11. Nothing so delights the faithful soul as the healthy consciousness of an unstained modesty.12    [Tertullian, vol. iv. pp. 74, 97, etc.] To have vanquished pleasure is the greatest pleasure; nor is there any greater victory than that which is gained over one’s desires. He who has conquered an enemy has been stronger, but it was stronger than another; he who has subdued lust has been stronger than himself. He who has overthrown an enemy has beaten a foreign foe; he who has cast down desire has vanquished a domestic adversary. Every evil is more easily conquered than pleasure; because, whatever it is, the former is repulsive, the latter is attractive. Nothing is crushed with such difficulty as that which is armed by it. He who gets rid of desires has got rid of fears also; for from desires come fears.  He who overcomes desires, triumphs over sin; he who overcomes desires, shows that the mischief of the human family lies prostrate under his feet; he who has overcome desires, has given to himself perpetual peace; he who has overcome desires, restores to himself liberty,—a most difficult matter even for noble natures.  Therefore we should always meditate, brethren, as these matters teach us, on chastity. That it may be the more easy, it is based upon no acquired skill. For the right will that is therein carried to perfection—which, were it not checked, is remote (scil. from our consciousness)—is still our will; so that it is not a will to be acquired, but that which is our own is to be cherished.13    This passage is allowed by all to be corrupt. If we were to punctuate differently, to insert “nisi” before “consummata,” and change “longe est” into “non deesset,” we get the following sense:  “Therefore we should always meditate, brethren, on chastity, as circumstances teach us, that it may be more easy for us. It depends on no arts; for what is it but perfected will, which, if it were not checked, would certainly not fail to arise? And it is our own will, too: therefore it has not to be acquired, but we have to cherish what is already our own.”

0825B XI. Nihil animum fidelem sic delectat, quam integra immaculati pudoris conscientia. Voluptatem vicisse, voluptas est maxima: nec ulla major est victoria, quam ea quae de cupiditatibus refertur. Qui hostem vicit, fortior fuit, sed altero; qui libidinem repressit, seipso fortior fuit: qui inimicum prostravit, externum hostem percussit; qui cupiditatem depressit, hostem domesticum superavit. Malum omne facilius vincitur quam voluptas: quia illud quicquid est, horridum est; hoc blandum est. Nihil tam difficile opprimitur, quam quod per illud armatur. Qui cupiditates tollit, et metus sustulit; nam ex cupiditatibus metus veniunt. Qui cupiditates vincit, de peccato triumphat: qui cupiditates vincit, malum generis humani sub pedibus suis jacere 0825C ostendit: qui cupiditates vicit, pacem sibi perpetuam dedit: qui cupiditates vicit, libertatem sibi, quod etiam est ingenuis difficillimum, reddit. Meditanda ergo nobis, fratres, ut res docent, semper pudicitia: quo facilior sit, nullis artibus constat. Quae enim illa consummata voluntas, quae nisi impediretur, longe est, sed nostra est: ita non est acquirenda, sed fovenda quae nostra est.