It is said of Marcus Brutus, that before killing1 himself, he pronounced these words: “Oh, Virtue2! I believed that thou wert something, but thou art only a vile3 phantom4!”
Thou wast right, Brutus, if thou madest virtue consist in being the chief of a party, and the assassin of thy benefactor5, of thy father, Julius C?sar. Hadst thou made virtue to consist only in doing good to those who depended on thee, thou wouldst not have called it a phantom, or have killed thyself in despair.
I am very virtuous6, says a miserable7 excrement8 of theology. I possess the four cardinal9 virtues10, and the three theological ones. An honest man asks him: What are the cardinal virtues? The other answers: They are fortitude11, prudence12, temperance, and justice.
honest man.
If thou art just, thou hast said all. Thy fortitude, prudence, and temperance are useful qualities: if thou possessest them, so much the better for thee; but if thou art just, so much the better for others. It is not sufficient to be just, thou shouldst be beneficent; this is being truly cardinal. And thy theological virtues, what are they?
theologian.
Faith, hope, and charity.
honest man.
Is there virtue in believing? If that which thou believest seems to thee to be true, there is no merit in believing it; if it seems to thee to be false, it is impossible for thee to believe it.
Hope should no more be a virtue than fear; we fear and we hope, according to what is promised or threatened us. As to charity, is it not that which the Greeks and Romans understood by humanity — love of your neighbor? This love is nothing, if it does not act; beneficence is therefore the only true virtue.
theologian.
What a fool! Yes, truly, I shall trouble myself to serve men, if I get nothing in return! Every trouble merits payment. I pretend to do no good action, except to insure myself paradise.
Quis enim virtutem amplectitur, ipsam
Pr?mia si tollas?
— Juvenal, sat. x.
For, if the gain you take away,
To virtue who will homage13 pay!
honest man.
Ah, good sir, that is to say, that if you did not hope for paradise, or fear hell, you would never do a good action. You quote me lines from Juvenal, to prove to me that you have only your interest in view. Racine could at least show you, that even in this world we might find our recompense, while waiting for a better:
Quel plaisir de penser, et de dire14 en vous-même,
Partout en ce moment on me bénit, on m’aime!
On ne voit point le peuple à mon nom s’alarmer;
Le ciel dans tous leurs pleurs ne m’entend point nommer,
Leur sombre inimitie ne fuit point mon visage;
Je vois voler partout les c?urs à mon passage.
Tels étaient vos plaisirs.
— Racine, Britannicus, act iv, sc. ii.
How great his pleasure who can justly say,
All at this moment either bless or love me;
The people at my name betray no fear,
Nor in their plaints does heaven e’er hear of me!
Their enmity ne’er makes them fly my presence,
But every heart springs out at my approach!
Such were your pleasures!
Believe me, doctor, there are two things which deserve to be loved for themselves — God and Virtue.
theologian.
Ah, sir! you are a Fénelonist.
honest man.
Yes, doctor.
theologian.
I will inform against you at the tribunal of Meaux.
honest man.
Go, and inform!
§ II.
What is virtue? Beneficence towards your neighbor. Can I call virtue anything but that which does good! I am indigent15, thou art liberal. I am in danger, thou succorest me. I am deceived, thou tellest me the truth. I am neglected, thou consolest me. I am ignorant, thou teachest me. I can easily call thee virtuous, but what will become of the cardinal and theological virtues? Some will remain in the schools.
What signifies it to me whether thou art temperate16? It is a precept17 of health which thou observest; thou art the better for it; I congratulate thee on it. Thou hast faith and hope; I congratulate thee still more; they will procure18 thee eternal life. Thy theological virtues are celestial19 gifts; thy cardinal ones are excellent qualities, which serve to guide thee; but they are not virtues in relation to thy neighbor. The prudent20 man does himself good; the virtuous one does it to other men. St. Paul was right in telling thee, that charity ranks above faith and hope.
But how! wilt21 thou admit of no other virtues than those which are useful to thy neighbor? How can I admit any others? We live in society; there is therefore nothing truly good for us but that which does good to society. An hermit22 will be sober, pious23, and dressed in sackcloth: very well; he will be holy; but I will not call him virtuous until he shall have done some act of virtue by which men may have profited. While he is alone, he is neither beneficent nor the contrary; he is nobody to us. If St. Bruno had made peace in families, if he had assisted the indigent, he had been virtuous; having fasted and prayed in solitude24, he is only a saint. Virtue between men is a commerce of good actions: he who has no part in this commerce, must not be reckoned. If this saint were in the world, he would doubtless do good, but while he is not in the world, we have no reason to give him the name of virtuous: he will be good for himself, and not for us.
But, say you, if an hermit is gluttonous25, drunken, given up to a secret debauch26 with himself, he is vicious; he is therefore virtuous, if he has the contrary qualities. I cannot agree to this: he is a very vile man, if he has the faults of which you speak; but he is not vicious, wicked, or punishable by society, to which his infamies27 do no harm. It may be presumed, that if he re-enters society, he will do evil to it; he then will be very vicious; and it is even more probable that he will be a wicked man, than it is certain that the other temperate and chaste28 hermit will be a good man; for in society faults augment29, and good qualities diminish.
A much stronger objection is made to me: Nero, Pope Alexander VI., and other monsters of the kind, have performed good actions. I reply boldly, that they were virtuous at the time. Some theologians say, that the divine Emperor Antoninus was not virtuous; that he was an infatuated Stoic30, who, not content with commanding men, would further be esteemed31 by them; that he gave himself credit for the good which he did to mankind; that he was all his life just, laborious32, beneficent, through vanity; and that he only deceived men by his virtues. To which I exclaim: My God! often send us such knaves33!
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
killing
|
|
| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
virtue
|
|
| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
vile
|
|
| adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
phantom
|
|
| n.幻影，虚位，幽灵；adj.错觉的，幻影的，幽灵的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
benefactor
|
|
| n. 恩人，行善的人，捐助人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
virtuous
|
|
| adj.有品德的，善良的，贞洁的，有效力的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
miserable
|
|
| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
excrement
|
|
| n.排泄物，粪便 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
cardinal
|
|
| n.(天主教的)红衣主教；adj.首要的，基本的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
virtues
|
|
| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
fortitude
|
|
| n.坚忍不拔；刚毅 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
prudence
|
|
| n.谨慎，精明，节俭 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
homage
|
|
| n.尊敬，敬意，崇敬 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
dire
|
|
| adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
indigent
|
|
| adj.贫穷的，贫困的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
temperate
|
|
| adj.温和的，温带的，自我克制的，不过分的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
precept
|
|
| n.戒律；格言 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
procure
|
|
| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
celestial
|
|
| adj.天体的；天上的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
prudent
|
|
| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
wilt
|
|
| v.(使)植物凋谢或枯萎；(指人)疲倦，衰弱 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
hermit
|
|
| n.隐士，修道者；隐居 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
pious
|
|
| adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
solitude
|
|
| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
gluttonous
|
|
| adj.贪吃的，贪婪的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
debauch
|
|
| v.使堕落，放纵 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
infamies
|
|
| n.声名狼藉( infamy的名词复数 )；臭名；丑恶；恶行 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
chaste
|
|
| adj.贞洁的；有道德的；善良的；简朴的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
augment
|
|
| vt.(使)增大，增加，增长，扩张 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
stoic
|
|
| n.坚忍克己之人，禁欲主义者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
esteemed
|
|
| adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 )；敬重；认为；以为 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
laborious
|
|
| adj.吃力的，努力的，不流畅 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
knaves
|
|
| n.恶棍，无赖( knave的名词复数 )；（纸牌中的）杰克 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |