Article content

It is a long time ago now, in the deep misty antiquity of the 1970s I think, when I heard Pierre Elliott Trudeau rise in the Commons and cite the endearing 17th-century author and doctor, Sir Thomas Browne. Perhaps some worthy squirrel of our Parliamentary page book, Hansard, can unearth the moment. It is beyond me and my secretary Google. But that Browne was the cited and Mr. Trudeau the citer flies from all doubt. I sent up a cheer to the black-and-white TV at the time, and cried: “a politician and a scholar!”

Despite his distance from us, Browne is a trove of ready reflection and present wisdom. No less than that splendid Falstaffian sage, Harold Bloom, king of the dwindling band of sane literary critics, finds his favourite wisdom quotation in Sir Thomas: “Life is a pure flame, and we live by an invisible sun within us.” Sweet and true.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Rex Murphy: Can Trudeau not resist ‘attack’ politics even over a murdered child? Back to video

Browne was a neighbourly man, of harmony and easy commerce with men and nature. He admired those little creatures, bees and ants, for their fellowship: “The civility of these little citizens more neatly sets forth the wisdom of their Maker.” His own regard for the practice and worth of civility breathes in everything he wrote and is finely set forth in his own inimitable words (who could not wish the following sentiment their own?): “I could never divide myself from any man upon the difference of an opinion, or be angry with his judgment for not agreeing with me in that, from which perhaps within a few days I should dissent myself.”