4161 eftesones aȝeine—eft sones ayein
4162 haþ—MS. haþe
ALL FORTUNE IS BENEFICIAL.
[IAM NE IGITUR UIDES.]
Sest þou nat P. Do you see what follows from our arguments? þan what þing folweþ alle þe þinges þat I
haue seid. B. What is it? what þing quod I. P. That all fortune is good. ¶ Certys quod she [4164]
outerly þat al fortune is good. B. How can that be? and how may þat be
quod .I. P. Since all fortune, whether prosperous or adverse, is for the reward of the good or the punishment of the bad, all fortune is good which is either just or useful. ¶ Now vndirstand quod she so as [alle
fortune wheyther so it be Ioyeful fortune / or aspre]
fortune is ȝiuen eiþer by cause of gerdonynge or ellys of [4168]
exercisynge of goode folk or ellys by cause to punissen.
or ellys to chastysen shrewes. ¶ þan is alle fortune
good. þe whiche fortune is certeyne þat it be eiþer ryȝtful
or profitable. But let us put this opinion among those positions which thou saidst were not commonly believed by the people. ¶ For soþe þis is a ful verray resoun [4172]
quod I. and yif I considere þe purueaunce and þe
destine þat þou tauȝtest me a litel here byforne þis sentence
is susteyned by stedfast resouns. but yif it like
vnto þe lat vs noumbre hem amonges þilk[e] þinges of [4176]
whiche þou seidest a litel here byforne þat þei ne were
nat able to ben ywened to þe poeple. P. Why so? ¶ whi so quod she.
B. Because it is a common expression that the fortune of such a one is bad. for þat þe comune worde of men mysusiþ quod I.
þis manere speche of fortune. and sein ofte tymes [þat] [4180]
þe fortune of som wyȝt is wicked.
PUNISHMENT IS BENEFICIAL.
P. Do you wish me to conform for awhile to the language of the people, lest we should seem to depart too much from the popular mode of expression? wilt þou þan quod
she þat I proche a litel to þe wordes of þe poeple so it
seme nat to hem þat I be ouer moche departid as fro þe
vsage of man kynde. B. As you please. as þou wolt quod I. P. Is everything profitable that is good? ¶ Demest [4184]
þou nat quod she þat al þing þat profitiþ is good. B. Yes, certainly. ȝis
quod I. P. That which exercises or corrects is profitable? certis þilk þing þat exercisiþ or corigiþ profitiþ.
B. It is. I confesse it wel quod I. P. Therefore it is good? þan is it good quod she.
B. Yes. whi nat quod I. P. This is the fortune of the virtuous who combat with adversity, or of those who, relinquishing vice, pursue the path of virtue? but þis is þe fortune [quod she] of [4188]
hem þat eiþer ben put in vertue and batailen aȝeins
aspre þinges. or ellys of hem þat eschewen and declinen
fro vices and taken þe weye of vertue. B. It is. ¶ þis ne may
nat I denye quod I P. The vulgar regard that prosperity which is bestowed as a reward on the good to be beneficial, and they believe those calamities by which the wicked are punished as the most miserable things that can be imagined. ¶ But what seist þou of þe myrye [4192]
fortune þat is ȝeuen to good folk in gerdoun deuiniþ
ouȝt þe poeples þat it is wicked. nay forsoþe quod I. but
þei demen as it soþe is þat it is ryȝt good. ¶ And what
seist þou of þat oþer fortune quod she. þat al þouȝ it [4196]
be aspre and restreiniþ þe shrewes by ryȝtful tourment.
weniþ ouȝt þe poeple þat it be good. nay quod I. ¶ But
þe poeple demiþ þat it be most wrecched of alle þinges
þat may ben þouȝt. But in following the popular opinion, let us beware of being involved in some new and incredible consequence. war now and loke wel quod she [4200]
lest þat we in folwyng þe opynioun of poeple haue confessed
and concluded þing þat is vnable to be wened to
þe poeple. B. What is that? what is þat quod I P. We have decided that the fortune of the virtuous or of those growing up in virtue must needs be good—but that the fortune of the wicked must be most wretched. ¶ Certys quod she it
folweþ or comeþ of þinges þat ben graunted þat alle [4204]
fortune what so euer it be. of hem þat eyþer ben in
possessioun of vertue. [or in the encres of vertu] or ellys
in þe purchasynge of vertue. þat þilke fortune is good.
¶ And þat alle fortune is ryȝt wicked to hem þat [4208]
dwellen in shrewednesse. as who seiþ. and þus weneþ
nat þe poeple.
THE FORTUNE OF THE VIRTUOUS IS GOOD.
B. That’s true, though none dare acknowledge it. ¶ þat is soþe quod I. ¶ Al be it so
þat noman dar confessen it ne byknowen it. P. Why so? The wise man ought not to be cast down, when he has to wage war with Fortune, no more than the valiant man ought to be dismayed on hearing the noise of the battle. ¶ whi so
quod she. For ryȝt as no strong man ne semeþ nat to [4212]
[* fol. 33.] abassen or disdaignen as *ofte tyme as he hereþ þe noise
of þe bataile. ne also it ne semeþ nat to þe wyse man to
beren it greuously as oft[e] as he is lad in to þe strif of
fortune. The dangers of war enable the one to acquire more glory, and the difficulties of the other aid him to confirm and improve his wisdom. for boþe to þat on man and eke to þat oþer [4216]
þilke difficulte is þe matere to þat oon man of encrese
of his glorious renoun. and to þat oþer man to conferme
hys sapience. þat is to seine þe asprenesse of hys estat.
Thus virtue, in its literal acceptation, is a power that, relying on its own strength, overcomes all obstacles. ¶ For þerfore is it called uertue. for þat it susteniþ and [4220]
enforceþ by hys strengþes þat it nis nat ouer-comen by
aduersites. You, who have made so much progress in virtue, are not to be carried away by delights and bodily lusts. ¶ Ne certys þou þat art put in þe encrese
or in þe heyȝt of uertue ne hast nat comen to fleten wiþ
delices and forto welken in bodyly lust. You must engage in a fierce conflict with every fortune—with adversity, lest it dismay you—with prosperity, lest it corrupt you. ¶ þou sowest [4224]
or plauntest a ful egre bataile in þi corage aȝeins euery
fortune. for þat þe sorweful fortune ne confounde þe nat.
ne þat þe myrye fortune ne corrumpe þe nat. Seize the golden mean with all your strength. All below or above this line is a contemptible and a thankless felicity. ¶ Occupy
þe mene by stedfast strengþes. for al þat euer is vndir [4228]
þe mene. or ellys al þat ouer-passeþ þe mene despiseþ
welefulnesses. ¶ As who seiþ. it is vicious and ne haþ
no mede of hys trauaile. The choice of fortune lies in your own hands, but remember that even adverse fortune, unless it exercises the virtues of the good or chastises the wicked, is a punishment. ¶ For it is set in ȝoure hand.
as who seiþ it lieþ in ȝoure power what fortune ȝow is [4232]
leuest. þat is to seyne good or yuel. ¶ For alle fortune
þat semeþ sharpe or aspre yif it ne exercise nat þe good
folk. ne chastisiþ þe wicked folk. it punisseþ.