though he is not aware of it, perhaps, himself. Whoever has been in danger himself will guess very shrewdly concerning the dangerous state of such a man. Cecil.

It is better, (saith St. Augustine) to deny entrance to just and equitable Anger, than to entertain it, be it never so little, because being once admitted, it is hard to be quit of it, for it entereth as a little Twig, and in a moment groweth greater, and becomes a Beam. If it can but once gain the Night of us, and that the Sun shall set upon our Anger, (which the Apostle forbiddeth,) converting it into Hatred, there is almost no means to be freed from it; for it nourishes itself with a thousand false persuasions, since there never was any angered man that thought his Anger unjust.

But thou wilt say, how shall I resist it? Thou must, my Philothea, at the first touch thou shalt feel of it, speedily reassemble thy forces, not violently, but mildly, and yet seriously; for as we see in the audiences of divers Senates or Courts of Justice, the Ushers crying Peace make more noise than those whom they would silence; so it happeneth many times, that endeavoring with violence to oppress our Choler, we stir up more trouble in our Hearts than the Choler had done; and the Heart thus troubled is no more master of itself.

The Prayer against present and pressing Choler must always be meek and calm, and not violent; and this Rule is to be observed in all remedies which we use against this Evil. Moreover, as soon as thou perceivest that thou

hast done any act of Choler, repair the fault by an act of Mildness, exercised cheerfully toward the same person against whom thou hast been moved. For as it is a sovereign Remedy against a Lie, to unsay it presently; so it is a good Remedy against Anger, to repair it instantly by a contrary act of Mildness.

Again, when thou art in tranquillity, and without any occasion of Choler, make great provision of Meekness and Gentleness, speaking all thy Words and doing all thy Actions little and great in the mildest manner thou canst. Neither must we have only this sweetness of Honey which is pleasant and fragrant, that is to say, sweetness of civil Conversation with Strangers, but also the sweetness of Milk among those of our Family, and our near Neighbors; wherein they greatly fail, who in the Street seem Angels, and in their houses Devils.

One of the best exercises which we can perform of meekness, is that whereof the subject is in ourselves; that is never to be vext against ourselves, nor our imperfections. For though reason requires that we should be displeased and sorry when we commit any Faults, yet we must always avoid all Malicious, Spiteful, and Choleric displeasure, wherein many do highly offend, who stirred up to Choler, are Angry and Vexed to see themselves Vexed; for by this means they keep their heart steeped in Choler; and though the second Anger seem to destroy the first, yet notwithstanding, it serves to open a passage of a new Choler to the first occasion that offers. Besides, these Angers, Fretting, and Vexations against ourselves tend to

Pride, and have no other source than Self-love, which troubleth and disquieteth itself to see us imperfect. We must then have a dislike of our Faults, which may be quiet, sober, and moderate. For Repentance done with violence is never according to the quality of our Faults, but according to our inclinations.

Believe me, Philothea, as the reproofs of a Father given sweetly and affectionately, have far more Power with the Child to reclaim him, than Choler and Anger; so, when our heart shall have done any Fault, if we reprehend it with a quiet and sweet Admonition, having more compassion upon it than Passion against it, and gently encouraging it to amendment, the Repentance following thereupon will penetrate further, and strike deeper, than a vexing, angry, and storming Repentance.

Raise up then thy Heart fair and softly when it shall fall, humbling thyself profoundly before God by acknowledging thine own misery without astonishment at thy fall, for it is no wonder that weakness should be feeble, or misery wretched; detest nevertheless from thy heart that thou hast offended God, and with great courage and confidence in his Mercy, return to the way of Virtue which thou hadst forsaken. De Sales.

To have erred in one branch of our duties does not unfit us for the performance of all the rest, unless we suffer the dark spot to spread over our whole nature, which may happen almost unobserved in the torpor of despair. This kind of despair is chiefly grounded on a

foolish belief that individual words or actions constitute the whole life of man; whereas they are often not fair representatives of portions even of that life.

A prolonged despair arising from remorse is unreasonable at any age, but still more so when felt by the young. To think, for example, that the great being who made us, could have made eternal ruin and misery inevitable to a poor half-fledged creature of eighteen or nineteen! And yet how often has the profoundest despair from remorse brooded over children of that age and eaten into their hearts.

There is frequently much selfishness about remorse. Put what has been done at the worst. Let a man see his own evil word or deed in full light, and own it to be as black as hell itself. He is still here. He cannot be isolated. There still remain for him cares and duties; and therefore, hopes. Let him not in imagination link all creation to his fate. Let him yet live in the welfare of others, and, if it may be so, work out his own in this way: if not, be content with theirs. The saddest cause of remorseful despair is when a man does something expressly contrary to his character; when an honorable man slides into a dishonorable action; or a tender-hearted man falls into cruelty from carelessness; or, as often happens, a sensitive nature continues to give the greatest pain to others from temper, feeling all the time, perhaps, more deeply than the persons aggrieved. All these cases may be summed up in the words, "That which I would not, that I do,' the saddest of all human confessions, made by

one of the greatest men. However, the evil cannot be mended by despair. Hope and humility are the only supports under the burden. Helps.

In this virtuous voyage, let not disappointment cause despondency, nor difficulty despair. Think not that you are sailing from Lima to Manilla, wherein thou mayest tie up the rudder and sleep before the wind; but expect rough seas, flaws, and contrary blasts; and it is well if by many cross tacks and veerings thou arrivest at thy port. Sit not down in the popular seats and common level of virtues, but endeavour to make them heroical. Offer not only peace-offerings but holocausts unto God. To serve him singly to serve ourselves, were too partial a piece of piety, nor likely to place us in the highest mansions of glory. Sir Thomas Browne.

To despond is to be ungrateful beforehand. Be not looking for evil. Often thou drainest the gall of fear while evil is passing by thy dwelling. Verily evils may be courted, may be wooed, and may be won by distrust; for the soil is ready for the Seed, and suspicion hath coldly put aside the helping hand. Tupper.

Surely, my dear lady, you are, as they say in the north, 'fearfu' foresighty.'

I am, said she; and I am quite aware of the foolishness of being so. I hope and expect so ardently, I set my