Part 50

¶ But naþeles yif so were þat þilke þat me{n} wene{n} ben leueful for shrewes were bynomen hem. so þat þei ne [[pg 124]] myȝten nat anoyen or don harme to goode men. ¶ Certys 3528 a gret p{ar}ty of þe peyne to shrewes shulde ben allegged {and} releued.

¶ For al be it so þ{a}t þis ne seme nat credible þing p{er}auent{ur}e to so{m}me folk ȝit mot it nedes be þat shrewes ben more wrecches {and} vnsely. 3532 whan þei may don {and} p{er}forme þat þei coueiten [than yif they myhte nat complyssen þ{a}t they coueyten].

¶ For yif so be þat it be wrecchednesse to wilne to don yuel[;] þan is it more wrecchednesse to mowen don yuel. 3536 wiþ oute whiche moeuyng þe wrecched wille sholde languisshe wiþ oute effecte.

¶ þan syn þat eueryche of þise þinges haþ hys wrecchednesse. þat is to seyne wil to done yuel. and moeuynge to done yuel. it mot nedes 3540 be. þat þei (shrewes) ben constreyned by þre vnselynesses þat wolen {and} mowen {and} p{er}formen felonyes {and} shrewednesses.

¶ I accorde me q{uo}d I. but I desire gretely þat shrewes losten sone þilke vnselynesses. 3544 þat is to seyne þat shrewes were despoyled of moeuyng to don yuel.

¶ so shulle{n} þei q{uo}d she.

sonnere p{er}auenture þen þ{o}u woldest *or sonnere þen þei hem self wenen to lakken mowynge to done yuel.

¶ For 3548 þere nis no þing so late in so short bou{n}des of þis lijf þat is longe to abide. namelyche to a corage inmortel.

Of whiche shrewes þe grete hope {and} þe heye co{m}passy{n}g{us} of shrewednesse is often destroyed by a 3552 sodeyne ende or þei ben war. {and} þat þing establiþ to shrewes þe ende of hir shrewednesse.

¶ For yif þat shrewednesse makiþe wrecches. þan mot he nedes be most wrecched þat lengest is a shrewe.

þe whiche 3556 wicked shrewes wolde ydemen aldirmost vnsely {and} caytifs yif þat hir shrewednes ne were yfinissed. at þe [[pg 125]] leste weye by þe outerest deeþ.

for I haue concluded soþe of þe vnselynesse of shrewednesse. þan sheweþ 3560 it clerely þat þilke shrewednesse is wiþ outen ende þe whiche is certeyne to ben p{er}durable.

¶ Certys q{uo}d I þis [conclusion] is harde {and} wonderful to graunte. ¶ But I knowe wel þat it accordeþ moche to þi{n}ges þat I 3564 haue graunted her byforne.

¶ þou hast q{uo}d she þe ryȝt estimac{i}ou{n} of þis. but who so euere wene þat it be an harde þing to acorde hym to a conclusiou{n}. it is ryȝt þat he shewe þat so{m}me of þe p{re}misses ben fals. or 3568 ellys he mot shewe þat þe colasiou{n} of p{re}posic{i}ou{n}s nis nat spedful to a necessarie conclusio{n}. ¶ and yif it be nat so. but þat þe p{re}misses ben yg{ra}nted þer nis nat whi he sholde blame þe argument.

for þis þing þat 3572 I shal telle þe nowe ne shal not seme lasse wondirful.

but of þe þinges þat ben taken al so it is necessarie as who so seiþ it folweþ of þat whiche þat is p{ur}posed byforn.

what is þat q{uo}d I.

¶ certys q{uo}d she þat is 3576 þat þ{a}t þise wicked shrewes ben more blysful or ellys lasse wrecches. þat byen þe tourmentes þat þei han deserued. þan yif no peyne of Iustice ne chastied hem.

ne þis ne seye I nat now for þat any man myȝt 3580 þenk þat þe maneres of shrewes ben coriged {and} chastised by veniaunce. {and} þat þei ben brouȝt to þe ryȝt wey by þe drede of þe tourment. ne for þat þei ȝeuen to oþer folk ensample to fleyen fro{m} vices. ¶ But 3584 I vndirstonde ȝitte an oþer manere þat shrewes ben more vnsely whan þei ne ben nat punissed al be it so þat þere ne ben had no resou{n} or lawe of correcc{i}ou{n}. ne none ensample of lokynge.

¶ And what manere 3588 shal þat ben q{uo}d I. ouþer þan haþ ben told here [[pg 126]] byforn

¶ Haue we nat graunted þan q{uo}d she þat good folk ben blysful. {and} shrewes ben wrecches.

ȝis q{uo}d I.

so semeþ it q{uo}d I.

and what seyst þou þan q{uo}d she of þilke wrecche þat lakkeþ alle 3596 goodes. so þat no goode nis medeled in hys wrecchednesse. {and} ȝitte ouer alle hys wickednesse for whiche he is a wrecche þat þer be ȝitte anoþer yuel anexid {and} knyt to hym. shal not men demen hym more vnsely 3600 þan þilke wrecche of whiche þe vnselynesse is reued by þe p{ar}ticipac{i}ou{n} of som goode.

whi sholde he nat q{uo}d I.

¶ þan certys q{uo}d she han shrewes whan þei ben punissed somwhat of good anexid to hir wrecchednesse. 3604 þat is to seyne þe same peyne þat þei suffren whiche þat is good by þe resou{n} of Iustice.

And whan þilke same shrewes ascapen wiþ outen tourment. þan han þei somwhat more of yuel ȝit ouer þe wickednesse 3608 þat þei han don. þat is to seye defaute of peyne. whiche defaute of peyne þou hast graunted is yuel.

¶ For þe desert of felonye I ne may nat denye it q{uo}d I.