Wisdom And Simplicity

Muscae mortis pollunt oleum compositionis: pretiosa est super sapientiam et gloriam stultitia parva. Exemplum superioris sensus dedit, in quo ait, per unum stultum multa bona posse subverti, quod sic malus mistus bonis contaminet plurimos, quomodo muscae si moriantur in unguento, perdant et odorem illius et colorem. Et quia saepe calliditati mista est sapientia, et habet malitiam prudentia, praecipit ut sapientiam simplicem requiramus, mistaque sit cum innocentia columbarum; prudentes simus ad bonum, simplices autem ad malum. Et est sensus: Convenit justo parum habere simplicitatis, et propter nimiam patientiam, dum ultionem reservat Deo, stultum videri, quam statim se vindicantem sub velamento prudentiae exercere malitiam. Sanctus Hieronymous, Commentarius Ecclesiasten, Cap X Source: Migne PL 23 1090a-b

Dead flies defile the well prepared perfume; a little foolishness is more precious than wisdom and glory. 1 He has given an example of the previous passage's meaning, in which he said that by one fault many goods may be overturned, 2 because evil mixed with goods contaminates many, as flies dying in perfume destroy both its odour and its colour. And because it is often the case that cunning is mixed with wisdom, and prudence bears along with it wickedness, he commands that we seek a simple wisdom, and mix it with the innocence of doves. Let us be prudent in the good, simple in evil. And this is the meaning: it befits the righteous to have a little simplicity and on account of excessive patience, while he reserves vengeance to God, to seem a fool, than to be instantly vindicated under the veil of prudence by doing evil. Saint Jerome, Commentary on Ecclesiastes, Chap 10 1 Eccl 10.1 2 Eccl 9.18