Bolingbroke [SecState 🇬🇧] didnt know #IsaacNewton…& now Newton was staring him directly in the eye. Only a few men in all of Christendom had the kidney for a staredown w/Bolingbroke, & Bolingbroke had thought he knew all of them.
This was Bolingbroke's 1st significant encounter w/Newton & his 1st hint Newton was at the Royal Mint for Reasons That Were Not Obvious.
Fiddling w/his snuff-box gave B. a pretext to break contact w/Newton’s blood-freezing glare.
#BaroqueCycle
#SystemOfTheWorld

Between Black Mary’s Hole & Sir John Oldcastle’s, North of London
DAWN, 18 JUNE 1714

“Sergeant Shaftoe,” said the old man, “I do pity the Grim Reaper on the day that he shall finally come for you in earnest. I fear you’ll use him so roughly that he shall have to go on holiday for a fortnight.”
#SystemOfTheWorld #baroquecycle

DANIEL WATERHOUSE: I heard Blackbeard standing on the poop of Queen Anne’s Revenge, calling for me by name.
[For the first time, Peter Hoxton was taken aback]
DW: As you see, I am insane—best leave me alone.
PETER "SATURN" HOXTON: Concerning Mr Teach, I shall make inquiries among the Black-guard.
[The next time Daniel dared to look over his shoulder, Saturn had vanished.]
#SystemoftheWorld

@selzero, this strongly resembles the bukkerrad (sp?), a device described in the novel "The System Of The World" by Neal Stephenson. #NealStephenson #SystemOfTheWorld