WIST Quotations

Shakespeare, William -- Richard II, Act 5, sc. 1, l. 110 (5.1.110) (1595)

Dave — Mon, 24 Nov 2025 15:55:08 +0000

Go thou and fill another room in hell.

William Shakespeare (1564-1616) English dramatist and poet
Richard II, Act 5, sc. 1, l. 110 (5.1.110) (1595)
(Source)

Killing one of his would-be assassins with the killer's own weapon.

Cicero, Marcus Tullius -- Philippics [Philippicae; Antonian Orations, No. 1, ch. 14 / sec. 35 (1.14/1.35) (44-09-02 BC) [ed. Harbottle (1906)]

Dave — Thu, 22 May 2025 19:22:01 +0000

No one is happy who lives such a life that his murder would be no crime, but would rather redound to the credit of his murderer.

[Beatus est nemo qui ea lege vivit, ut non mode impune, sed etiam cum summa interfectoris gloria interfici potest.]

Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 BC) Roman orator, statesman, philosopher
Philippics [Philippicae; Antonian Orations, No. 1, ch. 14 / sec. 35 (1.14/1.35) (44-09-02 BC) [ed. Harbottle (1906)]
(Source)

See Achebe.

(Source (Latin)). Other translations:

No one is happy who lives upon such terms that his death not only goes unpunished, but even brings the highest glory to his murderers.
[tr. King (1877)]

No one is happy who holds his life on such terms that he may be slain, not only with impunity, but even to the greatest glory of his slayer.
[tr. Ker (Loeb) (1926)]

No one is happy who lives on such terms that he may be put to death not merely with impunity, but even to the great glory of his slayer.
[tr. Yonge (1903)]

No one is happy whose life is lived by this law: not only can someone kill him with impunity, but the killer gains enormous fame from the deed.
[tr. McElduff (2011)]

Shakespeare, William -- Macbeth, Act 3, sc. 1, l. 121ff (3.1.121-128) (1606)

Dave — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 20:58:08 +0000

SECOND MURDERER: I am one, my liege,
Whom the vile blows and buffets of the world
Have so incensed that I am reckless what
I do to spite the world.

FIRST MURDERER: And I another,
So weary with disasters, tugged with fortune,
That I would set my life on any chance,
To mend it, or be rid on ‘t.

William Shakespeare (1564-1616) English dramatist and poet
Macbeth, Act 3, sc. 1, l. 121ff (3.1.121-128) (1606)
(Source)

Stross, Charles -- The Rhesus Chart (2014)

Dave — Wed, 07 Jun 2017 00:46:19 +0000

I think it’s reasonable to say that vampire hunters either have an extremely short life expectancy, or constitute one of the most deadly threats you are ever likely to encounter. They are invariably howling-at-the-moon stark raving bonkers, and not in a good way.

Charles "Charlie" Stross (b. 1964) British writer
The Rhesus Chart (2014)
(Source)

Le Carre, John -- The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, ch. 2 (1963)

Dave — Mon, 20 Mar 2017 22:36:54 +0000

We do disagreeable things so that ordinary people here and everywhere can sleep safely in their beds at night.

John le Carré (1931-2020) English novelist, intelligence officer [pseud. of David Moore Cornwell]
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, ch. 2 (1963)

Carriger, Gail -- Curtsies & Conspiracies (2013)

Dave — Fri, 18 Nov 2016 01:14:36 +0000

Sister Mattie could be rather fatalistic at times; it was why she was such a good poisoning instructor. Death, felt Sister Mattie, must come to everyone in the end. Sometimes it simply required a little help.

Gail Carriger (b. 1976) American archaeologist, author [pen name of Tofa Borregaard]
Curtsies & Conspiracies (2013)