Richard Rumbold Quote

“I never could believe that Providence had sent a few men into the world, ready booted and spurred to ride, and millions ready saddled and bridled to be ridden.”

~ Richard Rumbold

His final words on the scaffold before he was hanged in 1685.

Douglass ADAIR, Rumbold's Dying Speech, 1685, and Jefferson's Last Words on Democracy, 1826 [Notes and Documents], in: William and Mary Quarterly, 3rd Series, 9, 1952, p. 521

Ratings and Comments


Joe, Rochester, MI

The "few men" today are congress. The "millions" are the people.

Dick, Fort Worth

Another example of the real threat of government---that of becoming fascists and riding herd on the mass of people.

E Archer, NYC

Even in the 21st century, the common man faces the same struggle.

David L. Rosenthal, Hollywood

This condition that Rumbold describes came to be the status quo because of man's rebellion against the divine order, and will end when the Day of God's wrath comes. Providence had a different plan, but men would not collaborate - so they had to learn a lesson that they would never forget, and would never claim was something other than what it is. For Paradise to prevail, men must willingly limit their behavior to what Paradise might tolerate. Note that Rumbold did not say that Providence had sent men into the world, ready booted and spurred to ride, but that he could not believe that Providence had done so. Isn't that why he was hung?

Anon
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Anon    10/9/09

Providence didn't. The few put the spurs on once here and then convinced the millions their survival on earth and salvation after death depended on their being ridden by the few (the so called smarter than everybody else). Plain and simple the ridden of the world have been duped.

Roland, TX

Richard Rumbold From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Richard Rumbold (1622-1685) was a Cromwellian soldier who took part in the Rye House Plot to assassinate Charles II of England and his brother James. The pattern of his character and the details of his life have to be pieced together from scanty evidence. Of his youth we know almost nothing, beyond the fact that as a subaltern in the New Model Army he had been present at the execution of Charles I in 1649, and subsequently fought the Scots Royalists at the Battle of Dunbar in 1650, and again at Worcester in 1651. At some point in his life he lost an eye, though it is unclear if this was a battle injury or not. Because of this disability, and because of his fierceness of spirit, he was known to his friends as Hannibal. He married the widow of a maltster and thus came into possession of Rye House at Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire. After long years of obscurity he emerged as one of the extreme Whig faction at the time of the Rye House Plot, having lost none of his republican radicalism. The plan was to conceal a force of 100 men in the grounds of the house and ambush the King and his brother on their way back to London from the horse races at Newmarket. When the conspiracy was discovered Rumbold fled to Holland, joining other exiled opponents of the Stuarts. In 1685, after the death of Charles II a plot took shape among the émigrés to dislodge James II, his Catholic successor, from the throne. This was to take the form of a two-pronged attack on the British Isles: the first on Scotland under the leadership of Archibald Campbell, 9th Earl of Argyll; and the second on the west of England under James Scott, Duke of Monmouth. To emphasise the joint nature of the enterprise Rumbold accompanied Argyll to Scotland, and was eventually given a colonelcy in his small army. He was an able officer, and one of Argyll's most devoted supporters. But the whole enterprise, badly mismanaged, fell apart. Argyll and Rumbold were both captured. Rumbold was executed in Edinburgh on 26 June 1685. Argyll, awaiting his own death, said of him: "Poor Rumbold was a great supporter to me and a brave man and died Christianly." Hannibal Rumbold made his own defiant declaration on the scaffold: “ This is a deluded generation, veiled in ignorance, that though popery and slavery be riding in upon them, do not perceive it; though I am sure that there was no man born marked by God above another; for none comes into this world with a saddle on his back, neither any booted and spurred to ride him...[1] ” This speech was rendered famous all over again during the discussions on the definition of treason at the American Constitutional Convention.[2] [edit] References ^ A Complete Collection of State Trials, vol. IX, 1816, p. 882. ^ Douglass Adair, "Rumbold's Dying Speech, 1685, and Jefferson's Last Words on Democracy, 1826", in The William and Mary Quarterly 3rd Series, 9.4 (October 1952:521-531) p 523f.). Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Rumbold"

cal, lewisville, tx

At least this was an awaking of the people against the "devine right of kings!" I hope the tea parties awaken everyone about the power of the people!

George Clarke, Smithtown, NY

Richard Rumbold may have been hanged first, in Edinburgh but not til he was dead. Even though grievously wounded from his last battle, he was cut down while still living and drawn and quarterd with his four limbs sent down to England to be nailed on the gates of four different towns, with his head presumably sent on pike somewhere else. His response on receiving sentence was to announce after the words of a prior religious traitor was to wish he had enough limbs for every town in England. This may have been the source for Nathan Hale's later wish, in a similar vein, whether he said himself or had it attributed to him. Both were brave men indeed.

Tony T, Taipei

I believe Thomas Jefferson said something similar many years later. I'm sure he must have heard about Rum old.

Anonymous, Rochester

I heard from a recording of Tony Benn & Roy Bailey a English folk singer? Rumbold said " Gentleman and Brethren. I die this day in defense of ancient laws & liberties of these nations. I may say "This is a deluded generation Vailed with ignorance & though popery & slavery be riding in open them do not perceive it, Though I am sure that there no man born marked of god above another for none comes into the world with a saddle on his back,,, neither any booted & spurred to ride him 1685 why isn't this on the curriculum

Robert, Somewhere in Europe

A real example of the millions that are ridden each day by their corporate and tyrannical masters... we will only evolve as a species once we have thrown away the saddles and reins.. The tea party is just another group waiting their turn - lets hope it never happens....

E Archer, NYC
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E Archer, NYC Robert, Somewhere in Europe 10/5/20

Um, the quote is referring to those who are saddled without consent.  The biggest corporations in the world are now the social-ist media giants like Google, Amazon, Twitter and Facebook.  What say you about these tyrannical masters?

E Archer, NYC

The right to tax is the right to steal with violence without impunity.

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