his world and the next."

CHAPTER VIII

Of the Duties of Society

I

Riches are intended for the comfort of life, and not life for the
purpose of hoarding riches. I asked a wise man, saying: "Who is the
fortunate man, and who is the unfortunate?" He said: "That man was
fortunate who spent and gave away, and that man unfortunate who died and
left behind:--Pray not for that good-for-nothing man who did nothing,
for he passed his life in hoarding riches, and did not spend them."

II

The prophet Moses, on whom be peace, _admonished Carum, saying: "Be
bounteous in like manner as God has been bounteous to thee_":--but he
listened not, and you have heard the end of him. Whoever did not an act
of charity with his silver and gold, sacrificed his future prospects on
his hoard of gold and silver. If desirous that thou shouldst benefit by
the wealth of this world, be generous with thy fellow-creature, as God
has been generous with thee.

The Arabs say:--"_Show thy generosity, but make it not obligatory, that
the benefit of it may redound to thee_":--that is, bestow and make
presents, but do not exact an obligation that the profit of that act may
be returned to you. Wherever the tree of generosity strikes root it
sends forth its boughs, and they shoot above the skies. If thou
cherishest a hope of enjoying its fruit, by gratitude I entreat of thee
not to lay a saw upon its trunk. Render thanks to God, that thou wert
found worthy of his divine grace, that he has not excluded thee from the
riches of his bounty. Esteem it no obligation that thou art serving the
king, but show thy gratitude to him, namely God, who has placed thee in
this service.

III

Two persons labored to a vain, and studied to an unprofitable end: he
who hoarded wealth and did not spend it, and he who acquired science and
did not practise it:--However much thou art read in theory, if thou hast
no practice thou art ignorant. He is neither a sage philosopher nor an
acute divine, but a beast of burden with a load of books. How can that
brainless head know or comprehend whether he carries on his back a
library or bundle of fagots?

IV

Learning is intended to fortify religious practice, and not to gratify
worldly traffic:--Whoever prostituted his temperance, piety, and
science, gathered his harvest into a heap and set fire to it.

V

An intemperate man of learning is like a blind link-boy:--_He shows the
road to others, but sees it not