[Sidenote: [The 1^ma p{ro}se.]]
[Sidenote: When P. with grace and dignity had poured forth her
songs, I, not quite quit of my load of grief, interrupted her as
she was continuing her discourse.]
++Whanne philosophie hadde songe{n} softly {and} delitably
þe forseide þinges kepynge þe dignitee of hir
choere in þe weyȝte of hir wordes. I þan þat ne hadde 3080
nat al out{er}ly forȝeten þe wepyng {and} mournyng
þat was set in myne herte for-brek þe entenc{i}ou{n} of hir
þat entended[e] ȝitte to seyne oþ{er} þinges.
[Sidenote: All your discourses, O my conductress to the true
light! have been very clear and unanswerable, both by the divine
testimony which they carry along with them, and by thy
irrefragable arguments.]
¶ Se q{uo}d
I. þou þat art gideresse of verray lyȝte þe þinges þat þou 3084
hast seid [me] hider to ben to me so clere
{and} so shewyng [[pg 109]]
by þe deuyne lokyng of hem {and} by þi resou{n}s þat
þei ne mowe nat ben ouercomen.
[Sidenote: Through the oppression of grief I had forgotten these
truths, but was not wholly ignorant of them.]
¶ And þilke þi{n}g{us}
þat þou toldest me. al be it so þat I hadde som tyme 3088
fo[r]ȝeten hem for [the] sorwe of þe wronge þat haþ ben
don to me. ȝit naþeles þei ne were nat alouterly vnknowen
to me.
[Sidenote: The principal cause of my trouble is this--that, whilst
the absolute Ruler of all things is goodness itself, evil exists
and is allowed to pass unpunished.]
but þis same is namly a gret cause of
my sorwe. þat so as þe gouernoure of þinges is goode. 3092
yif þat yuelys mowen ben by any weyes. or ellys yif
þat yuelys passen wiþ outen punyssheinge.
[Sidenote: This, to say the least, is astonishing.]
þe whiche
þinge oonly how worþi it is to ben wondred vpon. þou
considerest it weel þi self certeynly.
[Sidenote: Moreover, while _vice_ flourishes _virtue_ is not only
unrewarded, but trampled under foot by base and profligate men,
and suffers the punishment due to impiety.]
but ȝitte to þis 3096
þing þere is an oþer þing y-ioigned more to ben ywondred
vpon. ¶ For felonie is emperisse {and} flowreþ ful of
rycchesse. and vertues nis nat al oonly wiþ outen medes.
but it is cast vndir {and} fortroden vndir þe feet of felonous 3100
folk. {and} it abieþ þe to{ur}me{n}tes in sted of
wicked felou{n}s
[Sidenote: Here is cause for wonderment, since such things are
possible under the government of an omniscient and omnipotent God,
who wills nothing but what is the best.]
¶ Of al[le] whiche þing þer nis no wyȝt
þat [may] merueyllen ynouȝ ne compleyne þat swiche
þinges ben don in þe regne of god þat alle þinges woot. 3104
and alle þinges may {and} ne wool nat but only goode
þinges.
[Sidenote: _P._ It were indeed, not only marvellous, but also
horribly monstrous, if, in the well-regulated family of so great a
master, the worthless vessels should be honoured and the precious
ones be despised:--but it is not so.]
¶ þan seide she þus. certys q{uo}d she þat were
a grete meruayle {and} an enbaissynge wiþouten ende.
{and} wel more horrible þan alle monstres yif it were as 3108
þ{o}u wenest. þat is to sein. þat in þe ryȝt ordeyne house
of so mochel a fader {and} an ordenour of meyne. þat þe
vesseles þat ben foule {and} vyle sholde ben hono{ur}ed
{and} heried. and þe p{re}cious uesseles sholde ben defouled 3112
{and} vyle. but it nis nat so.
[Sidenote: For if the conclusions we have come to, be sound and
irrefragable, we must confess that under God’s rule the _good_ are
always powerful and mighty, and the _wicked_ weak and
contemptible;]
For yif þe þinges
þat I haue co{n}cluded a litel here byforne ben kept hoole [[pg 110]]
{and} vnraced. þou shalt wel knowe by þe auctorite of
god. of þe whos regne I speke þat certys þe good[e] 3116
folk ben alwey myȝty. {and} shrewes ben alwey yuel {and}
feble.
[Sidenote: that vice never passes unpunished, nor virtue goes
unrewarded;]
ne þe vices ben neu{e}re mo wiþ outen peyne[;] ne
þe vertues ne ben nat wiþ outen mede.
[Sidenote: that happiness attends good men, and misfortune falls
to the lot of the wicked.]
and þat blisfulnesses
comen alwey to goode folke. {and} infortune comeþ 3120
alwey to wicked folke.
[Sidenote: These and many other truths of like nature shall be
proved to thee, and shall put an end to thy complaints, and
strengthen thee with firmness and solidity.]
¶ And þou shalt wel knowe
many[e] þinges of þis kynde þ{a}t sholle cessen þi pleyntes.
{and} stedfast þe wiþ stedfast saddenesse.
[Sidenote: Having shown you a picture of true felicity, and
wherein it resides, I shall now trace out the way which will lead
you to your home.]
¶ And for þou
hast seyn þe forme of þe verray blisfulnesse by me þat 3124
[haue] somtyme I-shewed it þe. And þou hast knowen
i{n} whom blysfulnesse is set. alle þinges I treted þ{a}t I
trowe ben nessessarie to put[te] furþe ¶ I shal shewe
þe. þe weye þat shal brynge þe aȝeyne vnto þi house 3128
[Sidenote: I will give your soul wings to soar aloft, so that all
tribulation being removed, you may, under my guiding, by my road,
and with my vehicle, return whole and sound into your own
country.]
{and} I shal ficche feþeres in þi þouȝt by whiche it may
arysen in heyȝte. so þat al tribulac{i}ou{n} don awey þou
by my gidyng & by my paþe {and} by my sledes shalt
mowen retourne hool {and} sounde in to þi contre. 3132
[Linenotes:
3078 _softly_--softely
3080 _choere in_--cheere {and}
3082 _set_--MS. sette, C. set
_myne_--Myn
_for-brek_--MS. for-breke, C. Forbrak
3083 _entended[e]_--entendede
3084 _lyȝte_--lyht
3085 _seid_--MS. seide, C. seid
[_me_]--from C.
3086 _þi_--the
3087 _mowe_--mowen
3088 _som tyme_--whilom
3089 [_the_]--from C.
_wronge_--wrong
_haþ_--MS. haþe
3090 _don_--MS. done, C. don
_were_--weeren
3091 _namly_--namely
3092 _goode_--good
3094 _wiþ outen_--w{i}t{h} owte
3095 _þinge_--thing
3097 _þere_--ther
_ben ywondred_--be wondryd
3098 _flowreþ_--MS. folweþ, C. flowrith
3099 _rycchesse_--Rychesses
_vertues_--vertu
_wiþ outen_--w{i}t{h} owte
3101 _in sted_--in stide
3102 _wicked_--wikkede
_al[le]_--alle
_þing_--thinges
3103 [_may_]--from C.
3104 _don_--MS. done, C. doon
3105 _wool_--wole
_goode_--good
3107 _grete_--gret
_enbaissynge_--enbasshinge
3108 _alle_--al
3109 _ordeyne house_--ordenee hows
3111, 3113 _vyle_--vyl
3112 _heried_--he heryed
_sholde_--sholden
3113 _þe_--tho
3114 _here byforne_--her byforn
_kept_--MS. kepte, C. kept
3116 _good[e]_--goode
3117 _alwey_ (2)----_feble_--alwey owt cast {and} feble
3118, 3119 _wiþ outen_--w{i}t{h} owte
3119 _vertues_--vertuus
3122 _many[e]_--manye
_sholle cessen_--shollen cesen
3123 _stedfast----stedfast_--strengthyn the w{i}t{h} stidfast
3124 _seyn_--MS. seyne, C. seyn
3125 [_haue_]--from C.
_somtyme_--whilom
3126 _set_--MS. sette, C. I-set
3127 _put[te] furþe_--putten forth
3128 _weye_--wey
_brynge_--bryngen
_þi house_--thin hows
3129 _ficche_--fycchen
3130 _arysen_--areysen
_don_--MS. done, C. ydoñ
3131 _paþe_--paath
_shalt mowen_--shal mowe
3132 _sounde_--sownd]
[Headnote:
VIRTUE NEVER GOES UNREWARDED.]