Moral essays. With an English translation by J.W. Basore

ON ANGER, I. xii. 4-xm. 1are not well supplied with hot water, if a glass gobletis broken, if a shoe gets splashed ^\-ith mud. Suchanger comes, not from affection, but from a weakness—thekind we see in children, who ^^ill shed nomore tears over lost parents than over lost toys. Tofeel anger on behalf of loved ones is the mark of aweak mind, not of a loyal one. For a man to standforth as the defender of parents, children, friends,and fellow-citizens, led merely by his sense of duty,acting yoTiintarily, using judgement, using foresight,moved ireither by impulse nor by fury—this is nobleand becbmirig. Now no passion is more eager forjrevenge than anger, and for that ver}' reason istojtakg it) being unduly ardent and frenzied, as mostlusts are, it blocks its own progress to the goal towardwhich it hastens. Therefore it has never been ofadvantage either in peace or in war ; for it makespeace seem like war, and amid the clash of armsit forgets that the War-god shows no favour and,failing to control itself, it passes into the controlunfit r'of another. Again, it does not follow that the vices }are to be adopted for use from the fact that they'T"have sometimes been to some extent profitable. Fora fever may bring relief'ih certain kinds of sickness,and yet it does not follow from this that it is notbetter to be altogether free from fever. A methodof ciiTfiJthat makes good health dependent upondisease must be regarded ^\'ith detestation. Inlike manner anger, like poison, a fall, or a ship-^^Teck, even if it has sometimes proved an unexpectedgood, ought not for that reason to be adjudged wholesome; for ofttimes poisons have saved life."Again, if aiiy_quality is worth having, the more of itthere is, the better and the more desirable it becomes.139