Skip to content
quotesby

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

  • political satire
  • historical criticism
  • leadership critique

Putting it to work

  • political satire
  • historical analysis

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

  1. From this amphibious ill-born mob began That vain, ill-natured thing, an Englishman.

    Permalink to quote #8
  2. 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
  3. 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

Related quotes

  1. George W. Bush is a man who seems to be the center of his own universe. He seems to have learned little of human nature and even less of human history over his…

    Robert ByrdRobert Byrd quote #1
  2. The real terrorist threats are George W. Bush and his band of brown-shirted thugs.

    Sandra BernhardSandra Bernhard quote #3
  3. Reader, suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.

    Mark TwainMark Twain quote #19