nasmuch as men seldom live as reason dictates, therefore these two
emotions, humility and repentance, together with hope and fear, are
productive of more profit than disadvantage, and therefore, since men
must sin, it is better that they should sin in this way. For if men
impotent in mind were all equally proud, were ashamed of nothing, and
feared nothing, by what bonds could they be united or constrained? The
multitude becomes a thing to be feared if it has nothing to fear. It is
not to be wondered at, therefore, that the prophets, thinking rather of
the good of the community than of a few, should have commended so
greatly humility, repentance and reverence. Indeed, those who are
subject to these emotions can be led much more easily than others, so
that, at last, they come to live according to the guidance of reason,
that is to say, become free men, and enjoy the life of the blessed.

(ii)

Pity is sorrow, and therefore is in itself evil. The good, however,
which issues from pity, namely, that we endeavor to free from misery the
man we pity, we desire to do from the dictate of reason alone; nor can
we do anything except by the dictate of reason alone, which we are sure
is good. Pity, therefore, in a man who lives according to the guidance
of reason is in itself bad and unprofitable.

Hence it follows that a man who lives according to the dictates of
reason endeavors as much as possible to prevent himself from being
touched by pity.

The man who has properly understood that everything follows from the
necessity of the divine nature, and comes to pass according to the
eternal laws and rules of Nature, will in truth discover nothing which
is worthy of hatred, laughter, or contempt, nor will he pity any one,
but, so far as human virtue is able, he will endeavor to _do well_, as
we say, and to _rejoice_. We must add also, that a man who is easily
touched by the emotion of pity, and is moved by the misery or tears of
another, often does something of which he afterward repents, both
because from an emotion we do nothing which we certainly know to be
good, and also because we are so easily deceived by false tears. But
this I say expressly of the man who lives according to the guidance of
reason. For he who is moved neither by reason nor pity to be of any
service to others is properly called inhuman; for he seems to be unlike
a man.

VI

_Diseased Emotions_

The primary foundation of virtue is the preservation of o