It is written of Praxafpes (a Favourite of Cambyfes, who was much given to Wine) that he took the Freedom to tell his, Prince of his hard Drinking, and to lay before him the Scandal, and the Inconvenience of his Exceffes; and how that in thofe Diftempers, he had not the Command of himself. Now, (fays Cambyfes) to fhew you your Miftake: you fall fee me drink deeper than ever. I did, and yet keep the Ufe of my Eyes, and of my Hands, as well as if I were fober. Upon this he drank to a highter Pitch than ordinary, and ordered Prexafpes his Son to go out, and stand on the other fide of the Threshold, with his left Arm over his Head; And (fays he) If I have a good Aim, have at the Heart of him. He fhot, and upon cutting up the young Man, they found indeed that the Arrow had ftruck him thro' the Middle of the Heart. What do you think now (fays Canby/es) Is my Hand fteddy or no? Apollo himfelf (fays Prexafpes) could not have out done it. It may be a Question now, which was the greater Impiety, the Murder itself, or the Commendation of it; for him to take the Heart of his Son, while it was yet recking, and panting under the Wound, for an Occafion of Flattery: Why was there not another Experiment made upon Father, to try if Cambyfes could not have yet mended his Shot? This was a moft unmanly Violation of Hofpitality, but the Approbation of the Fact was still worfe than the Crime ittelf. This Example of Praxafpes proves fufficiently that a Man may reprefs his Anger for he returned not one ill World, no not fo much as a Complaint; but he paid dear for his good Counfel. He had been wifer, perhaps, if he had let the King alone in his Cups, for he had better have drank Wine than Blood. 'Tis a dangerous Office to give good Advice to intem perate Princes..

An Inftance of Anger fuppreft in Harpagus.

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ANOTHER Inftance of Anger fup preffed we have in Harpagus, who was commanded to expofe Cyrus upon a Mountain, but the Child was preferv'd; which when Aftyages came afterwards to understand, he invited Harpagus to a Difh of Meat and when he had eaten his fill, he told him it was a Piece of his Son, and asked him how he liked the Seafoning

Whatever pleases 'your Majefty, fays Harpagus, must pleafe me: And he made no more Words on't. It is moft certain that we might govern our Anger, if we would; for the fame thing that galls us at home, gives us no Offence at all abroad; and what's the Reason of it, but that we are patient in one Place, and froward in another?

The Moderation of Philip of Macedon.

IT was a ftrong Provocation, that which was given to Philip of Macedon, the Father of Alexander: The Athenians fent their Ambaffadors to him, and they were received with this Compliment, Tell me, Gentlemen, fays Philip, What is there that F can do to oblige the Athenians? Demochar es, one of the Ambaffadors told him, that they would take it for a great Obligation, if he would be pleafed to hang himfelf. This Infolence gave an Indignation to the Byftanders; but Philip bade them not to meddle with him, but e'en to let that foul-mouthed Fellow go as he came. And, for you, the reft of the Ambaffadors, fays he, pray tell the Athenians, that it is worse to speak fach things, than to hear and forgive them. This wonderful Patience under Contumelies was a great means of Philip's Security.

Anger is a fhort Madness, and a deformed Vice.

Hart called anger a short Madness, for they have

E was much in the right, whoever it was, that

both of them the fame Symptoms; and there is fo wonderful a Refemblance betwixt the Tranfports of Choler and those of Phrenfy, that it is a hard matter to know the one from the other. A bold, fierce. and threatning Countenance, as pale as Afhes, and in the fame

Moment as red as Blood: a glaring Eye, a wrinkled Brow, violent Motions, the Hands reftlefs, and perpetually in Action, wringing and menacing, fnapping of the Joints, ftamping with the Feet, the Hair starting, trem bling Lips, a forced and fqueaking Voice; the Speech falfe and broken, deep, and frequent Sighs, and ghaft. Fly Looks; the Veins fwell, the Heart pants, the Knees *w knock; with a hundred difmal Accidents that are common to both Diftempers. Neither is Anger a bare Re femblance only of Madnefs, but many times an irrecoverable Transition into the thing itfelf. How many Perfons have we known, read, and heard of that have lost their Wits in a Paffion, and never came to themfelves again? It is therefore to be avoided, not only for Moderation fake, but alfo for Health. Now if the outward Appearance of Anger be foul, and hideous, how deformed muft that miferable Mind be, that is harraffed with it? for it leaves no Place either for Counsel or Friendship, Honesty, or good Manners; no Place ei ther for the Exercife of Reafon, or for the Offices of Life. If I were to defcribe it, I would draw a Tyger bathed in Blood; fharp fet, and Ready to take a Leap at his Prey; or drefs it up as the Poets reprefent the Furies, with Whips, Snakes, and Flames: ft fhould. likewise be four, livid, full of Scars, and wallowing in Gore, raging up and down, deftroying, grinning, bellowing, and purfuing; fick of all other things, and most of all, of itself. It turns Beauty into Deformity, and the calmeft Counsels into Fierceness. It disorders our very Garments, and fills the Mind with Horror. How abominable is it in the Soul then, when it appears fo hideous even through the Bones, the Skin, and fo many Impediments? Is not he a Madman that has loft the Government of himself, and is toffed hither and thi ther by his Fury, as by a Tempeft? The Executioner of his own Revenge, both with his Heart and Hand: and the Murderer of his nearest Friends? The smallest Matter moves it, and makes us infociable, and inacceffible. It does all things by Violence, as well upon itfelf, as others; and it is, in fhort, the Mafter of all Paffions.

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THERE is not any Creature + fot All Creatures terrible, and dangerous by Nature made terrible but it becomes fiercer by Anger., by Anger. Not that Beasts have human Affections, but certain Impulies they have which come very near them. The Boar foams, champs, and whets his Tufks; the Bull toffes his Horns in the Air, bounds, and tears up the Ground with bis Feet. The Lion roars, and fwinges himself with his Tail; the Serpent fwells, and there is a ghaflly kind of Felnefs in the Afpect of a mad Dog. How great a Wickedness is it now to indulge a Violence, that does not only turn a Man into a Beast, but makes even the most outragious Beafts themselves to be more dreadful and mifchievous ! A Vice that car-ries along with it neither Pleasure nor Profit; neither Honour nor Security; but on the contrary, deftroys us to all the comfortable, and glorious Purposes of our reafonable Being. Some there are, that will have the Root of it to be greatnefs of Mind. And why may we not as well entitle impudence to Courage, whereas the one is proud, the other brave; the one is gracious and gentle, the other rude and furious? At the fame rate we may afcribe Magnanimity to Avarice, Luxury and Ambition, which are all but fplendid Impotencies, without Meafure and Foundation. There is nothing great, but what is virtuous, nor indeed truly great, but what is alfo pofed and quiet. Anger, alas! is but a wild impetuous Blaft, an empty Tumour, the very Infirmity of Women and Children; a brawling, clamorous Evil: And the more Noife the lefs Courage; as we find it commonly, that the boldest Tongues have the fainteft Hearts.

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CHA P. V.

Anger is neither warrantable nor useful.

N the first place. Anger is unwarrantable, as it is un

I just: For it falls many times upon the wrong Per

fon, and difcharges itfelf upon the Innocent, inftead of the Guilty; befide the Difproportion of making the most trivial Offences to be capital, and punishing an inconfiderate Word perhaps with Torments, Fetters, Infamy, or Death. It allows a Man neither Time, nor Means for Defence, bat judges a Caufe without hearing it, and admits of no Mediation. It flies into the Face of Truth itself, if it be of the adverse Party; and turns Obftinacy in an Error, into an Argument of Juftice. It does every Thing with Agitation and Tumult: Whereas Rea fon and Equity can deffroy whole Families, if there be Occafion for't, even to the extinguifhing of their Names and Memories, without any Indecency, either of Countenance or Action.

SECONDLY, It is infociable to the -Anger is in highest Point*; for it fpares neither fociable. Friend nor Foe; but tears all to Pieces, and calts human Nature into a perpetual State of War. It diffolves the Bond of mutual Society, infomuch that our very Companions and Relations dare not come near us; it renders us unfit for the ordinary Offices of Life, for we can neither govern our Tongues, our Hands, or any part of our Body. It tramples upon the Laws of Hofpitality, and Nations, leaves every Man to be his own Carver, and all things public and private, facred and profane, fuffer Violence.

fitable.

THIRDLY, it is to no purpose, t + It is unpro- 'Tis a fad thing, we cry, to put up thofe Injuries, and we are not able to bear them; as if any Man that can bear Ancould not bear an Injury, which is much more fupportable. You'll fay, that Anger does fome good yet, for it keeps People in Awe, and fecures a Man from

ger,