Compact Size Quotes
Jefferson had designed a writing box for his granddaughter’s (Ellen Randolph) wedding gift but the ship carrying the gift to Boston went down at sea. As a replacement, Jefferson gave her his personal writing desk which he had used for over 50 years for almost all his writing including the Declaration of Independence. A 4to was a an extra large, oversize book. See {611676} for more on the desk
Lamennais, then a priest, was a passionate defender of religious freedom, defending the church from the authority of kings, nobles and other civil authorities. Ironically, this upset the conservative elements of the church who had a symbiotic relationship with the civil powers and Lamennais’ espousal of freedom of worship also threatened their control over how people worshipped. Ironically, Lamennais thought that he was defending the church and was so shocked when he learned that he had been denounced by the Pope that he renounced the church and became a civil publisher and politician.
