--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Giulia clasped her hands together just…" description: "\"“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 not be ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/980/sara-poole-19965_difficult-time_giulia-clasped-her-hands-together-just-b_3209816.jpg" --- # Giulia clasped her hands together just below her bosom… ![“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 not be overcome with concern for you? Truly, the burdens you carry would crush any other man. How fortunate we are that Our Father in Heaven has endowed…” quote by Sara Poole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/980/sara-poole-19965_difficult-time_giulia-clasped-her-hands-together-just-b_3209816.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/980/sara-poole-19965_difficult-time_giulia-clasped-her-hands-together-just-b_3209816.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/980/sara-poole-19965_difficult-time_giulia-clasped-her-hands-together-just-b_3209816.jpg) > ““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 not be overcome with concern for you? Truly, the burdens you carry would crush any other man. How fortunate we are that Our Father in Heaven has endowed our father here on earth with such wisdom and strength to see us through this difficult time.' What amazed me - and still does - is that men actually believe such drivel. Even a man as worldly, as brilliant, and above all as cynical as Borgia will nod complacently and accept it as his due. Nor did Cesare so much as raise an eyebrow. I supposed he heard the same sort of thing often enough himself.”” [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 passage sat how people use exaggerated flattery and religious justification to manipulate powerful figures, and how cynics may accept it without protest. **In simple terms:** Flattery and faith are used to influence leaders, even when they seem indifferent. Key Takeaway Beware of empty praise and recognize genuine intent. Themes manipulation faith politics cynicism Mood skeptical reflective Type observational critical When to use this quote - court intrigue - political negotiations - personal relationships - leadership challenges Key Concepts Rhetoric Power dynamics Social influence Questions to Reflect On - Do you use flattery to achieve goals? - How can you discern sincere concern from strategic praise? A Different Perspective Such tactics can backfire if the target sees through them, leading to loss of credibility. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Borgia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/borgia-241594/) [Borgia Feet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/borgia-feet-5992436/) [Borgia Nod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/borgia-nod-5992435/) [Cynical Borgia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cynical-borgia-5992433/) [Difficult time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult-time/) [Father in heaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father-in-heaven/) [Flung Borgia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flung-borgia-5992434/) [Hands together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands-together/) ## Related quotes > [“A few old men might cling to their mitres and mumble their prayers, but they were a dying breed. It was men like Borgia…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-poole/a-few-old-men-might-cling-to-their-mitres-and-mumble-their-prayers/) [Sara Poole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-poole/) > [“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/) > [“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/) > [“(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/) > [Ourchestra: So you haven't got a drum, just beat your belly. So I haven't got a horn-I'll play my nose. So we haven't any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shel-silverstein/ourchestra-so-you-haven-t-got-a-drum-just-beat-your-belly-so-i-haven/) [Shel Silverstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shel-silverstein/) > [“Pet, so far we've been playing at this. I'm going to take you a bit further. A play spanking can be erotic but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catt-ford/pet-so-far-we-ve-been-playing-at-this-i-m-going-to-take-you-a-bit/) [Catt Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catt-ford/) > [“Denny leaned back in her chair. She put her hands together and rested her chin on them. Then she glanced at Spence out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-french-koller/denny-leaned-back-in-her-chair-she-put-her-hands-together-and-rested/) [Jackie French Koller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-french-koller/) > [“Gran swatted his butt and shooed him away out the door. "Now, we can get down to business." She rubbed her hands together like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelly-crane/gran-swatted-his-butt-and-shooed-him-away-out-the-door-now-we-can-get/) [Shelly Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelly-crane/) > [“Let’s go home,” she said. He arched his brows. “Already? I thought you would want to stay for a while.” Dark eyes flashed. “No,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-smith/let-s-go-home-she-said-he-arched-his-brows-already-i-thought-you/) [Kathryn Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-smith/) > [Every tear you let go down your face has a story to tell...But it is a silent story that nobody can see or feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frenchqueen/every-tear-you-let-go-down-your-face-has-a-story-to-tell-but-it-is-a/) [Frenchqueen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frenchqueen/) > [“Then he closed his eyes and put his hands together again before his face, finger to finger. Johnny was struck by the kid's lack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/then-he-closed-his-eyes-and-put-his-hands-together-again-before-his/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) ## 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 Difficult time quotes > [Don't compare your career to anyone else's. It's tough when you're in a business that's competitive. I was having a difficult time with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-brooks/don-t-compare-your-career-to-anyone-else-s-it-s-tough-when-you-re-in/) [Danielle Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-brooks/) > [Everyone knows that when you go through a divorce, it's a really difficult time for both parties and you've all - you believe, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-mills/everyone-knows-that-when-you-go-through-a-divorce-it-s-a-really/) [Heather Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-mills/) > [Washington culture has always had a difficult time acknowledging untruth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-noah/washington-culture-has-always-had-a-difficult-time-acknowledging/) [Timothy Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-noah/) > [Truth of life is that in difficult times, my family was my backbone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manisha-koirala/truth-of-life-is-that-in-difficult-times-my-family-was-my-backbone/) [Manisha Koirala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manisha-koirala/) > [I did not come to Mumbai to act. I came here to look for a job as our business had shut down, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anupriya-goenka/i-did-not-come-to-mumbai-to-act-i-came-here-to-look-for-a-job-as-our/) [Anupriya Goenka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anupriya-goenka/) > [True friends not only support you in difficult times, but also help with a way out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/true-friends-not-only-support-you-in-difficult-times-but-also-help/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [“Watching someone you love go through difficult times is like being trapped in your own body but paralyzed. You want to yell at them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-van-dyken/watching-someone-you-love-go-through-difficult-times-is-like-being/) [Rachel Van Dyken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-van-dyken/) > [“It’s easy to see what to do once it’s already been done. 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They're sent to promote, increase and strengthen you and your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemmy-nola/when-you-face-difficult-times-know-that-challenges-are-not-sent-to/) [Kemmy Nola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kemmy-nola/) [Browse all 667 Difficult time quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult-time/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“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 not be overcome with concern for you? Truly, the burdens you carry would crush any other man. How fortunate we are that Our Father in Heaven has endowed our father here on earth with such wisdom and strength to see us through this difficult time.' What amazed me - and still does - is that men actually believe such drivel. 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