Who said “I pondered all these things, and how men fight and lose the battle, and the thing that…”?

Verified

William Morris. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceA Dream of John Ball (1886)

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“I pondered all these things, and how men fight and lose the battle, and the thing that they fought for comes about in spite of their defeat, and when it comes turns out not to be what they meant, and other men have to fight for what they meant under another name.”
VerifiedA Dream of John Ball (1886) · evidenceProtest
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Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: A Dream of John Ball (1886).

APA

Morris, W. (n.d.). I pondered all these things, and how men fight and lose the battle, and the thing that they fought for comes about in spite of their defeat, and when it comes turns out not to be what they meant, and other men have to fight for what they meant under another name. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/34814-i-pondered-all-these-things-and-how-men/

MLA

Morris, William. “I pondered all these things, and how men fight and lose the battle, and the thing that they fought for comes about in spite of their defeat, and when it comes turns out not to be what they meant, and other men have to fight for what they meant under another name.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/34814-i-pondered-all-these-things-and-how-men/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Morris, William. “I pondered all these things, and how men fight and lose the battle, and the thing that they fought for comes about in spite of their defeat, and when it comes turns out not to be what they meant, and other men have to fight for what they meant under another name.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/34814-i-pondered-all-these-things-and-how-men/.