(39) It containeth also a source of evil and corruption: For if it predominate too much, or stirreth too much in anything, so that it be inflamed, then it engendereth sadness and melancholy.

(16) "In all these cases, each individual adopted the profitable course in preference to the injurious course. And the world calls them virtuous, whereby they acquire a reputation at which they never aimed." "It is necessary," argued Discontent, "to cling to reputation. If all pleasures are to be denied to the body and one's energies to be concentrated upon health with a view to the prolongation of life, such life would be itself nothing more than the prolonged illness of a confirmed invalid." "Happiness," said Complacency, "is to be found in contentment. Too much is always a curse, most of all in wealth. "The ears of the wealthy man ring with sounds of sweet music. His palate is cloyed with rich meats and wine. In the pursuit of pleasure, business is forgotten. This is confusion. "He eats and drinks to excess, until his breathing is that of one carrying a heavy load up a hill. This is misery. "He covets money to surround himself with comforts. He covets power to vanquish rivals. But his quiet hours are darkened by diabetes and dropsy. This is disease. "Even when, in his desire for wealth, he has piled up an enormous fortune, he still goes on and cannot desist. This is shame. "Having no use for the money he has collected, he still hugs it to him and cannot bear to part with it. His heart is inflamed, and he ever seeks to add more to the pile. This is unhappiness.

(52) In the sour quality it causes a rankness and brittleness, a stink, a misery, a house of mourning, a house of darkness, of death and of hell; an end of joy, which therein can no more be thought upon: For it cannot be quieted or stilled by anything, nor can it be enlightened again by anything; but the dark, astringent or harsh, stinking, sour, torn, bitter, fierce quality riseth up to all eternity. Now observe:

(39) For the astringent or harsh quality, in its stock or kernel, when it qualifieth or operateth in its own power, is a darkness: The sweet quality, in its own power, is a moving, boiling, warming and rising light, a source or fountain of meekness and well-doing.

(29) Now if the bitter quality dwelleth meekly and gently in any creature, then is it the heart or joy therein; for it dissipateth all other evil influences, and is the beginning or cause of joy or of laughing.

(107) But when the bitter quality riseth up therein, then it divideth and formeth itself, as if it were alive or lively, or as if the life did rise up there, in a greenish flourishing manner and form, like a green flash of lightning, to speak after the manner of men, so that it dazzleth a man's eyes, and blindeth him.

(51) And the bitter quality also loveth all the other fountain-spirits. And first the sweet. For in the sweet water the bitter spirit is refreshed, and therein it quencheth its great thirst; and its bitterness is therein mitigated; also it obtaineth its lightlife therein: In the astringent it has its body, wherein it triumpheth, cooleth and mitigateth itself; and in the heat it has its power and strength, wherein its joy stands.

(28) This is thus in the original of the quality in itself; but in the midst, in the rising up of this fierce spirit, this [same] spirit is caught and mitigated in the sweet water, where its fierce source or fountain is changed into a trembling, bitter, and greenish colour, like a greenish duskiness, and it retaineth in itself the condition and property of all three qualities, viz. of the fiery, the astringent and the sweet; and so from these three existeth the fourth quality, viz. the bitter.

(16) And they- (men of demonical nature) held by boundless desires unending till death (or dissolution of the world), thinking of sensual enjoyments as the goal of life, decided that there is nothing more to realise, bound by the cords of innumerable desires, prompted by passion and anger, – seek for wealth by unrighteous means to satisfy their thirst for enjoyment.

(119) For the light of nature, which is the spirit of life, shineth more in them than in the lean: For in that light in the sweet quality stands the triumphing or the joy, for the astringent or harsh and bitter qualities triumph therein, for they rejoice that they are refreshed, fed, given to drink and enlightened from the sweet and light quality.

(148) But these spirits elevating themselves thus, and triumphing so eagerly and vehemently one in another, and rising up against the right of nature, by that means they kindled the qualifying or fountain spirits an exceeding deal too much; viz. the astringent quality attracted or compacted the body too hard together, so that the sweet water was dried up.

(49) But if it be moved, elevated and kindled too much, then it kindleth the sweet and the astringent or harsh qualities, and is like a tearing, stinging and burning poison, as when a man is tormented with a raging plaguesore, which makes him cry out for woe and misery.

(7) Hence it is more difficult to bear prosperity in a becoming manner than adversity. For all men when they continue in adversity, are seen for the most part to be moderate and orderly in their manners; but in prosperity they are brave, magnificent, and magnanimous [when they bear it in a becoming manner]. For adversity has the power of contracting and depressing the soul; but prosperity, on the contrary, elevates and expands it. Hence all those that are unfortunate, are in their manners cautious and prudent; but those that are fortunate are insolent and confident. But the boundary of prosperity, is that which a good man would deliberately choose to co-operate with him in his own proper actions; just as the [proper] magnitude of a ship, and the [proper] magnitude of a rudder, are such as will enable a good pilot to sail over a great extent of sea, and to accomplish a great voyage. An excess of prosperity, however, is not naturally adapted to be vanquished by, but to vanquish the soul. For as a [very] splendid light causes an obscuration of sight in the eyes; thus also excessive prosperity darkens the intellect of the soul. And thus much may suffice concerning prosperity.

(119) When the astringent or harsh quality, as the father, formeth the word or son, or spirit, then it stands captive in the centre of the heart, and is examined or tried by the other spirits, whether it be good or no. Now if it pleaseth the fire, then the fire letteth the flash (in which the bitter spirit stands) go through the sweet water, wherein it conceiveth the love, and goeth therewith into the astringent quality.

(149) There the bitter quality raveth and rageth, and seeketh for rest and food, and finds it not, and moveth or boileth in the body as a lingering poison.

(56) Whereby now the earnest and austere birth or geniture is refreshed; and when it tasteth thereof it grows capable to be raised up, and rejoiceth, and also is a joyful rising up, wherein the life of meekness generateth itself.

(82) When the sweet quality thus flies from the bitter, and from the sour and astringent, then the astringent and the bitter make all the haste they can after it, as their best treasure; and the sweet presseth vehemently from them, and striveth so much that it driveth and penetrateth through the astringent or harsh quality, and rends the body, and goeth forth from the body, out above the earth, and hasteneth so fast, till a long stalk grows up.

(78) When the sweet quality thus stretcheth or wideneth itself, and retireth from the bitter, then the astringent always presseth after it, and would also fain taste of the sweet: and always makes the body, that is behind it, and in it, to be dry; for the sweet quality is the mother of the water, and is very meek, mild, soft and gentle.

(70) From whence the senses and thoughts exist, so that one quality seeth the others, which are also in it, and tempered with itself, and proveth them with its sharpness, so that there cometh to be but one will; which in the body riseth up in the first fountainsource or wellspring in the astringent or harsh quality.

(39) Where there is firm conquest of covetousness, he who has conquered it awakes to the how and why of life.