Proverbs 15:1 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

A soft answer turneth away wrath— Lord Bacon applies this aphorism particularly to a man's behaviour towards a prince or other great person, when he is angry with him. Solomon advises two things in this case; the one is, that an answer be made; the other, that it be soft; the first of which contains three precepts; first, that you beware of a sad and sullen silence, which either charges the fault wholly upon yourselves, or impeaches your master of injustice; as if his ears were not open to a just defence. Secondly, that you beware of delaying the answer, and of craving a longer time for your defence; because that plainly betrays you to be devising some cunning and counterfeit apology. Thirdly, that by all means an answer be made; an answer, I say, not a mere confession or submission; but with some sprinklings of excuse thrown in here and there [as far as truth will admit of it]; for it is not safe to bear yourself otherwise, unless you have to deal with very generous and noble dispositions, which are rare. But then this answer must be very soft and temperate, not harsh and peremptory; for that will make the business worse than if it had never been meddled with at all: and increase that wrath which you should study to appease [but always with truth on your side]. See Adv. of Learning, book 8: chap. 2.