Each Man has Virtue

A sonnet said to be written by St. Thomas Aquinas (Translated by Rev. Paul Murray, OP. A codex from the Biblioteca Estense di Modena (It. 262 = alfa.U.7.24), dating from 1447 AD, contains this sonnet attributed to Thomas Aquinas, ut fertur, “so it is said.” A few scholars have noted Thomistic themes in the sonnet (see Paul Murray, OP, Aquinas at Prayer: The Bible, Mysticism and Poetry [New York: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2013], 163–65), but nevertheless, few have been persuaded by this attribution; a second sonnet is written on the same page of the codex (and beneath the aforementioned title, but without any attribution), which Alfonsi claims would be more in the style of Aquinas than the one attributed to him. See Tommaso Alfonsi, “Un ‘Sonetto’ attribuito a S. Tommaso,” in Memorie Domenicane 41.6 (1924), 293–94.)

Each man has virtue to the extent that he has understanding; and he has worth in proportion to his virtue; and he possesses goodness to the extent that he aims for it, and to the extent that he takes a noble delight in honor.

• And this noble delight, in so far as it has its effect,
  adorns the fine joy which surges in the heart;
  for such joy adorns to the extent that it shines forth
  through likeness with its proper subject.
• Whoever, then, wishes to see how much honor
  and perfect praise another person merits
  let him consider to what desire the lover turns his heart.
  For, though everyone desires to be happy,
  this is especially true of the man who, for honor,
  works faithfully, his gaze fixed on that crown.