Trust in God and keep your powder dry
Encyclopedia
Trust in God and keep your powder dry is a maxim
attributed to Oliver Cromwell
, but which first appeared in 1834 in the poem "Oliver's Advice" by Valentine Blacker
with the words "Put your trust in God, my boys, and keep your powder
dry!" The poem is a dramatic representation of Cromwell addressing his army during the invasion of Ireland
. Edward Hayes, who edited the anthology in which the work first appeared, calls it a "well-authenticated anecdote of Cromwell."
The second half the phrase is often used by itself, and forms the title of the 1945 film Keep Your Powder Dry
as well as Margaret Mead
's 1942 book And Keep Your Powder Dry: An Anthropologist Looks at America.
Maxim (philosophy)
A maxim is a ground rule or subjective principle of action; in that sense, a maxim is a thought that can motivate individuals.- Deontological ethics :...
attributed to Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
, but which first appeared in 1834 in the poem "Oliver's Advice" by Valentine Blacker
Valentine Blacker
Valentine Blacker CB , was a lieutenant colonel in the Honourable East India Company and later Surveyor General of India....
with the words "Put your trust in God, my boys, and keep your powder
Gunpowder
Gunpowder, also known since in the late 19th century as black powder, was the first chemical explosive and the only one known until the mid 1800s. It is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate - with the sulfur and charcoal acting as fuels, while the saltpeter works as an oxidizer...
dry!" The poem is a dramatic representation of Cromwell addressing his army during the invasion of Ireland
Cromwellian conquest of Ireland
The Cromwellian conquest of Ireland refers to the conquest of Ireland by the forces of the English Parliament, led by Oliver Cromwell during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Cromwell landed in Ireland with his New Model Army on behalf of England's Rump Parliament in 1649...
. Edward Hayes, who edited the anthology in which the work first appeared, calls it a "well-authenticated anecdote of Cromwell."
The second half the phrase is often used by itself, and forms the title of the 1945 film Keep Your Powder Dry
Keep Your Powder Dry
Keep Your Powder Dry is a 1945 drama film starring Lana Turner, Susan Peters, and Laraine Day. The film was directed by Edward Buzzell and written by George Bruce and Mary C...
as well as Margaret Mead
Margaret Mead
Margaret Mead was an American cultural anthropologist, who was frequently a featured writer and speaker in the mass media throughout the 1960s and 1970s....
's 1942 book And Keep Your Powder Dry: An Anthropologist Looks at America.