Is virtue a thing remote? I wish to be
virtuous, and lo! Virtue is at hand.
To be able under all circumstances to
practice five things constitutes perfect
virtue; these five things are
gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness and
kindness.
Wisdom,
compassion,
and courage are
the three universally recognized moral qualities of men.
He who exercises government by means of his
virtue may be compared to the north polar star, which keeps its place
and all the stars turn towards it.
The man of virtue makes the difficulty to
be overcome his first business, and
success only a subsequent
consideration.
If a man takes no thought about what is
distant, he will find sorrow near at hand.
If a man remembers what is right at the
sign of profit, is ready to lay down his
life in the face of danger, and
does not forget sentiments he has repeated all his life when he has been
in straitened circumstances for a long time, he may be said to be a
complete man.
The firm, the enduring, the simple, and the
modest are near to virtue.
