Preface to The Story of the Stone, Vol. 2: 'The Crab-Flower Club' (1979), p. 20
“An author's first duty is to let down his country.”
As quoted in The Guardian (1960), and also in The Cynic's Lexicon: A Dictionary of Amoral Advice (1984), by Jonathon Green, p. 20
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Brendan Behan 14
Irish poet, short story writer, novelist, and playwright 1923–1964Related quotes

"Nationality" (1862)

Un re, se vuole il suo debito fare,
Non e re veramente, ma fattore
Del popol che gli e dato a governare.
VIII, 8
Rifacimento of Orlando Innamorato

“It is the duty of every patriot to protect his country from its government.”
Edward Abbey, "A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government." as written in "A Voice Crying in the Wilderness" (Vox Clamantis en Deserto): Notes from a Secret Journal (1990), ISBN 0312064888.
Misattributed

“To encourage literature and the arts is a duty which every good citizen owes to his country.”
Cop rapes woman at gunpoint, 11-year-old rape victim smeared, accuser sued for $2 million: is US society failing victims? http://www.alternet.org/story/152140/cop_rapes_woman_at_gunpoint,_11-year-old_rape_victim_smeared,_accuser_sued_for_$2_million:_is_us_society_failing_victims?, Alternet (August 23, 2011).

“Seek His face, He'll never let you down.
Worship grace, He'll never let you down.”
"God'll Ne'er Let You Down" (2001)
Lyrics, Others
Context: Planes will crash, He'll never let you down.
So maybe there's a crash coming for the ground,
Seek His face, He'll never let you down.
Worship grace, He'll never let you down.

The Divorce of Catherine of Aragon http://books.google.com/books?id=Y1wLAAAAYAAJ&q="The+first+duty+of+an+historian+is+to+be+on+his+guard+against+his+own+sympathies+but+he+cannot+wholly+escape+their+influence"&pg=PA19#v=onepage (1891)