Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-03-13
astiseellanepus Reaaias.
BEACON LIGHTS OF HISTORY
Examples of Human Virtue That Have
Made the World Better.

maoe the WoTio oettc'.
[Under this heading from time to
time will be published a series OF au-
thenticated extracts dealing with his
torical examples of the good and bad
in human nature, mostly good; but all
furnishing an admirable chart Of con-
duct TO be emulated or avoided:
PRIDE.
Sentiments.
There is no affection of the mind
so much blended in human nature
and wrought into every constitu-
ton, as pride. 1t appears under
multitude of DISCUSSES, and breaks
out in ten thousand different symp-
toms. Every one feels it in himself,
and yet wonders to see it in his
neighbor.
The same pride which makes a
man haughtily insult over his in
feriors, forces him to cringe severely
before his superiors.
Nothing is more manifest than that
there is a certain equality to which
all men have a natural right, unless
1t be their meanness to give it up.
Man is a sinful, an ignorant and a
miserable being, and these three very
reasons why he should not be proud
are, notwithstanding the reasons why
he is so. Were not he sinful crea-
ture, he would not be subject to a
| passion which rises from the deep
L a Of nnf he
an ignorant creature, he would see
that he had nothing to be proud Of;
and were not the whole species mis-
erable, he would not have those
wretched objects of compassion be-
fore his eyes which are the occasions
of his passion, and which makes one
man value himself more than anoth-
er.
OF all human actions, pride seldom
obtains the end; for, aiming at honor
and reputation, it reaps contempt and
derision.
Some people are all quality; you
would think they are made up Of
nothing but the title and genealogy;
the stamp of dignity defaces in them
the very character Of humanity, and
transports them to such a degree Of
haughtiness that they reckon it be-
low them to exercise either good
nature or good manners.
1t is an insolence natural to the
wealthy to affix, as much as in them
lies, the character of man to his
circumstances. Take away" said
Lactantius pride and boasting from
rich men and there will be no differ
ence between a poor and a rich man."
Pride and Miniature will be hated
in spite of all the wealth and great
ness in the world; but civility is al
ways safe.
To be proud of knowledge is to be
blind in the light; to be proud of
virtue is to poison yourself with the
antidote; to be proud of authority Is
to make your rise your downfall.
If a proud man makes me keep my
distance, the comfort is, he keeps his
at the same time.
The best way to humble a proud
man is to take no notice Of him.
Examples.
Demetrius, one of Alexander's sue
cessors, who considered vain pomp
and superb magnificence as true
grandeur, rendered himself contempt
ible to the Macedonians in the very
circumstance by which he thought to
obtain their esteem. His head was
enriched with the novelty Of double
diadem and his robes seemed filter
for stage than a court. The orna
ments of his feet were altogether ex-
traordinary and he had long employ
ed artists to make him a mantle on
which the system Of the world, with
all the stars visible in the armament,
were to be embroidered in gold. The
change of his fortune prevented the
finishing of his work which remain
ed for ages after monument Of his
pride, and Of the modesty Of his sue
cessors, who neither wore it nor so
much as suffered it to be completed.
But that which rendered him still
more odius, was his being so difficult
Of approach. He was either so proud
and disdainful as not to allow those
who had any affairs to transact with
him the liberty of speech, or else he
treated them with so much rudeness,
as obliged them to quit his presence
with disgust. He suffered the Athen-
inan ambassadors to wait two whole
years before he gave them audience;
and one day, when he came out Of
his palace and seemed to have more
affability than was usual for him to
assume, some persons were encour-
aged to present a few petitions to
him. He received them with a graci-
Gus air. and placed them in one of the
folds of his robe; but as he was pass
ing over a bridge on the river Axius.
he threw all the petitions into the
stream. A prince must certainly
know very little of mankind, not to
be sensible that such contemptuous
behavior is sufficient to provoke his
subjects to revolt from his authority.
This proved to be the case with re-
gard to Demetrius, for his pride and
insolence rendering his government
insupportable, he was expelled from
the throne.-Plut. in DENT.
No person at first ever experienced
less than Timotheus the Inconsistency
Of the fortune of war. He had only
to undertake an enterprise to accom-
plish it. Success perpetually attend
ed his views and desires. Such un-
common prosperity did not fail to ex-
cite jealousy. Those who envied him
caused him to be painted asleep, with
Fortune by him, taking cities for him
in nets. Timotheus retorted coldly,
IF take places in my sleep, what
shall l do when / am awake?" He
took the thing afterwards more seri-
ously. and being angry with those
who pretended to lessen the glory of
his actions, declared in public that
he did not owe his success to fortune,