_THE DETRACTOR._
"The ignoble mind
Loves ever to assail with secret blow
The loftier, purer beings of their kind."
W. G. SIMMS.
"Detraction's a bold monster, and fears not
To wound the fame of princes, if it find
But any blemish in their lives to work on."
MASSINGER.
A detractor is one whose aim is to lessen, or withdraw from, that which
constitutes a good name or contributes to it.
The love of a good name is natural to man. He who has lost this love is
considered most desperately fallen below himself.
To acquire a good name and to maintain it, what have not men done,
given, and suffered in the world of Literature, Labour, Science,
Politics, and Religion?
And who has blamed them for it? It is declared by the highest wisdom,
that "A good name is better than great riches," and "better than
precious ointment." "The memory of the just shall be blessed, but the
name of the wicked shall rot." "Whatsoever things are of good report,
if there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these
things."
"It is," as one says, "that which gives us an inferior immortality, and
makes us, even in this world, survive ourselves. This part of us alone
continues verdant in the grave, and yields a perfume."
Considering, then, the worth of a good name, we cannot wonder that a man
should wish to preserve and guard it with all carefulness.
"The honours of a name 'tis just to guard;
They are a trust but lent us, which we take,
And should, in reverence to the donor's fame,
With care transmit them to other hands."
As the work of the detractor is the tarnishing, or, it may be, the
destruction of a man's good name, the evil nature of it may be seen at
one view. Can he commit a greater offence against his brother? Can he be
guilty of a more heinous motive and aim?
"No wound which warlike hand of enemy
Inflicts with dint of sword, so sore doth light
As doth the poisonous sting which infamy
Infixeth in the name of noble wight;
For by no art, nor any leeches' might,
It ever can re-cured be again."
"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."
Let us notice some of the ways in which this talker seeks to accomplish
his work.
1. _He represents persons and actions under the most disadvantageous
circumstances he can_, speaking of those which may appear objectionable,
and passing by those which may be commendable. There is no person so
excellent who is not by his circumstances forced to omit some things
which would become him to do if he were able; to perform some things
weakly and otherwise than he would if he had the power. There is no
action so worthy, but may have some defect in matter, or manner,
incapable of redress; and he that represents such persons or actions,
leaving out those excusing circumstances, tends to create an unjust
opinion of them, taking from them their due value and commendation.
Thus, to charge a man with not having done a good work, when he had not
the power or opportunity, or is by unexpected means hindered from doing
it according to his desire; to suggest the action was not done exactly
in the best season, in the wisest mode, in the most proper place, with
expressions, looks, or gestures most convenient--these are tricks of the
detractor, who, when he cannot deny the metal to be good, and the stamp
true, clips it, and so would prevent it from being current.
2. _He misconstrues ambiguous words or misinterprets doubtful
appearances of things._ A man may speak never so well, or act never so
nobly, yet a detractor will make his words bear some ill sense, and his
actions tend to some bad purpose; so that we may suspect his meaning,
and not yield him our full approbation.
3. _He misnames the qualities of persons or things, and gives bad
appellations or epithets to good or indifferent qualities._ The names of
virtue and vice do so nearly border in signification that it is easy to
transfer them from one to another, and to give the best quality a bad
name. Thus, by calling a sober man sour, a cheerful man vain, a
conscientious man morose, a devout man superstitious, a free man
prodigal, a frugal man sordid, an open man simple, a reserved man
crafty, one that stands upon his honour and honesty proud, a kind man
ambitiously popular, a modest man sullen, timorous, or stupid, is a way
in which the detractor may frequently be known.
4. _He imperfectly characterises persons_, so as purposely to veil, or
faintly to disclose, their excellencies, but carefully to expose and to
aggravate their defects or failings.
Like an envious painter, he hides, or in shady colours depicts, the
graceful parts and goodly features, but brings out the blemishes in
clearest light, and most prominent view. There is no man who has not
some blemish in his nature or temper; some fault contracted by education
or custom; something amiss proceeding from ignorance or misapprehension
of things. These (although in themselves small and inconsiderable) the
detractor seizes, and thence forms a judgment calculated to excite
contempt of him in an unwary spectator; whereas, were charity to judge
of him, he would be represented as lovely and excellent.
5. _He does not commend or allow anything as good without interposing
some exception to it._ "The man, indeed," he says, "does seem to have a
laudable quality; his action has a fair appearance;" but, if he can, he
raises some spiteful objection. If he can find nothing plausible to say
against him, he will _seem_ to know and to suppress something. He will
say, "I know what I know; I know more than I'll say;" adding, perhaps, a
significant nod or strong expression, a sarcastic sneer or smile, of
what he cannot say in words.
"Damn with faint praise, assent with civil leer,
And, without seeming, teach the rest to sneer;
Willing to wound, and yet afraid to strike,
Just hint a fault, and hesitate dislike."
6. _He suggests that good practices and noble dispositions are probably
the effects of sinister motives and selfish purposes._ As, for instance,
a liberal man, in his gifts is influenced by an ambitious spirit or a
vain-glorious design; a religious man, in his exercises of devotion, is
influenced by hypocrisy, and a desire to gain the good opinion of men,
and to promote his worldly interests. "He seems to be a good man," says
the detractor, "I must admit; but what are his reasons? Is it not his
interest to be so? Does he not seek applause or preferment thereby?
_Doth Job serve God for nought?_" So said the father of detractors more
than two thousand years ago.
7. _He detracts from good actions by attempting to show their defects_,
or to point out how they might have been much better. "In some respects
they are excellent and praiseworthy; but they might have been better
with no more labour and pains. Pity that a thing, when done, is not done
to the best of his ability." Thus Judas blamed the good woman who
anointed the Saviour's feet. "Why," said he, "was not this ointment
sold, and given to the poor?" His covetous heart prompted him to detract
from that action which Jesus, in His love, pronounced as a _good work_,
which should be spoken of as such, wherever the gospel was preached.
8. _A detractor regards not the general good character of a man's
conversation_ or discourse which is obvious, but attacks the part which
is defective, though less discernible to other eyes than his own; like a
man who, looking upon a body admirably beautiful, sees only a wart on
the back of one hand to attract his particular attention; or like the
man who overlooks the glories of the sun because of its spots.
Such are the chief particulars composing the character of the detractor.
We may now briefly notice some of the _causes_ which influence the
detractor in his talk.
1. _Ill nature and bad humour._--As good nature and ingenuous
disposition incline men to observe and commend what appears best in our
neighbour; so malignity of temper and heart prompt to seek and to find
the worst. One, like a bee, gathers honey out of any herb; the other,
like a spider, sucks poison out of the sweetest flower.
2. _Pride and inordinate self-importance._--The detractor would draw
all praise and glory to himself; he would be the only excellent person;
therefore he would jostle the worth of another out of the way, that it
may not endanger his; or lessen it by being a rival, that it may not
outshine his reputation, or in any degree eclipse it.
3. _Envy._--A detractor likes not to see a brother stand in the good
esteem of others, therefore he aims at the deterioration of his
character; his _eye_ is _evil_ and _sore_, hence he would quench or
becloud the light that dazzles it.
4. _Ungodly revenge._--His neighbour's good practice condemns his bad
life; his neighbour's worth disparages his unworthiness; this he
conceives highly prejudicial to him; hence in revenge he labours to
vilify the worth and good works of his neighbour.
5. _Sense of weakness, want of courage, or despondency of his own
ability._--He who is conscious of his own strength and industry will
allow to others the commendation becoming their ability. As he would not
lose the fruits of his own deserts, so he takes it for granted that
others should enjoy theirs also. To deprive them were to prejudice his
own claims. But he that feels himself destitute of worth, and despairs
of reaching the good favour of society, is thence tempted to disparage
and defame such as do. This course he takes as the best soother of his
disappointed feelings and the chief solace for his conscious defects.
Seeing he cannot rise to the standard of others, he would bring down
that of others to his. He cannot directly get any praise, therefore he
would indirectly find excuse by shrouding his unworthiness under the
blame of others. Hence detraction is a sign of a weak, ignoble spirit;
it is an impotent and grovelling serpent, that lurks in the hedge,
waiting opportunity to bite the heel of any nobler creature that passes
by.
Notice the _consequences_ of detraction.
1. _It discourages and hinders the practice of goodness._ Seeing the
best men disparaged, and the best actions spoken against, many are
deterred from doing or being good in a conspicuous and eminent degree.
Especially may this be so with such as are not independent and superior
to what detractors may say about them.
2. _Detraction is injurious to society in general._ Society is
maintained in peace and progress by encouragement of mutual and personal
virtues and gifts; but when disparagement is cast upon them, they are in
danger of languishment and decay; so that a detractor is one of the
worst members of society; he is a moth, a canker therein.
3. _Detraction does injury to our neighbour._ It robs him of that
reputation which is the just reward of goodness, and chief support in
the practice of it; it often hinders him in undertaking a laudable deed;
and keeps those from him or sets those against him who would be his
friends.
4. Detraction injures those into whose ears it instils its poisonous
suggestions, requiring them to connive at the mischief it does to worth
and virtue, and desiring them to entertain the same unjust and
uncharitable thoughts as itself.
5. The detractor _is an enemy to himself_. He raises against himself
animosity and disfavour. Men of self-respect, conscious of their own
honest motives and upright actions, will not submit to his unrighteous
detraction. They will stand on their own consciousness of rectitude,
and, with Right on their side, will cause him to fall into the pit which
he has digged for others.
6. The detractor is likely to have given him the same that he gives to
others. If he has in him that which appears laudable, how can he expect
commendation for it, when he refuses it to others with similar claims?
How can any one admit him to have real worth who will not admit another
to have any?
The preceding observations are sufficient to exhibit the nature, causes,
and effects of the fault of the detractor. This fault is wide-spread in
its existence. It affects nearly all classes of society. Does it not too
widely prevail in circles of Christian professors? Is there not too much
of this kind of talk in the companies of ministers of religion? Among
men of all ranks, occupations, and ages of life this spirit is too
frequently and too powerfully operating. In the courts of princes, in
the halls of science, in the schools of literature, the detractor may be
found with his deteriorating and damaging tongue. The evening social
circle, the festive board, the railway carriage, the two or three
walking or sitting in the garden's shades, are not exempt from the
presence of this detracting demon.
My reader, be you among the honourable exceptions, with whom detraction
shall find no life. And as you would not possess it in yourself, do not
patronize it in others, although mixed in a sweet liquor, and offered in
a golden cup.
Covet to be among those charitable spirits which put the best
interpretation upon everything rather than the worst; which approve and
praise rather than censure and condemn; which offer the fragrance of the
rose rather than wound with the thorn; which present the jewel rather
than point out the flaw in it; which take the fly out of the pot of
ointment rather than put one in.
This is the spirit of nobleness, because the spirit of charity and of
God.