--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: His last words had hit the Jesuits hard…" description: "\"“His last words had hit the Jesuits hard. They had put the poor cobweb-spinners in mind of the humiliating fact, which they have had thrust on them dai..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05b/charles-kingsley-1896_free-country_his-last-words-had-hit-the-jesuits-hard_3228910.jpg" --- # His last words had hit the Jesuits hard. They had put the… ![“His last words had hit the Jesuits hard. They had put the poor cobweb-spinners in mind of the humiliating fact, which they have had thrust on them daily from that time till now, and yet have never learnt the lesson, that all their scholastic cunning, plotting, intriguing, bulls, pardons…” quote by Charles Kingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05b/charles-kingsley-1896_free-country_his-last-words-had-hit-the-jesuits-hard_3228910.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05b/charles-kingsley-1896_free-country_his-last-words-had-hit-the-jesuits-hard_3228910.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05b/charles-kingsley-1896_free-country_his-last-words-had-hit-the-jesuits-hard_3228910.jpg) > ““His last words had hit the Jesuits hard. They had put the poor cobweb-spinners in mind of the humiliating fact, which they have had thrust on them daily from that time till now, and yet have never learnt the lesson, that all their scholastic cunning, plotting, intriguing, bulls, pardons, indulgences, and the rest of it, are, on this side the Channel, a mere enchanter's cloud-castle and Fata Morgana, which vanishes into empty air by one touch of that magic wand, the constable's staff. "A citizen of a free country!"—there was the rub; and they looked at each other in more utter perplexity than ever.”” [Charles Kingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kingsley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He critiques the Jesuits’ empty intellectualism, comparing their elaborate schemes to a fragile illusion that collapses under authority. **In simple terms:** Scholastic tricks are like a fragile illusion that falls apart when confronted with real power. Key Takeaway Beware reliance on empty rhetoric. Themes authority illusion religion intellectualism Mood skeptical critical Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - academic debates - political speeches - legal arguments - religious discussions Key Concepts scholasticism power dynamics illusionary constructs Questions to Reflect On - How do we distinguish genuine insight from hollow rhetoric? - When does authority become oppressive? A Different Perspective The metaphor may overgeneralize complex institutions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Free country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-country/) [Hit Jesuits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hit-jesuits-6100695/) [Jesuits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jesuits/) [Jesuits Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jesuits-hard-6100692/) [Last Word](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/last-word/) [Last words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/last-words/) [Magic wand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magic-wand/) [Morgana Vanishes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morgana-vanishes-6100694/) [Scholastic Cunning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scholastic-cunning-6100693/) ## Related quotes > [I'm very interested in the history of Christianity, and what I can say for sure is that the Catholics and the Jesuits and stuff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-mendelsohn/i-m-very-interested-in-the-history-of-christianity-and-what-i-can-say/) [Ben Mendelsohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-mendelsohn/) > [My History of the Jesuits is in four volumes… This society has been a greater calamity to mankind than the French Revolution, or Napoleon's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/my-history-of-the-jesuits-is-in-four-volumes-this-society-has-been-a/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [Saint Joseph's still is among the smaller-enrollment institutions with a big-time basketball program. 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