sees well that nature is corrupt, and that men are averse to
virtue; but he does not know why they cannot fly higher.

449

_Order._--After _Corruption_ to say: "It is right that all those who are
in that state should know it, both those who are content with it, and
those who are not content with it; but it is not right that all should
see Redemption."

450

If we do not know ourselves to be full of pride, ambition, lust,
weakness, misery, and injustice, we are indeed blind. And if, knowing
this, we do not desire deliverance, what can we say of a man...?

What, then, can we have but esteem for a religion which knows so well
the defects of man, and desire for the truth of a religion which
promises remedies so desirable?

451

All men naturally hate one another. They employ lust as far as possible
in the service of the public weal. But this is only a [_pretence_] and a
false image of love; for at bottom it is only hate.

452

To pity the unfortunate is not contrary to lust. On the contrary, we can
quite well give such evidence of friendship, and acquire the reputation
of kindly feeling, without giving anything.

453

From lust men have found and extracted excellent rules of policy,
morality, and justice; but in reality this vile root of man, this
_figmentum malum_,[171] is only covered, it is not taken away.

454

_Injustice._--They have not found any other means of satisfying lust
without doing injury to others.

455

Self is hateful. You, Miton, conceal it; you do not for that reason
destroy it; you are, then, always hateful.

--No; for in acting as we do to oblige everybody, we give no more
occasion for hatred of us.--That is true, if we only hated in Self the
vexation which comes to us from it. But if I hate it because it is
unjust, and because it makes itself the centre of everything, I shall
always hate it.

In a word, the Self has two qualities: it is unjust in itself since it
makes itself the centre of everything; it is inconvenient to others
since it would enslave them; for each Self is the enemy, and would like
to be the tyrant of all others. You take away its inconvenience, but not
its injustice, and so you do not render it lovable to those who hate
injustice; you render it lovable only to the unjust, who do not any
longer find in it an enemy. And thus you remain unjust, and can please
only the unjust.

456

It is a perverted judgment that makes every one place himse