Thomas Aquinas, Carmelites and the book

Today is the feast day of the great scholastic theologian, St. Thomas Aquinas. He died  on his way to the Second Council of Lyons in 1274, following an accident in which he fell and struck his head against a tree.

In the Carmelite Order, however, there was a legend that some Carmelite friars poisoned him because he was going to use his influence at the Council to get the Order of Carmel suppressed. In fact, the Council granted the Carmelites time to prove their worthiness and they survived the threat. 

Since Thomas had his accident while on the road and stopped at a Benedictine abbey to be cared for and then at a Cistercian house, there is no reason to believe Carmelites were involved in his demise at all. 

But it makes a story and perhaps a refreshing change from the usual glorification of the religious of yore.

I woke feeling a bit lightheaded today and cancelled my tutoring. Instead I have done some work on the book, being heavy-headed enough for that. I think it may turn out a reasonable length. I am getting a grip on how to edit clever wordy bits that contribute nothing*, and I think the end result will still be interesting and entertaining. And so far, no Carmelites are threatening to hit me on the head and I am carefully avoiding Benedictines and Cistercians.

*There is an editorial principle attributed to William Faulkner: "In writing, you must kill all your darlings." The darlings being all those precious bits the author loves but that do not contribute anything substantial to the the whole.