3375 doune—down
wicked—wikkede
3376 wicked—wikkedly
THEY DO NOT ESCAPE PUNISHMENT.
[VIDES NE IGITUR QUANTO.]
SEest þou nat See you not in how great and filthy a mire the wicked wallow? þan in how gret filþe þise shrewes ben
ywrapped. and wiþ whiche cleernesse þise good
folk shynen. This is a proof that good folks do not go unrewarded, nor do the evil-doers escape punishment. In þis sheweþ it wel þat to good folk ne [3380]
lakkeþ neuer mo hir medes. ne shrewes ne lakken
neuer mo tourmentis. Every action is done for a certain end, and that end is the reward of the action. for of alle þinges þat ben ydon
þilke þing for whiche any þing is doon. it semeþ as by
ryȝt þat þilke þing be þe mede of þat. as þus. ¶ yif a [3384]
man renneþ in þe stadie or in þe forlonge for þe corone.
þan lieþ þe mede in þe corone for whiche he renneþ.
But Happiness is that good for which all things are done. Therefore happiness is the reward which all the human race seek as the reward of their actions. ¶ And I haue shewed þat blisfulnesse is þilke same
good for whiche þat alle þingus ben don. þan is þilke [3388]
same good purposed to þe werkes of mankynde ryȝt as
a comune mede. This good is inseparable from the virtuous, therefore virtue can never want its reward. whiche mede ne may ben disseuered
fro good folk. for no wyȝt as by ryȝt fro þennes forþe
þat hym lakkiþ goodnesse ne shal ben cleped good. [3392]
For whiche þing folk of good[e] maneres her medes ne
forsaken hem neuer mo. Evil men may rage as they please against the good, but the crown of the wise shall not fall nor fade. For al be it so þat sherewes
waxen as wood as hem list aȝeynes good[e] folk. ȝitte
neuer þe les þe corone of wise men ne shal nat fallen [3396]
ne faden. The wickedness of another cannot deprive a virtuous soul of its own honour. ¶ For foreine shrewednesse ne bynymeþ
nat fro þe corages of good[e] folk hire propre honoure.
THE REWARD OF THE GOOD.
If a man pride himself on the possession of an advantage received from another, he may be deprived of it, either by the giver or by others. but yif þat any wyȝt reioiseþ hem of goodnesse þat þei
had[de] taken fro wiþoute. as who seiþ yif [þat] any [3400]
wyȝt had[de] hys goodnesse of any oþer man þan of
hym self. certys he þat ȝaf hym þilke goodnesse or
ellys som oþer wyȝt myȝt[e] bynym[e] it hym. But, as the reward of the virtuous is derived from virtue, a man cannot lose this meed unless he ceases to be virtuous. but for
as moche as to euery wyȝt hys owen propre bounte [3404]
ȝeueþ hym hys mede. þan at arst shal he faylen of
mede whan he forletiþ to ben good. Lastly, since a reward is desired because it is supposed to be a good, can we believe that he who is capable of good is deprived of the recompence? and at þe laste so
as alle medes ben requered for men wenen þat þei ben
good[e]. who is he þat wolde deme þat he þat is ryȝt [3408]
myȝty of goode were partles of mede. [* fol. 27.] What reward shall he receive? *and of what
mede shal he be gerdoned. Certainly the fairest and richest of all rewards. certys of ryȝt faire mede
and ryȝt greet abouen alle medes. Call to mind that excellent corollary I have already given thee, and reason thus:— ¶ Remembre þe of
þilk noble corolarie þat I ȝaf þe a lytel here byforne. [3412]
and gadre it to gidre in þis manere. Since the supreme good is happiness, it follows that all good men are happy in as much as they are good; but if they are happy they must become as it were gods. so as god hym self
is blisfulnesse. þan is it clere and certeyn. þat alle good
folk ben makid blisful for þei ben good[e]. and þilke
folk þat ben blisful it accordiþ and is couenable to ben [3416]
godde. The reward (i. e. divinity) of the righteous is such that no time can impair it, no power can diminish it, nor can any wickedness obscure it. þan is þe mede of goode folk swiche. þat no
day [ne] shal enpeyren it. ne no wickednesse shal endirken
it. ne power of no wyȝt ne shal nat amenusen it
þat is to seyn to ben maked goddes. Since, then, happiness belongs to good men, punishment inseparably attends the wicked. ¶ and syn it is [3420]
þus þat goode men ne faylen neuer mo of hire medes.
¶ certys no wise man ne may doute of þe vndepartable
peyne of shrewes. ¶ þat is to seyn þat þe peyne of
shrewes ne departiþ nat from hem self neuer mo. [3424]
VIRTUE EXALTS MANKIND.
For since good and evil are contraries, so are rewards and punishments. ¶ For so as goode and yuel and peyne and medes ben
contrarie it mot nedes ben þat ryȝt as we seen by-tiden
in gerdoun of goode. It is evident that rewards follow good actions, and punishments attend evil actions; then as virtue itself is the reward of the virtuous, so vice is the punishment of the vicious. þat also mot þe peyne of yuel
answere by þe contrarie partye to shrewes. now þan so [3428]
as bounte and prowesse ben þe medes to goode folk.
also is shrewednesse it self torment to shrewes He who is punished with pain and uneasiness knows that he is afflicted with evil. ¶ þan
who so þat euer is entecched and defouled wiþ yuel.
If, then, the wicked did rightly understand themselves they would perceive that they are not exempted from punishment. yif shrewes wolen þan preisen hem self may it semen [3432]
to hem þat þei ben wiþ outen partye of tourment. Since vice, the extreme and worst kind of evil, not only afflicts them, but infects and entirely pollutes them. syn
þei ben swiche þat þe [vtteriste wikkednesse / þat is to
seyn wikkede thewes / which þat is the] outereste and
þe w[or]ste kynde of shrewednesse ne defouliþ nat ne [3436]
entecehiþ nat hem oonly but infectiþ and enuenemyþ
hem gretely But contemplate the punishment of the wicked. ¶ And al so loke on shrewes þat ben þe
contrarie partye of goode men. how grete peyne felawshipeþ
and folweþ hem. You have been taught that unity is essential to being and is good—and all that have this unity are good; whatsoever, then, fails to be good ceases to exist. ¶ For þou hast lerned a litel [3440]
here byforn þat al þing þat is and haþ beynge is oon.
and þilke same oon is good. þan is þis consequence þat
it semeþ wel. þat al þat is and haþ beynge is good. þis
is to seyne. as who seiþ þat beynge and vnite and [3444]
goodnesse is al oon. and in þis manere it folweþ þan.
þat al þing þat faileþ to ben good. it styntiþ forto be.
and forto haue any beynge. So that it appears that evil men must cease to be what they were. wher fore it is þat shrewes
stynten forto ben þat þei weren. That they were once men, the outward form of the body, which still remains, clearly testifies. but þilke oþer forme [3448]
of mankynde. þat is to seyne þe forme of þe body wiþ
oute. shewiþ ȝit þat þise shrewes were somtyme men.
HE WHO CEASES TO BE VIRTUOUS CEASES TO BE A MAN.