# The Ball and the Cross

- Author: [G. Chesterton](https://www.leafyquotes.com/g-chesterton.md)
- Quotes: 2
- Book page: https://www.leafyquotes.com/g-chesterton/the-ball-and-the-cross

## Quotes

> "I swear to you, then," said MacIan, after a pause. "I swear to you that nothing shall come between us. I swear to you that nothing shall be in my heart or in my head till our swords clash together. I swear it by the God you have denied, by the Blessed Lady you have blasphemed; I swear it by the seven swords in her heart. I swear it by the Holy Island where my fathers are, by the honour of my mother, by the secret of my people, and by the chalice of the Blood of God."
>
> The atheist drew up his head. "And I," he said, "give my word."

[Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/g-chesterton/the-ball-and-the-cross/i-swear-to-you.md)

Topics: [religion](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/religion.md)

> It is the one great weakness of journalism as a picture of our modern existence, that it must be a picture made up entirely of exceptions. We announce on flaring posters that a man has fallen off a scaffolding. We do not announce on flaring posters that a man has not fallen off a scaffolding. Yet this latter fact is fundamentally more exciting, as indicating that that moving tower of terror and mystery, a man, is still abroad upon the earth. That the man has not fallen off a scaffolding is really more sensational; and it is also some thousand times more common. But journalism cannot reasonably be expected thus to insist upon the permanent miracles. Busy editors cannot be expected to put on their posters, "Mr. Wilkinson Still Safe," or "Mr. Jones, of Worthing, Not Dead Yet." They cannot announce the happiness of mankind at all. They cannot describe all the forks that are not stolen, or all the marriages that are not judiciously dissolved. Hence the complex picture they give of life is of necessity fallacious; they can only represent what is unusual. However democratic they may be, they are only concerned with the minority.

[Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/g-chesterton/the-ball-and-the-cross/it-is-the.md)

Topics: [truth](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/truth.md)