A Good Word for the Vicar of Bray
Encyclopedia
"A Good Word for the Vicar of Bray" is an essay
by the English author
George Orwell
. In it Orwell encourages the public-spirited action of planting trees, which may well make up for the harm people do in their lives. The essay was first published in Tribune
on 26 April 1946.
In 1936, Orwell took the lease of a cottage at Wallington, Hertfordshire
and moved in by 2 April, two months before his marriage. It was a very small cottage called the "Stores" with almost no modern facilities in a tiny village. He needed somewhere quiet to work on The Road to Wigan Pier
, and as well as writing, he spent hours regenerating the garden.
In the preceding ten years Orwell had seen numerous changes of political affiliation in the ideological battlegrounds of socialism, fascism, capitalism, Trotskyism and Stalinism within the wider context of the Spanish Civil War
and World War II
. Orwell discussed these more specifically in his more political essays such as "Second Thoughts on James Burnham
".
church yard. Orwell then quotes two examples, one of murder and the other of adultery, where the perpetrators left something that could be appreciated after their deaths. Thibaw
, last king of Burma, decapitated seventy or eighty of his brothers on his accession, but planted Tamarind
trees in Mandalay
, and Mrs Overall, wife of Dean Overall
was a wanton but was commemorated in an entertaining poem about her - "The Shepherd Swaine" by John Aubrey.
Orwell then makes a plea in favour of tree-planting. Ten years previously he had bought a job-lot of various plants from a nursery and he notes how they have flourished and will hopefully be appreciated in years to come. Therefore planting a tree is a good way of atoning for misdeeds.
Essay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
by the English author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
George Orwell
George Orwell
Eric Arthur Blair , better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English author and journalist...
. In it Orwell encourages the public-spirited action of planting trees, which may well make up for the harm people do in their lives. The essay was first published in Tribune
Tribune (magazine)
Tribune is a democratic socialist weekly, founded in 1937 published in London. It is independent but supports the Labour Party from the left...
on 26 April 1946.
Background
The Vicar of Bray is a song about a 17th century cleric who changed his religious views from one extreme to another according to the government of the time in order to retain his living.In 1936, Orwell took the lease of a cottage at Wallington, Hertfordshire
Wallington, Hertfordshire
Wallington is a small village and civil parish in the county of Hertfordshire, near the town of Baldock. Nearby villages include Rushden and Sandon.-George Orwell:...
and moved in by 2 April, two months before his marriage. It was a very small cottage called the "Stores" with almost no modern facilities in a tiny village. He needed somewhere quiet to work on The Road to Wigan Pier
The Road to Wigan Pier
The Road to Wigan Pier is a book by the British writer George Orwell, first published in 1937. The first half of this work documents his sociological investigations of the bleak living conditions amongst the working class in Lancashire and Yorkshire in the industrial north of England before World...
, and as well as writing, he spent hours regenerating the garden.
In the preceding ten years Orwell had seen numerous changes of political affiliation in the ideological battlegrounds of socialism, fascism, capitalism, Trotskyism and Stalinism within the wider context of the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Orwell discussed these more specifically in his more political essays such as "Second Thoughts on James Burnham
Second Thoughts on James Burnham
"Second Thoughts on James Burnham" is an essay first published in 1946 by the English author George Orwell...
".
Summary
Orwell notes that the Vicar of Bray has a very poor reputation because of his political opportunism, but yet he left two positive legacies - an entertaining song and a giant yew tree which he is said to have planted in BrayBray, Berkshire
Bray, sometimes known as Bray on Thames, is a village and civil parish in the English county of Berkshire. It stands on the banks of the River Thames, just south-east of Maidenhead. It is famous as the village mentioned in the song The Vicar of Bray...
church yard. Orwell then quotes two examples, one of murder and the other of adultery, where the perpetrators left something that could be appreciated after their deaths. Thibaw
Thibaw Min
Thibaw Min was the last king of the Konbaung dynasty of Burma . His reign ended when Burma was defeated by the forces of the British Empire in the Third Anglo-Burmese War, on 29 November 1885, prior to its official annexation on 1 January 1886....
, last king of Burma, decapitated seventy or eighty of his brothers on his accession, but planted Tamarind
Tamarind
Tamarind is a tree in the family Fabaceae. The genus Tamarindus is monotypic .-Origin:...
trees in Mandalay
Mandalay
Mandalay is the second-largest city and the last royal capital of Burma. Located north of Yangon on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, the city has a population of one million, and is the capital of Mandalay Region ....
, and Mrs Overall, wife of Dean Overall
John Overall (Bishop)
John Overall was the 38th bishop of the see of Norwich from 1618 until his death one year later. He had previously served as Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield , as Dean of St Pauls Cathedral from 1601, as Master of Catharine Hall from 1598, and as Regius Professor of Divinity at Cambridge...
was a wanton but was commemorated in an entertaining poem about her - "The Shepherd Swaine" by John Aubrey.
Orwell then makes a plea in favour of tree-planting. Ten years previously he had bought a job-lot of various plants from a nursery and he notes how they have flourished and will hopefully be appreciated in years to come. Therefore planting a tree is a good way of atoning for misdeeds.
Extracts
Still, it might not be a bad idea, every time you commit an anti-social act, to make a note of it in your diary, and then, at the appropriate season, push an acorn into the ground. And even if one in twenty of them came to maturity, you might do quite a lot of harm in your lifetime, and still like the Vicar of Bray, end up as a public benefactor after all.