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BOOK IV.

ARGUMENTATIVE PIECES.

ON

QUESTION. WI

CHA P. I.

ANGE R..

1.WHETHER Anger ought to be Suppreffed entirely, or only to be confined within the

bounds of moderation?

THOSE who maintain that refentment is blameable only in the excefs, fupport their opinion with fuch arguments as thefe :

SINCE Anger is natural and useful to man, entirely to ba nish it from our breast, would be an equally foolish and vain attempt: for as it is difficult, and next to impoffible, to oppofe nature with fuccefs; fo it were imprudent, if we had it in our power, to caft away the weapons with which the has furnished us for our defence. The best armour againft injustice is a proper degree of fpirit, to repel the wrongs that are done, or defigned against us: but if we diveft our

felves of all resentment, we shall perhaps prove too irrefolute

and languid, both in refifting the attacks of injustice, and inflicting punishment upon thofe, who have committed it. We shall therefore fink into contempt, and by the tamenefs of our fpirit, fhall invite the malicious to abuse and affront us. Nor will others fail to deny us the regard which is due from them, if once they think us incapable of refentment. To remain unmoved at gross injuries, has the appearance of stupidity, and will make us defpicable and in the eyes of many who are not to be influenced by any thing but their fears.

mean,

AND as a moderate share of refentment is useful in its effects, fo it is innocent in itself, nay often commendable. The virtue of mildness is no less remote from infenfibility, on the one hand, than from fury on the other. It implies, that we are angry only upon proper occafions, and in a due degree; that we are never tranfported beyond the bounds of decency, or indulge a deep and lafting refentment; that we do not follow, but lead our paffion, governing it as our fervant, not fubmitting ourselves to it as our mafter. Under thefe regulations it is certainly excufable, when moved only by private wrongs: and being excited by the injuries which others fuffer, it befpeaks a generous mind, and deferves commendation. Shall a good man feel no indignation against injuftice and barbarity? not even when he is witness to shocking inftances of them? when he fees a friend bafely and cruelly treated; when he obferves,

Th' oppreffor's wrong, the proud man's contumely,. The infolence of office, and the spurns

That patient merit of th' unworthy takes;

SHALL he ftill enjoy hinfelf in perfect tranquillity? Will it be a crime, if he conceives the leaft refentment? Will it not rather be fomewhat criminal, if he is deftitute of it? In fuch

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 resentment. In the mean time, let us not be suspected of endeavouring to vindicate rage, and peevishness, and implacable refentment, No; fuch is their deformity, fo horrid and fo manifeft are the evils they produce, that they do not admit of any defence or juftification. We cendemn, we deteft them, as unnatural, brutish, unmanly and monftrous. All we contend for, is, that it is better to be moderate in our refentment, than to fupprefs it altogether. Let us therefore keep it under a ftrict difcipline, and carefully refrain it within the bounds which reafon prescribes, with regard to the occafion, degree and continuance of it. But let us not prefume to extirpate any of thofe affections, which the wifdom of God has implanted in us, which are fo nicely balanced, and fo 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 fhould be entirely fuppreffed, reply:

You tell us, anger is natural to man; but nothing is more natural to man, than reafon, mildness 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 constitution? Sometimes indeed we may call that natural to a species, which being found in most of them, is not produced by art or custom. 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 cut, ting 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 fenfe 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 lefs agreeable to his friends, difturb his reason, and unfit him for discharging the duties of life in a becoming manner. By only diminishing his passion, he may leffen, but cannot remove the evil; for the only way to get clear of the one, is by entirely difmifing the other. How then will anger be fo ufeful 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 fpirit and calm resolution will enable him to do all this, and to do it in a much more fafe, proper, and effectual manner, without the affiftance of anger, than with it. He will be despifed and neglected, you say, if he appears to have no refentment. You should rather say, if he appears to have no fedate wisdom and courage; for these qualities will be fufficient of themfelves 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 those, who are not in our power; and if it makes

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 easily formed, will produce the fame effect upon others, as if the paffion was real. If therefore to quicken the flow, to rouse the inattentive and reftrain 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 preserve 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 strength 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 refpect. 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 afhamed of it in ourfelves. Hence it is common to hear men excufing themfelves, and feriously declaring, they were, not angry, when they have given unquestionable proofs to the contrary. But do we not commend him, who resents the injuries done to a friend or innocent perfon? Yes, we commend him; yet not for his passion, but for that generofity and friendship

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