regency in place during Henry VI 's youthful reign largely squandered Henry V’s conquests and the monarchy stayed in decline until the reign of Henry VIII.

Michael Sheen as Henry V from the playbill
for the Fall 1997 RSC production

Your blogger at the
Globe Theatre

The 24 Hour Henry-a-Thon. My brother John and I were in London for a few days in November 1997. We decided to take an afternoon tour of the Globe Theatre on the south side of the Thames, which had been rebuilt on the original site. Taking a tour gave us a jones for Shakespeare, so we found a pay phone and called up the Royal Shakespeare Company and found out they were doing a performance of “Henry V” that night.

We bought two back row tickets by phone, then realized that we needed to get to the other side of the Thames, which meant crossing the Tower Bridge. Leaving the theatre we were confronted by a mob of people – it was the night that the Royal Yacht Britannia was decommissioned and sailed for the last time out of the city. After fighting through the crowds we crossed the Bridge and made it to the Barbican Theatre where the performance was to take place.



We went up to get our tickets and were told that there were two second row seats we could have instead of our last row seats. Snagging them, we sat down in our seats and proceeded to be blown away by an a amazing performance featuring Michael Sheen (who later played Tony Blair in ‘The Queen’ and David Frost in “Frost/Nixon”) in the title role. 

Ticket from the play

It was the first time I'd seen the play and it has been my favorite Shakespeare ever since. Kenneth Branagh's 1989 film version is a must see.  His St Crispin's Day (Band of Brothers) speech is one of the most stirring rallying cries you'll ever see on film. 

''We few, we happy few, we band of brothers'

A little-known extra benefit is watching Branagh carry a fifteen year old Christian Bale over his shoulder at the end of the movie.   

Your blogger at Westminster

Being in London, it only made sense to make a pilgrimage to Henry's final resting place. So, the next afternoon we headed to Westminster Abbey. It so happens that Henry’s crypt was in the midst of a restoration so it was hard to see it, but I was there. And that’s what makes Henry V a great subject for this blog.

Henry V tomb in Westminster Abbey

The tomb of Henry V is prominently located
behind the royal Coronation Chair

John Adams

Quincy, MA    Visited February 2013

Adams 1798 portrait by John Singleton
Copley

During President’s Month I providentially found myself in Boston, which gave me the opportunity to visit the grave of one of my favorite presidents – Founding Father and second chief executive of the United States, John Adams. In looking over the totality of his varied life it might be said that John Adams more than any other single figure epitomized the founding and establishing of the United States. After offering a brief bio sketch I’ll make that case.

John Adams was born October 30, 1735 outside of Boston in Quincy, MA. Adams was a descendent of the Puritans who established the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The Adams clan was socially prominent but middle class and John grew up with a deep appreciation for his family. He attended Harvard College, and eventually settled on a career in law. In 1764 just short of his 29th birthday he married Abigail Smith; their close and storied marriage lasted 54 years till Abigail’s death in 1818. The Adams union produced six children, four of whom lived to adulthood.


His career highlights include a prominent role in the Continental Congress, co-writing the Declaration of Independence, serving as representative of the Congress to France and other European countries during the Revolutionary War. He was first ambassador of the United States to England. Adams was two-time vice president under George Washington and held office as the second President of the United States from 1796-1800, when he became the first official resident of the newly constructed White House. Following his defeat to Thomas Jefferson, John Adams retired to his home and family in Quincy. Through the next quarter century he wrote both formally and informally on the nature of government and the meaning of the American Revolution. As is well known, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826, fifty years to the day after the ratification of the Declaration of Independence. John Adams was nearly ninety-one when he died. He was buried alongside his wife in Hancock Cemetery in Quincy but was later moved to a specially built crypt across the street in the newly constructed United First Parish Church.

Farmers and Evans in the Adams Pew -
all ready for the preachin'

I said above the case can be made that John Adams may be the most influential Founding Father. What puts him at the head of the class? Here’s my argument?

• John Adams is the quintessential colonist – descendent of the Puritans who founded Massachusetts. Though he later adopted more of a Unitarian religious philosophy, his Puritan roots made him advocate the role of the Bible and the honor of God in moral and public affairs.
• He was an integral figure in two of the key events leading up to the American Revolution. Adams stood at the forefront of the opposition of the Stamp Act in 1765, and in doing so developed the argument that framed the ‘no taxation without representation’ stand giving political basis to the American Revolution. In 1770 he stood against public outcry and successfully defended the British soldiers accused of the Boston Massacre, thereby demonstrating that the rule of law in a democratic society was possible.



Drafting the Declaration of Independence with
Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson

• During the Continental Congress John Adams was perhaps the key political whip for the writing and ratification of the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson later said that Adams was "the pillar of [the Declaration's] support on the floor of Congress, its ablest advocate and defender against the multifarious assaults it encountered." Additionally, John Adams' writing and thinking on the role of government were very influential in the framing of the United States Constitution. No other person played such prominent roles in the development of both founding documents.
• John Adams is the only Founding Father to hold the top two executive offices – he was at the center of the formation of the presidency as it came into being. He also had a hand in the shaping of the Supreme Court by nominating John Marshall as chief justice. Marshall is generally considered to be the architect of the role of the judiciary in the balance of powers.
• Unlike many of the Founding Fathers (including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson) Adams never owned a slave and maintained a principled conviction against slavery throughout his life.  His opposition to slavery was passed down to his son John Quincy who, until his death in 1848 was the leading abolition voice in Congress.
• Adams' roles as minister and ambassador in Europe both during and after the war helped establish the sovereignty of the United States as an independent country.
• John Adams' quarter century of influence into the 1800’s allowed him and his family to continue to play a role in the formation of the new republic. His son, John Quincy Adams was sixth president of the United States and had a 52 year career as a major political force before, during and after his presidency.  His grandson Charles Francis Adams was ambassador to England during the Civil War under Abraham Lincoln, and helped keep Great Britain neutral during the war.

Copley portrait in 1824, two
years before Adam's death

Not as diverse as Benjamin Franklin, but more politically effective. Not as brilliant as Thomas Jefferson, but more consistent with his political and moral actions. Not the leader like George Washington, but involved earlier in the cause and more intellectually influential. His impact on key events leading up to, during and following the American Revolution, his espoused political philosophy which profoundly shaped the first century of our nation’s history, and the three generations of prominent leaders in the Adams clan make a compelling case for John Adams at the head of the class of Founding Fathers.

I do have a favorite John Adams moment. In his magisterial biography, David McCullough tells a great story about John Adams and Ben Franklin traveling to meet with British General Howe and stopping overnight at an inn. To save money they shared a room and a bed, but debated over whether it was healthier to keep the windows open or closed due to their differing germ theories. As McCullough writes,

‘So the two eminent bedfellows lay side by side in the dark, the window open, Franklin expounding, as Adams remembered, ‘upon air and cold and respiration and perspiration, with which I was so amused that I soon fell asleep.’ (John Adams, 153)

McCullough's work is outstanding history and was made into outstanding historic drama with Paul Giamatti in the title role.  Here's one of my favorite scenes - John Adams' speech in favor of the Declaration of Independence.

Adams statue across the street from United
First Parish Church

I had the chance to visit John Adam’s grave just a few days before writing this post. I was up in Boston speaking at Crossway Church. My wife Jill went with me because the pastor of the church, Bauer Evans and his wife Linda are dear friends. On Saturday after finishing a seminar we were eating lunch and planning to head into Boston for the afternoon. I knew that Adams was buried in the Quincy area so I did a little Google search and realized that he was buried with Abigail and John Quincy and his wife Louisa in the basement crypt of the United First Parish Church in the center of town. We arrived there and wandered around the church trying to find a way in. I finally found a doorbell and it was answered by a member of the church who had just stopped in to get something. After some begging on my part she agreed to let us down to look at the crypt. It's in the basement, a low ceiling stone room with four stone vaults side by side. Though it is in the church basement the crypt is not owned by the church, but by a separate trust set up by the Adams family.

Your blogger with JA

Looking across the crypt from the John
Quincy side

Memorial plaque outside the crypt

One odd thing is that across a hall from the crypt is a door that leads to church classrooms. I’m trying to picture little kids going down to their class for Sunday School passing by the crypt with their teachers reminding them to ‘wave to the presidents’ as they walk by. It is definitely worth a trip to see.

Joe Louis

Arlington, VA       Visited November 2012

Joe Louis was the first African-American athelete whose popularity crossed racial barriers. In a career spanning the period through World War II, Louis came to symbolize the determination of the American will to win.

Joe Louis Barrow was born May 1914 in Lafayette, Alabama. Little is known about his childhood other than that he was born to poor parents who were both former slaves. His father was committed to a mental institution and never knew of his son’s success. In 1926 Louis’ family experienced threats by the Klu Klux Clan and migrated north to Detroit. As a youth Joe began to visit a local recreation center where his interest in boxing was stimulated. He fought his first amateur fight at the age of 17 in 1932 (which he lost to a future Olympic champion), and changed his name to simply Joe Louis in order to hide his fighting from his mother. Louis turned pro in July 1934 after posting an amateur record of 50-4 with 43 knockouts.

Great boxing shot

Fighting from the get-go as a heavyweight Joe Louis quickly established himself as a force in boxing, though racial prejudice worked against his pursuit of the title. His first significant victory was in June 1935 over the hulking former champion Primo Carnera. Three months later he defeated former champ Max Baer (who had lost his title to James ‘Cinderella Man’ Braddock in June 1935), establishing himself as the number one heavyweight contender. With a record of 27-0 Louis sought to prime himself for the title shot with a tune up fight in June 1936 against aging former champion Max Schmeling. But Louis trained poorly for the fight and he was knocked out by Schmeling in twelve rounds.



It seemed as if Joe Louis had lost his shot at the title. But a combination of boxing politics and growing antipathy toward Germans (as represented by Schmeling) played in Louis’ favor and he was eventually given a shot at the title now held by Braddock. On June 22, 1937, the two fought; while Braddock knocked Louis down in the first round Louis eventually overpowered the older Braddock and won in an eight round knockout becoming World Heavyweight Champion.



Joe Louis enjoying the coverage of his victory
over Max Schmeling

The stage was now set for the inevitable rematch with Max Schmeling. By the time the fight took place the Nazi Party was firmly in power in Germany and beginning to move toward war. The Nazi’s sought to use Schmeling as a propaganda tool, promising that they would use his winnings from the upcoming fight to build tanks. Thus the Louis-Schmeling rematch became far more than a sports event. Its political and racial implications played out on an international scale. On June 22, 1938, one year to the day after gaining the heavyweight championship “The Brown Bomber” demolished Max Schmeling in a two minute and four second onslaught. 

See the entire Louis-Schmeling fight here.

Love this war poster!

Joe Louis defended his title thirteen times before enlisting in the army in 1942. He never encountered combat and primarily spent his enlistment doing publicity and boxing exhibitions to inspire troops. But he also used his popularity to quietly influence army policy toward black enlisted men, including pressing to allow black candidates into Officers Training School. He rose to the rank of sergeant before being discharged in 1945.

By the time he left the service Joe Louis’ skills had begun to erode due to the sheer volume of fights in his amateur, pro and exhibition career. He was also severely in debt due to mismanagement of his earnings. Though he was still World Heavyweight Champion, the waning years of his career were largely spent fighting to stave off bankruptcy. After defeating Jersey Joe Walcott in two controversial fights Louis retired from boxing at the age of 35 in 1949. Due to his financial difficulties he was forced to come out of retirement in 1950 and fight for the title he vacated a little over a year earlier. He lost to Ezzard Charles and then was knocked out a year later by Rocky Marciano, ending his competitive boxing career. His professional record was 69-3 with 57 knockouts.

Remarkable photo of Rocky Marciano's knockout
of Joe Louis - effectively ending the
Brown Bomber's career



Louis on the links



Joe Louis’ post boxing career had highs and lows. He had taken up golf and gained sufficient proficiency that he was given a PGA exemption to become the first African American to play in a PGA tour event. But he was more than just a celebrity golfer; he worked to bring the first generation of black professional golfers onto the tour. However his later life was marked by continued financial problems, multiple divorces, eventual drug addiction and chronic health problems. Through it all he remained a sports icon.

Joe Louis and his old foe Max Schmeling

Joe Louis died at the age of 66 hours after making an appearance at the Larry Holmes-Trevor Berbick title fight in Las Vegas on April 12, 1981. President Ronald Reagan waived eligibility rules and Joe Louis was buried with full honors at Arlington National Cemetery. His old nemesis Max Schmelling had become his friend and benefactor and helped cover the costs of his funeral.  

I had the chance to visit Louis’ grave with my son Grant and nephew Craig as we were driving down to my mom’s house for Thanksgiving. Interestingly Joe Louis is buried to another celebrity soldier, the actor Lee Marvin.

Very cool sculpture of Joe Louis'
fist in Detroit

Me and my son Grant at Joe Louis' grave
at Arlington Cemetery

Jean Jacques Rousseau

Paris, France - Visited June 2009

Jean Jacques Rousseau was born June 1712 in Geneva, Switzerland.  His mother died shortly after his birth, and his father left home to avoid legal problems when he was 10. He was raised by his maternal uncle. After doing some biographical research I've decided to do this post along the theme of 'Calvinist/Not a Calvinist'.  Feel free to play along at home.

This picture has little to do with Rousseau, but its a great
shot of my beautiful wife at the Jet D'eau in Geneva

Calvinist.  Rousseau was born in Geneva, and to be in Geneva in the 18th Century meant you were a defacto Calvinist.  He spent two years boarding with a Calvinist and for a time considered whether he was called to the ministry. But he apparently had problems with doctrine of total depravity and found himself proselytized toward Catholicism. A relationship with an older woman who became his mistress complicated his late teens and early twenties, but it also introduced him to a world of ideas beyond his religious upbringing.   Hence, Not a Calvinist.





Rousseau worked a series of administrative posts through his twenties and early thirties which culminated with his arrival in Paris in 1744. During these years Rousseau fathered five children by a mistress, but had them all given up to a foundling hospital. There is no record of any of the children surviving to adulthood.  Therefore apparently Not a Calvinist (or a Catholic for that matter).

Early printing of Rousseau's
'Social Contract"

Rousseau began to engage in philosophical thinking and writing, initially focusing on music theory. He also worked on his own musical compositions, which were received well by the Paris musical establishment. But his ideas and his personality created controversy in Paris and in 1754 Rousseau returned to Geneva, requiring a reconversion (of sorts) to Calvinism to be allowed entrance to the city.  Once again A Calvinist.  However, his subsequent writing and lifestyle make it clear that his Calvinism was of his own peculiar orientation. Not being a reader of Rousseau, as near as I can tell his religious philosophy seemed to create opposition from Catholics, Protestants and Humanists. It was oppositional to Catholicism because it was anti-institutional. It was rejected by the Humanists because it avowed a view of God who was much more active and knowable than the prevailing deism of the time. Yet his rejection of original sin and other Gospel doctrines separated him from orthodox protestant Christianity.  Therefore, Not a Calvinist. 

Finding himself out of favor (and religiously condemned) Rousseau eventually found a patron in British philosopher David Hume, and from 1765-67 he lived in England. His mental health began to deteriorate; according to Hume, “He is plainly mad, after having long been maddish”. By 1770 Rousseau had returned to Paris, though for the remaining years of his life he was largely a recluse. His health deteriorating, Rousseau died while on a walk in July 1778. He was 66 years old. His autobiographical Confessions were published eight years after his death.  Based on them, clearly Not a Calvinist.

Jean Jacques in his furry cap stage

Final score:  Calvinist - 2; Not a Calvinist - 4. 

Historically speaking, Rousseau’s philosophy heavily influenced the leaders of the French Revolution and later, the moral/political philosophy of Immanuel Kant. I wish I could give a nice, tidy description of Rousseau’s philosophy, but I couldn’t wrap my brain around it without doing far more study than is worth it to write this blog.  An odd but short and low budget animated explanation of Rousseau's philosophy can be viewed here.  For a bit more on Rousseau's impact on philosophy, government and ethics check out this five minute overview.




Historian Kingsley Martin summarized Rousseau's influence in this way,

"In truth," Rousseau was a genius whose real influence cannot be traced with precision because it pervaded all the thought that followed him....Men will always be sharply divided about Rousseau: for he released imagination as well as sentimentalism;; he increased men’s desire for justice as well as confusing their minds , and he gave the poor hope even though the rich could make use of his arguments. In one direction at least Rousseau’s influence was a steady one: he discredited force as a basis for the State, convinced men that authority was legitimate only when founded in rational consent and that no arguments from passing expediency could justify a government in disregarding individual freedom or in failing to promote social equality




Statue of Rousseau in his birthplace of Geneva

The following brief quote seems to be a decent summary of the understanding of human nature that Rousseau built his life and philosophy upon.

“Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains.”

Rousseau's tomb in the crypt below the Pantheon in Paris

Your blogger at the Pantheon

Jean Jacques Rousseau was eventually buried with hero honors in the Pantheon in Paris. His tomb is in the underground crypt along with Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, Voltaire and other French notables. I visited the Pantheon during my 25th wedding anniversary.  Jill was very kind to let me check it out and enjoyed the beautiful sunny day while watching a protest march from the steps of the Pantheon. It’s an incredible building – the French equivalent to Westminster Abbey. Well worth a stop if you’re in the City of Lights.

Walter "Big Train" Johnson

Rockville, MD         Visited March 2012

Walter Johnson is considered to be one of the greatest pitchers in the early years of Major League Baseball. Nicknamed ‘the Big Train’, Johnson remains first all time in career shutouts, second all time in total wins, and in the top ten in career strikeouts, Known for a blazing fastball and gentlemanly demeanor, he is one of five original inductees to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Walter Perry Johnson was born in 1887 on a farm in Humbolt, Kansas. His family moved to California in 1901 where his father worked in the oil industry. Johnson discovered baseball in high school and semi-pro leagues where his power arm led to great pitching success. He was signed by the Washington Nationals/Senators at the age of 19 in 1907. He pitched his first major league game August 2, 1907 against the first place Detroit Tigers. Young Detroit star Ty Cobb described his first encounter with Johnson this way.

Big Train and Georgia Peach -
could not have been more
different as players or people

"On August 2, 1907, I encountered the most threatening sight I ever saw in the ball field. He was a rookie, and we licked our lips as we warmed up for the first game of a doubleheader in Washington. Evidently, manager Pongo Joe Cantillon of the Nats had picked a rube out of the cornfields of the deepest bushes to pitch against us... He was a tall, shambling galoot of about twenty, with arms so long they hung far out of his sleeves, and with a sidearm delivery that looked unimpressive at first glance... One of the Tigers imitated a cow mooing, and we hollered at Cantillon: 'Get the pitchfork ready, Joe-- your hayseed's on his way back to the barn.'  ...The first time I faced him, I watched him take that easy windup. And then something went past me that made me flinch. The thing just hissed with danger. We couldn't touch him... every one of us knew we'd met the most powerful arm ever turned loose in a ball park."

Legendary sportswriter Grantland Rice gave Johnson the nickname ‘Big Train’, referring both to his stature (a relatively large for the time 6’1 and 200 lbs) and his fastball. While there was no technology in Johnson’s era capable of tracking pitch speed, Big Train was generally thought to have the top fastball in the game for most of his career – made even more intimidating by his ‘out of nowhere’ side-armed delivery. On his straightforward approach to pitching, Johnson would simply say, "I throw as hard as I can when I think I have to throw as hard as I can."



Walter Johnson statue at National's Park in
Washington DC - depicted with his side-
armed release

Walter Johnson’s career spanned 21 years, all with Washington, ending finally in 1927. His best year was 1913, when he went an astounding 36-7 with a 1.14 ERA and eleven shutouts – perhaps the greatest single season pitching performance in major league history. While over half of his seasons were spent on teams with losing records, he did have two trips to the World Series late in his career; in 1924 and 1925 (a loss). In 1924 the Senators beat the New York Giants in seven games. Johnson didn’t pitch well in the two games he started, losing both, but came on in relief and pitched four shutout innings to win Game Seven in extra innings.

The Big Train with President Calvin Coolidge

The Big Train retired just shy of the age of forty at the end of the 1927 season. Two years later Johnson was named manager of the Senators, a position he held for four years, all with winning records. His life was visited by tragedy in 1930 when his wife died relatively early in age. After another short stint as manager of the Cleveland Indians, Walter Johnson retired from baseball in the Washington DC area. He was elected Montgomery County, Maryland commissioner and ran unsuccessfully for congress. He died at the age of 59 in December 1946.  For a nice short video montage of Walter Johnston set to some heroic music check this out.

Walter Johnson's funeral at Washington National Cathedral



Your  blogger at the entrance to
Rockville Cemetery

Walter Johnson is buried in Rockville Cemetery (aka Union Armory Cemetery) in Rockville, MD. I had the chance to visit Johnson’s grave with my friend Andrew Kalvelage when I was teaching a class at the Sovereign Grace Ministries Pastor’s College. It’s a quaint old cemetery in a residential neighborhood. There’s nothing notable about Johnson’s grave, which meant we had to wander around the cemetery for a while before we stumbled upon it.

My buddy Andrew with Walter



Its not uncommon to see baseball's left on gravestones
 in tribute to ballplayers.  I'd love to know the story of
how this one found its way to Rockville Cemetery

To get a quirky take on the Big Train check out 'Walter Johnson' by proto-punk artist Jonathan Richman; including the fitting refrain,

“All through baseball he was loved and respected. Was there bitterness in Walter Johnson? It was never detected”

 

Big Train's Cooperstown plaque