and am strong enough, when I expect them, to repel their violence, be the cause never so great; but if a passion once prepossess and seize me, it carries me away, be the cause never so small.  I bargain thus with those who may contend with me when you see me moved first, let me alone, right or wrong; I’ll do the same for you.  The storm is only begot by a concurrence of angers, which easily spring from one another, and are not born together.  Let every one have his own way, and we shall be always at peace.  A profitable advice, but hard to execute.  Sometimes also it falls out that I put on a seeming anger, for the better governing of my house, without any real emotion.  As age renders my humours more sharp, I study to oppose them, and will, if I can, order it so, that for the future I may be so much the less peevish and hard to please, as I have more excuse and inclination to be so, although I have heretofore been reckoned amongst those who have the greatest patience.

A word more to conclude this argument.  Aristotle says, that anger sometimes serves for arms to virtue and valour.  That is probable; nevertheless, they who contradict him pleasantly answer, that ’tis a weapon of novel use, for we move all other arms, this moves us; our hand guides it not, ’tis it that guides our hand; it holds us, we hold not it.

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