50                                OF RE VENGE.

ingenuously confessed, ^' That those which held and
persuaded pressure of consciences were commonly
interested therein themselves for their own ends."
 

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 prihce'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
labour in past matters.     There  is  no  man doth a