Chap. LXII.—Of Restraining the Pleasures of the Senses.

Anger is to be restrained when we suffer an injury, that the evil may be suppressed which is imminent from a contest, and that we may retain two of the greatest virtues, harmlessness and patience. Let the desire of gain be broken when we have that which is enough. For what madness is it to labour in heaping up those things which must pass to others, either by robbery, or theft, or by proscription, or by death? Let lust not go beyond the marriage-bed, but be subservient to the procreation of children. For a too great eagerness for pleasure both produces danger and generates disgrace, and that which is especially to be avoided, leads to eternal death. Nothing is so hateful to God as an unchaste mind and an impure soul. Nor let any one think that he must abstain from this pleasure only, quæ capitur ex fœminei corporis copulatione, but also from the other pleasures which arise from the rest of the senses, because they also are of themselves vicious, and it is the part of the same virtue to despise them. The pleasure of the eyes is derived from the beauty of objects, that of the ears from harmonious and pleasant sounds, that of the nostrils from pleasant odour, that of taste from sweet food,—all of which virtue ought strongly to resist, lest, ensnared by these attractions, the soul should be depressed from heavenly to earthly things, from things eternal to things temporal, from life immortal to perpetual punishment. In pleasures of the taste and smell there is this danger, that they are able to draw us to luxury. For he who shall be given up to these things, either will have no property, or, if he shall have any, he will expend it, and afterwards live a life to be abominated. But he who is carried away by hearing (to say nothing respecting songs,1564    [See vol. ii. p. 79, notes 1 and 2.]   which often so charm the inmost senses that they even disturb with madness a settled state of the mind by certain elaborately composed speeches and harmonious poems, or skilful disputations) is easily led aside to impious worship. Hence it is that they who are either themselves eloquent, or prefer to read eloquent writings, do not readily believe the sacred writings, because they appear unpolished; they do not seek things that are true, but things that are pleasant; nay, to them those things appear to be most true which soothe the ears. Thus they reject the truth, while they are captivated by the sweetness of the discourse. But the pleasure which has reference to the sight is manifold. For that which is derived from the beauty of precious objects excites avarice, which ought to be far removed from a wise and just man; but that which is received from the appearance of woman hurries a man to another pleasure, of which we have already spoken above.  

CAPUT LXII, alias V. (Lib. VI Inst., c. 12, 18, 20, 23.) De voluptatibus sensuum coercendis.

Cohibenda est ira, cum patimur injuriam, ut et malum comprimatur, quod ex certamine impendet, et ut duas maximas virtutes, innocentiam patientiamque teneamus. Avaritia frangatur, cum habemus, 1072B quod satis est. Quis enim furor est, in his coacervandis laborare, quae aut latrocinio, aut proscriptione, aut morte ad alios necesse sit pervenire? Libido extra legitimum torum non evagetur, sed creandis liberis serviat. Appetentia enim nimia voluptatis, et periculum parit, et infamiam generat, et (quod est maxime cavendum) mortem acquirit aeternam. Nihil est tam invisum Deo, quam meus incesta et animus impurus. Nec hac sola voluptate abstinendum sibi quis putet, quae capitur ex foeminei corporis copulatione, sed et caeteris voluptatibus sensuum reliquorum; quia et ipsae sunt vitiosae, et ejusdem virtutis est eas contemnere. Oculorum voluptas 1073A percipitur ex rerum pulchritudine, aurium de vocibus canoris et suavibus, 1073A narium de odore jucundo, saporis de cibis dulcibus: quibus omnibus virtus repugnare fortiter debet, ne his illecebris irretitus animus, a coelestibus ad terrena, ab aeternis ad temporalia, a vita immortali ad poenam perpetuam deprimatur. In saporis et odoris voluptatibus hoc periculum est, quod trahere ad luxuriam possunt. Qui enim fuerit his deditus, aut non habebit ullam rem familiarem, aut, si habuerit, absumet, et aget postmodum vitam detestabilem. Qui autem rapitur auditu (ut taceam de cantibus, qui sensus intimos ita saepe deliniunt, ut etiam statum mentis furore perturbent, compositis certis orationibus numerosisque 1073B carminibus, aut argutis disputationibus) ad impios cultus facile traducitur. Inde est, quod scriptis coelestibus, quia videntur incompta, non facile credunt, qui aut ipsi sunt diserti, aut diserta legere malunt: non quaerunt vera, sed dulcia; immo illis haec videntur esse verissima, quae auribus blandiuntur. Ita respuunt veritatem, dum sermonis suavitate, capiuntur. Voluptas vero, quae spectat ad visum, multiformis est. Nam quae percipitur ex rerum pretiosarum pulchritudine, avaritiam concitat, quae aliena esse debet a sapiente atque justo: quae autem 1074A capitur de specie mulierum, in alteram rapit voluptatem, de qua jam superius locuti sumus.