BOETHIUS 13
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f the body! By these things, and the like thou mayestlearn, that the excellence of the body is in the mind ; andthat to every man the vices of his mind are more hurtful.Those of the mind draw all the body to them, and the in-firmity of the body cannot entirely draw the mind to it. Then said I : I am convinced that that is true which thoubefore saidst, that is, that it would not be unfit that weshould call evil- willing men cattle, or wild beasts, thoughthey have the resemblance of man. But if I had suchpower as the Almighty God has, then would I not let thewicked injure the good so much as they now do. Then saidhe: It is not permitted to them so long as thou supposest.But thou mayest be assured that their prosperity will verysoon be removed, as I will shortly inform thee, though Ihave not leisure now on account of other discourse. If theyhad not the vain power, which they think they have, thenwould they not have so great punishment as they shall have.The wicked are much more unhappy when they are able toaccomplish the evil which they list, than they are when theyare unable to do it ; though these foolish men do not believe it. It is very wicked that any man wills evil, and it is stillmuch worse that he is able to do it, for the evil will is dis-persed like incense before the fire, if man is not able toaccomplish the work. But the wicked have sometimes threemisfortxmes: one is, that they will evil; the second, thatthey are able to do it ; the third, that they accomplish it.For God has decreed to give punishments and miseries towicked men for their wicked works. Then said I : So it isas thou sayest; and yet I would wish, if I might, that theyhad not the unhappiness of being able to do evil. Thensaid he : I think, however, that that power will be lost tothem sooner than either thou or they would expect. Fornothing is of long duration in this present life, though itseem to men that it be long. But very frequently the greatpower of the wicked falls very suddenly, even as a greattree in a wood makes a loud crash when men least expect ;and through fear they are always very miserable. But iftheir wickedness makes them miserable, is not then the longevil always worse than the short? Though the wicked neverdied, I shotdd still say that they were most miserable.
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