nature, as we have: and when it is most florid and gay, three fits of an ague can change it into yellownefs and leannefs, and the hollownefs and wrinkles of deformity. " 4. Our Learning is then beft when it teaches moft Humility: but to be proud of Learning is the greateft ignorance in the world. For our learning is fo long in getting, and fo very imperfect, that the greateft Clerk knows not the thoufandth part of what he is ignorant; and knows fo uncertainly what he feems to know, and knows no otherwife than a Fool or a Child, even what is told him, or what he guesses at, that except thofe things which concern his duty, and which God hath revealed to him, which alfo every Woman knows as far as is neceffary, the moft learned man hath nothing to be proud of, unless this be a fufficient argument to exalt him, that he uncertainly gueffes at fome more unneceffary things than many others, who yet know all that concerns them, and. mind other things more neceffary for the needs of life and Common-wealths. 5. He that is proud of riches is a Fool. For if he be exalted above his Neighbours because he hath more gold, how much inferior is he to a gold Mine? how much is he to give place to a chain of Pearl, or a knot of Diamonds? for certainly that hath the greatest excellence from whence he derives all his gallantry and preheminence over his Neighbours. 6. If a man be exalted by reafon of any excellence in his foul, he may pleafe to remember that all fouls are equal; and their differing operations are because their inftruments is in better tune, their body is more healthful or better tempered: which is no more praise to him, than it is that he was born in Italy. 7. He that is proud of his birth is proud of the bler fings of others, not of himfelf: for if his Parents were more eminent in any circumftance than their Neigh bours, he is to thank God, and to rejoyce in them; but ftill he may be a Fool, or unfortunate, or defor med; and when himself was born, it was indifferent to him whether his Father were a King or a Peafant, G 2 for he knew not any thing, nor chofe any thing; and moft commonly it is true, that he that boafts of his Ancestors, who were the founders and raifers of a Noble family, doth confefs that he hath in himself a lefs vertue and a lefs honour, and therefore that he is degenerated. A 8. Whatfoever other difference there is betwen thee and thy Neighbour, if it be bad, it is thine own, but thou haft no reafon to boaft of thy mifery and fhame: if it be good, thou haft received it from God, and then thou art more obliged to pay duty and tribute, use and principal to him, and it were ftrange folly for a mail to be proud of being more in debt than another. 9. Remember what thou wert before thou wert be gotten. Nothing. What wert thou in the first regions of thy dwelling, before thy birth? Uncleannefs. What wert thou for many years after? Weakness. What in all thy life? A great finner. What in all thy excellencies? A mere debtor to God, to thy Pa• Apleine rents, to the earth, to all the Creatures. But we may de Daman. if we pleafe ufe the method of the Platonists, who redúce all the causes and arguments for Humility which we can take from our felves, to thefe feven heads. 1. The spirit of a man is light and troubléfome. 2. His body is brutish and fickly. 3. He is conftant in his folly and erreur, and inconftant in his manners and good purposes. 4. His labours are vain, intricate and endlefs. 5. His fortune is changeable, and feldom pleafing, never perfect. 6. His wifdom comes not till he be ready to die, that is, till he be paft ufing it. 7. His death is certain, always ready at the door, but never far off. Upon thefe or the like meditations, if we dwell or frequently retire to them, we fhall fee nothing more reafonable than to be humble, and nothing ore foolish than to be proud. Als or Offices of Humility. The grace of Humility is exercifed by thefe follow Ing Rules. L Think 1. Think not thy felf better for any thing that hap pens to thee from without. For altho' thou mayit by gifts bestowed upon thee be better than another, as one horfe is better than another, that is of more ufe to others; yet, as thou art a man, thou haft nothing to commend thee to thy felf but that only by which thou art a man, that is, by what thou chufeft and refufeft. 2. Humility confifts not in railing againft thy felf, or wearing mean cloaths, or going foftly and fubmifsly; but in hearty and real evil or mean opinion of thy felf. Believe thy felf an unworthy perfon heartily, as thou believeft thy felf to be hungry, or poor, or fick, when thou art fo. 3. Whatsoever evil thou fayft of thy felf, be con tent that others fhould think to be true: and if thou calleft thy felf fool be not angry if another fay fo of thee. For if thou thinkeft fo truly, all men in the world defire other men to be of their opinion; and he is an hypocrite that accufes himself before others, with an intent not to be believed. But he that calls himself intemperate,foolish,luftful, and is angry when his neighbours call him fo, is both a falfe and a proud perfon. reputari, 4. Love to be concealed, and little efteemed: be ama nefciri content to want praife, never being troubled when & pro nibilo thou art flighted or undervalued; for thou canst not Gerfon. undervalue thy felf, and if thou thinkeft fo meanly as there is reafon, no contempt will feem unreafonable, and therefore it will be very tolerable. bilizado non cognofce * te fua fe 5. Never be ashamed of thy birth, or thy parents, Il villan no or thy trade, or thy prefent employment, for the meanness or poverty of any of them: and when there pa entado. is an occafion to fpeak of them, fuch an occafion as Chi del ar would invite you to fpeak of any thing that pleafes you, vergogna omit it not; but fpeak as readily and indifferently of fempre vive thy meannefs as of thy greatnefs. Primiflans the first con vergog King of Bohemia kept his country fhooes always by him, to remember from whence he was raised: and Agathocles by the furniture of his Table confeffed, that from a Potter he was raifed to be the King of Sicily. 6.Never fpeak any thing directly tending to thy praife G 3 ΟΙ na. ἐβιλίσκον και περι ταπιών alte, λον να με TTI 9 or glory; that is, with a purpose to be commended, and for no other end. If other ends be mingled with thy honour, as if the glory of God, or charity, or neceffity, or any thing of prudence be thy end, you are not tied to omit your difcourfe or your defign that you may avoid praife, but purfue your end, though praife come along in the company. Only let not praife be the defign. 7. When thou haft faid or done any thing for which thou receiveft praife or eftimation, take it indifferently and return it to God; reflecting upon him as the giver of the Gift, or the bleffer of the Action, or the aid of the defign: and give God thanks for making thee an inftrument of his glory, for the benefit of others. 8. Secure a good name to thy felf by living vertuoufly and humbly: but let this good name be nurfed abroad: and never be brought home to look upon it: let others use it for their own advantage; let them fpeak of it if they pleafe; but do not thou at all ufe it, but as an inftrument to do God Glory, and thy neighbour more advantage. Let thy face like Mofes's fhine to others, but make no looking glaffes for thy felf. 9. Take no content in praise when it is offered thee: but let thy rejoycing in God's Gift be allayed with fear, leit this good bring thee to evil. Ufe the praife as you use your pleasure in eating and drinking: if it comes, make it do drudgery, let it ferve other ends, and minifter to neceffities and to caution, left by pride you lose your juft praise which you have deferved; or elfe by being praised unjustly, you receive fhame into your felf with God and wife men. 10. Ufe no ftratagems and devices to get praife. Some ufe to enquire into the faults of their own actia of day. Ons or difcourfes on purpose to hear that it was well done or spoken, and without fault: others bring the matter into talk, or thrust themselves into company, and intimate and give occafion to be thought or fpoke of. Thefe men make a bait to perfwade themfelves to fwallow the hook, till by drinking the waters of vanity they fwell and burst. μάζωσι, καὶ Jaco G. 21. 1. 1. 11. Make no fuppletories to thy felf, when thou art de WIS 2: fatis am art difgraced or flighted,by pleafing thy felf with fup- Alter alteri felf. 12. Entertain no fancies of vanity and private whispers of the devil of pride: fuch as was that of Nebuchodonozer; Is not this great Babylon which I have built for the honour of my name, and the might of my Majefty, and the power of my kingdom? fome phantaftick fpirits will walk alone, and dream waking of greatneffes, of palaces, of excellent orations, full theatres, loud applaufes, fudden advancement, great fortunes; and fo will fpend an hour with imaginative pleasure; all their employment being nothing but fumes of pride,and fecret indefinite defires and fignifications of what their heart wishes. In this although there is nothing of its owo nature directly vicious, yet it is either an ill mother or an ill daughter, an ill fign or an ill effect, and therefore at no hand confifting with the fafety and interefts of Humility. 13. Suffer others to be praised in thy presence, and entertain their good and glory with delight; but at no hand difparage them, or leffen the report, or make an objection; and think not the advancement of thy brother is a leffening of thy worth. But this act is also to extend further. 14. Be content that he fhould be employed, and thou laid by as unprofitable; his fentence approved, thine rejected; he be preferred, and thou fixed in a low employment. 15. Never compare thy felf with others, unless it be to advance them and to deprefs thy felf. To which purpose we must be fure in fome fence or other to think our felves the worst in every company where we come: One is more learned than I am,another is more prudent, a third more honourable, a fourth more chaft, or he is more charitable, or lefs proud. For the humble man obferves their good, and reflects only upon his fatis nullus. |