[Sidenote: [The 1^ma p{ro}se.]]
++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 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. ¶ Se q{uo}d I. þou þat art
gideresse of verray lyȝte þe þinges þat þou hast seid [me] hider to ben
to me so clere {and} so shewyng by þe deuyne lokyng of hem {and} by þi
resou{n}s þat þei ne mowe nat ben ouercomen. ¶ And þilke þi{n}g{us} þat
þou toldest me. al be it so þat I hadde som tyme 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. but þis same is namly a gret cause of my
sorwe. þat so as þe gouernoure of þinges is goode. yif þat yuelys mowen
ben by any weyes. or ellys yif þat yuelys passen wiþ outen punyssheinge.
þe whiche þinge oonly how worþi it is to ben wondred vpon. þou
considerest it weel þi self certeynly. but ȝitte to þis 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 folk. {and} it abieþ þe to{ur}me{n}tes in sted of wicked
felou{n}s ¶ 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. and alle þinges may {and} ne wool nat but only goode
þinges. ¶ 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 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 {and} vyle. but it nis
nat so. For yif þe þinges þat I haue co{n}cluded a litel here byforne
ben kept hoole {and} vnraced. þou shalt wel knowe by þe auctorite of
god. of þe whos regne I speke þat certys þe good[e] folk ben alwey
myȝty. {and} shrewes ben alwey yuel {and} feble. ne þe vices ben
neu{e}re mo wiþ outen peyne[;] ne þe vertues ne ben nat wiþ outen mede.
and þat blisfulnesses comen alwey to goode folke. {and} infortune comeþ
alwey to wicked folke. ¶ And þou shalt wel knowe many[e] þinges of þis
kynde þ{a}t sholle cessen þi pleyntes. {and} stedfast þe wiþ stedfast
saddenesse. ¶ And for þou hast seyn þe forme of þe verray blisfulnesse
by me þat [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 {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.