It lies without the limits of our task to show how the men of antiquity
also experienced this feeling in a peculiar form, and how, afterwards,
in the Middle Ages, a special sense of honour became the mark of a
particular class. Nor can we here dispute with those who hold that
conscience, rather than honour, is the motive power. It would indeed be
better and nobler if it were so; but since it must be granted that even
our worthier resolutions result from 'a conscience more or less dimmed
by selfishness,' it is better to call the mixture by its right name. It
is certainly not always easy, in treating of the Italian of this
period, to distinguish this sense of honour from the passion for fame,
into which, indeed, it easily passes. Yet the two sentiments are
essentially different.
There is no lack of witnesses on this subject. One who speaks plainly
may here be quoted as a representative of the rest. We read in the
recently published 'Aphorisms' of Guicciardini: 'who esteems honour
highly succeeds in all that he undertakes, since he fears neither
trouble, danger, nor expense; I have found it so in my own case, and
may say it and write it; vain and dead are the deeds of men which have
not this as their motive.' It is necessary to add that, from what is
known of the life of the writer, he can here be only speaking of honour
and not of fame.
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