Thomas More: Battles result from lust for fame and glory

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Anti-war essays, poems, short stories and literary excerpts
British writers on peace and war
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St. Thomas More
From A Dialogue of Comfort Against Tribulation
As for fame and glory desired but for worldly pleasure, it doth unto the soul inestimable harm. For that setteth men’s hearts upon high devices and desires of such things as are immoderate and outrageous, and by help of false flatterers puffs up a man in pride. And makes a brittle man (lately made of earth, and that shall again shortly be laid full low in earth, and there lie and rot and turn again into earth) take himself in the meantime for a god here upon earth, and ween to win himself to be lord of all the earth. This maketh battles between these great princes, and with much trouble to much people, and great effusion of blood, one king to look to reign in five realms that cannot well rule one. For how many now hath this great Turk, and yet aspireth to more? And those he hath he ordereth evil, and yet himself worst.

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