mitigating circumstances

- Lord Toranaga says, that I have told him, that Holland was a vassal of the Spanish untill a few years ago. He asks you if that is true.
- Yes!
- Then your ally Holland is fighting against his lawful king, is that true?
- They are fighting against Spain yes...
- Isn't that rebellion? Yes or no?
- Yes but there are mitigating circumstances, serious mitigating circumstances...
- There are no mitigating circumstances when it comes to rebellion against the sovereign lord.
- ...unless you win.

- Yes, mister foreigner with the impossible name, yes, you name the one mitigating factor. Will you win?
- Yes, hai, we will win!

- Shogun (1980)