[Sidenote: [The iij.^de p{ro}se.]]
++SEest þou nat þan in how gret filþe þise shrewes ben ywrapped. {and}
wiþ whiche cleernesse þise good folk shynen. In þis sheweþ it wel þat to
good folk ne lakkeþ neuer mo hir medes. ne shrewes ne lakken neuer mo
to{ur}mentis. for of alle þinges þat ben ydon þilke þing for whiche any
þing is doon. it semeþ as by ryȝt þat þilke þing be þe mede of þat. as
þus. ¶ yif a man renneþ in þe stadie or in þe forlonge for þe corone.
þan lieþ þe mede in þe corone for whiche he renneþ. ¶ And I haue shewed
þat blisfulnesse is þilke same good for whiche þat alle þi{n}g{us} ben
don. þan is þilke same good p{ur}posed to þe werkes of mankynde ryȝt as
a comune mede. whiche mede ne may ben disseuered fro good folk. for no
wyȝt as by ryȝt fro þennes forþe þ{a}t hym lakkiþ goodnesse ne shal ben
cleped good. For whiche þing folk of good[e] maneres her medes ne
forsaken hem neuer mo. For al be it so þat sherewes waxen as wood as hem
list aȝeynes good[e] folk. ȝitte neuer þe les þe corone of wise men ne
shal nat fallen ne faden. ¶ For foreine shrewednesse ne bynymeþ nat fro
þe corages of good[e] folk hire p{ro}pre honoure. but yif þat any wyȝt
reioiseþ hem of goodnesse þat þei had[de] taken fro wiþoute. as who seiþ
yif [þ{a}t] any wyȝt had[de] hys goodnesse of any oþer man þan of hym
self. certys he þat ȝaf hym þilke goodnesse or ellys som oþer wyȝt
myȝt[e] bynym[e] it hym. but for as moche as to euery wyȝt hys owen
p{ro}pre bounte ȝeueþ hy{m} hys mede. þan at arst shal he faylen of mede
whan he forletiþ to ben good. {and} at þe laste so as alle medes be{n}
requered for men wenen þat þei ben good[e]. who is he þat wolde deme þat
he þat is ryȝt myȝty of goode were p{ar}tles of mede. {and} of what mede
shal he be gerdoned. certys of ryȝt faire mede {and} ryȝt greet abouen
alle medes. ¶ Remembre þe of þilk noble corolarie þat I ȝaf þe a lytel
here byforne. {and} gadre it to gidre in þis manere. so as god hym self
is blisfulnesse. þan is it clere {and} certeyn. þat alle good folk ben
makid blisful for þei ben good[e]. and þilke folk þat ben blisful it
accordiþ {and} is couenable to ben godde[s]. þan is þe mede of goode
folk swiche. þat no day [ne] shal enpeyren it. ne no wickednesse shal
endirken it. ne power of no wyȝt ne shal nat amenusen it þat is to seyn
to ben maked goddes. ¶ and syn it is þus þat goode men ne faylen neuer
mo of hir{e} medes. ¶ certys no wise man ne may doute of þe
vndep{ar}table peyne of shrewes. ¶ þat is to seyn þat þe peyne of
shrewes ne dep{ar}tiþ nat from hem self neuer mo. ¶ For so as goode
{and} yuel {and} peyne {and} medes ben contrarie it mot nedes ben þ{a}t
ryȝt as we seen by-tiden in gerdou{n} of goode. þat also mot þe peyne of
yuel answer{e} by þe contrarie partye to shrewes. now þan so as bounte
{and} prowesse ben þe medes to goode folk. also is shrewednesse it self
torment to shrewes ¶ þan who so þat euer is entecched {and} defouled wiþ
yuel. yif shrewes wolen þan p{re}isen hem self may it semen to hem þat
þei ben wiþ oute{n} p{ar}tye of tourment. syn þei ben swiche þat þe
[vtteriste wikkednesse / þ{a}t is to seyn wikkede thewes / which þ{a}t
is the] out{er}este {and} þe w[or]ste kynde of shrewednesse ne defouliþ
nat ne entecehiþ nat hem oonly but infectiþ {and} enuenemyþ he{m}
gretely ¶ And al so loke on shrewes þat ben þe contrarie p{ar}tye of
goode men. how grete peyne felawshipeþ {and} folweþ hem. ¶ For þou hast
lerned a litel here byforn þat al þi{n}g þat is {and} haþ beynge is oon.
{and} þilke same oon is good. þan is þis consequence þat it semeþ wel.
þat al þat is {and} haþ bey{n}ge is good. þis is to seyne. as who seiþ
þat beynge {and} vnite {and} goodnesse is al oon. {and} in þis manere it
folweþ þan. þat al þing þat faileþ to ben good. it styntiþ forto be.
{and} forto haue any beynge. wher fore it is þat shrewes stynten forto
ben þat þei weren. but þilke oþer forme of mankynde. þat is to seyne þe
forme of þe body wiþ oute. shewiþ ȝit þat þise shrewes were somtyme men.
¶ wher fore whan þei ben p{er}uerted {and} torned in to malice. certys
þan han þei forlorn þe nature of mankynde. but so as oonly bounte {and}
prowesse may enhawnse euery man ouer oþer men. þan mot it nedes be þat
shrewes whiche þat shrewednesse haþ cast out of þe condic{i}ou{n} of
mankynde ben put vndir þe merite {and} þe deserte of men. þan bitidiþ it
þat yif þou seest a wyȝt þat be t{ra}nsformed in to vices. þou ne mayst
nat wene þat he be a man. ¶ For ȝif he [be] ardaunt in auarice. {and}
þat he be a rauyno{ur} by violence of foreine rychesse. þou shalt seyn
þat he is lyke to a wolf. {and} yif he be felonous {and} wiþ out reste
{and} ex{er}cise hys tonge to chidynges. þou shalt lykene hym to þe
hounde. {and} yif he be a p{re}ue awaito{ur} yhid {and} reioyseþ hym to
rauysshe by wyles. þou shalt seyne hym lyke to þe fox whelpes. ¶ And yif
he be distempre {and} quakiþ for ire men shal wene þat he bereþ þe
corage of a lyou{n}. {and} yif he be dredeful {and} fleynge and dredeþ
þinges þat ne auȝten nat ben dred. men shal holde hym lyke to þe
h{er}te. {and} yif he be slowe {and} astoned {and} lache. he lyueþ as an
asse. {and} yif he be lyȝt {and} vnstedfast of corage {and} chaungeþ ay
his studies. he is lickened to briddes. ¶ {and} yif he be plounged in
foule {and} vnclene luxuries. he is wiþholden in þe foule delices of þe
foule soowe. ¶ þan folweþ it þat he þat forletiþ bountee {and} prowesse.
he forletiþ to ben a man. syn he ne may nat passe in to þe
condic{i}ou{n} of god. he is tourned in to a beest.