“ Revenge in person 's certainly no virtue, But then 't is not my fault, if others hurt you. ”
Lord Byron, Don Juan (1819). copy citation
| Author | Lord Byron |
|---|---|
| Source | Don Juan |
| Topic | revenge virtue |
| Date | 1819 |
| Language | English |
| Reference | |
| Note | |
| Weblink | http://www.gutenberg.org/files/21700/21700-h/21700-h.htm |
Context
“And then this best and weakest woman bore With such serenity her husband's woes, Just as the Spartan ladies did of yore, Who saw their spouses kill'd, and nobly chose Never to say a word about them more— Calmly she heard each calumny that rose, And saw his agonies with such sublimity, That all the world exclaim'd, 'What magnanimity!' No doubt this patience, when the world is damning us, Is philosophic in our former friends; 'T is also pleasant to be deem'd magnanimous, The more so in obtaining our own ends; And what the lawyers call a 'malus animus' Conduct like this by no means comprehends; Revenge in person 's certainly no virtue, But then 't is not my fault, if others hurt you. And if your quarrels should rip up old stories, And help them with a lie or two additional, I 'm not to blame, as you well know—no more is Any one else—they were become traditional; Besides, their resurrection aids our glories By contrast, which is what we just were wishing all:”
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