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very eminent Virtue, being moved against a Soldier of his, for that, returning alone from Forage, he could give him no Account where he had left his Comrade, ⚫ took it for granted that he had killed him, and presently ⚫ condemned him to Death. He was no fooner mounted upon the Gibbet but behold his strayed Companion arrives, at which all the Army were exceeding glad; and, after many Careffes and Embraces of the two Comrades, the Hangman carried both into Pifo's Presence, all the Spectators believing it would be a great Pleasure • even to him himself; but it proved quite contrary; for, through Shame and Spite, his Fury, which was not yet ⚫ cool, redoubled; and, by a Subtlety which his Paffion fuddenly fuggefted to him, he made three criminal for having found one innocent, and caufed them all to be dispatched; the first Soldier, becaufe Sentence had paffed upon him; the fecond, who had loft his Way, because he was the Caufe of his Companion's Death; and the Hangman, for not having obeyed his Order. Such as have had to do with tefty Women may have experienced into what a Rage it puts them to fee The Fury of their Anger treated with Silence and Cold- Women when nefs, and that a Man difdains to nourish it. provoked to The Orator Celius was wonderfully choleric Wrath. by Nature, infomuch that when a certain Man fupped in his Company, of a gentle and fweet Conversation, and who, that he might not move him, was refolved to approve and confent to all he faid; he, impatient that his Ill-humour should thus spend itself without Aliment, For God's Sake, faid he, contradict me in fomething, that we may be two". Women, in like Manner, are only angry that others may be angry with them again, in Imitation of the Laws of Love. Phocion, to one that interrupted his speaking by sharp Abuse, made no other Return than Silence, and gave him full Scope to vent his Spleen; and then, without any Mention of this Interruption, he proceeded in his Difcourfe where he had left off before. No Answer can nettle a Man like fuch a Contempt.

6

Senec. de Irâ, lib. iii. c. 8,

Of

Book II. Of the most choleric Man I know in France (Anger being always an Imperfection, but more excufable in a Soldier, for in that Profeffion it cannot fometimes be avoided) I often say, that he is the most patient in bridling his Paffion, it agitates him with so great Violence and Fury, magno veluti cùm flamma fonore

"Tis better to vent Anger than harbour it fecretly.

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Virgea fuggeritur coftis undantis abeni,
Exultantque aftu latices, furit intus aquai,
Fumidus, atque altè fpumis exuberat amnis,
Nec jam fe capit unda, volat vaper ater ad auras.

i. e.

So when unto the boiling Cauldron's Side
A crackling Flame of Brufh-wood is apply'd,
The bubbling Liquors there like Springs are feen
To fwell, and foam to higher Tides within;
Above the Brims they force their fiery Way,
Black Vapours climb aloft, and cloud the Day.

that he must of Neceffity cruelly conftrain himself to moderate it; and, for my Part, I know no Paffion which I could with fo much Violence to myself attempt to cover and support. I would not fet Wifdom at fo high a Price; and do not fo much confider what he does, as how much it cofts him not to do worse. Another boasted himself to me of his Good-nature and Behaviour, which is in Truth very fingular; to whom I replied, That it was indeed fomething, especially in Perfons of fo eminent Quality as himself, upon whom every-one had their Eyes, to appear always well-tempered to the World; but that the principal Thing was to make Provifion for within, and for himfelf; and that it was not, in my Opinion, very 'well to order his Bufinefs inwardly to fret himself, which I was afraid he did, for the Sake of maintaining this • Mask and Moderation in outward Appearance.' A Man incorporates Anger by concealing it, as Diogenes told Demofthenes, who, for Fear of being seen in a Tavern, withdrew himself the farther into it, The more you recede, 'the

• Æneid. lib. vii. v. 662, &c.

P Diog. Laert. in the Life of Diogenes the Cynic, lib. vi. fect. 34.

1

the farther you enter in. I would rather advise that a Man fhould give his Servant a Box of the Ear a little unseasonably, than torture his Mind by putting on such a fedate Countenance; and had rather discover my Paffions than brood over them at my own Expence; they grow lefs by being vented and expreffed; and it is much better their Point should operate outwardly than be turned towards ourselves. Omnia Vitia in aperto leviora funt: &

tunc perniciofiffima, quum fimulatâ Sanitate fubfidunt. All • Vices are lefs dangerous when open to be seen, and then • moft pernicious when they lurk under a diffembled • Temper.

angry in

my

Rules to be ob

ferved in the
Difcovery of
Anger againft
Domeftics.

I admonish all who have Authority to be Family, in the first Place, to be sparing of their Anger, and not to lavish it upon every Occafion; for that both leffens the Weight and hinders the Effect of it. Loud Exclamation is fo cuftomary that every one despises it; and, that your Clamour at a Servant for a Theft is not minded, because it is no more than what he has feen you make a hundred Times, against him, for having ill washed a Glafs, or misplaced a Stool. Secondly, that they do not fpend their Breath in vain, but make sure that their Reproof reach the Perfon in Fault; for ordinarily they are apt to bawl before he comes into their Prefence, and continue fcolding an Age after he is gone;

* Et fecum petulans amentia certat.

i. c.

And peevish Madness with itself contends.

They quarrel with their own Shadows, and push the Storm in a Place where no one is either chaftifed or interested, but in the Clamour of their Voice, which is unavoidable. I likewife, in Quarrels, condemn those who huff and vapour without an Adversary; fuch Rodomontades are to be referved to discharge upon the offending Party.

• Mugitus veluti cum prima in prælia taurus Terrificos ciet, atque irafci in cornua tentat,

a Senec. Epift. 56.

Claudian. in Eutrop. lib. i. v. 237

⚫ Æneid. lib. xii, v. 103, S.

Arboris

Arboris obnixus trunco, ventofque laceffit
Letibus, & fparfa ad pugnam proludit arena.

i. e.

Like angry Bulls that make the Valleys ring,
Prefs'd to the Fight, with dreadful bellowing;
Which whet their Horns against the sturdy Oak,
And, kicking back their Heels, the Winds provoke ;
And, toffing up the Earth, a Dust do raise
As furious Preludes to enfuing Frays.

The Author's

When I am angry, my Anger is very fharp, but withal very short, and as private as poffible; I am Anger on great indeed hafty and violent, but never am beand little Occa- fide myself, fo that I throw out all Manner frons. of injurious Words at random, and without Choice, and never confider properly to dart my Raillery where I think it will give the deepest Wound; for I commonly make ufe of no other Weapon in my Anger than my Tongue. My Servants have a better Bargain of me in great Occafions than in little ones; the latter surprise me; and the Mischief of it is, that, when you are once upon the Precipice, it is no Matter who gives you the Push, for you are fure to go to the Bottom; the Fall urges, moves, and makes hafte of itfelf. In great Occafions this fatisfies me, that they are so just every-one expects a warrantable Indignation in me, and then I am proud of deceiving their Expectation; against these I gird and prepare myself; they difturb my Head, and threaten to crack my Brain, fhould I give Way to them. I can easily contain myself from entering into one of these Passions, and am ftrong enough, when I expect them, to repel their Violence, be the Caufe never fo great; but, if a Paffion once prepoffefs and feize me, it carries me away, be the Caufe ever fo fmall; which makes me thus indent with those who may contend with me, viz. When they see me first moved, let me alone, right or wrong, I will do the fame for them. The Storm is only begot by the Concurrence of Refentments, which eafily fpring from one another, and are not born together. Let every-one have his own Way, and we fhall be always at Peace: A profitable

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Advice, but hard to practise. Sometimes also it falls out, that I put on a feeming Anger, for the better Governing of my Family, without any real Emotion. As Age renders my Humours more fharp, I ftudy to oppose them; and will, if I can, order it fo, that for the Future I may be so much the lefs peevish and hard to please, the more Excufe and Inclination I have to be fo, although I have heretofore been reckoned amongst those that have the greatest Patience.

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Whether Wrath is pro

per to animate

A Word, to conclude this Chapter: Ariftotle fays That Anger fometimes ferves to arm Virtue and Valour.' 'Tis likely it may be fo, nevertheless, they who contradict him pleasantly anfwer, That 'tis a Weapon of novel Ufe; for we move other Arms, this moves us; our Hands guide it not, 'tis it that guides our Hands; it holds us, we hold not it.'

Virtue and
Valour.

TH

CHA P. XXXII.

Defence of SENECA and PLUTARCH.

HE Familiarity I have had with thefe two Authors, and the Affiftance they have lent to my Age and to my Book, which is wholly compiled of what I have borrowed from them, obliges me to ftand up for their Ho

nour.

As to Seneca, amongst a Million of Pamphlets that those of the pretended Reformed Religion difperfe Comparison beabroad for the Defence of their Caufe (and twixt Seneca which fometimes proceed from a Pen fo good, and the Cardithat 'tis pity 'tis not employed in a better nal of Lorrain. Subject) I formerly faw one, which, in Order to draw a complete Parallel betwixt the Government of our late poor King Charles the Ninth and that of Nero, compares the late Cardinal of Lorrain with Seneca, in their Fortunes. (as they were both of them Prime Ministers to their Princes); in their Manners, Conditions, and Deportments,

at

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