A Column of Fire

“I did it for my country, which is dear to me; for my sovereign, whom I serve; and for something else, a principle, the belief that a person has the right to make up his own mind about God.”

This quote features Ned’s explanation regarding the men he hunted and the deaths he caused over the course of his career. While he notes the political and patriotic elements of these acts, he also asserts that his commitment to religious freedom is the most important motivating force in his life. In his mind, his actions—even those involving deception and death—are justified by a universal moral purpose.

“We shouldn’t be talking of politics. Women ought to leave such matters to their husbands.”

Margery attempts to introduce a topic in which Bart might be interested: Queen Mary and the war with France. In doing so, she subtly challenges the traditional notion that women should be excluded from political discussions. However, this response from Bart reinforces the gender norms of the era even as it highlights the extreme inequalities that beset their relationship. His response also implicitly dismisses the queen herself, as he places more importance on the male figure of King Felipe.

“If Rollo was fond of his sister, it was no more than the emotion he might have felt toward a horse: he might like it, but he would sell or trade it if necessary.”

This quote encapsulates Rollo's pragmatic and utilitarian view of relationships. Personal connections, even within his own family, are always subject to his cost-benefit analysis. The passage therefore provides insight into Rollo's understanding of loyalty and foreshadows his increasingly egregious conduct as the novel progresses. For him, loyalty is transactional at best, and relationships are only as good as the advantages he can gain by maintaining them.