Treachery

Today is the day a man whose name, in America, is synonymous with the word traitor was born.  The name is Benedict Arnold.  The date was January 14, 1741.  Isaac Newton Arnold, in his “Benedict Arnold: his patriotism and his treason”, tells of the approach to capturing and handling Arnold, after his treachery had become known.  In a note to the text, Isaac Arnold draws on Sir Walter Scott to help illustrate a point.

‘…Had Arnold been captured in battle his execution would have been summary and prompt, and by his own treacherous conduct at West Point he was estopped from complaining of any falsehood or treachery practiced upon him.  But would it not have been more in accordance with our highest ideal of Washington – an ideal of almost immaculate nobility and excellence – if this kidnapping and gagging business, a scheme to be accomplished by treachery and breach of trust, had been left to the provost-marshal? ¹

In Washington’s instructions to LaFayette, when the latter was sent to Virginia to act against Arnold, he was told “You are to do no act whatever with Arnold that directly or by implication may screen him from the punishment due to his treason and desertion, which if he should fall into your hands, you will execute in the most summary way”….’

Note:

1        1) Perhaps from an American standpoint, even this criticism may be thought over-nice.  Arnold was, to the army he had deserted, an outlaw:  and a sanction of the proposed abduction of higher authority than that of Sir Walter Scott might be found, when he says:

“The beast of game,

The privilege of chase may claim.

…

Though space, and law the stag we lend,

E’er hound we slip, or bow we bend,

Who ever recked, where, how, and when,

The prowling fox was trapped or slain?”

Order of the Templar Approved

"Tush," said the Abbot, "thou canst tell us if thou wilt. This reverend brother has been all his life engaged in fighting among the Saracens for the recovery of the Holy Sepulchre; he is of the order of Knights Templars, whom you may have heard of; he is half a monk, half a soldier."

Sir Brian de Bois-Guilbert is Walter Scott's Templar character in "Ivanhoe".  On January 14, 1129 the Order of the Templar was approved at the Council of Troyes, which was called by Pope Honorius II.

The Red Rover

According to John Buchan, Scott "had a regular gift of eliciting what was worthiest in a man...".    In addition to the many real life characters Scott appreciated, he read other writer's works voaciously.  In 1828, we find him engaged in James Fenimore Cooper's "The Red Rover" (from Scott's Journal).

January 14.—I read Cooper's new novel, The Red Rover; the current of it rolls entirely upon the ocean. Something there is too much of nautical language; in fact, it overpowers everything else. But, so people once take an interest in a description, they will swallow a great deal which they do not understand. The sweet word "Mesopotamia" has its charm in other compositions as well as in sermons. He has much genius, a powerful conception of character, and force of execution. The same ideas, I see, recur upon him that haunt other folks. The graceful form of the spars, and the tracery of the ropes and cordage against the sky, is too often dwelt upon.