Bede, on Prov 15:1

“A mild answer breaketh wrath: but a harsh word stirreth up fury.”

“A soft answer turns away wrath, etc. He who humbly receives words of reproach already approaches pardon for the guilt he carried; but he who arrogantly resists reproach, provokes greater wrath from the strict judge.”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.