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"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."

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"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.