Evil-doing is of the many but virtue is of the few

Pope St. Gregory VII, To King William I of England, April 24, 1080: “… evil-doing is of the many but virtue is of the few. It is more glorious for a proven knight to stand fast in battle when the many are fleeing; the gem is more precious that is more rarely to be found. Nay rather, the more the powerful of this world being blinded by their pride and ungodly deeds rush into the abyss, the more it beseems you, who have been found very dear to God before the rest, by dutifully humbling yourself to be raised up and by obeying to be exalted…”