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fuch cafes we are commonly fo far from being afhamed of our anger, as of fomething mean, that we are proud of it, and confefs it openly, as what we count laudable and meritorious.

THE truth is, there feems to be fomething manly, and we are bold to fay, fomething virtuous, in a juft and wellconducted refentment. In the mean time, let us not be fufpected of endeavouring to vindicate rage, and peevishness, and implacable refentment. No; fuch is their deformity, fo horrid and fo manifest are the evils they produce, that they do not admit of any defence or juftification. We condemn, we deteft them, as unatural, brutish, unmanly and monftrous. All we contend for, is, that it is better to be moderate in our refentment, than to fuppress it altogether. Let us therefore keep it under a strict discipline, and carefully restrain it within the bounds which reafon prescribes, with regard to the occafion, degree and continuance of it. But let us not presume to extirpate any of those affections, which the wisdom of God has implanted in us, which are fo nicely balanced, and so well adjusted to each other, that by destroying one of them, we may perhaps diforder and blemish the whole frame of our nature.

TO these arguments, thofe who adopt the opinion that anger should be entirely fuppreffed, reply:

You tell us, anger is natural to man; but nothing is more natural to man, than reafon, mildnefs and benevolence. Now with what propriety can we call that natural to any creature, which impairs and opposes the most effential and diftinguishing parts of its conftitution? Sometimes indeed we may call that natural to fpecies, which being found in most of them, is not produced by art or cuftom. That anger

is in this fenfe natural, we readily grant ;`but deny that we therefore cannot, or may not lawfully extinguish it. Nature has committed to our management the faculties of the mind,' as well as the members of the body: and, as when any of the latter become pernicious to the whole, we cut them off and caft them away; in like manner, when any of our affections are become hurtful and useless in our frame, by cutting them off, we do not in the least counteract the intention of nature. Now fuch is anger to a wife man. To fools and cowards it is a neceffary evil; but to a person of moderate fense and virtue, it is an evil, which has no advantage attending it. The harm it must do him is very apparent. It must ruffle his temper, make him less agreeable to his friends, difturb his reason, and unfit him for discharging the duties of life in a becoming manner. By only diminishing his paffion, he may leffen, but cannot remove the evil; for the only way to get clear of the one, is by entirely dismissing the other.

How then will anger be so useful to him, as to make it worth his while to retain it in any degree? He may defend his own rights; affift an injured friend; profecute and punish a villain; I fay his prudence and friendship, his public spirit and calm refolution will enable him to do all this, and to do it in a much more safe, proper, and effectual manner, without the affistance of anger, than with it. He will be despised and neglected, you say, if he appears to have no refentment. You should rather fay, if he appears to have no fedate wisdom and courage; for these qualities will be fufficient of themselves to fecure him from contempt, and maintain him in the poffeffion of his juft authority. Nor does any thing commonly leffen us more in the eyes of others, than our own paffion. It often expofeth us to the contempt and derifion of thofe, who are not in our power; and if it makes

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us feared, it also makes us proportionably hated, by our inferiors and dependants. Let the influence it gives us be ever fo great, that man must pay very dear for his power, who procures it at the expence of his own tranquillity and peace.

BESIDES, the imitation of anger, which is eafily formed will produce the same effect upon others, as if the paffion was real. If therefore to quicken the flow, to rouse the inattentive, and restrain the fierce, it is fometimes expedient that they believe you are moved, you may put on the outward appearance of refentment. Thus you may obtain the end of anger, without the danger and vexation that attends it; and may preferve your authority, without forfeiting the peace of your mind.

HOWEVER manly and vigorous anger may be thought, it is in fact but a weak principle, compared with the fedate refolution of a wife and virtuous man. The one is uniform and permanent like the ftrength of a perfon in perfect health; the other, like a force which proceedeth from a fever, is violent for a time, but it foon leaves the mind more feeble than before. To him therefore who is armed with a proper firmness of foul, no degree of paffion can be useful in any respect. And to fay it can ever be laudable and virtuous is indeed a fufficiently bold affertion. For the most part we blame it in others, and though we are apt to be indulgent enough to our own faults, we are often ashamed of it in ourfelves. Hence it is common to hear men excufing themfelves, and feriously declaring, they were not angry, when they have given unequeftionable proofs to the contrary. But do we not commend him, who refents the injuries done to a friend or innocent perfon? Yes, we commend him; yet not for his paffion, but for that generofity and friendship

of

of which it is the evidence. For let any one impartially confider, which of these characters he esteems the better; his, who interests himself in the injuries of his friend, and zealously defends him with perfect calmness and serenity of temper; or his, who pursues the fame conduct under the influence of refentment.

Ir anger then is neither ufeful nor commendable, it is certainly the part of wisdom to fupprefs it entirely. We should rather confine it, you tell us, within certain bounds, But how shall we ascertain the limits, to which it may, and beyond which it ought not to pafs? When we receive a manifeft injury, it seems we may refent it, provided we do it with moderation. When we fuffer a worse abuse, our anger I suppose, may raise somewhat higher. Now as the degrees of injuftice are infinite, if our anger must always be proportioned to the occafion, it may poffibly proceed to the utmost extravagance. Shall we fet bounds to our refentment while we are yet calm ? how can we be affured, that being once let loose, it will not carry us beyond them? or fhall we give paffion the reins, imagining we can refume them at pleasure, or trusting it will tire or stop itself, as soon as it has run to its proper length? As well might we think of giving laws to a tempeft; as well might we endeavour to run mad by rule

and method.

In reality, it is much easier to keep ourfelves void of re fentment, than to reftrain it from cxcefs, when it has gained admiffion; for if reafon, while her ftrength is yet entire, is not able to preserve her dominion, what can fhe do when her enemy has in part prevailed and weakened her force? To ufe the illuftration of an excellent author, we can prevent the beginnings of fome things, whofe progrefs afterwards we cannot hinder. We can forbear to caft ourselves down from

a pre

a precipice, but if once we have taken the fatal leap, we must descend, whether we will or no. Thus the mind, if duly cautious, may ftand firm upon the rock of tranquillity; but if The rafhly forsakes the fummit, fhe can scarce recover herself, but is hurried away downwards by her own paffion, with increasing violence.

Do not say that we exhort you to attempt that which is impoffible. Nature has put it in our power to refift the motions of anger. We only plead inability, when we want an excufe for our own negligence. Was a paffionate man to forfeit a hundred pounds, as often as he was angry, or was he fure he must die the next moment after the first fally of his paffion, we should find, he had a great command of his temper whenever he could prevail upon himself to exercise a proper attention about it. And fhall we not efteem it worthy of equal attention, worthy of our utmost care and pains to obtain that immoveable tranquillity of mind, without which we cannot relish either life itself, or any of its enjoyments? -Upon the whole then, we both may and ought, not merely to reftrain, but extirpate anger. It is impatient of rule; in proportion as it prevails, it will difquiet our minds; it has nothing commendable in itself, nor will it anfwer any valuable purpose in life.

HOLLAND.

CHA P. II.

VIRTUE OUR HIGHEST INTEREST.

I

FIND myself exifting upon a little fpot, furrounded

every way by an immense unknown expanfion.-Where am I? What fort of place do I inhabit? Is it exactly accommodated, in every inftance, to my convenience? Is

there

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