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On Jealousy and Envy

Cyprian of Carthage

Section 7

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

7. But what a gnawing worm of the soul is it

‹ Section 6 Section 8 ›

,

what

a

plague

-

spot

of

our

thoughts

,

what

a

rust

of

the

heart

,

to

be

jealous

of

another

,

either

in

respect

of

his

virtue

or

of

his

happiness

;

that

is

,

to

hate

in

him

either

his

own

deservings

or

the

divine

benefits

—

to

turn

the

advantages

of

others

into

one’s

own

mischief

—

to

be

tormented

by

the

prosperity

of

illustrious

men

—

to

make

other

people’s

glory

one’s

own

penalty

,

and

,

as

it

were

,

to

apply

a

sort

of

executioner

to

one’s

own

breast

,

to

bring

the

tormentors

to

one’s

own

thoughts

and

feelings

,

that

they

may

tear

us

with

intestine

pangs

,

and

may

smite

the

secret

recesses

of

the

heart

with

the

hoof

of

malevolence

.

To

such

,

no

food

is

joyous

,

no

drink

can

be

cheerful

.

They

are

ever

sighing

,

and

groaning

,

and

grieving

;

and

since

envy

is

never

put

off

by

the

envious

,

the

possessed

heart

is

rent

without

intermission

day

and

night

.

Other

ills

have

their

limit

;

and

whatever

wrong

is

done

,

is

bounded

by

the

completion

of

the

crime

.

In

the

adulterer

the

offence

ceases

when

the

violation

is

perpetrated

;

in

the

case

of

the

robber

,

the

crime

is

at

rest

when

the

homicide

is

committed

;

and

the

possession

of

the

booty

puts

an

end

to

the

rapacity

of

the

thief

;

and

the

completed

deception

places

a

limit

to

the

wrong

of

the

cheat

.

Jealousy

has

no

limit

;

it

is

an

evil

continually

enduring

,

and

a

sin

without

end

.

In

proportion

as

he

who

is

envied

has

the

advantage

of

a

greater

success

,

in

that

proportion

the

envious

man

burns

with

the

fires

of

jealousy

to

an

increased

heat

.

Notes

15
[Another specimen of our author’s pithy condensations of thought and extraordinary eloquence.]