XPost: rec.arts.sf.written, rec.arts.books.tolkien   
   From: michael.stemper@gmail.com   
      
   In LotR, Book V, Chapter 8, Aragorn says (in part) the following to   
   Meriadoc:   
      
      [...] If your pack has not been found, then you must send for   
      the herb-master of this House. And he will tell you that he   
      did not know that the herb you desire had any virtues, but   
      that it is called _westmansweed_ by the vulgar, and _galenas_   
      by the noble, and other names in other tongues more learned,   
      and after adding a few half-forgotten rhymes that he does not   
      understand, he will regretfully inform you that there is none   
      in the House, and he will leave you to reflect on the history   
      of tongues. [...]   
      
   Whew! That's quite a sentence.   
      
   Is it possible that JRRT was indulging in a bit of self-mockery here,   
   given his main area of study, as well as one of his reasons for writing   
   LotR in the first place, was "the history of tongues"?   
      
   --   
   Michael F. Stemper   
   87.3% of all statistics are made up by the person giving them.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)