The Pillars of the Earth · 42 quotesWhen we began work on the Kingsbridge Cathedral, King Stephen was newly crowned and the Princess Maud fled to France with her newborn son, Henry. For years, England was torn by war and great suffering. King Stephen is since dead and Maud's son now rules as King Henry II of England. Now we have peace and hope for a bright tomorrow. And for these gifts and our beautiful church, I thank God, our king, the people of Kingsbridge and several generations of tireless workers. But the cathedral is not finished and nor will it ever be. just as human perfection is something we all strive for and can never attain, so this church will forever be changing, growing, crumbling at times... an ongoing legacy of our feeble efforts to touch God. A cathedral, my friends, is... is neither stone nor statues nor even a place of prayer. It is... a continuum of creation... beautiful work that, pray God, will never end.
Lines by Philip 1
Scenes with Philip 15
Maud, supported by Gloucester and Earl Bartholomew, is secretly raising an army against Stephen to regain the throne. Stephen must know of their treachery. But if word came from me, Gloucester would have me hanged.
You're asking me to do this? I'd never get an audience.
Your bishop would. If Maud wins, the Church will be the loser. Politically, we must back Stephen.
But I don't believe in politics, Francis. I believe in the will of God.
It's the Church's will, Philip. Second to God, remember?
So becoming Prior of Kingsbridge would satisfy your ambition? Well, be direct, Philip. As the bishop's representative I can sway the election. If that's what you want from me, say so.
[Chuckles] Yes.
Good, good. But politics is a bargain between beggars. When the bishop dies here, the monks here elect the new one.
So if you make me prior, I, when the time comes, make you bishop?
It's gone, smashed. We're finished. You can't rebuild a cathedral without its relic.
A skull's a skull, Philip. We don't even know it was his.
What about the miracles?
I've been praying to that skull for years to save my poor sister from the street. Useless!
It does take belief, too.
Yes, but what if people believe another skull is his? One from the ossuary. There's thousands. And who's to say the monk whose head we choose isn't a saint?
Because that would be a lie!
Not a lie, a... a leavening, a means to an end. And the end is God's glory.
What makes you think there'll even be a new church?
Because I will build it. You house us, you feed us and I will defer payment. This may be the Devil's work, but it was God that sent you a master builder.
You really want to rebuild your church, huh?
Yes, Father, I do. The cathedral is God's shadow over history, Father. We... we live in a world that is striving for order, which is art, which is learning, which is people creating something that will bring God's heart into their community, that will survive wars and famine, that will survive history.
I thought I was ambitious.
My loyal subject, Percy Hamleigh, is the Earl of Shiring. He shall have the castle and all arable lands and low-lying pastures. All other farmlands, I give to... the Priory of Kingsbridge for the building of the new cathedral.
And the quarry?
Goes to the Hamleighs. But you may take what stones you need.
[Surprised that the terms he agreed on with Regan Hamleigh are altered] But... but that's not...
Enough. My decision stands.
He should be using skilled labor, not monks stolen from prayer.
Work is prayer, Brother. In the meantime, I am going to Winchester Market to sell the fleece from our flock. This will bring in money which will allow us to hire workers. Tom is going to Shiring quarry to make arrangements for harvesting the stone. This will serve as our true beginning and our schedule shall be counted from then. Anything else?
Forgive me. I was expressing...
You were expressing your own prideful ignorance.
It's forbidden to run a market without a license from the king.
But we have a license.
May I see it?
(Searches for it, frustrated] Ah, it's been stolen.
The Sheriff has no record of it.
Then he's a liar.
I think you are the liar, Philip. As of next month, the market moves to Shiring.
How did I come here?
I told the executioner that, as the Queen's secretary, I would answer for your innocence.
But I thought you supported Stephen?
Shush! He's as self-serving as his predecessor. I've become a politician, Philip. I serve who best serves me.
You're a new man, Jack. A Lazarus.
I'm sure I stink like Lazarus. You must have died too from the look of you.
Nearly. God has further plans for me. For you too, I suspect.
What plans?
What do you remember of the last 3 days? Did you pray?
I was laying with the dead. I suppose I don't remember. I dreamt, though. I remember that.
What of?
Of Aliena.
I want to replace him. I'm a master builder. Father gave me his tools. I know the site and the plans.
You don't have the experience.
Neither did he when you hired him. I have his ambition. And I have his skill. The men listen to me, and I'm willing to learn.
I need to pray on this, Alfred.
No, you need to think of the future.
I want to vault the cathedral in stone.
That's impossible. Tom said that wood is the only material...
Wood is cheaper, yes, but it can burn. That's how you lost the first cathedral.
Will the walls take the weight?
Yeah, we can reinforce them. I know more about stone than he ever did.
It will cost more and take longer.
But it will last forever. That's the point, isn't it?
You look lost. Of course, you are. No longer prior, your dream demolished, you must sometimes think God is punishing you for your sins, your willful pride.
Yes.
In recompense for not naming me archbishop, the king has agreed to send me as his representative to Rome. And I'll need a trustworthy man to handle diocesan affairs in my absences. And you were the first and to be frank, the only man I could think of.
I... I don't think I'm...
I'm not finished. When I advance as... I hope one day to do... perhaps you will take my place. As Bishop of Kingsbridge, you could build your cathedral, punish the Hamleighs, do whatever you want. Until then, I simply ask for honest diligence and obedience in all things.
In all good things.
Of course.
Your offer took me unawares. And you were right. I've never... I've never felt so lost. Satan tempted Christ at his weakest: after 40 days without food or water. I haven't Christ's strength to resist, Eminence, but... but you... you do not have Satan's cunning. You have taught me, you see. Politics may be a bargain between beggars but compromise between good and evil is never possible. God's work does not blend with power or greed. Your moral mortar is corrupt. And the walls of your church will crumble and the roof will fall. And you and everyone who worships with you will be crushed. I would sooner live out the rest of my days feeding pigs at the monastery than feeding your ravenous ambition.
You're damned.
More The Pillars of the Earth characters
All The Pillars of the Earth quotes →
These quotes come from Wikiquote's The Pillars of the Earth pages and are available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.