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

BOOK VTO NOVATUSON ANGERBOOK IIIWe shall now, Novatus, attempt to do what you haveespecially desired—we shall try to banish angerfrom the mind, or at least to bridle and restrain itsfury. This must be done sometimes plainly andopenly, whenever a slighter attack of the maladymakes this possible, sometimes secretly, when itsflame burns hot and every obstacle but intensifiesand increases its power ; it depends upon how muchstrength and \igour it has whether we ought to beatback its attack and force a retreat, or should yieldbefore it until the first storm of its fury has passed,in order to keep it from sweeping along with it thevery means of relief.Each man's character will have to determine hisplan- of action : some men yield to entreaty ; sometrample and stamp upon those who give way, and weshall quiet these by making them fear ; some areturned from their course by reproof, others by a 4"confession of guilt, others by slvame, others by procrastination—aslow remedy, this last, for a swiftdisorder, to be used only as a last resort. For whilethe other passions admit of postponement and may"253