Part 51

¶ Moche more þan q{uo}d she ben shrewes vnsely 3612 whan þei ben wrongfully delyuered fro peyne. þan whan þei beþ punissed by ryȝtful vengeaunce.

but þis is open þi{n}g {and} clere þat it is ryȝt þat shrewes ben punissed. {and} it is wickednesse {and} wrong þat þei 3616 escapin vnpunissed.

¶ who myȝt denye *þat q{uo}d I.

but q{uo}d she may any ma{n} denye. þat al þat is ryȝt nis good. {and} also þe contrarie. þat alle þat is wrong nis wicked. [[pg 127]]

certys q{uo}d I þise þinges ben clere ynouȝ. {and} 3620 þat we han concludid a litel here byforn{e}.

but I p{re}ye þe þat þou telle me yif þou accordest to leten no to{ur}ment to þe soules aftir þat þe body is dedid by þe deþe. þis to seyn. vndirstondest þou ouȝt þat soules han 3624 any to{ur}ment after þe deþe of þe body.

¶ Certis q{uo}d she ȝe {and} þat ryȝt grete. of whiche soules q{uo}d she I trowe þat so{m}me ben to{ur}mentid by asprenesse of peyne.

{and} so{m}me soules I trowe be exc{er}cised by a 3628 p{ur}ging mekenesse.

but my conseil nys nat to determyne of þis peyne. but I haue trauayled and told it hider to.

¶ For þou sholdest knowe þat þe mowynge [.i. myght] of shrewes whiche mowynge þe semeþ to 3632 ben. vnworþi nis no mowynge. {and} eke of shrewes of whiche þou pleynedest þat þei ne were nat punissed. þat þou woldest seen þat þei ne weren neuer mo wiþ outen þe torment of hire wickednesse. {and} of þe licence 3636 of mowynge to done yuel. þat þou p{re}idest þat it myȝt sone ben endid. {and} þat þou woldest fayne lerne. þat it ne sholde nat longe endure. {and} þat shrewes ben more vnsely yif þei were of lenger duryng. 3640 {and} most vnsely yif þei weren p{er}durable.

{and} after þis I haue shewed þe þat more vnsely ben shrewes whan þei escapen wiþ oute ryȝtful peyne. þan whan þei ben punissed by ryȝtful uengeaunce.

and of þis sentence 3644 folweþ it þat þan be{n} shrewes constreyned atte laste wiþ most greuous tourment. whan men wene þat þei ne ben nat ypunissed.

whan I considre þi resou{n}s q{uo}d I. I. ne trowe nat þat men seyn any þing more verrely. {and} 3648 yif I to{ur}ne aȝeyn to þe studies of men. who is to who{m} it sholde seme þat ne sholde nat only leue{n} þise þinges. but eke gladly herkene he{m}.

Certys q{uo}d she so it is. but men may nat. for þei han hire eyen so [[pg 128]] wont to derkenesse of erþely þinges. þat þei may nat 3653 liften hem vp to þe lyȝt of clere soþefastnes. ¶ But þei ben lyke to briddes of whiche þe nyȝt lyȝtneþ hyre lookyng. {and} þe day blyndeþ hem.

for whan men loken 3656 nat þe ordre of þinges but hire lustes {and} talentȝ. þei wene þat oþir þe leue or þe mowynge to done wickednesse or ellys þe escapi{n}g wiþ oute peyne be weleful.

but co{n}sider{e} þe iugement of þe p{er}durable lawe. for if 3660 þou conferme þi corage to þe beste þinges. þou ne hast no nede to no iuge to ȝiue{n} þe p{r}is or meede. for þou hast ioigned þi self to þe most excellent þing.

and yif þou haue enclined þi studies to þe wicked þinges. ne 3664 seek no foreyn wrekere out of þi self. for þou þi self hast þrest þe in to wicked þinges. ryȝt as þou myȝtest loken by dyuerse tymes þe foule erþe {and} þe heuene. {and} þat alle oþer þinges stynten fro wiþ oute. so þat 3668 þou [ner{e} neyther in heuene ne in erthe] ne say no þing more. þan sholde it semen to þe as by only resou{n} of lokynge. þat þou were in þe sterres. {and} now in þe erþe.

but þe poeple ne lokeþ nat on þise þinges.

what 3672 þan shal we þan app{ro}chen vs to hem þat I haue shewed þat þei ben lyke to þe bestes. (q. d. no{n})

¶ And what wilt þou seyne of þis ¶ yif þat a man hadde al forlorn hys syȝt. {and} had forȝeten þat he 3676 euer saw {and} wende þ{a}t no þing ne fayled hym of p{er}fecc{i}ou{n} of ma{n}kynde. now we þat myȝten sen þe same þing wolde we nat wene þat he were bly{n}de (q. d. sic).

ne also ne accordeþ nat þe poeple to þat I shal 3680 seyne. þe whiche þing is susteyned by a stronge foundement of resou{n}s. þat is to seyn þat more vnsely ben þei þat don wrong to oþer folk. þen þei þat þe wrong [[pg 129]] suffren.

¶ I wolde heren þilke *same resou{n}s q{uo}d I 3684

¶ Deniest þou q{uo}d she þat alle shrewes ne ben worþi to han to{ur}ment.

nay q{uo}d I.

but q{uo}d she I am certeyne by many resou{n}s þat shrewes ben vnsely.

it accordeþ q{uo}d I.

þan dowtest þou nat q{uo}d she þat 3688 þilke folk þat ben worþi of to{ur}ment þat þei ne ben wrecches.

It accordeþ wel q{uo}d I.