What Destiny denieth thou canst not keep even with the utmost care: and even if thou scatter abroad, the things that are thine will not go away from thee.
Even the man who hath amassed ten million cannot enjoy his riches except as the Ordainer hath ordained.
Verily the destitute poor would turn their hearts towards renunciation but that Destiny reserveth them for the miseries that are their portion.
He that rejoiceth when good cometh, why should he fret when he receiveth evil?
What is there that is mightier than Destiny? For even as its victim is meditating a plan to overcome it, it forestalleth him and bringeth him down.
Part II
Wealth
Section I
The Prince
XXXIX
The Qualifications of the Prince
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He is a lion among princes who is well endowed in respect of the six things: troops, population, substance, council, alliances, and fortifications.
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Four qualities should never be wanting in the prince, namely, courage, liberality, wisdom, and energy.
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Behold the men that are destined to rule the earth: the three virtues, alertness, learning, and decision, leave them not.
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The prince shall not fail in virtue and shall abolish unrighteousness: he shall guard his honour jealously but shall not sin against the laws of valour.
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The prince shall know how to develop the resources of his kingdom and how to enrich his treasury: how to preserve his wealth and how to spend it worthily.
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If the prince is accessible to all his subjects and is never harsh of word, his kingdom will be esteemed above every other.
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Behold the prince who can give with grace and rule with love: his name will fill the world.
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Behold the prince who administereth impartial justice and protecteth his subjects: he shall be called a God among men.
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Behold the prince who hath the virtue to bear with words that are bitter to the ear: the world will rest permanently under his umbrella.
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Behold the prince who is liberal and gracious and just, and who tendeth his people with care: he is a light among kings.
XL
Learning
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Acquire thoroughly the knowledge that is worth acquiring and after acquiring it walk thou in accordance therewith.
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Two are the eyes of living kind: the one is called Numbers, and the other, Letters.
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The learned alone can be said to possess eyes: the unlettered have but two sores in their head.
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The scholar bringeth joy with him wherever he cometh: but when he departeth he leaveth regrets behind.
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Though thou hast to humble thyself before the teacher even as a beggar before a man of wealth thou yet acquirest learning: it is those that refuse to learn that are the lowest among men.
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Knowledge is like unto a sand-spring: the more thou diggest and drawest thereat, the more excellent is the flow thereof.
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Everywhere is his home to the learned man, and everywhere his native land: why then doth a man neglect instruction up to his dying day?
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The learning that a man hath acquired in one birth will exalt him; even in all his succeeding incarnations.
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The learned man seeth that the learning that delighteth him delighteth also all that listen to him: and he loveth instruction all the more on that account.
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An imperishable and flawless treasure is learning to a man: other wealth is as nothing before it.
XLI
The Neglecting of Instruction
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Ascending the rostrum without abundant knowledge is like the playing of dice without the chequered board.19
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Behold the man without learning who desireth to be called eloquent: he is like unto a woman without busts who yearneth to be admired of men.
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Even a fool shall be counted wise if he can hold his peace before the learned.
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The opinion of an ignorant man will be rejected by the wise even though it may be perfectly sensible.
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Behold the ignorant man who is wise in his own eyes: he will be put to shame directly he openeth his lips in an assembly.
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Like unto a wasteland that yieldeth no harvests is the man that hath neglected instruction: all that men can say about him is that he liveth, and nothing more.
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Behold the man whose understanding hath not been penetrated by the Grand and the Subtle: the comeliness of his person is no better than the beauty of an image of clay.
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Bitter verily is the poverty of the man of learning: but far worse is riches in the hands of the fool.
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The fool though born of a higher family is esteemed much less than a learned man who is of inferior descent.
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How much better are men than beasts? Even so much are the learned better than those that have not cared for instruction.
XLII
Listening to the Instruction of the Wise
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The most precious of treasures is the treasure of the ear: verily it is the crown of all kinds of wealth.
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Even unto the stomach some food will be offered when there is no more food to be offered to the ear.20
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Behold the men who have listened to much instruction: they are very Gods on earth.
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Let a man hear instruction even though he hath no learning: for it will be a stay unto him when he is encompassed by difficulty.
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The counsel of the righteous is like unto a strong staff: for it keepeth those that listen to it from slipping.
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Listen to good words though they be but few: even those few will add to thee a proportionate dignity.
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Behold the man that hath meditated much in himself and hath laid by a store of instruction by listening to the wise: he talketh not nonsense even when in error.
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Deaf indeed though it heareth is the ear that hath not been drilled by words of instruction.
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Humility of speech is hard to be attained by those who have not listened to the subtle words of the wise.
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Behold the men that taste with the tongue but know not the
