The Lives of the Saints Volume 1 - St. Patrick's Basilica

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them, did nothing more than stroke his face with his hand, and told
them, smiling, that he did not feel himself hurt. This his saying is yet
in the mouths of all men, and a more illustrious trophy to his memory
than all the cities which he built, than all the barbarous nations which
he subdued. Remember your own memorable saying, when you ordered the
prisons to be opened, and the criminals to be pardoned at the feast of
Easter: 'Would to God I were able in the same manner to open the graves,
and restore the dead to life!' That time is now come. {239} Here is a
city whose inhabitants are already dead; and is, as it were, at the
gates of its sepulchre. Raise it then, as it is in your power to do,
without cost or labor. A word will suffice. Suffer it by your clemency
to be still named among the living cities. It will then owe more to you
than to its very founder. He built it small, you will raise it great and
populous. To have preserved it from being destroyed by barbarians would
not have been so great an exploit, as to spare it on such an occasion as
now offers.
"Neither is the preservation of an illustrious city the only thing to be
considered; your own glory, and, above all, the honor of the Christian
religion, are highly interested in this affair. The Jews and Pagans, all
barbarous nations, nay, the whole world, have their eyes fixed on you at
this critical juncture; all are waiting for the judgment you will
pronounce. If it be favorable, they will be filled with admiration, and
will agree to praise and worship that God, who checks the anger of those
who acknowledge no master upon earth, and who can transform men into
angels; they will embrace that religion which teaches such sublime
morality. Listen not to those who will object that your clemency on this
occasion may be attended with, and give encouragement to the like
disorders in other cities. That could only happen, if you spared for
want of a power to chastise: but whereas you do not divest yourself, by
such an act of clemency, of this power, and as by it you endear and
rivet yourself the more in the affections of your subjects, this,
instead of encouraging such insults and disorders, will rather the more
effectually prevent them. Neither immense sums of money, nor innumerable
armies, could ever have gained you so much the hearts of your subjects
and their prayers for your person and empire, as will this single
action. And if you stand fair for being such a gainer from men, what
rewards may you not reasonably expect from God? It is easy for a master
to punish, but rare and difficult to pardon.
"It will be extremely glorious to you to have granted this pardon at the
request of a minister of the Lord, and it will convince the world of
your piety, in that you overlooked the unworthiness of his person, and
respected only the power and authority of that Master who sent him. For
though deputed immediately by the inhabitants of Antioch to deprecate
your just displeasure on this occasion, it is not only in their name