Jack Havig does not know whether events are unchangeable but does know that his attempts were unsuccessful;
the Middle Ages seemed Oriental maybe just because the East has changed less (we remember the "prehistorically ancient kinship" (see here) that Manse Everard found in many periods);
Havig saw Caesar's legions in triumph in Rome, Viking ships in Oslo Fjord and Leonardo da Vinci working;
most of his experiences were superficial;
strange environments, language problems, danger of being arrested for not fitting in.
Kaor, Paul!
ReplyDeleteI recall how one of the most striking parts of David Hume's HISTORY OF ENGLAND was his narrative describing the antics of Henry VIII in his later years and how a cringing, servile Parliament was constantly reversing and contradicting itself as it tried to gratify his erratic whims. That too would probably have struck Jack Havig as very Oriental!
Sean