they opposed the truth and opposed the nations. 1 what is this contradictory composition and incompatible temperament? what is this extreme stupidity that is accompanied by amazing intelligence? what is this reason by which the clear and sublime is hidden and the mysterious and sublime is perceived?! i said i am not surprised by someone who has taken off his excuse for miserliness and exposed his page to blame and is not satisfied with speaking except by confronting the opponent nor with arguing except with what is written in books nor am i surprised by someone whose mind is overcome and is used to reveal his fault as i am surprised by someone who has become aware of his miserliness and knows his excessive stinginess and in that he struggles with himself and overcomes his nature and perhaps he thinks that he has become aware of him and knows what he has so he camouflages something that cannot be camouflaged and patches up a tear that cannot be patched. if he had been aware of his own faults and had been aware of those who were aware of their faults and had been aware of his weakness in treating himself in correcting his morals in restoring his past habits and in changing his corrupt morals until they returned to being sound he would have stopped doing what he could not do and would have profited from spending on those who criticize him and he would not have placed watchmen on himself nor would he have brought poets to his table nor would he have mixed with the cold of the horizons nor would he have worn out those entrusted with news and he would have been relieved from the toil of cost and entered the midst of the nation.
عاندوا الحق، وخالفوا الأمم ١ ؟ وما هذا التركيب المتضاد، والمزاج المتنافي؟ وما هذا الغباء الشديد الذي الى جنبه فطنة عجيبة؟ وما هذا السبب الذي خفي به الجليل الواضح، وأدرك به الجليل الغامض؟! وقلت وليس عجبي ممن خلع عذاره في البخل، وأبدى صفحته للذم، ولم يرض من القول إلا بمقارعة الخصم، ولا من الإحتجاج إلا بما رسم في الكتب؛ ولا عجبي من مغلوب على عقله، مسخر لإظهار عيبه، كعجبي ممن قد فطن لبخله، وعرف إفراط شحه، وهو في ذلك يجاهد نفسه، ويغالب طبعه، ولربما ظن أن قد فطن له، وعرف ما عنده، فموه شيئا لا يقبل التمويه، ورقع خرقا لا يقبل الرقع. فلو أنه كما فطن لعيبه، وفطن لمن فطن لعيبه، فطن لضعفه عن علاج نفسه، وعن تقويم أخلاقه، وعن استرجاع ما سلف من عاداته، وعن قلبه أخلاقه المدخولة ٢ إلى أن تعود سليمة، لترك تكلف ما لا يستطيعه، ولربح الإنفاق على من يذمه، ولما وضع على نفسه الرقباء، ولا أحضر مائدته الشعراء، ولا خالط برد ٣ الآفاق، ولا لابس الموكلين بالأخبار، ولاستراح من كد الكلفة، ودخل في غمار الأمة.