manifest madness,
saith St. Ambrose. 'Tis a known saying, _Furor fit Iaesa saepius
palienlia_, the most patient spirit that is, if he be often provoked, will
be incensed to madness; it will make a devil of a saint: and therefore
Basil (belike) in his Homily _de Ira_, calls it _tenebras rationis, morbum
animae, et daemonem pessimum_; the darkening of our understanding, and a
bad angel. [1731]Lucian, _in Abdicato, tom. 1_, will have this passion to
work this effect, especially in old men and women. "Anger and calumny"
(saith he) "trouble them at first, and after a while break out into
madness: many things cause fury in women, especially if they love or hate
overmuch, or envy, be much grieved or angry; these things by little and
little lead them on to this malady." From a disposition they proceed to an
habit, for there is no difference between a mad man, and an angry man, in
the time of his fit; anger, as Lactantius describes it, _L. de Ira Dei, ad
Donatum, c. 5_, is [1732]_saeva animi tempestas_, &c., a cruel tempest of
the mind; "making his eye sparkle fire, and stare, teeth gnash in his head,
his tongue stutter, his face pale, or red, and what more filthy imitation
can be of a mad man?"

[1733] "Ora tument ira, fervescunt sanguine venae,
Lumina Gorgonio saevius angue micant."

They are void of reason, inexorable, blind, like beasts and monsters for
the time, say and do they know not what, curse, swear, rail, fight, and
what not? How can a mad man do more? as he said in the comedy, [1734]
_Iracundia non sum apud me_, I am not mine own man. If these fits be
immoderate, continue long, or be frequent, without doubt they provoke
madness. Montanus, _consil. 21_, had a melancholy Jew to his patient, he
ascribes this for a principal cause: _Irascebatur levibus de causis_, he
was easily moved to anger. Ajax had no other beginning of his madness; and
Charles the Sixth, that lunatic French king, fell into this misery, out of
the extremity of his passion, desire of revenge and malice, [1735]incensed
against the duke of Britain, he could neither eat, drink, nor sleep for
some days together, and in the end, about the calends of July, 1392, he
became mad upon his horseback, drawing his sword, striking such as came
near him promiscuously, and so continued all the days of his life, Aemil.,
_lib. 10._ Gal. _hist._ Aegesippus _de exid. urbis Hieros, l. 1. c. 37_,
hath such a story of Herod, that out of an angry fit, became mad,