London Quotes

“When a voyager begins a journey, he prepares his ship, decides upon his course and sets sail. What else can he do? But he cannot know the outcome – what storms may arise, what new lands he may find, or whether or not he will return. That is destiny, and you must accept it. Never think you can escape destiny.”
― Edward Rutherfurd, London

“So how would you define a Londoner, then?” Lady Penny asked curiously. “Someone who lives here. It’s like the old definition of a cockney: someone who’s born within hearing distance of Bow bells. And a foreigner,” he added with a grin, “is anyone, Anglo-Saxon or not, who lives outside.”
― Edward Rutherfurd, London

“And in busy London there now grew up one of the greatest gifts that the English genius was to leave the world. For in the reign of Elizabeth I began the first and greatest flowering of the glorious English theatre.”
― Edward Rutherfurd, London

“La enemistad perdura. La amistad es menos segura. Sobre todo en esos tiempos.”
― Edward Rutherfurd, Londres

“England’s Protestant,” they declared. “Why else did we throw out the Stuarts? The government and their placemen are selling us down the river. If they’ll give way over Catholics, what will they give way over next?”
― Edward Rutherfurd, London

“No one there could possibly have missed its significance. No church in England had ever been disgraced with such a thing. From the shape of the dome, the Corinthian columns – every detail had suddenly fallen into place – this was clearly, if not a copy, then the very brother of that infamous dome that hung over what every Puritan knew was the great house of iniquity itself. “Dear Lord!” he cried. “It’s just like St Peter’s – at the Vatican. It’s the church of Rome.” And, in terror, he ran out of the workshop.”
― Edward Rutherfurd, London

“These are graven images – idolatry. A sin.” He knew it was true. This was a love of worldly beauty utterly at odds with all he knew to be Puritan and holy.”
― Edward Rutherfurd, London

“What has he done?” he asked. The young man himself began to respond, but the youths cut him off. “He started the Fire of London, sir,” they cried. Even the day before, the rumours had begun. A fire like this could not be the work of chance. Some said it must be the Dutch. But most – perhaps half the good people of London – had a sounder suspicion by far. “It’s the Catholics,” they said. “Who else would do such a thing?”
― Edward Rutherfurd, London

“King Charles I of England believed in the compromise worked out under Queen Elizabeth – that the Church of Rome had fallen into evil ways, that the English Church was purified Catholicism, and that it was the Anglican bishops, nowadays, who were the true inheritors of the apostles.”
― Edward Rutherfurd, London

“Only one thing, in those years, drew from her a cry of fury. This was the publication, in 1563, of a single, stout book. It was known as Foxe’s Book of Martyrs; and it was an astonishing feat of propaganda. For this book, carefully written to evoke every man’s pity and rage, described in detail the martyrs of England – by which it meant those Protestants who had perished under Bloody Mary. Of the Catholics who had suffered martyrdom before then, it said not a word. That some of these Protestants, like vicious old Latimer, had been burners and torturers themselves, it conveniently forgot. The sale of the book was prodigious. Soon, it seemed, only Catholic persecution of Protestants had ever existed. “ ’Tis a lie,” Susan would protest. “And I fear it will persist.” It would indeed. Foxe’s Book of Martyrs was destined to be read in families, to give warning to children, and to shape English people’s perception of the Catholic Church for generations.”
― Edward Rutherfurd, London

“The whole area, manor house, Clink, all eighteen brothels and the handsome profits therefrom, belonged to and was ruled by the bishop.”
― Edward Rutherfurd, London

“And whether they were saintly or corrupt, scholars or scarcely able to get through the Lord’s Prayer in Latin, all society’s educated men had the Church to thank for their learning.”
― Edward Rutherfurd, London

“The old man had smiled kindly. “It is in their nature, child. God has made woman the weaker vessel.” It was an old belief, dating back to St Paul himself. “It is man who is made in God’s image, my child. Man’s seed produces his perfect likeness. Woman, being only the container in which the seed matures, is therefore inferior. She may still reach heaven, but, being inferior, it is harder.”
― Edward Rutherfurd, London

“An unexpected guest, enjoying such lavish hospitality, should expect to sing for his supper.”
― Edward Rutherfurd, London

“Tailor”
― Edward Rutherfurd, Londres

“How she had loved and admired him. He had travelled all over the northern seas and taken a Swedish bride. Such a bold seafarer had he been that when he died they had buried him in his boat in full regalia. She could hear his deep voice still. As he lay there now, with his long beard spread, was he dreaming of the heaving seas? Perhaps. And did the gods of the north watch over him? She had no doubt of it. Were they not in his very blood? Had not their people given their names to the days of the week? Tiw, the war god, had Tuesday, in place of Mars in the Roman calendar; Woden, or Wotan as the Germans called him, greatest of all gods, had the middle day, Wednesday; Thunor the Thunderer, Thursday; Frigg, goddess of love, Friday, in place of the Roman Venus.”
― Edward Rutherfurd, London

“no”
― Edward Rutherfurd, Londres

“seré”
― Edward Rutherfurd, Londres

“comprendió que la pasión que sentía por su esposo era ilimitada. Lo deseaba. Quería protegerlo. Lo necesitaba. Le costaba imaginar su existencia sin él. En cuanto a su pequeña familia y el bebé, ¿cómo se las arreglarían sin un padre? Por otra parte, Cartimandua deseaba tener más hijos. También los”
― Edward Rutherfurd, Londres

“Había corrido mucho rato. Había enviado a su marido por otro sendero. Segovax, alarmado, había salido a la carrera en busca de su hermana. Cartimandua”
― Edward Rutherfurd, Londres

“canturreando y golpeando ociosamente el tronco con los talones. El lobo se aproximó. Ella no lo oyó.”
― Edward Rutherfurd, Londres

“oponerse, sino que lo habían observado mientras se alejaba con una mezcla de curiosidad y desdén. Así, aquella calurosa tarde una sombra enjuta y gris se había deslizado sigilosamente por el bosque”
― Edward Rutherfurd, Londres

“había puesto pálida como la cera. En su rostro se dibujaba una expresión horrorizada. Luego, con voz ronca debido al temor, había gritado a Segovax y”
― Edward Rutherfurd, Londres

“confusion. The first was Ralph Silversleeves. As preparations for the expected invasion went forward, not only had King William sent for mercenaries from the Continent, he had also told Mandeville to prepare the Londoners. Which meant a new task for Ralph. For once, the surly Norman had set about his work with”
― Edward Rutherfurd, London

“—¿Qué representa esa rueda? —preguntó Pentecost. —Es la rueda de la fortuna, señor —contestó el padre. —¿Y qué significa eso, buen hombre? —Pues que aunque un hombre alcance fama y fortuna, puede volver a caer en la miseria. O al revés. Significa que la vida es como una rueda, señor, que no cesa de girar. Y nos enseña que debemos ser humildes, señor. Pues aunque lleguemos muy alto, podemos caer muy bajo.”
― Edward Rutherfurd, Londres

“Puesto que la familia había vivido siempre junto al cartel del Toro, a menudo se los conocía simplemente como la familia Bull.”
― Edward Rutherfurd, Londres

“En un mundo donde pocos sabían leer, toda la educación se hallaba en manos de la Iglesia.”
― Edward Rutherfurd, Londres

“And in 1694, the last year of his life, he was allowed to see one thing more. In that year, after much discussion, the city of London gained a new institution. Financed by a number of prominent London merchants, it was a joint stock bank. Its function was to finance long-term government debt by issuing bonds on which interest was payable. They called it the Bank of London.”
― Edward Rutherfurd, London

“Precisely,” Meredith smiled. “If they want to know where they are they’ll follow the time of the Royal Observatory. We shall call it Greenwich time,” he added.”
― Edward Rutherfurd, London

“The company that gathered to take ship at Wapping was a varied one. There were a number of craftsmen, a lawyer, a preacher, two fishermen. There was also a young graduate of Cambridge, who had recently inherited money, partly from the sale of a tavern in Southwark. His name was John Harvard.”
― Edward Rutherfurd, London