IAMNE IGITUR VIDES. — Prosa 7
"Sestow nat thanne what thing folweth alle the thingis
that I have seyd?"
"What thing?" quod I.
"Certes," quod sche, "al outrely that alle
fortune
is good."
"And how may that be?" quod I.
"Now undirstand," quod sche. "So as al fortune,
whethir so it be joyeful fortune or aspre fortune, is yeven
eyther by cause of gerdonynge or elles of exercisynge of good
folk or elles by cause to punysschen or elles chastisen schrewes;
thanne is alle fortune good, the whiche fortune is certeyn that
it be either ryghtful or elles profitable."
"Forsothe this is a ful verray resoun," quod I;
"and yif I considere the purveaunce and the destyne that thou
taughtest me a litel herebyforn, this sentence is sustenyd by
stedfast resouns. But yif it like unto the, lat us nombren [hyt]
amonges thilke thingis, of whiche thow seydest a litel herebyforn
that thei ne were nat able to ben wened to the peple."
"Why so?" quod sche.
"For that the comune word of men," quod I,
"mysuseth this manere speche of fortune, and seyn ofte tymes
that the fortune of som wyght is wikkid."
"Woltow thanne," quod sche, "that I approche a
litil to the wordis of the peple, so that it seme nat to hem that
I be overmoche departed as fro the usage of mankynde?"
"As thou wilt,' quod I.
"Demestow nat," quod sche, "that alle thing that
profiteth is good?"
"Yis," quod I.
"And certes thilke thing that exerciseth or corrigith
profitith?"
"I confesse it wel," quod I.
"Thanne is it good," quod sche.
"Why nat?" quod I.
"But this is the fortune," quod sche, "of hem
that
eyther ben put in vertu and batayllen ayein aspre thingis, or
elles of hem that eschuen and declynen fro vices and taken the
weye of vertu."
"This ne mai I nat denye," quod I.
"But what seistow of the merye fortune that is yeven to
good folk in gerdoun — demeth aught the peple that it is
wikkid?"
"Nay forsothe," quod I; "but thei demen, as it
soth is, that it is ryght good."
"And what seistow of that othir fortune," quod sche,
"that, although it be aspre and restreyneth the schrewes by
ryghtful torment, weneth aught the peple that it be good?"
"Nay," quod I, "but the peple demeth that it is
moost wrecchid of alle thingis that mai ben thought."
"War now and loke wel," quod sche, "lest that
we,
in folwynge the opynioun of the peple, have confessid and
concluded thing
that is unable to be wened to the peple."
"What is that?" quod I.
"Certis," quod sche, "it folweth or comith of
thingis that ben grauntid that alle fortune, what so evere it he,
of hem that ben eyther in possessioun of vertu, or in the encres
of vertu, or elles in the purchasynge of vertu, that thilke
fortune is good; and that alle fortune is ryght wikkid to hem that
duellen
in schrewidnesse." (As who seith:
"And thus
weneth nat the peple.")
"That is soth," quod I, "al be it so that no man
dar confessen it ne byknowen it."
"Whi so?" quod sche; "for ryght as the stronge
man
ne semeth nat to abaissen or disdaignen as ofte tyme as he herith
the noyse of the bataile, ne also it ne semeth nat to the wise
man to beren it grevously as ofte as he is lad into the stryf of
fortune. For, bothe to the to man and eek to the tothir thilke
difficulte is the matere, to the to man of encres of his glorious
renoun, and to the tothir man to confermen his sapience (that is
to seyn, to the asprenesse of his estat). For therfore it is
called ""vertu,"" for that it sustenith and
enforceth by hise strengthes that it nis nat overcomen by
adversites. Ne certes thou, that art put in the encres or in the
heyghte of vertu, ne hast nat comen to fleten with delices, and
for to welken in bodily lust; thou sowest or plawntest a ful egre
bataile in thy corage ayeins every fortune, for that the sorwful
fortune ne confownde the nat, ne that the myrie fortune ne
corrumpe the nat. Ocupye the mene by stidefast strengthes; for
al that evere is undir the mene, or elles al that overpasseth the
mene, despyseth welefulnesse (as who
seith, it is
vicious), and ne hath no mede of his travaile. For it is set
in your hand (as who seith, it lyth in your power) what fortune
yow is levest (that is to seyn, good or
yvel).
For alle fortune that semeth scharp or aspre, yif it ne exercise
nat the good folk ne chastiseth the wikkide folk, it punysseth.