Pity

Pity? It was Pity that stayed his hand. Pity, and Mercy: not to strike without need.

Deserves (death)? I daresay he does. Many that live deserve death, and some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement.

For even the very wise...

(JRRT, not in the public domain yet, but I can't read the word pity without thinking of this passage)

»Gentlemen,« says the fellow that run the tavern, »the drinks is on the house.« So then everybody went back to the bar, and a pleasent evening was had by all. It´s a pity that Alvar and Dragan couldn´t be there to enjoy it.

If pity is not at hand, consider yourself lucky! Pity is a pretty negative emotion, implying the pitier's superiority in some way. I prefer empathy to pity any day!

pity this busy monster, manunkind,

not. Progress is a comfortable disease:
your victim (death and life safely beyond)

plays with the bigness of his littleness
-electrons deify one razorblade
into a mountainrange; lenses extend

unwish through curving wherewhen till unwish
returns on its unself.
____________________ A world of made
is not a world of born – pity poor flesh

and trees,poor stars and stones,but never this
fine specimen of hypermagical

ultraomnipotence. We doctors know

a hopeless case if – listen: there's a hell
of a good universe next door; let's go

-- e. e. cummings

Father Cleary was a good, charitable, kind-hearted priest. His heart was always very much in his profession. For instance, the good father was attending a criminal who had been condemned to death for a capital offense. At the last moment, the prisoner's sentence was commuted to imprisonment.
In speaking of the affair, Father Cleary commented: »Sure it was the greatest pity in the world he was not hanged. I never saw a sinner so truly penitent as he was. Faith, he'll never have such another chance for salvation.«