培根 (Francis Bacon,1561-1626)
論說文集四: 論復仇
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誠然，復仇只是與仇人扯平；而寬恕則超出了仇人一級，因為寬恕乃君王之道。
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我確信撒落滿王所說：「寬恕過犯乃人的榮耀。」過去之事已成定局，無法挽回；智者當務之急，既在眼前，亦在未來；因此，糾纏於過去之事者，只是自尋煩惱。
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有些復仇者，渴望對方知道復仇的緣由。這種人相當寬容，因為他們似乎並不志在傷害對方，而是讓對方悔改。只有卑鄙狡猾的懦夫，才借用暗夜中飛翔的箭矢。
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你們聽過要寬恕仇敵；但你們卻從未聽過要寬恕朋友。然而，約伯堅定地說：難道我們只願接受天主的恩惠，卻不願承受祂給予的苦難嗎？對待朋友也應如此。
可以肯定的是，存心報復的人，只會讓自己的傷口持續疼痛，而這些傷口原本是可以癒合的。
Francis Bacon (1561-1626)
Essays of Francis Bacon 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 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.