“Concerning the night assault of Lord Asano's ronin, the fact that they did not commit seppuku at the Sengakuji was an error, for there was a long delay between the time their lord was struck down and the time when they struck down the enemy. If Lord Kira had died of illness within that period, it would have been extremely regrettable.”
Commentary on the tale of The Forty-Seven Samurai (or the "Forty-seven Ronin", or Akō Rōshi, the Akō "vendetta"), emphasizing his view that Bushido demands prompt action, and not delay, or concern about success and failure. Variant: "What if, nine months after Asano's death, Kira had died of an illness?"
Hagakure (c. 1716)
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Tsunetomo Yamamoto 65
Samurai 1659–1719Related quotes
Describing "Young-Earth" Creationist Duane T Gish's last debate of his career (which was against Shermer), in Phoenix, Arizona, on June 3, 2001, quoted from E-Skeptic http://www.positiveatheism.org/hist/quotes/quote-s4.htm for June 3, 2001
Così nel tempo che virtù fioria
Ne li antiqui segnori e cavallieri,
Con noi stava allegrezza e cortesia,
E poi fuggirno per strani sentieri,
Sì che un gran tempo smarirno la via,
Né del più ritornar ferno pensieri;
Ora è il mal vento e quel verno compito,
E torna il mondo di virtù fiorito.
Bk. 2, Canto 1, st. 2
Orlando Innamorato
Hymn While shepherds watched their flocks by night
Source: Short fiction, Thomas the Proclaimer (1972), Chapter 11, “The March to the Sea” (p. 110)
1890s, Speech at Tremont Temple (1890)
Speech http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1976/nov/09/economic-policy in the House of Commons (9 November 1976)
Prime Minister
“Death is master of lord and clown.
Close the coffin and hammer it down.”
Source: Prince Lucifer (1887), Adam in Act IV, sc. iv; p. 111.