That slovenly fellow which you see before us, who hath no ornament in his speech; I say that sloven, if we should ever come to have a breech with the King (which God forbid) in such case will be one of the greatest men of England.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Cromwell identifies a plain-spoken man as potentially great because his lack of ornamentation signals honesty and substance.
- In plain terms
- A man with rough speech and no fancy words could be very important.
- What can you take from it?
- Substance often hides in plain speech.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Does plain speech indicate truth?
- What makes a great leader?
Another view
Plain speech does not always equate to competence.
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He lived a hypocrite and died a traitor.
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