OF FEAR.
_Fear_ is a trouble or vexation of the mind, arising from the
apprehension of an evil at hand, which may hurt or destroy. _Danger_ is
the nearness of the evil feared.
The _things_ to be feared are: such as have power to hurt. And the signs
of will to do us hurt; as anger and hatred of powerful men. And
injustice joined with power. And valour provoked, joined with power. And
the fear of powerful men.
The _men_ that are to be feared, are: such as know our faults. And such
as can do us injury. And such as think they are injured by us. And such
as have done us injury. And our competitors in such things as cannot
satisfy both. And such as are feared by more powerful men than we are.
And such as have destroyed greater men than we are. And such as use to
invade their inferiors. And men not passionate, but dissemblers and
crafty, are more to be feared than those that are hasty and free.
The things _especially_ to be feared, are: such, wherein if we err, the
error cannot be repaired; at least, not according to ours, but our
adversary’s pleasure. And such as admit either none, or not easy help.
And such as being done, or about to be done to others, make us pity
them.
They that _fear not_ are: such as expect not evil; or not now; or not
this; or not from these. And therefore men fear little in _prosperity_.
And men fear little, that think they have suffered already.
An orator therefore that would put _fear_ into the auditor, must let him
see that he is obnoxious; and that greater than he do suffer and have
suffered from those, and at those times, they least thought.
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