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

ON ANGER, II. XXXI. 7-xxxii. 2if the hands should desire to harm the feet, or theeyes the hands ? As all the members of the bodyare in harmony one \\'ith another because it is to theadvantage of the whole that the indi\'idual membersbe unharmed, so mankind should spare the individualman, because all are bom for a Ufe of fellowship, andsocielEy can be kept unharmed only by the mutualprotection and love of its parts. We would noterusK~even a \'iper or a water-snake or any othercreature that harms by bite or sting if we couldmake them kindly in future, or keep them from beinga source of danger to ourselves and others. Neither,therefore, shall we injure a man because he has donewrong, but in order to keep him from doing \^Tong,and his punishment shall never look to the past, butalways to the future ; for that course is not anger,but precaution. For if every one whose nature is eviland^epraved must be punished, punishment willexempt no one." BuL-of cours e, tkere. is .some pleasure in anger,"you gay, " and it is sweet to return a smart." Not atall ; for it is not honourable, as in acts of kindness torequite benefits v\ith benefits, so to requite injurieswith injuries. In the one case it is shameful to beoutdone, in the other not to be outdone. " Revenge "is an inhuman word and yet one accepted as legitimate,and " retahation " is not much differentexcept in rank ; the man who returns a smartcommits merely the more pardonable sin." Oncewhen Marcus Cato was in the pubhc bath, a certainman, not knowing him, struck him unvvittingly ; forwho would knovvingly have done injury to thatgreat man ? Later, when the man was makingapology, Cato said, " I do not recall that I received2.S7