Page:Plutarch - Moralia, translator Holland, 1911.djvu/135

Rh serveth not only to take heed always unto them that are subject to ire and therewith possessed, but also besides to know throughly the nature of anger: how it is neither generous or manful, nor yet hath anything in it that savoureth of wisdom and magnanimity. Howbeit the common people interpret the turbulent nature thereof to be active and meet for action: the threats and menaces thereof, hardiness and confidence, the peevish and froward unruliness to be fortitude and strength. Nay, some there be who would have the cruelty in it to be a disposition and dexterity to achieve great matters; the implacable malice thereof to be constancy and firm resolution: the morosity and difficulty to be pleased, to be hatred of sin and vice; howbeit, herein they do not well, but are much deceived, or surely the very actions, motions, gestures, and countenance of choleric persons do argue and bewray much baseness and imbecility: which we may perceive not only in these brain-sick fits that they fall upon little children, and them pluck, twitch, and misuse; fly upon poor silly women, and think that they ought to punish and beat their horses, hounds, and mules, like unto Ctesiphon, that famous wrestler and professed champion who stuck not to spurn and kick his mule; but also in their tyrannical and bloody murders, wherein their cruelty and bitterness, which declareth their pusillanimity and base mind; their actions, which shew their passions and their doing to others, bewraying a suffering in themselves, may be compared to the stings and bitings of those venomous serpents which be very angry, exceeding dolorous, and burn most themselves when they do inflict the greatest inflammation upon the patients, and put them to most pain: For like as swelling is a symptom or accident following upon a great wound or hurt in the flesh: even so it is in the tenderest and softest minds, the more they give place and yield unto dolour and passion, the more plenty of choler and anger they utter forth as proceeding from the greater weakness. By this you may see the reason why women ordinarily be more waspish, curst, and shrewd than men; sick folk more testy than those that are in health; old people more wayward and froward than those that be in the flower and vigour of their years; and finally, such as be in adversity and upon whom fortune frowneth, more prone to anger than those who prosper and have the world smiling upon them. The covetous miser and pinching penny-father is always most angry with his steward that layeth forth his money; the glutton is ever more displeased with his cook and caterer; the jealous husband