“ Certainly, in taking revenge, a man is but even with his enemy; but in passing it over, he is superior; for it is a prince's part to pardon. ”
Francis Bacon, The Essays of Francis Bacon (1597). copy citation
| Author | Francis Bacon |
|---|---|
| Source | The Essays of Francis Bacon |
| Topic | revenge enemy pardon nobility |
| Date | 1597 |
| Language | English |
| Reference | |
| Note | |
| Weblink | http://www.gutenberg.org/files/575/575-h/575-h.htm |
Context
“REVENGE is a kind of wild justice; which the more man's nature runs to, the more ought law to weed it out. For as for the first wrong, it doth but offend the law; but the revenge of that wrong, putteth the law out of office. Certainly, in taking revenge, a man is but even with his enemy; but in passing it over, he is superior; for it is a prince's part to pardon. And Solomon, I am sure, saith, It is the glory of a man, to pass by an offence. That which is past is gone, and irrevocable; and wise men have enough to do, with things present and to come; therefore they do but trifle with themselves, that labor in past matters.”
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Meaning and analysis
