--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sir, he [Bolingbroke] was a scoundrel and…" description: "\"Sir, he [Bolingbroke] was a scoundrel and a coward: a scoundrel for charging a blunderbuss against religion and morality; a coward, because he had not ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05b/samuel-johnson-50_against-religion_sir-he-bolingbroke-was-a-scoundrel-and-a_2209441.png" --- # Sir, he \[Bolingbroke\] was a scoundrel and a coward: a… ![“Sir, he [Bolingbroke] was a scoundrel and a coward: a scoundrel for charging a blunderbuss against religion and morality; a coward, because he had not resolution to fire it off himself, but left half a crown to a beggarly Scotsman to draw the trigger at his death.” quote by Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05b/samuel-johnson-50_against-religion_sir-he-bolingbroke-was-a-scoundrel-and-a_2209441.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05b/samuel-johnson-50_against-religion_sir-he-bolingbroke-was-a-scoundrel-and-a_2209441.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05b/samuel-johnson-50_against-religion_sir-he-bolingbroke-was-a-scoundrel-and-a_2209441.png) > “Sir, he \[Bolingbroke\] was a scoundrel and a coward: a scoundrel for charging a blunderbuss against religion and morality; a coward, because he had not resolution to fire it off himself, but left half a crown to a beggarly Scotsman to draw the trigger at his death.” [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Bolingbroke is called a coward for hiring a Scotsman to fire a weapon for him, showing moral cowardice. **In simple terms:** Hiring others to do dangerous deeds shows lack of courage. Key Takeaway Take responsibility for one's actions. Themes morality courage politics character responsibility Mood critical thoughtful Type ethical political When to use this quote - leadership - decision making - public service - ethical debates Key Concepts ethical philosophy political critique personal integrity Questions to Reflect On - When is it acceptable to delegate risky actions? - What defines true courage in leadership? A Different Perspective Delegating dangerous tasks can be pragmatic, not always cowardly. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Against religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/against-religion/) [Beggarly Scotsman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beggarly-scotsman-4886393/) [Bolingbroke Scoundrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bolingbroke-scoundrel-4886392/) [Charging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/charging/) [Coward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coward/) [Coward Scoundrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coward-scoundrel-4886390/) [Crowns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crowns/) [Draws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/draws/) [Fire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fire/) [Half](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/half/) [Left](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/left/) [Morality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morality/) [Morality Coward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morality-coward-4886394/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Resolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resolution/) [Scotsmen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scotsmen/) [Scoundrel Coward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scoundrel-coward-4886391/) [Scoundrels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scoundrels/) [Triggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/triggers/) ## Related quotes > [A Scotchman must be a very sturdy moralist who does not love Scotland better than truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/a-scotchman-must-be-a-very-sturdy-moralist-who-does-not-love-scotland/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [In the year of our Lord 1314. 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("The Wendigo")”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/algernon-blackwood/he-gave-it-the-benefit-of-the-doubt-he-was-scotch-the-wendigo/) [Algernon Blackwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/algernon-blackwood/) > [“If Scotsmen truly didn't wear anything under their kilts, she bet his equipment was frozen solid.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vonnie-davis/if-scotsmen-truly-didn-t-wear-anything-under-their-kilts-she-bet-his/) [Vonnie Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vonnie-davis/) > [England Their England by AG Macdonell which was written in the thirties and is about a young Scotsman who's got shell shocked during the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-hislop/england-their-england-by-ag-macdonell-which-was-written-in-the/) [Ian Hislop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-hislop/) > [Incredible to think isn't it, that every single Scotsman, started off as a scotch egg. Old and gingery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-jones/incredible-to-think-isn-t-it-that-every-single-scotsman-started-off/) [Milton Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-jones/) > [Three Scotsmen of the clan McKay were looking for a fourth member to fight four members of the Irish clan Magee ... 'I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winsor-mccay/three-scotsmen-of-the-clan-mckay-were-looking-for-a-fourth-member-to/) [Winsor McCay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winsor-mccay/) > [“Scotsmen are not the type to back down easily, even if an Amazonian bisexual is screaming for compliance and threatening death by green fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-michael-schwarz/scotsmen-are-not-the-type-to-back-down-easily-even-if-an-amazonian/) [A. Michael Schwarz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-michael-schwarz/) > [I was born a Scotsman and a bare one. Therefore I was born to fight my way in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/i-was-born-a-scotsman-and-a-bare-one-therefore-i-was-born-to-fight-my/) [Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/) > [An Englishman, Irishman and Scotsman were invited to a Christmas party. The Englishman brought a bag of tinsel, the Scotsman brought a bag of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-carson/an-englishman-irishman-and-scotsman-were-invited-to-a-christmas-party/) [Frank Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-carson/) > [“You think to judge me, MacKinnon? I've littered the ground wi' the corpses of men like you." Iain raised his blade and smiled. 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Poverty is a great enemy to human happiness; it certainly destroys liberty, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/resolve-not-to-be-poor-whatever-you-have-spend-less-poverty-is-a/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The basis of all excellence is truth: he that professes love ought to feel its power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-basis-of-all-excellence-is-truth-he-that-professes-love-ought-to/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Words are daughters of earth but ideas are sons of heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/words-are-daughters-of-earth-but-ideas-are-sons-of-heaven/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“The composition of Shakespeare is a forest, in which oaks extend in the air, interspersed sometimes with weeds and brambles, and sometimes giving shelting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-composition-of-shakespeare-is-a-forest-in-which-oaks-extend-in/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“The cherubim were never intended as an object of worship, because they were only the appendices to another thing. But a thing is then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-cherubim-were-never-intended-as-an-object-of-worship-because-they/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Nobody has the right to put another under such a difficulty that he must either hurt the person by telling the truth or hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/nobody-has-the-right-to-put-another-under-such-a-difficulty-that-he/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [That kind of life is most happy which affords us most opportunities of gaining our own self-esteem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/that-kind-of-life-is-most-happy-which-affords-us-most-opportunities/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The time will come to every human being when it must be known how well he can bear to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-time-will-come-to-every-human-being-when-it-must-be-known-how/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) [Explore all 1,998 Samuel Johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## More Against religion quotes > [We were convinced that the people need and require this faith. 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It points me to the man who once in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/y-feelings-as-a-christian-points-me-to-my-lord-and-savior-as-a/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [Ridicule is the only weapon which can be used against unintelligible propositions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/ridicule-is-the-only-weapon-which-can-be-used-against-unintelligible/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [I am for religion, against religions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/i-am-for-religion-against-religions/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the Supreme Being as his father, in the womb of a virgin, will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-day-will-come-when-the-mystical-generation-of-jesus-by-the/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [ The rebellious mood of the country during those \[60th\] years allowed me to plug right back into my old hatreds. I could scream and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/the-rebellious-mood-of-the-country-during-those-60th-years-allowed-me/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [Religious controversies are always productive of more acrimony and irreconcilable hatreds than those which spring from any other cause.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/religious-controversies-are-always-productive-of-more-acrimony-and/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [If you are asking me if my more global purpose is a battle against religion, it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/if-you-are-asking-me-if-my-more-global-purpose-is-a-battle-against/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [I don't believe in heaven and hell. I don't know if I believe in God. 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