Censure pardons the raven, but is visited upon the dove.

The line expresses a moral paradox: public blame often falls hardest on the innocent or gentle, while the obviously guilty or brazen escape with comparatively little reproach. By contrasting the raven (a traditional emblem of darkness, predation, or ill-omen) with the dove (a symbol of gentleness and purity), the saying points to the unfairness of social judgment—how censure can be misdirected by prejudice, power, or expectations. It also implies that those assumed to be “good” may be held to stricter standards, while those known for wrongdoing are excused as merely acting in character.