Part 57

as þou wolt q{uo}d I.

¶ Demest 4184 þou nat q{uo}d she þat al þing þat p{ro}fitiþ is good.

ȝis q{uo}d I.

certis þilk þing þat ex{er}cisiþ or corigiþ profitiþ.

I confesse it wel q{uo}d I.

þan is it good q{uo}d she.

whi nat q{uo}d I.

but þis is þe fortune [q{uod} she] of 4188 hem þat eiþer ben put in vertue {and} batailen aȝeins aspre þinges. or ellys of hem þat eschewen {and} declinen fro vices {and} taken þe weye of vertue.

¶ þis ne may nat I denye q{uo}d I

¶ But what seist þou of þe myrye 4192 fortune þat is ȝeuen to good folk in gerdou{n} deuiniþ ouȝt þe poeples þat it is wicked. nay forsoþe q{uo}d I. but þei demen as it soþe is þat it is ryȝt good. ¶ And what seist þou of þat oþer fortune q{uo}d she. þat al þouȝ it 4196 be aspre {and} restreiniþ þe shrewes by ryȝtful tourment. weniþ ouȝt þe poeple þ{a}t it be good. nay q{uo}d I. ¶ But þe poeple demiþ þat it be most wrecched of alle þinges þat may ben þouȝt.

war now {and} loke wel q{uo}d she 4200 lest þat we in folwyng þe opyniou{n} of poeple haue confessed {and} co{n}cluded þing þat is vnable to be wened to [[pg 146]] þe poeple.

what is þat q{uo}d I

¶ Certys q{uo}d she it folweþ or comeþ of þinges þ{a}t ben graunted þat alle 4204 fortune what so euer it be. of hem þat eyþer ben i{n} possessiou{n} of vertue. [or in the encres of vertu] or ellys in þe purchasynge of vertue. þat þilke fortune is good. ¶ And þat alle fortune is ryȝt wicked to hem þat 4208 dwellen in shrewednesse. as who seiþ. {and} þus weneþ nat þe poeple.

¶ þat is soþe q{uo}d I. ¶ Al be it so þat noma{n} dar confesse{n} it ne byknowen it.

¶ whi so q{uo}d she.

For ryȝt as no strong man ne semeþ nat to 4212 abassen or disdaigne{n} as *ofte tyme as he hereþ þe noise of þe bataile. ne also it ne semeþ nat to þe wyse man to beren it greuously as oft as he is lad in to þe strif of fortune.

for boþe to þat on man {and} eke to þat oþ{er} 4216 þilke difficulte is þe matere to þat oon man of encrese of his glorious renou{n}. {and} to þat oþer man to conferme hys sapience. þat is to seine þe asprenesse of hys estat.

¶ For þerfore is it called uertue. for þat it susteniþ {and} 4220 enforceþ by hys strengþes þat it nis nat ouer-come{n} by aduersites.

¶ Ne certys þou þat art put in þe encrese or in þe heyȝt of uertue ne hast nat comen to fleten wiþ delices {and} forto welken in bodyly lust.

¶ þou sowest 4224 or plauntest a ful egre bataile in þi corage aȝeins euery fortune. for þat þe sorweful fortune ne co{n}fou{n}de þe nat. ne þat þe myrye fortune ne corrumpe þe nat.

¶ Occupy þe mene by stedfast strengþes. for al þat euer is vndir 4228 þe mene. or ellys al þat ou{er}-passeþ þe mene despiseþ welefulnesses. ¶ As who seiþ. it is vicious {and} ne haþ no mede of hys trauaile.

¶ For it is set in ȝour{e} hand. as who seiþ it lieþ in ȝour{e} power what fortune ȝow is 4232 leuest. þat is to seyne good or yuel. ¶ For alle fortune þat semeþ sharpe or aspre yif it ne ex{er}cise nat þe good [[pg 147]] folk. ne chastisiþ þe wicked folk. it punisseþ.

BELLA BIS QUENIS. {ET} C{ETERA}.

++ÞE wrekere attrides ¶ þat is to seyne agamenon þat 4236 wrouȝt {and} continued þe batailes by ten ȝere recouered {and} p{ur}ged in wrekyng by þe destrucc{i}ou{n} of troie þe loste chambres of mariage of hys broþer þis is to seyn þat agamenon wan aȝein Eleine þat 4240 was Menelaus wif his broþer.

In þe mene while þat þilke agamenon desired to ȝeuen sailes to þe grekyssh{e} nauye {and} bouȝt aȝein þe wyndes by blode. he vncloþed hym of pite as fad{er}. {and} þe sory p{re}st 4244 ȝiueþ in sacrifiynge þe wreched kuyttyng of þrote of þe douȝter. ¶ þat is to sein þat agamenon lete kuytte{n} þe þrote of hys douȝter by þe prest. to maken alliaunce wiþ hys goddes. {and} for to haue wynde wiþ whiche he 4248 myȝt wende to troie.

¶ Itakus þat is to sein vlixies bywept hys felawes ylorn þe whiche felawes þe fiers pholifem{us} ligginge in his grete Caue had freten {and} dreint in hys empty wombe. but naþeles 4252 polifem{us} wood for his blinde visage ȝeld to vlixies ioye by hys sorowful teres. þis is to seyn þat vlixes smot oute þe eye of poliphem{us} þat stod in hys forhede.

for whiche vlixes hadde ioie whan he saw poliphem{us} 4256 wepyng {and} blynde.

¶ Hercules is celebrable for hys hard trauaile