Page:Romance of the Rose (Ellis), volume 1.pdf/259

It boldly saith that: ‘Honours spoil
Good manners.’ ’Twere but wasted toil
If I should strive to prove how vain
That proverb is; no poisonous bane
Are honours if they chance to fall
On worthy wights, for not at all6640
They change men’s natures; if erst good
That nature proved in needihood,
So will it still to good incline,
When on it wealth and honour shine
’Fore all the world; but if poor men
Are vicious, past all question then,
If they arrive at high estate,
They do but show more reprobate.

God all-powerful The name of power is ill applied
To malice, ignorance, and pride,6650
For hath not sacred Scripture shown
That power proceeds from God alone?
And no man doth God’s law transgress,
Save when misled by foolishness:
And every man who sees aright,
Knows lack of good is lack of might,
For thus ’tis said in Holy Writ;
But if, still unconvinced of it,
Thy soul remaineth yet in doubt,
Nor draws assurance full thereout,6660
I’ll quickly show that nought can be
Impossible to the Deity.

No man would dare to say the will
Of God could ever stoop to ill,
And owning that, thou know’st right well,
That God hath power o’er heaven and hell,