an open letter

[angevin2]

Dear Self:

It would behoove you, as one who aspires to call herself a competent early modernist, to learn to tell the difference between the Basilikon Doron, the Eikon Basilike, and Eikonoklastes. As far as Eikonoklastes especially goes, there's no excuse for it. In particular, transposing any of these names in papers you've submitted to

Comments

[ajodasso]

If it comforts you, I'm not familiar with any of those.

[angevin2]

It's the sort of thing that would be an elementary mistake to reasonably well-versed early modernists, but unlikely to be common knowledge to people not specializing in Stuart England. I actually do know which is which: Basilikon Doron is James I's book of advice on kingship to his son, Prince Henry, Eikon Basilike is a book of meditations/royalist propaganda attributed to Charles I and published almost immediately after his execution, and Eikonoclastes is Milton's debunking of the Eikon Basilikon. I always mix up the names when writing/talking about them, though, for no good reason, and this afternoon realized that I did that in a paper I sent off to a Milton-studies conference, of all things... *headdesk*

[angevin2]

*tears hair*

I did it in the paper, actually. What's worse is that I actually meant to say Eikonoklastes, so I caused Milton to spin in his grave as well as looking stupid in front of the conference people. (Well, not actually in front of them, but you get the idea.)

I think the confusion of forms is the fault of Basilikon Doron, in all likelihood. Perhaps I should learn Greek. That would solve the problem, no doubt. ;)