Ivanhoe

Ivanhoe

by

Walter Scott

Waldemar Fitzurse is a loyal supporter of Prince John and his rebellion. In contrast to the spiteful and impulsive prince, Fitzurse is calculating, calm, and a smooth political operator. He uses his skills to rally the Norman nobility behind the treacherous John and hopes to be rewarded with an important position in John’s administration. Fitzurse has a strong sense of chivalry, but he ignores his scruples when it is politically expedient to do so, as when he agrees to commit secret treason by murdering King Richard so that John can ascend to the throne. Still, Richard takes pity on Fitzurse despite his attempted crime, punishing him with banishment rather than death.

Waldemar Fitzurse Quotes in Ivanhoe

The Ivanhoe quotes below are all either spoken by Waldemar Fitzurse or refer to Waldemar Fitzurse. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
The Merits of Chivalry Theme Icon
).
Volume 2, Chapter 1 Quotes

No spider ever took more pains to repair the shattered meshes of his web, than did Waldemar Fitzurse to reunite and combine the scattered members of Prince John’s cabal. Few of these were attached to him from inclination, and none from personal attachment. It was therefore necessary […to] open to them new prospects of advantage, and remind them of those which they presently enjoyed. To the young and wild nobles, he held out the prospect of unpunished license and uncontrolled revelry; to the ambitions, that of power, and to the covetous, that of increased wealth and extended domains. The leaders of the mercenaries received a donation in gold; an argument most persuasive to their minds, and without which all others would have proved in vain. Promises were still more liberally distributed than money by this active agent; […] nothing was left undone that could determine the wavering, or animate the disheartened.

Related Characters: King Richard (the Black Knight), Cedric, Waldemar Fitzurse, Prince John
Page Number: 133
Explanation and Analysis:
Volume 3, Chapter 11 Quotes

“And Richard Plantagenet,” said the King, desires no more fame than his good lance and sword may acquire him—and Richard Plantagenet is prouder of achieving an adventure, with only his good sword, and his good arm to speed, than if he led to battle a host of an hundred thousand armed men.”

“But your kingdom, my lord,” said Ivanhoe, “your kingdom is threatened with dissolution and civil war—your subjects menaced by every species of evil, if deprived of their sovereign in some of these dangers which it is your daily pleasure to incur, and from which you have but this moment narrowly escaped.”

Related Characters: King Richard (the Black Knight) (speaker), Wilfred of Ivanhoe (the Palmer, the Disinherited Knight) (speaker), Athelstane of Coningsburgh, Locksley/Robin Hood (The Yeoman Archer), Waldemar Fitzurse, Wamba
Page Number: 364
Explanation and Analysis:

Novelty in society and in adventure was the zest of life to Richard Coeur de Lion, and it had its highest relish when enhanced by dangers encountered and surmounted. In the lion-hearted King, the brilliant, but useless character, of a knight of romance, was in great measure realized; and the personal glory which he acquired by his own deeds of arms, was far more dear to his excited imagination than that which a course of policy and wisdom would have spread around his government. Accordingly, his reign was like the course of a brilliant and rapid meteor […]; his feats of chivalry furnishing themes for bards and minstrels, but affording none of those solid benefits to his country on which history loves to pause […]. But in his present company Richard shewed to the greatest imaginable advantage. He was gay, good-humored, liberal, and fond of manhood in every rank of life.

Related Characters: Lawrence Templeton (speaker), King Richard (the Black Knight), Wilfred of Ivanhoe (the Palmer, the Disinherited Knight), Locksley/Robin Hood (The Yeoman Archer), Waldemar Fitzurse
Page Number: 365
Explanation and Analysis:
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Waldemar Fitzurse Quotes in Ivanhoe

The Ivanhoe quotes below are all either spoken by Waldemar Fitzurse or refer to Waldemar Fitzurse. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
The Merits of Chivalry Theme Icon
).
Volume 2, Chapter 1 Quotes

No spider ever took more pains to repair the shattered meshes of his web, than did Waldemar Fitzurse to reunite and combine the scattered members of Prince John’s cabal. Few of these were attached to him from inclination, and none from personal attachment. It was therefore necessary […to] open to them new prospects of advantage, and remind them of those which they presently enjoyed. To the young and wild nobles, he held out the prospect of unpunished license and uncontrolled revelry; to the ambitions, that of power, and to the covetous, that of increased wealth and extended domains. The leaders of the mercenaries received a donation in gold; an argument most persuasive to their minds, and without which all others would have proved in vain. Promises were still more liberally distributed than money by this active agent; […] nothing was left undone that could determine the wavering, or animate the disheartened.

Related Characters: King Richard (the Black Knight), Cedric, Waldemar Fitzurse, Prince John
Page Number: 133
Explanation and Analysis:
Volume 3, Chapter 11 Quotes

“And Richard Plantagenet,” said the King, desires no more fame than his good lance and sword may acquire him—and Richard Plantagenet is prouder of achieving an adventure, with only his good sword, and his good arm to speed, than if he led to battle a host of an hundred thousand armed men.”

“But your kingdom, my lord,” said Ivanhoe, “your kingdom is threatened with dissolution and civil war—your subjects menaced by every species of evil, if deprived of their sovereign in some of these dangers which it is your daily pleasure to incur, and from which you have but this moment narrowly escaped.”

Related Characters: King Richard (the Black Knight) (speaker), Wilfred of Ivanhoe (the Palmer, the Disinherited Knight) (speaker), Athelstane of Coningsburgh, Locksley/Robin Hood (The Yeoman Archer), Waldemar Fitzurse, Wamba
Page Number: 364
Explanation and Analysis:

Novelty in society and in adventure was the zest of life to Richard Coeur de Lion, and it had its highest relish when enhanced by dangers encountered and surmounted. In the lion-hearted King, the brilliant, but useless character, of a knight of romance, was in great measure realized; and the personal glory which he acquired by his own deeds of arms, was far more dear to his excited imagination than that which a course of policy and wisdom would have spread around his government. Accordingly, his reign was like the course of a brilliant and rapid meteor […]; his feats of chivalry furnishing themes for bards and minstrels, but affording none of those solid benefits to his country on which history loves to pause […]. But in his present company Richard shewed to the greatest imaginable advantage. He was gay, good-humored, liberal, and fond of manhood in every rank of life.

Related Characters: Lawrence Templeton (speaker), King Richard (the Black Knight), Wilfred of Ivanhoe (the Palmer, the Disinherited Knight), Locksley/Robin Hood (The Yeoman Archer), Waldemar Fitzurse
Page Number: 365
Explanation and Analysis: