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Generosity is the highest goal of nobility, and he who does not have enough of the necessities of life strives in vain to practice it in relation to others. It is therefore necessary for one who wishes to be generous to be wealthy. Sustained by wealth, nobility shines through generosity and becomes more notable through the favor and kindness rendered to many.

— Buonaccorso da Montemagno De nobilitate (On Nobility) (1428)

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More quotes by Buonaccorso da Montemagno

All that boasting about family proclaims the merits of others, not one’s own.

De nobilitate (On Nobility) (1428)

If you wish to deserve illustrious titles, you must make yourself outstanding. Virtue cannot be inherited.

De nobilitate (On Nobility) (1428)

I maintain that nothing the ignorant crowd thinks in this case should be taken note of, given that it often falls into the greatest errors and that its opinions rarely agree with wisdom.

De nobilitate (On Nobility) (1428)

Wealth gathered for display represents unnecessary labor. Virtue, not beautifully adorned furniture, is the ornament of an illustrious mind.

De nobilitate (On Nobility) (1428)

Thus an abundance of goods is the greatest help to the adornment of nobility. When, under conditions of affluence, the mind is exposed to virtue, it can develop more brilliantly, and virtue can be seen more resplendently. For these reasons, nobility lies in family and in wealth.

De nobilitate (On Nobility) (1428)

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