Pagina 192 de 734

And for this reason their givings are not Liberal, inasmuch as

they are not honourable, nor purely disinterested, nor done in

right fashion; but they oftentimes make those rich who should be

poor, and to those who are quiet respectable kind of people they

will give nothing, but to flatterers, or those who subserve their

pleasures in any way, they will give much. And therefore most of

them are utterly devoid of self-restraint; for as they are

open-handed they are liberal in expenditure upon the unrestrained

gratification of their passions, and turn off to their pleasures

because they do not live with reference to what is honourable.

Thus then the Prodigal, if unguided, slides into these faults;

but if he could get care bestowed on him he might come to the

mean and to what is right.