《智慧书·第二辑·五一至一百》第33则
Allow Yourself some venial Fault. Some such carelessness is often the greatest recommendation of talent. For envy exercises ostracism, most envenomed when most polite. It counts it to perfection as a failing that it has no faults; for being perfect in all it condemns it in all. It becomes an Argus, all eyes for imperfection: 'tis its only consolation. Blame is like the lightning; it hits the highest. Let Homer nod now and then and affect some negligence in valour or in intellect—not in prudence— so as to disarm malevolence, or at least to prevent its bursting with its own venom. You thus leave your cloak on the horns of Envy in order to save your immortal parts.
注释摘要
这则格言的标题与正文是同一条逻辑线的两部分：标题说「允许自己有些可宽恕的小缺点」（Allow Yourself some venial Fault），正文解释为什么要这样做。关键词是 venial——在耶稣会的神学训练里，venial sin 指不会导致灵魂失丧的轻微过失，与致命的 mortal sin 相对。葛拉西安把这个教理术语挪进宫廷生存术，用的是它…