the opposite of gratitude. See Gratitude.
Ingratitude is a crime so shameful, that there never was a man found who would own himself guilty of it; and, though too frequently practised, it is so abhorred by the general voice, that to an ungrateful person is imputed the guilt or the capability of all other crimes.
The ungrateful are neither fit to serve their Maker, their country, nor their friends.
Ingratitude perverts all the measures of religion and society, by making it dangerous to be charitable and good-natured. (See Gratitude). However, it is better to expose ourselves to ingratitude than to be wanting in charity and benevolence.
Great minds, like Heav'n, are pleas'd with doing good; Though the ungrateful subjects of their favours Are barren in return.
x. Ia 1. In a little work intitled Friendly Cautions to Officers, the following atrocious instance of ingratitude is related. An opulent city in the west of England, little used to have troops with them, had a regiment sent to be quartered there: the principal inhabitants and wealthiest merchants, glad to show their hospitality and attachment to their sovereign, took the first opportunity to get acquainted with the officers, inviting them to their houses, and showing them every civility in their power. This was truly a desirable situation. A merchant, extremely easy in his circumstances, took so prodigious a liking to one officer in particular, that he gave him an apartment in his own house, and made him in a manner absolute master of it, the officer's friends being always welcome to his table. The merchant was a widower, and had only two favourite daughters; the officer in so comfortable a station cast his wanton eyes upon them; and too fatally succeeding, ruined them both. Dreadful return to the merchant's misplaced friendship! The consequence of this ungenerous action was, that all officers ever after were flunned as a public nuisance, as a pest to society: nor have the inhabitants perhaps yet conquered their aversion to a red-coat.
2. We read in Rapin's History, that during Monmouth's rebellion, in the reign of James II., a certain person knowing the humane disposition of one Mrs Gaunt, whose life was one continued exercise of benevolence, fled to her house, where he was concealed and maintained for some time. Hearing, however, of the proclamation, which promised an indemnity and reward to those who discovered such as harboured the rebels, he betrayed his benefactress; and such was the spirit of justice and equity which prevailed among the ministers, that he was pardoned and compensated for his treachery, while she was burnt alive for her charity!
3. The following instance is also to be found in the same History.—Humphry Bannister and his father were both servants to and raised by the duke of Buckingham; who being driven to abscond, by an unfortunate accident befalling the army he had raised against the usurper Richard III., he without footman or page retired to Bannister's house near Shrewsbury, as to a place where he had all the reason in the world to expect security. Bannister, however, upon the king's proclamation promising 100l. reward to him that should apprehend the duke, betrayed his master to John Merton high sheriff of Shropshire, who sent him under a strong guard to Salisbury, where the king then was, and there in the market-place the duke was beheaded. But Divine vengeance pursued the traitor Bannister; for demanding the 100l. that was the price of his master's blood, King Richard refused to pay it him, saying, "He that would be false to so good a matter, ought not to be encouraged." He was afterwards hanged for manslaughter, his eldest son run mad and died in a hog-sty, his second became deformed and lame, and his third son was drowned in a small puddle of water. His eldest daughter was got with child by one of his carters, and his second was feigned with a leprosy whereof she died.—Hist. of Eng. 8vo. vol. i. p. 304.
The following barbarous instances are from ancient History.
4. When Xerxes king of Persia was at Celene, a city of Phrygia, Pythius, a Lydian, who had his residence in that city, and next to Xerxes was the most opulent prince of those times, entertained him and his whole army with an incredible magnificence, and made him an offer of all his wealth towards defraying the expences of his expedition. Xerxes, surprised and charmed at so generous an offer, had the curiosity to inquire to what a sum his riches amounted. Pythius made answer, that having the design of offering them to his service, he had taken an exact account of them, and that the silver he had by him amounted to 2000 talents (about 255,000l. Sterling), and the gold to 4,000,000 of daries (about 1,700,000l. Sterling), wanting 7000. All this money he offered him, telling him, that his revenue was sufficient for the support of his household. Xerxes made him very hearty acknowledgements, and entered into a particular friendship with him, but declined accepting his present. The same prince who had made such obliging offers to Xerxes, having desired a favour of him some time after, that out of his five sons who served in his army, he would be pleased to leave him the eldest, in order to be a comfort to him in his old age: the king was so enraged at the proposal, though so reasonable in itself, that he caused the eldest son to be killed before the eyes of his father, giving the latter to understand, that it was a favour he spared him and the rest of his children. Yet this is the same Xerxes who is so much admired for his humane reflection at the head of his numerous army, "That of so many thousand men, in 100 years time there would not be one remaining; on which account he could not forbear weeping at the uncertainty and instability of human things." He might have found another subject of reflection, which would have more justly merited his tears and affliction, had he turned his thoughts upon himself, and considered the reproaches he deserved for being the instrument of hastening the fatal term to millions of people, whom his cruel ambition was going to sacrifice in an unjust and unnecessary war.
5. Basilus Macedo the emperor, exercising himself in hunting, a sport he took great delight in, a great stag running furiously against him, fastened one of the branches of his horns in the emperor's girdle, and pulling him from his horse, dragged him a good distance, to the imminent danger of his life; which a gentleman of his retinue perceiving, drew his sword and cut the emperor's girdle asunder, which disengaged him from the beast, with little or no hurt to his person. But observe what reward he had for his pains: "He was sentenced to lose his head for putting his sword so near the body of the emperor;" and suffered death accordingly.