Se | ee EE =e 
Life and Character of Nathaniel Bowditch. 39 
was absolutely scorching and withering. “But he never cherished 
any personal resentments in his bosom. He did not let the sun 
go down upon his wrath. His anger was like a cloud, which 
passes over the disk.of the moon, and leaves it as mild and clear 
as before ; or, as the judicious Hooker’s was represented to be, 
“like a vial of clear water, which, when shook, beads at the top, 
but instantly parrine: without any soil or sediment of seeseee? 
tableness.”’ 
Let me relate an socideit itinereivé of this remarkable trait in 
his character. Dr. Bowditch had been preparing a plan of Salem, 
which he intended soon to publish. It had been the fruit of much 
labor and care. By some means or other, an individual in the 
town had surreptitiously got possession of it, and had the’ anda- 
city to issue proposals to publish it as his own. This was too 
much for Dr. Bowditch to bear. He instantly went to the per- 
son, and burst out in the following strain: “ You villain! how 
dare you do this? What do you mean by it? If you presume. 
to proceed any farther in this business, I will prosecute you to the 
utmost extent of the law.” The poor fellow cowered before the 
storm of his indignation, and was silent ; for his wrath was ter- 
rible. Dr. Bowditch went home, and slept on it; and the next 
day, hearing from some authentic source, that the man was ex- 
tremely poor, and had probably been driven by the necessities of 
his family: to commit this audacious plagiarism, his feelings were 
touched, his heart relented, his anger melted away like wax. He 
Went to him again, and said, “Sir, you did very wrong, and you 
know it, to appropriate to your own use and benefit the fruit of 
my labors. But I understand you are poor, and have a family to 
support. I feel for you, and will help you. hat plan is unfin- 
ished, and contains errors that would have disgraced you | 
you and me, | 
had it been paniahed | in the state in which you found it. [ll tell 
you what Twill do. I will finish the plan; I will correct the er- 
rors; and then you shall publish it for your own benefit, and i 
will head the subscription ist with my name.” 
What a sublime, noble, christian spirit was there manifested ! 
This was really overcoming evil with good, and pouring coals of 
fire upon the poor man’s head. The natural feeling of resent- 
ment, which God has implanted within all bosoms for our protec- 
tion against sudden assault and injury, was ovérruled and -con- 
quered by the higher, the sovereign principle of conscience. 
