nature and equi Saying is one thing, doing another; we are to consider the sermon and the preacher distinctly. Those A digression on men took a pretty business in hand who in Plutarch's good our times have attempted to shake the truth ty. of our church by the vices of her ministers; she draws her proofs elsewhere; 'tis a foolish way of arguing, and that would throw all things into confusion; a man whose manners are good may have false opinions, and a wicked man may preach truth, nay, though he believe it not himself. "Tis doubtless a fine harmony when doing and saying go together; and I will not deny but that saying, when action follows, is of greater authority and efficacy; as Eudamidas said, hearing a philosopher talk of military affairs: "These things are finely said, but he that speaks them is not to be believed, for his ears have never been used to the sound of the trumpet." And Cleomenes, hearing an orator declaiming upon 1 valour, burst out into laughter; at which the other, being angry, "I should," said he to him, " do the same if it were a swallow that spoke of this subject; but if it were an eagle I should willingly hear him."2 I perceive, methinks, in the writings of the ancients that he who speaks what he thinks strikes much more home than he that only dissembles. Hear but Cicero speak of the love of liberty; hear Brutus speak of it; his very writings sound that this man would purchase it at the price of his life. Let Cicero, the Parallel of Cicero father of eloquence, treat of the contempt of and Seneca. death, and let Seneca do the same; the first languishingly drawls it out, so that you perceive he would make you resolve upon a thing on which he is not resolved himself; he inspires you not with courage, for he himself has none; the other animates and inflames you. In the same way, I never read an author, of those who treat of virtue and of great actions, that I do not closely examine what kind of man he was himself; for the Ephori at Sparta seeing a dissolute fellow propose a wholesome advice to the people, commanded 1 Plutarch, Apoth. of the Lacedem. 2 Id. ib. him to hold his peace, and entreated a virtuous man to attribute to himself the invention, and to propose it.1 Plutarch re Plutarch's writings, if well understood, sufficiently speak their author; and so that I think I know him even into his soul, and yet I could wish that we had some account of his life. And I am thus far wandered from my subject, upon the account of the obligation I have to Aulus Gellius for having left us in writing this story of his manners, that has a bearing on my subject of anger: 2-A slave of his, a vicious, ill-conditioned fellow, but that had the precepts proached for anger of philosophy often ringing in his ears, having by a slave of his. for some offence of his been stripped by Plutarch's command, whilst he was whipping muttered at first that it was without cause, and that he had done nothing to deserve it; but at last falling in good earnest to exclaim against, and to rail at, his master, he reproached him that he was no philosopher, as he had boasted himself to be; that he had often heard him say it was indecent to be angry, nay, had writ a book to that purpose; and that causing him to be so cruelly beaten in the height of his rage totally gave the lie to all his writings. To which Plutarch calmly and coldly answered, “How, knave!" said he, "by what dost thou judge that I am now angry? Does either my face, my colour, or my voice, give any manifestation of my being moved? I do not think my eyes look fierce, that my countenance appears troubled, or that my voice is dreadful. Am I red? do I foam? does any word escape my lips I ought to repent? Do I start? do I tremble with fury? For those, I tell thee, are the true signs of anger." And so turning to the fellow that was whipping him, "Ply on thy work," said he," whilst this gentleman and I dispute." This is the story.a Archytus Tarentinus, returning from a war wherein he had been captain-general found all things in his house in 1 Aulus Gellius, xviii. 3. 8 Cicero, Tusc. Quæs. iv. 36. Val. Max. iv. 1. ext 1 That correction never ought to be given in anger. very great disorder, and his lands quite out of tillage, through the ill husbandry of his steward; whom having caused to be called to him, "Go," said he; "if I were not in anger I would soundly drub your sides."1 Plato likewise, being highly offended with one of his slaves, gave Speusippus orders to chastise him, excusing himself from doing it because he was in anger. And Charillus, a Lacedemonian, to a Helot, who carried himself insolently and audaciously towards him; "By the gods!" said he, "if I were not angry I would immediately put thee to death." 8 2 "Tis a passion that is pleased with and flatters itself. How often, being moved under a false cause, if the person offending makes a good defence, and presents us with a just excuse, are we vexed at truth and innocence itself? In proof of which, I remember a marvellous example of antiquity: Piso, otherwise a man of 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 companion, took it for granted that he had killed him, and presently condemned him to death. He was no sooner mounted upon the gibbet but behold his wandering companion arrives; at which all the army were exceedingly glad, and after many embraces of the two comrades, the hangman carried both the one and the other into Piso's presence, all the assistants 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 passion suddenly suggested to him, he made three criminal for having found one innocent, and caused them all to be dispatched. The first soldier, because sentence had passed upon him; the second, who had lost his way, because he was the cause of his companion's death; and the hangman, for not having obeyed the order given him. Such as have had to do with testy women may have ex 1 Seneca, de Ira, iii. 12. 2 Plutarch, Apotheg 3 Id. ib. The fury of women provoked by ing them. perienced into what a rage it puts them to opyour not answer- pose silence and coldness to their fury, and for a man to disdain to nourish their anger. The orator Celius was wonderfully choleric by nature; and to one who supped in his company, a man of gentle and sweet conversation, and who, that he might not move him, approved and consented to all he said; he, impatient that his ill-humour should thus spend itself without aliment: For the love of the gods! contradict me in something," said he, "that we may be two."1 Women, in like manner, are only angry that others may be angry again, in imitation of the law of love. Phocion, to one that interrupted his speaking by injurious and very opprobrious words made no other return than silence, and to give him full liberty and leisure to vent his spleen; which he having accordingly done, and the storm blown over, without any mention of this disturbance, he proceeded in his discourse where he had left off before. No answer can nettle a man like such contempt. Of the most choleric man in France (anger is always an imperfection, but more excusable in a soldier, for in that trade it cannot sometimes be avoided), I often say that he is the most patient man that I know, and the most discreet in bridling his passions; which agitate him with so great violence and fury, Magno veluti cum flamma sonore Virgea suggeritur costis undantis aheni, Exultantque æstu latices, furit intus aquai, Nec jam se capit unda; volat vapor ater ad auras; "So when unto the boiling caldron's side A crackling flame of brushwood is applied, The bubbling liquors there like springs are seen To swell and foam to higher tides within; Above the brims they force their fiery way, Black vapours climb aloft, and cloud the day;" 8 that he must of necessity cruelly constrain himself to moder 1 Seneca, de Ira, iii. 8. 8 Eneid, vii. 462. 2 Plutarch, Inst. to those who manage State Affairs. ate it. And, for my part, I know no passion which I could with so much violence to myself attempt to cover and conceal; I would not set wisdom at so high a price; and do not so much consider what he does, as how much it costs him to do no worse. Another boasted himself to me of the regularity and sweetness of his manners, which is in truth singular; to whom I replied, "That it was indeed something, especially in persons of so eminent quality as himself, upon whom every one had their eyes, to present himself always well-tempered to the world; but that the principal thing was to make provision for within and for himself; and that it was not well, in my opinion, to order his business so as inwardly to grate himself, which I was afraid he did in putting on and outwardly maintaining this mask and appearance of calm." A man incorporates anger by concealing it, as Diogenes said to Demosthenes, who, for fear of being seen in a tavern, withdrew himself into it: "The more you retire the farther you enter in."1 I would rather advise that a man should give his servant a box of the ear a little unseasonably than wreck his fancy to represent this grave and composed countenance; and had rather discover my passions than hide them at my own expense; they grow less in venting and manifesting themselves; and 'tis much better their point should act without than be turned against ourselves within: Omnia vitia in aperto leviora sunt; et tunc perniciosissima quum, simulata sanitate, subsidunt.2 "All vices are less dangerous when open to be seen, and then most pernicious when they lurk under a dissembled good temper." Rules to be ob covery of anger I admonish all those in my family who have authority to be angry, in the first place to manage their anger, and not to lavish it upon every occasion, served in the disfor that lessens the effect; rash and constant against domesscolding runs into custom, and renders itself despised; what you lay on a servant for a theft is not felt, 1 Laertius, in Vitâ, vi. 34. tics. 2 Seneca, Ep. 56. |