“There stood a man with his sword drawn, and his face all over with blood.”
Part II, Ch. XI : Mr. Valiant-For-Truth <!-- Sect. 4 -->
The Pilgrim's Progress (1678), Part II
Context: There stood a man with his sword drawn, and his face all over with blood. Then said Mr. Great-Heart, Who art thou? The man made answer, saying, I am one whose name is Valiant-for-truth. I am a pilgrim, and am going to the Celestial City.
Help us to complete the source, original and additional information
John Bunyan50
English Christian writer and preacher 1628–1688Related quotes
“The worm stood straight on God's blood-splattered threshold then
and beat his drum”
Nikos Kazantzakis (1883–1957) Greek writer
Odysseus' song, Book III, line 424
The Odyssey : A Modern Sequel (1938)
Context: The worm stood straight on God's blood-splattered threshold then
and beat his drum, beat it again, and raised his throat:
'You've matched all well on earth, wine, women, bread, and song,
but why, you Murderer, must you slay our children? Why?'
God foamed with rage and raised his sword to pierce that throat,
but his old copper sword, my lads, stuck at the bone.
Then from his belt the worm drew his black-hilted sword,
rushed up and slew that old decrepit god in heaven!
And now, my gallant lads — I don't know when or how —
that worm's god-slaying sword has fallen into my hands;
I swear that from its topmost iron tip the blood still drips!
“Arms observe no bounds; nor can the wrath of the sword, once drawn, be easily checked or stayed; war delights in blood.”
arma non servant modum; nec temperari facile nec reprimi potest stricti ensis ira; bella delectat cruor.
Seneca the Younger Hercules Furens
Hercules Furens (The Madness of Hercules), lines 403-405; (Lycus).
Tragedies
Seneca the Younger book Epistulae morales ad Lucilium
Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium (Moral Letters to Lucilius), Letter LXVI: On Various Aspects of Virtue
Letitia Elizabeth Landon (1802–1838) English poet and novelist
The Combat. By Etty
The Troubadour (1825)
“They stood where they stood by the power of the sword.”
Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War
Book IV, 4.98-[7]
History of the Peloponnesian War, Book IV
“All wars are civil ones; for it is still man spilling his own blood, tearing out his own bowels.”
François Fénelon (1651–1715) Catholic bishop
Toutes les guerres sont civiles; car c'est toujours l'homme contre l'homme qui répand son propre sang, qui déchire ses propres entrailles.
Dialogues des morts, ch. 17, cited from De l'éducation des filles, Dialogues des morts et opuscules divers (Paris: Firmin Didot, 1857) p. 149; translation from Mr. Elphingston (trans.) Dialogues of the Dead, Together with Some Fable Composed for the Education of a Prince (Glasgow: Robert and Andrew Foulis, 1754) vol. 1, p. 87. (1700).