evermore, and his glory shall not be blotted out."-Eccles. xliv. 13, 14.

SIMILES.

HISTORICAL ILLUSTRATIONS.

QUOTATIONS. Have regard to thy name, for that shall continue with thee above a thousand great treasures of gold.-Eccles. xli. 12.

A good life hath but few days, but a good name endureth for ever.-Eccles. xli. 13.

Praise is the reflected ray of virtue.-Lord Bacon.

A good name is the proper effect and reward of goodness.-Bishop Sanderson.

The memory of the just is blessed, but the name of the wicked shall rot.-Prov. x. 7.

The worthier sort among the heathens would have chosen rather to have died the most cruel deaths, than to have lived infamous with the wealth of Croesus; and St. Paul says, he would rather die, than be deprived of his honourable boast (1 Cor. ix. 15.).-Bishop Sanderson.

A good name is better than a golden girdle.— Gallic. Good name in man or woman, dear, my lord,

Is the immediate jewel of their souls:

Who steals my purse, steals trash; 'tis something,
nothing;

"Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands;
But he who filches from me my good name,
Robs me of that which not enriches him,
And makes me poor indeed.--Shakspeare.
The purest treasure, mortal times afford,
Is-spotless reputation: That away,
Men are but gilded loam, or painted clay.
Shakspeare.
Life every man holds dear; but the dear man
Holds honour far more precious dear than life.
Shakspeare.

Honour is the touchstone of virtue.—Lord Bacon. Bonne renommée vaut mieux que ceinture dorée. A beau se lever tard qui a bruit de se lever matin. Mors tum æquissimo animo appetitur, cum suis se laudibus vita occidens consolare potest.-Cicero.

Gloria umbra virtutis.-Seneca.

Dum existimatio est integra, facile consolatur honestas egestatem.-Cicero.

Ego, si bonam famam mihi servasso, sat ero dives.Plantus.

Nec vero negligenda est fama, nec mediocre telum ad res gerandas existimare oportet benevolentium civium.— Cicero.

In homine virtutis opinio valet plurimum.-Cicero.

Est demum vera felicitas, felicitate dignum videri.— Pliny.

CONCLUSION.

THEME CXIX. Self-praise is no Commendation. INTRODUCTION.

1ST REASON-Boasting is a mixture of vice and folly; the vice is pride and self-conceit; the folly, ignorance of oneself and others.

66

2ND REASON. It is a moral sacrilege to arrogate that praise which belongs to the Giver of all good things ;" as St. Paul says to the Corinthians, "Who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it ?"-1 Cor. iv. 7.

3RD REASON.-Self-praise always undermines its own commendation: It seeks glory, and gains contempt; it seeks applause, and gains ridicule; for every body knows that an inflated bladder is puffed up with empty wind.

4TH REASON.-A boaster is a prey to flatterers, who have their own turn to serve in pandering to his "swelling words," or in administering their flattering unction.

5TH REASON. Self-conceit precludes improvement.

(1.) The braggart is too self-satisfied to learn from others.

(2.) He is too vain to receive admonition, and ascribes the most judicious reproof to envy or stupidity.

(3.) As himself is his only object of thought or conversation, he prevents all interchange of ideas and illumination of knowledge gained by communion with the wise and learned.

(4.) The boaster is never a man of observation; he cares for no one but himself, and has no eyes to see merit in another.

6TH REASON.-Self-praise is no commendation, because no man is permitted to be the judge of his own actions. In short, "service is not service so being done, but being so allowed."

7TH REASON. It indicates that a man's merits are so obscure or ill-appreciated, that no one will commend them, or has yet discovered them, but the braggart himself.

8TH REASON-Boasting always invites the company to detraction; for as every one is flattered by the humility of a modest man, so every one feels himself insulted by the conceit of an arrogant one.

SIMILES.

HISTORICAL ILLUSTRATIONS.

QUOTATIONS.-Jack Brag is the worst man in the

service.

Better trust an unbridled horse, than an unbridled tongue. Theophrastus.

The emptiest tub will always make the loudest noise. Your trumpeter is dead.

Humility is the foundation of every virtue.-Maunder's proverbs.

Barking dogs will never bite.

Modesty is not only an ornament but a shield.

Empty corn holds its head erect; when the ears are full of grain they droop.

A man without modesty is lost to all sense of honour and virtue. Maunder's proverbs.

"And what says all the world of me?" (i.e. the Cuckoo.) 'Of thee, as far as I have heard,

They never speak a single word.'

"Not hear them talk of me? that's clever! For I talk of myself for ever."-Cowper.

Men's merit rise in proportion to their modesty.Maunder's proverbs.

Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit, there is more hope of a fool than of him.-Prov. xxvi. 12.

Be not wise in your own conceit.-Rom. xii. 16. and Prov. iii. 7.

Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight.-Isa, v. 21.

Let another man praise thee and not thine own mouth, a stranger and not thine own lips.-Prov. xxvii. 2.

It is not good to eat much honey so for men to search their own glory is not good.-Prov. xxv. 27.

Boast not of thy clothing and raiment, and exalt not thyself in the day of honours.-Eccles. xi. 4.

Whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.-Matt. xxiii. 12.

A man's pride shall bring him low, but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.-Prov. xxix. 23.

Be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.-1 Pet. v. 5.

He who knows himself best, esteems himself least.Maunder's proverbs.

Know thyself.-Chilo.

Who knows himself a braggart

Let him fear this; for it shall come to pass

That every braggart shall be found an ass.

66

Shakspeare.

It was prettily devised by Esop: the Fly sat upon the le-tree of the chariot wheel, and said, What a dust > I raise !" So are there some vain persons, that, whatever goeth alone, or moveth upon greater means, if they ve never so little hand in it, they think it is they that carry it.-Lord Bacon.

Great cry, little wool.

Braggarts must needs be factious, for all bravery stands upon comparisons. They must needs be violent to make good their own vaunts. Neither can they be secret, and therefore not effectual.-Lord Bacon.

Great boast, little roast.

Grands vanteurs petits faiseurs.
Beaucoup de bruit, peu de fruit.
Tout chien qui aboie ne mord pas.
Cane chi abbaia non morde.

Briareus esse apparet cum sit lepus.

Cave tibi a cane muto, et aqua silente.

Aliud est ventilare, aliud pugnare.

Canes timidi vehementius latrant quam mordent.

Magna minaris, extricas nihil.-Phædrus.

Quid dignum tanto feret hic promissor hiatu? Parturiunt montes; nascetur ridiculus mus.-Horace. Nec stloppo tumidas intendis rumpere buccas.-Persius. Parturiebat mons, formidabat Jupiter; ille vero murem peperit.--Lacedæmonian proverb.

CONCLUSION.