道德文集 第 3 章

ON REPELLING VAINGLORY. I. There are many kinds of vices by which human frailty is assailed, and by whose wounds almost all men are injured. For, to say a few things out of many others: he who is overcome by anger gives himself over to slaughter, to homicide, to clamour and sedition. Another, who is driven by avarice, practises inhumanity, rapacity, false testimony, violence, perjury, theft, lying and fraud. Another, who is defiled by lust, succumbs to filthy speech, to mockeries, to buffooneries, to adulteries and fornications. Another, who is overcome by the gluttony of the gullet, gives himself over to banqueting, to drunkenness, to inebriation.

And so as not to pursue many things which it would be far too long to mention, since they are found in individual men: there is among all these one disease which subjects to its condition not certain men singly, but all men collectively; and whereas the other vices claim for themselves piecemeal those whom they have conquered, this one alone is content to dominate over none but all. And this is the empty zeal for praise, which the Greeks call kenodoxia, the Latins call vainglory or boasting. What kind of evil this is, and how it wounds all men, I shall tell. II. Although among all the pursuits of this life some please the human race more, some less, nothing more delightful is sought by every man than the pursuit of human praise.

And other things indeed, although acquired by the ambition of the most ardent desire, yet after they have begun to be possessed, by the very daily use of them, however great they may be, are at once loathed. But this empty desire for vainglory is the more sought after, the more it has been found: so that man desires nothing out of all his work more than to be praised; nor does he reckon anything else more pleasing to be rendered to him, than if someone has admired him as though he were glorious. This therefore kings, this judges, this townsmen, this country folk, this men, this women, boys, adolescents, young men and old men strive after. All wish to be praised, even though they be praised falsely.

For boys claim for themselves the talent of adolescents, adolescents falsely attribute to themselves the strength of young men, young men ascribe to themselves the prudence of their elders: old men, because they cannot go further, turning back, demand glory for themselves from past deeds; women, although by their sex they cannot, yet in spirit exalt themselves with manliness; country folk yearn to be seen as townsmen; judges seek for themselves to be granted what belongs to kings; kings dream that they can do what God can. And thus, while each one wishes to be seen as greater than he is, they have plundered, in hostile fashion, the glory of praise which is truly owed to God alone.

And, what pertains to the highest impiety, from this arises that blasphemous sacrilege, that because man snatches away the whole of what is praise, nothing else is left to God but reproach alone. The human race has exceeded its measures, while you will find no one who does not wish himself to be admired as God. What limit then can there be for such people, by whom even heaven has been pledged, to whose height no one attains unless he be humble? III. But for these by whom that which is from on high is usurped, as it seems to me, nothing else remains but hell. For they have nowhere to ascend; because, always ascending, this alone remains for them, that they should descend. For all run toward glory, yet not by one road;

for some desire praise from the honours they have received, others from those they have left behind; some, lifted up by gold, others glory in the meanest rag; one, because he lives luxuriously, wishes to please, another because he lives frugally; finally, one through vices, another through virtues. All everywhere strive to prolong their own fame: and therefore the cure of this boasting is most difficult, because it mingles itself not only with vices, but even with virtues. For it does not allow a man to be discerned by himself for what he is; because, while he rejoices in the praises of others, his exaltation follows that joy, and from his exaltation follow swelling and an excessive estimation of himself, since indeed he esteems more in himself than what he sees. And so it comes about that we are wretched not only through the flattery of others, but also through our own:

for, being led on, no one confesses to himself about himself what is true; he hangs his glory upon the opinion of another; and when he is called blessed, magnificent, powerful, he believes it not because it is so of himself, but because it is so said. For this is that deadly vice of which the Lord in the Gospel speaks thus to the Jews: 'How,' he says, 'can you believe, who receive glory from one another, and do not seek the glory which is from God alone?' (John 5:44). For the Lord showed that whoever seeks glory from men has nothing to expect from God. Whence also he says that of the hypocrites who give alms: 'Therefore they do this, that they may be glorified by men. Amen I say to you, they have received their reward' (Matt. 6:2);

that is, only human praise in the present. The Apostle Paul also admonishes us: 'Let us not,' he says, 'become desirous of vainglory' (Gal. 5:26). Calling that glory empty which the beggar lends out beggarly. Calling empty and void that by which, if any good is done, while a man attributes it to himself, he empties out the fruit of all his labours. IV. And not only does it exclude the merits of the virtues, but the man is also made liable to eternal punishment: because a good work which ought to have been performed by reason of God who commands it, is performed for the sake of acquiring praise. Take away human favours, take away human admiration, and you will find few who accomplish anything good either out of love of God or (if this be lacking) out of fear.

Whence no lighter fault defiles us, in that we prefer men to God, and human glory to heavenly glory. This disease of self-exaltation is exceedingly keen: it spreads its pestilence from both sides, and ulcerates the unwary. For some glory in themselves because they are good; others because they are evil. But of the good who are puffed up it is said: 'For God has scattered the bones of those who please themselves' (Ps. 53:6). But of the evil who are inflated it is said: 'For the sinner is praised in the desires of his soul, and he who does iniquity is blessed' (Ps. 10:3). And that apostolic word: 'Whose god is the belly, and their glory is in their confusion' (Phil. 3:19). V. For everywhere this vice of boasting creeps in, and on both sides exercises its parts.

But if divine authority condemns those who, living in good works, hunt after human glory, for the reason that in those works they wished rather to be praised than God; what shall become of those who both live wickedly and yet wish to be praised? Let them consider this for themselves. There is therefore no end to vainglory: nor does it require only the things that have been done, but also anticipates the things to be done. For if any good work is intended by someone, immediately it plays alongside; and it already depicts how admirable he becomes to others on account of it. If he has wished to teach anyone aright, before he is called learned or most eloquent by others, his ears already itch to hear this from the delight of presumed reputation.

If at some time letters are addressed to a friend, before they are sent off, or reach the hands of him for whom they are written, how learned he may appear in them in that man's eyes, and how much admiration may arise for him through certain passages of his composition, he foresees with a certain shrewd calculation of his own commendation. If in a place of need a benefit is promptly bestowed on someone, before he receives it, the one who furnishes it measures how kindly or how very generous he may appear to all because of it. The soldier, finally, having taken up arms, advances to battle; while as yet it is not known to whom victory will yield, with a presumed arrogance of his own valour, so puffed-up, he enters as though already victor.

Self-exaltation therefore goes before in some men, and like a kind of leader urges on all. Nor does it give spirit only to the great, but also to the small. For in any attempt at work or burden, however feeble, the moment you have praised him, he will have more strength. If you seem to admire one carrying but a little weight, he submits to a greater. If you tell the sluggish man that he is swift, he will at once fly off. Finally, even to him to whom vainglory could not give strength, it has at least lent impetus. And so therefore it precedes some things and follows others: so that unless one circumspectly guards against it in all his work, nothing of all his work profits God, nothing profits his neighbour, nothing finally profits even himself; but, like an unhappy slave under a domineering mistress, however much he labours, he is yet always naked. VI.

But someone will say to me: 'Then nothing of charity, nothing of mercy, nothing finally of what we have done, will be credited to anyone's goodness?' Boldly I will say: nothing. Because vainglory claims for its own emptiness whatever has been accomplished not by goodness, but by its command. There are many things that might be said about this contagion; but because its manifold subtlety can now shine clearly to a wise man through these few judgments, I shall now pass on to what remains, and unfold what other, worse thing is generated from this evil.