Forgiveness to the injured does belong; but they ne’er pardon who have done wrong.

The person who was hurt is the only one who can forgive, and that is a real power. The one who did the harm is often the last to let it go, because guilt is uncomfortable and it is easier to resent the person who reminds you of it.

If you are the injured one, the timing is yours and no one can hurry it. If you are the one who caused harm, watch for the impulse to find fault in the person you wronged, and set it down when you catch it. The plain sentence costs less than the long defence.