The Dialogue of Creatures

...entered into the water in a friendly way. But Water, while she held the fire within her, proved false to him original: "falsificauit se"; acting contrary to her initial agreement of friendship, saying: "This is the enemy and the opposite of my kind. He has often consumed me and reduced me to nothing; now I can avenge myself and extinguish him." But following the word of the Apostle Likely referring to 1 Thessalonians 5:15 or Romans 12:17: "See that none render evil for evil unto any man": "I do not wish to return evil for evil lest the world be deprived of such a great good, yet I wish to humble him a little," and saying these things, she took hold of him slightly and began to urinate original: "mingere"; a crude medieval metaphor for water overcoming fire upon the fire. Because of this, Fire began to beg Water not to extinguish him. Water, taking pity on him, did not extinguish him entirely, but led him down to the earth, saying: "To God we give a sweet sound by returning good for evil." But many today, on the contrary, return evil for good when they seek to take vengeance, being unwilling to let offenses go.

For this reason Jerome Saint Jerome (c. 347–420 AD), the scholar who translated the Bible into Latin says: just as God has forgiven our sins in Christ, so let us also forgive those who sin against us. This breaks and revokes the injury already committed. Just as it is read in the Histories of Alexander The "Alexander Romance," a collection of legendary tales about Alexander the Great that when a certain man had gravely offended him, Alexander did not want to forgive him. Aristotle The famous Greek philosopher who served as Alexander’s tutor, however, knowing this, went to him and said: "I wish, my Lord, that today you would be more victorious than you have ever been before." When Alexander replied, "I wish it well," Aristotle said: "You, King, have overcome all the kingdoms of the world; but today you are overcome if you allow yourself to be defeated [by your anger]. If you also conquer yourself, you will be truly victorious. For he who conquers himself is strong against all things," says the philosopher. At these words, Alexander forgave the man and was appeased. Because of this, it is said in the sixteenth chapter of Proverbs The Latin text cites chapter 6 ("vi"), but the verse is Proverbs 16:32: "Better is a patient man than a strong man, and he who rules his soul is better than a conqueror of cities."

On Water and Fire. Chapter Ten.

A woodcut illustration contained within a rectangular frame. On the left side is a large fire with logs at the base and tall, stylized flames. On the right side are three rounded, hilly forms with spiral line patterns, likely representing water or earth. A bird is depicted in flight in the sky above the right-hand section.

Water called out to Fire, saying: "Why, brother, are we always opposites and enemies? It is good to keep the Lord's commandment: 'Love your neighbor as yourself' Matthew 22:39, because the fullness of the law is love."
To which Fire replied: "What you say pleases me, because love for one's neighbor works no evil; therefore let us go and make a dwelling together."
And when they lived together, they never found peace, because Fire often heated the water and reduced it to nothing. Water, however, often extinguished the fire. Therefore, strife and contentions between them did not cease. For this reason, they were divided from one another, saying: "No one ought to join himself with his opposite, nor..."