Welcome to the third installment of our brand new Tale for Our Time, written by G K Chesterton in 1914 and contemplating an England in which the elites make common cause with Islam. Imagine that!
In tonight's episode, Joan encounters again the shabby little Islamic scholar with the theory that all English pub names are Muslim in origin. Only now, the little fellow is "the Prophet of the Moon" and extremely fashionable with the intellectual class. He is "still in a red fez but in a brilliantly new black frock coat and every appearance of prosperity":
"He lectured at our Ethical Society," whispered Miss Browning, "on the word Alcohol. Just on the word Alcohol. He was perfectly thrilling. All about Arabia and Algebra, you know, and how everything comes from the East. You really would be interested."
"I am interested," said Lady Joan.
"Everything comes from the East" - as, within weeks of 9/11, all the smart set were agreed. And by "everything" we don't merely mean the excitable lads with a tendency to shriek "Allahu akbar!" just before they self-detonate, but everything, really.
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Thank you for all your kind words on this latest entry to our series. My fellow Ontarian Dan, a First Year Founding Member of The Mark Steyn Club, writes from the shores of Georgian Bay (where two of my kids spent a rather rainy couple of days this month) re "everything coming from the East":
Did you know that the 'great muslim astronomers' who gave Arabic names to stars were actually pagan star-cultists (Sabians, Salians or some such) who were forced to publish under Arabian names (as was always the norm)? They were so useful they partially escaped 'conversion or death'.
'Arab physicians' were Nestorian Christians who inherited the medical wisdom of Roman Army physicians and ran the largest teaching hospital on the planet. Oh well, tell that to Ridley Scott.
A bit OT but, The Saracens Head Pub in Old Amersham UK is excellent, with both food and accommodation and a great destination after a cross country ramble or up the Misbourne Valley. Plus you can take the train back all the way to Marylebone if so inclined. One of our faves.
But, as Chesterton's Prophet of the Moon says, the Saracen's Head is an obvious contraction of "The Saracen is ahead" - which under Two-Tier Keir, is unarguable.
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