A wise man will observe these two rules about his anger: 1. Not to be
over-hasty in his resentments: Discretion teaches us to defer our
anger, to defer the admission of it till we have thoroughly considered
all the merits of the provocation, seen them in a true light and
weighed them in a just balance; and then to defer the prosecution of it
till there be no danger of running into any indecencies. Plato said to
his servant, "I would beat thee, but that I am angry." Give it time,
and it will cool. 2. Not to be over-critical in his resentments.
Whereas it is commonly looked upon as a piece of ingenuity to apprehend
an affront quickly, it is here made a man's glory to pass over a
transgression, to appear as if he did not see it (Ps. xxxviii. 13), or,
if he sees fit to take notice of it, yet to forgive it and meditate no
revenge.