Red capitals are in sequences by Clark Sutherland Northup
Pink capitals are copied from the short sequence of sentence initials
Blue capitals are copied from the long sequence of sentence initials
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page 15
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IV
OF REVENGE
- 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. There
- is no man doth a wrong for the wrong’s sake; but
- thereby to purchase himself profit, or pleasure, or
- honor, or the like. Therefore why should I be angry
- with a man for loving himself better than me. And if
- any man should do wrong merely out of ill-nature, why,
- yet it is but like the thorn or briar, which prick and
- scratch, because they can do no other. The most tol-
- erable sort of revenge is for those wrongs which there
- is no law to remedy; but then let a man take heed the
- revenge be such as there is no law to punish; else a
- man’s enemy is still before hand, and it is two for one. end of page 15
- Some, when they take revenge, are desirous the party page 16
- should know whence it cometh. This is the more gen-
- erous. For the delight seemeth to be not so much in
- doing the hurt as in making the party repent. But
- base and crafty cowards are like the arrow that flieth
- in the dark. Cosmus, duke of Florence, had a des-
- perate saying against perfidious or neglecting friends,
- as if those wrongs were unpardonable; You shall read
- (saith he) that we are commanded to forgive our ene-
- mies; but you never read that we are commanded to for-
- give our friends. But yet the spirit of Job was in a
- better tune: Shall we (saith he) take good at God’s
- hands, and not be content to take evil also? And so of
- friends in a proportion. This is certain, that a man
- that studieth revenge keeps his own wounds green,
- which otherwise would heal and do well. Public re-
- venges are for the most part fortunate; as that for the
- death of Caesar; for the death of Pertinax; for the
- death of Henry the Third of France; and many
- more. But in private revenges it is not so. Nay
- rather, vindictive persons live the life of witches; who,
- as they are mischievous, so end they infortunate.
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