Observations Divine and Moral, Chapter 40
CHAP. XL. Of Envie.
ENvie is a greif conceived at the good of another; Plutarch.specially by him that wants it himself: whereof the highest degree is, so to envy it to Cyprian. Scaliger.him, as we desire it our selvs. It is a verie shamefull affection, and which no man will own, how many so ever use it. Some will confesse, and professe, upon occasion, that they hate, or fear, or scorn others: but none that they envie anie. And no marvayl; for though many deserv to bePlutar…h. hated, feared, and despised; yet none to be envyed. Good, and wise men are to be honoured in, and for all the good things that God hath given them: Foolish, and corrupt to be pittied in their greatest jollitie, considering what their end shall be. And though there be cause to greiv, in a sort, at the prosperitie, and power of unworthy persons: yet this is not because those things (good in themselvs) are good to them; but because they abuse them to their own, and others hurt.
It is like a fire ascending upwards, still ayming at thatPolitian. which is above it: for though superiours oftens grudg at the good of inferiours, yet raither this is indignation then envie. Or rayther it is like smoak, not onelyonly in the former respect; but also for that, as smoak is greatest at first, and before the fire burn clear, but after the flame Plutarch.bursts out, vanisheth away: so is envy greatest in the first rising of any in vertue, or honour, or other eminent good; but by continuance of time, and vertue in the envied is tyred out, and gives over.
He that envyeth maketh another mans vertue his vice, asBernard. Bernard confesseth of himself: and an other mans happines Politian.his torment: whereas, he that rejoyceth at the prosperitie of another, (even thereby, if no other way) is partaker Chrysost.of the same. Yet were this vice the more tolerable, if, besides men, our selvs, and others; we in it did not so directly wrong the Lord; and that (which is worst) even in his goodnes, which it not onelyonly perverts, as other vices do, but abolishes, as much as it can. It is (and worthily) accounted in some, horrible impiety, to complayn of God, that he made the world no better: But what is it then to quarrell with him for making it so good? As in truth, an envious person doth: saying unto God, in effect, why hast thou bestowed this vertue, this knowledg, this honour, these riches, or the like good upon this man, or woman? So the first labourers Math. 20.in the vyneyard sayd of the last, to him which hyred them; why givest thou so much unto them? How injurious soever notwithstanding this cancker worm is both to God, and men; yet is it in this point most just; that it punisheth and tormenteth, with no small torment, him in whomBasil. it beareth swey; consuming his heart, as rust doth the yron, whereon it groweth; and rotting his verie bones, Prov. 14.whiles he liveth.
The good gifts of God, as riches, honour, wit, learning, &c. in any eminencie often endanger their owners by puffing them up with pride in themselvs: And if they have the grace, and modestie to use them aright; yet are they dangerous to others, becoming oftens fewell to kindle their fire of envy withall. And so it fell out between Ioseph, and his brethren; David, and King Saul; and many mo: verifying that of the wise man: Everie perfection of work is the envy of a man from his neighbour. Eccles. 4.By means whereof it also hurts its owner, many tymes, by a kinde of unnaturall rebound, as it were, from the envious; and that so violent, as none, but God in heaven, can stand against it. Not Adam inProv. 27. paradise agaynst the divels envy; nor David against Sauls; nor Christ against the Pharisees. And in this regard, a mediocritie in any good is the more thankfully to be accepted from God; considering unto what danger this way, all eminencie exposeth a man. The highest trees are soonest, and soarest shaken with tempests.
The best remedy for preventing envy by others is to carry a low Sayl in the most prosperous gayl that can blow: and to ascribe the good a man hath rayther to any other cause, then to himself, or his own wit, industry, or worth any way. Therein he least disparageth others that want it, and so frees himself best from their envy at him.