An eagle-eyed - and literary - reader has written in to say that we were 'both a little bit harsh and a little bit generous' to Arizona lawyer Richard Grand recently. After suggesting that we should 'let the man speak for himself', we cited - among other quotations from Mr Grand - 'strike from the calendar dead yesterday and unborn tomorrow' and 'turn down an empty glass' (see [2005] Gazette, 13 October, 12). We then concluded that 'it must be the desert heat'.


Ian McLeod, visiting fellow in law at the University of Teesside, wrote in to say that 'neither of these quotations sits comfortably under the label of "let the man speak for himself"'. Although described as 'Richard Grand's thoughts for law students', the first is closely based on, and the second, taken directly from Edward FitzGerald's version of The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám (2nd edition, 1868). In stanza 59, it says:



'Ah, but my Computations, People say,

Have squared the Year to human Compass, eh?

If so, by striking from the Calendar

Unborn To-morrow and dead Yesterday';



And later in stanza 110, we find:



'And when Yourself with silver Foot shall pass

Among the Guests Star-scatter'd on the Grass

And in your joyous Errand reach the Spot

Where I made One - turn down an empty Glass.'



Mr McLeod concludes that 'overall, therefore, while recognising that Omar Khayyám himself would be no stranger to "the desert heat", is it not both a little harsh to criticise the quality of Mr Grand's expression, which is truly, if everybody had their own, Fitzgerald's: and a little generous to fail to take him to task for not citing his sources?'