offence, it will be forgotten in an instant, be it theft, rape,
sodomy, murder, incest, treason, &c., thou art not the first offender, nor
shalt not be the last, 'tis no wonder, every hour such malefactors are
called in question, nothing so common, _Quocunque in populo, quocunque sub
axe_? [4021]Comfort thyself, thou art not the sole man. If he that were
guiltless himself should fling the first stone at thee, and he alone should
accuse thee that were faultless, how many executioners, how many accusers
wouldst thou have? If every man's sins were written in his forehead, and
secret faults known, how many thousands would parallel, if not exceed thine
offence? It may be the judge that gave sentence, the jury that condemned
thee, the spectators that gazed on thee, deserved much more, and were far
more guilty than thou thyself. But it is thine infelicity to be taken, to
be made a public example of justice, to be a terror to the rest; yet should
every man have his desert, thou wouldst peradventure be a saint in
comparison; _vexat censura columbas_, poor souls are punished; the great
ones do twenty thousand times worse, and are not so much as spoken of.

[4022] "Non rete accipitri tenditur neque milvio,
Qui male faciunt nobis; illis qui nil faciunt tenditur."

"The net's not laid for kites or birds of prey,
But for the harmless still our gins we lay."

Be not dismayed then, _humanum est errare_, we are all sinners, daily and
hourly subject to temptations, the best of us is a hypocrite, a grievous
offender in God's sight, Noah, Lot, David, Peter, &c., how many mortal sins
do we commit? Shall I say, be penitent, ask forgiveness, and make amends by
the sequel of thy life, for that foul offence thou hast committed? recover
thy credit by some noble exploit, as Themistocles did, for he was a most
debauched and vicious youth, _sed juventae maculas praeclaris factis
delevit_, but made the world amends by brave exploits; at last become a new
man, and seek to be reformed. He that runs away in a battle, as Demosthenes
said, may fight again; and he that hath a fall may stand as upright as ever
he did before. _Nemo desperet meliora lapsus_, a wicked liver may be
reclaimed, and prove an honest man; he that is odious in present, hissed
out, an exile, may be received again with all men's favours, and singular
applause; so Tully was in Rome, Alcibiades in Athens. Let thy disgrace then
be what it will, _quod fit, infectum