Liber I, Pars II — Quid est magnificentia, et circa quae habet esse, et quomodo possumus nos ipsos magnificos facere. Cap. XIX.

Liber I, Pars II — Quid est magnificentia, et circa quae habet esse, et quomodo possumus nos ipsos magnificos facere. Cap. XIX.

It was said above that there are two kinds of virtue concerning expenses. One is that which moderates expenses, and this is called liberality. The other is that which concerns large expenses, and this is called magnificence. But when it seems that neither more nor less can diversify the appearance and nature of things, as the Philosopher says, it does not seem sufficient to distinguish magnificence from liberality in this way, because the former is about large expenses, while the latter is about moderate ones. Therefore, it must be understood that the nature of virtue is that it concerns what is good and is difficult. For when a special reason of goodness and difficulty is found in larger expenses, which is not found in moderate expenses, it can be said that magnanimity, which is about large expenses, is a virtue distinct from liberality, which is about moderate ones. Or we can say that expenses can be compared in two ways. That is, according to the resources of the one who makes the expenditure, and according to the works for which those expenditures are made. Therefore, there will be a twofold virtue regarding money. One is that which balances donations and expenses according to resources; this is called liberality. Thus, it is said that liberality pertains to moderate expenditures, not in themselves, but in comparison to the giver and the one making the expenditures. Therefore, a generous person could be considered stingy if those many gifts do not correspond to the resources of the giver. For it was said above that there is no liberality in the multitude of gifts. A generous person therefore matches donations and expenditures to their resources. But a magnificent person wants to proportion expenditures to the works, and thus he has received that name. Magnificence is named from the very act and the very work. A person is called magnificent because they do great things. Therefore, it follows that, regardless of the state a person is in or whatever resources they have, whether many or few, it is difficult to use them well and to proportion expenses to resources. For this reason, generosity extends to moderate expenses. Expenses can be considered either in themselves or in relation to the resources they are proportioned to. However, if expenses are not considered in themselves but as they relate to resources, then generosity is always about moderate expenses. If expenses are considered in themselves, then generosity is about great expenses if the one making them has many resources; and also about moderate expenses if the one making those expenses has just enough resources. For just as small expenses are moderate and proportioned to the poor, so great expenses are moderate and proportioned to the rich. Since liberal generosity doesn't consider expenses in themselves, but rather in relation to one's means, it isn't said to pertain to large and moderate expenses, but only to moderate ones. Therefore, generosity, which considers expenses in proportion to one's means, extends to all kinds of resources, because even with moderate means, it's difficult to manage them well. True magnificence, which considers expenses as they are decent for the works, does not regard any works at all; for it's not difficult to make decent expenses in any works, but rather in great ones. For this reason, magnificence took its name from great works. In great works, however, it happens that some fall short because they don't focus on how to perform great works, but rather on how to spend little. And such people are called petty. Some, however, even in great works, spend more than those works require. And such people are called consumers. However, the philosopher calls them 'chauns,' meaning fires and furnaces, because they consume everything like a furnace. Some, however, make decent expenditures in great works. And such are called virtuous, and they are called magnificent. Therefore, magnificence will be a mean between meanness and wastefulness, just as liberality is a mean between greed and extravagance. It is clear, then, what magnificence is. For just as liberality restrains greed and moderates extravagance, so magnificence restrains meanness and moderates wastefulness. And just as liberality makes expenditures and donations proportionate to resources, so magnificence makes decent expenditures for great works. Having seen what magnificence is, it remains to see what it consists of. A person can be compared to four things. Namely, to God Himself, to the whole community, to certain individuals, and to oneself. A person must behave decently in relation to all these things, but they shouldn't give equal priority to all of them. For primarily and fundamentally, a person should be magnificent in relation to divine matters, establishing (if resources allow) magnificent temples, honorable sacrifices, and worthy preparations. Therefore, it is said that 4. Ethically, the honorable expenditures that a magnificent person should make are those related to God. Secondly, it pertains to the magnificent (if the means are available) to make decent expenditures for the entire community. For these common goods are in a certain way divine. Therefore, the philosopher says that common goods have something similar to the gifts dedicated to God. For divine goodness is represented very weakly in a single person. But in the whole community, divine goodness shines more beautifully. Thirdly, a magnificent person should behave properly towards certain special individuals, just as towards those worthy of honor. For this is where magnificence is most evident, when someone does great things for those who are more deserving. Fourthly, a magnificent person should behave properly towards their own person; for one should magnificently conduct oneself regarding great works in relation to one's own person. Great works can be considered those that last throughout one's entire life, such as houses and buildings. Or those that occur rarely throughout one's life, such as weddings and military campaigns. It is fitting for the magnificent to be so, as it is said. Ethicor. One should prepare a dwelling decently, and should focus more on how to create admirable and lasting homes than on how to make them sophisticated and merely appealing. Likewise, it is fitting for the magnificent to conduct weddings and military events, and such things that occur rarely, in a magnificent manner. Therefore, it is clear what magnificence is: it pertains to decent expenditures on great works. However, it primarily concerns great expenditures made for divine purposes and for the whole community. Consequently, it is also about great expenditures made for worthy persons and for oneself. Having shown what magnificence is and what it pertains to, it is clear how we can make ourselves magnificent. For just as generosity is more opposed to greed than to wastefulness, so magnificence is more opposed to meanness than to consumption. Therefore, if we have the means, we will make ourselves magnificent by avoiding wastefulness, so that in great works the expenses may rather overflow than fall short.