This older wording was folded into the complete canonical item below.
There neither is nor ever was any person remarkably ungrateful who was not also insufferably proud; for as snakes breed on dunghills, not singly, but in knots, so in such base hearts you always find pride and ingratitude twisted together. Ingratitude overlooks all kindness, but it is because pride makes it carry its head so high. In a word, ingratitude is too base to return a kindness, too proud to regard it, but yet the tops of mountains, barren indeed, but yet lofty; they produce nothing; they fear nobody; 114 SERMON ILLUSTRATIONS they clothe nobody; yet are high and stately, and look down upon all the world.
The point
Robert South illustrates how pride and ingratitude are inevitably linked, using snakes breeding on dunghills and barren mountains that look down on everything to show that ingratitude springs from pride.
Alternate wording
Ingratitude, Pride and106 words
There neither is nor ever was any eee remarkably ungrateful who was not also insufferably proud ; for as snakes breed on dunghills, not singly, but in knots, so in such base hearts you always find pride and ingratitude twisted together, Ingratitude overlooks all kindness, but it is because pride makes it carry its head so high. In a word, ingratitude is too base to return a kindness, too proud to regard it, much like the tops of mountains, barren indeed, but yet lofty; they produce nothing; they feed nobody; they clothe nobody; yet are high and stately, and look down upon all the world. South.