hich I have already granted, it is necessary that
good men are powerful and evil men weak."

"Thou runnest before rightly," quoth she, "and it is (as physicians are
wont to hope) a token of an erected and resisting nature. Wherefore,
since I see thee most apt and willing to comprehend, I will therefore
heap up many reasons together. For consider the great weakness of
vicious men, who cannot come so far as their natural intention leadeth
and almost compelleth them. And what if they were destitute of this so
great and almost invincible help of the direction of nature? Ponder
likewise the immense impotency of wicked men. For they are no light or
trifling rewards[145] which they desire, and cannot obtain: but they
fail in the very sum and top of things: neither can the poor wretches
compass that which they only labour for nights and days: in which thing
the forces of the good eminently appear. For as thou wouldst judge him
to be most able to walk who going on foot could come as far as there
were any place to go in: so must thou of force judge him most powerful
who obtaineth the end of all that can be desired, beyond which there is
nothing. Hence that which is opposite also followeth, that the same men
are wicked and destitute of all forces. For why do they follow vices,
forsaking virtues? By ignorance of that which is good? But what is more
devoid of strength than blind ignorance? Or do they know what they
should embrace, but passion driveth them headlong the contrary way? So
also intemperance makes them frail, since they cannot strive against
vice. Or do they wittingly and willingly forsake goodness, and decline
to vices? But in this sort they leave not only to be powerful, but even
to be at all. For they which leave the common end of all things which
are, leave also being. Which may perhaps seem strange to some, that we
should say that evil men are not at all, who are the greatest part of
men: but yet it is so. For I deny not that evil men are evil, but withal
I say that purely and simply they are not.

For as thou mayest call a carcase a dead man, but not simply a man, so I
confess that the vicious are evil, but I cannot grant that they are
absolutely. For that is which retaineth order, and keepeth nature, but
that which faileth from this leaveth also to be that which is in his own
nature. But thou wilt say that evil men can do many things, neither will