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 tolerable 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. Some,
when they take revenge, are desirous, the party should know, whence it
cometh. This is the more generous. 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 desperate saying against perfidious or neglecting friends,
as if those wrongs were unpardonable; You shall read (saith he) that we
are commanded to forgive our enemies; but you never read, that we are commanded
to forgive 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 revenges 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.

复仇乃一种原始的公道，人之天性越是爱讨这种公道，法律就越是应该将其铲除；因为首先犯罪者只是触犯了法律，而对该罪犯以牙还牙则使法律失去了效用。无可否认，若一个人对其仇敌施加报复，那他与被报复者不过是半斤八两；而若是他不念旧恶，宽大为怀，那他就比对手高出一等，因高抬贵手乃贵人之举。
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