The Mughal’s nature is such that they demand miracles, but if a miracle were to be performed by some upright follower of our religion, they would say that it had been brought about by magic and sorcery. They would strike him down with spears or would stone him to death.
—Fr. Antonio Monserrate, 1590
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Quotes
All modern revolutions have ended in a reinforcement of the power of the state.
—Albert Camus, 1951Seek not water, only show you are thirsty, / That water may spring up all around you.
—Rumi, c. 1260Disbelief in magic can force a poor soul into believing in government and business.
—Tom Robbins, 1976A bull contents himself with one meadow, and one forest is enough for a thousand elephants; but the little body of a man devours more than all other living creatures.
—Seneca the Younger, c. 64Whoever expects to walk peacefully in the world must be money’s guest.
—Norman O. Brown, 1959One should always play fairly when one has the winning cards.
—Oscar Wilde, 1895Language is a part of our organism and no less complicated than it.
—Ludwig Wittgenstein, 1915Some folks want their luck buttered.
—Thomas Hardy, 1886A school without grades must have been concocted by someone who was drunk on nonalcoholic wine.
—Karl Kraus, 1909Greeting cards routinely tell us everybody deserves love. No. Everybody deserves clean water.
—Zadie Smith, 2000The path of social advancement is, and must be, strewn with broken friendships.
—H.G. Wells, 1905All the daughters of music shall be brought low.
—Ecclesiastes, c. 400 BC