o gain which was once the limit of his
wildest hope; no one is thankful for becoming tribune, but grumbles at
not being at once promoted to the post of praetor; nor is he grateful
for this if the consulship does not follow; and even this does not
satisfy him if he be consul but once. His greed ever stretches itself
out further, and he does not understand the greatness of his success
because he always looks forward to the point at which he aims, and never
back towards that from which he started.

XXVIII. A more violent and distressing vice than any of these is
jealousy which disturbs us by suggesting comparisons. "He gave me this,
but he gave more to that man, and he gave it to him before me;" after
which he sympathises with no one, but pushes his own claims to the
prejudice of every one else. How much more straightforward and modest
is it to make the most of what we have received, knowing that no man is
valued so highly by any one else as by his own, self! "I ought to have
received more, but it was not easy for him to give more; he was obliged
to distribute his liberality among many persons. This is only the
beginning; let me be contented, and by my gratitude encourage him to
show me more favour; he has not done as much as he ought, but he will
do so the more frequently; he certainly preferred that man to me, but he
has preferred me before many others; that man is not my equal either in
virtue or in services, but he has some charm of his own: by complaining
I shall not make myself deserve to receive more, but shall become
unworthy of what I have received. More has been given to those most
villainous men than has been given to me; well, what is that to the
purpose? how seldom does Fortune show judgment in her choice? We
complain every day of the success of bad men; very often the hail passes
over the estates of the greatest villains and strikes down the crops of
the best of men; every man has to take his chance, in friendship as well
as in everything else." There is no benefit so great that spitefulness
can pick no holes in it, none so paltry that it cannot be made more of
by friendly interpretation. We shall never want a subject for complaint
if we look at benefits on their wrong side.

XXIX. See how unjustly the gifts of heaven are valued even by some who
profess themselves philosophers, who complain that we are not as big
as elephants, as swift as stags, as light as birds, as strong as bulls;
that the skins of seals