Page:Plutarch - Moralia, translator Holland, 1911.djvu/142

120 profitably, and decently as it appertaineth. And verily I do enforce myself, and strive to master my choler and subdue it principally, nor denying unto them who are to be punished, the liberty and means to justify themselves, but in hearing them to speak what they can for their excuse. For as time and space doth in the meantime find the passion occupied another way, and withal bring a certain delay, which doth slack and let down (as it were) the vehemency and violence thereof; so judgment of reason all the while meeteth both with a decent manner and also with a convenient mean and measure of doing punishment accordingly. And besides, this course and manner of proceeding, leaveth him that is punished no cause, occasion, or pretence at all to resist and strive again, considering that he is chastised and corrected not in choler and anger, but being first convinced that he had well deserved his correction: and (which were yet worse than all the rest) the servant shall not have vantage to speak more justly and to better reason than his master.

Well, then, like as Phocion after the death of Alexander the Great, having a care not to suffer the Athenians to rise oversoon, or make any insurrection before due time, nor yet to give credit rashly unto the news of his death: My masters of Athens (quoth he), if he be dead to-day, he will be dead to-morrow also, and three days hence too; even so should a man (in mine opinion) who, by the impulsion and instigation of anger, maketh haste to take punishment, thus suggest and secretly say to himself: If this servant of mine hath made a fault to-day, it will be as true to-morrow, and the next day after, that he hath done a fault; neither will there be any harm or danger at all come of it, if he chance to be punished with the latest; but believe me, if he be punished over-soon, it will be always thought that he had wrong, and did not offend: a thing that I have known to happen full often. For which of us all is so curst and cruel, as to punish and scourge a servant for burning the roast five or ten days ago? or for that so long before he chanced to overthrow the table? or was somewhat with the slowest in making answer to his master; or did his errand or other business not so soon as he should? and yet we see these and such-like be the ordinary causes for which (whiles they be fresh and new done) we take on, we stamp and stare, we chafe, we frown, we are implacable and will hear of no pardon: And no marvel, for like as any bodies seem bigger through a mist, even so everything appeareth greater than it is through anger.