oon as they are learned, while to know others it is not enough to have
learned them, for our knowledge slips away from us unless it be kept
up--I allude to geometry and astronomy, and such other sciences as are
Hard to remember because of their intricacy--so the greatness of some
benefits prevents their being forgotten, while others, individually
less, though many more in number, and bestowed at different times, pass
from our minds, because, as I have stated above, we do not constantly
think about them, and do not willingly recognize how much we owe to each
of our benefactors. Listen to the words of those who ask for favours.
There is not one of them who does not declare that his remembrance will
be eternal, who does not vow himself your devoted servant and slave, or
find, if he can, some even greater expression of humility with which to
pledge himself. After a brief space of time these same men avoid
their former expressions, thinking them abject, and scarcely befitting
free-born men; afterwards they arrive at the same point to which, as
I suppose, the worst and most ungrateful of men come--that is, they
forget. So little does forgetfulness excuse ingratitude, that even the
remembrance of a benefit may leave us ungrateful.

VI. The question has been raised, whether this most odious vice ought to
go unpunished; and whether the law commonly made use of in the schools,
by which we can proceed against a man for ingratitude, ought to be
adopted by the State also, since all men agree that it is just. "Why
not?" you may say, "seeing that even cities cast in each other's teeth
the services which they have performed to one another, and demand from
the children some return for benefits conferred upon their fathers?" On
the other hand, our ancestors, who were most admirable men, made demands
upon their enemies alone, and both gave and lost their benefits with
magnanimity. With the exception of Macedonia, no nation has ever
established an action at law for ingratitude. And this is a strong
argument against its being established, because all agree in blaming
crime; and homicide, poisoning, parricide, and sacrilege are visited
with different penalties in different countries, but everywhere with
some penalty; whereas this most common vice is nowhere punished, though
it is everywhere blamed. We do not acquit it; but as it would be most
difficult to reckon accurately the penalty for so varying a matter, we
condemn it only to be hated, a