But that sensitive gorge of Richard's was one of his worst enemies: if he did not mean to hold the snake in the stick, he had better not have cleft the stick.

As for John and his writhing, I am only half concerned with them; but let me tell you this.

Whatever he did or did not sprang not from hatred of this or that man, but from fear, or from love of his own belly.

Every prince of the house of Anjou loved inordinately some member of himself, some a noble member nobly, and others basely a base member.

If John loved his belly, Richard loved his royal head: but enough.