Tuesday, March 03, 2009

Some memorable lines from a classic play...

And the saints and martyrs wait, for those who shall be martyrs and saints. Destiny waits in the hand of God, not in the hands of statesmen. - Chorus, pg 13.

Be easy, man! The easy man lives to eat the best dinners.
- Tempter to Becket, pg 25.

Now is my way clear, now is the meaning plain:
Temptation shall not come in this kind again.
The last temptation is the greatest treason:
To do the right deed for the wrong reason.
- Becket, pg 44.

While I ate out of the King's dish To become servant of God was never my wish. Servant of God has chance of greater sin And sorrow, than the man who serves a king. For those who serve the greater cause may make the cause serve them.
- Becket to Temptor, pg 45.

Dear children, I do not think I shall ever preach to you again; and because it is possible that in a short time you may have yet another martyr, and that one perhaps not the last.
- Becket's Christmas Homily, pg 50.

I submit my cause to the judgment of Rome. But if you kill me, I shall rise from my tomb To submit my cause before God's throne.
- Becket to Knights, pg 66.

Peace! be quiet! remember where you are, and what is happening; No life here is sought for but mine, And I am not in danger: only near to death.
- Becket to Priests, pg 70.

2 comments:

AB said...

You missed my favorite!

"The last temptation is the greatest treason; to do the right thing for the wrong reason."

Can't give you a page number, but it's the first act, dialog between Thomas and the third tempter.

-- Adam Booth (we did meet briefly in the Fall; I'm one of the Candidates at Moreau).

Fr. Michael Wurtz, CSC said...

Adam, yes! a classic line for sure. Now that I look at it, I did underline that passage. This specific publication (Harcourt) highlights in on the exterior back cover, even.

I will make the appropriate change!

Thanks.
mbw