Two Old Men, and a Word on Anger

“In this monastery I saw two old men who were said to have lived there for forty years already, and in fact never to have left it. I do not think I should pass them by without any mention, since I heard this said of their virtues on the testimony of the abbot himself and of all the brothers: of one of them, that the sun never saw him at a meal, and of the other, that the sun never saw him angry.” [a]

At this the Gaul looked at me and exclaimed: “I wish a friend of yours—I do not want to mention his name—were here now. I would very much like him to hear of that example, since we have had too much experience of his bitter anger in the persons of a great many people. Still, I hear that he has recently forgiven his enemies. That being so, if he heard of that man’s conduct, he would be strengthened more and more in his forgiving course by the example set before him, and would feel that not to fall under the sway of anger is an admirable virtue. I will not deny, of course, that he had just reasons for his anger; but where the battle is hard, the crown of victory is all the more glorious. For this reason, if you will let me say so, I think a certain man deserved praise, because when an ungrateful freedman deserted him, he pitied the runaway rather than railing against him. And indeed he was not even angry with the man who seems to have led him away.” [b]

At this I remarked: “If Postumianus had not given us that example of overcoming anger, I would have been very angry about the runaway’s departure. But since it is not right to be angry, all memory of such things, since it troubles us, ought to be wiped from our minds. Postumianus, let us listen instead to what you have to tell us.” He said: “I will do what you ask, Sulpitius, since I see that you are all so eager to hear me. But remember that I am not giving you this talk without hope of a larger return. I will gladly do what you ask, provided that when my turn comes before long, you do not refuse what I ask.” I said: “We have nothing with which we could repay what we will owe you, even without interest. Still, command us in anything you have in mind, so long as you satisfy our longing as you have already begun to do, for your talk gives us real delight.” [c] Postumianus said: “I will hold back nothing that you want. And since you have taken notice of the virtue of one recluse, I will go on to tell you a few things about more men of that kind.