Quotations from John L. Motley Works Part 4

Bungling diplomatists and credulous dotards Fitter to obey than to command Full of precedents and declamatory commonplaces I am a king that will be ever known not to fear any but G.o.d Infamy of diplomacy, when diplomacy is unaccompanied by honesty Mendacity may always obtain over innocence and credulity Never did statesmen know better how not to do Pray here for satiety, (said Cecil) than ever think of variety Simple truth was highest skill Strength does a falsehood acquire in determined and skilful hand That crowned criminal, Philip the Second

HISTORY UNITED NETHERLANDS, 1588 by Motley[#56][jm56v10.txt]4856

A burnt cat fears the fire A free commonwealth--was thought an absurdity Baiting his hook a little to his appet.i.te Canker of a long peace Englishmen and Hollanders preparing to cut each other's throats Faction has rarely worn a more mischievous aspect Hard at work, pouring sand through their sieves She relieth on a hope that will deceive her Sparing and war have no affinity together The worst were encouraged with their good success Trust her sword, not her enemy's word

HISTORY UNITED NETHERLANDS, 1588 by Motley[#57][jm57v10.txt]4857

Inquisitors enough; but there were no light vessels in The Armada

HISTORY UNITED NETHERLANDS, 1588 by Motley[#58][jm58v10.txt]4858

Forbidding the wearing of mourning at all Hardly a distinguished family in Spain not placed in mourning Invincible Armada had not only been vanquished but annihilated Nothing could equal Alexander's fidelity, but his perfidy One could neither cry nor laugh within the Spanish dominions Security is dangerous Sixteen of their best s.h.i.+ps had been sacrificed Sure bind, sure find

HISTORY UNITED NETHERLANDS, 1588-89 by Motley[#59][jm59v10.txt]4859

I will never live, to see the end of my poverty Religion was not to be changed like a s.h.i.+rt Tension now gave place to exhaustion

ENTIRE 1586-89 UNITED NETHERLANDS, by Motley[#60][jm60v10.txt]4860

A burnt cat fears the fire A free commonwealth--was thought an absurdity Act of Uniformity required Papists to a.s.sist All business has been transacted with open doors And thus this gentle and heroic spirit took its flight Are wont to hang their piety on the bell-rope Arminianism As lieve see the Spanish as the Calvinistic inquisition As logical as men in their cups are p.r.o.ne to be Baiting his hook a little to his appet.i.te Beacons in the upward path of mankind Been already crimination and recrimination more than enough Bungling diplomatists and credulous dotards Canker of a long peace Casting up the matter "as pinchingly as possibly might be"

Defect of enjoying the flattery, of his inferiors in station Disposed to throat-cutting by the ministers of the Gospel During this, whole war, we have never seen the like Elizabeth (had not) the faintest idea of religious freedom Englishmen and Hollanders preparing to cut each other's throats Even to grant it slowly is to deny it utterly Evil is coming, the sooner it arrives the better Faction has rarely worn a more mischievous aspect Fitter to obey than to command Five great rivers hold the Netherland territory in their coils Fool who useth not wit because he hath it not Forbidding the wearing of mourning at all Full of precedents and declamatory commonplaces G.o.d, whose cause it was, would be pleased to give good weather Guilty of no other crime than adhesion to the Catholic faith Hard at work, pouring sand through their sieves Hardly a distinguished family in Spain not placed in mourning Heretics to the English Church were persecuted High officers were doing the work of private, soldiers I did never see any man behave himself as he did I am a king that will be ever known not to fear any but G.o.d I will never live, to see the end of my poverty Individuals walking in advance of their age Infamy of diplomacy, when diplomacy is unaccompanied by honesty Inquisitors enough; but there were no light vessels in The Armada Invincible Armada had not only been vanquished but annihilated Look for a sharp war, or a miserable peace Loving only the persons who flattered him Mendacity may always obtain over innocence and credulity Never peace well made, he observed, without a mighty war Never did statesmen know better how not to do Not many more than two hundred Catholics were executed Nothing could equal Alexander's fidelity, but his perfidy One could neither cry nor laugh within the Spanish dominions Only citadel against a tyrant and a conqueror was distrust Pray here for satiety, (said Cecil) than ever think of variety Rebuked him for his obedience Religion was not to be changed like a s.h.i.+rt Respect for differences in religious opinions Sacrificed by the Queen for faithfully obeying her orders Security is dangerous She relieth on a hope that will deceive her Simple truth was highest skill Sixteen of their best s.h.i.+ps had been sacrificed Sparing and war have no affinity together Stake or gallows (for) heretics to transubstantiation States were justified in their almost unlimited distrust Strength does a falsehood acquire in determined and skilful hand Succeeded so well, and had been requited so ill Sure bind, sure find Sword in hand is the best pen to write the conditions of peace Tension now gave place to exhaustion That crowned criminal, Philip the Second The worst were encouraged with their good success The blaze of a hundred and fifty burning vessels The sapling was to become the tree Their existence depended on war There is no man fitter for that purpose than myself They chose to compel no man's conscience Tolerating religious liberty had never entered his mind Torturing, hanging, embowelling of men, women, and children Trust her sword, not her enemy's word Undue anxiety for impartiality Universal suffrage was not dreamed of at that day Waiting the pleasure of a capricious and despotic woman We were sold by their negligence who are now angry with us Wealthy Papists could obtain immunity by an enormous fine Who the "people" exactly were

HISTORY UNITED NETHERLANDS, 1590 by Motley[#61][jm61v10.txt]4861

A pusillanimous peace, always possible at any period At length the twig was becoming the tree Being the true religion, proved by so many testimonies Certainly it was worth an eighty years' war Chief seafaring nations of the world were already protestant Conceding it subsequently, after much contestation Fled from the land of oppression to the land of liberty German Highland and the German Netherland Little army of Maurice was becoming the model for Europe Luxury had blunted the fine instincts of patriotism Maritime heretics Portion of these revenues savoured much of black-mail The divine speciality of a few transitory mortals The history of the Netherlands is history of liberty The nation which deliberately carves itself in pieces They had come to disbelieve in the mystery of kingcraft Worn nor caused to be worn the collar of the serf

HISTORY UNITED NETHERLANDS, 1590 by Motley[#62][jm62v10.txt]4862

Alexander's exuberant discretion Divine right of kings Ever met disaster with so cheerful a smile Future world as laid down by rival priesthoods Invaluable gift which no human being can acquire, authority King was often to be something much less or much worse Magnificent hopefulness Myself seeing of it methinketh that I dream Nothing cheap, said a citizen bitterly, but sermons Obscure were thought capable of dying natural deaths Philip II. gave the world work enough Righteous to kill their own children Road to Paris lay through the gates of Rome s.h.i.+ft the mantle of religion from one shoulder to the other Thirty-three per cent. interest was paid (per month) Under the name of religion (so many crimes)

HISTORY UNITED NETHERLANDS, 1590-92 by Motley[#63][jm63v10.txt]4863

Anatomical study of what has ceased to exist Artillery Bomb-sh.e.l.ls were not often used although known for a century Court fatigue, to scorn pleasure For us, looking back upon the Past, which was then the Future Hardly an inch of French soil that had not two possessors Holy inst.i.tution called the Inquisition Inevitable fate of talking castles and listening ladies Life of nations and which we call the Past Often necessary to be blind and deaf Picturesqueness of crime Royal plans should be enforced adequately or abandoned entirely Toil and sacrifices of those who have preceded us Use of the spade Utter disproportions between the king's means and aims Valour on the one side and discretion on the other Walk up and down the earth and destroy his fellow-creatures We have the reputation of being a good housewife Weapons

HISTORY UNITED NETHERLANDS, 1592 by Motley[#64][jm64v10.txt]4864

Accustomed to the faded gallantries Conformity of Governments to the principles of justice Considerable reason, even if there were but little justice Disciple of Simon Stevinus Self-a.s.sertion--the healthful but not engaging attribute

HISTORY UNITED NETHERLANDS, 1592-94 by Motley[#65][jm65v10.txt]4865

All fellow-worms together Continuing to believe himself invincible and infallible He spent more time at table than the Bearnese in sleep Henry the Huguenot as the champion of the Council of Trent Highest were not necessarily the least slimy His invectives were, however, much stronger than his arguments History is a continuous whole of which we see only fragments Infinite capacity for pecuniary absorption Leading motive with all was supposed to be religion Past was once the Present, and once the Future Sages of every generation, read the future like a printed scroll Sewers which have ever run beneath decorous Christendom Wrath of that injured personage as he read such libellous truths

HISTORY UNITED NETHERLANDS, 1594 by Motley[#66][jm66v10.txt]4866

Beneficent and charitable purposes (War) Chronicle of events must not be antic.i.p.ated Eat their own children than to forego one high ma.s.s Humanizing effect of science upon the barbarism of war Slain four hundred and ten men with his own hand

HISTORY UNITED NETHERLANDS, 1595 by Motley[#67][jm67v10.txt]4867

Deal with his enemy as if sure to become his friend Mondragon was now ninety-two years old More catholic than the pope Octogenarian was past work and past mischief Sacked and drowned ten infant princes Strangled his nineteen brothers on his accession

HISTORY UNITED NETHERLANDS, 1595-96 by Motley[#68][jm68v10.txt]4868

Allow her to seek a profit from his misfortune Burning of Servetus at Geneva Constant vigilance is the price of liberty Evil has the advantage of rapidly a.s.suming many shapes French seem madmen, and are wise Hanging of Mary Dyer at Boston Imposed upon the mult.i.tudes, with whom words were things Impossible it was to invent terms of adulation too gross In times of civil war, to be neutral is to be nothing Meet around a green table except as fencers in the field One-third of Philip's effective navy was thus destroyed Patriotism seemed an unimaginable idea Placid unconsciousness on his part of defeat Plea of infallibility and of authority soon becomes ridiculous Religion was rapidly ceasing to be the line of demarcation So often degenerated into tyranny (Calvinism) Spaniards seem wise, and are madmen The Alcoran was less cruel than the Inquisition There are few inventions in morals To attack England it was necessary to take the road of Ireland Tranquil insolence Unproductive consumption was alarmingly increasing Upon their knees, served the queen with wine Wish to sell us the bear-skin before they have killed the bear

HISTORY UNITED NETHERLANDS, 1597-98 by Motley[#69][jm69v10.txt]4869