In fact 'Love Day' was declared on 14 March, 1458 by King Henry VI (you can tell what my reading is just now) as a means of bringing the Kingdom together. It was about as successful in that enterprise as the Jubilee celebrations two weeks ago. A contemporary chronicler wrote:
Love has put out malicious governance,
In every place both free and bond,
In York, in Somerset as I understand,
In Warwick also is love and charity.
In Salisbury too and in Northumberland,
That every man may rejoice in concord and unity.
In every quarter love is thus laid,
Grace and wisdom have thus the domination,
At St. Paul's in London with great renown,
On our Lady Day in Lent this peace was wrought,
The King the Queen with lords many a one,
To worship that Virgin as they ought
Went in procession and spared right thought,
In sight of all the commonality,
In token that love was in heart and thought,
Rejoice England in concord and unity.
That must have raised a hollow laugh in many a cold hovel in the hamlets of England in 1458.In the divided kingdom of England in 2012 I can maybe see concord and unity breaking out in Somerset or Northumberland. But Warwick and Salisbury? Nah..
On the bright side.. Scotland get's independence in 2014.
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