Moral essays. With an English translation by J.W. Basore

—ON MERCY, I. I. 2-5which my peace restrains will be drawn at my nod ;what nations shall be utterly destroyed, whichbanished, which shall receive the gift of liberty, whichhave it taken from them, what kings shall becomeslaves and whose heads shall be crowned with royalhonour, what cities shall fall and which shall risethis it is mine to decree. With all things thus at mydisposal, I have been moved neither by anger noryouthful impulse to unjjst punishment, nor by thefoolhardiness and obstinacy of men which have oftenwrung patience from even the serenest souls, noryet by that vainglory which employs terror for thedisplay of might—a dread but all too common useof great and lordly power. With me the sword ishidden, nay, is sheathed ; I am sparing to the utmostof even the meanest blood ; no man fails to findfavour at my hands though he lack all else butthe name of man. Sternness I keep hidden, butmercy ever ready at hand. I so hold guard overmyself as though I were about to render an accountto those laws which I have summoned from decayand darkness into the light of day. I have beenmoved to pity by the fresh youth of one, by theextreme old age of another ; one I have pardonedfor his high position, another for his humble state ;whenever I found no excuse for pity, for my own sakeI have spared." To-day, if the immortal gods shouldrequire a reckoning from me, I am ready to give fulltale of the human race."This pronouncement, Caesar, you may boldlymake, that whatever has passed into your trust andguardianship is still kept safe, that through you thestate suffers no loss, either from violence or fromfraud. It is the rarest praise, hitherto denied to all359