美文好心情：论善（培根）

I TAKE goodness in this sense, the affecting of the weal of men, which is that the Grecians call philanthropia; and the word humanity (as it is used) is a little too light to express it. Goodness I call the habit, and goodness of nature, the inclination. This of all virtues, and dignities of the mind, is the greatest; being the character of the Deity: and without it, man is a busy, mischievous, wretched thing; no better than a kind of vermin. Goodness answers to the theological virtue, charity, and admits no excess, but error. The desire of power in excess, caused the angels to fall; the desire of knowledge in excess, caused man to fall: but in charity there is no excess; neither can angel, nor man, come in dan ger by it. The inclination to goodness, is imprinted deeply in the nature of man; insomuch, that if it issue not towards men, it willtake unto other living creatures; as it is seen in the Turks, a cruel people, who nevertheless are kind to beasts, and give alms, to dogs and birds; insomuch, as Busbechius reporteth, a Christian boy, in Constantinople, had like to have been stoned, for gagging in a waggishness a long-billed fowl.Errors indeed in this virtue of goodness, or charity, may be committed. The Italians have an ungracious proverb, Tanto buon che val niente: so good, that he is good for nothing. And one of he doctors of Italy, Nicholas Machiavel, had the confidence to put in writing, almost in plain terms, That the Christian faith, had given up good men, in prey to those that are tyrannical and unjust. Which he spake, because indeed there was never law, or sect, or opinion, did so much magnify goodness, as the Christian religion doth. Therefore, to avoid the scandal and the danger both, it is good, to take knowledge of the errors of an habit so excellent. Seek the good of other men, but be not in bondage to their faces or fancies; for that is but facility, or softness; which taketh an honest mind prisoner. Neither give thou AEsop's cock a gem, who would be better pleased, and happier, if he had had a barley-corn. The example of God, teacheth the lesson truly: He sendeth his rain, and maketh his sun to shine, upon the just and unjust; but he doth not rain wealth, nor shine honor and virtues, upon men equally. Common benefits, are to be communicate with all; but peculiar benefits, with choice. And beware how in making the portraiture, thou breakest the pattern. For divinity, maketh the love of ourselves the pattern; the love of our neighbors, but the portraiture.Sell all thou hast, and give it to the poor, and follow me: but, sell not all thou hast, except thou come and follow me; that is, except thou have a vocation, wherein thou mayest do as much good,with little means as with great; for otherwise, infeeding the streams, thou driest the fountain. Neither is there only a habit of goodness, directed by right reason; but there is in some men, even in nature, a disposition towards it; as on the other side, there is a natural malignity. For there be, that in their nature do not affect the good of others. The lighter sort of malignity, turneth but to a crassness, or frowardness, or aptness to oppose, or difficulties, or the like; but the deeper sort, to envy and mere mischief. Such men, in other men's calamities, are, as it were, in season, and are ever on the loading part: not so good as the dogs, that licked Lazarus' sores; but like flies, that are still buzzing upon any thing that is raw; misanthropi, that make it their practice, to bring men to the bough, and yet never a tree for the purpose in their gardens, as Timon had. Such dispositions, are the very errors of human nature; and yet they are the fittest timber, to make great politics of; like to knee timber, that is good for ships, that are ordained to be tossed; but not for building houses, that shall stand firm. The parts and signs of goodness, are many. If a man be gracious and courteous to strangers, it shows he is a citizen of the world, and that his heart is no island, cut off from other lands, but a continent, that joins to them. If he be compassionate towards the afflictions of others, it shows that his heart is like the noble tree, that is wounded itself, when it gives the balm. If he easily pardons, and remits offences, it shows that his mind is planted above injuries; so that he cannot be shot. If he be thankful for small benefits, it shows that he weighs men's minds, and not their trash. But above all, if he have St. Paul's perfection, that he would wish to be anathema from Christ, for the salvation of his brethren, it shows much of a divine nature, and a kind of conformity with Christ himself.

我认为善的定义就是有利于人类。这也就是古希腊人所谓"仁（Philanthropia）。或者"人道精神"（humanity），但意义还要深。

利人的品德人我认为就是善。在性格中具有这种天然倾向的人，就是"仁者"。这是人类的一切精神和道德品格中最伟大的一种。因为它是属于神的品格。如果人不具有这种品格，他就成为一种自私的、比禽兽好不了多少的东西。这种善的品格也许会犯错误，但却永远不会过分。过分的权势欲曾使得撒旦变成魔鬼。过分的求知欲也曾使人类的社先堕落。但唯有善的品格，无论对于神或人，都永远不会成为过分的东西。

向善的倾向可以说是人性所固有的。如果这种仁爱之心不施于人，也会施之于其他生物的。例如土耳其人是一个对人很残忍的民族，但他们对狗和鸟等动物却很仁慈。据伯斯贝斯的记述，有一个欧洲人在君士坦木丁堡，由于戏弄一只鸟，险些被当人用石块击死。

但人性中这种仁善的倾向，有时也会犯错误。所以意大利有句嘲讽话："他由于太仁慈，而成了一个窝囊废。"马基雅弗利曾写道："基督教的教义使人成为软弱的羔羊，以供那些暴君享用。"他所以这样说，是因为确实没有任何其他法律、宗教或学说，比基督教更鼓励人与人的爱了。但是为了不做滥施仁爱的傻子，我们就要注意，不要受有些人的假面具和私欲的欺弄，而变得太轻信和软心肠。轻信和软心肠其实常常是束缚老实人的枷锁。比如我们就绝不应该把一颗珍珠赠给伊索那只公鸡--因为它本来只配得到一颗麦粒的。

《圣经》中曾说："天父使太阳照好人，也同样照坏人。降雨给行善的，也给作恶的。"但上帝绝不把财富、荣誉和才能对人人平均分配。一般的福利应该人人均沾。而特殊的荣耀就必须有所选择。另外要小心，我们在做好事时，不要先毁了自己。神告诉我们：要像别人爱你那样爱别人。--"去卖掉你所有的财产，赠给穷人，把财富积存在天上，然后跟我来"。但除非你已要跟神一道走，否则还是不要把你的一切都卖掉。

在人类中既有天然向善的倾向，也有天然向恶的倾向。那种虚荣、急躁、固执的性格还不是最坏的，最恶的乃是嫉妒以至祸害他人。有一种人专靠落井下石，给别人制造灾祸来谋生--他们简直还不如《圣经》里那条以舔疮为生的恶狗，而更像那种吸吮死尸汁液的苍蝇。这种"憎厌人类者"（misanthropi）与雅典的泰门是正相反--虽然他们的园子里并没有一棵能供他人使用的树，却不能做栋梁。因为船是注定要在海里颠簸的，而栋梁却是必须能立定脚跟的。

善的天性有很多特征。如果一个人对外邦人也能温和有礼，那么他就可以被称作一个"世界的公民"--他的心与五洲四海是相通的。如果他对其他人的痛苦不幸有同情之心，那他的心必定十分美好，犹如那能流出汁液为人治伤痛的珍贵树木。如果他能原谅宽容别人的冒犯，就证明他的心灵乃是超越了一切伤害的。如果他并不轻视别人对他的微不帮助，那就证他更重视的乃是人心而不是钱财。最后，如果一个人竟能像《圣经》中的圣保罗那样，肯为了兄弟们的得救甚至甘于忍受神的诅咒；那么他就必定超越了凡人，而且有真正基督徒的品格了。