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And for a man to be such that he would feel Shame if he should do

anything disgraceful, and to think that this constitutes him a

good man, is absurd: because Shame is felt at voluntary actions

only, and a good man will never voluntarily do what is base.

True it is, that Shame may be good on a certain supposition, as

"if a man should do such things, he would feel Shame:" but then

the Virtues are good in themselves, and not merely in supposed

cases. And, granted that impudence and the not being ashamed to

do what is disgraceful is base, it does not the more follow that

it is good for a man to do such things and feel Shame.

Nor is Self-Control properly a Virtue, but a kind of mixed state:

however, all about this shall be set forth in a future Book.

BOOK V

Chapter I.