HKB
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Often appears with: religious persecution and toleration · crime and punishment · justice as a virtue · hypocrisy and the appearance of virtue · equity, mercy, and pardon · slavery and bondage · sexuality and desire · heresy, orthodoxy, and schism · corruption, patronage, and bribery · war crimes without restitution · use of intermediaries · treason and sedition
Usually: censure (9) · injustice endured (7) · narrative (6) · indignation (6) · irony (5) · argument (4) · deception discovered (4) · skepticism (4) · reflection (2) · speech or oration (2)
“Whereby (that my story may end as it began) it came to pass that Fra Puccio, hoping by his penance to win a place for himself in Paradise, did in fact translate thither the monk who had shewn him the way, and the wife who lived with him in great dearth of that of which the monk in his charity gave her superabundant largess.” Giovanni Boccaccio, The Decameron, Volume I · insight
“It is not light that is needed, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder.” Frederick Douglass, My Bondage and My Freedom · precept
“The die is cast, and the only point which now remains to be determined is, in what manner the war can be most effectually prosecuted and speedily finished, in order to procure that unconditional submission.” Thomas Paine, The Writings of Thomas Paine — Volume 1 (1774-1779): · observation
“Prior to his conversion, he relied upon his own depravity to shield and sustain him in his savage barbarity; but after his conversion, he found religious sanction and support for his slaveholding cruelty.” Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an Amer · observation
He condemns Captain Auld and his religious piety, arguing that conversion makes him worse; he lists ministers who visited and narrates violent beatings justified by Scripture.
our pious mistress was aware of the fact; and yet that mistress and her husband would kneel every morning, and pray that God would bless them in basket and store! Bad as all slaveholders are, we seldom meet one destitute of every element of character commanding respect. My master was one of this rare sort. I do not know of one single noble act ever performed by him. The leading trait in his character was meanness; a…
Douglass portrays Covey’s religious performance as deception, then recounts Covey’s purchase of Caroline to breed, hiring a man and repeatedly exploiting the resulting pregnancies.
he would get half way thither, he would turn short and crawl into a fence-corner, or behind some tree, and there watch us till the going down of the sun. Mr. Covey’s *forte* consisted in his power to deceive. His life was devoted to planning and perpetrating the grossest deceptions. Every thing he possessed in the shape of learning or religion, he made conform to his disposition to deceive. He seemed to think himsel…
Douglass continues explaining how easily slaveholders can find “foggable” offenses—such as looks, words, or mistakes—and notes that Hopkins is shunned by enslaved people despite his religious profession.
to boast, that he was the best hand to manage a Negro in the county. He whipped for the smallest offenses, by way of preventing the commission of large ones. The reader might imagine a difficulty in finding faults enough for such frequent whipping. But this is because you have no idea how easy a matter it is to offend a man who is on the look-out for offenses. The man, unaccustomed to slaveholding, would be astonish…
Douglass argues that slavery’s wrong is so plain that he refuses further proof, turning to “scorching irony,” and declares that the Fourth of July exposes cruel hypocrisy and sham liberty.
myself ridiculous, and to offer an insult to your understanding. There is not a man beneath the canopy of heaven that does not know that slavery is wrong for *him*. What! am I to argue that it is wrong to make men brutes, to rob them of their liberty, to work them without wages, to keep them ignorant of their relations to their fellow-men, to beat them with sticks, to flay their flesh with the lash, to load their li…
Paine condemns Quakers for apostasy, claiming their actions against the American cause become public criminality under state or continental authority, and he explains why no one can pardon a traitor against all states.
they see not the havoc deformity has made upon them, but pleasantly mistaking wrinkles for dimples, conceive themselves yet lovely and wonder at the stupid world for not admiring them. Did no injury arise to the public by this apostacy of the Quakers from themselves, the public would have nothing to do with it; but as both the design and consequences are pointed against a cause in which the whole community are inter…
A canon’s servant and a priest of Christ’s people are deceived by an alchemist-canon plot, in which the priest is told to use quicksilver in a crucible to transmute it into real silver.
will ye so? Mary! thereof I pray you heartily.” “At your commandement, Sir, truely,” Quoth the canon, “and elles God forbid.” Lo, how this thiefe could his service bede!* *offer Full sooth it is that such proffer’d service Stinketh, as witnesse *these olde wise;* *those wise folk of old* And that full soon I will it verify In this canon, root of all treachery, That evermore delight had and gladness (Such fien…
Ser Ciappelletto tricks a friar into absolution by confessing contrived sins, weeping theatrically, and getting reassurance about God’s pardon and penance before the friar grants him absolution.
only that he brought me some money which he owed me for some cloth that I had sold him, and I put it in a box without counting it, where a month afterwards I found four farthings more than there should have been, which I kept for a year to return to him, but not seeing him again, I bestowed them in alms for the love of God." "This," said the friar, "was a small matter; and thou didst well to bestow them as thou didst…
A friar inquisitor fears popular censure until he bribes a wealthy accused man with church money, then is mocked at breakfast when the man interprets “receive an hundredfold” as future gluttony.
with which he had rebuked the baseness of himself and his brother friars; so in impotent wrath he bade him go about his business and shew himself there no more. (1) The fiorino d'oro bore the effigy of St. John. NOVEL VII. -- Bergamino, with a story of Primasso and the Abbot of Cluny, finely censures a sudden access of avarice in Messer Cane della Scala. -- Emilia's charming manner and her story drew laughter and…
Fra Puccio starts his penance on Sunday with Dom Felice visiting at night to sleep with Isabetta, while the wife jokes about 'Paradise,' and Fra Puccio ends up sending both monk and wife there instead.
begin on Sunday." And so he took his leave of Dom Felice, and went home, and, by Dom Felice's permission, informed his wife of every particular of his intended penance. The lady understood very well what the monk meant by enjoining him not to stir from his post until matins; and deeming it an excellent device, she said that she was well content that he should do this or aught else that he thought good for his soul; …
Pampinea introduces a proverb about hypocrites who are thought righteous while wicked, then sets up a tale about Fra Alberto da Imola deceiving people in Venice through false holiness.
minded to tell you, if so I may, perchance, by laughter and jollity relieve in some degree your souls that are heavy laden with pity for the death of Ghismonda. Know then, noble ladies, that there was in Imola a man of evil and corrupt life, Berto della Massa by name, whose pestilent practices came at length to be so well known to the good folk of Imola that 'twas all one whether he lied or spoke the truth, for ther…
A wife plots to conceal her lover and justifies her adultery by recruiting an old pious-looking matchmaker to help her deceive her husband, citing women’s limited prospects and men’s freedom.
it to his own condemnation, whereas in me 'twere commendable. 'Tis but the laws that I shall set at nought, whereas he sets both them and Nature herself at nought. So the good lady reasoned, and peradventure more than once; and then, casting about how she might privily compass her end, she made friends with an old beldam, that shewed as a veritable Santa Verdiana, foster-mother of vipers, who was ever to be seen goi…
The speaker criticizes misguided human reasoning that follows laws, priesthood, force, theft, or pleasure, contrasting it with Dante’s reception into heaven; then a new light begins explaining earlier statements in careful, corrective distinctions.
Who should deny the wine out of his vial Unto thy thirst, in liberty were not Except as water which descends not seaward. Fain wouldst thou know with what plants is enflowered This garland that encircles with delight The Lady fair who makes thee strong for heaven. Of the lambs was I of the holy flock Which Dominic conducteth by a road Where well one fattens if he strayeth not. He who is nearest to …
In Heaven, Beatrice and Dante discuss the triumph of divine order, replacing an abusive pope with the bloodshed of saints, and warn against corrupt church offices, money-lending, and hypocrisy.
Ere I descended to the infernal anguish, ‘El’ was on earth the name of the Chief Good, From whom comes all the joy that wraps me round ‘Eli’ he then was called, and that is proper, Because the use of men is like a leaf On bough, which goeth and another cometh. Upon the mount that highest o’er the wave Rises was I, in life or pure or sinful, From the first hour to that which is the second, As the su…
The soldier argues that no restitution is owed for war crimes, claims “no sacred” exists in hostility, and describes seeking absolution through indulgences and pardons rather than repentance.
*Ha.* Like to like. And when that's over, you'll go strait away to the Communion, like a good Christian, will you not? *Thr.* Why should I not? For after I have once discharg'd the Jakes of my Sins into his Cowl, and unburden'd myself of my Luggage, let him look to it that absolv'd me. *Ha.* But how can you be sure that he does absolve you? *Thr.* I know that well enough. *Ha.* How do you know it? *Thr.* Because…