suggestion for Question 2: I think it might hint at a "reform" of the
Established (i.e. Church of England) Church that would see it return to the
Catholic Church. Tolkien's opinion of the Anglican Church was at times stated
quite forcefully and in an uncomplimentary way. Details of early C of E
practice such as outlawing "fancy" singing (only one note per syllable, thank
you very much) make me think of the loss of a different sort of ornamentation
of the Great Hall.
A rotten cold and distance from most of my reference books prevents my
expressing this in a more coherent way, sorry :-( But I do think this might be
a better match than the VII
reforms.
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Do we find happiness so often that we should turn it off the box when it happens to sit there?
- A Room With a View
