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Praise, honour, and glory are not bestowed on men for ordinary,
but for extraordinary virtue. By praise we intend to lead men to
appreciate the excellence of certain individuals; giving them
honour is the expression of our own esteem for them; and I should
say that glory is the combination of praise and honour from many
persons. If praise and honour are like precious stones, glory is
as an enamel thereof.
Now, as humility forbids us to aim at excelling or being
preferred to others, it likewise forbids us to aim at praise,
honour, and glory; but it allows us to give heed, as the Wise Man
says, to our good name, and that because a good name does not
imply any one particular excellence, but a general straightforward
integrity of purpose, which we may recognise in ourselves, and
desire to be known as possessing, without any breach of humility.
Humility might make us indifferent even to a good reputation, were
it not for charity's sake; but seeing that it is a groundwork of
society, and without it we are not merely useless but positively
harmful to the world, because of the scandal given by such a
deficiency, therefore charity requires, and humility allows, us to
desire and to maintain a good reputation with care.
Moreover, just as the leaves of a tree are valuable, not merely
for beauty's sake, but also as a shelter to the tender fruit, so a
good reputation, if not in itself very important, is still very
useful, not only as an embellishment of life, but as a protection
to our virtues, especially to those which are weakly. The
necessity for acting up to our reputation, and being what we are
thought to be, brings a strong though kindly motive power to bear
upon a generous disposition.
Let us foster all our virtues, my daughter, because they are
pleasing to God, the Chief Aim of all we do. But just as when men
preserve fruits, they do not only conserve them, but put them into
suitable vessels, so while Divine Love is the main thing which
keeps us in the ways of holiness, we may also find help from the
effects of a good reputation. But it will not do to be over-eager
or fanciful about it. Those who are so very sensitive about their
reputation are like people who are perpetually physicking
themselves for every carnal ailment; they mean to preserve their
health, but practically they destroy it; and those who are so very
fastidious over their good name are apt to lose it entirely, for
they become fanciful, fretful, and disagreeable, provoking
ill-natured remarks.
As a rule, indifference to insult and slander is a much more
effectual remedy than resentment, wrath, and vengeance. Slander
melts away beneath contempt, but indignation seems a sort of
acknowledgment of its truth. Crocodiles never meddle with any but
those who are afraid of them, and slander only persists in
attacking people who are disturbed by it.
An excessive fear of losing reputation indicates mistrust as to
its foundations, which are to be found in a good and true life.
Those towns where the bridges are built of wood are very uneasy
whenever a sign of flood appears, but they who possess stone
bridges are not anxious unless some very unusual storm appears.
And so a soul built up on solid Christian foundations can afford
to despise the outpour of slanderous tongues, but those who know
themselves to be weak are for ever disturbed and uneasy. Be sure,
my daughter, that he who seeks to be well thought of by everybody
will be esteemed by nobody, and those people deserve to be
despised who are anxious to be highly esteemed by ungodly,
unworthy men.
Reputation, after all, is but a signboard giving notice where
virtue dwells, and virtue itself is always and everywhere
preferable. Therefore, if it is said that you are a hypocrite
because you are professedly devout, or if you are called a coward
because you have forgiven an insult, despise all such accusations.
Such judgments are the utterances of foolish men, and you must not
give up what is right, even though your reputation suffer, for
fruit is better than foliage, that is to say, an inward and
spiritual gain is worth all external gains. We may take a jealous
care of our reputation, but not idolise it; and while we desire
not to displease good men, neither should we seek to please those
that are evil.
A man's natural adornment is his beard, and a woman's her hair;
if either be torn out they may never grow again, but if only
shaven or shorn, they will grow all the thicker; and in like
manner, if our reputation be shorn or even shaven by slanderous
tongues (of which David says, that "with lies they cut like a
sharp razor " (1) ), there is no need to be disturbed, it will
soon spring again, if not brighter, at all events more
substantial. But if it be lost through our own vices or meanness
or evil living, it will not be easily restored, because its roots
are plucked up. And the root of a good name is to be found in
virtue and honesty, which will always cause it to spring up
afresh, however it may be assaulted.
If your good name suffers from some empty pursuit, some useless
habit, some unworthy friendship, they must be renounced, for a
good name is worth more than any such idle indulgence; but if you
are blamed or slandered for pious practices, earnestness in
devotion, or whatever tends to win eternal life, then let your
slanderers have their way, like dogs that bay at the moon! Be sure
that, if they should succeed in rousing any evil impression
against you (clipping the beard of your reputation, as it were),
your good name will soon revive, and the razor of slander will
strengthen your honour, just as the pruning-knife strengthens the
vine and causes it to bring forth more abundant fruit.
Let us keep Jesus Christ Crucified always before our eyes; let
us go on trustfully and simply, but with discretion and wisdom, in
His Service, and He will take care of our reputation; if He
permits us to lose it, it will only be to give us better things,
and to train us in a holy humility, one ounce of which is worth
more than a thousand pounds of honour. If we are unjustly blamed,
let us quietly meet calumny with truth; if calumny perseveres, let
us persevere in humility; there is no surer shelter for our
reputation or our soul than the Hand of God. Let us serve Him in
good report or evil report alike, with S. Paul; (2) so that we may
cry out with David, "For Thy Sake have I suffered reproof, shame
hath covered my face." (3)
Of course certain crimes, so grievous that no one who can
justify himself should remain silent, must be excepted; as, too,
certain persons whose reputation closely affects the edification
of others. In this case all theologians say that it is right
quietly to seek reparation.
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