THERE be none of the affections, which have been noted to fascinate or bewitch, but love and envy. They both have vehement wishes; they frame themselves readily into imaginations and suggestions; and they come easily into the eye, especially upon the present of the objects; which are the points that conduce to fascination, if any such thing there be. We see likewise, the Scripture calleth envy an evil eye; and the astrologers, call the evil influences of the stars, evil aspects; so that still there seemeth to be acknowledged, in the act of envy, an ejaculation or irradiation of the eye.Nay, some have been so curious, as to note, that the times when the stroke or percussion of an envious eye doth most hurt, are when the party envied is beheld in glory or triumph; for that sets an edge upon envy: and besides, at such times the spirits of the person envied, do come forth most into the outward parts, and so meet the blow.

But leaving these curiosities (though not unworthy to be thought on, in fit place), we will handle, what persons are apt to envy others; what persons are most subject to be envied themselves; and what is the difference between public and private envy.

A man that hath no virtue in himself, ever envieth virtue in others. For men's minds, will either feed upon their own good, or upon others' evil; and who wanteth the one, will prey upon the other; and whoso is out of hope, to attain to another's virtue, will seek to come at even hand, by depressing another's fortune.

A man that is busy, and inquisitive, is commonly envious. For to know much of other men's matters, cannot be because all that ado may concern his own estate; therefore it must needs be, that he taketh a kind of play-pleasure, in looking upon the fortunes of others. Neither can he, that mindeth but his own business, find much matter for envy. For envy is a gadding passion, and walketh the streets, and doth not keep home: Non est curiosus, quin idem sit malevolus.

Men of noble birth, are noted to be envious towards new men, when they rise. For the distance is altered, and it is like a deceit of the eye, that when others come on, they think themselves, go back.

世人歷來注意到，所有情感中最令人神魂顛倒著莫過于愛情和嫉妒。這兩種感情都會激起強烈的欲望，而且均可迅速轉化成聯想和幻覺，容易鉆進世人的眼睛，尤其容易降到被愛被妒者身上；這些便是導致蠱惑的要點，如果世間真有蠱惑的話。我們同樣可以見到，《圣經》中把嫉妒稱為“毒眼”①，占星術上則把不吉之星力叫作“兇象”③，以致世人似乎至今還承認，當嫉妒行為發生時，嫉妒者會眼紅或曰紅眼。而且有人更為明察秋毫，竟注意到紅眼最傷人之際莫過于被嫉妒者正躊躇滿志或春風得意之時，因為那種得意勁兒會使爐火燃得更旺。另外在這種時候，被嫉妒者的情緒最溢于言表，因此最容易遭受打擊。

但暫且不談這些蹊蹺之處（雖說這些蹊蹺并非不值得在適當的場合思量思量），筆者在此只想探討一下哪些人好嫉妒他人，哪些人會遭受嫉妒，以及公眾的嫉妒和私人間的嫉妒有何不同。

自身無德者常嫉妒他人之德，因為人心的滋養要么是自身之善，要么是他人之惡，而缺乏自身之善者必然要攝取他人之惡，于是凡無望達到他人之德行境地者便會極力貶低他人以求得平衡。

好管閑事且好深隱私者通常都好嫉妒，因為勞神費力地去打探別人的事情絕非是由于那些事與打探者的利害有關，所以其原因必定是打探者在旁觀他人禍福時能獲得一種視劇般的樂趣。而一心只管自家事的人無甚嫉妒的由來，因為嫉妒是一種愛游蕩的感情，它總在街頭閑逛，不肯呆在家里，所以古人說：

“好管閑事者必定沒安好心。”

出身貴族者在新人晉爵時常生妒意，因為兩者之間的差距縮短；而且這就像是看朱成碧，明明是別人上升，他們卻看成是自己下降。

Deformed persons, and eunuchs, and old men, and bastards, are envious. For he that cannot possibly mend his own case, will do what he can, to impair another's; except these defects light upon a very brave, and heroical nature, which thinketh to make his natural wants part of his honor; in that it should be said, that an eunuch, or a lame man, did such great matters; affecting the honor of a miracle; as it was in Narses the eunuch, and Agesilaus and Tamberlanes, that were lame men.

The same is the case of men, that rise after calamities and misfortunes. For they are as men fallen out with the times; and think other men's harms, a redemption of their own sufferings.

They that desire to excel in too many matters, out of levity and vain glory, are ever envious. For they cannot want work; it being impossible, but many, in some one of those things, should surpass them. Which was the character of Adrian the Emperor; that mortally envied poets, and painters, and artificers, in works wherein he had a vein to excel.

Lastly, near kinsfolks, and fellows in office, and those that have been bred together, are more apt to envy their equals, when they are raised. For it doth upbraid unto them their own fortunes, and pointeth at them, and cometh oftener into their remembrance, and incurreth likewise more into the note of others; and envy ever redoubleth from speech and fame. Cain's envy was the more vile and malignant, towards his brother Abel, because when his sacrifice was better accepted, there was no body to look on. Thus much for those, that are apt to envy.

Concerning those that are more or less subject to envy: First, persons of eminent virtue, when they are advanced, are less envied. For their fortune seemeth , but due unto them; and no man envieth the payment of a debt, but rewards and liberality rather. Again, envy is ever joined with the comparing of a man's self; and where there is no comparison, no envy; and therefore kings are not envied, but by kings. Nevertheless it is to be noted, that unworthy persons are most envied, at their first coming in, and afterwards overcome it better; whereas contrariwise, persons of worth and merit are most envied, when their fortune continueth long. For by that time, though their virtue be the same, yet it hath not the same lustre; for fresh men grow up that darken it.

宦官、老人、殘疾者和私生子都好嫉妒，因沒法彌補自身缺陷的人總要干方百計給別人也造成缺陷，除非有上述缺陷者具有勇敢無畏的英雄氣概，有志把自身的固有缺陷變成其榮譽之一部分。這樣人們就會說：某宦官或瘸子竟創下如此殊勛偉業；正如宦官納西斯以及瘸子阿偈西勞和帖木兒曾努力求得奇跡般的榮譽一樣①。

在大苦大難后升遷的人也好嫉妒，因為他們就像時代的落伍者似的，以為別人受到傷害就可補償自己曾經歷的苦難。

那些因其輕薄和自負而想在各方面都勝過他人者亦常嫉妒，因為他們絕不會缺少嫉妒的對象，在他們想爭勝的諸多方面之某一方面，不可能沒有許多人會勝過他們。羅馬皇帝哈德良就是這種嫉妒者，他善詩畫和工藝，因此他非常嫉妒真正的詩人、畫家和技師。

最后還有同族親友、官場同僚和少時伙伴，這些人在平輩人升遷時更容易產生嫉妒。因為對他們來說，平輩的升遷不啻是在批評自己的身份，是在對自己進行指責。這種升遷會更經常地進入他們的記憶，同樣也會更多地引起旁人的注意，而旁人對這種升遷的傳揚往往會令嫉妒者妒意更濃。該隱對其弟亞伯的嫉妒之所以更為卑鄙邪惡，就因為亞伯的供奉被上帝悅納時并沒有旁人看見。①關于好嫉妒之人暫且就說到這里。

接下來筆者要談談那些或多或少會遭嫉妒的人的情況。首先，有大德者步入老年后較少遭人嫉妒，因為他們的幸運已顯得不過是他們應得的報償，而對應得的報償誰也不會嫉妒，世人只嫉妒過于慷慨的獎賞和施舍。另一方面，嫉妒常產生在與人攀比之時，可以說沒有攀比就沒有嫉妒，故此為君者不會被其他人妒忌，除非妒忌者亦是君王。不過應該注意到，卑微之人在發跡之初最遭人妒忌，其后妒忌會逐漸減弱；但與此相反，品質優秀者則是在他們的好運賡續不斷時遭妒最甚，因此時他們的優點雖依然如故，但已不如當初那樣耀眼，后起之秀已使其黯然失色

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