Sir king, I have been often accused of harbouring traitorous designs against you, but, as God in heaven is just and true, may this morsel of bread choke me if even in thought I have ever been false to you.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The speaker pledges loyalty, invoking divine justice to punish any falsehood toward the king.
- In plain terms
- He swears to be truthful, asking God to punish him if he lies to the king.
- What can you take from it?
- Invoke higher moral authority to reinforce personal loyalty.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How effective are religious oaths in political loyalty?
- Can loyalty be measured without faith?
Another view
Reliance on divine punishment may not deter pragmatic betrayal.
Related quotes
You take an oath to a man whom you know follows the laws of providence, which he obeys independently of the influence of earthly powers, who leads the German p…
Rudolf HessRudolf Hess quote #1 My so-called foreign friends do neither me nor the situation nor themselves any good when they try to bring me into opposition to the allegedly impossible Nati…
Hjalmar SchachtHjalmar Schacht quote #1 From what I have already seen of the workings of the Soviet Government, I can only say that anybody who lifts his hand against it ought to be shot! It is the g…
Paul RobesonPaul Robeson quote #1