On Benefits Chapter 21

" Sed lex," inquit, " non permittendo exigere vetuit." Multa legem non habent nec actionem, ad quae consuetudo vitae humanae omni lege valentior dat aditum. Nulla lex iubet amicorum secreta non eloqui; nulla lex iubet fidem etiam inimico praestare ; quae lex ad id praestandum nos, quod alicui promisimus, adligat ? Nulla. Querar tamen cum eo, qui arcanum sermonem non continuerit, et fidem datam nec servatam indignabor. " Sed ex beneficio," inquit, " creditum facis." Minime ; non enim exigo, sed repeto, et ne repeto quidem, sed admoneo. Num ultima quoque me necessitas in hoc aget, ut ad eum veniam, cum quo mihi diu luctandum sit ? Si quis tam ingratus est, ut illi non sit satis admoneri, eum transibo nec dignum iudicabo, qui gratus esse cogatur. Quomodo fenerator quosdam debitores non appellat, quos scit decoxisse et in quorum pudorem nihil superest, nisi quod pereat, sic ego quosdam ingratos palam ac pertinaciter praeteribo nec ab ullo beneficium repetam, nisi a quo non ablaturus ero, sed recepturus.

"But," argues he, "by not authorizing you, the law forbids you to exact repayment." There are many things which are not enforced by any law or process, but which the conventions of society, which are stronger than any law, compel us to observe. There is no law forbidding us to divulge our friend's secrets; there is no law which bids us keep faith even with an enemy; pray what law is there which binds us to stand by what we have promised? There is none. Nevertheless I should remonstrate with one who did not keep a secret, and I should be indignant with one who pledged his word and broke it. "But," he argues, "you are turning a benefit into a loan." By no means, for I do not insist upon repayment, but only demand it; nay, I do not even demand it, but remind my friend of it. Even the direst need will not bring me to apply for help to one with whom I should have to undergo a long struggle. If there be any one so ungrateful that it is not sufficient to remind him of his debt, I should pass him over, and think that he did not deserve to be made grateful by force. A money-lender does not demand repayment from his debtors if he knows they have become bankrupt, and, to their shame, have nothing but shame left to lose; and I, like him, should pass over those who are openly and obstinately ungrateful, and would demand repayment only from those who were likely to give it me, not from those from whom I should have to extort it by force.

« Mais la loi, en ne permettant pas ces répétitions, les prohibe. » Que de choses n'ont pour elles ni loi ni droit d'action, mais que l'usage social et humain, plus fort que toute loi a autorisées ! Aucune loi ne commande de garder les secrets de nos amis, aucune de tenir parole même à un ennemi. Quelle loi nous oblige à remplir une simple promesse? Et pourtant je poursuivrai de mes plaintes l'homme qui aura divulgué un propos confidentiel; je m'indignerai qu'un engagement ait été pris et méconnu. « Mais c'est changer en créance le bienfait ! » Non pas : je n'exige point, je redemande, et même je ne redemande pas : j'avertis. La plus extrême nécessité ne me fera point recourir à un homme avec qui j'aurais longtemps à lutter. S'il est assez ingrat pour qu'un avertissement ne lui suffise point, je passe outre et ne le juge pas digne d'être forcé à la reconnaissance. Le créancier n'assigne pas ceux de ses qu’il sait avoir failli et qui, en fait d’honneur, n’ont plus rien à perdre ; de même je laisserai là certaines ingratitudes sans pudeur, endurcies, et je ne redemanderai qu’à l’homme qui ne se laissera pas arracher, mais qui rendra de bonne grâce.