All 6 Uses of

forbearance
in
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

He told her all; only he forbore to mention how sick and pale her darling looked.†
Chpt 4

forbore = refrained (held back) from acting

He boasted much of the forbearance he had exercised towards me, and reminded me that there was a limit to his patience.
Chpt 6 *

forbearance = tolerance

But I am not ready to send you there yet, notwithstanding your ingratitude for all my kindness and forbearance.†
Chpt 7

forbearance = refraining (holding back) from acting OR patience, tolerance, or self-control

Then he launched out upon his usual themes,—my crimes against him, and my ingratitude for his forbearance.†
Chpt 11

Then he would come and renew the old threadbare discourse about his forbearance and my ingratitude.†
Chpt 14

I was to escape in a vessel; but I forbear to mention any further particulars.†
Chpt 29

forbear = refrain (hold back) from acting

Definitions:

(1) (forbearance)
patience, tolerance, or self-control

or:

refraining (holding back) from acting -- especially temporarily not collecting debt payments on a loan

The word, forbearance, is commonly used in the field of law to indicate that a legal right, claim or privilege is not being enforced.
(2) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)
meaning too rare to warrant focus:

The form, forbears is typically a verb, but can be an alternate spelling of the noun forebears; i.e., ancestors. Note that these words put the emphasis on different syllables: for-BEARS v. FORE-bears