HKB
6 passages · search this phrase →
Often appears with: conquest, plunder, and captives · marriage and betrothal · justice as a virtue · counsel and advisers to rulers · war deception · treaties, truces, and peacemaking · social morality · religious persecution and toleration · punctuality and commercial honor · pontianus’ persuasion · pamphilus seeks remedy · moral virtues by profession
Usually: indignation (4) · betrayal (3) · censure (3) · narrative (2) · argument (1) · commentary or gloss (1) · dialogue (1) · speech or oration (1) · crisis of belief (1) · reconciliation (1)
“This, however, I desire to say, that I would not have it understood that any fraud is glorious which leads you to break your plighted word, or to depart from covenants to which you have agreed; for though to do so may sometimes gain you territory and power, it can never, as I have said elsewhere, gain you glory.” Niccolò Machiavelli, Discourses on the First Decade of Titus Livius · precept
“Can then such inbred malice live in man, To joy in ill, and from another's woes To draw his own delight?” Terence, The Comedies of Terence · insight
“Every man has daily occasion to remark what vexations arise from this privilege of deceiving one another.” Samuel Johnson, The Works of Samuel Johnson, in Sixteen Volumes. Vol · observation
Las Casas describes Indigenous anger when friars’ promises fail—Spaniards bring idols—leading to attempts to negotiate, the friars’ eventual withdrawal, and Indians then lacking Christian instruction while embracing the faith fervently.
the Spanish *Dons*, who often, nay very often to feed their Avarice, and accumulate Gold have sold and still do sell, denied and still do deny Jesus Christ our Redeemer. The *Indians* now findint the Promises of the Religious, that the *Spaniards* should not enter into this Countrey, null and void; nay that the Spaniards brought Idols from other places to be put off there; when as they had delivered up their own to …
Machiavelli argues fraud is acceptable and even glorious in war when it targets an untrusting enemy, but never when it breaks sworn word or treaties.
Although in all other affairs it be hateful to use fraud, in the operations of war it is praiseworthy and glorious; so that he who gets the better of his enemy by fraud, is as much extolled as he who prevails by force. This appears in the judgments passed by such as have written of the lives of great warriors, who praise Hannibal and those other captains who have been most noted for acting in this way. But since we m…
An essay argues that moral excellence can be found across professions and ranks, praises punctuality as a trader’s core virtue, and warns that everyday broken promises spread into deeper corruption.
he was not instructed; and he that shall inquire after virtue with ardour and attention, will seldom find a man by whose example or sentiments he may not be improved. Every profession has some essential and appropriate virtue, without which there can be no hope of honour or success, and which, as it is more or less cultivated, confers within its sphere of activity different degrees of merit and reputation. As the a…
Apuleius describes how Pontianus persuaded him in Oea to marry Pudentilla, then confesses that Pontianus later broke promises after marrying but blames the quarrel on Rufinus, whom he attacks as a corrupt instigator.
as I may, lest, if I pass him by in silence, the energy which he has shown in engineering this accusation against me should have been spent all in vain. This is the man who poisoned that worthless boy against me, who is the prime mover in this accusation, who has hired advocates and bought witnesses. This is the furnace in which all this calumny has been forged, this the firebrand, this the scourge that has driven A…
Pamphilus and Charinus accuse each other in dialogue after promises are broken: Charinus believes Pamphilus has shifted from love to pleasure, while Pamphilus insists Davus coerced him and argues for remedies.
*Enter PAMPHILUS and DAVUS.* PAM. Charinus, unintentionally I have ruined both myself and you, unless the Gods in some way befriend us. CHAR. Unintentionally, is it! An excuse has been discovered at last. You have broken your word. PAM. How so, pray? CHAR. Do you expect to deceive me a second time by these speeches? PAM. What does this mean? CHAR. Since I told you that I loved her, she has become quite pleasing…
Charinus delivers a moral monologue condemning treacherous men who share in others’ suffering, then debates confronting his rival; he concludes anger can be used to embitter the other’s pleasure.
*CHARINUS alone.* Is this to be believ'd, or to be told? Can then such inbred malice live in man, To joy in ill, and from another's woes To draw his own delight?--Ah, is't then so? --Yes, such there are, the meanest of mankind, Who, from a sneaking bashfulness, at first Dare not refuse; but when the time comes on To make their promise good, then force perforce Open themselves and fear: yet must deny. Then too, oh sh…