Barrow, Isaac, 1630-1677 / 2008-06-27 00:00:00
This is the great danger of it,
which we daily see men to incur; they are so bewitched with a humour
of being witty themselves, or of hearkening to the fancies of
others, that it is this only which they can like or favour, which
they can endure to think or talk of. 'Tis a great pity that men who
would seem to have so much wit, should so little understand
themselves. But further--
6. Vainglorious ostentation this way is very blamable. All
ambition, all vanity, all conceitedness, upon whatever ground they
are founded, are absolutely unreasonable and silly; but yet those
being grounded on some real ability, or some useful skill, are wise
and manly in comparison to this, which standeth on a foundation so
manifestly slight and weak. The old philosophers by a severe father
were called animalia gloriae (animals of glory), and by a satirical
poet they were termed bladders of vanity; but they at least did
catch at praise from praiseworthy knowledge; they were puffed up
with a wind which blew some good to mankind; they sought glory from
that which deserved glory if they had not sought it; it was a
substantial and solid credit which they did affect, resulting from
successful enterprises of strong reason, and stout industry: but
these animalculae gloriae, these flies, these insects of glory,
these, not bladders, but bubbles of vanity, would be admired and
praised for that which is nowise admirable or laudable; for the
casual hits and emergencies of roving fancy; for stumbling on an odd
conceit or phrase, which signifieth nothing, and is as superficial
as the smile, as hollow as the noise it causeth.
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