Moreover, being indifferent to
nobility of conduct, they are careless how they get their money, and take it from
anywhere; their desire is to give, and they do not mind how or where they get the means of
giving.
1.
[
35]
Hence even
their giving is not really liberal: their gifts are not noble, nor given for the nobility
of giving, nor in the right way; on the contrary, sometimes they make men rich who ought
to be poor, and will not give anything to the worthy, while heaping gifts on flatterers
and others who minister to their pleasures. Hence most prodigal men are also profligate;
for as they spend their money freely, some of it is squandered in debauchery; and having
no high moral standard they readily yield to the temptation of pleasure.
1.
[
36]
This then is what the prodigal comes to if he is not brought under discipline; but if he
is taken in hand, he may attain the due mean and the right scale of liberality. 1.
[37]
Meanness on the contrary is
incurable; for we see that it can be caused by old age or any form of weakness. Also it is
more ingrained in man's nature than Prodigality; the mass of mankind are avaricious rather
than open-handed. 1.
[38]
Moreover Meanness is a far-reaching vice, and one of varied aspect: it appears to take
several shapes. For as it consists in two things, deficiency in giving and excess in
getting, it is not found in its entirety in every case, but sometimes the two forms occur
separately,