jfgi. letter from Senex. i:z 



though perhaps ■u-ithout jour knowing of it ? Is it cleat-, 

 that even if all the circumstances were laid before the 

 accused person, he is capable of forming a sound 

 judgement concerning them ? These, and an infinity o£ 

 other such questions must be solved, before you cati 

 be certain that by revenging a supposed offence^ 

 you are not in fact the cause of infinitely greater of- 

 fences. It is certain that offences must come,. " but 

 woe be to him through whom offence cometh.'* 



Let it, for example, be supposed, that by some un- 

 avoidable accident, I have trampled upon your toe, 

 and hurt it very severely ; you have in this case re- 

 ceived a real injury, which I certainly did not intend,, 

 and for which X am exceedingly sorry, and am anxi- 

 ously desirous to do every thing lean to alleviate 

 the smart you feel. This is the natural state of mj 

 mind when the injury is perceived ; and if you have 

 patience to hear my apology with candour, and to 

 witnefs the sincerity of my sorrow, by the natural 

 exprefsions it will suggest, you will be entirely satis- 

 fied, — you will feel that no malevolence was intend- 

 ed, — that it is one of those unavoidable accidents iit 

 life, to which all mankind must submit, — that the 

 same case might have happened to yourself, — and 

 that from the natural exprefsions of sorrow it has 

 extorted from me, you have reason to forjn a more 

 favourable opinion of me, than you had ever former- 

 ly entertained — The accident instead of producing a 

 breach between us in this case, only serves to ce- 

 DiCnt our friendfliip the more. Such are the blefsed- 

 effects of forgiving an injury ! 



Put the case otherwise, — that instead of forgivr^ 

 iTi^, you instantly revenge the injury^ No. aooner: 



