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And the mean state having no proper name the extremes seem to

dispute for it as unoccupied ground: but of course where there is

excess and defect there must be also the mean. And in point of

fact, men do grasp at Honour more than they should, and less, and

sometimes just as they ought; for instance, this state is

praised, being a mean state in regard of Honour, but without any

appropriate name. Compared with what is called Ambition it shows

like a want of love for Honour, and compared with this it shows

like Ambition, or compared with both, like both faults: nor is

this a singular case among the virtues. Here the extreme

characters appear to be opposed, because the mean has no name

appropriated to it.

Chapter VII.

Meekness is a mean state, having for its object-matter Anger: and

as the character in the mean has no name, and we may almost say

the same of the extremes, we give the name of Meekness (leaning

rather to the defect, which has no name either) to the character

in the mean.