Part 48

++Who so þat þe couertures of her veyn apparailes myȝt strepen of þise proude kynges þat þou seest sitten on heyȝe in her chayeres glyterynge in shynynge purpre envyroned wiþ sorweful arm{ur}es 3364 manasyng wiþ cruel mouþe. blowyng by woodnesse of herte. ¶ He sholde se þan þat ilke lordes beren wiþ i{n}ne hir corages ful streyte cheynes for leccherye tormentiþ he{m} on þat oon syde wiþ gredy venyms {and} 3368 troublable Ire þat araiseþ in hem þe floodes of troublynges tourmentiþ vpon þat oþer side hir þouȝt. or sorwe halt he{m} wery or ycauȝt. or slidyng {and} disseyuyng hope tourmentiþ hem.

And þerfore syn þou seest on heed. 3372 þat is to seyne oon tyraunt bere so many tyrauntis. þa{n} ne doþ þilk tyraunt nat þat he desiriþ. syn he is cast doune wiþ so many wicked lordes. þat is to seyn wiþ so many vices. þat han so wicked lordshipes 3376 ouer hym.

VIDES NE IGITUR QUANTO.

++SEest þou nat þan in how gret filþe þise shrewes ben ywrapped. {and} wiþ whiche cleernesse þise good folk shynen.

In þis sheweþ it wel þat to good folk ne 3380 lakkeþ neuer mo hir medes. ne shrewes ne lakken neuer mo to{ur}mentis.

for of alle þinges þat ben ydon þilke þing for whiche any þing is doon. it semeþ as by ryȝt þat þilke þing be þe mede of þat. as þus. ¶ yif a 3384 man renneþ in þe stadie or in þe forlonge for þe corone. þan lieþ þe mede in þe corone for whiche he renneþ.

¶ And I haue shewed þat blisfulnesse is þilke same good for whiche þat alle þi{n}g{us} ben don. þan is þilke 3388 same good p{ur}posed to þe werkes of mankynde ryȝt as a comune mede.

whiche mede ne may ben disseuered fro good folk. for no wyȝt as by ryȝt fro þennes forþe þ{a}t hym lakkiþ goodnesse ne shal ben cleped good. 3392 For whiche þing folk of good maneres her medes ne forsaken hem neuer mo.

For al be it so þat sherewes waxen as wood as hem list aȝeynes good folk. ȝitte neuer þe les þe corone of wise men ne shal nat fallen 3396 ne faden.

¶ For foreine shrewednesse ne bynymeþ nat fro þe corages of good folk hire p{ro}pre honoure.

but yif þat any wyȝt reioiseþ hem of goodnesse þat þei had taken fro wiþoute. as who seiþ yif [þ{a}t] any 3400 wyȝt had hys goodnesse of any oþer man þan of hym self. certys he þat ȝaf hym þilke goodnesse or ellys som oþer wyȝt myȝt bynym it hym.

but for as moche as to euery wyȝt hys owen p{ro}pre bounte 3404 ȝeueþ hy{m} hys mede. þan at arst shal he faylen of mede whan he forletiþ to ben good.

{and} at þe laste so as alle medes be{n} requered for men wenen þat þei ben good. who is he þat wolde deme þat he þat is ryȝt [[pg 120]] myȝty of goode were p{ar}tles of mede. 3409

*{and} of what mede shal he be gerdoned.

certys of ryȝt faire mede {and} ryȝt greet abouen alle medes.

¶ Remembre þe of þilk noble corolarie þat I ȝaf þe a lytel here byforne. 3412 {and} gadre it to gidre in þis manere.

so as god hym self is blisfulnesse. þan is it clere {and} certeyn. þat alle good folk ben makid blisful for þei ben good. and þilke folk þat ben blisful it accordiþ {and} is couenable to ben 3416 godde.

þan is þe mede of goode folk swiche. þat no day shal enpeyren it. ne no wickednesse shal endirken it. ne power of no wyȝt ne shal nat amenusen it þat is to seyn to ben maked goddes.

¶ and syn it is 3420 þus þat goode men ne faylen neuer mo of hir{e} medes.

¶ certys no wise man ne may doute of þe vndep{ar}table peyne of shrewes. ¶ þat is to seyn þat þe peyne of shrewes ne dep{ar}tiþ nat from hem self neuer mo. 3424

¶ For so as goode {and} yuel {and} peyne {and} medes ben contrarie it mot nedes ben þ{a}t ryȝt as we seen by-tiden in gerdou{n} of goode.

þat also mot þe peyne of yuel answer{e} by þe contrarie partye to shrewes. now þan so 3428 as bounte {and} prowesse ben þe medes to goode folk. also is shrewednesse it self torment to shrewes

¶ þan who so þat euer is entecched {and} defouled wiþ yuel.

yif shrewes wolen þan p{re}isen hem self may it semen 3432 to hem þat þei ben wiþ oute{n} p{ar}tye of tourment.

syn þei ben swiche þat þe [vtteriste wikkednesse / þ{a}t is to seyn wikkede thewes / which þ{a}t is the] out{er}este {and} þe wste kynde of shrewednesse ne defouliþ nat ne 3436 entecehiþ nat hem oonly but infectiþ {and} enuenemyþ he{m} gretely

¶ And al so loke on shrewes þat ben þe contrarie p{ar}tye of goode men. how grete peyne felawshipeþ [[pg 121]] {and} folweþ hem.

¶ For þou hast lerned a litel 3440 here byforn þat al þi{n}g þat is {and} haþ beynge is oon. {and} þilke same oon is good. þan is þis consequence þat it semeþ wel. þat al þat is {and} haþ bey{n}ge is good. þis is to seyne. as who seiþ þat beynge {and} vnite {and} 3444 goodnesse is al oon. {and} in þis manere it folweþ þan. þat al þing þat faileþ to ben good. it styntiþ forto be. {and} forto haue any beynge.

wher fore it is þat shrewes stynten forto ben þat þei weren.