It's not good to have too much power. It's much safer to be a nobody (a "vassal") than a lord or a king. That's because power corrupts (people gain "dubious" titles or honors that they don't deserve) and this leads to trouble.

Here, again, the speaker warns us that it's better to have less, rather than more, power and wealth. Power and wealth lead us to the Tower—a reference to the Tower of London (a famous prison) where many important political figures in British history were detained (and a few were even killed).

Everybody wants "gain and grandeur"— wealth and power. But people who ask for those things don't realize all the trouble they can cause. A big statesman or politician has to deal with fears and responsibilities. He has rivals who want to take his place. He has to worry about who will be his heir and inherit his position.

Here the speaker describes Wolsey at the height of his power as the king's right-hand man. He could dictate laws, he had the powers of the church and the English realm in his hand, and he was the king's spokesman. The speaker presents Wolsey as an example of a man who was very ambitious for power.

Sometimes having our wishes comes true brings us trouble rather than peace or joy. The speaker suggests that, throughout history, men's greed for power has led them into trouble.