Complete. From “Resolves, Divine, Moral, and Political.”

THOSE who are of fearful dispositions, of all others would seem the least beholden to nature. I know not anything wherein they can be more unfortunate. They enjoy nothing without an affrighted mind; no, not so much as their sleep; they doubt what they have done, lest it may hurt them; they tremble at the present; and evils which are but merely possible, they anticipate and bring upon them. It were well if they only feared more miseries than other people; but it is plain that the coward really meets more evils. Every base nature will be ready to offer injuries, where they think they will not be resented. He will often beat a coward who would not dare to strike him if he thought him to be possessed of spirit. When the passenger gallops by, as if his fear made him speedy, the cur will eagerly follow him with an open mouth; let him but walk by in a confident ease, and the dog will not stir at him. Fear greatly deceives us, as well in making us falsely believe we avoid dangers by flying, as in representing everything to us in an unfavorable view. All diseases are belied by fear; and we know there are some, who out of the fear of death have died. In a battle we often see the valiant man escape in safety by steadily keeping his rank; while the coward, by shifting to avoid danger, runs into many. Multos in summa pericula misit venturi timor ipse mali. Certainly I have studied in vain to find out what a coward is good for. I never heard of any act becoming virtue that ever came from him. All the noble deeds which have been achieved through successive ages have proceeded from men of courage. And I believe their confidence has oftentimes been their security. An unappalled look will, of itself, daunt a base attempter; and, if a man has nothing but a courageous eye, it will frequently protect him. The brave soul knows no trembling. Cæsar spake like Cæsar when he bade the mariners fear nothing, for that they carried him and his fortunes. And, indeed, valor casts a kind of honor upon God; for it shows that we believe in his goodness, while we trust ourselves, in danger, to his care only; whereas the coward eclipses his sufficiency, by unworthily doubting whether God will bring him off;—so unjustly accusing either his power, or his will, he would make himself his own savior and become his own confounder: for when man mistrusts God, it is just with God to leave man. Themistocles compared a coward to the swordfish, which has a weapon, but wants a heart; and then what use can the quaking hand put it to? Nay, when he would fly, cowardice hinders him from playing the coward; he would run away, but fear arrests him with a senseless amazement, and betrays him into the hands of the foe. No armor can defend a fearful heart. It may be observed of other passions that they are grounded upon things which are: as envy upon happiness, rage upon injury, love upon beauty, and so of the rest; but fear is founded upon things which are not. It coins mischiefs which neither exist, nor can exist. Thus, having no object to bound it, it runs on ad infinitum and cannot be checked by any condition of life. Let the coward have a guard, and he fears that; let him have none, and he will be fearful for want of it. I have known some who ought to have been as happy as the world could make them; and their own needless apprehensions have made their lives more bitter than his who was in want of almost every earthly advantage. How much are they to be pitied, who, through a weak, vexatious, and unprofitable passion, quite destroy the blessings of a fair estate! Some things I may doubt, and endeavor to shun; but I would never fear them to servility. If I can keep but reason lord, fear will serve and benefit me: but when fear gets the rule, it will domineer insultingly. Let me rather have a mind confident, and undaunted with some troubles, than a pulse still beating with fear in the flush of prosperity.