Agricola, Georgius, De re metallica, 1912/1950
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              alone, did not free themselves utterly from avarice, because although he is not
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              enjoying them, one who can possess other forms of property may also
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              become avaricious.</s>
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              <s>Now let us reply to the attacks hurled against the products of mines.
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              <s>In the first place, they call gold and silver the scourge of mankind because
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              they are the cause of destruction and ruin to their possessors. </s>
              <s>But in this
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              manner, might not anything that we possess be called a scourge to
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              human kind,—whether it be a horse, or a garment, or anything else?
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              <s>For, whether one rides a splendid horse, or journeys well clad, he would
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              give occasion to a robber to kill him. </s>
              <s>Are we then not to ride on horses,
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              but to journey on foot, because a robber has once committed a murder in
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              order that he may steal a horse? </s>
              <s>Or are we not to possess clothing, because
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              a vagabond with a sword has taken a traveller's life that he may rob him
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              of his garment? </s>
              <s>The possession of gold and silver is similar. </s>
              <s>Seeing
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              then that men cannot conveniently do all these things, we should be on our
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              guard against robbers, and because we cannot always protect ourselves
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              from their hands, it is the special duty of the magistrate to seize wicked and
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              villainous men for torture, and, if need be, for execution.</s>
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              <s>Again, the products of the mines are not themselves the cause of war.
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              <s>Thus, for example, when a tyrant, inflamed with passion for a woman of
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              great beauty, makes war on the inhabitants of her city, the fault lies in the
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              unbridled lust of the tyrant and not in the beauty of the woman. </s>
              <s>Likewise,
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              when another man, blinded by a passion for gold and silver, makes war
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              upon a wealthy people, we ought not to blame the metals but transfer all
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              blame to avarice. </s>
              <s>For frenzied deeds and disgraceful actions, which are
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              wont to weaken and dishonour natural and civil laws, originate from our
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              own vices. </s>
              <s>Wherefore Tibullus is wrong in laying the blame for war on
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              gold, when he says: “This is the fault of a rich man's gold; there were
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              no wars when beech goblets were used at banquets.” But Virgil, speaking of
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              Polymnestor, says that the crime of the murderer rests on avarice:</s>
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              <s>“He breaks all law; he murders Polydorus, and obtains gold by
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              violence. </s>
              <s>To what wilt thou not drive mortal hearts, thou accursed
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              hunger for gold?”</s>
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              <s>And again, justly, he says, speaking of Pygmalion, who killed Sichaeus:</s>
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              <s>“And blinded with the love of gold, he slew him unawares with
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              stealthy sword.”
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              22
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              <s>For lust and eagerness after gold and other things make men blind, and
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              this wicked greed for money, all men in all times and places have considered
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              dishonourable and criminal. </s>
              <s>Moreover, those who have been so addicted to
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              avarice as to be its slaves have always been regarded as mean and sordid.
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              <s>Similarly, too, if by means of gold and silver and gems men can overcome
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              the chastity of women, corrupt the honour of many people, bribe the course
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              of justice and commit innumerable wickednesses, it is not the metals which
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              are to be blamed, but the evil passions of men which become inflamed and
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              ignited; or it is due to the blind and impious desires of their minds. </s>
              <s>But </s>
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