What ruin will we leave?
“Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair”… The words Percy Shelley places on Ozymandias’ pedestal are so easy to recall. They seem to hold a resonance that fits into so many spaces, places and times. They certainly came to mind when stopping to wander through this once-grand old home. Did the person who owned this ever ponder just what their lovely home would look like long after they were dead?
How many people have stared out this window?
There is an old tale written into the myths surrounding Alexander the Great and his meeting with the holy men of India. It seems that one of these wise men pointed out to Alexander that the only land that he could truly conquer was the land beneath his feet at any given point in time (poorly phrased but that is the gist of it). When wandering through a grand old home the truth of such sayings is amplified. For me, this particular home impacted more than many ancient castles and fortresses ever have. Perhaps it is that they are from a remote time past, while this house was full of the noise and concerns of humanity in the relatively recent past.
