"A hungry pauper has just received a mess of pottage from the hands of benevolence; and two or three poor wretches, as hungry as himself, are craving part of it; but he is deaf to their solicitations, and steels his heart against their wants."
— Trusler, John (1735-1820)
Author
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for and published by the Rev. J. Trusler
Date
1790
Metaphor
"A hungry pauper has just received a mess of pottage from the hands of benevolence; and two or three poor wretches, as hungry as himself, are craving part of it; but he is deaf to their solicitations, and steels his heart against their wants."
Metaphor in Context
THIS Proverb has been generally misunderstood and misapplied. It has been conceived to allude to the folly of giving to others what we want ourselves; and covetous men have used it in justification of their own selfishness. We here see an instance of it. A hungry pauper has just received a mess of pottage from the hands of benevolence; and two or three poor wretches, as hungry as himself, are craving part of it; but he is deaf to their solicitations, and steels his heart against their wants. It is not that a man is expected to give away what he is going to eat, to any vagrant that may ask him; but there is a method of refusing an alms, that reflects no discredit on the refuser. Self-preservation is the first law of nature; and we are justifiable in providing food for ourselves and families; but that being done, a good christian, and one who can feel for the distresses of another, will naturally bestow a little of what he can spare, to those to whom Fortune has not been so bountiful as to himself. He who is poorest has always something to spare; and a cup of cold water, given in the spirit of charity, will mark the disposition of the giver. To take care of ourselves and families, and provide against an evil day, is certainly the duty of every man. In this sense charity may be said to begin at home. As a man should be just before he is generous, so should he be prudent before he is charitable: that is to say, there is no more room for a person in debt to be generous, than there is for him to be charitable, whilst his family is unprovided for. But, if charity, in this sense, should begin at home, it is not necessary it should end there also. The provision we are to make for ourselves is not to be boundless. When we enjoy fully the necessaries of life, and some of its comforts, we should be willing to contribute to the necessities of others; impart those comforts where we can, and not suffer our unlimited wants to be an excuse for uncharitableness.
(pp. 29-31)
(pp. 29-31)
Categories
Provenance
ECCO-TCP
Citation
Only 1 entry in ESTC (1790).
See Proverbs Exemplified, and Illustrated by Pictures from Real Life. Teaching Morality and a Knowledge of the World; With Prints. Designed As a Succession-Book to Æsop's Fables. ([London]: Printed for and published by the Rev. J. Trusler, and sold at the Literary-Press, and by all booksellers. London May, 1, 1790). <Link to ESTC><Link to ECCO-TCP>
See Proverbs Exemplified, and Illustrated by Pictures from Real Life. Teaching Morality and a Knowledge of the World; With Prints. Designed As a Succession-Book to Æsop's Fables. ([London]: Printed for and published by the Rev. J. Trusler, and sold at the Literary-Press, and by all booksellers. London May, 1, 1790). <Link to ESTC><Link to ECCO-TCP>
Date of Entry
03/12/2014
