“ The house of the Plantagenets, from Henry II to Richard III himself, was brimming with blood. In their lust for power the members of the family turned upon one another. King John murdered, or caused t… Peter Ackroyd
“ The fall of Venice was just a change in its historical identity. We cannot say that it was a disgrace or triumph, because we do not know who in the end is triumphant and who is disgraced. Peter Ackroyd
“ So do we discover, in the world, that our worst fears are unfulfilled; yet we must fear, in order that we may feel delight. Peter Ackroyd
“ London goes beyond any boundary or convention.It contains every wish or word ever spoken, every action or gesture ever made, every harsh or noble statement ever expressed. It is illimitable. It is Inf… Peter Ackroyd
“ It is characteristic of Dickens who, when he grasps the wrong end of the stick, never fails to belabour everyone in sight with it. Peter Ackroyd
“ I was at peace with a world which afforded so much bounty, and began to enjoy living at the very end of time. Peter Ackroyd
“ He could not bear to part with his paintings because they were an aspect of his being. Peter Ackroyd
“ What think you of that, Nick, since you allwaies have your Head stuck in old Books? And I said nothing, for who can speak of the Mazes of the Serpent to those who are not lost in them? Peter Ackroyd
“ The great advantage of really contemporary fiction is that one finds oneself mirrored on every page Peter Ackroyd
“ Lord, decked with jewels, sitting at the head of a table. It is a poetry of assonance Peter Ackroyd
“ From what Purse are we building these Churches, Walter?From the Imposicion on Coles.And are the Coles not the blackest Element, which with their Smoak hide the Sunne?Certainly they feed the Fires of t… Peter Ackroyd
“ There then followed a period of disturbance and danger. There were many lords in this land who longed to be king, and who were prepared to do battle for the crown of England. So Merlin visited the Arc… Peter Ackroyd
“ The body of Saint Mark, supposedly preserved in the basilica was the central point of the configuration between the ducal palace, the market, and the Arsenal. This was the sacred geometry of Venetian… Peter Ackroyd
“ None of it seemed very real, but I suppose that's the trouble withhistory. It's the one thing we have to make up for ourselves. Peter Ackroyd
“ It might be compared to some organism which sloughs off its old skin, or texture, in order to live again. It is a city which has the ability to dance upon its own ashes. Peter Ackroyd
“ Books do not perish like humankind. Of course we commonly see them broken in the haberdasher's shop when only a few months before they lay bound on the stationer's stall; these are not tru… Peter Ackroyd
“ A survivor, in another sense, was left alive. The king’s nephew, Stephen, count of Blois, was suffering from a severe bout of diarrhoea and declined to join the revelry aboard the White Ship. Since he… Peter Ackroyd
