118 Ulisse Aldrovandi

-ry, he carries the cross in his mind. Furthermore, he most willingly helps those begging for alms, as it is written in Luke: "Make for yourselves purses that do not grow old, a treasure in the Heavens that does not fail." Nor does he despair when troubled by hardships, since through these, as written in the Acts of the Apostles, one must enter the Kingdom of God. Indeed, he perseveres thereafter, for these words are gathered from Matthew: "He who perseveres to the end shall be saved." Finally, he recognizes prudence as the leader of all other virtues; for Solomon proclaimed the man abounding in prudence to be blessed. Therefore, this section shall be closed with the following couplet:

Blessed is he who adorns himself with virtues, And he who stains himself with vices is wretched.

THE VICES OF MAN

Thrasea, as recorded by Pliny the Younger, used to maintain that he who hates vice hates mankind, implying that there is no man who cannot be contaminated by vices. Nevertheless, we cannot keep silent about what we feel regarding this, nor fail to perceive what should be said of a person in whom every vice is found. As Menander wrote, a man who shrinks from every kind of vice is a most delightful thing; indeed, one defiled by vices is called a beast, since in such a state he cannot share in the divine condition.

He thus puts on the nature of a wolf through greed, becomes a dog through detraction, emulates the fox in deceit, and resembles the lion in anger; finally, he is transformed into a bird by inconstancy, a pig by lust, and a donkey by sloth. When a man thus turns into a monster of vices, he falls into cruelty, which he then practices more than any wild beast—a sentiment Juvenal expressed in this way:

"But now there is greater concord among serpents; a wild beast spares those with similar spots. The Indian tiger maintains a perpetual peace with the rabid tiger, and savage bears agree among themselves. Yet for man, it is not enough to have forged lethal iron on an impious anvil."

Next, he sets justice aside. As Cicero used to say: men judge more by love, or desire, or anger, or grief, or joy, or hope, or fear, or error, or some other mental stir, than by the truth.

Sometimes, in carrying out certain affairs to someone’s evident detriment, he procrastinates—a habit that must be avoided at all costs, as becomes clear in these verses:

"What you say you will do tomorrow—tomorrow’s light is never certain enough, nor even is all of today. Earth, ash, and smoke; what we live is a shadow. Therefore, what you promise yourself for tomorrow, finish today. For it is harmful to put things off until tomorrow when there is time enough; once seized, the delay might otherwise be regretted."

The mark of ingratitude is also branded upon the brows of many—a vice Christ detested in the Gospel when he complained that although he had cured ten of incurable leprosy, only one of them gave thanks. For this reason, someone quite rightly exclaimed:

"The earth produces nothing worse than an ungrateful man, though she may bear cold herbs and poisons."

A man is repeatedly idle, and thus falls into vain talk, which, in the mind of Isidore, is an indicator of a vain conscience. From this, he falls into a meddling curiosity, which Saint Jerome detested, writing that one should not contemplate the evil that others do, but rather the good that is proper for oneself to do.

Some are also gripped by the abominable vice of measuring friendships by their utility; for which reason Ovid, blasting such a vice, sang thus: