good, will never be prone to
bereave others of the like by opprobrious speech. A noble enemy
will never speak of his enemy in bad terms.

We may further consider that all wise, all honest, all ingenuous
persons have an aversion from ill-speaking, and cannot entertain it
with any acceptance or complacence; that only ill-natured, unworthy,
and naughty people are its willing auditors, or do abet it with
applause. The good man, in Psalm xv., non accipit opprobrium, doth
not take up, or accept, a reproach against his neighbour: "but a
wicked doer," saith the wise man, "giveth heed to false lips, and a
liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue." And what reasonable man will
do that which is disgustful to the wise and good, is grateful only
to the foolish and baser sort of men? I pretermit that using this
sort of language doth incapacitate a man for benefiting his
neighbour, and defeateth his endeavours for his edification,
disparaging a good cause, prejudicing the defence of truth,
obstructing the effects of good instruction and wholesome reproof;
as we did before remark and declare. Further--

6. He that useth this kind of speech doth, as harm and trouble
others, so create many great inconveniences and mischiefs to himself
thereby. Nothing so inflameth the wrath of men, so provoketh their
enmity, so breedeth lasting hatred and spite, as do contumelious
words. They are often called swords and arrows; and as such they
pierce deeply, and cause most grievous smart; which men feeling are
enraged, and accordingly will strive to requite them in the like
manner and in all other obvious ways of revenge. Hence strife,
clamour, and tumult, care, suspicion, and fear, danger and trouble,
sorrow and regret, do seize on the reviler; and he is sufficiently
punished for this dealing. No man can otherwise live than in
perpetual fear of reciprocal like usage from him whom he is
conscious of having so abused. Whence, if not justice, or charity
towards others, yet love and pity of ourselves should persuade us to
forbear it as disquietful, incommodious, and mischievous to us.

We should indeed certainly enjoy much love, much concord, much
quiet, we should live in great safety and security, we should be
exempted from much care and fear, if we would restrain ourselves
from abusing and offending our neighbour in this kind: being
conscious of so just and innocent demeanour towards him, we should
converse