28. To give counsel to the fool is of charity; to the wise, of ostentation; to Wisdom itself, of perversity.—To give counsel to the fool is of charity; to give it to the wise, of ostentation; but to give it to Wisdom itself, of perversity. And because those whom we said kept the appearance of heretics served, by their speech, ostentation rather than usefulness, it is still rightly added against Bildad: 'Everyone whose prudence is right is not manifold,' because, according to Paul's word, he does not desire to be wise more than it behooves to be wise (Rom. XII, 3). But he whose is manifold is not right, because while it is stretched beyond measure, it is turned aside into the fault of one side or another. But they show their prudence to be manifold who desire to seem more prudent than others.
Whence it very often happens that, when they do not know how to be wise with moderation, they even speak foolish things. On which account the very excess of prudence is subjoined, so that it is said: