[Sidenote: [The 2^e p{ro}se.]]
++ÞAnne seide I þus. [owh] I wondre me þat þou by-hetest me so grete
þinges. ne I ne doute nat þat þ{o}u ne mayst wel p{er}forme þat þou
by-hetest. but I preie þe oonly þis. þat þou ne tarie nat to telle me
þilke þinges þat þou hast meoued. first q{uo}d she þou most nedes
knowen. þ{a}t good[e] folk ben al wey strong[e] {and} myȝty. and þe
shrewes ben feble {and} desert {and} naked of alle strengþes. and of
þise þinges certys eueryche of hem is declared {and} shewed by oþ{er}.
¶ For so as good {and} yuel ben two cont{ra}ries. yif so be þat goode be
stedfast. þa{n} sheweþ þe fieblesse of yuel al openly. and yif þou knowe
clerely þe freelnesse of yuel. þe stedfastnesse of goode is knowen. but
for as moche as þe fey of my sentence shal be þe more ferme {and}
habou{n}daunt. I wil goon by þat oon wey {and} by þat oþer {and} I wil
conferme þe þinges þat ben p{ur}posed now on þis side {and} now on þ{a}t
syde. ¶ Two þinges þer ben in whiche þe effect of alle þe dedes of man
kynde standiþ. þat is to seyn. wil {and} power. and yif þat oon of þise
two fayleþ þere nis no þing þat may be don. for yif þat wil lakkeþ þere
nys no wyȝt þat vndirtakeþ to done þat he wol not don. and yif power
fayleþ þe wille nis but i{n} ydel {and} stant for nauȝt. and þer of
comeþ it þat yif þou se a wyȝt þat wolde gete{n} þat he may nat geten.
þou mayst nat douten þat power ne fayleþ hy{m} to haue{n} þat he wolde.
¶ þis is open {and} clere q{uo}d I. ne it may nat ben denyed in no
manere. and yif þou se a wyȝt q{uo}d she. þat haþ don þat he wolde don
þ{o}u nilt nat douten þat he ne haþ had power to done it. no q{uo}d. I.
and in þat. þat euery wyȝt may. in þat þat men may holden hym myȝty. as
who seiþ i{n} as moche as a man is myȝty to done a þing. in so moche men
halden hy{m} myȝty. and in þat þat he ne may. in þat men demen hym to
ben feble. I confesse it wel q{uo}d I. Remembriþ þe q{uo}d she þat I.
haue gadred {and} shewed by forseide resou{n}s þat al þe entenc{i}ou{n}
of þe wil of ma{n}kynde whiche þat is lad by diuerse studies hastiþ to
comen to blisfulnesse. ¶ It reme{m}breþ me wel q{uo}d I þat it hath ben
shewed. {and} recordeþ þe nat þan q{uo}d she. þat blisfulnesse is þilke
same goode þat men requeren. so þat whan þat blisfulnesse is requered of
alle. þat goode [also] is requered {and} desired of al. It recordeþ me
wel q{uo}d I. for haue it gretly alwey ficche[d] in my memorie. alle
folk þan q{uo}d she goode {and} eke badde enforcen he{m} wiþ oute
difference of entenc{i}ou{n} to come{n} to goode. þat is a uerray
consequence q{uo}d I. and certeyne is q{uo}d she þat by þe gety{n}g of
goode ben men ymaked goode. þis is certeyne q{uo}d. I. ¶ þan geten goode
men þat þei desiren. so semeþ it q{uo}d I. but wicked[e] folk q{uo}d she
yif þei geten þe goode þat þei desire{n} þei [ne] mowen nat ben wicked.
so is it q{uo}d .I. ¶ þan so as þat oon {and} þat oþer [q{uod} she]
desiren good. {and} þe goode folk geten good {and} nat þe wicked folk
¶ þan nis it no doute þat þe goode folk ne ben myȝty {and} þe wicked
folk ben feble. ¶ who so þat euer q{uo}d I douteþ of þis. he ne may nat
considre þe nature of þi{n}ges. ne þe consequence of resou{n}. and ouer
þis q{uo}d she. ¶ yif þat þer ben two þinges þat han o same p{ur}pos by
kynde. {and} þat one of he{m} p{ur}sueþ {and} p{er}formeþ þilke same
þinge by naturel office. {and} þat oþer ne may nat done þilk naturel
office. but folweþ by oþer manere þan is couenable to nat{ur}e ¶ Hym þat
acomplisiþ hys p{ur}pos kyndely. {and} ȝit he ne acomplisiþ nat hys owen
purpos. wheþer of þise two demest þou for more myȝty. ¶ yif þat I
coniecte q{uo}d .I. þat þou wilt seye algates. ȝit I desire to herkene
it more pleynely of þe. þou nilt nat þan denye q{uo}d she þat þe
moeueme{n}tȝ of goynge nis in men by kynde. no for soþe q{uo}d I. ne þou
ne doutest nat q{uo}d she þ{a}t þilke naturel office of goynge ne be þe
office of feet. I ne doute it nat q{uo}d .I. þan q{uo}d she yif þat a
wyȝt be myȝty to moeue {and} goþ vpon hys feet. and anoþer to whom þilke
naturel office of feet lakkeþ. enforceþ hym to gone crepynge vpo{n} hys
handes. ¶ whiche of þise two auȝte to ben holden more myȝty by ryȝt.
knyt furþe þe remenaunt q{uo}d I. ¶ For no wyȝt ne douteþ þat he þat may
gone by nat{ur}el office of feet. ne be more myȝty þan he þat ne may nat
¶ but þe souereyne good q{uo}d she þat is euenlyche p{ur}posed to þe
good folk {and} to badde. þe good folke seken it by naturel office of
uertues. {and} þe shrewes enforcen hem to geten it by dyuerse couetise
of erþely þinges. whiche þat nis no naturel office to geten þilke same
souereyne goode. trowest þou þat it be any oþer wyse. nay q{uo}d .I. for
þe co{n}seque{n}ce is open {and} shewynge of þinges þat I haue graunted.
¶ þat nedes goode folk moten ben myȝty. {and} shrewes feble {and}
vnmyȝty. ¶ þou rennest aryȝt byfore me q{uo}d she. {and} þis is þe
iugement þat is to seyn. ¶ I iuge of þe ryȝt as þise leches ben wont
forto hopen of seke folk whan þei ap{er}ceyuen þat nature is redressed
{and} wiþstondeþ to þe maladie. ¶ But for I see þe now al redy to þe
vndirstandynge I shal shewe þe more þilke {and} continuel resou{n}s.
¶ For loke now how gretly shewiþ þe feblesse {and} infirmite of wicked
folke. þat ne mowen nat come to þat hire naturel entenc{i}ou{n} ledeþ
hem. {and} ȝitte almost þilk naturel entenc{i}ou{n} constreineþ hem.
¶ and what wer{e} to deme þan of shrewes. yif þilke naturel helpe hadde
for-leten hem. ¶ þe whiche naturel helpe of entenc{i}ou{n} goþ alwey
byforne hem. {and} is so grete þat vnneþ it may be ou{er}comen.
¶ Considre þan how gret defaute of power {and} how gret feblesse þere is
in grete felonous folk as who seiþ þe gretter þi{n}ges þat ben coueited
{and} þe desire nat accomplissed of þe lasse myȝt is he þat coueiteþ it
{and} may nat acomplisse. ¶ And forþi philosophie seiþ þus by souereyne
good. ¶ Sherewes ne requere nat lyȝt[e] medes ne veyne gaines whiche þei
ne may nat folwen ne holden. but þei fayle{n} of þilke some of þe heyȝte
of þinges þat is to seyne souereyne good. ne þise wrecches ne comen nat
to þe effect of souereyne good. þe whiche þei enforcen hem oonly to
gete{n} by nyȝtes {and} by dayes. ¶ In þe getyn[g] of whiche goode þe
strengþe of good folk. is ful wel ysen. For ryȝt so as þ{o}u myȝtest
demen hym myȝty of goynge þat goþ on hys feet til he myȝt[e] come to
þilke place fro þe whiche place þere ne lay no wey forþer to be gon.
Ryȝt so most þou nedes demen hym for ryȝt myȝty þat getiþ {and} atteiniþ
to þe ende of alle þinges þat ben to desire. by-ȝonde þe whiche ende þat
þer nis no þing to desire. ¶ Of whiche power of good folk men may
conclude þat wicked men semen to ben bareyne {and} naked of alle
strengþe. For whi forleten þei v{er}tues {and} folwen vices. nis it nat
for þat þei ne knowen nat þe goodes. ¶ But what þing is more feble {and}
more caitif þan is þe blyndenesse of ignoraunce. or ellys þei knowen ful
wel whiche þinges þat þei auȝten to folwen ¶ but lecherye {and} couetise
ouerþroweþ hem mysturned. ¶ and certis so doþ distemp{er}aunce to feble
men. þat ne mowe{n} nat wrastle aȝeins þe vices ¶ Ne knowen þei nat þan
wel þat þei foreleten þe good wilfully. {and} turnen hem vilfully to
vices. ¶ And in þis wise þei ne forleten nat oonly to ben myȝty. but þei
forleten al outerly in any wise forto ben ¶ For þei þat forleten þe
comune fyn of alle þinges þat ben. þei for-leten also þerwiþ al forto
ben. and p{er}auenture it sholde semen to som folk þat þis were a
merueile to seyne þat shrewes whiche þat contienen þe more p{ar}tie of
me{n} ne ben nat. ne han no beynge. ¶ but naþeles it is so. {and} þus
stant þis þing for þei þat ben shrewes I denye nat þat þei ben shrewes.
but I denye {and} sey[e] symplely and pleynly þat þei [ne] ben nat. ne
han no beynge. for ryȝt as þou myȝtest seyn of þe careyne of a man þat
it were a ded man. ¶ but þou ne myȝtest nat symplely callen it a man.
¶ So graunt[e] I wel for soþe þat vicious folk ben wicked. but I ne may
nat graunten absolutely {and} symplely þat þei ben. ¶ For þilk þing þat
wiþ holdeþ ordre {and} kepiþ nature. þilk þing is {and} haþ beynge. but
þat þing þat faileþ of þat. þat is to seyne he þ{a}t forletiþ naturel
ordre he for-letiþ þilk beyng þat is set in hys nature. but þou wolt
sein þat shrewes mowen. ¶ Certys þat ne denye I nat. ¶ but certys hir
power ne descendeþ nat of strengþe but of feblesse. for þei mowen don
wickednesses. þe whiche þei ne myȝten nat don yif þei myȝte{n} dwelle in
þe forme {and} in þe doynge of goode folke. ¶ And þilke power sheweþ ful
euydently þat þei ne mowen ryȝt nauȝt. ¶ For so as I haue gadered {and}
p{ro}ued a lytel her byforn þat yuel is nauȝt. {and} so as shrewes mowen
oonly but shrewednesse. þis conclusiou{n} is al clere. þat shrewes ne
mowen ryȝt nat to han power. and for as moche as þou vndirstonde whiche
is þe strengþe þat is power of shrewes. I haue diffinised a lytel here
byforn þat no þing nis so myȝty as souereyne good ¶ þat is soþe q{uo}d
.I. [{and} thilke same souereyn good may don non yuel // Certes no
q{uod} I] ¶ Is þer any wyȝt þan q{uo}d she þat weniþ þat men mowen don
alle þinges. No man q{uo}d .I. but yif he be out of hys witte. ¶ but
certys sherewes mowen doñ yuel q{uo}d she. ¶ ȝe wolde god q{uo}d I þat
þei ne myȝte{n} don none. þat q{uo}d she so as he þat is myȝty to done
oonly but good[e] þinges may don alle þinges. and þei þat ben myȝty to
done yuel[e] þinges ne mowen nat alle þinges. þan is þis open þing {and}
manifest þat þei þ{a}t mowe{n} don yuel ben of lasse power. and ȝitte to
p{ro}ue þis conclusiou{n} þere helpeþ me þis þat I haue shewed here
byforne. þat al power is to be nou{m}bred amonge þinges þat men auȝten
requere. {and} haue shewed þat alle þi{n}ges þat auȝten ben desired ben
referred to good ryȝt as to a manere heyȝte of hyr nature. ¶ But for to
mowen don yuel {and} felonye ne may nat ben referred to good. þan nis
nat yuel of þe nou{m}bre of þinges þat auȝte{n}. be desired. but al
power auȝt[e] ben desired {and} requered. ¶ þan is it open {and} cler
þat þe power ne þe moeuyng of shrewes nis no powere. {and} of alle þise
þinges it sheweþ wel þat þe goode folk ben certeynly myȝty. {and} þe
shrewes ben douteles vnmyȝty ¶ And it is clere {and} open þat þilke
sentence of plato is uerray {and} soþe. þ{a}t seyþ þat oonly wiseme{n}
may [doon] þat þei desiren. {and} shrewes mowen haunten þat hem lykeþ.
but þat þei desiren þat is to seyne to comen to souereyne good þei ne
han no power to acomplissen þat. ¶ For shrewes don þat hem list whan by
þo þinges in whiche þei deliten þei wenen to atteyne to þilke good þat
þei desiren. but þei ne geten ne atteynen nat þer to. ¶ for vices ne
comen nat to blisfulnesse.