Iberian Fathers, Volume 1

Anger

ANGER! (De ira) Bishop Martin to my most blessed and most beloved lord, brother in Christ, Bishop Vittimer. Chapter 1 While we were recently together and enjoying a mutual exchange of conversation, you urged me with love and affection to arrange a brief discussion of the passion of anger and of its mutual effects. I was delighted to comply immediately, and I have written at your desire these brief remarks on how to avoid anger or, if this cannot be accomplished, how to assuage it. Certain wise men have called anger a brief period of insanity , for it is powerless to control itself, even as it forgets honesty, is unmindful of friendy connections, is cut off from reason and counsels while agitated by false pretexts, is not adaptable to considerations of justice, is similar to a moral ill, and is crushed upon what it itself destroyed. Chapter 2 The appearance of anger Its appearance is bold, its countenance threatening, its forehead gloomy, its gaze askance, its face either pale or ruddy; the blood seethes up from deep within, then it changes its I Cf. Introduction pp. 9-10. 59 60 MARTIN OF BRAGA color and becomes fierce instead of pleasant; its eyes flash and sparkle, its lips tremble, its teeth grind together, its breast is shaken by frequent and violent breathing, its groans are tormented , its speech pours forth in small explosions, the wild outbursts of the voice distend the neck; the hands are restless, there are frequent contractions and slappings of the fingers, the teeth chatter, the pace is hurried, the feet beat upon the ground, the limbs tremble, the whole body is seized with uncontrollable movements, producing mighty threats-anger in its horrible form so corrupts and inflates itself that you do not know whether the abomination or the deformity is greater. What sort of soul do you suppose there must be within when the outward appearance is so vile? Other vices are concealed and hidden; anger betrays itself and appears in the face; the greater it is, the more manifestly it is inflamed. Accordingly, nothing is less suitable to a wise man than to become angry. Chapter 3 The effects of anger Anger turns everything from what is excellent and just into the opposite. Whomever it seizes, it does not allow him to remember his duty. Give it to a father, he is an enemy. Give it to a king, he is a tyrant. It is not even useful in battle, for it is prone to rash actions, and while it tries to bring dangers to bear, it does not watch out for other dangers and it falls into another's power while it is not in control of itself. Anger judges by what pleases itself, will not listen, leaves no room for aid. It does not allow its decision to be changed, even if it is definitely wrong. It loves and protects its own error and will not listen to argument, even though manifest truth is placed directly before it. Obstinacy is preferable to correction in its base undertakings. However idle the matters that have stirred ANGER 61 it lip, it will persevere lest it appear to have begun without cause. And what is worse, when it is restrained it becomes more insistent and increases, as if the very act of deep anger were a proof that the anger is just. As its strength becomes greater in proportion to its threats, so it is the more to be hated when it is more terrifying. If it has no strength, it is more exposed to contempt and does not escape derision. It is more dangerous to fear it, safer to deride it. Anger subdues all the other passions, and there is no pretension of the soul in which anger is not dominant. In fact, anger can even dominate over avarice, which is the worst and most inflexible of the vices. How often in anger does the soul attack and scatter its own possessions? How often does it toss away goods valued at a great price? The violence of anger is sudden and total. It does not proceed gradually, but is full-grown at the moment of its inception; it does not harass souls as other vices do, but sweeps them away. Other vices entice, while anger rushes headlong like streams and blasts of wind, and none is more insistent, whether proud in its strength or...