When first introduced into the language (this was in the seventeenth century; ‘vox nova in nostrâ linguâ:’ Junius), ‘to resent’ meant to have a sense or feeling of that which had been done to us; but whether a sense of gratitude for the good, or of enmity for the evil, the word itself did not decide, and was employed in both meanings. It has fared not otherwise with ‘ressentiment’ in French. Of this Génin, La Langue de Molière, writes, ‘Ce mot, dont l’usage a déterminé l’acception en mauvaise part, ne signifiait jadis que sentiment avec plus de force.’ Must we conclude from the fact that the latter is now the exclusive employment of it, that our sense of injuries is much stronger and more lasting than our sense of benefits?
’Tis by my touch alone that you resent
What objects yield delight, what discontent.
Beaumont, Psyche, can. iv. st. 156.
Perchance as vultures are said to smell the earthliness of a dying corpse; so this bird of prey [the evil Spirit which personated Samuel] resented a worse than earthly savour in the soul of Saul, an evidence of his death at hand.—Fuller, The Profane State, b. v. c. 4.
The judicious prelate will prefer a drop of the sincere milk of the word before vessels full of traditionary pottage, resenting of the wild gourd of human invention.—Id., A Pisgah Sight of Palestine, b. iii. c. 1.
I resented as I ought the news of my mother-in-law’s death.—Sancroft, Variorum Shakespeare, vol. i. p. 518.
Sadness does in some cases become a Christian, as being an index of a pious mind, of compassion, and a wise, proper resentment of things.—Bishop Taylor, Sermon 23, part ii.
The Council taking notice of the many good services performed by Mr. John Milton, their Secretary for foreign languages, particularly for his book in vindication of the Parliament and people of England against the calumnies and invectives of Salmasius, have thought fit to declare their resentment and good acceptance of the same, and that the thanks of the Council be returned to Mr. Milton.—Extract from ‘The Council Book,’ 1651, June 18.
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