And so did Callisthenes provoke Alexander by saying, when the great
bowl was going round, I will not drink so deep in honor of Alexander,
as to make work for Aesculapius.
4. As therefore it is an easy matter to stop the fire that is kindled
only in hare’s wool, candle-wick, or a little chaff, but if it have
once taken hold of matter that hath solidity and thickness, it soon
inflames and consumes, as Aeschylus says,—
With youthful vigor the carpenter’s lofty work;
so he that observes anger while it is in its beginning, and sees it
by degrees smoking and taking fire from some speech or chaff-like
scurrility, need take no great pains to extinguish it, but oftentimes
can put an end to it only by silence or neglect. For as he that adds
no fuel to the fire hath already as good as put it out, so he that
doth not feed anger at the first, nor blow the fire in himself,
hath prevented and destroyed it. Wherefore Hieronymus, although he
taught many other useful things, yet hath given me no satisfaction in
saying that anger is not perceptible in its birth, by reason of its
suddenness, but only after its birth and while it lives; for there is
no other passion, while it is gathering and stirring up, which hath its
rise and increase so conspicuous and observable. This is very skilfully
taught by Homer, by making Achilles suddenly surprised with grief as
soon as ever the word fell on his ear, saying of him,—