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

:ON MERCY, I. xix. 8-xxi. 1veneration and with worship. But tell me : he whobears himself in a godlike manner, who is beneficentand generous and uses his power for the better end—does he not hold a place second only to the gods ?It is well that this should be your aim, this your idealto be considered the greatest man, only if at thesame time you are considered the best.A prince usually inflicts punishment for one oftwo reasons, to avenge either himself or another. Ishall first discuss the situation in which he is personallyconcerned ; for moderation is more difficult whenvengeance serves the end of anger rather than ofdiscipline. At this point it is needless to caution himto be slow in behe\"ing, to ferret out the truth, to befriendinnocence, and to remember that to provethis is as much the business of the judge as of the manunder trial ;WTiat I now urge is that, although he has beenclearly injured, he should keep his feehngs undercontrol, and, if he can in safety, should remit thefor all this concerns justice, not mercy,punishment ; if not, that he should modify it, and befar more ^villing to forgive wTongs done to himselfthan to others. For just as the magnanimous manis not he who makes free ^vith what is another's,but he who deprives himself of what he gives tosome one else, so I shall not call him mercifulwho is peaceable when the smart is another's, buthim who, though the spur galls himself, does notbecome restive, who understands that it is magnanimousto brook injuries even where authority issupreme, and that there is nothing more gloriousthan a prince who, though "WTonged, remains unavenged.^'engeance accomplishes usually one of two pur-415