The Dialogue of Creatures

Again the father said: "Try now to break just one [branch] alone." This was immediately snapped and broken. Therefore he said to his sons: "So it will be with you. If you remain together in harmony, no one will be able to terrify or break you. But if you are separated by discord, anyone will be able to tear you apart and trample you original: "suppeditare," meaning to trip up or trample underfoot."

¶ Concerning the Heavens and the Earth. Chapter 6.

A large decorative woodcut initial letter 'T' set within a square frame. The letter and its background are ornately decorated with dense floral and foliage patterns, including leafy scrolls and blossoms.The Earth, according to the philosopher likely referring to Aristotle or a similar classical authority, is the physician of the world and the guardian of its fruits; she is the lid of the underworld, the nurse of living things, the truth-teller of all, and the provider of earthly life. Once, however, the heavens sent down upon this earth rains, storms, lightning, and thunder, so much so that it burdened her greatly. She, being angry, called out to the Air, saying: "Brother, do not intervene between me and the heavens, because I shall cast him down entirely. For he has brought such injury upon me that I desire to avenge myself in every way." But the Air replied: "Sister, do not do this; rather, give place to your anger original: "da locum ire," a phrase meaning to let the passion subside. For even if the heavens have embittered you now, at another time you will rejoice with him." But the Earth, overcome by her rage,

A woodcut illustration depicting a natural landscape. Above is a curved, layered celestial sphere representing the heavens. Below is a rocky, jagged coastline or terrain meeting a body of water with stylized waves.did not wish to cease in the least, but ran to arms and began to do battle with the heavens. Watching this, the Air brought forth a darkness and a whirlwind, so that the Earth could not distinguish the heavens. This darkness remained between the heavens and the earth until the Earth set aside her anger and fury. Afterward, the Air sent out winds and drove away the darkness, saying: "Everyone ought to extinguish a fire and not inflame it. This is what anyone should do when they see their friends are angry. For anger hinders the mind so that it cannot perceive the truth; indeed, a person is 'outside of their own body' when they are angry. Therefore, they must be calmed and restrained by their friends until they are removed from their fury and have put an end to their anger." As

Seneca

Seneca says: "To put an end to anger is the beginning of wisdom." For he who slays his wrath overcomes a great enemy. This is just as Valerius Valerius Maximus, a Roman author of famous anecdotes reports: when Archytas of Tarentum original: "architar ētinus," a Greek philosopher and friend of Plato was angry with his servant, he said: "O unhappy man, I would take my revenge upon you now if I were not angry." From this it is clear that anger must be cut away from the soul.

Proverbs 27

As it is said in Proverbs 27: "Anger has no mercy." Therefore, a judge should never pronounce any sentence while in anger. Thus we read in the histories of the Romans that when the Emperor Theodosius Theodosius the Great, famously rebuked by St. Ambrose for a massacre committed in a fit of rage was too quick to carry out orders, a certain wise man advised him that whenever he felt himself becoming angry, before he pronounced any sentence, he should slowly recite the twenty-three letters of the alphabet The Latin alphabet of the time typically lacked J, U, and W, so that having cooled down, he could more maturely see and know what ought to be decided.

¶ Concerning the Air and the Wind. Chapter 7.