The judge, as always, had carried out his task. He passed judgement. And, having concluded his task, he went on his way.

Lavie Tidhar, Judge Dee and the Limits of the Law [Amazon, Publisher]

Hermetic quote Tidhar Judge Dee and the Limits of the Law his task judgement concluded went on his way

Consider also:

  1. “Hey, know what? I haven’t even introduced myself. Sorry about that.” “Don’t bother. I am not interested in who you are.”
  2. Omnium Gatherum: 8aug2021
  3. “Religion, like nations and individuals, passes through the regular gradation, first of infancy, when religious ideas and thoughts are crude in the extreme; the age of Puritanism, when innocent women and children are burned at the stake for witchcraft, when with gloomy faces and in unsightly dress the poor fanatics sacrificed every pleasure on the altar of duty; the time when Sunday was a day of horror to children from its gloom, a day when every innocent amusement was forbidden. After religion’s infancy comes youth. At that stage, the absurd dress and gloomy faces were not considered essential adjuncts to religion, but free discussion was not allowed upon religious subjects. Everything must be taken for granted, without any investigation on the part of the people. After youth comes manhood, the time when reason has full sway, when superstition and credulities form no part of religious teaching and thought. People are able to think, to reason for themselves. After the age of manhood, comes old age and that is the stage of agnosticism. Questions are being asked, and ideas propounded which must not be overlooked nor treated with contempt. All questions asked in a fair spirit, must be answered in a fair manner. It is not sufficient to say, ‘it is so’, but good and tangible reasons must be given to prove the truth of an assertion. We are now in the stage of ‘old age.’ Agnosticism and Infidelity are wide spread. After old age comes decay and the decline of the absolutely orthodox. From time immemorial, every religion has passed through the same gradation, of infancy, youth, old age and decay finally comes philosophy.”
  4. “He hated satyrs. Satyrs were too human, too naked, and too smart.”
  5. “It seemed absolutely clear that industry did not require the presence of a rational being to maintain itself. Basically, industry consisted of manual laborers, always performing the selfsame tasks, who could easily be replaced by apes; and, at a higher level, of executives whose function was to draft certain reports and pronounce certain words under given circumstances.”