Men with a profile.

I also had a glance through a number of plays by Shakespeare before I found a suitable quotation to start with. I found this one :

A rather pretentious way to start a homepage, someone may think. However, I'm referring to reports on persons in history - or now living - who have said or made something beyond triviality. I'll start by giving you an example from the litterature.

A lapidary answer

The Swedish author Frans G. Bengtsson, reports exitingly in his essay" Laconicisms" about a letter in lapidary style, written by general Georg Karl von Doebeln to King Gustaf IV Adolph.

Since Sweden had abandonned Finland in 1808, general von Doebeln was sent to the Aaland islands in the winter 1808 - 1809 to organize the defence. A task he set about with usual energy. The resources were small, the ice lay feet deep from land to land, and the Russians made preparations for marching to Stockholm via Aaland. v. Doebeln had no troops, and he summonned fishermen and farmers to arms, drilled them and put them to saw up holes in the ice. Amongst all things he felt the loss of were capable officers. He then gave public notice that all pilots on the islands would serve as officers in his improvized force. A formal encroachment, about which an annoyed local Civil Servant sent in a humble report by sleigh to Stockholm. v. Doebeln, almost unconcerned about fomalities, on Aaland less than ever. The immediate need, and the peril of the native country, made him sections and regulations more secondary than ever.

On the contrary, so much more worried about formalities was H.M. in Stockholm: Sections and Regulations was to him the very pillar and groundwork for his existence, metaphysical foundations in his conception of the world. Anything else might perchance be upset; Sections and Regulations, never. His interest for things like that was meticulously highflown and unlimited; this was what he for excellent reasons understood. It is known, that during the war in Finland, only two royaI adresses arrived to the armed forces there. The first one arrived shortly after the skirmish at Siikajoki (16th April 1808, when the snow still lay deeply), containing a Royal decree about "The dressing of artillery officers when going to a ball"; the second one arrived at Torneo, containing a Royal decree about " How to take out the colour-gard at church parades".

In this mental condition the king red the report from Aaland, and he felt the world totter when confronted with such incredible things. The king immediately drafted a letter to v. Doebeln, where he strictly took the man to task: The Pilots on Aaland did not belong to the armed forces. They did not even belong to the Navy. The Pilots on Aaland reported to the Royal Pilotage Services, which was something quite different. And as v. Doebeln was not in charge of the Royal Pilotage Services, he had no authority appointing Pilots.

The kings letter was dispatched by courier. And the addressee, busy with arming and drilling men, cutting holes in the ice, and with a concerned eye in the direction of the enterprising Kulneff, studied it in due time. But v. Doebeln, he was not only a burning giant, a choleric and brilliant patriotic warrior, -- he was also a great royalist. This he showed somewhat later through the definition with which he blamed the events on 13th of March. Out of his feelings, confronted with the royal dispatch -- this furious touch between his steel and the kings flint -- flashed a few words expressing great agony in front of this power, which must, but could not be obeyed here. He wrote: