He says, “No ruler in the history of the world has ever been able to afford a war. They’re not affordable… — Hilary Mantel
He says, “No ruler in the history of the world has ever been able to afford a war. They’re not affordable things. No prince ever says, ‘This is my budget, so this is the kind of war I can have.’ You enter into one and it uses up all the money you’ve got, and then it breaks you and bankrupts you.”
p. 168Source: Wikiquote · CC BY-SA 4.0
More from this book
The cardinal used to say, the English will forgive a king anything, until he tries to tax them.
p. 332
A lie is no less a lie because it is a thousand years old.
p. 525
When have I, when have I ever forced anyone to do anything, he starts to say: but Richard cuts in, “No, you don’t, I agree, it’s just that you are practiced at persuading, and sometimes it’s quite difficult, sir to distinguish being persuaded by you from being knocked down in street and stamped on.”
p. 406
