1. He that talks big and arrogantly of himself, Herculanus, is
universally condemned as a troublesome and ill-bred companion. But the
most, even of those who in words mightily declaim against him, seem to
applaud him in their actions. Euripides could say,
If speech grew scarce, and at great rates were sold,
Commend himself what lavish fellow would?
But since the infinite treasure of the air
Praise gratis yields, none truth or falsehood spare;
Suffering no damage, though they give their ware.
Yet he often brings in his heroes intolerably boasting, and stuffs
their most tragical adventures and passions with improper discourses of
themselves. So Pindar declares,
Unseasonably to glory
Makes harmony with fury;[170]
but he forbears not to extol his own raptures, which indeed, by the
confession of all men, are worthy of the noblest praise.
But those who are crowned for mastery in the games or in the learned
combats have others to celebrate their victories, that the people’s
ears be not grated with the harsh noises of self-applause. And
Timotheus is justly censured as unskilfully and irregularly setting
forth his conquest of Phrynis, when he thus proudly boasted it in
writing: Happy man wast thou, Timotheus, when the crier proclaimed,
‘The Milesian Timotheus hath vanquished the son of Carbo, the soft
Ionian poet.’
It is true then, as Xenophon says, The most pleasant sound that a man
can hear is his own praise in another’s mouth; but the most odious
thing unto others is a man commending himself. For we brand them as
impudent who commend themselves, it becoming them to be modest though
they were praised by others; and we account them unjust in arrogating
that to themselves which another has the sole propriety of bestowing on
them. Besides, if we then are silent, we seem either angry or envious;
but if we second their discourse, we are presently entangled and forced
to contribute more than we intended, speaking to men’s faces what
sounds well only behind their backs; and so we undertake rather the
base work of drudging flattery than any real offices of true honor.
2. Yet, however, there is a time when a statesman may be the subject of
his own discourse, and give a free relation of things he has worthily
done or said, as well as other truths; taking care that it be not
merely for favor or reputation, but upon some emergent occasion, and
especially, when the deeds achieved by him or the parts that be in
him be good and honest, then he is not to forbear and say merely that
he hath done so or else much like. There is indeed a praise of this
kind which bears very excellent and lovely fruit, from whose seeds
arise many of the same species very much meliorated and improved. And
therefore it is that the wise statesman seeks glory not as the reward
or solace of his virtue, nor embraces it merely as the companion of his
achievements, but because the being accounted an honorable person and
gallant man affords a thousand opportunities of compassing many and
more desirable things. For it is easy and delightful to be of use to
those who are apt to believe and love us; whereas, if a man lie under
calumnies and suspicions, he cannot exert his virtue to the benefit of
others without committing a kind of violence upon them.
There may also be more reasons than these, which we must enquire into,
that, while we endeavor to avert a frivolous and nauseous applauding of
ourselves, we chance not to omit that sort which may be truly useful.
3. The praise therefore is vain which a man heaps on himself to provoke
others also to praise him, and is chiefly contemptible, as proceeding
from an importunate and unseasonable affectation of esteem.
For as they who are ready to die for food are compelled against nature
to gnaw off their own flesh, and thus put a miserable end to their
famine; so they who mortally hunger after praise, unless some one
afford them a little scantling alms of commendation, do violate the
laws of decency, shamelessly endeavoring to supply those wants by an
unnatural extolling of themselves.
But when they do not on the bare consideration of themselves hunt
applause, but strive to obscure the worth of others, by fighting
against their praises and opposing their own works and practices to
theirs, they add to their vanity an envious and abhorred baseness. He
who thrusts his foot into another’s dance is stigmatized with a proverb
as a ridiculous and pragmatical clown; but upon envy and jealousy to
thrust ourselves between the praises of others, or to interrupt the
same with our own self praise, is a thing that we ought equally to
beware of. Neither should we allow others to praise us at such a time,
but frankly yield the honor to those who are then celebrated, if their
merit be real; and though the persons be vicious or unworthy, yet must
we not take from them by setting up ourselves; but rather on the other
hand we must reprove the unskilful applauders, and demonstrate their
encomiums to be improperly and dangerously conferred. It is plain that
these errors must be avoided.
4. But self-praise is not liable to disgrace or blame when it is
delicately handled by way of apology to remove a calumny or accusation.
Thus Pericles: But ye are angry at me, a man inferior to none, whether
it be in the understanding or interpreting of necessary things;
a man who am a lover of my country, and above the meannesses of
bribes. For, in speaking with this gallantry of himself, he was not
only free from arrogance, vanity, and ambition, but he demonstrated
the greatness and spirit of that virtue which could not be dejected
itself, and even humbled and tamed the haughtiness of envy. Such men
as these will hardly be condemned; but those who would vote against
them are won over to their cause, do receive infinite satisfaction,
and are agreeably inspirited with this noble boasting, especially
if that bravery be steady, and the ground firm on which it stands.
This history does frequently discover. For, when the Theban generals
accused Pelopidas and Epaminondas that, the time for their office as
Boeotarchs being expired, they did not forthwith give up their power,
but made an incursion into Laconia and repaired and re-peopled Messene,
Pelopidas, submitting himself and making many lowly entreaties, very
hardly obtained his absolution; but Epaminondas loftily glorying in
those actions, and at last declaring he would willingly be put to
death so that they would set up his accusation, “Epaminondas hath
wasted Laconia, hath settled Messene, and happily united Arcadia into
one state, against our will,” they admired him, and the citizens,
wondering at the cheerful greatness of his courage, dismissed him with
unspeakable pleasantness and satisfaction.
Therefore, when Agamemnon thus reproached Diomedes,
O son of Tydeus!—he whose strength could tame
The bounding steeds, in arms a mighty name,—
Canst thou remote the mingling hosts descry,
With hands inactive and a careless eye?
Sthenelus is not to be much condemned for saying,
Ourselves much greater than our ancestors
We boast;[171]
for Sthenelus had not been calumniated himself, but he only patronized
his abused friend; and so the cause excused that freedom of speech,
which seemed otherwise to have something of the glorioso.
But Cicero’s magnifying his diligence and prudence in Catiline’s trial
was not very pleasing to the Romans; yet when Scipio said, they ought
not to judge Scipio, who had enstated them in the power of judging all
men, they ascended crowned to the Capitol, and sacrificed with him. For
Cicero was not necessitated to this, but merely spurred by the desire
of glory; while the danger wherein Scipio stood delivered him from envy.
5. Now talking after an high and glorious manner proves advantageous,
not only to persons in danger of the law or such like eminent distress,
but to those also who are clouded in a dull series of misfortunes; and
that more properly than when they appear splendid in the world. For
what addition can words make to those who already seem possessed of
real glory, and do lie indulging and basking in her beams? But those
who at present are incapable of ambition, if they express themselves
loftily, seem only to bear up against the storms of Fortune, to
undergird the greatness of their souls, and to shun that pity and
commiseration which supposes a shipwrecked and forlorn condition.
As therefore those who in walking affect a stiffness of body and a
stretched-out neck are accounted effeminate and foppish, but are
commended if in fencing and fighting they keep themselves erect and
steady; so the man grappling with ill fortune, if he raise himself to
resist her,