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What do I know of cultured ways, the gilt, the craft and the lie?
I, who was born in a naked land and bred in the open sky.
The subtle tongue, the sophist guile, they fail when the broadswords sing;
Rush in and die, dogs—I was a man before I was a king.

— Robert E. Howard The Phoenix on the Sword (1932)

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More quotes by Robert E. Howard

Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing.

The Tower of the Elephant (1933)

Civilized nations never, never have selfish motives for butchering, raping and looting; only horrid barbarians have those.

Aye, you white dog, you are like all your race; but to a black man gold can never pay for blood.

The Scarlet Citadel (1933)

"I have never yet done a man to death by torture, but by God, sir, you tempt me!"

Red Shadows (1928)

They claimed that the old man had a knuckle-duster on his right, which is ridiculous and a dirty lie. He had it on his left.

The Pit of the Serpent (1929)

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Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Robert E. Howard (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.