Best 17th Century Quotes | Short & Famous Sayings

“Do not miss this evocative account of the English Civil War, and the ordinary men caught up in it." - God's Vindictive Wrath by Charles Cordell”

War Adventure Historical Renaissance 17th Century Historical Novel Military Fiction Stuart 1600s Charles Cordell

Author:Ben Kane

“Spike, rake, sponge, charge, wad, shot, wad – the gun crews worked like automatons. There was something extraordinary in the way that every man performed his motions as a part of the action. Every movement was synchronised with the next. They were a perfect machine – each one a piece of the mechanism, like the wheels of the watch in his pocket. He could think of no other example of men working together with such precision. This was man, industry and science in unison. Was this the way of the future? It was a wondrous and near-perfect thing. But it was a perfection bent on destruction.”

Historical Renaissance Artillery 17th Century Historical Novel Military Fiction Stuart English Civil War War Fiction 1600s

Book:God's Vindictive Wrath

Source: God's Vindictive Wrath

“But such is the nature of the concept of tolerance. It evolves. Every generation puts its own limitations on it, and the clashes that define a given generation seem in many respects to be over the question of who and what that generation tolerates.”

Liberalism Toleration Amsterdam 17th Century

Author:Russel Shorto

“...the disease killed eight thousand...between its first appearance in October 1635 and its eventual disappearance in July 1637...The appalling impact of the plague had two significant consequences. One was that it created a shortage of labor and thus resulted in a rise in wages as employers competed for man-power.”

History Labor Plague Epidemic Netherlands 17th Century History Repeating Itself Tulipomania Labor Shortage

Book:Tulipomania: The Story of the World's Most Coveted Flower & the Extraordinary Passions It Aroused

Source: Tulipomania: The Story of the World's Most Coveted Flower & the Extraordinary Passions It Aroused

“The horse’s hooves crashed out on the stone floor, echoing in the arched entrance. Ahead, the nave stretched, vast, empty, bathed in colour; the winter sun streaming through stained glass between great arches. The horse snorted, its measured steps ringing out on the flagstones and tombs.”

Religion Adventure Historical Fiction Renaissance 17th Century Realistic Fiction British Literature Civil War Fiction English Civil War War Fiction

Book:Desecration: Winchester 1642

Source: Desecration: Winchester 1642

“The gun stood on its platform, staring out over the breastwork of earth and timber, out across the steep valley to the hill beyond; a flat-topped hill, a great field of wheat laid over it, ripening and shimmering in the late afternoon sun; a cornfield filled with an army, a Cornish army, a superstitious, idolatrous army; an army of half-wild, barbarous heathens; a cornfield and an army to be cut down; a sacrifice to be reaped. 'For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind.”

Religion Adventure Historical Fiction Renaissance 17th Century Realistic Fiction British Literature Civil War Fiction English Civil War War Fiction

Book:The Keys of Hell and Death

Source: The Keys of Hell and Death

“Grenville's line of Cornishmen swayed and lurched, a low growl running through the ranks like a storm far out at sea, the boulders grinding as the waves built. And then it burst, men yelling, shaking their weapons in the air, the pikes clashing, thumping the ground, shouting, demanding, exclaiming, 'Kernow vedn keskerras!' Cornwall will march!”

Adventure Historical Fiction Renaissance 17th Century Realistic Fiction Cornwall British Literature Civil War Fiction English Civil War War Fiction

Book:The Keys of Hell and Death

Source: The Keys of Hell and Death

“An exciting minute-by-minute story of the English Civil War … from the soldier’s point of view … the historical accuracy is fantastic … the storyline and writing style tremendously exciting.”

Religion Adventure Historical Fiction Renaissance 17th Century Realistic Fiction British Literature Civil War Fiction English Civil War War Fiction

Author:Historical Novels Review

“Charles Cordell, a former soldier, writes with bravura confidence.”

Religion Adventure Historical Fiction Renaissance 17th Century Realistic Fiction British Literature Civil War Fiction English Civil War War Fiction

Author:The Times

“Ralph’s horse shifted under him. It sensed the danger, the fear, the icy sweat that ran down his back. He laid a calming hand on the animal’s thick veined neck. Breda had carried him across the battlefield of Edgehill, got him safe away at Aylesbury, Brentford and Turnham. Could they make it back behind Winchester’s walls? The great charger stepped backward. Along their short line, other horses were backing up, tossing their heads, whinnying. ‘As you were!’ Smith held them in check. ‘On my order. Keep close. Together.’ He looked at them. Looked again at the enemy about them. ‘Now! Ride for the gate!”

Historical Historical Fiction Renaissance 17th Century Stuart Civil War Fiction English Civil War War Fiction 1600s Winchester

Book:Desecration: Winchester 1642

Source: Desecration: Winchester 1642

“But God knew how he missed the sea. He missed it in the sun, in the wind and the dark. He even missed the hiss of rain sweeping across it. He missed the dancing sunlight, its ever-shifting tint and hue, scudding cloud and shadow – dappled, ruffled, heaving, waves ridden by white horses, spume streaked, fierce and shrieking. He missed its limitless, open call, its ungoverned, unchecked freedom, the pull of the horizon, an unknown shore, clarity and unfathomable deep. Most of all he missed the 'mordroz': the sound of the sea, its soothing whisper, its pounding drum, its howling fury. For the sea called to him still; it was in his blood, wanted him back, sucked at his soul, clawing, smothering, dragging him down, a restless lover, a shining temptress that could never be sated.”

Sea Historical Fiction Renaissance 17th Century Realistic Fiction Cornwall British Literature English Civil War War Fiction Cornish

Book:The Keys of Hell and Death

Source: The Keys of Hell and Death

“The Keys of Hell and Death by Charles Cordell - plunges the reader into the very trenches, hedgerows, ridges and streets of the war.”

Historical Historical Fiction Renaissance 17th Century Historical Novel Stuart English Civil War War Fiction 1600s Editorial Review

Author:Miranda Malins

“I have been waiting for this second novel - The Keys of Hell and Death by Charles Cordell - and am not disappointed. Once again he evokes the experience of the Civil War soldier more vividly than ever before.”

Historical Renaissance 17th Century Historical Novel Stuart English Civil War War Fiction 1600s Charles Cordell Divided Kingdom

Author:Ronald Hutton

“Shit on the tyranny of privilege and oppression that enclosed common land.”

Historical Renaissance 17th Century Historical Novel Stuart English Civil War War Fiction 1600s Levellers Pike And Shot

Book:God's Vindictive Wrath

Source: God's Vindictive Wrath

“As one, they yelled the name of a princess butchered, a child locked in a barren convent, the last drifting snow of Glyndŵr. ‘Gwenllian!”

Historical Renaissance Wales 17th Century Historical Novel Stuart English Civil War War Fiction 1600s Pike And Shot

Book:God's Vindictive Wrath

Source: God's Vindictive Wrath

“An exciting minute-by-minute story of the English Civil War … from the soldier’s point of view … the historical accuracy is fantastic … the storyline and writing style tremendously exciting." - God's Vindictive Wrath by Charles Cordell”

Historical Historical Fiction Renaissance 17th Century Review Military Fiction Stuart War Fiction 1600s Editorial Review

Author:Historical Novel Society

“The rivalry was so intense that English pamphleteers competed with one another to come up with ever more lurid headlines about the Dutch. (My favourite of these: "The Dutch-mens Pedigree; Or, A Relation Shewing How They Were First Bred and Descended froma Horse-Turd Which Was Enclosed in a Butter-Box.)”

Netherlands 17th Century Pamphlets

Author:Russel Shorto

“Everyone who has an interest in the History of Winchester, the Civil War In Hampshire and the 17th Century needs to read this - Desecration: Winchester 1642 by Charles Cordell”

Historical Historical Fiction Renaissance 17th Century Review Iconoclasm Stuart English Civil War 1600s Winchester

Author:Warwick Louth

“I have been waiting for this second novel - The Keys of Hell and Death - in Charles Cordell's series, and am not disappointed. Once more, he evokes the experience of the Civil War soldier, in every branch of arms, more vividly than ever before.”

Renaissance 17th Century Review Endorsement Historical Novel Stuart English Civil War 1600s 1643 Roundway Down

Author:Professor Ronald Hutton

“The ground shudders from cavalry attack and cannon fire. You can smell the sweat of fear." - The Keys of Hell and Death by Charles Cordell”

Renaissance 17th Century Endorsement Historical Novel Stuart Cover Quotes English Civil War 1600s Charles Cordell Divided Kingdom

Author:David Gilman

“Straight into the action, fast-paced and authentic. This story captures all the confusion, fear and excitement of battle. It will appeal to anyone who enjoys historical adventure novels." - God's Vindictive Wrath by Charles Cordell”

Historical Historical Fiction Renaissance 17th Century Endorsement Stuart Cover Quotes English Civil War 1600s Charles Cordell

Author:Michael Arnold

“Such command and honesty! Your figures are full of emotion, for instance, here – points at the panel – the figure of Judas on his knees, wringing his hands in self-hatred and pleading for forgiveness… Who would have thought that someone your age, a miller at that, could put so much into a figure!”

17th Century Rembrandt Van Rijn

Book:Van Rijn

Source: Van Rijn

“Across the whole of the Americas, the introduction of infectious diseases from Europe resulted in a 90 percent fall in the population, from about 60.5 million in 1500 to 6 million a century later.”

America Genocide Colonialism 17th Century 16th Century

Book:Pathogenesis: A History of the World in Eight Plagues

Source: Pathogenesis: A History of the World in Eight Plagues

“I would love to do a period piece - in the 18th or 17th century. To me, it would be such an incredible challenge because of the way people carried themselves. There are so many incredible stories within those centuries - just the language and the way they carried themselves and what they were going through.”

People Way Stories Would Be Language Challenges Pieces Century Periods Incredibles 17th Century

Author:Amy Smart

“Since the 17th century, insurance agents have been the foremost experts on risk.”

Has Beens Risk Century Agents Experts 17th Century Insurance Agent

Author:Charles Duhigg

“You cannot gauge the intelligence of an American by talking with him; you must work with him. The American polishes and refines his way of doing things-even the most commonplace-the way the French of the 17th century polished their maxims.”

Way America Talking Century Maxims Polish Commonplace Polished Gauges 17th Century

Book:The Passionate State of Mind

Source: The Passionate State of Mind

“I think we as Americans know there's a much better alternative than the 17th century practice of burning rocks to power our economy.”

Thinking Knows Practice Economy Rocks Century Burning Alternatives 17th Century

Author:Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

“The technologies for the alternative energy sources exists today. The economics are compelling. The public health is compelling. Why would we maintain a focus on a 17th-century technology, when there are 21st-century alternatives that are both necessary and available? And the answer is the subversion of democracy.”

Today Energy Answers Technology Democracy Focus Century Source Economics Available Alternatives Compelling 21st Century Public Health Energy Sources Subversion 17th Century Alternative Energy

Author:Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

“Modernity is the ensemble of changes - intellectual, political, economic, social, cultural, technological, aesthetic - that have altered the world drastically since roughly the 17th century, until which time the world was, in the above respects, far less different from the world of any previous epoch of recorded history than it is from the world of today. The modern predicament is the set of problems these changes have bequeathed us.”

World Different Problem Today Political Social Economic Modern Century Intellectual Aesthetic Technological Modernity Altered Epoch Ensemble Predicaments 17th Century

Author:George Scialabba

“Composers can do things that weren't allowed in the 17th century. Until we had composers like Igor Stravinsky and Sergei Rachmaninoff to break the rules.”

Can Do Break Century Composer 17th Century Stravinsky Rachmaninoff

Author:Aaron Zigman

“I live in the 17th century. I don't have a computer. I don't look at the internet. I use a cellphone, and that's about my only connection to the modern world.”

World Looks Use Modern Century Internet Computer Connections Modern World Cellphone 17th Century

Author:Iris Apfel

“Religion is a practical discipline and in the 17th century in the West, we turned it onto a head trip. But it's like dancing, or swimming, or driving, which you can't learn by texts. You have to get into the car and learn how to manipulate the vehicle.”

Century Car Discipline Dancing West Driving Practicals Swimming Vehicle Manipulate 17th Century

Author:Karen Armstrong

“[17th-century] Puritans were the first modern parents. Like many of us, they looked on their treatment of children as a test of their own self-control. Their goal was not to simply to ensure the child's duty to the family, but to help him or her make personal, individual commitments. They were the first authors to state that children must obey God rather than parents, in case of a clear conflict.”

Firsts Children Self States Helping Individual Parent Goal Cases Clear Modern Century Duty Conflict Commitment Tests Treatment Self Control Puritan 17th Century

Author:C. Sommerville

“Recently I was reading somewhere or other an Italian curio-dealer who attempted to sell a 17th century crucifix to J.P. Morgan. Inside it was concealed a stiletto. What a perfect symbol of the Christian religion.”

Christian Reading Perfect Century Sells Symbols Italian Concealed Dealer 17th Century Stilettos

Book:The complete works of George Orwell

Source: The complete works of George Orwell

“Unfortunately, 19th-century scientists were just as ready to jump to the conclusion that any guess about nature was an obvious fact, as were 17th-century sectarians to jump to the conclusion that any guess about Scripture was the obvious explanation . . . . and this clumsy collision of two very impatient forms of ignorance was known as the quarrel of Science and Religion.”

Two Facts Form Known Century Ignorance Ready Scientist Obvious Scripture Conclusion Explanation Science And Religion Quarrels Impatient 19th Century Clumsy Collision 17th Century

Author:Gilbert K. Chesterton

“Technologically I live in the 17th century. I have a very simple cell phone. I say I live through the kindness of strangers, because if they see something on the Net they type it out and send it to me.”

Ifs Simple Kindness Century Type Phones Stranger Cells Cell Phone 17th Century

Author:Iris Apfel

“Perhaps people need to understand some history here. Rene Descartes, in the late 16th, early 17th century, postulated that body, mind, physicality and spirituality belonged to different realms of reality that didn't interact. On a positive side, it got the Inquisition off the backs of the intellectuals and they quit burning them at the stake for disagreeing with the Church.”

People Needs Mind Different Body Reality Spirituality Sides Church Century Late Quitting Burning Realms Stakes Physicality Inquisition 17th Century

Author:Edgar Mitchell

“What we argue in the piece is that the headscarf has become a political symbol for an ideology of Islam that is exported to the world by the theocracies of the governments of Iran and Saudi Arabia. Just like the Catholic Church in the 17th century did religious propaganda to challenge the Protestant Reformation, these ideologies are trying to define the way Muslims express Islam in the world.”

“17th century philosophers were not in a position to understand the mind as well as we can today, since the advent of experimental methods in psychology. It shows no disrespect for the brilliance of Descartes or Kant to acknowledge that the psychology which they worked with was primitive by comparison with what is available today in the cognitive sciences, any more than it shows disrespect for the brilliance of Aristotle to acknowledge that the physics he worked with does not compare with that of Newton or Einstein.”

“I'm from Holland and the history of "Admiral" is something you would read about when you're at school. Nobody knows about these stories and when you go to any museum in Holland, you will see these paintings of these 17th century sea beckels that the Dutch were in to, so it always intrigued me.”

Knows Stories School Sea Century Painting Museums Nobody Knows Intrigued Dutch Holland Admiral 17th Century

Author:Roel Reine

“Aristotle saw nature as intelligent and purposive, whereas for the Epicureans, and the 17th century 'mechanical' philosophers, there is no intentionality in nature except where there are animal minds and bodies.”

Mind Body Animal Saws Century Intelligent Philosopher Mind And Body Intentionality 17th Century Epicurean

Author:Catherine Wilson

“Order can arise from chaos without anyone or anything directing the process when unstable combinations of atoms perish and others persist. In the 17th century, Descartes applied this insight to cosmology, and long before Darwin presented his more rigorous ideas about variation and selection, people began to speculate more openly about the origins of life and the species in Epicurean terms.”

People Long Ideas Order Process Term Century Species Chaos Insight Arise Combination Atoms Persist Selection Variation Cosmology Unstable Origin Of Life 17th Century Epicurean

Author:Catherine Wilson

“One of my favorite writers is Michel de Montaigne. My wife gave me a beautiful 17th-century edition of Montaigne's essays translated by John Florio. That's probably my most precious possession.”

Beautiful Wife Century My Favorite Possession My Wife Essays 17th Century Precious Possessions

Author:Stephen Greenblatt

“Literate households in the 17th century would have had the Bible, John Bunyan's "The Pilgrim's Progress," and a couple of other books. Shakespeare plays were cheap, so you could buy those, but a folio cost a pound, which was an incredible amount of money then.”

Book Play Progress Century Amount Couple Cost Incredibles Pounds Household Pilgrim 17th Century Shakespeare Play

Author:Stephen Greenblatt

“Yes, I would agree that America, just like Spain was in the 17th Century, is the main empire of the world and they are the ones who, on the surface, are the most pushy: pushing their language, pushing their culture - or what there is of it - pushing by force their system on others.”

World America Culture Language Force Century Agree Surface Empires Pushing Spain 17th Century Pushy

Author:Viggo Mortensen

“The word crap is actually another word that's very, very old. It was taken over from 17th century England by the pilgrim fathers and Americans were talking about things being crap in the 17th and 18th centuries. What Sir Thomas Crapper – complete coincidence – does is not invent the flushing toilet, as many, many people believe, but was a great promoter for it. He ran a business marketing other people's products and that's why his name was on them. When the American soldiers came over in the First World War, they all thought it was hilarious that it said 'crapper' on them.”

“The spirit must be freed from tethers so strong and feelings never put to rest, so that the lift of life may give buoyancy to the soul. In many families, there are hurt feelings and a reluctance to forgive. It doesn’t really matter what the issue was. It cannot and should not be left to injure. Blame keeps wounds open. Only forgiveness heals. George Herbert, an early 17th-century poet, wrote these lines: ‘He that cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass if he would ever reach heaven, for everyone has need of forgiveness.’”

“I still the love classic period, but also the baroque period, and even 17th-Century music such as the music of Monteverdi. He's one of the greatest opera composers. He was the one who really started the opera.”

Stills Century Periods Classic Opera Composer Baroque 17th Century Baroque Music

Author:Cecilia Bartoli

“Our Western science, ever since the 17th century, has been obsessed with the notion of control, of man dominating nature. This obsession has led to disaster.”

Men Has Beens Century Western Notion Disaster Obsession Obsessed Dominating 17th Century

Author:Fritjof Capra

“The data, however, do indicate that Christians who see Jews through a 17th-century lens, believing that most are thoroughly religious, are thoroughly wrong.”

Believe Christian Religious Century Jew Data Lenses 17th Century

Author:Marvin Olasky