E4P71S
Scholium — Part IV
Latin
Gratia quam homines qui cæca cupiditate ducuntur, invicem habent, mercatura seu aucupium potius quam gratia plerumque est. Porro ingratitudo affectus non est. Est tamen ingratitudo turpis quia plerumque hominem nimio odio, ira vel superbia vel avaritia etc. affectum esse indicat. Nam qui præ stultitia dona compensare nescit, ingratus non est et multo minus ille qui donis non movetur meretricis ut ipsius libidini inserviat nec furis ut ipsius furta celet vel alterius similis. Nam hic contra animum habere constantem ostendit qui scilicet se nullis donis ad suam vel communem perniciem patitur corrumpi.
English (Elwes 1883)
The goodwill, which men who are led by blind desire have for one another, is generally a bargaining or enticement, rather than pure goodwill. Moreover, ingratitude is not an emotion. Yet it is base, inasmuch as it generally shows, that a man is affected by excessive hatred, anger, pride, avarice, &c. He who, by reason of his folly, knows not how to return benefits, is not ungrateful, much less he who is not gained over by the gifts of a courtesan to serve her lust, or by a thief to conceal his thefts, or by any similar persons. Contrariwise, such an one shows a constant mind, inasmuch as he cannot by any gifts be corrupted, to his own or the general hurt.
Modern English
The goodwill that people led by blind desire have for one another is generally a kind of commerce or snaring rather than true goodwill.
Ingratitude is not an affect. Yet it is base, because it generally shows that a person is affected by excessive hatred, anger, pride, avarice, or the like. He who, out of foolishness, does not know how to repay a benefit is not ungrateful — and still less is he ungrateful who is not moved by a courtesan's gifts to serve her lust, nor by a thief's gifts to conceal his thefts, nor by the gifts of any similar person. On the contrary, such a one shows a constant mind: he cannot be corrupted by any gifts to his own or to the common ruin.