1892 - Grindon, Leo H - Lancashire (3)
By Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2019-02-26. Revised by Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2019-02-26.
Allusion
The wilful neglect, not to say the reckless destruction of interesting old buildings that can be maintained, at no great cost, in fair condition and as objects of picturesque beauty, is, to say the least of it, unpatriotic. The possessors of fine old memorials of the [p. 304:] past are not more the possessors in their own right than trustees of property belonging to the nation, and the nation is entitled to insist upon their safe keeping and protection. The oaks of Sherwood, festooned with stories of Robin Hood and Maid Marian, are not more a ducal inheritance, than, as long as they may survive, every Englishman's by birthright. Architectural remains, in particular, when charged with historical interest, and that discourse of the manners and customs of "the lang syne," are sacred.[1]
Source notes
IRHB's brackets. The author's full name is Leopold Hartley Grindon.[2]
IRHB comments
There is no reason to think that the phrase "oaks of Sherwood" refers to any specific tree, but of all the oaks in sherwood those most closely connecte with Robin Hood are Robin Hood's Larder and the Major Oak.
Lists
- Not included in Dobson, R. B., ed.; Taylor, J., ed. Rymes of Robyn Hood: an Introduction to the English Outlaw (London, 1976), pp. 315-19.
- Outside scope of Sussex, Lucy, compil. 'References to Robin Hood up to 1600', in: Knight, Stephen. Robin Hood: A Complete Study of the English Outlaw (Oxford, UK; Cambridge, Massachusetts: Blackwell, 1994), pp. 262-88.
Sources
Background
Notes