Part 47

¶ But what þing is more feble {and} more caitif þan is þe [[pg 116]] blyndenesse of ignoraunce. or ellys þei knowen ful wel whiche þinges þat þei auȝten to folwen ¶ but lecherye {and} couetise ouerþroweþ hem mysturned.

¶ and certis 3292 so doþ distemp{er}aunce to feble men. þat ne mowe{n} nat wrastle aȝeins þe vices

¶ Ne knowen þei nat þan wel þat þei foreleten þe good wilfully. {and} turnen hem vilfully to vices. ¶ And in þis wise þei ne forleten nat 3296 oonly to ben myȝty. but þei forleten al outerly in any wise forto ben

¶ For þei þat forleten þe comune fyn of alle þinges þat ben. þei for-leten also þerwiþ al forto ben.

and p{er}auenture it sholde semen to som folk þat 3300 þis were a merueile to seyne þat shrewes whiche þat contienen þe more p{ar}tie of me{n} ne ben nat. ne han no beynge. ¶ but naþeles it is so. {and} þus stant þis þing

for þei þat ben shrewes I denye nat þat þei ben shrewes. 3304 but I denye {and} sey symplely and pleynly þat þei ben nat. ne han no beynge.

for ryȝt as þou myȝtest seyn of þe careyne of a man þat it were a ded man. ¶ but þou ne myȝtest nat symplely callen it a man. 3308

¶ So graunt I wel for soþe þat vicious folk ben wicked. but I ne may nat graunten absolutely {and} symplely þat þei ben.

¶ For þilk þing þat wiþ holdeþ ordre {and} kepiþ nature. þilk þing is {and} haþ 3312 beynge. but þat þing þat faileþ of þat. þat is to seyne he þ{a}t forletiþ naturel ordre he for-letiþ þilk beyng þat is set in hys nature.

but þou wolt sein þat shrewes mowen. ¶ Certys þat ne denye I nat. ¶ but certys 3316 hir power ne descendeþ nat of strengþe but of feblesse.

for þei mowen don wickednesses. þe whiche þei ne myȝten nat don yif þei myȝte{n} dwelle in þe forme {and} in þe doynge of goode folke. [[pg 117]]

¶ And þilke power 3320 sheweþ ful euydently þat þei ne mowen ryȝt nauȝt.

¶ For so as I haue gadered {and} p{ro}ued a lytel her byforn þat yuel is nauȝt. {and} so as shrewes mowen oonly but shrewednesse. þis conclusiou{n} is al clere. þat 3324 shrewes ne mowen ryȝt nat to han power.

and for as moche as þou vndirstonde whiche is þe strengþe þat is power of shrewes. I haue diffinised a lytel here byforn þat no þing nis so myȝty as souereyne good

¶ þat is 3328 soþe q{uo}d .I.

Certes no q{uod} I]

¶ Is þer any wyȝt þan q{uo}d she þat weniþ þat men mowen don alle þinges.

No man q{uo}d .I. but yif he be out of hys witte.

¶ but 3332 certys sherewes mowen doñ yuel q{uo}d she.

¶ ȝe wolde god q{uo}d I þat þei ne myȝte{n} don none.

þat q{uo}d she so as he þat is myȝty to done oonly but good þinges may don alle þinges. and þei þat ben myȝty to done 3336 yuel þinges ne mowen nat alle þinges. þan is þis open þing {and} manifest þat þei þ{a}t mowe{n} don yuel ben of lasse power.

and ȝitte to p{ro}ue þis conclusiou{n} þere helpeþ me þis þat I haue shewed here byforne. þat al 3340 power is to be nou{m}bred amonge þinges þat men auȝten requere. {and} haue shewed þat alle þi{n}ges þat auȝten ben desired ben referred to good ryȝt as to a manere heyȝte of hyr nature.

¶ But for to mowen don yuel {and} 3344 felonye ne may nat ben referred to good. þan nis nat yuel of þe nou{m}bre of þinges þat auȝte{n}.

*be desired. but al power auȝt ben desired {and} requered. ¶ þan is it open {and} cler þat þe power ne þe moeuyng of shrewes 3348 nis no powere.

{and} of alle þise þinges it sheweþ wel þat þe goode folk ben certeynly myȝty. {and} þe shrewes ben [[pg 118]] douteles vnmyȝty

¶ And it is clere {and} open þat þilke sentence of plato is uerray {and} soþe. þ{a}t seyþ þat oonly 3352 wiseme{n} may þat þei desiren. {and} shrewes mowen haunten þat hem lykeþ. but þat þei desiren þat is to seyne to comen to souereyne good þei ne han no power to acomplissen þat.

¶ For shrewes don þat hem 3356 list whan by þo þinges in whiche þei deliten þei wenen to atteyne to þilke good þat þei desiren. but þei ne geten ne atteynen nat þer to. ¶ for vices ne comen nat to blisfulnesse. 3360

QUOS UIDES SEDERE CELSOS.