The National Register.
London, England, 1814-06-05 00:00:00

ON AMBITION.

—To thee I call, 0 Sun, but with no friintlly voice,
To tell thee how I hate thy beams,
That bring to my remembrance from what %tate
I lea, how glorious once above thy suhere;
Till pride and toot.ie itmbit ion threw mu down.

MIL tOR.

A great crime in weak minds is to worship distorted am-
bition as a superior qualification. Those who cultivate this
noxious re, d, as a dal ling passing, do not sufficiently consi-
der the mi,chicfs entailed on tHisterity by permitting so des-
tructive a slant to choke and overwhelm the natural growth
of more useful and profitable productions, in this paper I
.shall endeavour briefly to dAne ambition so far as the sip-.
nification is applicable and advantageous to mankind, and
point out its pernicious tendency when it supersedes right
reason.

Implautcd in our minds by an A LIvIIGHTY POWER it is •
our duty to cherish this passion with every due precaution,
and prevent that spreading injury so hurtful to society, when
wrested from its just import, and incautiously allowed to
ieign predomisant. In sonic instances, a moderate share of
ambition is very essential, in others most destructive; now, it
may be requisite, then, it may become unnecessary and cause
ruin and devastation, especially if os'entatiously displayed.
Ambition is only plausible and useful to a certain extent, as
when it creates *mutation in the search after any unknown
though necessary object, and which'. will have a beneficial
result when brought to light ; also in acts of cleanliness, vie-
tire, good morals, instruction, or when it tends to elevate our
tholights towat di a Suer:F.l'de. BEIN : on the contrary,: when
it usurps sovereign dominion over the mind, it their proves
baleful in its effects, and cannot be too cautiously admitted ur
too quickly suppressed. •
in the life of Cardinal Wolsey, we have-a striking instance..
of malign influence.. -Elevated from asubordinate'station to
an exalted sphoe in life, he employed every means within lin-
wan power to indulge his favourite propensity, during the
.twenty years he may be said. to have ruled Englarid, under
the teign of Henry VIII; who ascended the British throne in
Pio% being at that time:only 18 years of age. Not only
were the subjects of the king (his superior,) vassals to his in
ordinate aurbtinn, but likewise Princes and Emperors. im-.
plicitly obeyed his i!npetions mandates, and submissively
bowed to his aspiring and insatiable inclination. Notwith-,
standing all this commanding ascendancy, we learn from his
• bographical character, that he was ever unhappy and restless,
the cowsequent eflect of -immoderate views. His address
tothomas Cromwell, afterwards the Earl of Essex, is a con-
vincing evidence of the instability of human greatness, when.
; attained through ambition.
" but my 131, and that which WC;
" I charge thee • fling at..a- itteition;
"By that fell the angels ;, how can man tken
66 OW U.' image a his maicer) hope to win by't?
Shak-kpeare's Henry eth, Act :id, Se

A thirst after greatness occAsioned the conspiracy
when Costar NI a sacrifice ttiOlis intemperance of

'ene 04
at Rome
•
. •
reigning'
6VI
4.0
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