The English are loth to express their feelings, but in my stall in the choir I could feel the pent-up, passionate emotion, and also the fear of the congregation, not of death or wounds or material loss, but of defeat and the final ruin of Britain.

Russia is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.

Better to dare mighty things and fail than to live in a grey twilight where there is neither victory nor defeat.

There is no worse mistake in public leadership than to hold out false hopes soon to be swept away. The British people can face peril or misfortune with fortitude and buoyancy, but they bitterly resent being deceived or finding that those responsible for their affairs are themselves dwelling in a fool's paradise.

Old men make war, young men fight and die

Don't give your son money. As far as you can afford it, give him horses.

Diplomacy is the art of telling plain truths without giving offense.