THE EXISTENCE OF EVIL.
*[INCIPIT LIBER QUARTUS.] [* fol. 24 b.]
[HEC CUM PHILOSOPHIA DIGNITATE UULTUS.]
Whanne When P. with grace and dignity had poured forth her songs, I, not quite quit of my load of grief, interrupted her as she was continuing her discourse. philosophie hadde songen softly and delitably
þe forseide þinges kepynge þe dignitee of hir
choere in þe weyȝte of hir wordes. I þan þat ne hadde [3080]
nat al outerly forȝeten þe wepyng and mournyng
þat was set in myne herte for-brek þe entencioun of hir
þat entended[e] ȝitte to seyne oþer þinges. All your discourses, O my conductress to the true light! have been very clear and unanswerable, both by the divine testimony which they carry along with them, and by thy irrefragable arguments. ¶ Se quod
I. þou þat art gideresse of verray lyȝte þe þinges þat þou [3084]
hast seid [me] hider to ben to me so clere and so shewyng
by þe deuyne lokyng of hem and by þi resouns þat
þei ne mowe nat ben ouercomen. Through the oppression of grief I had forgotten these truths, but was not wholly ignorant of them. ¶ And þilke þingus
þat þou toldest me. al be it so þat I hadde som tyme [3088]
fo[r]ȝeten hem for [the] sorwe of þe wronge þat haþ ben
don to me. ȝit naþeles þei ne were nat alouterly vnknowen
to me. The principal cause of my trouble is this—that, whilst the absolute Ruler of all things is goodness itself, but þis same is namly a gret cause of
my sorwe. þat so as þe gouernoure of þinges is goode. [3092]
evil exists and is allowed to pass unpunished. yif þat yuelys mowen ben by any weyes. or ellys yif
þat yuelys passen wiþ outen punyssheinge. This, to say the least, is astonishing. þe whiche
þinge oonly how worþi it is to ben wondred vpon. þou
considerest it weel þi self certeynly. Moreover, while vice flourishes virtue is not only unrewarded, but trampled under foot by base and profligate men, and suffers the punishment due to impiety. but ȝitte to þis [3096]
þing þere is an oþer þing y-ioigned more to ben ywondred
vpon. ¶ For felonie is emperisse and flowreþ ful of
rycchesse. and vertues nis nat al oonly wiþ outen medes.
but it is cast vndir and fortroden vndir þe feet of felonous [3100]
folk. and it abieþ þe tourmentes in sted of
wicked felouns Here is cause for wonderment, since such things are possible under the government of an omniscient and omnipotent God, who wills nothing but what is the best. ¶ Of al[le] whiche þing þer nis no wyȝt
þat [may] merueyllen ynouȝ ne compleyne þat swiche
þinges ben don in þe regne of god þat alle þinges woot. [3104]
and alle þinges may and ne wool nat but only goode
þinges. P. It were indeed, not only marvellous, but also horribly monstrous, if, in the well-regulated family of so great a master, the worthless vessels should be honoured and the precious ones be despised:—but it is not so. ¶ þan seide she þus. certys quod she þat were
a grete meruayle and an enbaissynge wiþouten ende.
and wel more horrible þan alle monstres yif it were as [3108]
þou wenest. þat is to sein. þat in þe ryȝt ordeyne house
of so mochel a fader and an ordenour of meyne. þat þe
vesseles þat ben foule and vyle sholde ben honoured
and heried. and þe precious uesseles sholde ben defouled [3112]
and vyle. but it nis nat so. For if the conclusions we have come to, be sound and irrefragable, we must confess that under God’s rule the good are always powerful and mighty, and the wicked weak and contemptible; For yif þe þinges
þat I haue concluded a litel here byforne ben kept hoole
and vnraced. þou shalt wel knowe by þe auctorite of
god. of þe whos regne I speke þat certys þe good[e] [3116]
folk ben alwey myȝty. and shrewes ben alwey yuel and
feble. that vice never passes unpunished, nor virtue goes unrewarded; ne þe vices ben neuere mo wiþ outen peyne; ne
þe vertues ne ben nat wiþ outen mede. that happiness attends good men, and misfortune falls to the lot of the wicked. and þat blisfulnesses
comen alwey to goode folke. and infortune comeþ [3120]
alwey to wicked folke. These and many other truths of like nature shall be proved to thee, and shall put an end to thy complaints, ¶ And þou shalt wel knowe
many[e] þinges of þis kynde þat sholle cessen þi pleyntes.
and strengthen thee with firmness and solidity. and stedfast þe wiþ stedfast saddenesse. Having shown you a picture of true felicity, and wherein it resides, I shall now trace out the way which will lead you to your home. ¶ And for þou
hast seyn þe forme of þe verray blisfulnesse by me þat [3124]
[haue] somtyme I-shewed it þe. And þou hast knowen
in whom blysfulnesse is set. alle þinges I treted þat I
trowe ben nessessarie to put[te] furþe ¶ I shal shewe
þe. þe weye þat shal brynge þe aȝeyne vnto þi house [3128]
I will give your soul wings to soar aloft, so that all tribulation being removed, you may, under my guiding, by my road, and with my vehicle, return whole and sound into your own country. and I shal ficche feþeres in þi þouȝt by whiche it may
arysen in heyȝte. so þat al tribulacioun don awey þou
by my gidyng & by my paþe and by my sledes shalt
mowen retourne hool and sounde in to þi contre. [3132]
3078 softly—softely
3080 choere in—cheere and
3082 set—MS. sette, C. set
myne—Myn
for-brek—MS. for-breke, C. Forbrak
3083 entended[e]—entendede