I must be cruel only to be kind.

I must be cruel only to be kind.

Man's inhumanity to man
Makes countless thousands mourn!

Man's inhumanity to man
Makes countless thousands mourn!

I would love to see the grimace he [Marquis de Cinq-Mars] is now
making on the scaffold.
[Fr., read more

I would love to see the grimace he [Marquis de Cinq-Mars] is now
making on the scaffold.
[Fr., Je voudrais bien voir la grimace qu'il fait a cette heure
sur cet echafaud.]

And you, enchantment,
Worthy enough a herdsman--yea, him too,
That makes himself, but for our honor therein,
read more

And you, enchantment,
Worthy enough a herdsman--yea, him too,
That makes himself, but for our honor therein,
Unworthy thee-if ever henceforth thou
These rural latches to his entrance open,
Or hoop his body more with thy embraces,
I will devise a death as cruel for thee
As thou art tender to't.

In order to get power and retain it, it is necessary to love power; but love of power is not read more

In order to get power and retain it, it is necessary to love power; but love of power is not connected with goodness but with qualities that are the opposite of goodness, such as pride, cunning and cruelty

Detested sport,
That owes its pleasures to another's pain.

Detested sport,
That owes its pleasures to another's pain.

Inhumanity is caught from man,
From smiling man.

Inhumanity is caught from man,
From smiling man.

Lady, you are the cruell'st she alive
If you will these graces to the grave,
And leave read more

Lady, you are the cruell'st she alive
If you will these graces to the grave,
And leave the world no copy.

Cruelty, like every other vice, requires no motive outside of itself; it only requires opportunity

Cruelty, like every other vice, requires no motive outside of itself; it only requires opportunity