第562页 / 共734页

It is the same with honours and offices; all these things he will

give up to his friend, because this reflects honour and praise on

himself: and so with good reason is he esteemed a fine character

since he chooses the honourable before all things else. It is

possible also to give up the opportunities of action to a friend;

and to have caused a friend's doing a thing may be more noble

than having done it one's self.

In short, in all praiseworthy things the good man does plainly

give to himself a larger share of the honourable. In this sense

it is right to be Self-loving, in the vulgar acceptation of the

term it is not.

Chapter IX.

A question is raised also respecting the Happy man, whether he

will want Friends, or no?