Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Quote of the day

Oliver Cromwell's speech* to the Long Parliament, April 20th 1653:
"It is high time for me to put an end to your sitting in this place, which you have dishonored by your contempt of all virtue, and defiled by your practice of every vice; ye are a factious crew, and enemies to all good government; ye are a pack of mercenary wretches, and would like Esau sell your country for a mess of pottage, and like Judas betray your God for a few pieces of money. Is there a single virtue now remaining amongst you? Is there one vice you do not possess? Ye have no more religion than my horse; gold is your God; which of you have not bartered your conscience for bribes? Is there a man amongst you that has the least care for the good of the Commonwealth? Ye sordid prostitutes, have you not defiled this sacred place, and turned the Lord's temple into a den of thieves, by your immoral principles and wicked practices? Ye are grown intolerably odious to the whole nation; you were deputed here by the people to get grievances redressed, are yourselves become the greatest grievance. Your country therefore calls upon me to cleanse this Augean stable, by putting a final period to your iniquitous proceedings in this House; and which by God's help, and the strength he has given me, I am now come to do; I command ye therefore, upon the peril of your lives, to depart immediately out of this place; go, get you out!"

Make haste! Ye venal slaves be gone! So! Take away that shining bauble there, and lock up the doors. In the name of God, go!"

Carol Ann Duffy, Poet Laureate; Manchester, 18th of May 2009.
"What did we do with the trust of your vote?
Hired a flunky to flush out the moat."

Probably Oliver's is closer to the public mood at the present...



*Hattip CEP.

4 comments:

The Aberdonian said...

Wooah - A Northern Irish unionist possibly praising Cromwell. Dangerous territory. Very dangerous territory---

As the Pogues sang:

"A curse upon you Oliver Cromwell
You who raped our Motherland
I hope you're rotting down in hell
For the horrors that you sent
To our misfortunate forefathers
Whom you robbed of their birthright
"To hell or Connaught" may you burn in hell tonight"

With video for effect:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HdfkbX11LE&feature=related

The Commons has become increasingly introspective and vain. The old boys club is exposing much of the rotteness of the Westminster system that has been growing over the past few years.

When it comes to Cromwell, I prefer the Richard Harris speech in the film of that name in the closing scenes. It was excellent and so ironic being delivered by a man with such a background as Harris (Irish, Catholic, Nationalist and definately not puritan)! And with his trademark soft-Irish accent to boot. Cromwell's head must turning in its box.

O'Neill said...

"A Northern Irish unionist possibly praising Cromwell. Dangerous territory. Very dangerous territory"

Only if I'm delivering an eulogy for his reported work in Drogheda etc. He is a crucial figure in the development of our parliamentary democracy regardless of his flaws and his later actions.

kensei said...

More to the point..... after this Cromwell basically became a tyrant and was obsessed with religion.

Not exactly a great example, here.

O'Neill said...

"after this Cromwell basically became a tyrant and was obsessed with religion."

That doesn't remove from the history the service he performed in the development of our democracy though does it, unless you're a believer in the concept of the Absolute Monarchy;)

"Not exactly a great example, here"

I think it's a great example of a political/polemical speech, leaving no room for misinterpretation!