Meekness

“meekness, likewise, moderates anger according to right reason” St. Thomas

St. Thomas treats it at II-II, q. 157. Set against anger, a capital vice. Its place on the Temperance page.

How the Authors Compare

Which side of the mean anger stands on. Noldin: “Opposed to meekness by excess is irascibility” (n. 285); so Prümmer and Wouters (II, n. 709, n. 449). Marc sets it the other way: “To meekness are opposed irascibility (defect) and excessive indulgence (excess)” (n. 410); so Merkelbach, who calls irascibility opposed “primarily and by defect” (II, n. 1036).
Whether the perfectly meek are angry at all. St. Thomas follows the Philosopher: the virtue keeps “the mean in anger” (II-II, q. 157, a. 2, ad 2); Bontempi, with St. Bonaventure, would have man angry “when he ought, and as much as he ought” (On meekness, n. 6); McHugh-Callan: “The meek man is angry at times” (n. 2545). Tanquerey sets a counsel above this: “the perfectly meek not only temper anger, but generally abstain from it, even when it is otherwise legitimate” (n. 1087).
What it moderates. For St. Thomas and the manuals, the passion of anger in the irascible appetite (II-II, q. 157, a. 1). Vermeersch extends it: it “not only checks the anger of the sensitive appetite, but imposes a mode on every appetite of vengeance” (n. 730). Bontempi, with St. Bonaventure, adds “the bearing of injuries”, and sets it apart from patience, “which is in the bearing of bodily troubles” (On meekness, n. 1).
Clemency today. Vermeersch warns that not every penal indulgence is praiseworthy: “Too often today it is commanded by a motive that is not right, or the mode is exceeded in such a way that society is no longer sufficiently preserved from delicts” (n. 731). Tanquerey sets “by abuse, excessive leniency” against clemency beside cruelty (n. 1088).

Each line is one thing said. Authors named first use those words. Those after “in nearly the same words” say the same thing differently; point at a name to see their words.

What It Is

The manuals: “a moral virtue which moderates anger according to right reason”	Prümmer II, n. 709In nearly the same words: Noldin n. 285; Vermeersch n. 730; Tanquerey n. 1087; Wouters n. 447; Marc n. 410; McHugh-Callan n. 2545
St. Thomas: “meekness, likewise, moderates anger according to right reason”	St. Thomas II-II, q. 157, a. 2
That is, the appetite of vengeance: “which is the virtue moderating anger, or the very appetite of vengeance, according to right reason”	Merkelbach II, n. 1033In nearly the same words: Bontempi On meekness, n. 1
Why it is named from lessening anger: “the habit that observes the mean in anger is unnamed; so that the virtue is denominated from the diminution of anger, and is designated by the name of meekness”	St. Thomas II-II, q. 157, a. 2, ad 2In nearly the same words: Vermeersch n. 730

What It Is Not

Not mere timidity: “Many persons are meek through timidity or for convenience' sake, but that is no virtue.”	Spirago MEEKNESS
Not the opposite of severity: “Meekness is not directly opposed to severity; for meekness is about anger.”	St. Thomas II-II, q. 157, a. 2, ad 1In nearly the same words: Merkelbach II, n. 1034
Not freedom from all anger: “not so that man should not be angry at all, but when he ought, and as much as he ought”	Bontempi On meekness, n. 6In nearly the same words: McHugh-Callan n. 2545

Its Matter

Anger, its matter: “Anger is not an affection evil of itself, but is a passion indifferent of itself and can be defined: the appetite for vengeance.”	Prümmer II, n. 709In nearly the same words: Vermeersch n. 730; McHugh-Callan n. 2545
Anger of vice and anger of zeal: “Anger through vice, which precedes the use of reason and disturbs it, is distinguished from anger through zeal, which follows deliberation and greatly assists the execution of an arduous work.”	Prümmer II, n. 709In nearly the same words: Vermeersch n. 730
When vengeance is lawful: “But if through vengeance we seek some good: the correction of the sinner, his restraint and the quiet of others, the conservation of justice and the honor of God, then, the due mode being preserved, it is licit”	Vermeersch n. 732

Where It Belongs

A part of temperance: “Therefore both clemency and meekness are annexed to temperance as principal virtue, and accordingly are reckoned to be parts thereof.”	St. Thomas II-II, q. 157, a. 3In nearly the same words: Merkelbach II, n. 1034; McHugh-Callan n. 2545
Its sister, clemency: “clemency moderates external punishment, while meekness properly mitigates the passion of anger”	St. Thomas II-II, q. 157, a. 1In nearly the same words: Tanquerey n. 1088; Merkelbach II, n. 1033
Clemency belongs to superiors: “Clemency, because it remits punishments, is the proper virtue of him who has authority. But all of us can be merciful.”	Vermeersch n. 731
How it differs from piety and mercy: “meekness does this insofar as it removes anger inciting to vengeance”	Merkelbach II, n. 1034
And from patience: “It differs from patience, which is in the bearing of bodily troubles.”	Bontempi On meekness, n. 1
Its seat: “meekness directly moderates the very appetite or affection of vengeance and diminishes the passion itself of anger, and is in the irascible appetite”	Merkelbach II, n. 1033

Its Excellence

Not the greatest simply: “Wherefore those virtues like faith, hope, charity, and likewise prudence and justice, which direct one to good simply, are absolutely greater virtues than clemency and meekness.”	St. Thomas II-II, q. 157, a. 4In nearly the same words: Merkelbach II, n. 1035
Yet it makes a man master of himself: “wherefore meekness above all makes a man self-possessed”	St. Thomas II-II, q. 157, a. 4In nearly the same words: Vermeersch n. 730; Merkelbach II, n. 1035
And opens the mind to God: “Meekness disposes man to the knowledge of God, by removing an obstacle”	St. Thomas II-II, q. 157, a. 4, ad 1
It wins God and men: “for it truly renders a man lovable to God and to his neighbors”	Prümmer II, n. 709In nearly the same words: Spirago MEEKNESS
A beatitude: “Blessed are the meek: for they shall possess the land”	Bontempi On meekness, n. 3In nearly the same words: McHugh-Callan n. 2545; Spirago MEEKNESS
“But meekness is especially necessary for priests”	Prümmer II, n. 709In nearly the same words: Spirago MEEKNESS

Its Acts and Its Signs

Its two offices: “a) it represses anger where a just cause of being angry is lacking; b) and if a just cause is present, it prevents anger from exceeding measure”	Merkelbach II, n. 1033In nearly the same words: Tanquerey n. 1087; Tanquerey n. 1087
Its signs: “One who is meek does not excite himself when he is wronged”	Spirago MEEKNESS
“he bears injustice in silence, and is polite and obliging to the offender”	Spirago MEEKNESS
Toward those near us: “It is especially incumbent upon us to be meek in our intercourse with those with whom we live.”	Spirago MEEKNESS
Its perfection: “But the perfectly meek not only temper anger, but generally abstain from it, even when it is otherwise legitimate.”	Tanquerey n. 1087

How It Is Gained

Through humility and fortitude: “For acquiring meekness, humility, which makes us conscious of our own defects, and fortitude, which strengthens the will against sudden motions of anger, are very conducive.”	Prümmer II, n. 709In nearly the same words: Tanquerey n. 1087
Why humility: “he is easily meek who humbly acknowledges that he is worthy of many injuries on account of the sins which he has committed”	Tanquerey n. 1087
After the example of Christ: “Christ came to us as a "meek king" and was "as a meek lamb that is carried to be a victim."”	Prümmer II, n. 709In nearly the same words: Bontempi On meekness, n. 3; Spirago MEEKNESS
By long effort: “St. Francis of Sales, naturally of a choleric temperament, attained in the course of twenty years such perfect mastery over himself that he was thought to be phlegmatic by nature.”	Spirago MEEKNESS

The Vices Opposed

Anger, and too little anger: “Opposed to meekness by excess is irascibility; by defect, lenity or excessive indulgence.”	Noldin n. 285In nearly the same words: Wouters n. 449; Marc n. 410
“Opposed to meekness by defect is sluggishness or failure to become angry in correcting and restraining vices; but by excess, anger”	Prümmer II, n. 709In nearly the same words: Wouters n. 449
The mean between them: “hence it is a mean between irascibility and lack of anger”	Merkelbach II, n. 1033In nearly the same words: McHugh-Callan n. 2545