NOTES AND QUOTE

Passion Palm Sunday

How quickly decent, nice people degenerate the moment their circumstances change. Their virtue suddenly vanishes, and there's nothing left of their former selves.
(Dostoyevsky)

A city revolted against its ruler. The king set forth to subdue and punish it and the city hastened to request a pardon. At a distance from the city the elders and great came and begged forgiveness. "For your sake," the king said, "I forgive one half of the guilt." At the gates of the city the masses turned out and pleaded for mercy. "For your sake," the king said, "I forgive half the guilt that is left." When he entered the city and found all the little children gathered with song and dance and joy to appear before him, he exclaimed, "For your sake I forgive everything!" And the king joined their celebration.
(Jewish Midrash)
 

Napoleon, travelling through Switzerland with his army, was greeted with thunderous applause and enthusiasm. He remarked to one nearby supporter, "This same unthinking crowd, under a slight change of circumstances, would follow me just as eagerly to the scaffold!"