Gentleness in this case might have done much more, and let thine adversary be never so perverse, it may be by that means thou mayst win him; favore & benevolentia etiam immanis animus mansuescit, soft words pacifie wrath, and the fiercest spirits are so soonest overcome;

A generous Lion will not hurt a beast that lies prostrate, nor an Elephant an innocuous creature, but is infestus infestis, a terrour and scourge alone to such as are stubborn, and make resistance. It was the symbole of Emanuel Philibert Duke of Savoy, and he was not mistaken in it, for

Quo quisque est major, magis est placabilis iræ, Et faciles motus mens generosa capit.

A greater man is soonest pacified, A noble spirit quickly satisfied.

It is reported by Gualter Mapes an old Historiographer of ours, (who lived 400 yeers since) that king Edward Seneor, and Leolin Prince of Wales, being at an interview neer Aust upon Severn in Glocestershire, & the Prince sent for, refused to come to the King, he would needs goe over to him: which Leolin perceiving, went up to the armes in water, and imbracing his boat, would have carried him out upon his shoulders, adding that his humility and wisdom had triumphed over his pride and folly; And thereupon was reconciled unto him, and did his homage.

If thou canst not so win him, put it up, if thou beest a true Christian, a good divine, an imitator of Christ, (For he was reviled and put it up, whipped and sought no revenge) thou wilt pray for thine enemies, and blesse them that persecute thee; be patient, meek, humble, &c.

An honest man will not offer thee injury, probus non vult; if he were a brangling knave, ’tis his fashion so to do; where is least heart, is most tongue; quo quisque stultior, eò magis insolescit, the more foolish he is, still the more insolent: Doe not answer a fool according to his folly.

If he be thy superiour, bear it by all means, grieve not at it, let him take his course; Anitus and Melitus may kill me, they cannot hurt me: as that generous Socrates made answer in like case. Mens immota manet, though the body be torn in peeces with wild horses, broken on the wheel, pinched with fiery tongs, the Soul cannot be distracted.

’Tis an ordinary thing for great men to vilifie and insult, oppress, injure, tyrannise, to take what liberty they list, and who dare speak against? Miserum est ab eo lædi, à quo non possis queri, a miserable thing ’tis to be injured of him, from whom is no appeal: and not safe to write against him that can proscribe and punish a man at his pleasure, which Asinius Pollio was ware of, when Octavianus provoked him.

’Tis hard I confesse to be so injur’d: One of Chilo’s three difficult things: To keep counsell, spend his time well, put up injuries;

but be thou patient, and leave revenge unto the Lord. Vengeance is mine and I will repay, saith the Lord. I know the Lord, saith David, will avenge the afflicted and judge the poor.

No man (as Plato farther addes) can so severely punish his adversary, as God will such as oppresse miserable men.

Iterum ille rem judicatam judicat, Majoreque mulctâ mulctat.

If there be any religion, any God, and that God be just, it shall be so; if thou beleevest the one, beleeve the other: Erit, erit, it shall be so. Nemesis comes after, serò sed serio, stay but a little and thou shalt see Gods just judgement overtake him.

Raro antecedentem scelestum Deseruit pede pœna claudo.

Thou shalt perceive that verified of Samuel to Agag, 1. Sam.15.33. thy sword hath made many women childlesse, so shall thy mother be childlesse amongst other women. It shall be done to them as they have done to others. Conradinus that brave Suevian Prince, came with a well prepared army into the Kingdom of Naples, was taken prisoner by King Charles, and put to death in the flower of his youth; a little after (ultionem Conradini mortis, Pandulphus Collinutius Hist. Neap. lib.5. calls it,) King Charles his own sonne, with 200. Nobles was so taken prisoner, and beheaded in like sort.

Not in this only, but in all other offences, quo quisque peccat in eo punietur, they shall be punished in the same kinde, in the same part, like nature, eye with or in the eye, head with or in the head, persecution with persecution, lust with effects of lust; let them march on with ensignes displayed, let drums beat on, trumpets sound Taratantarra, let them sack cities, take the spoil of countries, murder infants, deflour Virgins, destroy, burn, persecute, and tyrannize, they shall be fully rewarded at last in the same measure, they and theirs, and that to their desert.

Ad generum Cereris sine cæde & sanguine pauci Descendunt reges & siccâ morte tyranni,

Few Tyrants in their beds do die, But stab’d or maim’d to hell they hie.

Oftentimes too a base contemptible fellow is the instrument of Gods justice to punish, to torture and vex them, as an Ichneumon doth a Crocodile. They shall be recompenced according to the works of their hands, as Haman was hanged on the gallowes he provided for Mordochy; They shall have sorrow of heart, and be destroyed from under the heaven, Thre. 3.64.65,66. Only be thou patient: vincit qui patitur: and in the end thou shalt be crowned.

Yea but ’tis a hard matter to do this, flesh and blood may not abide it; ’Tis grave, grave! no (Chrysostome replies) non est grave ô homo, ’tis not so grievous, neither had God commanded it, if it had been so difficult. But how shall it be done? Easily, as he followes it, if thou shalt look to heaven, behold the beauty of it, and what God hath promised to such as put up injuries.