A treatise of the loue of God. Written in french by B. Francis de Sales Bishope and Prince of Geneua, translated into English by Miles Car priest of the English Colledge of Doway

How loue produceth Zeale. CHAPTER. XII.

1. AS Loue rends towards the Good of the thing beloued, either by taking delight in it being obtained, or in desiring and pursuing it not being obtained. So it brings forth hatred by which it flies the euill which is contrarie to the thing beloued, either in desiring and striuing to be quit of it, being alreadie present, or in absence, by essaying to diuert and hinder its approch. But if euill can neither be hindred to approch, nor be remoued, loue at least leaues not to make it be hated and detested. When loue therefore is seruent, and is come to that hight, that it would take away, remoue, and diuert that which is oppo∣site to the thing beloued, it is termed Zeale. So that in proper speach, Zeale is no other thing then loue in its ardour, or rather the ardour that is in loue. And therefore, such as the loue is, such is the Zeale which is in ardour. If the loue be good the Zeale is Good, if bad, the Zeale is also bad. Now when I speake of Zeale, I meane to speake of iealousie too: for iealousie is a SPECIES of Zeale, and vnlesse I be deceiued, there is but this onely

difference betweene them; That Zeale hath a respect to all the Good of the thing beloued, with intention to remoue the contrarie euill from it: but iealousie eyes the particular good of friends∣hipe, to th'end it might repulse all that doth op∣pose it.

2. When therefore we ardently set our affe∣ctions vpon earthly and temporall things, beautie, honours, riches, Place: That Zeale, that is, the ardour of that Loue, ends ordinarily with enuie: because these base and vile things, are so little, li∣mited, particular, finite, and imperfect, that being possessed by one, another cannot entirely possesse them. So that being communicated to diuers, each one in particular hath a lesse perfect communica∣tion of them. But when we loue in particular to be ardently beloued, the Zeale, or ardour of this Loue turnes into Iealousie; because humane friēd∣shipe, though otherwise a vertue, hath this imper∣fection, by reason of our weaknesse, that being diuided amongst many, euery ones part it lesse. Wherevpon the ardour or Zeale we haue to be beloued, will not permit corriualls and compa∣nions: which if we apprehend we haue, we pre∣sently fall into the passion of Iealousie, which in∣deede doth in some sort resemble enuie, yet is farre an other thing. 1. Enuie is alwayes vniust, but iealousie is sometimes iust, so that it be mo∣derate: for haue not such as are married good rea∣son to looke that an others shareing with them doe not cause their friendship's decrease? Enuie makes vs sorrowfull that our neighbour enioys a like, or a greater good then we, though he di∣minish

not that which we haue one iot. But iea∣lousie is in no wise troubled at our neighbours good so it touch not vpon our coppie-hold: for the Iealous man would not be sorrie that his com∣panion should be beloued of others, so it were not of his owne Mistresse. Yea properly speaking, a man is not iealous of Competitours, till he ap∣prehend that he himselfe hath alreadie atchiued the friendshipe of the partie beloued. And if there be any passiō that preceedes this, it is not iealousie but enuie. 3. We doe not presuppose any imper∣fection in the partie we enuie, but quite contra∣rie we apprehend that he hath the good which we doe enuie in him. Marry we presuppose that the partie whereof we are iealous, is imperfect, fickle subiect to corruption and change. 4. Iealousie pro∣ceedes from loue, enuie comes from the defect of Loue. 5. Iealousie neuer happens but in matter of Loue, but enuie is extended to all the subiects of good; to honours, to fauours to beautie. And if at any time one be enuious of the affection which is borne to another, it is not for loue, but for the profit that is in it. The Enuious man is not a whit troubled to see his fellow in grace with his Prince, so that he be not in occurrences gratified and preferred by him.