E4P70D
Demonstration — Part IV
Latin
Unusquisque ex suo ingenio judicat quid bonum sit (vide scholium propositionis 39 partis III); ignarus igitur qui in aliquem beneficium contulit, id ex suo ingenio æstimabit et si minoris ab eo cui datum est æstimari videt, contristabitur (per propositionem 42 partis III). At homo liber reliquos homines amicitia sibi jungere (per propositionem 37 hujus) nec paria hominibus beneficia ex eorum affectu referre sed se et reliquos libero rationis judicio ducere et ea tantum agere studet quæ ipse prima esse novit: ergo homo liber ne ignaris odio sit et ne eorum appetitui sed soli rationi obsequatur, eorum beneficia quantum potest declinare conabitur. Q.E.D.
English (Elwes 1883)
Everyone judges what is good according to his disposition (III. xxxix. note); wherefore an ignorant man, who has conferred a benefit on another, puts his own estimate upon it, and, if it appears to be estimated less highly by the receiver, will feel pain (III. xlii.). But the free man only desires to join other men to him in friendship (IV. xxxvii.), not repaying their benefits with others reckoned as of like value, but guiding himself and others by the free decision of reason, and doing only such things as he knows to be of primary importance. Therefore the free man, lest he should become hateful to the ignorant, or follow their desires rather than reason, will endeavour, as far as he can, to avoid receiving their favours.
Modern English
Everyone judges what is good by their own disposition (E3P39S). An ignorant person who has done a favour for someone will assess that favour by their own disposition, and if they see it valued less by the recipient, they will be saddened (E3P42). The free man, by contrast, aims to bind other people to him in friendship (E4P37), to guide himself and others by the free judgment of reason rather than returning favours in kind according to affect, and to do only those things he knows to be of primary importance. So a free man, to avoid being hated by the ignorant and to follow reason rather than their appetites, will strive as far as he can to avoid receiving their favours. Q.E.D.