The royal refugee our breed restores With foreign courtiers and with foreign whores, And carefully repeopled us again, Throughout his lazy, long, lascivious reign.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Defoe sarcastically blames a royal refugee for repopulating England with foreigners and vice.
- In plain terms
- A king repopulated England with foreigners and mistresses.
- What can you take from it?
- Leadership choices can change a nation's demographics and values.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How does leadership affect culture?
- What defines a nation's people?
Another view
The satire is broad and potentially biased.
More from Daniel Defoe
From this amphibious ill-born mob began That vain, ill-natured thing, an Englishman.
Permalink to quote #8 Wealth, howsoever got, in England makes Lords of mechanics, gentlemen of rakes; Antiquity and birth are needless here; 'Tis impudence and money makes a peer.
Permalink to quote #10 Wherever God erects a house of prayer, The Devil always builds a chapel there; And 'twill be found, upon examination, The latter has the largest congregation.
Permalink to quote #7
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