Treatise of Moral and Intellectual Virtues, Treatise on ethics · Part 5
Of MAGNANIMITY.
WE come now to handle that which is the chiefeſt Virtue, the height and perfection of all the reſt, for ſo in truth is Magnanimity, if we conſider it aright, and not as Ariſtotle hath deſcribed it: There is a Virtue in Chriſtians, whereby they adorn their Profeſſion, which our Philoſopher either knew not, or he thought it not worth his notice: For Humility,Humility the greateſt Virtue of Chriſtians. which is indeed the greateſt part of Magnanimity, is ſo ſcurvily treated by him, as that it finds no place among the Virtues: none of the Philoſophers could diſcern its Excellency; becauſe they were a proud and ſelf-conceited Generation, and moſt of their Controverſies aroſe from their overvaluing their own Opinions.
NOW this pure, humble, undefiled Diſpoſition of Mind, by Nature we cannot pretend to, becauſe of the original Corruption of Nature; but by the Grace of God in the Goſpel, we may attain it, and it is the chief deſign of the Goſpel to direct us in the way to it. Although this Humility did generally paſs among the Philoſophers in the worſt ſenſe, for a poor ſpirited, puſilanimous Virtue; yet it hath always had an extraordinary Preeminence, not only in Religion, but in the Judgment of all truly wiſe Men, and in all the beſt practice of civil Life: For even in this World, the dark, The crafty men fail more in their Deſigns than the honeſt.reſerved, crafty men have fail'd of their Deſigns more than the plain, upright and honeſt men; becauſe the crafty man has many Parts to play, many Minds to put on, many Faces to ſhift; ſo that it is almoſt impoſſible for him ſo to act all, as not to be diſcovered in ſome, and then he will be ſuſpected in all; whereas the honeſt, lowly-minded man has but one part to perform, which is his own, and that far more eaſie for him to do, becauſe he always Acts according to the plainneſs and ſimplicity of Nature.
THIS Advantage comes by Humility in this life; but in relation to the other ſtate no Virtue is of greater uſe and benefit; for nothing ſhews a nearer reſemblance to the divine Nature, than a mind that is humble and undefiled; nothing manifeſts a greater Conformity to the divine Laws, than a life of Humility and Lowlineſs; nothing expreſſes that true and generous Diſdain, which all true Chriſtians have or ſhould have of theſe earthly, tranſitory things; nothing declares a more magnanimous Confidence in the divine Providence: nothing a more ſubmiſſive Reſignation to the divine Will; nothing a more ſtedfaſt and aſſured Hope of future Happineſs; nothing can keep us ſafer from dangerous Miſtakes in all matters of our eternal concernment: For the humble and candid mind, of which a right Meaſure may ſooneſt be taken, is beſt prepared to take a right Meaſure of ſpiritual things; that meek and ſincere Diſpoſition, which leaſt of all deceivs others, is leaſt of all capable of being deceived itſelf, in the ways of everlaſting Salvation: Have not more bold, venturous, artificial Wits fallen into Errors, than they who have been content with the ſteddy, conſtant, and firm motion of meek and humble Chriſtians? For whilſt thoſe preſume all on themſelves, they truſt to the moſt fallible Guide; whilſt theſe wholly ſuſpect themſelves, and implore moſt the Grace of God, they never fail of a certain Aſſiſtance and Direction: And what has been generally the ſucceſs of both? The humble, teachable Temper of the one has produc'd many real Saints, the proud, preſumptuous, ſubtle Spirit of the other has prov'd a fruitful Soil for the Production of Hereticks and Atheiſts.
WE muſt therefore be humble, we ſhall not elſe ſucceed in our Hopes of, a better Life; and if we reflect on the moſt polite Cuſtoms and Manners of this State we are in, nothing is truly graceful, that is overmixed or unnaturally forced; no word we ſpeak, no Phraſe we uſe; no Geſture, no Tone of Voice, that is overartificial, but it preſently offends; nothing in Beauty, in Action, in Motion can pleaſe, that is affectedly laboured and over adorn'd; nothing has ſo much reverence in human Converſation, as true Humility, manly Plainneſs, gentle Eaſineſs, undiſſembled Sincerity.
Two Chriſtian Virtues unknown to the Philoſophers.FOR there are two things, which, in Nature or in Reaſon, ſeem to be of no Account; yet among Chriſtian Virtues they challenge the ſupreme place; one is our behaviour towards our Enemies, that we love them, and do them all the kindneſs we can, notwithſtanding they do us all the Wrong and Injury they are able: The other is our manner of Deportment in coveting Honours, and ſecular Greatneſs, in the deſire whereof Ariſtotle placeth his Magnanimity; but a greater than Ariſtotle hath placed Humility, which conſiſts in the contempt of theſe big Vanities, and hath caſhier'd them all under the Pride of Life.
FOR true Humility is the greateſt Magnanimity, and Ariſtotle himſelf hath by chance confeſſed as much; when in few words he deſcribes a magnanimous man to be him, foreign, to whom nothing appears great; than which there could not be given a better Definition of an humble man: For as Stoutneſs of mind very welll agrees with Meekneſs, and therefore Moſes, who was indeed a Perſon of the moſt undaunted Courage, is ſaid in Scripture to be the meekeſt Man upon Earth; ſo when we have examined all Parties and tryed their Mettal, we ſhall find, that the moſt humble are really the moſt magnanimous; and to be tranſported with the love of Honour, Greatneſs, or the like Follies, tho Ariſtotle ſtood by and frown'd at us, we muſt call it Baſeneſs of mind or Puſilanimity; ſince to ſubmit to that which we ought to contemn, can deſerve no better a Title, no ſofter a Name.
BUT that we may throughly underſtand this Point, we will explain the Virtue of Magnanimity according to Ariſtotle's Principles; and firſt he takes it for a Suppoſition, That Greatneſs is the Object of Magnanimity, and therefore he defines a magnanimous man to be a Perſon that thinks himſelf worthy of the greateſt things, and is indeed ſo: For he who bears himſelf as worthy of great things, but is indeed not ſo, is a Fool, and one in whom Virtue hath no place.
THE two Vices which are oppoſite to this Virtue are on the one hand foreign, Faſtus animi; on the other Puſilanimity, or as Ben. Johnſon wittily expreſſed it, whoſe Soul dwells in an Ally; who peradventure deſerves well and knows it not, but with patience ſubmits himſelf to men of inferior Worth, and is near akin to the humble man; he hath a great reſemblance of him, though he may not be really ſo.
SINCE we have made the Object of Magnanimity to be greatneſs; thence it follows, That, that which is the greateſt and moſt valuable thing, is the chiefeſt Care of the magnanimous Perſon: Now the greateſt thing amongſt men is Honour; that Honour is ſo eſteem'd, is evident from our attributing it to God: For the greateſt Service we can do unto God is to honour him: Again, that which is moſt deſired by men of fair and free Condition, by men of Place and Dignity, is undoubtedly the greateſt good; but we ſee Honour by men of this kind to be moſt earneſtly courted: Hence it comes to paſs, that to men of higheſt merit,Honour highly valued among men. nothing is more welcome than Titles of Honour; ſuch is that of a Duke, when he receives the Ring of Principality, like that of Pharaoh to Joſeph, of Ahaſuerus to Haman, of Alexander to Perdiccas; ſuch is that of an Earl, who had antiently the Government of a Province; ſo for Viſcounts and Barons, who are leſs than the two former in largneſs of Territory, and in nearneſs to Sovereignty. Such is alſo the Title of Knights, who in the Northern parts of Europe were of the noble Rank, and were in their Youth armed as Martial Knights for the ſervice of their Country; neither among the old Germans did any one bear Arms until he was honored with a Spear and Target in their State-Aſſemblys.
THESE Titles ſeem to be merely great and pompous names, and ſuch as Princes can afford at the cheapeſt rate; yet theſe are thoſe goodly things which beſt pleaſe brave-ſpirited men, and in theſe the Glory of a magnanimous man is eſpecially conſpicuous.
BUT ſince Honour is a thing ſubject unto Fortune, ſince it comes and goes as it pleaſeth that blind Guide, we muſt ſearch for ſome more laſting Greatneſs, whereon to fix our Magnanimous man,The Magnanimous ſeek after what is moſt Praiſe-worthy in every Virtue. and that is no leſs than the choiceſt, beſt and faireſt piece of all the Virtues; look therefore what is the principal part, what is the ſupreme Excellency, what is moſt Praiſe-worthy in every Virtue, this is the Proper Object of Magnanimity: And that Verſe in Homer, Tully was ſo much in love withal, foreign. That is, in all things to carry away the Bell, and to go beyond all other men, is the proper Paſſion of the Magnanimous. foreign, as Pindar ſaith, to garble the Virtues, and cull out the prime parts of them, this is that, which makes up the great Virtue we ſpeak of: For he, who yields to any the leaſt Vice, who is ſo low-ſpirited and ſilly as to ſwallow its Baits, abates ſo much of Magnanimity.
Let us then, as Ariſtotle does, trace the man through ſome particulars in his Behaviour and Carriage:
Firſt, IN all Fortunes good or bad he carries himſelf with ſingular Equanimity, neither puff'd up with Pride in Proſperity, nor broken or dejected with adverſe Fortune; ſperat infeſtis, metuit ſecundis alteram ſortem bene preparatum pectus; he hath a mind ſo well prepared againſt all the Changes of this Life, that Adverſity never puts him out of hope; nor Proſperity makes him think, that He cannot fall; By this means let the paſſions of men be never ſo fretful, He is never moved by them; Let the turns of the World be never ſo ſudden and wonderful, his magnanimity withſtands their Force, which in this inſtance is the moſt ſplendid and glorious part of Fortitude.
Secondly, IN encountring Dangers, He is not foreign, as it were in love with the Danger; like your Bravoes or Hectors, as we call them, that are eaſily hired to undertake a Quarrel: Such are in all States with great care to be ſuppreſſed,Vain-glory condemned. becauſe qui ſuam vitam contempſit Dominus eſt alienae, having deſperately contemned his own, He makes himſelf Lord of the Lives of others. Theſe are the Men, who aſpire after a vain and falſe Glory; therefore in their Words always you will find Oſtentation and Inſolency in their Actions; Where as the glory of the Magnanimous is ever juſt and well grounded; Hence it is, that they never go about any thing, but what they have power ſufficient to bring to paſs; They fly not to Fallacies or Tricks; are not prone to Anger, nor to Boaſting: They are never irreſolute in their proceedings, becauſe they are above thoſe Difficulties, that make deliberations hard; neither will they be at Enmity with Inferiours, nor laugh at the infirmites of other men from any ſenſe of Ability in themſelves.
Thirdly, HE is no medler in Alehouſe Quarrels, nor in any inferiour Petts among Vulgar Perſons; Whenever He is engaged, it is in ſuch a War, as may bring in the Iſſue Praiſe and Honour; Such as upon which Juſtice and Equity attends; There He hath par animo periculum, encounters a danger equal to his mind; He puts no great value upon his own life, but is very well contented to lay it down, when it may be for his Countreys ſervice or for his own Honour. And in all his Adventures He hath an Eye upon the good and conveniency of of that Party, whoſe Cauſe He undertakes, notwithſtanding for the preſent his Fame and Credit do a little ſuffer: Thus Fabius Maximus refuſed to fight with Hannibal, till He was ſure of his Advantage, notwithſtanding the falſe and ill Reports which his Rivals did endeavour to ſpread of him; non ponebat enim rumores ante ſalutem; and in this matter did this Illuſtrious Commander behave himſelf with true Magnanimity: Quite contrary to this Action was that of Callicratidas the famous Lacedaemonian Captain, who being adviſed in a Council of War to avoid engaging the Athenian Fleet, did notwithſtanding run the hazard of fighting and ſo loſt the Day; for which he gave only this Reaſon, That the Lacedaemonians were able to provide another Navy, if they loſt this, but if He ſhould fly, his Honour could in no wiſe be redeemed; Thus a Punctilio of Honour caſt his Country into diſtreſs, and had well near ruined it.
THOSE, who would be thought the only Heroes, put a great value upon theſe Punctilio's, in defenſe whereof they are moved by very violent paſſions; but as ſoon as the ſtorm is over, they ſlacken inſenſibly of themſelves, if not to the loweſt degree, at leaſt ſo as to be no more the ſame perſons: Inſomuch that upon every triffle they ſhall be provoked to Wrath, and by as little a matter be cooled again; therefore we can never make a right judgment of a Man, unleſs we pry into his common Actions and ſurprize him in his every-day Habit: Philoſophical diſquiſitions do not ſo well unfold to us the Myſteries of Human Nature, as our own Remarks would do upon the daily Converſation of Men; For their lives do ſeldom or never correſpond with Speculative Doctrines: If therefore I behold a Man in the management of his Actions to demean himſelf ſteddily, and never to ſtop at any Impediment, that ſtands in his way to a good End; He is the Magnanimous Man, whom we enquire after. Some pains muſt be taken to bring the mind to ſo conſtant a Reſolution; But when once it is confirmed, nothing ſhall diſcompoſe, nothing ſhall ſhake it:The beſt ſeaſon for the exerciſe of Magnanimity. Therefore the beſt Seaſon for the exerciſe of Magnanimity, is in the time of hardſhip and Affliction; when, as a Tree planted in Winter, it will thrive better, than in the warmth, or in the midſt of thoſe Delights, that are taſted in the Ages of Peace and Plenty: Nay, when Affairs are drawn to the very dregs of Malice, a Man fortified with this Virtue, will look upon all its Stings, as unpoiſonous, though they are ſharp; whatever ſevere Conflicts we may have with the thoughts of Death, the Feaſt of a good Conſcience, and the Wall of a judicious Conſtancy will fence us againſt them: This is the greateſt glory of a Chriſtian to ſubdue the Burdens of Life, while we are deprived of health, liberty, power, ſafety, or Eſtate; by the Virtue of Magnanimity all this may be done, which is the greateſt honour of our Lives, and the beſt improvement of our Deaths: We muſt acknowledg, it is not eaſie to contend with the many dangers, loſſes, diſappointments, and troubles we meet withal in this Life; yet this Heroick greatneſs of Spirit will ſo patiently ſuſtain them all, that they will afford much ſweetneſs at the laſt, and bring a Crown at the end of the Race.
IF we conſider further,The Magnanimous Man abhors Malice. what this Virtue is in common Converſation, it will alſo appear in that kind very uſeful.
Firſt, BECAUSE the Magnanimous man in his behaviour with others carries his love and his hatred openly and in his hand; For the cauſes of either of them being juſtifiable, he cares not, who ſees them; his Love He will not conceal, becauſe his Friend may not ſuſpect, that he hath any averſation to him; neither will he hide his Hatred or diſlike, becauſe the Soul thereby may be ſtained with the moſt venomous malice, as the Diſeaſes, that proceed from Stoppings, are the moſt miſchievous to the Body.
He hates Diſſimulat…n.Secondly, HE is no Diſſembler, he carries his Heart in his Tongue, and boldly ſpeaks the truth, when a juſt occaſion demands it, but always with diſcretion; For men's Ears are tender, and can hardly endure them, that are wont mordaci radere vero; therefore my Lord Bacon ſays, It asketh a ſtrong Wit, and a ſtrong Heart, to know when to tell Truth, and to do it; So that they are the weaker ſort of Politicians, who are the great Diſſemblers. But if a Man hath that piercing Judgment, which the Virtue we now treat of, will produce, He will diſcern, what things are to be laid open; what are to be kept ſecret, and what are to be ſhewed at half-lights, to whom and when; Theſe are the Arts of State, as Tacitus calls them, and theſe are the Arts of Life: But Nakedneſs is uncomly, as well in the Mind, as in the Body, and it addeth no ſmall reverence to men's Manners and Actions, if they be not altogether open: eſpecially the diſcovery of a man's ſelf, by the tracts and lines of his Countenance, is a great betraying, becauſe his Face is frequently more taken notice of and believed, than his Words: In ſhort, the magnanimous Man will never act the Hypocrite, becauſe it is a Vice, that riſes either from natural falſeneſs or fearfulneſs, whereby a man is deprived of one of the moſt principal Inſtruments for Action, which is Truſt and Belief.
Thirdly, HE is not apt to wonder at every thing; For what can ſuch a one admire at, foreign, to whom nothing appears great? Neither is He apt to remember Injuries, nor is he inclined to Revenge, but thinks, to give, and to forgive, donare & condonare, are the beſt and the worthieſt things in the World: Therefore Solomon ſaith; It is the glory of a Man to paſs by an Offence; For He is but even with his Enemy, when he takes his Revenge on him; but in paſſing the injury over or in pardoning it, He is Superiour to him: And thoſe Men are baſe and crafty Cowards, who are like the Arrow, that flies in the Dark; But the brave-ſpirited Man, who deals above-board with mankind, delights not ſo much in puniſhing the Party, that hath wronged him, as in making him repent.
Fourthly, HE abhors that ſecret Spight, which we ſee to be in moſt men, whereby they make the good Names of others the ſubject of their Table-talk, miſreport their Actions, and aggravate their miſtakes; or if they ſpeak well, they will be ſure to ſpoil it with ſome reſervation;He is not querulous. Neither is He foreign, querulous, or apt to complain; but makes that of Otho the Emperour his eſpecial Character, de nemine queri: For all humorous and peeviſh Perſons go aſtray out of the plain way of the Reaſon of mankind. But our virtuous Man is ever well ſatisfied with the government of Providence; therefore his thoughts are at reſt; and whilſt others are very free in their Jeers and ill Cenſures, He takes a wiſer courſe to ſuppreſs rather a piece of Wit or a fooliſh Paſſion, than do the leaſt hurt by venting it: Nay, there is ſo exact an order in his Life, that the very motions of his Body are decent and regular, not too ſwift, nor too ſlow, his Speech not too loud nor too ſoft: For the ſmalleſt things in this kind of Perſon, are well worth our Obſervation.
ONE of the Extremes of Magnanimity is foreign, for which we have no Name either in Latin or Engliſh, unleſs we liſt to call it Pride: which is a fooliſh humour, ſome men have; who being of mean worth, have neither ſenſe nor power, yet will boaſt after the Spaniſh faſhion, as if they could do the greateſt things; like that Gentleman in Rome by name Senecio, whoſe fancy it was to have all things Great, great Servants to wait on him, great Plate to be ſerved in, a great Woman for his Concubine,Affectation of Grandeur is ridiculous. great outlandiſh Figs for his Diet, and would always ſpeak great Words; for which Whimſey he got the Name of Senecio Grandio: This Man is a lively Emblem of the Vice, we now treat of, a fantaſtical Affectation of Grandeur: which is a ſwelling of the Mind, that holds nothing, but corrupt and putrid matter; which, if it be not let out, will infect the moſt hale Conſtitution, and the ſoundeſt temper of mind.
AS for that other Extreme Puſillanimity, I ſhall not ſay much of it nor run it down, as the Philoſophers do, for fear I ſhould put any the leaſt ſlur upon the moſt Excellent Virtue among Chriſtians, Humility.
HONOURS in Ariſtotle's Opinion are the proper Object of Magnanimity; Now Honours are of two ſorts; greater Honours, which belong to the Magnanimous, and leſſer, the managing whereof belongs to a Virtue, for which he could find no Name; but ſome petty Virtue or other muſt be ſought for, whoſe duty it is to moderate our deſires after ſmaller Honours: Had Ariſtotle throughly conſidered the nature of this Virtue,Men of Virtue bring Credit to the Offices, they are in. he would have found as much Power in it for the managing of petty honours, as of greater; For when the Thebans, to put an Affront upon Epaminondas, that renowned Captain, had choſen him into a mean and baſe Office; It behoves me, ſaith he, that I ſo execute the duty of this Place, that I may leave it one of the moſt honourable Poſts in the Commonwealth, and He was as good as his Word, It is not in the power of any Man to put himſelf into what Sphere of Authority he pleaſes, but whereſoever He is employed, it is in his power ſo to behave himſelf therein, as to add Credit to it, and ſo by the Virtue of the Mind to make the managing of ſmaller Honours a part of Magnanimity: For Men of large Capacities and wiſe Thoughts bring a Reputation to whatſoever Place they bear; And when a Perſon of mean account had preſented Artaxerxes with an Apple of extraordinary bigneſs, the King gave him this Commendation, Certainly, this Man, were He well employed, of a little City would make a great one.
ONE of the Vices oppoſite to this Virtue is foreign; Ambition, which is an Humour, that maketh men active and ſtirring, but very troubleſom and uneaſie to all about them; 'tis true, to forbid a Soldier the uſe of it, is to pull off his Spurs; but if it gets into the ruling Seat, it can never keep things ſteady; having not that Ballaſt of temperate and ſober Wiſdom, without which the Ship of the State will roul too much, and be in danger often of overſetting, becauſe the Counſel, that is to direct it, is too haſty and precipitate.
BUT our virtuous Man hath no other Ambition, but to prevail in great and good Things; He ſeeks to be Eminent only amongſt worthy Men; whereby He doth good to the Publick; But He, who plots to be the only Figure amongſt Ciphers, is the decay of an whole Age: Whereas Honour hath three things in it: 1. The Advantage-ground to do good; 2. The Approach to Kings; 3. The Raiſing of a Man's own Fortunes: He, that hath the beſt of theſe intentions, when He aſpireth, is an Honeſt Man, and one, whom we may call Magnanimous.
ANOTHER Vice oppoſite to this Virtue is called foreign, Contempt of Honour, which may very well paſs for a fault with them, who think contemptu Famae contemni virtutes, that in the contempt of Fame Virtue it ſelf is ſlighted; as if it were not worth the while to be vertuous, unleſs it were to get praiſe; whereas Praiſe coming for the moſt part from the People, rather follows vain Perſons, Praiſe doth not always accompany Virtue.than vertuous, becauſe the People perceive not at all the moſt excellent Virtues, but are led rather by ſhews: Therefore my Lord Verulam hath compared Fame to a River, which beareth up things light and ſwoln, but drowns things weighty and ſolid. Wherefore Men, who have true Virtue, can be content to do well, without an eye to Praiſe or Honour, rectique facti non ex populi ſermone mercedem, fed ex Facto petunt; When they do a good deed, they do not ſeek their reward from the ſpeech of the People, but from the merit of the Fact it ſelf: For among all the pleaſures, that were found out by wiſe and conſidering men among the Heathen, none are ſaid to be greater, than thoſe, that did commonly ſpring from the practice of Moral Virtue; Now, if we will believe their Hiſtories, were there any ſorer griefs, than thoſe, that did ariſe from the practice of Vice: And which is yet more conſiderable, the better and the wiſer any man is ſaid to be, the more earneſt deſires and hopes hath he after ſuch a ſtate of Happineſs, as Virtue only can produce; Neither is there any record of the moſt obſtinately wicked, who with their utmoſt endeavours have applyed themſelves to the ſuppreſſing the Notions of Goodneſs,The notions of Goodneſs moſt agreeable to the Mind. that they could ſo wholly ſtiffle them, but that they would be continually riſing in their minds: which is a manifeſt proof, that they have in them a natural congruity to the Soul, never to be rooted out; ſo powerful, ſo unconquerable are the impreſſions of Virtue.