Whereas the wise man, in so far as he is regarded as such, is scarcely at all disturbed in spirit, but, being conscious of himself, and of God, and of things, by a certain eternal necessity, never ceases to be, but always possesses true acquiescence of his spirit.
If the way which I have pointed out as leading to this result seems exceedingly hard, it may nevertheless be discovered. Needs must it be hard, since it is so seldom found. How would it be possible, if salvation were ready to our hand, and could without great labour be found, that it should be by almost all men neglected? But all things excellent are as difficult as they are rare.
The End
[1] “Affectiones”
[2] “Forma”
[3] “Animata”
[4] A Baconian phrase. Nov. Org. Aph. 100. [Pollock, p. 126, n.]
[5] Conscientiæ morsus—thus rendered by Mr. Pollock.
[6] By “men” in this and the following Propositions, I mean men whom we regard without any particular emotion.
[7] So Van Vloten and Bruder. The Dutch version and Camerer read, “an internal cause.” “Honor” = Gloria.
[8] See previous endnote.
[9] Ovid, “Amores,” II. xix. 4,5. Spinoza transposes the verses.
“Speremus pariter, pariter metuamus amantes;
Ferreus est, si quis, quod sinit alter, amat.”
[10] This is possible, though the human mind is part of the divine intellect, as I have shown in II. xiii. note.
[11] Gloria.
[12] Ov. Met. vii.20, “Video meliora proboque, Deteriora sequor.”
[13] Honestas
[14] Land reads: “Quod ipsius agendi potentia juvatur”—which I have translated above. He suggests as alternative readings to ‘quod’, ‘quo’ (= whereby) and ‘quodque’ (= and that).
[15] “Maltim praesens minus prae majori futuro.” (Van Vloten). Bruder reads: “Malum praesens minus, quod causa est faturi alicujus mali.” The last word of the latter is an obvious misprint, and is corrected by the Dutch translator into “majoris boni.” (Pollock, p. 268, note.)
[16] Continuo. Rendered “constantly” by Mr. Pollock on the ground that the classical meaning of the word does not suit the context. I venture to think, however, that a tolerable sense may be obtained without doing violence to Spinoza’s scholarship.
[17] Affectiones. Camerer reads affectus——emotions.
