2

the country he loved without posturing by embodying its
ancient virtues: reliability, courage, dedication, and
service. Progress and achievement in his universe did not
require rejection of the past but drawing strength from it;
indeed, he considered a break with its past the greatest
calamity that can befall a nation. John quoted with approval a
sentence from antiquity: The Roman state rests on its ancient
customs and its heroes. Aspinall's heroes, he would say, were
the chieftains and kings who lost bravely to great empires.

"Had you lived six hundred years ago," I said to John
once, "you would have been a liege lord sallying forth from
your castle to right wrongs and undertake an occasional
conquest." "No," John replied, "I would have been in the front
row of my lord's followers, defending him with my broadsword."

John was very well read. He knew well enough that we live
in an age of consolidation and globalization. But he did not

3

feel obliged to accept all its manifestations. So he set about
to rescue the individual from homogenization and societies
from having their identity and history submerged by a
bureaucratic or technocratic quest for uniformity. And he
measured the significance of a battle by its purpose, not its
outcome.

Since John did not think that politics was his metier, he
concentrated his passion and activities on arresting, or at
least slowing down, the conscious destruction of the natural
systems on which depend the health of the planet that had
evolved by luck or by evolution over billions of years.

It is in this context that one needs to explain John's
love for wild animals. He did not treat them condescendingly
as pets, or anthropomorphically as analogous to human beings.
Rather, he viewed them as part of a creation in the process of
being destroyed by man's thoughtlessness and the havoc of

4
technology. Not religious in the formal sense, John was
profoundly spiritual in an ultimate meaning of the word. To
him, all creatures were reflections of a universal spirit
which each expressed in his or her individual and unique way.
It was that divine spark which he cherished in his animals.
They seemed to John to fulfill the qualities that made life
worth living: always true to themselves; never pretentious;
seeking at all times to fulfill their potential. And therefore
he devoted much of his fortune to treating the tigers,
elephants, gorillas, buffaloes, and many other species in his
unlikely refuges in Kent as respected guests, not prisoners.

Two weeks ago, I visited my friend to say goodbye. His
devoted wife Sally had warned me that he was often too frail
to recognize his visitors or to engage in conversation. But he
had rallied for the day. He lay in his study - shriveled,
covered by bandages, but alert and capable of the occasional

5

biting comment. Otherwise, he gave no sign that there was
anything unusual about the occasion. John spoke about the
despoliation of nature, the ravages of science, and his hope
that friends would support his family's effort to enable his
animals to lead lives of dignity. He held my hand and extended
his leg from his bed into my lap, but said not a word about
his affliction or his pain.

Only when I took my leave did he hint at something
special. "It is a pity it was so short." Whether he meant his
life or our friendship, he did not elaborate. As man measures
time, it was indeed all too short. But as God measures time,
his memory will be in the heart of his friends for eternity.
Together with the hope that his guests from other species in
Kent will be recognized as having been saved by a hero in a
great battle and not remembered only nostalgically for the
ultimate futility of the effort.

Jun 30 00 10:51a

JUN-30-2000 10:13

831 WORDS

KISSINGER ON JOHN ASPINALL 6/30/00 II

John Aspinall became a close friend, yet I made his acquaintance only a little less than three years ago. We met altogether perhaps six or seven times, yet his parting has left a painful void in my life. While many of our conversations were about the animals that were his guests as it were on his properties in Kent, I think of him as standing for values and principles precious to our civilization and relevant to our ability to master our future.

John Aspinall was often called a typical British eccentric. But this only described his willingness to live by principles which are no longer fashionable, and by convictions many are too afraid of conventional wisdom to avow. He honored

Jun 30 00 10:52a

JUN-30-2000 10:13

2

his country he loved without posturing by embodying its
ancient virtues: reliability, courage, dedication, and
service. Progress and achievement in his universe did not
require rejection of the past but drawing strength from it;
indeed, he considered a break with its past the greatest
calamity that can befall a nation. John quoted with approval a
antiquity
sentence from the Classics: The Roman state rests on its
ancient customs and its heroes. Aspinall's heroes, he would
say, were the chieftains and kings who lost bravely to great
empires.

Jun 30 00 10:52a

JUN-30-2000 10:14

P.03/12

3

John was in fact very well read. He knew well enough that we live in an age of consolidation and globalization. ~~His~~ So he set

about the individual
cause was to rescue individuality from homogenization and
solution from leaving life
identity and history from being submerged by a bureaucratic or
technocratic quest for uniformity. And he measured the
significance of a battle by its purpose, not its outcome.

Since John did not think that politics was his milieu, he
concentrated his passion and activities on arresting, or at
least slowing down, the conscious destruction of the natural
systems on which depends the health of the planet that had
evolved by luck or by evolution over billions of years.

It is in this context that one needs to explain John's
love for wild animals. He did not treat them condescendingly
as pets, or anthropomorphically as analogous to human beings.
Rather, he viewed them as part of a creation in the process of
being destroyed by man's thoughtlessness and the horrors of

Jun 30 00 10:52a

JUN-30-2000 10:14

p. 4

P.04/12

4

technology. Not religious in the formal sense, John was
profoundly spiritual in an ultimate meaning of the word. To
him, all creatures were reflections of a universal spirit
which each expressed in his or her individual and unique way.
It was that divine spark which he cherished in his animals,
because they seemed to him to fulfill the qualities that made
life worth living: always true to themselves; never
pretentious; seeking at all times to fulfill their potential.
And therefore he devoted much of his fortune to treating the
tigers, elephants, gorillas, buffaloes, and many other species
in his unlikely refuges in Kent as respected guests, not
prisoners. When I asked him whether he ever entered the
enclosure of his Barbary Lions, he replied, "No, because I
have not brought them up. They would kill me and I would not
respect them were they to act otherwise." This was John's
contribution to the preservation of individuality, in this

Jun 30 00 10:52a

JUN-30-2000 10:14

p. 5

P.05/12

5

sense, the dignity of man; and, in an ultimate sense, the
wonder of divine creation.

Two weeks ago, I undertook a journey to say goodbye to my
friend. His devoted wife Sally had warned me that he was often
too frail to recognize his visitors or to engage in
conversation. But on that particular day, he had rallied for
the occasion. Too weak to receive me downstairs, he lay in his
study - shriveled, covered by bandages, but he was alert and
capable of the occasional biting comment. Otherwise, he gave
no sign that there was anything unusual about the occasion.

Jun 30 00 10:53a

JUN-30-2000 10:15

6

Only when I took my leave did he hint at something special. "It is a pity it was so short." Whether his life or our friendship, he did not elaborate. As man measures time, it was indeed all too short. But as God measures time, his memory will be embodied in the heart of his friends for eternity.

Together with the hope that his guests from other species in Kent will be recognized as those that were saved by heroes in a great battle and not remembered only nostalgically for the fertility of the effort.

TOTAL P.12

831 WORDS

John Aspinall became a close friend, yet I made his acquaintance only a little less than three years ago. We met altogether perhaps six or seven times, yet his parting has left a painful void in my life. While many of our conversations were about the animals that were his guests as it were on his properties in Kent, and yet I think of him as standing for values and principles precious to our civilization and relevant to our ability to master our future.

(4)

2

his country he loved without posturing by embodying its
ancient virtues: reliability, courage, dedication, and
service. Progress and achievement in his universe did not
require rejection of the past but drawing strength from it;
indeed, he considered a break with its past the greatest
calamity that can befall a nation. John quoted with approval a
sentence from the Classics: The Roman state rests on its
ancient customs and its heroes. Aspinall's heroes, he would
say, were the chieftains and kings who lost bravely to great
empires.

(2)

3

John was in fact very well read. He knew well enough that we live in an age of consolidation and globalization. His cause was to rescue individuality from homogenization and identity and history from being submerged by a bureaucratic or technocratic quest for uniformity. And he measured the significance of a battle by its purpose, not its outcome.

4

5

Two weeks ago, I undertook a journey to say goodbye to my
friend. His devoted wife Sally had warned me that he was often
too frail to recognize his visitors or to engage in
conversation. But on that particular day, he had rallied for
the occasion. Too weak to receive me downstairs, he lay in his
study - shriveled, covered by bandages. But he was alert and
capable of the occasional biting comment; otherwise, he gave
no sign that there was anything unusual about the occasion.
John spoke about the despoliation of nature, the ravages of
service, and his hope that friends would support his family's
effort to enable his animals to lead lives of dignity. He held
my hand and extended his leg from his bed into my lap, but
said not a word about his affliction or his pain.

6

Together with the hope that his guests from other species in Kent will be recognized as those that were saved by heroes in great battles and not remembered only nostalgically for the fertility of the effort.

Jun 30 00 09:00a

30-JUN.'00(FRI) 09:07

GOLDHAMMER

TEL:0171-493-0834

P. 00

828 WORDS

John Aspinall was a close friend, yet I made his acquaintance only a little less than three years ago. We met altogether perhaps six or seven times, yet his parting has left a painful void in my life. Much of our conversations were about his animals and yet I think of him as standing for values and principles precious to our civilization and relevant to our ability to master our future.

John Aspinall was often called a typical British eccentric. But this only described his willingness to live by principles which are no longer fashionable, and convictions many know to be true but are too conformist to avow. He was a

Jun 30 00 09:00a

p. 2

30-JUN.'00(FRI) 09:07 GOLDHAMMER

TEL:0171-493-0834

P. 002

possession
(he loved without the electronic patroons but)
his country, trying to embody its ancient values:
a great patriot who lived his life of his country without seeing
obedience, loyalty, dedication and love
any need to avow it. He was a great patriot...
and achievement in his own universe

Progress to him did not require the rejection of the past but
instead
drawing strength from it; indeed, he considered the greatest
(a
calamity that can befall a nation, to break with its past) John
quoted with approval an ancient saying: The Roman state rests
on its ancient customs and its heroes. Aspinall's heroes, he
would say, were the chieftains and kings who lost bravely to
great empires.

"Had you lived six hundred years ago," I said to John
once, "you would have been a high lord sallying forth from
your castle to right wrongs and an occasional conquest."

"No," John replied, "I would have been in the front row
my lord's
country
of his followers, defending my lord with my broadsword."

John was in fact very well read. Above all, he was
Courageous, loyal, dedicated and utterly reliable. He knew

Jun 30 00 09:00a

p. 3

30-JUN-00(FRI) 09:07 GOLDHAMMER

TEL:0171-493-0834

P. 003

(4)

3

well enough that we live in an age of consolidation and globalization. His, perhaps lost, cause was to rescue the individual from homogenization and the various societies from being subsumed by a bureaucratic or technocratic quest for uniformity. But since John did not think that fighting those battles was his special force, he concentrated his passion and action on achieving, or at least slowing down, the conscious destruction of the natural systems on which (depends) the health of the planet that had evolved by luck or by evolution over billions of years.

It is in this context that one needs to explain John's love for wild animals. He did not treat them condescendingly as pets, or anthropomorphically as analogous to human beings. He viewed them as part of the creation in the process of being destroyed by man's thoughtlessness and shortsightedness. Not religious in the formal sense, John was profoundly spiritual.

Technology

Jun 30 00 09:01a

30-JUN.' 00(FR1) 09:08 GOLDHAMMER

TEL:0171-493-0834

p.5

P. 005

5

contribution to the preservation of individuality and, in this
sense, the dignity of man; and, in an ultimate sense, the
wonder of divine creation.

Two weeks ago, I took a special trip to England to say
goodbye to my friend. His wife Sally had warned me that he was
often too frail to engage in conversation to recognize his
visitors. But on that particular day, he had called
for the occasion. Too weak to receive me downstairs, he lay in
his study - sunken, shriveled, covered by bandages. But he
was alert and capable of the occasional sarcastic comment;
otherwise, he gave no sign that there was anything unusual
about the visit. Like one of his heroes defending lost causes,

John spoke about the despoliation of nature and his hope that
his friends would help his family's task to enable his animals to
lead lives of dignity. He held my hand and put his leg over
my leg,
but said not a word about his affliction or his pain.

828 WORDS

2

great patriot who lived his live of his country without seeing
any need to avow it. He was a great patriot....

Progress to him did not require the rejection of the past but
drawing strength from it; indeed, he considered the greatest
calamity that can befall a nation to break with its past. John
quoted with approval an ancient saying: The Roman state rests
on its ancient customs and its heroes. Aspinall's heroes, he
would say, were the chieftains and kings who lost? bravely to
great empires.

"No," John replied, "I would have been in the front row
of his followers, defending my lord with my broadsword."

John was in fact very well read. Above all, he was
courageous, loyal, dedicated and utterly reliable. He knew

well enough that we live in an age of consolidation and
globalization. His, perhaps lost, cause was to rescue the
individual from homogenization and the various societies from
losing their society and their history in a bureaucratic or
technocratic quest for uniformity. But since John did not
think that fighting those battles was his special forte, he
concentrated his passion and action on achieving, or at least
slowing down, the conscious destruction of the natural systems
on which [depends] the health of the planet that had evolved
by luck or by evolution over billions of years.

4

in an ultimate sense. To him, all creatures were imbued with a
universal spirit which each expressed in his or her individual
way. That divine spark drew him to his animals, which seemed
to him to fulfill the qualities that made life worth living:
they were always true to themselves; they did not pretend;
they tried to live up to their potential.

When one of his tigers (that he had not brought up)
killed a keeper, John phrased the public apology demanded of
him as follows: "The tiger disgraced his species." And when I
asked him whether he ever entered the enclosure of his Barbary
Lions, he replied, "No, because I have not brought them up.
They would kill me and I would not respect? them ______ to act
otherwise."

And so, John spent a large part of his income on enabling
this exotic array of tigers, elephants, gorillas, buffaloes
and many others to live as his guests in Kent. It was his

5

Two weeks ago, I took a special trip to England to say
goodbye to my friend. His wife Sally had warned me that he was
often too frail to engage in conversation or to recognize his
visitors. But on that particular day, he had prepared himself
for the occasion. Too weak to receive me downstairs, he lay in
his study - sunken, shriveled, covered by bandages. But he
was alert and capable of the occasional sarcastic comment;
otherwise, he gave no sign that there was anything unusual
about the visit. Like one of his heroes defending lost causes,
John spoke about the despoliation of nature and his hope that
friends would help his family's task to enable his animals to
lead lives of dignity. He held my hand and put his leg? over
mine, but said not a word about his affliction or his pain.

6

Only when I took my leave did he treat the visit as
something special. "It is a pity it was so short." Whether his
life or our friendship, he did not elaborate. In either
interpretation, it was all too short. But in a deeper sense,
the friends whose lives John Aspinall touched - and yes, all
those other creatures for whom he cared so deeply - will
forever carry a piece of.....