Meanness or Littleness

Magnificence aspires to great things and does not shrink from paying for them. Yet it is not foolish, nor over-lavish, nor wasteful; for it is a virtue, and therefore anordinate thing, a thing in good relation to reason. Opposed to this virtue of magnificence is the vice of littleness or meanness. This vice either (a) aspires to little things only, when greater shouldbe attempted; or (b) exercises a pinch penny care which refuses to noble enterprise its full greatness of execution.

Magnificence, to which littleness or meanness is opposed, is not the direct contrary of this vice. For magnificencestands between two opposed vices, namely, meanness on theone hand, and wastefulnessor prodigality on the other. A mean man spends less than his undertaking is worth; a wasteful man spends more than the work deserves.