these two passions, for hatred abandons neither the fortunate nor unfortunate, whereas envy is mitigated in the extreme of either fortune. Sec. VII. Let as look at the same again from opposite points of view. Men put an end to their enmity and hatred, either if persuaded they have not been wronged, or if they come round to the view that those they hated are good men and not bad, or thirdly if they receive a kindness. For, as Thucydides says, the last favour conferred, even though a smaller one, if it be seasonable, outweighs a greater offence.[766] Yet the persuasion that they have not been wronged does not put an end to envy, for people envy although absolutely persuaded that they have not been wronged; and the two other cases actually increase envy; for people look with an evil eye even more on those they think good, as having virtue, which is the greatest blessing; and if they are treated kindly by the prosperous it grieves them, for they envy both their will and power to do kindnesses, the former proceeding from their goodness, the latter from their prosperity, but both being blessings. Thus envy is a passion altogether different from hatred, seeing that what abates the one pains and exasperates the other. Sec. VIII. Let us now look at the intent of each of these passions. The intent of the person who hates is to do as much harm as he can, so they define hatred to be a disposition and intent on the watch for an opportunity to do harm. But this is altogether foreign to envy.[767] For those who envy their relations and friends would not wish them to come to ruin, or fall into calamity, but are only annoyed at their prosperity; and would hinder, if they could, their glory and renown, but they would not bring upon them irremediable misfortunes: they are content to remove, as in the case of a lofty house, what stands in their light. [762] [Greek: allos] MSS. Wyttenbach [Greek: allon]. Malo [Greek: allois]. [763] So Wyttenbach. [764] Homer, "Iliad," ii. 220. [765] So Wyttenbach. The reading in this passage is very doubtful. [766] Thucydides, i. 42. [767] Reading [Greek: apestin holos. Oi gar phthonountes]. What can be made of [Greek: pollous] here? HOW ONE CAN PRAISE ONESELF WITHOUT EXCITING ENVY. Sec. I. To speak to other people about one's own importance or ability, Herculanus, is universally declared to be tiresome and illiberal, but in fact not many even of those who censure it avoid its unpleasantness. Thus Euripides, though he says, "If words had to be bought by human beings, No one would wish to trumpet his own praises. But since one can get words _sans_ any payment From lofty ether, everyone delights In speaking truth or falsehood of himself, For he can do it with impunity;"