--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A hundred thousand men were led By one…" description: "\"A hundred thousand men were led By one calf near three centuries dead; They followed still his crooked way And lost a hundred years a day; For thus suc..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b2/sam-walter-foss-28862_boston_a-hundred-thousand-men-were-led-by-one-c_1077163.jpg" --- # A hundred thousand men were led By one calf near three… ![“A hundred thousand men were led By one calf near three centuries dead; They followed still his crooked way And lost a hundred years a day; For thus such reverence is lent To well established precedent.” quote by Sam Walter Foss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b2/sam-walter-foss-28862_boston_a-hundred-thousand-men-were-led-by-one-c_1077163.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b2/sam-walter-foss-28862_boston_a-hundred-thousand-men-were-led-by-one-c_1077163.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b2/sam-walter-foss-28862_boston_a-hundred-thousand-men-were-led-by-one-c_1077163.jpg) > “A hundred thousand men were led By one calf near three centuries dead; They followed still his crooked way And lost a hundred years a day; For thus such reverence is lent To well established precedent.” [Sam Walter Foss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walter-foss/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Blind devotion to outdated authority can waste time and cause loss, as following a dead precedent leads to stagnation. **In simple terms:** Following dead ideas wastes time. Key Takeaway Question and update old beliefs. Themes critical thinking history authority Mood reflective cautious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - education reform - organizational change - personal decision making Key Concepts tradition stagnation loss of progress Questions to Reflect On - What traditions deserve reexamination? - How can you honor useful past while innovating? A Different Perspective May overlook the value of some traditions that still serve. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Boston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boston/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Precedent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/precedent/) [Reverence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reverence/) ## Related quotes > [One day through the primeval wood A calf walked home as good calves should; But made a trail all bent askew, A crooked trail…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walter-foss/one-day-through-the-primeval-wood-a-calf-walked-home-as-good-calves/) [Sam Walter Foss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walter-foss/) > [The world of books is the most remarkable creation of man. Nothing else that he builds ever lasts. Monuments fall; nations perish; civilizations grow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-day/the-world-of-books-is-the-most-remarkable-creation-of-man-nothing/) [Clarence Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-day/) > [The world of books is the most remarkable creation of man nothing else that he builds ever lasts monuments fall; nations perish; civilization grow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-day/the-world-of-books-is-the-most-remarkable-creation-of-man-nothing-3/) [Clarence Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-day/) > [“They, too, knew this beautiful and harrowing landscape, centuries dead; they'd had the experience of looking up from their books with fifth-century eyes and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/they-too-knew-this-beautiful-and-harrowing-landscape-centuries-dead/) [donna tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) > [A conservative is one who admires radicals centuries after they're dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-rosten/a-conservative-is-one-who-admires-radicals-centuries-after-they-re/) [Leo Rosten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-rosten/) > [A bloody and complete victory has sometimes yielded no more than the possession of the field and the loss of ten thousand men has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/a-bloody-and-complete-victory-has-sometimes-yielded-no-more-than-the/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [“At every crossway on the road that leads to the future, each progressive spirit is opposed by a thousand men appointed to guard the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-maeterlinck/at-every-crossway-on-the-road-that-leads-to-the-future-each/) [Maurice Maeterlinck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-maeterlinck/) > [“Another said , "I don't ask six months, I don't ask two. In less than two weeks we'll meet the government face to face.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/another-said-i-don-t-ask-six-months-i-don-t-ask-two-in-less-than-two/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [And where is the Prince who can afford to so cover his country with troops for its defense, as that ten thousand men descending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/and-where-is-the-prince-who-can-afford-to-so-cover-his-country-with/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“I’d let his whole khalasar fuck you if need be, sweet sister, all forty thousand men and their horses too if that was what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/i-d-let-his-whole-khalasar-fuck-you-if-need-be-sweet-sister-all-forty/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [Where, where was Roderick then? One blast upon his bugle horn Were worth a thousand men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/where-where-was-roderick-then-one-blast-upon-his-bugle-horn-were/) [Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/) > [A man's a man. But when you see a king, you see the work of many thousand men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/a-man-s-a-man-but-when-you-see-a-king-you-see-the-work-of-many/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [The Grand Old Duke of York He had ten thousand men. His case comes up next week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-milligan/the-grand-old-duke-of-york-he-had-ten-thousand-men-his-case-comes-up/) [Spike Milligan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-milligan/) > [Ten thousand men possess ten thousand hopes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/ten-thousand-men-possess-ten-thousand-hopes/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) > [Though he should conquer a thousand men in the battlefield a thousand times, yet he, indeed, who would conquer himself is the noblest victor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/though-he-should-conquer-a-thousand-men-in-the-battlefield-a-thousand/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) ## More by Sam Walter Foss > [The woods were made for the hunters of dreams, The brooks for the fishers of song; To the hunters who hunt for the gunless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walter-foss/the-woods-were-made-for-the-hunters-of-dreams-the-brooks-for-the/) [Sam Walter Foss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walter-foss/) > [Just drop your bucket where you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walter-foss/just-drop-your-bucket-where-you-are/) [Sam Walter Foss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walter-foss/) > [W'en you see a man in woe, Walk right up and say hullo. Say hullo and how d'ye do, How's the world a-usin' you?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walter-foss/w-en-you-see-a-man-in-woe-walk-right-up-and-say-hullo-say-hullo-and/) [Sam Walter Foss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walter-foss/) > [I say the very things that make the greatest StirAn' the most interestin' things, are things that did n't occur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walter-foss/i-say-the-very-things-that-make-the-greatest-stiran-the-most/) [Sam Walter Foss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walter-foss/) > [The woods were made for the hunter of dreams...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walter-foss/the-woods-were-made-for-the-hunter-of-dreams/) [Sam Walter Foss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walter-foss/) > [Strew gladness on the paths of men-You will not pass this way again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walter-foss/strew-gladness-on-the-paths-of-men-you-will-not-pass-this-way-again/) [Sam Walter Foss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walter-foss/) > [There are purple grapes in the Land of Git-Thare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walter-foss/there-are-purple-grapes-in-the-land-of-git-thare/) [Sam Walter Foss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walter-foss/) > [Seek not for fresher founts afar, Just drop your bucket where you are; And while the ship right onward leaps, Uplift it from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walter-foss/seek-not-for-fresher-founts-afar-just-drop-your-bucket-where-you-are/) [Sam Walter Foss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walter-foss/) > [Let me live in my house by the side of the road, Where the race of men go by; They are good, they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walter-foss/let-me-live-in-my-house-by-the-side-of-the-road-where-the-race-of-men/) [Sam Walter Foss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walter-foss/) > [One day through the primeval wood A calf walked home as good calves should; But made a trail all bent askew, A crooked trail…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walter-foss/one-day-through-the-primeval-wood-a-calf-walked-home-as-good-calves/) [Sam Walter Foss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walter-foss/) > [“There are hermit souls that live withdrawn In the place of their self-content; There are souls like stars, that dwell apart, In a fellowless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walter-foss/there-are-hermit-souls-that-live-withdrawn-in-the-place-of-their-self/) [Sam Walter Foss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walter-foss/) > [For men are prone to go it blind along the calf-paths of the mind To do what other men have done. They follow in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walter-foss/for-men-are-prone-to-go-it-blind-along-the-calf-paths-of-the-mind-to/) [Sam Walter Foss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walter-foss/) > [W'en you see a man in woe, Walk right up and say 'hullo'; Say "hullo" and "how d'ye do. How's the world a-usin' you?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walter-foss/w-en-you-see-a-man-in-woe-walk-right-up-and-say-hullo-say-hullo-and-2/) [Sam Walter Foss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walter-foss/) > [There are hermit souls that live withdrawn In the place of their self-content; There are souls like stars that dwell apart, In a fellowless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walter-foss/there-are-hermit-souls-that-live-withdrawn-in-the-place-of-their-self-2/) [Sam Walter Foss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walter-foss/) > [Bring me men to match my mountains: Bring me men to match my plains: Men with empires in their purpose and new eras in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walter-foss/bring-me-men-to-match-my-mountains-bring-me-men-to-match-my-plains/) [Sam Walter Foss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walter-foss/) [Explore all 19 Sam Walter Foss quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walter-foss/) ## More Boston quotes > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [“Mom, I live in the South End, not South Boston. They are entirely different neighborhoods.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-swanson-goodreads-author/mom-i-live-in-the-south-end-not-south-boston-they-are-entirely/) Peter Swanson (Goodreads Author > [I think there are four or five interesting pockets where a lot of cool technology companies are getting started. Chicago is one of them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-lefkofsky/i-think-there-are-four-or-five-interesting-pockets-where-a-lot-of/) [Eric Lefkofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-lefkofsky/) > [I love cooking but I still always go and sneak a little bit of sides from Boston Market, and it's so good. They're so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-walsh/i-love-cooking-but-i-still-always-go-and-sneak-a-little-bit-of-sides/) [Kate Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-walsh/) > [Boston is one of my favorite places to wrestle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rikishi/boston-is-one-of-my-favorite-places-to-wrestle/) [Rikishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rikishi/) > [I ain't got no problem in Boston, I especially like the attention. I know that I'm one of the top guys in this game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-ramirez/i-ain-t-got-no-problem-in-boston-i-especially-like-the-attention-i/) [Manny Ramirez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-ramirez/) > [I lived to play basketball. Growing up as a kid, Bill Russell and the Boston Celtics were my favorite team. The way they played,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-walton/i-lived-to-play-basketball-growing-up-as-a-kid-bill-russell-and-the/) [Bill Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-walton/) > [The success of Boston's economy is intertwined with the health and well-being of every neighborhood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-wu/the-success-of-boston-s-economy-is-intertwined-with-the-health-and/) [Michelle Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-wu/) > [2004 was a great year for Boston! The Patriots won the Super Bowl! Boston hosted its first national political convention! And - the Red…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-menino/2004-was-a-great-year-for-boston-the-patriots-won-the-super-bowl/) [Thomas Menino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-menino/) > [ It was when Boston invited us to do a parade one November, and I was the only \[Star Wars\] cast member skeptical of the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ratzenberger/it-was-when-boston-invited-us-to-do-a-parade-one-november-and-i-was/) [John Ratzenberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ratzenberger/) > [Now I have been studying very closely what happens every day in the courts in Boston, Massachusetts. You would be astounded--maybe you wouldn't, maybe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/now-i-have-been-studying-very-closely-what-happens-every-day-in-the/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [Boston's justice system is in serious need of reform. 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While it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/priests-like-all-of-us-are-affected-by-culture-when-the-culture-is/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) [Browse all 787 Boston quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boston/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A hundred thousand men were led By one calf near three centuries dead; They followed still his crooked way And lost a hundred years a day; For thus such reverence is lent To well established precedent.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sam Walter Foss" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walter-foss/a-hundred-thousand-men-were-led-by-one-calf-near-three-centuries-dead/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Boston" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walter-foss/a-hundred-thousand-men-were-led-by-one-calf-near-three-centuries-dead/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b2/sam-walter-foss-28862_boston_a-hundred-thousand-men-were-led-by-one-c_1077163.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b2/sam-walter-foss-28862_boston_a-hundred-thousand-men-were-led-by-one-c_1077163.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b2/sam-walter-foss-28862_boston_a-hundred-thousand-men-were-led-by-one-c_1077163.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A hundred thousand men were led By one calf near three centuries dead; They followed still his crooked way…” — Sam Walter Foss", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Sam Walter Foss", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walter-foss/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A hundred thousand men were led...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walter-foss/a-hundred-thousand-men-were-led-by-one-calf-near-three-centuries-dead/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walter-foss/a-hundred-thousand-men-were-led-by-one-calf-near-three-centuries-dead/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```