--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He had done that which could never be…" description: "\"He had done that which could never be forgiven; he was in the grasp of one who never forgave.\" — Thomas B. Macaulay" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48d/thomas-b-macaulay-1980_british-history_he-had-done-that-which-could-never-be-fo_2187517.png" --- # He had done that which could never be forgiven; he was in… ![“He had done that which could never be forgiven; he was in the grasp of one who never forgave.” quote by Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48d/thomas-b-macaulay-1980_british-history_he-had-done-that-which-could-never-be-fo_2187517.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48d/thomas-b-macaulay-1980_british-history_he-had-done-that-which-could-never-be-fo_2187517.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48d/thomas-b-macaulay-1980_british-history_he-had-done-that-which-could-never-be-fo_2187517.png) > “He had done that which could never be forgiven; he was in the grasp of one who never forgave.” [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Unforgivable actions bind a person to unforgiving authority, creating perpetual guilt. **In simple terms:** Inescapable guilt from unforgivable deeds. Key Takeaway Recognize and release lingering guilt. Themes guilt forgiveness authority psychology Mood somber reflective Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - legal trials - personal relationships - conflict resolution Key Concepts Moral responsibility emotional burden Questions to Reflect On - What steps can you take toward self‑forgiveness? - How does authority influence guilt? A Different Perspective Forgiveness may be impossible in some contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [British history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british-history/) [Forgiveness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiveness/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) ## Related quotes > [“Though she knew his sins and shortcomings, she never judged. She forgave. She forgave unforgivable acts. 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Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [It's simple to say you forgave somebody but reality is you will never forgive anybody until you let go of the anger within you...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-mudau/it-s-simple-to-say-you-forgave-somebody-but-reality-is-you-will-never/) [Lawrence Mudau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-mudau/) > [My children forgave me at a time when I could barely forgive myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tatum-o-neal/my-children-forgave-me-at-a-time-when-i-could-barely-forgive-myself/) [Tatum O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tatum-o-neal/) > [How could I breathe? Where would I be? I was so lost in my suffering but now you made me see. You forgave me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blacklisted-me/how-could-i-breathe-where-would-i-be-i-was-so-lost-in-my-suffering/) Blacklisted Me > [“He forgave you though,' said Claire. 'He never held it against you, ever. All he cared about was that you lived, and that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-j-watson/he-forgave-you-though-said-claire-he-never-held-it-against-you-ever/) [S.J. Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-j-watson/) > [Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-the-apostle/be-kind-and-compassionate-to-one-another-forgiving-each-other-just-as/) [Paul the Apostle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-the-apostle/) > [“So she forgave him. And instead she berated herself for her suspicion, for her snooping. For the things she promised herself she wouldn't do,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pavone/so-she-forgave-him-and-instead-she-berated-herself-for-her-suspicion/) [Chris Pavone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pavone/) > [You hate it before you played it. I already forgave ya.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-cole-2/you-hate-it-before-you-played-it-i-already-forgave-ya/) [J. Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-cole-2/) > [I fucked up so bad.! I loved him and I still do. I never knew what I had until he was gone. Oh my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-fucked-up-so-bad-i-loved-him-and-i-still-do-i-never-knew-what-i-had/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [They say what goes around comes around,an I know I made mistakes an you forgave me how.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/they-say-what-goes-around-comes-around-an-i-know-i-made-mistakes-an/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“He was gone and did not have time to tell him what I had just now realized: that I forgave him, and that she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/he-was-gone-and-did-not-have-time-to-tell-him-what-i-had-just-now/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“She forgave them, not because they had asked for forgiveness, since they did no such thing, nor because they deserved it, but because she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talidari/she-forgave-them-not-because-they-had-asked-for-forgiveness-since/) [Talidari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talidari/) > [“You won't remember me. You won't need me anymore. You will leave me again. I forgive you. I forgave you. I will always forgive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julio-alexi-genao/you-won-t-remember-me-you-won-t-need-me-anymore-you-will-leave-me/) [Julio-Alexi Genao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julio-alexi-genao/) ## More by Thomas B. Macaulay > [A beggarly people, A church and no steeple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/a-beggarly-people-a-church-and-no-steeple/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [We must judge a government by its general tendencies and not by its happy accidents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/we-must-judge-a-government-by-its-general-tendencies-and-not-by-its/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [None of the modes by which a magistrate is appointed, popular election, the accident of the lot, or the accident of birth, affords, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/none-of-the-modes-by-which-a-magistrate-is-appointed-popular-election/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [Our estimate of a character always depends much on the manner in which that character affects our own interests and passions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/our-estimate-of-a-character-always-depends-much-on-the-manner-in/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [Re: Robert Montgomery's Poems His writing bears the same relation to poetry which a Turkey carpet bears to a picture. There are colours in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/re-robert-montgomery-s-poems-his-writing-bears-the-same-relation-to/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [Highest among those who have exhibited human nature by means of dialogue stands Shakespeare. His variety is like the variety of nature,--endless diversity, scarcely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/highest-among-those-who-have-exhibited-human-nature-by-means-of/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [The most beautiful object in the world, it will be allowed, is a beautiful woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/the-most-beautiful-object-in-the-world-it-will-be-allowed-is-a/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [The passages in which Milton has alluded to his own circumstances are perhaps read more frequently, and with more interest, than any other lines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/the-passages-in-which-milton-has-alluded-to-his-own-circumstances-are/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [Oh, wherefore come ye forth in triumph from the north, With your hands, and your feet, and your raiment all red? And wherefore doth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/oh-wherefore-come-ye-forth-in-triumph-from-the-north-with-your-hands/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [It is, I believe, no exaggeration to say that all the historical information which has been collected in the Sanskrit language is less valuable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/it-is-i-believe-no-exaggeration-to-say-that-all-the-historical/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [Ambrose Phillips . . . who had the honor of bringing into fashion a species of composition which has been called, after his name, Namby Pamby.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/ambrose-phillips-who-had-the-honor-of-bringing-into-fashion-a-species/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [In the infancy of civilization, when our island was as savage as New Guinea, when letters and arts were still unknown to Athens, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/in-the-infancy-of-civilization-when-our-island-was-as-savage-as-new/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [In truth it may be laid down as an almost universal rule that good poets are bad critics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/in-truth-it-may-be-laid-down-as-an-almost-universal-rule-that-good/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [He had a head which statuaries loved to copy, and a foot the deformity of which the beggars in the streets mimicked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/he-had-a-head-which-statuaries-loved-to-copy-and-a-foot-the-deformity/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [The Spartan, smiting and spurning the wretched Helot, moves our disgust. But the same Spartan, calmly dressing his hair, and uttering his concise jests,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/the-spartan-smiting-and-spurning-the-wretched-helot-moves-our-disgust/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) [Explore all 193 Thomas B. Macaulay quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) ## More British history quotes > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [Taxation, the very thing that had triggered the British civil wars, would do so again, this time in America. The taxes may have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-schama/taxation-the-very-thing-that-had-triggered-the-british-civil-wars/) [Simon Schama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-schama/) > [Cruel and paradoxical though it undoubtedly is, the record shows that yje most succesful 20th century monarchs have been those who were not actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cannadine/cruel-and-paradoxical-though-it-undoubtedly-is-the-record-shows-that/) [David Cannadine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cannadine/) > [In Great Britain, woman was subordinate and confined. But at least she was also safe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/in-great-britain-woman-was-subordinate-and-confined-but-at-least-she/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [Compare the scale and magnifcence of Versailles with St James's - the brick-built hovel in which the 18th-century kings of England lived. What was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-starkey/compare-the-scale-and-magnifcence-of-versailles-with-st-james-s-the/) [David Starkey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-starkey/) > [Virtually every war fought since the Act of Union had gone badly at some stage, but before 1783 none had ended in defeat. Nor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/virtually-every-war-fought-since-the-act-of-union-had-gone-badly-at/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [“The period of which I write was an overshadowed one in British history, and especially in the history of the northern provinces. War was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/the-period-of-which-i-write-was-an-overshadowed-one-in-british/) [Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [If there is a single trait in our character that has historically set us apart from other nations, it is our determination to limit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bragg/if-there-is-a-single-trait-in-our-character-that-has-historically-set/) [Billy Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bragg/) > [Lord Beaverbrook was fundamentally a lonely man, with a low sense of his own self-worth, who was incapable of forming a stable, loving relationship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cannadine/lord-beaverbrook-was-fundamentally-a-lonely-man-with-a-low-sense-of/) [David Cannadine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cannadine/) > [In the end, history, especially British history with its succession of thrilling illuminations, should be, as all her most accomplished narrators have promised, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-schama/in-the-end-history-especially-british-history-with-its-succession-of/) [Simon Schama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-schama/) > [When a Man is tried of London, he is tired of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/when-a-man-is-tried-of-london-he-is-tired-of-life/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“Gower is the first English writer to use "history" as an English word. He regularly rhymes the term with "memory," for to his way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-a-peck/gower-is-the-first-english-writer-to-use-history-as-an-english-word/) Russell A. Peck > [No medieval monarch in the whole of British history ever had such power as every modern British Prime Minister has in his or her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/no-medieval-monarch-in-the-whole-of-british-history-ever-had-such/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [Armed Soldier, terrible as Death, relentless as Doom; doing God's judgement on the Enemies of God. It is a phenomenon not of joyful nature;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/armed-soldier-terrible-as-death-relentless-as-doom-doing-god-s/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [Yes, making mock o' uniforms that guard you while you sleep... 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