excuse oneself

Nani no ca no, and nanto xite, cato xite are ways to excuse oneself.

One might as well excuse oneself for letting a lunatic escape by the pretext of his lunacy.

But where there is a plain transgression of a divine commandment, this is rather to accuse than to excuse oneself.

It is as well to attempt to excuse oneself from performing the duty.

But it was not easy to excuse oneself to Jeremy; his discernments were keen.