Part 46

so þat whan þat blisfulnesse is requered *of alle. þat goode is requered {and} desired of al. It recordeþ me wel q{uo}d I. for haue it gretly alwey ficche in my memorie.

alle 3208 folk þan q{uo}d she goode {and} eke badde enforcen he{m} wiþ oute difference of entenc{i}ou{n} to come{n} to goode. þat is a uerray consequence q{uo}d I.

and certeyne is q{uo}d she þat by þe gety{n}g of goode ben men ymaked goode. 3212

þis is certeyne q{uo}d. I.

¶ þan geten goode men þat þei desiren.

so semeþ it q{uo}d I.

but wicked folk q{uo}d she yif þei geten þe goode þat þei desire{n} þei mowen nat ben wicked.

so is it q{uo}d .I.

¶ þan so as 3216 þat oon {and} þat oþer [q{uod} she] desiren good. {and} þe goode folk geten good {and} nat þe wicked folk ¶ þan nis it no doute þat þe goode folk ne ben myȝty {and} þe wicked folk ben feble.

¶ who so þat euer q{uo}d I 3220 douteþ of þis. he ne may nat considre þe nature of þi{n}ges. ne þe consequence of resou{n}. and ouer þis q{uo}d she.

¶ yif þat þer ben two þinges þat han o same 3223 p{ur}pos by kynde. {and} þat one of he{m} p{ur}sueþ {and} p{er}formeþ þilke same þinge by naturel office. {and} þat oþer ne may nat done þilk naturel office. but folweþ by oþer manere þan is couenable to nat{ur}e ¶ Hym þat acomplisiþ hys p{ur}pos kyndely. {and} ȝit he ne acomplisiþ [[pg 114]] nat hys owen purpos. wheþer of þise two demest 3229 þou for more myȝty.

¶ yif þat I coniecte q{uo}d .I. þat þou wilt seye algates. ȝit I desire to herkene it more pleynely of þe.

þou nilt nat þan denye q{uo}d she þat þe 3232 moeueme{n}tȝ of goynge nis in men by kynde. no for soþe q{uo}d I. ne þou ne doutest nat q{uo}d she þ{a}t þilke naturel office of goynge ne be þe office of feet.

I ne doute it nat q{uo}d .I.

þan q{uo}d she yif þat a wyȝt be myȝty to 3236 moeue {and} goþ vpon hys feet. and anoþer to whom þilke naturel office of feet lakkeþ. enforceþ hym to gone crepynge vpo{n} hys handes. ¶ whiche of þise two auȝte to ben holden more myȝty by ryȝt. knyt furþe þe remenaunt 3240 q{uo}d I. ¶ For no wyȝt ne douteþ þat he þat may gone by nat{ur}el office of feet. ne be more myȝty þan he þat ne may nat

¶ but þe souereyne good q{uo}d she þat is euenlyche p{ur}posed to þe good folk {and} to 3244 badde. þe good folke seken it by naturel office of uertues. {and} þe shrewes enforcen hem to geten it by dyuerse couetise of erþely þinges. whiche þat nis no naturel office to geten þilke same souereyne goode. 3248

trowest þou þat it be any oþer wyse.

nay q{uo}d .I. for þe co{n}seque{n}ce is open {and} shewynge of þinges þat I haue graunted. ¶ þat nedes goode folk moten ben myȝty. {and} shrewes feble {and} vnmyȝty.

¶ þou rennest aryȝt 3252 byfore me q{uo}d she. {and} þis is þe iugement þat is to seyn. ¶ I iuge of þe ryȝt as þise leches ben wont forto hopen of seke folk whan þei ap{er}ceyuen þat nature is redressed {and} wiþstondeþ to þe maladie.

¶ But for I 3256 see þe now al redy to þe vndirstandynge I shal shewe þe more þilke {and} continuel resou{n}s.

¶ For loke now how gretly shewiþ þe feblesse {and} infirmite of wicked [[pg 115]] folke. þat ne mowen nat come to þat hire naturel 3260 entenc{i}ou{n} ledeþ hem. {and} ȝitte almost þilk naturel entenc{i}ou{n} constreineþ hem. ¶ and what wer{e} to deme þan of shrewes. yif þilke naturel helpe hadde for-leten hem. ¶ þe whiche naturel helpe of entenc{i}ou{n} goþ alwey 3264 byforne hem. {and} is so grete þat vnneþ it may be ou{er}comen.

¶ Considre þan how gret defaute of power {and} how gret feblesse þere is in grete felonous folk as who seiþ þe gretter þi{n}ges þat ben coueited {and} þe desire 3268 nat accomplissed of þe lasse myȝt is he þat coueiteþ it {and} may nat acomplisse. ¶ And forþi philosophie seiþ þus by souereyne good.

¶ Sherewes ne requere nat lyȝt medes ne veyne gaines whiche þei ne may nat 3272 folwen ne holden. but þei fayle{n} of þilke some of þe heyȝte of þinges þat is to seyne souereyne good. ne þise wrecches ne comen nat to þe effect of souereyne good.

*þe whiche þei enforcen hem oonly to gete{n} by nyȝtes 3276 {and} by dayes.

¶ In þe getyn of whiche goode þe strengþe of good folk. is ful wel ysen.

For ryȝt so as þ{o}u myȝtest demen hym myȝty of goynge þat goþ on hys feet til he myȝt come to þilke place fro þe whiche 3280 place þere ne lay no wey forþer to be gon. Ryȝt so most þou nedes demen hym for ryȝt myȝty þat getiþ {and} atteiniþ to þe ende of alle þinges þat ben to desire. by-ȝonde þe whiche ende þat þer nis no þing to desire. 3284

¶ Of whiche power of good folk men may conclude þat wicked men semen to ben bareyne {and} naked of alle strengþe.

For whi forleten þei v{er}tues {and} folwen vices. nis it nat for þat þei ne knowen nat þe goodes. 3288