The Arraignment of Pride, Chapter 19
CHAP. 19. Of Pride of Memory.
MEmory is one of the greateſt natural gifts, and one of the principal utenſils of our life, it is the repoſitory of truth, and the ſtore-houſe of the ſoul, depending much upon the underſtanding: Some men have excelled for the greatneſs of their memories, having, Plin. nat. hiſt. lib. 7. cap. 24. Some have ſo good a memory, that they go (as it is ſaid) to gather Mulberies without a hook, to the well without a pitcher.as one ſaith, drunk memoriae dolium; a whole hogs-head thereof. The memory of King Cyrus was ſo great, that he was able to call every ſouldier that he had through his whole army by his own name: L. Scipio could do the like by all the Citizens of Rome; and Cyneas Embaſſador of King Pyrrhus the very next day that he came to Rome, both knew and ſaluted all the Senatours by name, and the whole degrees of Gentlemen and Cavalry in the City. King Mithridates governed divers Nations of divers languages, and gave laws and miniſtred juſtice to them, and made ſpeeches to every Nation in their own language: Thuan. in chit. doct. virorum. p. 384.and ſo great was the memory of Beza, that when he was above fourſcore years of age, he could perfectly rehearſe any Greek chapter in Pauls Epiſtles, or any other thing which he had learn't long before. Now ſome have been proud of their memories, and God hath taken it from them, as from Meſſala Corvinus the great Oratour, who after a great ſickneſs forgot his own proper name: Staupitius Tutor to Luther, and a good man, in a proud oſtentation of his memory repeated the Genealogy of Chriſt (Matth. 1.) by heart in a Sermon of his, but being quite out, when he came to the captivity of Babylon, Melch. Adam. in vita Staupitii. p. 20.he uttered theſe words, Now I ſee that God reſiſteth the proud. Canſt thou remember many things? know, that God can make the remembrance of thoſe things ſad to thee, that have been moſt delightful to thee: Memoria ſimilis reti, quod majora continet, minora tranſmittit. Eraſmus.If thou haſt done that which is good, the remembrance of that will be ſweet unto thee; but if thou haſt done evil, the remembrance of that will cauſe thee ſorrow and vexation of ſpirit; If thou canſt remember many things, then thou muſt expect that thy ſins, and reproaches, faults and wickedneſſes will come to thy remembrance, as well as any good thing that hath been done by thee; It is ſaid of Julius Caeſar that he forgot nothing but injuries.and the thoughts of by-paſt evils will more afflict thee, then the delight of any preſent good can be pleaſant to thee. A free man will indeed remember his captivity with delight, Haec olim meminiſſe juvabit.a man that is ſet at liberty will remember his bonds, and a man that is ranſomed and returned home his exile, a rich man his poverty, a man reſtored to health his ſickneſs: but there is ſome thing that will ſtick cloſe to a man upon the remembrance of it, and that is ignominy and reproach: a good name is better then riches, yea then life it ſelf. Boaſt not then of the greatneſs of thy memory; for in the remembrance of divers things, there wanteth not abundance of trouble; ſome things will prick, ſome things will wound and tear thy conſcience, ſome things will terrifie thee, ſome deject thee, and other things will confound thee. Art thou proud of thy great memory? let me ask thee this queſtion, What then is the reaſon thou art ſo forgetful of Gods Commandements, When one promiſed Themistocles to teach him the art of memory invented by Simonides, he ſaid he had rather learn the art of forgetfulneſs, then of memory.and of divine precepts, which are but few in number? whence is it that thou forgetteſt that one and only God, and thy duty towards him? It may be, thy memory is very tenacious of injuries, of worldly things and outward concernments (for even old men do preciſely remember all their ſeveral debtors, and their manner of dealing, and all the coffers, cabinets and corners, wherein they have laid up and hid their gold and jewels; they carry an exact inventory of them in their heads.) But what a vain thing is it to remember all other things, and not know how to return into our ſelves, and to forget the one thing neceſſary? Its good to put many things out of our minds, and utterly to forget them, ſo we may remember God; and whoſoever truly remembreth him, may ſay he hath forgotten nothing. Eccl. 12.1.Therefore remember thy Creatour in the daies of thy youth: Remember the providences of God, and the years of the moſt High to obſerve them and improve them for thy good; remember the juſtice of God to keep thee from ſin, remember the commandments of God to do them, the mercy of God to keep thee from deſpair; remember thy ſins to mourn and grieve and to be daily humbled for them, and Gods mercies to be continually thankful for them; remember death that thou maiſt alwaies be in preparation for it: King Philips Page of Macedon, Memento Philippe te eſſe hominem.was to ſound this every morning in his ears, Remember O Philip that thou art but a man; the remembrance of theſe things will never puffe thee up with Pride, but alwaies keep thee very humble.