Lastly, to conclude this part; as we said in the beginning, that the act of envy had somewhat in it of witchcraft, so there is no other cure of envy, but the cure of witchcraft; and that is, to remove the lot (as they call it) and to lay it upon another. For which purpose, the wiser sort of great persons, bring in ever upon the stage somebody upon whom to derive the envy, that would come upon themselves; sometimes upon ministers and servants; sometimes upon colleagues and associates; and the like; and for that turn there are never wanting, some persons of violent and undertaking natures, who, so they may have power and business, will take it at any cost.

Now, to speak of public envy. There is yet some good in public envy, whereas in private, there is none. For public envy, is as an ostracism, that eclipseth men, when they grow too great. And therefore it is a bridle also to great ones, to keep them within bounds.

This envy, being in the Latin word invidia, goeth in the modern language, by the name of discontentment; of which we shall speak, in hand-ling sedition. It is a disease, in a state, like to infection. For as infection spreadeth upon that which is sound, and tainteth it; so when envy is gotten once into a state, it traduceth even the best actions thereof, and turneth them into an ill odor. And therefore there is little won, by intermingling of plausible actions. For that doth argue but a weakness, and fear of envy, which hurteth so much the more, as it is likewise usual in infections; which if you fear them, you call them upon you.

This public envy, seemeth to beat chiefly uponprincipal officers or ministers, rather than upon kings, and estates themselves. But this is a surerule, that if the envy upon the minister be great, when the cause of it in him is small; or if the envy be general, in a manner upon all the ministers of an estate; then the envy (though hidden) is truly upon the state itself. And so much of public envy or discontentment, and the difference thereof from private envy, which was handled in the first place.

We will add this in general, touching the affection of envy; that of all other affections, it is the most importune and continual. For of other affections, there is occasion given, but now and then; and therefore it was well said, Invidia festos dies non agit: for it is ever working upon some or other. And it is also noted, that love and envy do make a man pine, which other affections do not, because they are not so continual. It is also the vilest affection, and the most depraved; for which cause it is the proper attribute of the devil, who is called, the envious man, that soweth tares amongst the wheat by night; as it always cometh to pass, that envy worketh subtilly, and in the dark, and to the prejudice of good things, such as is the wheat.

出最后讓筆者贅言幾句來結束這個部分。如本文開篇所言，嫉妒行為有幾分巫術的性質，因此治嫉妒的最好方法就是治巫術的方法，也就是移開世人所謂的“符咒”，使之鎮在別人頭上。為達到這一目的，有些聰明的大人物總是讓別人替自己拋頭露面，從而使本會降到自己身上的嫉妒降到他人身上，這種他人有時候是侍從仆役，有時候是同僚伙伴或諸如此類的角色；而要找這種替身，世間還真不乏一些雄心勃勃的冒昧之徒，只要能獲得權位，這種人不惜付出任何代價。

現在且來談談公眾的嫉妒。雖說私人間的嫉妒有百害而無一利，但公眾的嫉妒卻還有一點好處，因為它就像陶片放逐法①，可除去那些位高專權者，所以它對其他大人物亦是一種制約，可使他們循規蹈矩。

這種在拉丁語中寫作invidia的嫉妒在現代語言中又叫“不滿情緒”，關于這點筆者將在談及叛亂時加以討論。公眾的嫉妒對國家來說是一種可能蔓延的疾病，正如傳染病可侵入健全的肌體并使之犯疾一樣，國民一旦產生這種嫉妒，他們甚至會反對最合理的國家行為，并使這些行為背上惡名；而為此采取寵絡民心的舉措也幾乎無濟于事，因為這正好表明當局害怕嫉妒，軟弱可欺，結果造成的損害更大。這也像通常的傳染病一樣，你越怕它，它越要找上門來。

這種公眾的嫉妒似乎主要是針對高官大臣，而不是針對君王和國家本身。但有一條千真萬確的規律，那就是如果某位大臣并無甚過失卻招來公眾強烈的嫉妒，或是公眾的嫉妒在某種程度上是針對一國之所有大臣，那嫉妒的矛頭（雖隱而不露）實際上就是指向國家本身了。以上所言便是公眾的嫉妒，或日公眾的不滿，以及它與私人間的嫉妒之不同，而關于后者前文已經論及。

最后筆者再就嫉妒之情泛泛補充幾句。在人類所有情感中，嫉妒是一種最糾纏不休的感情，因其他感情的生發都有特定的時間場合，只是偶爾為之；所以古人說得好：

嫉妒從不休假；
因為它總在某些人心中作祟。世人還注意到，愛情和嫉妒的確會使人衣帶漸寬，而其他感情卻不致如此，原因是其他感情都不像愛情和嫉妒那樣寒暑無間。嫉妒亦是最卑劣最墮落的一種感情，因此它是魔鬼的固有屬性，魔鬼就是那個趁黑夜在麥田里撒稗種的嫉妒者①；而就像一直所發生的那樣，嫉妒也總是在暗中施展詭計，偷偷損害像麥黍之類的天下良物。