British foreign secretary Lord Palmerston is attacked in Parliament for his conduct of foreign affairs, but survives with a stirring speech known as the 'Civis Romanus sum speech', in which he compared the British Empire to the Roman, reminding his listeners that a Roman citizen existed under its protection wherever they were on Earth.
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Citation: Editors, Litencyc. "Lord Palmerston survives a Parliamentary attack on his foreign policy". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 30 December 2011 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=18240, accessed 09 June 2026.]
