University of Virginia Library

VIDESNE IGITUR QUANTO. — Prosa 3

"Seestow nat thanne in how greet filthe thise schrewes been iwrapped, and with which clernesse thise gode folk schynen? In this scheweth it wel that to good folk ne lakketh neveremo hir meedes, ne schrewes ne lakken neveremo turmentes. For of alle thinges that ben idoon, thilke thing for which any thing is doon, it semeth as by ryght that thilke thing be the mede of that; as thus, yif a man renneth in the stadye or in the forlonge for the corone, thanne lith the mede in the coroune for whiche he renneth. And I have schewed that blisfulnesse is thilke same good for whiche that alle thinges ben doon; thanne is thilke same good purposed to the werkes of mankynde right as a comune mede, which mede ne may nat ben disseveryd fro good folk. For no wight as by ryght, fro thennesforth that hym lakketh goodnesse, ne schal ben cleped good. For whiche thing folk of gode maneres, hir medes ne forsaken hem neveremo. For al be it so that schrewes waxen as wode as hem lyst ayein good folk, yit natheles the coroune of wise men ne schal nat fallen ne faden; for foreyne schrewednesse ne bynemeth nat fro the corages of good folk hir propre honour. But yif that any wyght rejoysede hym of goodnesse that he hadde taken fro withoute (as who seith, yif any man hadde his goodnesse of any other man than of hymself), certes he that yaf hym thilke goodnesse, or elles som other wyght, myghte benymen it hym. But for as moche as to every wyght his owene propre bounte yeveth hym his mede, thanne at erste schal he failen of mede whan he forletith to ben good. And at the laste, so as alle medes ben requerid for men wenen that


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thei ben gode, who is he that nolde deme that he that is ryght myghti of good were partlees of the mede? And of what mede schal he ben gerdoned? Certes of ryght fair mede and ryght greet aboven alle medes. Remembre the of thilke noble corrolarie that I yaf the a litel herebyforn, and gadre it togidre in this manere: so as good [hytself] is blisfulnesse, thanne is it cler and certein that alle gode folk ben imaked blisful for thei ben gode; and thilke folk that ben blisful it accordeth and is covenable to ben goddes. Thanne is the mede of good folk swych that no day ne schal empeiren it, ne no wikkidnesse schal derkne it, ne power of no wyght ne schal nat amenusen it; that is to seyn, to ben maked goddes. And syn it is thus (that gode men ne failen neveremo of hir mede), certes no wise man ne may doute of the undepartable peyne of schrewes (that is to seyn, that the peyne of schrewes ne departeth nat from hemself neveremo). For so as good and yvel, and peyne and medes, ben contrarie, it moot nedes ben that, ryght as we seen betyden in guerdoun of gode, that also moot the peyne of yvel answere by the contrarie partie to schrewes. Now thanne, so as bounte and pruesse ben the mede to good folk, also is schrewidnesse itself torment to schrewes. Thanne whoso that evere is entecchid or defouled with peyne, he ne douteth nat that he nys entecchid and defouled with yvel. Yif schrewes thanne wol preysen hemself may it semen to hem that thei ben withouten parti of torment, syn thei ben swiche that the uttreste wikkidnesse (that is to seyn, wikkide thewes, which that is the uttereste and the worst kynde of schrewednesse) ne defouleth ne enteccheth nat hem oonly, but enfecteth and envenymeth hem greetly? And also loke on schrewes, that ben the contrarie partie of gode men, how gret peyne felawschipith and folweth hem! For thou hast lerned a litil herebyforn that alle thing that is and hath beynge is oon, and thilke same oon is good: than is this the consequence, that it semeth wel that al that is and hath beynge is good. (This is to seyn, as who seith that beinge and unite and goodnesse is al oon.) And in this manere it folweth thanne that alle thing that fayleth to ben good, it stynteth for to be and for to han any beynge. Wherfore it es that schrewes stynten for to ben that thei weeren. But thilke othir forme [of the body] of mankynde (that is to seyn, the [forme] withowte) scheweth yit that thise schrewes weren whilom men. Wherfore, whan thei ben perverted and turned into malice, certes, thanne have thei forlorn the nature of mankynde. But so as oonly bownte and prowesse may enhawnsen every man over othere men, than moot it nedes he that schrewes, whiche that schrewednesse hath cast out of the condicion of mankynde, ben put undir the merit and the dissert of men. Than betidith it that, yif thou seest a wyght that be transformed into vices, thow ne mayst nat wene that he be a man. For if he be ardaunt in avaryce, and that he be a ravynour by violence of foreyne richesse, thou schalt seyn that he is lik to the wolf; and if he be felonows and withoute reste, and exercise his tonge to chidynges, thow schalt likne hym to the hownd; and if he be a pryve awaytour yhid, and rejoiseth hym to ravyssche be wiles, thow schalt seyn hym lik to the fox whelpes; and yif he be distempre, and quakith for ire, men schal wene that he bereth the corage of a lyoun; and yif he be dredful and fleynge, and dredith thinges that ne aughte nat to ben dredd, men schal holden hym lik to the hert; and yf he be slow, and astonyd, and lache, he lyveth as an asse; yif he be lyght and unstedfast of corage and chaungith ay his studies, he is likned to briddes; and if he be ploungid in fowle and unclene luxuris, he is withholden in the foule delices of the fowle sowe. Than folweth it that he that forleteth bounte and prowesse, he forletith to ben a man; syn he ne may nat passe into the condicion of God, he is torned into a beeste.