and am in no passion any more than he is."

[enkidu68]

Hi folks, this is coming from Colonel Jack by Defoe.
What does this bold one mean? Captain Jack is talking about taking revenge of real captain who cheated and kidnapped them.

Why does he not complete his villainy and murder us, and then he will be free from our revenge? But nothing else shall ever deliver him from my hands but sending us to the d--l, (devil?) or going thither himself; and I am honester in telling him so fairly than he has been to me, and am in no passion any more than he is."

 

[enkidu68]

And I am adding a few next lines to give you more idea:

The captain was, I say, a little shocked at his boldness, for he talked a great deal more of the same kind, with a great deal of spirit
and fire, and yet without any disorder in his temper.

 

[GreenWhiteBlue]

People will often say harsh, or rash, or ill-considered things when they are in an unreasoning state of excitement or anger -- that is, in a passion. The speaker is saying that he is making this shocking statement not because the speaker is in a passion/furious/overwhelmed with anger, but because the statement is a description of the facts.

You might want to compare the term "a crime of passion", which is a crime committed out of strong emotion and with no premeditation.

 

[enkidu68]

You mean, he says very harsh things without getting angry or keeping his calmness.

 

[GreenWhiteBlue]

Not quite. He means that he is saying very harsh things even though he is not angry.