Corollary。…　We　may；　under　the　guidance　of　reason；　pursue　the　lesser　evil
  as　though　it　were　the　greater　good；　and　we　may　shun　the　lesser　good；
  which　would　be　the　cause　of　the　greater　evil。　For　the　evil；　which　is
  here　called　the　lesser；　is　really　good；　and　the　lesser　good　is　really
  evil；　wherefore　we　may　seek　the　former　and　shun　the　latter。　Q。E。D。
  Prop。　LXVI。　We　may；　under　the　guidance　of
  reason；　seek　a　greater　good　in　the　future
  in　preference　to　a　lesser　good　in　the
  present；　and　we　may　seek　a　lesser　evil　in
  the　present　in　preference　to　a　greater　evil
  in　the　future。
  〃Maltim　praesens　minus　prae　majori　futuro。〃　（Van　Vloten）。　　Bruder　reads：　〃Malum　praesens　minus；　quod
  causa　est　faturi　alicujus　mali。〃　The　last　word　of　the　latter　is　an　obvious　misprint；　and　is
  corrected　by　the　Dutch　translator　into　〃majoris　boni。〃　（Pollock；　p。　268；　note。）
  Proof。…　If　the　mind　could　have　an　adequate　knowledge　of　things　future；
  it　would　be　affected　towards　what　is　future　in　the　same　way　as　towards
  what　is　present　（IV：lxii。）；　wherefore；　looking　merely　to　reason；　as　in
  this　proposition　we　are　assumed　to　do；　there　is　no　difference；　whether
  the　greater　good　or　evil　be　assumed　as　present；　or　assumed　as　future；
  hence　（IV：lxv。）　we　may　seek　a　greater　good　in　the　future　in　preference
  to　a　lesser　good　in　the　present；　&c。　Q。E。D。
  Corollary。…　We　may；　under　the　guidance　of　reason；　seek　a　lesser　evil　in
  the　present；　because　it　is　the　cause　of　a　greater　good　in　the　future；
  and　we　may　shun　a　lesser　good　in　the　present；　because　it　is　the　cause
  of　a　greater　evil　in　the　future。　This　Corollary　is　related　to　the
  foregoing　Proposition　as　the　Corollary　to　IV：lxv。　is　related　to　the
  said　IV：lxv。
  Note。…　If　these　statements　be　compared　with　what　we　have　pointed　out
  concerning　the　strength　of　the　emotions　in　this　Part　up　to　Prop。　xviii。；
  we　shall　readily　see　the　difference　between　a　man；　who　is　led　solely　by
  emotion　or　opinion；　and　a　man；　who　is　led　by　reason。　The　former；　whether
  will　or　no；　performs　actions　whereof　he　is　utterly　ignorant；　the　latter　is
  his　own　master　and　only　performs　such　actions；　as　he　knows　are　of　primary
  importance　in　life；　and　therefore　chiefly；　desires；　wherefore　I　call　the
  former　a　slave；　and　the　latter　a　free　man；　concerning　whose　disposition
  and　manner　of　life　it　will　be　well　to　make　a　few　observations。
  Prop。　LXVII。　A　free　man　thinks　of　death
  least　of　all　things；　and　his　wisdom　is
  a　meditation　not　of　death　but　of　life。
  Proof。…　A　free　man　is　one　who　lives　under　the　guidance　of　reason；　who　is
  not　led　by　fear　（IV：lxiii。）；　but　who　directly　desires　that　which　is　good
  （IV：lxiii。Coroll。）；　in　other　words　（IV：xxiv。）；　who　strives　to　act；　to　live；
  and　to　preserve　his　being　on　the　basis　of　seeking　his　own　true　advantage；
  wherefore　such　an　one　thinks　of　nothing　less　than　of　death；　but　his　wisdom
  is　a　meditation　of　life。　Q。E。D
  Prop。　LXVIII。　If　men　were　born　free；
  they　would；　so　long　as　they　remained　free；
  form　no　conception　of　good　and　evil。
  Proof。…　I　call　free　him　who　is　led　solely　by　reason；　he；　therefore；　who
  is　born　free；　and　who　remains　free；　has　only　adequate　ideas；　therefore
  （IV：lxiv。Coroll。）　he　has　no　conception　of　evil；　or　consequently　（good
  and　evil　being　correlative）　of　good。　Q。E。D。
  Note。…　It　is　evident；　from　IV：iv。；　that　the　hypothesis　of　this　Proposition
  is　false　and　inconceivable；　except　in　so　far　as　we　look　solely　to　the
  nature　of　man；　or　rather　to　God；　not　in　so　far　as　the　latter　is　infinite；
  but　only　in　so　far　as　he　is　the　cause　of　man's　existence。
  This；　and　other　matters　which　we　have　already　proved；　seem　to　have
  been　signifieded　by　Moses　in　the　history　of　the　first　man。　For　in　that
  narrative　no　other　power　of　God　is　conceived；　save　that　whereby　he
  created　man；　that　is　the　power　wherewith　he　provided　solely　for　man's
  advantage；　it　is　stated　that　God　forbade　man；　being　free；　to　eat　of　the
  tree　of　the　knowledge　of　good　and　evil；　and　that；　as　soon　as　man　should
  have　eaten　of　it；　he　would　straightway　fear　death　rather　than　desire　to
  live。　Further；　it　is　written　that　when　man　had　found　a　wife；　who　was　in
  entire　harmony　with　his　nature；　he　knew　that　there　could　be　nothing　in
  nature　which　could　be　more　useful　to　him；　but　that　after　he　believed　the
  beasts　to　be　like　himself；　he　straightway　began　to　imitate　their　emotions
  （III：xxvii。）；　and　to　lose　his　freedom；　this　freedom　was　afterwards
  recovered　by　the　patriarchs；　led　by　the　spirit　of　Christ；　that　is；　by　the
  idea　of　God；　whereon　alone　it　depends；　that　man　may　be　free；　and　desire　for
  others　the　good　which　he　desires　for　himself；　as　we　have　shown　above
  （IV：xxxii。）。
  Prop。　LXIX。　The　virtue　of　a　free　man　is　seen
  to　be　as　great；　when　it　declines　dangers；
  as　when　it　overcomes　them。
  Proof。…　Emotion　can　only　be　checked　or　removed　by　an　emotion　contrary　to
  itself；　and　possessing　more　power　in　restraining　emotion　（IV：vii。）。　But
  blind　daring　and　fear　are　emotions；　which　can　be　conceived　as　equally
  great　（IV：v。　and　IV：iii。）：　hence；　no　less　virtue　or　firmness　is　required
  in　checking　daring　than　in　checking　fear　（III：lix。Note）；　in　other　words
  （Def。　of　the　Emotions：xl。　and　xli。）；　the　free　man　shows　as　much　virtue；
  when　he　declines　dangers；　as　when　he　strives　to　overcome　them。　Q。E。D。
  Corollary。…　The　free　man　is　as　courageous　in　timely　retreat　as　in　combat；
  or；　a　free　man　shows　equal　courage　or　presence　of　mind；　whether　he　elect
  to　give　battle　or　to　retreat。
  Note。…　What　courage　（animositas）　is；　and　what　I　mean　thereby；　I　explained
  in　III：lix。Note。　By　danger　I　mean　everything；　which　can　give　rise　to　any
  evil；　such　as　pain；　hatred；　discord；　&c。
  Prop。　LXX。　The　free　man；　who　lives　among　the
  ignorant；　strives；　as　far　as　he　can；　to　avoid
  receiving　favours　from　them。
  Proof。…　Everyone　judges　what　is　good　according　to　his　disposition
  （III：xxxix。Note）；　wherefore　an　ignorant　man；　who　has　conferred　a　benefit
  on　another；　puts　his　own　estimate　upon　it；　and；　if　it　appears　to　be
  estimated　less　highly　by　the　receiver；　will　feel　pain　（III：xlii。）。　But
  the　free　man　only　desires　to　join　other　men　to　him　in　friendship
  （IV：xxxvii。）；　not　repaying　their　benefits　with　others　reckoned　as　of　like
  value；　but　guiding　himself　and　others　by　the　free　decision　of　reason；
  and　doing　only　such　things　as　he　knows　to　be　of　primary　importance。
  Therefore　the　free　man；　lest　be　should　become　hateful　to　the　ignorant；　or
  follow　their　desires　rather　than　reason；　will　endeavour；　as　far　as　he　can；
  to　avoid　receiving　their　favours。
  Note。…　I　say；　as　far　as　he　can。　For　though　men　be　ignorant；　yet　are　they
  men；　and　in　cases　of　necessity　could　afford　us　human　aid；　the　most
  excellent　of　all　things：　therefore　it　is　often　necessary　to　accept　favours
  from　them；　and　consequently　to　repay　such　favours　in　kind；　we　must；
  therefore；　exercise　caution　in　declining　favours；　lest　we　should　have　the
  appearance　of　despising　those　who　bestow　them；　or　of　being；　from
  avaricious　motives；　unwilling　to　requite　them；　and　so　give　ground　for
  offence　by　the　very　fact　of　striving　to　avoid　it。　Thus；　in　declining
  favours；　we　must　look　to　the　requirements　of　utility　and　courtesy。
  Prop。　LXXI。　Only　free　men　are　thoroughly
  grateful　one　to　another。
  Proof。…　Only　free　men　are　thoroughly　useful　one　to　another；　and
  associated　among　themselves　by　the　closest　necessity　of　friendship
  （IV：xxxv。；&Coroll。i。）；　only　such　men　endeavour；　with　mutual　zeal　of
  love；　to　confer　benefits　on　each　other　（IV：xxxvii。）；　and；　therefore；
  only　they　are　thoroughly　grateful　one　to　another。　Q。E。D。
  Note。…　The　goodwill；　which　men　who　are　led　by　blind　desire　have　for　one
  another；　is　generally　a　bargaining　or　enticement；　rather　than　pure　goodwill。
  Moreover；　ingratitude　is　not　an　emotion。　Yet　it　is　base；　inasmuch　as
  it　generally　shows；　that　a　man　is　affected　by　excessive　hatred；　anger；
  pride；　avarice；　&c。　He　who；　by　reason　of　his　folly；　knows　not　how　to
  return　benefits；　is　not　ungrateful；　much　less　he　who　is　not　gained　over
  by　the　gifts　of　a　courtesan　to　serve　her　lust；　or　by　a　thief　to　conceal
  his　thefts；　or　by　any　similar　persons。　Contrariwise；　such　an　one　shows
  a　constant　mind；　inasmuch　as　he　cannot　by　an　gifts　be　corrupted；　to　his
  own　or　the　general　hurt。
  Prop。　LXXII。　The　free　man　never　acts　fraudulently；
  but　always　in　good　faith。
  Proof。…　If　it　be　asked：　What　should　a　man's　conduct　be　in　a　case　where
  he　could　by　breaking　faith　free　himself　from　the　danger　of　present　death？