《智慧书·第五辑·二〇一至二五〇》第34则
Never trust your Honour to another, unless you have his in Pledge. Arrange that silence is a mutual advantage; disclosure a danger to both. Where honour is at stake you must act with a partner, so that each must be careful of the other's honour for the sake of his own. Never entrust your honour to another; but if you have, let caution surpass prudence. Let the danger be in common and the risk mutual, so that your partner cannot turn king's evidence.
注释摘要
这则格言讲的是在荣誉问题上如何与人结成相互制约的关系，而不是单向托付。荣誉在这里不是抽象的美德，而是一个人在社会等级中的公共位置和名声资本——在十七世纪西班牙的宫廷社会里，这是比金钱更硬的通货，一旦丧失几乎无法挽回。葛拉西安给出的建议相当冷酷：永远不要把你的荣誉交到别人手里保管，除非你同时也握着对方的荣誉作为抵押品。 标题和正文的西班牙原文用的是一连串法律…