The Fable of the Bees; Or, Private Vices, Public BenefitsMandeville, Bernard
Philosophy
The Fable of the Bees; Or, Private Vices, Public Benefits
Mandeville, Bernard
Charity-schools -- Early works to 1800; Ethics -- Early works to 1800; Virtue -- Early works to 1800
been confirmed at Lloyd's coffee house, where it was thought sugars
would rise 25 per cent, by change-time. Decio returns to his friend,
and immediately resumes the discourse they had broke off at the tavern:
Alcander, who thinking himself sure of his chap, did not design to
have moved it till after dinner, was very glad to see himself so
happily prevented; but how desirous soever he was to sell, the other
was yet more eager to buy; yet both of them afraid of one another,
for a considerable time counterfeited all the indifference imaginable;
until at last, Decio fired with what he had heard, thought delays
might prove dangerous, and throwing a guinea upon the table, struck
the bargain at Alcander's price. The next day they went to London;
the news proved true, and Decio got five hundred pounds by his sugars,
Alcander, whilst he had strove to over-reach the other, was paid in his
own coin: yet all this is called fair dealing; but I am sure neither
of them would have desired to be done by, as they did to each other.
Line 101. The soldiers that were forc'd to fight,
If they surviv'd got honour by't.
So unaccountable is the desire to be thought well of in men, that
though they are dragged into the war against their will, and some
of them for their crimes, and are compelled to fight with threats,
and often blows, yet they would be esteemed for what they would have
avoided, if it had been in their power: whereas, if reason in man
was of equal weight with his pride, he could never be pleased with
praises, which he is conscious he does not deserve.
By honour, in its proper and genuine signification, we mean nothing
else but the good opinion of others, which is counted more or less
substantial, the more or less noise or bustle there is made about the
demonstration of it; and when we say the sovereign is the fountain of
honour, it signifies that he has the power, by titles or ceremonies,
or both together, to stamp a mark upon whom he pleases, that shall
be as current as his coin, and procure the owner the good opinion of
every body, whether he deserves it or not.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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