Memes, soundbites and florilegia

We love memes and soundbites. The internet vibrates with them. However, 100 years ago, the practice of creating, collecting and sharing memes would have appalled the educated folk. 200, the same; 300, 400, 500 years ago, they would have still been appalled.

600 years ago, however, and 1,000 years before that, they would have loved them.

In fact, the medie…