--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A few old men might cling to their mitres…" description: "\"“A few old men might cling to their mitres and mumble their prayers, but they were a dying breed. It was men like Borgia who were the Church now. They ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2d/sara-poole-19965_old-men_a-few-old-men-might-cling-to-their-mitre_2319776.jpg" --- # A few old men might cling to their mitres and mumble their… ![“A few old men might cling to their mitres and mumble their prayers, but they were a dying breed. It was men like Borgia who were the Church now. They had transformed it into a mimers' play filled with posturing and pretense, a performance to distract the rabble while they went about their worldly…” quote by Sara Poole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2d/sara-poole-19965_old-men_a-few-old-men-might-cling-to-their-mitre_2319776.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2d/sara-poole-19965_old-men_a-few-old-men-might-cling-to-their-mitre_2319776.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2d/sara-poole-19965_old-men_a-few-old-men-might-cling-to-their-mitre_2319776.jpg) > ““A few old men might cling to their mitres and mumble their prayers, but they were a dying breed. It was men like Borgia who were the Church now. They had transformed it into a mimers' play filled with posturing and pretense, a performance to distract the rabble while they went about their worldly business out of sight. Where was the sheperd to stand against such wolves?”” [Sara Poole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-poole/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote criticizes religious leaders who have become corrupt and self‑serving, abandoning spiritual guidance for worldly power. **In simple terms:** Corrupt leaders use religion for personal gain, leaving people unprotected. Key Takeaway Beware of power‑hungry authority. Themes corruption religion leadership power morality Mood cynical critical concerned Type admonitory political When to use this quote - political leadership - church governance - community activism Key Concepts institutional decay ethical decay spiritual neglect political manipulation Questions to Reflect On - How can communities hold leaders accountable? - What signs indicate a leader has become self‑serving? A Different Perspective Power can be justified as divine will, masking exploitation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Borgia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/borgia-241594/) [Like Borgia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-borgia-634161/) [Mimers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mimers-5540918/) [Old men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-men/) [Stand Wolves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stand-wolves-5540917/) ## Related quotes > [He looked haggard and careworn, like a Borgia who has suddenly remembered that he has forgotten to shove cyanide in the consommé, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-looked-haggard-and-careworn-like-a-borgia-who-has-suddenly/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Giulia clasped her hands together just below her bosom, blinked moistly, and flung herself at Borgia's feet. 'My lord! My darling! How could I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-poole/giulia-clasped-her-hands-together-just-below-her-bosom-blinked/) [Sara Poole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-poole/) > [“(About Cesare Borgia) What cruelties were not the result of his? Who could count all his crimes? Such was the man that Machiavel prefers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/about-cesare-borgia-what-cruelties-were-not-the-result-of-his-who/) [Frederick the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [“What's an ambitious man but a player, Borgia—a player on a grand scale and the world his card game?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hella-s-haasse/what-s-an-ambitious-man-but-a-player-borgia-a-player-on-a-grand-scale/) [Hella S. Haasse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hella-s-haasse/) > [Consider the "new" woman. She's trying to be Pollyanna Borgia, clearly a conflict of interest. She's supposed to be a ruthless winner at work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/consider-the-new-woman-she-s-trying-to-be-pollyanna-borgia-clearly-a/) [Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/) > [“Lucrezia Borgia couldn't be moved by the sentiment, nor could she forgive the insult. Old woman. Old.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/lucrezia-borgia-couldn-t-be-moved-by-the-sentiment-nor-could-she/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“do they not tell us more of the real spirit of the Italian Renaissance, of the dream of Savonarola and of the sin of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/do-they-not-tell-us-more-of-the-real-spirit-of-the-italian/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Don Pedro Luis de Borja-Pierluigi Borgia to the Italians—was still in his mid-twenties when he became the first member of his family to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-j-meyer/don-pedro-luis-de-borja-pierluigi-borgia-to-the-italians-was-still-in/) [G.J. Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-j-meyer/) > [“Not wise, perhaps, to be rude to the Pope's favorite son, but my viper tongue still required a fool now and then on which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-quinn/not-wise-perhaps-to-be-rude-to-the-pope-s-favorite-son-but-my-viper/) [Kate Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-quinn/) > [“Society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/society-grows-great-when-old-men-plant-trees-whose-shade-they-know/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I’m 59 and people call me middle aged. How many 118 year old men do you know?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-cryer/i-m-59-and-people-call-me-middle-aged-how-many-118-year-old-men-do/) [Barry Cryer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-cryer/) > [I began with small roles in successful movies like 'No Country For Old Men' by the Coen brothers; but it was 'The Last Exorcism'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caleb-landry-jones/i-began-with-small-roles-in-successful-movies-like-no-country-for-old/) [Caleb Landry Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caleb-landry-jones/) > [“I do so love to listen to the deep words of bold men, though I have precious few to add.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-b-ezzell/i-do-so-love-to-listen-to-the-deep-words-of-bold-men-though-i-have/) [K.B. Ezzell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-b-ezzell/) > [The old men of the village of Mahotière say that the Mistress of the Water is a mulatto woman. At midnight she comes out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-roumain/the-old-men-of-the-village-of-mahoti-re-say-that-the-mistress-of-the/) [Jacques Roumain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-roumain/) > [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/) [Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/) ## More by Sara Poole > [“He was a handsome man, not in the way of mercurial Cesare or the false angel, Morozzi, but with a calm steadiness that sat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-poole/he-was-a-handsome-man-not-in-the-way-of-mercurial-cesare-or-the-false/) [Sara Poole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-poole/) > [“... I opened the door to a knock and found a ashen-faced messenger quailing at the prospect of facing an undead witch who was,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-poole/i-opened-the-door-to-a-knock-and-found-a-ashen-faced-messenger/) [Sara Poole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-poole/) > [“Something unfathomable moved behind his eyes. He sighed deeply. 'Do you ever, even once,' he asked, 'consider the price of caring about you?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-poole/something-unfathomable-moved-behind-his-eyes-he-sighed-deeply-do-you/) [Sara Poole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-poole/) > [“We are all of us balanced on Fortuna's wheel, clinging as best we can lest we tumble needlessly into Fata's dark maw. Yet we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-poole/we-are-all-of-us-balanced-on-fortuna-s-wheel-clinging-as-best-we-can/) [Sara Poole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-poole/) > [“You are bruised.' 'Am I? I hadn't noticed.' 'Lucrezia says you killed the bastard.' ... Cesare's hands were shaking. Hard, sun-darkened hands made to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-poole/you-are-bruised-am-i-i-hadn-t-noticed-lucrezia-says-you-killed-the/) [Sara Poole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-poole/) > [“True sleep eluded me. Morpheus is a capricious god; he comes easily to some and only with greatest difficulty to others. To lure him,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-poole/true-sleep-eluded-me-morpheus-is-a-capricious-god-he-comes-easily-to/) [Sara Poole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-poole/) > [“He turned his head just then and for a moment, our eyes met. I would like to tell you that I saw the face…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-poole/he-turned-his-head-just-then-and-for-a-moment-our-eyes-met-i-would/) [Sara Poole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-poole/) > [“If his Holiness asks for me, tell him I am -" I was what? What excuse would be sufficient to hold off Borgia the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-poole/if-his-holiness-asks-for-me-tell-him-i-am-i-was-what-what-excuse/) [Sara Poole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-poole/) > [“ Rest in God, my soul. He is the source of my hope ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-poole/rest-in-god-my-soul-he-is-the-source-of-my-hope/) [Sara Poole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-poole/) > [“… I am in no position to judge you or anything you do.' 'Yet you think I could be judged were you not so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-poole/i-am-in-no-position-to-judge-you-or-anything-you-do-yet-you-think-i/) [Sara Poole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-poole/) > [“We all make choices, Francesca. You are no different from anyone else in that regard. If you truly think otherwise, you are deluding yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-poole/we-all-make-choices-francesca-you-are-no-different-from-anyone-else/) [Sara Poole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-poole/) > [“We have all made mistakes, each and every one of us. The trick is to not keep making them over and over.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-poole/we-have-all-made-mistakes-each-and-every-one-of-us-the-trick-is-to/) [Sara Poole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-poole/) > [“Who is Nando?" Cesare asked. "Rocco's son," I replied. "A child." Make no mistake, Cesare was a selfish and ruthless man. The entire course…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-poole/who-is-nando-cesare-asked-rocco-s-son-i-replied-a-child-make-no/) [Sara Poole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-poole/) > [“Men prickle for so many reasons it is often impossible to know what provokes them on any given occasion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-poole/men-prickle-for-so-many-reasons-it-is-often-impossible-to-know-what/) [Sara Poole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-poole/) > [“When he trapped you and the Jew?" "His name was David ben Eliezer." That he had a name, that he was a man, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-poole/when-he-trapped-you-and-the-jew-his-name-was-david-ben-eliezer-that/) [Sara Poole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-poole/) [Explore all 31 Sara Poole quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-poole/) ## More Old men quotes > [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/) [Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/) > [The old men of the village of Mahotière say that the Mistress of the Water is a mulatto woman. At midnight she comes out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-roumain/the-old-men-of-the-village-of-mahoti-re-say-that-the-mistress-of-the/) [Jacques Roumain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-roumain/) > [“I do so love to listen to the deep words of bold men, though I have precious few to add.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-b-ezzell/i-do-so-love-to-listen-to-the-deep-words-of-bold-men-though-i-have/) [K.B. Ezzell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-b-ezzell/) > [I began with small roles in successful movies like 'No Country For Old Men' by the Coen brothers; but it was 'The Last Exorcism'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caleb-landry-jones/i-began-with-small-roles-in-successful-movies-like-no-country-for-old/) [Caleb Landry Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caleb-landry-jones/) > [I’m 59 and people call me middle aged. How many 118 year old men do you know?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-cryer/i-m-59-and-people-call-me-middle-aged-how-many-118-year-old-men-do/) [Barry Cryer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-cryer/) > [“Society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/society-grows-great-when-old-men-plant-trees-whose-shade-they-know/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Sensible Catholics have for generations been ignoring the views on contraception held by reactionary old men in the Vatican, but alas, since it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-c-grayling/sensible-catholics-have-for-generations-been-ignoring-the-views-on/) [A.C. Grayling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-c-grayling/) > [“Your old men shall dream dreams your young men shall see visions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-2-28/your-old-men-shall-dream-dreams-your-young-men-shall-see-visions/) [Joel 2.28](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-2-28/) > [“Saturday morning, the place is packed with gossiping old men.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-cross/saturday-morning-the-place-is-packed-with-gossiping-old-men/) [Amy Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-cross/) > [“There's no difference between a madman and a professor...it should be clear to you in the way they dress, act and think.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/there-s-no-difference-between-a-madman-and-a-professor-it-should-be/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [Why do old men wake so early? Is it to have one longer day?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/why-do-old-men-wake-so-early-is-it-to-have-one-longer-day/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“may be well to repeat here the saying that old men talk of what they have done, young men of what they are doing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carter-g-woodson/may-be-well-to-repeat-here-the-saying-that-old-men-talk-of-what-they/) [Carter G. Woodson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carter-g-woodson/) > [“History is the guess of old men, sometimes they get it wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-j-carroll/history-is-the-guess-of-old-men-sometimes-they-get-it-wrong/) [Steven J. Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-j-carroll/) > [Cricket has a stigma of old men in white clothes playing cricket but readdressing that image to people who aren't necessarily cricket lovers may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-buttler/cricket-has-a-stigma-of-old-men-in-white-clothes-playing-cricket-but/) [Jos Buttler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-buttler/) > [With false names, on the right nets, they could be anybody. Old men, middle-aged women, anybody, as long as they were careful about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/with-false-names-on-the-right-nets-they-could-be-anybody-old-men/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) [Browse all 576 Old men quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-men/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“A few old men might cling to their mitres and mumble their prayers, but they were a dying breed. 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