Why warn against Mordaunt?

I had vaguely assumed that Athos and Aramis, having arrived in England at the tail-end of the Civil War, had served for several months in the King's army before the final surrender. But in fact the King describes them on that last morning as deux amis de huit jours que je n’oublierai jamais; apparently they have been in England for only about a week (in which case, to be honest, it is very surprising that he places such trust in them -- and astonishing that Aramis, who speaks English but unlike Athos has not lived there, is able to understand what is said to be the Lowland dialect of the sentry with whom he converses :-p)

The letter that Athos sends to d'Artagnan to say that they are in a very bad situation (and that his friend should assume that he is dead if no further word is heard for a space of two and a half months) must therefore have been written almost immediately when they arrived in England, which seems an improbably swift descent into despair; ( Read more... )

It cannot surely be merely because Mordaunt shouted "See you in England" after their boat as it rowed away?

Pricking out

I pricked out some of my rocket -- which has just about recovered from the caterpillar, though I found another caterpillar this morning on one of my newly-pricked-out pots of kale -- and coriander, which was getting very crowded even though I have been thinning it for culinary use. I have to say there wasn't a lot of root on the seedlings that I did remove...

I saw a ladybird this afternoon, and hope that it might show some interest in the blackfly, but even if it does produce larvae that will be far too little, too late. I strongly suspect the ants of 'farming' the blackfly on purpose :-(

( Rudbeckia and beetroot )

I am currently on strong antibiotics again due to another infected wound, which means adhering to a six-hour pill schedule -- and, as previously, does wonders for the regularity of my eating habits, since the pills have to be taken "on an empty stomach" at least one hour before food or two hours after. Which means, in effect, no eating between meals, and the meals have to take place at fairly evenly-spaced intervals.( The concerning thing is that it takes an outside imperative... )