[Sidenote: [The seuende p{ro}se.]]
++Sest þou nat þan what þing folweþ alle þe þinges þat I haue seid. what
þing q{uo}d I. ¶ Certys q{uo}d she outerly þat al fortune is good. and
how may þat be q{uo}d .I. ¶ Now vndirstand q{uo}d she so as [alle
fortune wheyther so it be Ioyeful fortune / or aspr{e}] fortune is ȝiuen
eiþer by cause of g{er}donynge or ellys of ex{er}cisynge of goode folk
or ellys by cause to punissen. or ellys to chastysen shrewes. ¶ þan is
alle fortune good. þe whiche fortune is certeyne þat it be eiþer ryȝtful
or p{ro}fitable. ¶ For soþe þis is a ful verray resou{n} q{uo}d I. and
yif I considere þe p{ur}ueau{n}ce {and} þe destine þat þou tauȝtest me a
litel here byforne þis sentence is susteyned by stedfast resou{n}s. but
yif it like vnto þe lat vs nou{m}bre hem amonges þilk[e] þinges of
whiche þou seidest a litel here byforne þat þei ne were nat able to ben
ywened to þe poeple. ¶ whi so q{uo}d she. for þat þe comune worde of men
mysusiþ q{uo}d I. þis manere speche of fortune. {and} sein ofte tymes
[þ{a}t] þe fortune of som wyȝt is wicked. wilt þou þan q{uo}d she þat I
p{ro}che a litel to þe wordes of þe poeple so it seme nat to hem þat I
be ouer moche dep{ar}tid as fro þe vsage of man kynde. as þou wolt
q{uo}d I. ¶ Demest 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 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 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 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 lest þat we in folwyng þe opyniou{n} of poeple haue confessed {and}
co{n}cluded þing þat is vnable to be wened to 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 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 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 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[e] as he is lad in to þe strif of fortune.
for boþe to þat on man {and} eke to þat oþ{er} 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}
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 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 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 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 folk. ne chastisiþ þe wicked
folk. it punisseþ.