§ 49. Debonairetee withdraweth and refreyneth the stiringes and the
moevynges of mannes corage in his herte, in swich manere that they ne
skippe nat out by angre ne by Ire. /655 Suffrance suffreth swetely alle the
anoyaunces and the wronges that men doon to man outward. / Seint Ierome
seith thus of debonairetee, that ‘it doth noon harm to no wight, ne seith;
ne for noon harm that men doon or seyn, he ne eschaufeth nat agayns, his
resoun.’ / This vertu som-tyme comth of nature; for, as seith the
philosophre, ‘a man is a quik thing, by nature debonaire and tretable to
goodnesse; but whan debonairetee is enformed of grace, thanne is it the
more worth.’ /
§ 50. Pacience, that is another remedye agayns Ire, is a vertu that
suffreth swetely every mannes goodnesse, and is nat wrooth for noon harm
that is doon to him. / The philosophre seith, that ‘pacience is thilke
vertu that suffreth debonairely alle the outrages of adversitee and every
wikked word.’ /660 This vertu maketh a man lyk to god, and maketh him
goddes owene dere child, as seith Crist. This vertu disconfiteth thyn
enemy. And therfore seith the wyse man, ‘if thou wolt venquisse thyn enemy,
lerne to suffre.’ / And thou shalt understonde, that man suffreth foure
manere of grevances in outward thinges, agayns the whiche foure he moot
have foure manere of paciences. /