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 princes 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 labor1 in past matters. There is no man doth a wrong, for the wrongs sake; but thereby2 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 prick3 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 heed4, the revenge be such as there is no law to punish; else a mans 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 repent5. But base and crafty6 cowards, are like the arrow that flieth in the dark. cosplaymus, duke of Florence, had a desperate saying against perfidious7 or neglecting friends, as if those wrongs were unpardonable; You shall read 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 tune8: Shall we take good at Gods 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. Nay9 rather, vindictive10 persons live the life of witches; who, as they are mischievous11, 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，法律就越是应该将它铲除；由于第一犯罪者只不过触有法律，而对该罪犯以牙还牙则使法律失去了功用。无可不承认，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；而如果是他不念旧恶，宽大为怀，那他就比对手高出一等，因高抬贵手乃贵人之举。
笔者确信，所罗门曾言：宽恕别人之过失乃宽恕者之荣耀。过去的已经过去，且一去不返，而聪明人一直努力着眼于目前和以后的事情，所以对过去耿耿于怀着无非是在捉弄自己罢了。世间并无为作恶而作恶之人，作恶者之所以作恶皆为要获得名利享乐或诸这样类的东西。既然这样，我为什么要因人爱己胜过爱我而对其发怒呢？而且即使有人纯然是出于恶性而作恶，那也不过像荆棘藜枯通常，刺扎戳钩皆因其没别的本事。最可原谅的一类报复是针对那些没法律惩治的罪行而实行的报复，但此时报复者须当心，得让我们的报复行为也因没法惩治而逍遥法外，不然报复者的仇敌依旧占实惠，由于受伤害的比率是二比一。有人复仇时想要仇敌知道这复仇来自何方。如此复仇更为雍容大度，由于更痛快的报仇好像不在于使仇敌皮肉受伤，而是要让其悔不当初；不过卑怯而狡猾的懦夫则总是想要暗中施放的冷箭。佛罗伦萨大公科西莫①曾用极其强烈的言辞谴责朋友的背信弃义或忘恩负义，他好像觉得这种恶行不可饶恕。他说，你可以在《圣经》里读到基督要大家宽恕仇敌的教诲，但你绝不会读到要大家宽恕朋友的训喻。但迄今为止还是约伯的精神高中一年级格调，他说：大家怎能只喜欢上帝赐福而抱怨上帝降祸呢？将此例推及朋友，亦有此问。毋庸置疑，念念不忘复仇者只能使我们的创伤新鲜如初，而那创伤本来是可以愈合的。报公仇多半会为复仇者带来幸运，如为消撒大帝之死而复仇，为佩尔蒂纳之死而复仇，与为法王亨利三世之死而复仇等等。但报私仇却不会有这般幸运；与此相反，欲报私仇者过的是巫师普通的生活，他们活着时于人有害，死去则可叹可悲。
