§10Est et alius summus impatientiae stimulus ultionis libido, negotium curans aut gloriae aut malitiae.
There is also another greatest stimulus of impatience: the desire for revenge, which cares for the business of either glory or malice.
sed et gloria ubique uana et malitia numquam non domino odiosa, hoc quidem loco cum maxime, cum alterius malitia prouocata superiorem se in exsequenda ultione constituit et remunerans nequam duplicat quod semel factum est ultio penes errorem solacium uidetur doloris, penes ueritatem certamen redarguitur malignitatis.
But both glory is everywhere vain, and malice is never not hateful to the Lord, especially in this case, when, provoked by another's malice, [one's own malice] establishes itself as superior in executing revenge, and by repaying wickedness, duplicates what has been done once. Revenge, in the power of error, seems a consolation of grief, but in the power of truth, it is convicted as a contest of malignity.
quid enim refert inter prouocantem et prouocatum, nisi quod ille prior in maleficio deprehenditur, at ille posterior? tamen uterque laesi hominis domino reus est, qui omne nequam et prohibet et damnat.
For what difference is there between the provoker and the provoked, except that the former is detected in wrongdoing first, and the latter later? Yet both are guilty before the Lord of injuring a human being, who both forbids and condemns all wickedness.
nulla in maleficio ordinis ratio est, nec locus secernit quod similitudo coniungit.
In wrongdoing there is no account of order, nor does position separate what similarity joins.
par factum par habet meritum.
Equal deed has equal desert.
absolute itaque praecipitur malum malo non rependendum.
Therefore it is absolutely commanded that evil must not be repaid with evil.
quomodo id obseruabimus, si fastidientes * in fastidio ultionis non erimus? quem autem honorem litabimus domino deo, ei nobis arbitrium defensionis arrogauerimus? nos putres, uasa fictilia! seruulis nostris adsumentibus sibi de conseruis ultionem grauiter offendimur eosque, qui nobis patientiam obtulerint suam, ut memores humilitatis seruitutis suae, dominici honoris diligentes non probamus modo, sed ampliorem, quam ipsi sibi praesumpsissent, satisfactionem facimus.
How shall we observe this, if, though disdaining [others' malice], we are not in the disdain of revenge? But what honor shall we offer to the Lord God, if we arrogate to ourselves the judgment of defense? We, rotten things, vessels of clay! When our little servants assume to themselves revenge upon their fellow-servants, we are gravely offended; and those who have offered their patience to us, as mindful of the humility of their servitude and diligent of their master's honor, we not only approve, but we make a larger satisfaction to them than they would have presumed for themselves.
id nobis in domino tam iusto ad aestimandum, tam potenti ad perficiendum periclitatur? ** hoc se nobis repromittit dicens: uindictam mihi, et ego uindicabo, id est: patientiam tibi, et ego patientiam remunerabo. cum enim dicit: nolite iudicare, ne iudicemini, nonne patientiam flagitat? quis enim non iudicabit alium, nisi qui patiens erit non defendendi? quid ergo credimus iudicem illum, si non et ultorem? quis idcirco iudicat, ut ignoscat? ac si ignoscet, tamen iudicantis impatientiam cauerit et honorem unici iudicis [id est dei] abstulerit.
Is this at risk for us in the Lord, who is so just in judging, so powerful in executing? He promises this to us, saying: "Vengeance is mine, and I will repay," that is: "Patience to you, and I will reward patience." For when He says: "Judge not, lest you be judged," does He not demand patience? For who will not judge another, except one who will be patient in not defending himself? Why then do we believe Him to be a judge, if not also an avenger? Who judges for this purpose, to forgive? And even if He forgives, yet [the one who takes revenge] has committed the impatience of one judging, and has taken away the honor of the unique judge [that is, of God].
quantos uero casus huiusmodi impatientia incursare consueuit! quotiens paenituit defensionem! quotiens instantia eius deterior inuenta est causis suis! quoniam nihil impatientia susceptum sine impetu transigi nouit, nihil impetu actum non aut offendit aut corruit aut praeceps abit.
Indeed, how many falls is impatience of this kind accustomed to run into! How often has defense caused regret! How often has its persistence been found worse than its causes! Since nothing undertaken by impatience knows how to be accomplished without violence, and nothing done with violence fails either to offend, or to fall, or to go headlong.
iam si leuius defenderis, insanies, si uberius, oneraberis.
Now if you defend yourself too lightly, you will go mad; if too abundantly, you will be burdened.
quid mihi cum ultione, cuius modum regere non possum per impatientiam doloris? quodsi patientiae incubabo, non dolebo; si non dolebo, ulcisci non desiderabo.
What have I to do with revenge, whose measure I cannot rule through the impatience of grief? But if I apply myself to patience, I shall not grieve; if I do not grieve, I shall not desire to be avenged.
§11Post has principales impatientiae materias ut potuimus regestas quid inter ceteras euagemur, quae domi, quae foris? lata atque diffusa est operatio mali multiplicia aspidum incitamenta, iaculantis, et modo paruula modo maxima.
After these principal matters of impatience have been set down as we were able, why should we wander among the rest, which are at home, which are abroad? Broad and spread out is the operation of the evil one, hurling manifold incitements of asps, sometimes very small, sometimes greatest.
si paruula de sua mediocritate contemnas, maximis pro sua exuperantia cedas.
If you despise the small ones on account of their mediocrity, you should yield to the greatest ones on account of their superiority.
ubi minor iniuria, ibi nulla necessitas impatientiae.
Where there is a lesser injury, there is no necessity for impatience.
at ubi maior iniuria, ibi necessarior iniuriae medela, patientia.
But where there is a greater injury, there patience, the medicine of injury, is more necessary.
certemus igitur quae a malo infliguntur sustinere, ut hostis studium aemulatio nostrae aequanimitatis eludat.
Let us strive, therefore, to sustain those things which are inflicted by the evil one, so that our emulation of equanimity may elude the zeal of the enemy.
si uero quaedam ipsi in nos aut imprudentia aut sponte etiam superducimus, aeque patienter obeamus quae nobis imputamus.
But if we bring some things upon ourselves either by imprudence or even willingly, let us equally patiently undergo what we impute to ourselves.
quodsi a domino nonnulla credimus incuti, cui magis patientiam quam domino praebeamus? quin insuper gratulari [et gaudere] nos docet dignatione diuinae castigationis.
But if we believe that some things are inflicted by the Lord, to whom should we show patience more than to the Lord? Nay, moreover, He teaches us to congratulate ourselves and rejoice in the condescension of divine chastisement.
ego, inquit, quos diligo castigo. o seruum illum beatum, cuius emendationi dominus instat, cui dignatur irasci, quem admonendi dissimulatione non decipit! undique igitur adstricti sumus officio patientiae administrandae, qua aequa ex parte aut erroribus nostris aut mali insidiis aut admonitionibus domini interuenimus.
"I," He says, "chastise those whom I love." O that blessed servant, for whose emendation the Lord is intent, with whom He deigns to be angry, whom He does not deceive by the dissimulation of warning! Therefore we are bound on every side by the duty of administering patience, through which we intervene equally either in our errors, or in the snares of the evil one, or in the warnings of the Lord.
eius officii magna merces, felicitas scilicet.
Great is the reward of this duty, namely, happiness.
quos enim felices dominus nisi patientes nuncupauit dicendo: beati pauperes spiritu, illorum est enim regnum caelorum? nullus profecto spiritu pauper nisi humilis.
For whom did the Lord call happy except the patient, saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven"? Surely no one is poor in spirit except the humble.
quis autem humilis nisi patiens? quia nemo subicere sese potest sine prima patientia subiectionis ipsius.
And who is humble except the patient? Because no one can subject himself without the prior patience of subjection itself.
beati, inquit, flentes atque lugentes.
"Blessed," He says, "are those who weep and mourn." Who tolerates such things without patience?
quis talia sine patientia tolerat? itaque talibus et aduocatio et risus promittitur.
And so to such ones both consolation and laughter are promised.
beati mites. hoc quidem uocabulo impatientes non licet omnino censeri.
"Blessed are the meek." Under this term indeed the impatient are not permitted to be counted at all.
item cum pacificos eodem titulo felicitatis notat et filios dei nuncupat, numquid impatientes pacis adfines? stultus hoc senserit.
Likewise, when He marks the peacemakers with the same title of happiness and calls them sons of God, are the impatient at all akin to peace? A fool would think so.
cum uero gaudete et exultate dicit, quotiens uos maledicent et persequentur, merces enim uestra plurima in caelo, id utique non [exultationis] impatientiae pollicetur, quia nemo in aduersis exultabit, nisi ante contempserit ea.
But when He says, "Rejoice and exult" as often as they curse and persecute you, "for your reward is very great in heaven," He certainly does not promise this to impatience, because no one will exult in adversity unless he has first despised it.
nemo contemnet, nisi patientiam gesserit.
No one will despise it unless he has exercised patience.