FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57  
58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   >>   >|  
again embraced his nephew, let fall a tear to his poor brother Henry's misfortunes; and admonished the youth to show himself equally submissive to other instructions, as he had done to those which inculcate piety. CHAPTER XVIII. The interim between youth and manhood was passed by young William and young Henry in studious application to literature; some casual mistakes in our customs and manners on the part of Henry; some too close adherences to them on the side of William. Their different characters, when boys, were preserved when they became men: Henry still retained that natural simplicity which his early destiny had given him; he wondered still at many things he saw and heard, and at times would venture to give his opinion, contradict, and even act in opposition to persons whom long experience and the approbation of the world had placed in situations which claimed his implicit reverence and submission. Unchanged in all his boyish graces, young William, now a man, was never known to infringe upon the statutes of good-breeding; even though sincerity, his own free will, duty to his neighbour, with many other plebeian virtues and privileges, were the sacrifice. William inherited all the pride and ambition of the dean--Henry, all his father's humility. And yet, so various and extensive is the acceptation of the word pride, that, on some occasions, Henry was proud even beyond his cousin. He thought it far beneath his dignity ever to honour, or contemplate with awe, any human being in whom he saw numerous failings. Nor would he, to ingratiate himself into the favour of a man above him, stoop to one servility, such as the haughty William daily practised. "I know I am called proud," one day said William to Henry. "Dear cousin," replied Henry, "it must be only, then, by those who do not know you; for to me you appear the humblest creature in the world." "Do you really think so?" "I am certain of it; or would you always give up your opinion to that of persons in a superior state, however inferior in their understanding? Would else their weak judgment immediately change yours, though, before, you had been decided on the opposite side? Now, indeed, cousin, I have more pride than you; for I never will stoop to act or to speak contrary to my feelings." "Then you will never be a great man." "Nor ever desire it, if I must first be a mean one." There was in the reputation of these two young men ano
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57  
58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
William
 

cousin

 

opinion

 

persons

 

called

 

nephew

 
practised
 

brother

 

embraced

 
replied

contemplate

 

honour

 

beneath

 

dignity

 
numerous
 

misfortunes

 

servility

 
favour
 

failings

 

admonished


ingratiate

 

haughty

 
humblest
 

contrary

 

decided

 

opposite

 
feelings
 

reputation

 
desire
 
superior

creature

 

inferior

 

judgment

 

immediately

 

change

 

understanding

 

equally

 

venture

 

passed

 
manhood

contradict
 

literature

 

application

 

things

 
studious
 

interim

 

approbation

 
CHAPTER
 

situations

 

experience