beit, though a man escape all such adventures, and abide in
great authority till he die, yet then at least every man must leave
at last. And that which we call "at last" hath no very long time to
it. Let a man reckon his years that are past of his age ere ever he
can get up aloft; and let him, when he hath it first in his fist,
reckon how long he shall be likely to live thereafter; and I
daresay that then the most part shall have little cause to rejoice.
They shall see the time likely to be so short that their honour and
authority by nature shall endure, beside the manifold chances by
which they may lose it sooner. And then, when they see that they
must needs leave it--the thing which they did much more set their
hearts upon than ever they had reasonable cause--what sorrow they
take for it, that shall I not need to tell you.

And thus it seemeth unto me, cousin, in good faith, that since in
the having of authority the profit is not great, and the
displeasures neither small nor few; and since of the losing there
are so many sundry chances and by no means a man can keep it long;
and since to part from it is such a painful grief: I can see no
very great cause for which, as a high worldly commodity, men should
greatly desire it.

XII

And thus far have we considered hitherto, in these outward goods
that are called the gifts of fortune, only the slender commodity
that worldly-minded men have by them. But now, if we consider
further what harm to the soul they take by them who desire them
only for the wretched wealth of this world, then shall we well
perceive how far more happy is he who well loseth them than he who
ill findeth them.

These things are such as are of their own nature indifferent--that
is, of themselves neither good nor bad--but are matter that may
serve to the one or the other according as men will use them. Yet
need we little doubt but that for those who desire them only for
their worldly pleasure and for no further godly purpose the devil
shall soon turn them from things indifferent and make them things
very evil. For though they be indifferent of their nature, yet
cannot the use of them lightly stand indifferent, but must be
determinately either good or bad. And therefore he who desireth
them only for worldly pleasure, desireth them not for any good. And
for better purpose than he desireth them, to better use is he not
likely to put them. And therefore will he use them not unto good
but consequently