nt man
accomplishes it magnificently: for instance, things that are done
once, such as a wedding, or the like; or things that are of a lasting
nature; thus it belongs to a magnificent man to provide himself with
a suitable dwelling, as stated in _Ethic._ iv.

Reply Obj. 4: As the Philosopher says (Ethic. vi, 5) "there must
needs be a virtue of act," i.e. a moral virtue, whereby the appetite
is inclined to make good use of the rule of act: and this is what
magnificence does. Hence it is not an act but a virtue.
_______________________

SECOND ARTICLE [II-II, Q. 134, Art. 2]

Whether Magnificence Is a Special Virtue?

Objection 1: It seems that magnificence is not a special virtue. For
magnificence would seem to consist in doing something great. But it
may belong to any virtue to do something great, if the virtue be
great: as in the case of one who has a great virtue of temperance,
for he does a great work of temperance. Therefore, magnificence is
not a special virtue, but denotes a perfect degree of any virtue.

Obj. 2: Further, seemingly that which tends to a thing is the same as
that which does it. But it belongs to magnanimity to tend to
something great, as stated above (Q. 129, AA. 1, 2). Therefore it
belongs to magnanimity likewise to do something great. Therefore
magnificence is not a special virtue distinct from magnanimity.

Obj. 3: Further, magnificence seems to belong to holiness, for it is
written (Ex. 15:11): "Magnificent [Douay: 'glorious'] in holiness,"
and (Ps. 95:6): "Holiness and magnificence [Douay: 'Majesty'] in His
sanctuary." Now holiness is the same as religion, as stated above (Q.
81, A. 8). Therefore magnificence is apparently the same as religion.
Therefore it is not a special virtue, distinct from the others.

_On the contrary,_ The Philosopher reckons it with other special
virtues (Ethic. ii, 7; iv 2).

_I answer that,_ It belongs to magnificence to do (_facere_)
something great, as its name implies [* magnificence = _magna
facere_--i.e. to make great things]. Now _facere_ may be taken in two
ways, in a strict sense, and in a broad sense. Strictly _facere_
means to work something in external matter, for instance to make a
house, or something of the kind; in a broad sense _facere_ is
employed to denote any action, whether it passes into external
matter, as to burn or cut, or remain in the agent, as to understand
or will.

Accordingly if magnificence be taken to denote the doing of so