By long forbearing is a prince persuaded, and a soft tongue breaketh the bone.
Ver. 15. By long forbearing is a prince persuaded.] If he be not over hasty, his wrath may be appeased, and his mind altered. Our Henry III gave commandment for the apprehending of Hubert de Burgo, Earl of Kent, who, having sudden notice thereof at midnight, got him up and fled into a church in Essex. They to whom the business was committed finding him upon his knees before the high altar, with the sacrament in one hand, and a cross in the other, carried him away nevertheless unto the Tower of London. Roger, Bishop of London, taking this to be a great violence and wrong offered unto the holy Church, would never leave the king until he had caused the earl to be carried unto the place whence he was fetched. And this, it is thought, was a means of saving the earl's life. For though order was taken he should not escape thence, yet it gave the king's wrath a time to cool, and himself leisure to make his apology, by reason whereof he was afterwards restored to the king's favour and former places of honour. a So true is that of the philosopher, Maximum irae remedium est dilatio, b and that of the poet -
“Ut fragilis glacies, interit ira mora.” - Ovid.
There are those who read and sense the words thus: By meekness a prince is appeased - that is, when he seeth that he is not opposed, that his subjects repine not, rebel not against him. An old courtier of Nero's being asked how he had escaped that lion's mouth, answered, Iniurias ferendo, et gratias agendo, by taking shrewd turns and being thankful.
A soft tongue breaketh the bones.] Though it be flesh, and no bones, yet it breaketh the bones - that is, stout and stern spirits, that otherwise would not yield. Thus Gideon broke the rage of the Ephraimites, Jdg 8:1-3 and Abigail David's, by her humble and dutiful oration. 1Sa 25:23-34 See Trapp on " Pro 15:1 "
a Godwin's Catal., p. 164.
b Sen., De Ira.