would be no Occafion. But now their Tranf greffions against God, our Fellow-Creatures, and ourselves, furnish, alas, but too many. When our Maker, whom we ought to reverence and love with our whole Souls, is dishonoured; when his Laws and the Sanctions of them (the Ground-work of all Security and all Comfort) are insulted; surely it is Cause not only of Grief, but Indignation. When the helpless are oppressed, the well-meaning circumvented, Innocence aspersed or feduced, Faith broken, Kindness requited with ill Usage, or public Good facrificed to private Views, we both may, and must (if we have any Sympathy with our Kind) feel our Spirit rise in their Behalf. And though we can neither interpose to affist all that fuffer, nor permit our Tempers to be ruffled as often as Injustice is committed upon Earth; yet in all proper Ways we ought to shew, that we strongly dislike all such Things: and it is an ill Sign, when Persons are indifferent in the Cases of others, and will stand up for no one's Interests, but their own. Wrongs done to ourselves we are all so apt to resent, at least enough, that it may feem needless, and even dangerous, to say any Thing of these, as one lawful Occasion for Anger. VOL. V. D But But the Truth must be acknowledged, that this Paffion being given us, in a great Meafure, for our own Defence, we may innocently exert a competent Degree of it for that Purpose. Nor can we help, generally speaking, being a little more moved at our own Injuries and Sufferings, than those of others; because we cannot but have a livelier Sense of them; and the Emotion of Mind, which proceeds from that Sense, must bear some Proportion to it. One Thing more to be observed is, that though Faults are the only just Ground of Resentment; and the greater they are, the more the Ground: yet, when they do not amount to Crimes, but are only Neglects or Tranfgreffions of some smaller Obligation; still, since a great deal of Inconvenience in Life arises, even from these Instances of wrong Behaviour; they warrant and require fuch lower Marks of our Displeasure, especially when the culpable are placed under our Inspection, as may be requifite for their Amend ment. And now it might well be hoped, that a fufficient Latitude was given to this necessary Evil, the Exercise of Anger. But these are narrow ! narrow Bounds for a Passion, which, if let loose, will admit of none. We can be angry with Persons, not only for their Faults, but their good Qualities and Accomplishments, when they excel, or come too near, Us or our Favourites: not only for doing amiss, but for doing their Duty, if it interfere with any of our Designs or Humours, Nay, we can be angry with them for having done their Duty to us; done the kindest Thing they could for us, reminded us of our Failings, though in a friendly Way; or shewn themselves in any Instance more concerned for us, than we are for ourselves. We can be angry with Perfons, even when they have done us Kindnesses; for not doing us such great ones, or not fo foon, or not in such a Manner, as we would have had them: though perhaps they were not bound to do us any. And we can be extremely angry with them for having any Degree of Regard to their own Interests, when ours are concerned: first looking upon ourselves as all the World, and the rest of Mankind as nothing; then fired with the utmost Indignation, that this should be disputed. But in lesser Matters, we can be angry with Men even for their natural Tempers, when they D.2 ! they happen to be more gravely, or more chearfully, or any Way differently, turned from our own: for their not liking the same Employments or Amusements, their not falling into the fame Opinions and Ways of thinking, sometimes on the most trifling Subjects; nay, for not perceiving and acknowledging immediately the Strength of an Argument, or the Weight of an Authority. Again, we can be angry for the unkind Words or Actions, to which we ourselves have given the Provocation: and will make no Allowances for little Unreasonablenesses in others, where we have, perhaps by great ones, set the Pattern, and thrown the Temptation in their Way. We can be angry at those who are employed by us, for mistaking or not fucceeding in Cafes, where they have done as well as ever they could, and certainly did not contrive to be ignorant or fail on Purpose to vex us. We can be angry at them for mere accidental Misfortunes in our Affairs : Things, which were not provided against, because they were not to be expected; or which a reasonable Degree of Care proved insufficient to provide against; or, it may be, which all the Care in the World could not have prevented. vented. Nay, in our idlest Diversions, we can be as vehemently discomposed, as about the most important Business. And, in the general Course of our Behaviour, we can be impatient about every Thing, if we have been made uneasy about any Thing: and quite out of Humour, perhaps for a confiderable Time together, without either having, or almost thinking we have, any Manner of Provocation to it. Indeed something of this, in too many, seems constitutional: and, fo far as it is, ought to have Allowances made for it by every one, except those who are liable to it. But they themselves cannot reflect too feriously, how often and how much they make all about them fuffer for no Cause at all; and those most, whom they ought least: how strangely and wildly unreasonable they are, when under the Power of this bad Spirit: and how firmly they are obliged to watch against it continually, and free themselves, when seized by it, as foon as poffibly they can. |