NOTHING LIKE A GOOD INSULT: as provided by OpinionJournal:
'Though Churchill is today celebrated as the master of the bon mot (he once described Clement Atlee as "a sheep in sheep's clothing"), the real gold standard of political invective was set in the 18th century, in an exchange between John Montagu, fourth Earl of Sandwich, and John Wilkes, a sometime friend of his and a rakish member of the aristocracy.
"You will die, sir, either on the gallows or from the pox," said Montagu. To which Wilkes replied, "That depends, sir, on whether I embrace your principles or your mistress." '
"Thou shalt not extinguish thine anger, but shall master it,
that thy conscience may not be blunted by adjustment
to wrong causes."
-The Dutch Ten Commandments to Foil the Nazis
No comments:
Post a Comment