Pagina 182 di 734

Again. Whatever things are for use may be used well or ill, and

Wealth belongs to this class. He uses each particular thing best

who has the virtue to whose province it belongs: so that he will

use Wealth best who has the virtue respecting Wealth, that is to

say, the Liberal man.

Expenditure and giving are thought to be the using of money, but

receiving and keeping one would rather call the possessing of it.

And so the giving to proper persons is more characteristic of the

Liberal man, than the receiving from proper quarters and

forbearing to receive from the contrary. In fact generally, doing

well by others is more characteristic of virtue than being done

well by, and doing things positively honourable than forbearing

to do things dishonourable; and any one may see that the doing

well by others and doing things positively honourable attaches to

the act of giving, but to that of receiving only the being done

well by or forbearing to do what is dishonourable.