tion; but of the highest virtues they have no sense or perceiving at all; but shows and "species virtutibus [2] similes," serve best with them. Certainly, fame is like a river, that beareth up things light and swollen, and drowns things that are weighty and solid; but if persons of quality and judgment concur, then it is (as the Scripture saith) "Nomen bonum instar unguenti fragrantis:" it filleth all round about, and will not easily away; for the odours of ointments are more [3] durable than those of flowers. There be so many false points of praise, that a man may justly hold it [4] in suspect. Some praises proceed merely of flattery; and if he be an ordinary flatterer, he will have certain common attributes, which may serve every man; if he be a cunning flatterer, he will follow the archflatterer, which is a man's self, and wherein a man thinketh best of himself, therein the flatterer will uphold him the most: but if he be an impudent flat : [2.] Concur i. e. with the common people. Nomen, &c.: A good name is like fragrant ointment.'-Eccles. 7 : 1. Away: pass away. "I have a pain upon my forehead here, Why that's with watching; 'twill away again."—Shak. Suspect: [3.] Points: Synonyme? [Conditiones.] suspicion. So many false points of praise: That censure and commendation should in so many instances be indiscriminate, can surprise no one who recollects how rare a quality discrimination is, and how much better it suits indolence, as well as ignorance, to lay down a rule, than to ascertain the exceptions to it.-W. [4.] Of: from. use. Will have will have at command, will indiscriminately-general commendations. Spreta, &c. 'Disregarding [his own] Perforce: Synonyme? terer, look wherein a man is conscious to himself that he is most defective, and is most out of countenance in himself, that will the flatterer entitle him to, perforce, "spreta conscientia." Some praises come of good [5] wishes and respects, which is a form due in civility to kings and great persons, "laudando præcipere;" when by telling men what they are, they represent to them what they should be: some men are praised maliciously to their hurt, thereby to stir envy and jealousy towards them; "pessimum genus inimicorum laudantium;" insomuch as it was a proverb amongst the Grecians, that "he that was praised to his hurt should have a push rise upon his nose ;' as we say, that a blister will rise upon one's tongue that tells a lie: certainly, moderate praise, used with opportunity, and not vulgar, is [5.] Some praises come of good wishes and respects [feelings of respect]: Of these none have such influence as the daily droppings of domestic flattery-to use the word flattery in the sense of undue praise merely. It has been observed, however, that no one is a hero to his valet.' This may be sometimes from the incapacity of the vulgar for appreciating the highest qualities. The valet has opportunities of knowing that his master needs to eat, drink, and sleep, &c., like other mortals; and perhaps he has seen him subject to sickness and other human infirmities. Cæsar is represented by Shakespeare as disparaged by those who remembered him 'shaking in an ague,' and calling out 'give me some drink, Titinius,' like a sick girl. Perhaps too the valet has found his own superiority in some of the minor details of every day life. And of the higher qualifications of the hero, he may have perhaps ['sensus nullus'] no perception. With some minds, again, mere familiarity produces its proverbial effect. The highest intellectual and moral qualities may cease to excite any great admiration in one who has become so thoroughly used to them as to look for their manifestations as a matter of course; while any imperfection, on the other hand, strikes him by its contrast. even as the smallest speck is seen on snow.'-W. [6] that which doth the good. Solomon saith, "He that praiseth his friend aloud, rising early, it shall be [7] to him no better than a curse. Too much magnifying of man or matter doth irritate contradiction, [8] and procure envy and scorn. To praise a man's self cannot be decent, except it be in rare cases; but to praise a man's office or profession, he may do it with [9] good grace, and with a kind of magnanimity. The cardinals of Rome, which are theologues, and friars, and schoolmen, have a phrase of notable contempt and scorn towards civil business, for they call all temporal business of wars, embassages, judicature, and other employments, sbirrerie, which is under-sheriffries, as Laudando &c.: To instruct under the form of praise.' Pessimum, &c.: 'The worst kind of enemies are those who praise [or flatter.] As it: That it. A push: a pimple filled with 'pus,' or foul matter. This word is said to be still used in eastern England. lete sense of fitness. refined sensibilities. Opportunity in the obsoVulgar: offensive to good taste, or Certainly moderate praise, &c. : It is worth remarking that praise is one of the things which almost every one must wish for, and be glad of, yet which it is not allowable to seek for as an end. There is a distinction between the love of admiration and the love of commendation, that is worth remarking. The tendency of the love of commendation is chiefly to make a man exert himself; of the love of admiration, to make him puff himself. The love of admiration leads to fraud, much more than the love of commendation; but, on the other hand, the latter is much more likely to spoil our good actions by the substitution of an inferior motive. It is further to be observed, that the praise of men is not the test of our praise-worthiness; nor is their censure; but either should set us upon testing ourselves. And, again, in some cases, censure is equivalent to high praise.-W. [6.] He that, &c. : In our common version :-' He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him.'-Prov. 27: 14. if they were but matters for under-sheriffs and catchpoles; though many times those under-sheriffries do more good than their high speculations. St. Paul, [10] when he boasts of himself, doth oft interlace, "I speak like a fool;" but speaking of his calling, he saith, "magnificabo apostolatum meum." [9.] Which: Synonyme? theologue more by need than genial bent.'-Dryden. Civil business: Equivalent? Theologues: theologians. A Catchpoles, or catchpolls: (from catch and poll, the head :) an obsolete and opprobrious word for bailiff's assistant. [10.] Interlace: Synonyme? I speak, &c.: 2 Cor. 11: 23. Magnificabo, &c.: 'I will magnify my apostleship.' Compare Rom. 11: 13-'Inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office.' 1. Write an Analysis of the Essay. 2. Point out the figures of speech. 3. Divide the long sentences into shorter and the Essay into suitable Paragraphs. 4. Name the virtues which the common people are accustomed to praise; again those which they admire; again, those higher virtues of which, usually, they have no just notion, or on account of which they would condemn you. 5. Why are indiscriminate censure and praise often practiced? 6. Observations on domestic flattery, and on the sentiment, "No one is a hero to his valet?" 7. Distinction between wishing for, and yet not seeking praise? Also, between the love of admiration and the love of commendation? 8. Point out antiquated words, or those (if any) whose meaning has changed since the author wrote. 9. Paraphrase the whole Essay in a clear and forcible manner. ESSAY XXV. ANGER. [1] TO SEEK to extinguish anger utterly is but a [2] bravery of the Stoics. We have better oracles; "Be angry but sin not: let not the sun go down upon [3] your anger." Anger must be limited and con[4] fined, both in race and in time. We will first [1.] Aristotle in his Rhetoric (Bk. 2, Ch. 2), thus distinguishes between Anger and Hatred :-Anger arises out of something having a personal reference to ourselves; whereas Hatred is independent of such considerations, since it is borne toward a person, merely on account of the believing him to be of a certain description of character. In the next place, anger is accompanied by pain; hatred is not so. Again, anger would be satisfied to inflict some pain on its object, but hatred desires nothing short of deadly harm. The angry man desires that the pain he inflicts should be known to come from him; but hatred cares not for this. Again, the feeling of anger is softened by time, but hatred is incurable. Once more, the angry man might be induced to pity the object of his anger, if many misfortunes befell him; but he who feels hatred cannot be thus moved to pity, for he desires the destruction of the object of his hatred.-W. Bravery: boast, bravado. 'One Tait came forth in a bravery, asking if any had courage to break a lance for his mistress.'Spottiswode. Stoics: See note Essay II, 13. Synonyme ? Oracles: [2.] Be angry, &c.: Rendered in our common version-" Be ye angry and sin not; let not the sun go down upon your wrath."-Eph. 4: 26. [3.] In race and in time: Paraphrase. [Quousque et quamdiu.] |