Saturday 26 July 2014

Train tickets ‘In omnibus requiem quaesivi...’

Train tickets ‘In omnibus requiem quaesivi...’, notebook drawings 
by John Vernon Lord dated 1 June 1975 
and published in Drawn to Drawing, 2014, pages 126 & 127.

This includes a drawing of a rail ticket, which I used to do habitually at the beginning of most long train journeys in case I lost it. I would then have the evidence of having once owned such a ticket if I did lose it. One day I did indeed lose my ticket somehow and I showed the guard the drawing of the ticket as evidence. He was neither impressed nor amused, with the result that I had to buy a second ticket. Needless to say I don’t draw tickets anymore!

The complete Latin sentence by Thomas à Kempis is, “In omnibus requiem quaesivi, et nusquam inveni nisi in angulo cum libro”, meaning: “Everywhere I have sought peace and not found it, except in a corner with a book. ”  Another translation is: “I have sought tranquillity in everything but found it nowhere except in a corner with a book.”




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