Choose a topic from Part 2B:
1. Magnificence aspires to great things and does notshrink from paying for them. Yet it is not foolish, norover-lavish, nor wasteful; for it is a virtue, and therefore anordinate thing, a thing in good relation to reason. Opposed to thisvirtue of magnificence is the vice of littleness or meanness. Thisvice either (a) aspires to little things only, when greater shouldbe attempted; or (b) exercises a pinchpenny care which refuses tonoble enterprise its full greatness of execution.
2. Magnificence, to which littleness or meanness isopposed, is not the direct contrary of this vice. For magnificencestands between two opposed vices, namely, meanness on theone hand, and wastefulnessor prodigality on the other. A meanman spends less than his undertaking is worth; a wasteful manspends more than the work deserves.
"God commands not impossibilities, but by commanding he suggests to you to do what you can, to ask for what is beyond your strength; and he helps you, that you may be able."
St Augustine
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"Does our conduct correspond with our Faith?"
The Cure D'Ars
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"It is vanity to love what passes quickly and not to look ahead where eternal joy abides.
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Thomas á Kempis
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