VANITY
The man of vanity, a bag of gas,
Prefers associates empty as himself,
And while he lives and bloats on others' breath,
Sells puffs to purchase a return of puffs;
And while he courts esteem , by vapid praise
From those he aims to cheat, gets counterfeit.
Vain man! So prone to mingle with the world
For fond display of what he means for wit,
While comrades, for amusement, urge him on
By flattery and simulated praise,
By draughts that warm the blood and loose the tongue.
Poor man! He has no relish for his home;
No appetite for labor or repose;
No rest, save when he roves in search of news;
No peace of heart, except in feuds and strife;
No joy more sweet than giving others grief;
Great pride in vilifying modest worth;
Great greatness, grossly great at little tricks;
Great cunning which deceives himself alone.
Their language what? And what their themes and thoughts?
As frivolous as fleeting phantasies
That vex us half awake and half asleep,
Unworthy of the thoughts of worthy men.
Rev. Anthanasius Aud 1884
Rev. Aud was pastor of St. Lawrence Church in Daviess Co. KY from 1845-1846. He wrote a book of poems that was printed in 1884 when he was eighty years old. I wrote a little history book of the church and its people, and published it in 1998. I included some of his poems as part of the history.
My ancestors (Bowles) came from the Bardstown, KY area around 1816 and settled here where I live now in eastern Daviess Co, and were some of the first Catholic settlers to establish homesteads here. One of the oldest graves in the St. Lawrence cemetery is one of my ancestors Mrs. J (James or John) Bowlds buried in 1829. The first church was built out of logs in 1831. Before that, the missionary priests would stop by about twice a year, having traveled down trails along the river on horseback, and stopping by little communities while holding services in their homes.
I was reading through some of the poems, and noticed how little the behavior of the proud, arrogant, and vain men (mostly men, although women have joined these ranks) has changed. Just flip over to FOX news network, or tune in to a conservative talk radio host, and see if you see any parallels. "No rest, save when he roves in search of news; No peace of heart, except in feuds and strife; No joy more sweet than giving others grief; Great greatness, grossly great at little tricks; Great cunning which deceives himself alone."
