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Questioned afterwards by the Duke as to the meaning of his delay,

Ts'ao Kuei replied: "In battle, a courageous spirit is

everything. Now the first roll of the drum tends to create this

spirit, but with the second it is already on the wane, and after

the third it is gone altogether. I attacked when their spirit was

gone and ours was at its height. Hence our victory." Wu Tzŭ

(chap. 4) puts "spirit" first among the "four important

influences" in war, and continues: "The value of a whole army-a

mighty host of a million men-is dependent on one man alone: such

is the influence of spirit!"]

a commander-in-chief may be robbed of his presence of mind.