Christianity in its ideas was never the art of the possible.
One constant among the elements of 1914—as of any era—was the disposition of everyone on all sides not to prepare for the harder alternative, not to act upon what they suspected to be true.
Above all, discard the irrelevant.
Arguments can always be found to turn desire into policy.
Nothing is more satisfying than to write a good sentence.
Belgium, where there occurred one of the rare appearances of the hero in history, was lifted above herself by the uncomplicated conscience of her King and, faced with the choice to acquiesce or resist, took less than three hours to make her decision, knowing it might be mortal.