Die Geheimnisse der Lebenspfade darf und kann man nicht offenbaren; es gibt Steine des Anstosses, uber die ein jeder Wanderer stolpern muss. Der Poet aber deutet auf die Stelle hin=--The secrets of the way of life may not and cannot be laid open; there are stones of offence along the path over which every wayfarer must stumble. The poet, or inspired teacher, however, points to the spot.
What dire offence from amorous causes springs! / What mighty contests rise from trivial things!
When any one has offended me, I try to raise my soul so high that the offence cannot reach it.
3. In taking offence at a blow, or in desiring glory so strongly.
We may give more offence by our silence than even by impertinence.
Those who remember the happiness of the simple faith of their childhood may well ask why it should ever be disturbed. Knowing the blessedness of that faith we naturally abstain from everything that might disturb it prematurely in the minds of those who are entrusted to us. But, as the child, whether he likes it or not, grows to be a man, so the faith of a child grows into the faith of a man. It is not our doing, it is the work of Him who made us what we are. As all our other ideas grow and change, so does our idea of God. I know there are men and women who, when they perceive the first warnings of that inward growth, become frightened and suppress it with all their might. They shut their eyes and ears to all new light from within and from without. They wish to remain as happy as children, and many of them succeed in remaining as good as children. Who would blame them or disturb them? But those who trust in God and God's work within them, must go forth to the battle. With them it would be cowardice and faithlessness to shrink from the trial. They are not certain that they were meant to be here simply to enjoy the happiness of a childlike faith. They feel they have a talent committed to them which must not be wrapped up in a napkin. But the battle is hard, and all the harder because, while they know they are obeying the voice of truth, which is the voice of God, many of those whom they love look upon them as disobeying the voice of God, as disturbers of the peace, as giving offence to those little ones.
What dire offence from amorous causes springs! What mighty contests rise from trivial things!
It is a grave offence to bind a Roman citizen, a crime to flog him, almost the act of a parricide to put him to death; what shall I call crucifying him? Language worthy of such an enormity it is impossible to find.
God has not willed to absolve without the Church. As she has part in the offence he wills that she should have part in the pardon. He associates her with this power as kings their parliaments; but if she binds or looses without God, she is no more the Church, as in the case of parliament. For even if the king have pardoned a man, it is necessary that it should be ratified; but if the parliament ratifies without the king, or refuses to ratify on the order of the king, it is no more the parliament of the king, but a revolutionary body.
It is easy to give offence, though it is hard to appease.
At every trifle scorn to take offence; / That always shows great pride or little sense.
Qui peccat ebrius luat sobrius=--He that commits an offence when drunk shall pay for it when he is sober.
Scandalum magnatum=--An offence against the nobility or a person in high station.
Witticisms please as long as we keep them within bounds, but pushed to excess they cause offence.
Isaiah viii. "Sanctify the Lord with fear and trembling, and let him be your fear; but he shall be for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many among them shall stumble against that stone, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken, and perish. Hide my words and cover my law for my disciples.
No man is so happy as never to give offence.
Cui placet, obliviscitur; cui dolet, meminit=--Acts of kindness are soon forgotten, but the memory of an offence remains.
Nemo debet bis puniri pro uno delicto=--No man shall be twice punished for the same offence.
On pardonne aisement un tort que l'on partage=--We easily pardon an offence which we had part in.
Resistance ought never to be thought of but when an utter subversion of the laws of the realm threatens the whole frame of our constitution, and no redress can otherwise be hoped for. It therefore does, and ought for ever, to stand in the eye and letter of the law as the highest offence.
Faster than his tongue / Did make offence, his eye did heal it up.
God pardons like a mother, who kisses the offence into everlasting forgetfulness.
Liter? Bellerophontis=--A Bellerophon's letter, _i.e._, a letter requesting that the bearer should be dealt with in some summary way for an offence.
Never hang a man twice for one offence.
The pardon of an offence must, as a benefit conferred, put the offender under an obligation; and thus direct advantage at once accrues by heaping coals of fire on the head.
Mores amici noveris, non oderis=--Know well, but take no offence at the manners of a friend.
Quid tristes querimoni? / Si non supplicio culpa reciditur?=--What do sad complaints avail if the offence is not cut down by punishment?
Corpus delicti=--The body of the offence.
Noxi? p?na par esto=--Let the punishment be proportionate to the offence.
The married man is like the bee that fixes his hive, augments the world, benefits the republic, and by a daily diligence, without wronging any, profits all; but he who contemns wedlock, like a wasp, wanders an offence to the world, lives upon spoil and rapine, disturbs peace, steals sweets that are none of his own, and, by robbing the hives of others, meets misery as his due reward.--_Feltham._
My offence is rank; it smells to heaven.
The longer life the more offence, / The more offence the greater pain, / The greater pain the less defence, / The less defence the lesser gain.
O, my offence is rank, it smells to heaven; It hath the primal eldest curse upon 't, A brother's murder.
She hugg'd the offender, and forgave the offence: Sex to the last.
Alle Schuld racht sich auf Erden=--Every offence is avenged on earth.
When a child can be brought to tears, not from fear of punishment, but from repentance for his offence, he needs no chastisement. When the tears begin to flow from grief at one's own conduct, be sure there is an angel nestling in the bosom.
Yet beauty, though injurious, hath strange power, After offence returning, to regain Love once possess'd.
Ingratis servire nefas=--To serve the ungrateful is an offence to the gods.
There is no grief like hate! no pains like passions! no deceit like sense! Enter the path! far hath he gone whose foot treads down one fond offence.
And love the offender, yet detest the offence.
Adsit regula, peccatis qu? p?nas irroget ?quas=--Have a rule apportioning to each offence its appropriate penalty.
If hearty sorrow be a sufficient ransom for offence, I tender it here; I do as truly suffer as e'er I did commit.--_Shakespeare._
And if thou sayest that sight impedes the security and subtlety of mental meditation, by reason of which we penetrate into divine knowledge, and that this impediment drove a philosopher to deprive himself of his sight, I answer that the eye, as lord of the senses, performs its duty in being an impediment to the confusion and lies of that which is not science but discourse, by which with much noise and gesticulation argument is constantly conducted; and hearing should do the same, feeling, as it does, the offence more keenly, because it seeks after harmony which devolves on all the senses. And if this philosopher deprived himself of his sight to get rid of the obstacle to his discourses, consider that his discourses and his brain were a party to the act, because the whole was madness. Now could he not have closed his eyes when this frenzy came upon him, and have kept them closed until the frenzy consumed itself? But the man was mad, the discourse insane, and egregious the folly of destroying his eye-sight.
And I once chanced to paint a picture which represented a divine subject, and it was bought by the lover of her whom it represented, and he wished to strip it of its divine character so as to be able to kiss it without offence. But finally his conscience overcame his desire and his lust and he was compelled to remove the picture from his house. Now go thou, poet, and describe a beautiful woman without giving the semblance of {124} the living thing, and with it arouse such desire in men! If thou sayest: I will describe then Hell and Paradise and other delights and terrors,--the painter will surpass thee, because he will set before thee things which in silence will [make thee] give utterance to such delight, and so terrify thee as to cause thee to wish to take flight. Painting stirs the senses more readily than poetry. And if thou sayest that by speech thou canst convulse a crowd with laughter or tears, I rejoin that it is not thou who stirrest the crowd, it is the pathos of the orator, and his mirth. A painter once painted a picture which caused everybody who saw it to yawn, and this happened every time the eye fell on the picture, which represented a person yawning. Others have painted libidinous acts of such sensuality that they have incited those who gazed on them to similar acts, and poetry could not do this.
Whereto serves mercy, / But to confront the visage of offence? / And what's in prayer, but this twofold force,--to be forestalled ere we come to fall, / Or pardon'd, being down? Then I'll look up.
He must be the stone of stumbling and offence. Is. viii.
True ease in writing comes from art, not chance, As those move easiest who have learn'd to dance. 'T is not enough no harshness gives offence,-- The sound must seem an echo to the sense.
I verily believe that the great good which has been effected in the world by Christianity has been largely counteracted by the pestilent doctrine on which all the Churches have insisted, that honest disbelief in their more or less astonishing creeds is a moral offence, indeed a sin of the deepest dye, deserving and involving the same future retribution as murder and robbery. If we could only see in one view, the torrents of hypocrisy and cruelty, the lies, the slaughter, the violations of every obligation of humanity, which have flowed from this source along the course of the history of Christian nations, our worst imaginations of Hell would pale beside the vision.
Find fault, when you must find fault, in private, if possible, and some time after the offence, rather than at the time.
It is most unreasonable to be offended at the lowliness of Jesus Christ, as if this lowliness were in the same order as was the greatness which he came to display. Let us consider this greatness in his life, in his passion, in his obscurity, in his death, in the choice of his disciples, in their desertion of him, in the secrecy of his resurrection, and the rest, and it will seem so vast as to give no room for offence at a lowliness in another order.
Justice consists in doing no injury to men; decency in giving no offence.
Every offence is not a hate at first.
Whenever the offence inspires less horror than the punishment, the rigour of penal law is obliged to give way to the common feelings of mankind.
A small unkindness is a great offence.
The use of COBOL cripples the mind; its teaching should, therefore, be regarded as a criminal offence. -- Edsger W. Dijkstra, SIGPLAN Notices, Volume 17, Number 5
Excusing bad programming is a shooting offence, no matter _what_ the circumstances. -- Linus Torvalds, to the linux-kernel list
"The gentleman before me gazed at me for some seconds in amazement, and his wife in terror; as though there was something alarmingly extraordinary in the fact that anyone could come to see them. But suddenly he fell upon me almost with fury; I had had no time to mutter more than a couple of words; but he had doubtless observed that I was decently dressed and, therefore, took deep offence because I had dared enter his den so unceremoniously, and spy out the squalor and untidiness of it.
So when the hero Hector at our ships Slew us, I then regretted my offence Which Ate first impell'd me to commit. But since, infatuated by the Gods I err'd, behold me ready to appease With gifts of price immense whom I have wrong'd. Thou, then, arise to battle, and the host Rouse also. Not a promise yesternight Was made thee by Ulysses in thy tent On my behalf, but shall be well perform'd. Or if it please thee, though impatient, wait Short season, and my train shall bring the gifts Even now; that thou may'st understand and know That my peace-offerings are indeed sincere.
Telemachus, intemp'rate in harangue, High-sounding orator! it is thy drift To make us all odious; but the offence Lies not with us the suitors; she alone Thy mother, who in subtlety excels, And deep-wrought subterfuge, deserves the blame. It is already the third year, and soon Shall be the fourth, since with delusive art Practising on their minds, she hath deceived The Greecians; message after message sent Brings hope to each, by turns, and promise fair, But she, meantime, far otherwise intends. Her other arts exhausted all, she framed This stratagem; a web of amplest size And subtlest woof beginning, thus she spake. Princes, my suitors! since the noble Chief Ulysses is no more, press not as yet My nuptials, wait till I shall finish, first, A fun'ral robe (lest all my threads decay) Which for the antient Hero I prepare, Laertes, looking for the mournful hour When fate shall snatch him to eternal rest; Else I the censure dread of all my sex, Should he, so wealthy, want at last a shroud. So spake the Queen, and unsuspicious, we With her request complied. Thenceforth, all day She wove the ample web, and by the aid Of torches ravell'd it again at night. Three years by such contrivance she deceived The Greecians; but when (three whole years elaps'd) The fourth arriv'd, then, conscious of the fraud, A damsel of her train told all the truth, And her we found rav'ling the beauteous work. Thus, through necessity she hath, at length, Perform'd the task, and in her own despight. Now therefore, for the information clear Of thee thyself, and of the other Greeks, We answer. Send thy mother hence, with charge That him she wed on whom her father's choice Shall fall, and whom she shall, herself, approve. But if by long procrastination still She persevere wearing our patience out, Attentive only to display the gifts By Pallas so profusely dealt to her, Works of surpassing skill, ingenious thought, And subtle shifts, such as no beauteous Greek (For aught that we have heard) in antient times E'er practised, Tyro, or Alcemena fair, Or fair Mycene, of whom none in art E'er match'd Penelope, although we yield To this her last invention little praise, Then know, that these her suitors will consume So long thy patrimony and thy goods, As she her present purpose shall indulge, With which the Gods inspire her. Great renown She to herself insures, but equal woe And devastation of thy wealth to thee; For neither to our proper works at home Go we, of that be sure, nor yet elsewhere, Till him she wed, to whom she most inclines.
1:10. That you may approve the better things: that you may be sincere and without offence unto the day of Christ:
"What was the matter yesterday?" (she wrote on another sheet). "I passed by you, and you seemed to me to _blush_. Perhaps it was only my fancy. If I were to bring you to the most loathsome den, and show you the revelation of undisguised vice--you should not blush. You can never feel the sense of personal affront. You may hate all who are mean, or base, or unworthy--but not for yourself--only for those whom they wrong. No one can wrong _you_. Do you know, I think you ought to love me--for you are the same in my eyes as in his-you are as light. An angel cannot hate, perhaps cannot love, either. I often ask myself--is it possible to love everybody? Indeed it is not; it is not in nature. Abstract love of humanity is nearly always love of self. But you are different. You cannot help loving all, since you can compare with none, and are above all personal offence or anger. Oh! how bitter it would be to me to know that you felt anger or shame on my account, for that would be your fall--you would become comparable at once with such as me.
This thief, this thief guilty of a second offence, had restored that deposit. And what a deposit! Six hundred thousand francs.
"Monsieur Pontmercy," said Jean Valjean, "I was nineteen years in the galleys. For theft. Then, I was condemned for life for theft, for a second offence. At the present moment, I have broken my ban."
Ctesippus, thou art fortunate; the bone Struck not the stranger, for he shunn'd the blow; Else, I had surely thrust my glitt'ring lance Right through thee; then, no hymenæal rites Of thine should have employ'd thy father here, But thy funereal. No man therefore treat Me with indignity within these walls, For though of late a child, I can discern Now, and distinguish between good and ill. Suffice it that we patiently endure To be spectators daily of our sheep Slaughter'd, our bread consumed, our stores of wine Wasted; for what can one to all opposed? Come then--persist no longer in offence And hostile hate of me; or if ye wish To slay me, pause not. It were better far To die, and I had rather much be slain, Than thus to witness your atrocious deeds Day after day; to see our guests abused, With blows insulted, and the women dragg'd With a licentious violence obscene From side to side of all this fair abode.
15:19. The way of the slothful is as a hedge of thorns: the way of the just is without offence.
"Marie lay in a state of uncomfortable delirium the whole while; she coughed dreadfully. The old women would not let the children stay in the room; but they all collected outside the window each morning, if only for a moment, and shouted '_Bon jour, notre bonne Marie!_' and Marie no sooner caught sight of, or heard them, and she became quite animated at once, and, in spite of the old women, would try to sit up and nod her head and smile at them, and thank them. The little ones used to bring her nice things and sweets to eat, but she could hardly touch anything. Thanks to them, I assure you, the girl died almost perfectly happy. She almost forgot her misery, and seemed to accept their love as a sort of symbol of pardon for her offence, though she never ceased to consider herself a dreadful sinner. They used to flutter at her window just like little birds, calling out: '_Nous t'aimons, Marie!_'
Having discoursed particularly on the characteristics of such principalities as in the beginning I proposed to discuss, and having considered in some degree the causes of their being good or bad, and having shown the methods by which many have sought to acquire them and to hold them, it now remains for me to discuss generally the means of offence and defence which belong to each of them.
"There are people who find satisfaction in their own touchy feelings, especially when they have just taken the deepest offence; at such moments they feel that they would rather be offended than not. These easily-ignited natures, if they are wise, are always full of remorse afterwards, when they reflect that they have been ten times as angry as they need have been.
(*) Ferdinand of Aragon. "When Machiavelli was writing 'The Prince' it would have been clearly impossible to mention Ferdinand's name here without giving offence." Burd's "Il Principe," p. 308.
Sleep'st thou, distress'd Penelope? The Gods, Happy in everlasting rest themselves, Forbid thy sorrows. Thou shalt yet behold Thy son again, who hath by no offence Incurr'd at any time the wrath of heav'n.
But this supposition vanished very quickly, and he smiled bitterly as he remembered that the theft of the forty sous from little Gervais put him in the position of a man guilty of a second offence after conviction, that this affair would certainly come up, and, according to the precise terms of the law, would render him liable to penal servitude for life.
SPANISH SAILOR. (ASIDE.) He wants to bully, ah!--the old grudge makes me touchy (ADVANCING.) Aye, harpooneer, thy race is the undeniable dark side of mankind--devilish dark at that. No offence.
5:4. The person that sweareth, and uttereth with his lips, that he would do either evil or good, and bindeth the same with an oath, and his word: and having forgotten it afterwards understandeth his offence,
10:32. Be without offence to the Jew, and to the Gentiles and to the church of God:
5:18. Therefore, as by the offence of one, unto all men to condemnation: so also by the justice of one, unto all men to justification of life.
5:15. But not as the offence, so also the gift. For if by the offence of one, many died: much more the grace of God and the gift, by the grace of one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
Haste, Iris, turn them thither whence they came; Me let them not encounter; honor small To them, to me, should from that strife accrue. Tell them, and the effect shall sure ensue, That I will smite their steeds, and they shall halt Disabled; break their chariot, dash themselves Headlong, and ten whole years shall not efface The wounds by my avenging bolts impress'd. So shall my blue-eyed daughter learn to dread A father's anger; but for the offence Of Juno, I resent it less; for she Clashes with all my counsels from of old. He ended; Iris with a tempest's speed From the Idæan summit soar'd at once To the Olympian; at the open gates Exterior of the mountain many-valed She stayed them, and her coming thus declared.
Lady Catherine was extremely indignant on the marriage of her nephew; and as she gave way to all the genuine frankness of her character in her reply to the letter which announced its arrangement, she sent him language so very abusive, especially of Elizabeth, that for some time all intercourse was at an end. But at length, by Elizabeth's persuasion, he was prevailed on to overlook the offence, and seek a reconciliation; and, after a little further resistance on the part of his aunt, her resentment gave way, either to her affection for him, or her curiosity to see how his wife conducted herself; and she condescended to wait on them at Pemberley, in spite of that pollution which its woods had received, not merely from the presence of such a mistress, but the visits of her uncle and aunt from the city.
Without taking offence the officer replied, “Yes, I know; but what can we do?” He shrugged. “You must admit that it is necessary for us to create a certain frame of mind in the people....”
24:16. And herein do I endeavour to have always a conscience without offence, towards God and towards men.
The general shouted in his fury; but it was to be concluded that his wrath was not kindled by the expressed doubt as to Kapiton's existence. This was his scapegoat; but his excitement was caused by something quite different. As a rule he would have merely shouted down the doubt as to Kapiton, told a long yarn about his friend, and eventually retired upstairs to his room. But today, in the strange uncertainty of human nature, it seemed to require but so small an offence as this to make his cup to overflow. The old man grew purple in the face, he raised his hands. "Enough of this!" he yelled. "My curse--away, out of the house I go! Colia, bring my bag away!" He left the room hastily and in a paroxysm of rage.
Extreme justice is an extreme injury: for we ought not to approve of those terrible laws that make the smallest offences capital, nor of that opinion of the Stoics that makes all crimes equal; as if there were no difference to be made between the killing a man and the taking his purse, between which, if we examine things impartially, there is no likeness nor proportion.
Father! I seek the city, to convince My mother of my safe return, whose tears, I judge, and lamentation shall not cease Till her own eyes behold me. But I lay On thee this charge. Into the city lead, Thyself, this hapless guest, that he may beg Provision there, a morsel and a drop From such as may, perchance, vouchsafe the boon. I cannot, vext and harass'd as I am, Feed all, and should the stranger take offence, The worse for him. Plain truth is my delight.