Of Revenge
by
Francis Bacon
(Essay)
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 irrecoverable, and wise men
have enough to do with things present and to come; therefore they do but
"trifle with themselves, that labour in past matters. There is no man doth
a wrong for the wrong's sake, but thereby to purchase himself profit, or
pleasure, or honour, 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 brier, 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 there is no law to punish, else a man's enemy is still
beforehand, and it 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, keep his own
wounds green, which otherwise would heal and do well. Public revenges and for
the most part fortunate; as that for the death of Cæsar; 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 unfortunate.
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