Chaucer's Works, Volume 2 — Boethius and Troilus

O cometh alle to-gider now, ye that ben y-caught and y-bounde

with wikkede cheynes, by the deceivable delyt of erthely thinges

enhabitinge in your thought! Heer shal ben the reste of your

labours, heer is the havene stable in peysible quiete; this allone

is the open refut to wrecches. Glosa. This is to seyn, that ye

that ben combred and deceived with worldely affecciouns, cometh now

to this soverein good, that is god, that is refut to hem that wolen

comen to him. Textus. Alle the thinges that the river Tagus

yeveth yow with his goldene gravailes, or elles alle the thinges

that the river Hermus yeveth with his rede brinke, or that Indus

yeveth, that is next the hote party of the world, that medleth the

grene stones with the whyte, ne sholde nat cleeren the lookinge

of your thought, but hyden rather your blinde corages with-in hir

derknesse. Al that lyketh yow heer, and excyteth and moeveth

your thoughtes, the erthe hath norisshed it in hise lowe caves.

But the shyninge, by whiche the hevene is governed and whennes

he hath his strengthe, that eschueth the derke overthrowinge of

the sowle; and who-so may knowen thilke light of blisfulnesse,

he shal wel seyn, that the whyte bemes of the sonne ne ben nat

cleer.'

Boece. 'I assente me,' quod I; 'for alle thise thinges ben

strongly bounden with right ferme resouns.'

Philosophie. 'How mochel wilt thou preysen it,' quod she,

'yif that thou knowe what thilke good is?'

'I wol preyse it,' quod I, 'by prys with-outen ende, yif it shal

bityde me to knowe also to-gider god that is good.'

'Certes,' quod she, 'that shal I do thee by verray resoun, yif

that tho thinges that I have concluded a litel her-biforn dwellen

only in hir first graunting.'

'They dwellen graunted to thee,' quod I; this is to seyn, as

who seith: I graunte thy forseide conclusiouns.

'Have I nat shewed thee,' quod she, 'that the thinges that ben

requered of many folkes ne ben nat verray goodes ne parfite, for

they ben dyverse that oon fro that othre; and so as ech of hem

is lakkinge to other, they ne han no power to bringen a good that

is ful and absolut? But thanne at erst ben they verray good,

whanne they ben gadered to-gider alle in-to o forme and in-to oon

wirkinge, so that thilke thing that is suffisaunce, thilke same be

power, and reverence, and noblesse, and mirthe; and forsothe,

but-yif alle thise thinges ben alle oon same thing, they ne han nat

wherby that they mowen ben put in the noumber of thinges that

oughten ben requered or desired.'

'It is shewed,' quod I; 'ne her-of may ther no man douten.'

'The thinges thanne,' quod she, 'that ne ben no goodes

whanne they ben dyverse, and whan they beginnen to ben alle

oon thing thanne ben they goodes, ne comth it hem nat thanne

by the getinge of unitee, that they ben maked goodes?'

'So it semeth,' quod I.

'But al thing that is good,' quod she, 'grauntest thou that it be

good by the participacioun of good, or no?'

'I graunte it,' quod I.

'Thanne most thou graunten,' quod she, 'by semblable resoun,

that oon and good be oo same thing. For of thinges, of whiche

that the effect nis nat naturelly diverse, nedes the substance mot

be oo same thing.'

'I ne may nat denye that,' quod I.

'Hast thou nat knowen wel,' quod she, 'that al thing that is

hath so longe his dwellinge and his substaunce as longe as it is

oon; but whan it forleteth to ben oon, it mot nedes dyen and

corumpe to-gider?'

'In which manere?' quod I.

'Right as in bestes,' quod she, 'whan the sowle and the body

ben conioigned in oon and dwellen to-gider, it is cleped a beest.

And whan hir unitee is destroyed by the disseveraunce of that oon

from that other, than sheweth it wel that it is a ded thing, and

that it nis no lenger no beest. And the body of a wight, whyl

it dwelleth in oo forme by coniunccioun of membres, it is

wel seyn that it is a figure of man-kinde. And yif the parties

of the body ben so devyded and dissevered, that oon fro that

other, that they destroyen unitee, the body forleteth to ben that

it was biforn. And, who-so wolde renne in the same manere by

alle thinges, he sholde seen that, with-oute doute, every thing is

in his substaunce as longe as it is oon; and whan it forleteth to

ben oon, it dyeth and perissheth.'

'Whan I considere,' quod I, 'manye thinges, I see non other.'

'Is ther any-thing thanne,' quod she, 'that, in as moche as it

liveth naturelly, that forleteth the talent or appetyt of his beinge,

and desireth to come to deeth and to corupcioun?'

'Yif I considere,' quod I, 'the beestes that han any maner

nature of wilninge and of nillinge, I ne finde no beest, but-yif

it be constreined fro with-oute forth, that forleteth or

despyseth the entencioun to liven and to duren, or that wole,

his thankes, hasten him to dyen. For every beest travaileth him

to deffende and kepe the savacioun of his lyf, and eschueth deeth

and destruccioun.

But certes, I doute me of herbes and of trees, that is to

seyn, that I am in a doute of swiche thinges as herbes or trees, that

ne han no felinge sowles, ne no naturel wirkinges servinge to

appetytes as bestes han, whether they han appetyt to dwellen

and to duren.'

'Certes,' quod she, 'ne ther-of thar thee nat doute. Now

loke up-on thise herbes and thise trees; they wexen first in

swiche places as ben covenable to hem, in whiche places they

ne mowen nat sone dyen ne dryen, as longe as hir nature may

deffenden hem. For som of hem waxen in feeldes, and som

in mountaignes, and othre waxen in mareys, and othre cleven

on roches, and somme waxen plentivous in sondes; and yif

that any wight enforce him to beren hem in-to othre places,

they wexen drye. For nature yeveth to every thing that that

is convenient to him, and travaileth that they ne dye nat, as

longe as they han power to dwellen and to liven. What woltow

seyn of this, that they drawen alle hir norisshinges by hir rotes,

right as they hadden hir mouthes y-plounged with-in the erthes,

and sheden by hir maryes hir wode and hir bark? And what

woltow seyn of this, that thilke thing that is right softe, as the

marye is, that is alwey hid in the sete, al with-inne, and that

is defended fro with-oute by the stedefastnesse of wode; and

that the uttereste bark is put ayeins the destemperaunce of

the hevene, as a defendour mighty to suffren harm? And thus,

certes, maystow wel seen how greet is the diligence of nature;

for alle thinges renovelen and puplisshen hem with seed y-multiplyed;

ne ther nis no man that ne wot wel that they ne

ben right as a foundement and edifice, for to duren nat only

for a tyme, but right as for to duren perdurably by generacioun.

And the thinges eek that men wenen ne haven none sowles,

ne desire they nat ech of hem by semblable resoun to kepen

that is hirs, that is to seyn, that is acordinge to hir nature in

conservacioun of hir beinge and enduringe? For wher-for elles

bereth lightnesse the flaumbes up, and the weighte presseth

the erthe a-doun, but for as moche as thilke places and thilke

moevinges ben covenable to everich of hem? And forsothe

every thing kepeth thilke that is acordinge and propre to him,

right as thinges that ben contraries and enemys corompen hem.

And yit the harde thinges, as stones, clyven and holden hir

parties to-gider right faste and harde, and deffenden hem in

withstondinge that they ne departe nat lightly a-twinne. And

the thinges that ben softe and fletinge, as is water and eyr,

they departen lightly, and yeven place to hem that breken or

devyden hem; but natheles, they retornen sone ayein in-to

the same thinges fro whennes they ben arraced. But fyr fleeth

and refuseth al devisioun. Ne I ne trete nat heer now of

wilful moevinges of the sowle that is knowinge, but of the

naturel entencioun of thinges, as thus: right as we swolwe the

mete that we receiven and ne thinke nat on it, and as we

drawen our breeth in slepinge that we wite it nat whyle we

slepen. For certes, in the beestes, the love of hir livinges ne

of hir beinges ne comth nat of the wilninges of the sowle, but

of the biginninges of nature. For certes, thorugh constreininge

causes, wil desireth and embraceth ful ofte tyme the deeth

that nature dredeth; that is to seyn as thus: that a man may

ben constreyned so, by som cause, that his wil desireth and

taketh the deeth which that nature hateth and dredeth ful sore.

And somtyme we seeth the contrarye, as thus: that the wil

of a wight destorbeth and constreyneth that that nature desireth

and requereth al-wey, that is to seyn, the werk of generacioun,

by the whiche generacioun only dwelleth and is sustened the

long durabletee of mortal thinges.

And thus this charitee and this love, that every thing hath

to him-self, ne comth nat of the moevinge of the sowle, but

of the entencioun of nature. For the purviaunce of god hath

yeven to thinges that ben creat of him this, that is a ful

gret cause to liven and to duren; for which they desiren

naturelly hir lyf as longe as ever they mowen. For which

thou mayst nat drede, by no manere, that alle the thinges

that ben anywhere, that they ne requeren naturelly the ferme

stablenesse of perdurable dwellinge, and eek the eschuinge of

destruccioun.'

Boece. 'Now confesse I wel,' quod I, 'that I see now wel

certeinly, with-oute doutes, the thinges that whylom semeden

uncertain to me.'

'But,' quod she, 'thilke thing that desireth to be and to

dwellen perdurably, he desireth to ben oon; for yif that that

oon were destroyed, certes, beinge ne shulde ther non dwellen

to no wight.'

'That is sooth,' quod I.

'Thanne,' quod she, 'desiren alle thinges oon?'

'I assente,' quod I.

'And I have shewed,' quod she, 'that thilke same oon is

thilke that is good?'

'Ye, for sothe,' quod I.

'Alle thinges thanne,' quod she, 'requiren good; and thilke

good thanne mayst thou descryven right thus: good is thilke

thing that every wight desireth.'

'Ther ne may be thought,' quod I, 'no more verray thing.

For either alle thinges ben referred and brought to nought,

and floteren with-oute governour, despoiled of oon as of hir

propre heved; or elles, yif ther be any thing to which that

alle thinges tenden and hyen, that thing moste ben the soverein

good of alle goodes.'

Thanne seyde she thus: 'O my nory,' quod she, 'I have

gret gladnesse of thee; for thou hast ficched in thyn herte

the middel soothfastnesse, that is to seyn, the prikke; but this

thing hath ben descovered to thee, in that thou seydest that

thou wistest nat a litel her-biforn.'

'What was that?' quod I.

'That thou ne wistest nat,' quod she, 'which was the ende

of thinges; and certes, that is the thing that every wight

desireth; and for as mochel as we han gadered and comprehended

that good is thilke thing that is desired of alle, thanne

moten we nedes confessen, that good is the fyn of alle thinges.

Who-so that seketh sooth by a deep thoght, and coveiteth

nat to ben deceived by no mis-weyes, lat him rollen and trenden

with-inne him-self the light of his inward sighte; and lat him

gadere ayein, enclyninge in-to a compas, the longe moevinges

of his thoughtes; and lat him techen his corage that he hath

enclosed and hid in his tresors, al that he compasseth or seketh

fro with-oute. And thanne thilke thinge, that the blake cloude

of errour whylom hadde y-covered, shal lighten more cleerly

thanne Phebus him-self ne shyneth.

Glosa. Who-so wole seken the deep grounde of sooth in his

thought, and wol nat be deceived by false proposiciouns that goon

amis fro the trouthe, lat him wel examine and rolle with-inne him-self

the nature and the propretees of the thing; and lat him yit

eftsones examine and rollen his thoughtes by good deliberacioun, or

that he deme; and lat him techen his sowle that it hath, by natural

principles kindeliche y-hid with-in it-self, alle the trouthe the whiche

he imagineth to ben in thinges with-oute. And thanne alle the

derknesse of his misknowinge shal seme more evidently to sighte of

his understondinge thanne the sonne ne semeth to sighte

with-oute-forth.

For certes the body, bringinge the weighte of foryetinge, ne

hath nat chased out of your thoughte al the cleernesse of your

knowinge; for certeinly the seed of sooth haldeth and clyveth

with-in your corage, and it is awaked and excyted by the winde

and by the blastes of doctrine. For wherfor elles demen ye of

your owne wil the rightes, whan ye ben axed, but-yif so were that

the norisshinge of resoun ne livede y-plounged in the depthe of

your herte? this is to seyn, how sholden men demen the sooth of

any thing that were axed, yif ther nere a rote of soothfastnesse that

were y-plounged and hid in naturel principles, the whiche soothfastnesse

lived with-in the deepnesse of the thought. And yif so be

that the Muse and the doctrine of Plato singeth sooth, al that

every wight lerneth, he ne doth no-thing elles thanne but

recordeth, as men recorden thinges that ben foryeten.'

Thanne seide I thus: 'I acorde me gretly to Plato, for thou

remembrest and recordest me thise thinges yit the secounde

tyme; that is to seyn, first whan I loste my memorie by the

contagious coniunccioun of the body with the sowle; and

eftsones afterward, whan I loste it, confounded by the charge and

by the burdene of my sorwe.'

And thanne seide she thus: 'yif thou loke,' quod she, 'first

the thinges that thou hast graunted, it ne shal nat ben right fer

that thou ne shalt remembren thilke thing that thou seydest that

thou nistest nat.'

'What thing?' quod I.

'By whiche governement,' quod she, 'that this world is

governed.'

'Me remembreth it wel,' quod I; 'and I confesse wel that I

ne wiste it naught. But al-be-it so that I see now from a-fer

what thou purposest, algates, I desire yit to herkene it of thee

more pleynly.'

'Thou ne wendest nat,' quod she, 'a litel her-biforn, that men

sholden doute that this world nis governed by god.'

'Certes,' quod I, 'ne yit ne doute I it naught, ne I nel never

wene that it were to doute; as who seith, but I wot wel that god

governeth this world; and I shal shortly answeren thee by what

resouns I am brought to this. This world,' quod I, 'of so manye

dyverse and contrarious parties, ne mighte never han ben

assembled in o forme, but-yif ther nere oon that conioignede so

manye dyverse thinges; and the same dyversitee of hir natures,

that so discorden that oon fro that other, moste departen and

unioignen the thinges that ben conioigned, yif ther ne were oon

that contenede that he hath conioined and y-bounde. Ne the

certein ordre of nature ne sholde nat bringe forth so ordenee

moevinges, by places, by tymes, by doinges, by spaces, by

qualitees, yif ther ne were oon that were ay stedefast dwellinge,

that ordeynede and disponede thise dyversitees of moevinges.

And thilke thing, what-so-ever it be, by which that alle thinges

ben y-maked and y-lad, I clepe him "god"; that is a word that

is used to alle folk.'

Thanne seyde she: 'sin thou felest thus thise thinges,' quod

she, 'I trowe that I have litel more to done that thou, mighty of

welefulnesse, hool and sounde, ne see eftsones thy contree.

But lat us loken the thinges that we han purposed her-biforn.

Have I nat noumbred and seyd,' quod she, 'that suffisaunce is in

blisfulnesse, and we han acorded that god is thilke same blisfulnesse?'

'Yis, forsothe,' quod I.

'And that, to governe this world,' quod she, 'ne shal he never

han nede of non help fro with-oute? For elles, yif he hadde

nede of any help, he ne sholde nat have no ful suffisaunce?'

'Yis, thus it mot nedes be,' quod I.

'Thanne ordeineth he by him-self al-one alle thinges?' quod she.

'That may nat be deneyed,' quod I.

'And I have shewed that god is the same good?'

'It remembreth me wel,' quod I.

'Thanne ordeineth he alle thinges by thilke good,' quod she;

'sin he, which that we han acorded to be good, governeth alle

thinges by him-self; and he is as a keye and a stere by which

that the edifice of this world is y-kept stable and with-oute

coroumpinge.'

'I acorde me greetly,' quod I; 'and I aperceivede a litel her-biforn

that thou woldest seye thus; al-be-it so that it were by

a thinne suspecioun.'

'I trowe it wel,' quod she; 'for, as I trowe, thou ledest now

more ententifly thyne eyen to loken the verray goodes. But

natheles the thing that I shal telle thee yit ne sheweth nat lasse to

loken.'

'What is that?' quod I.

'So as men trowen,' quod she, 'and that rightfully, that god

governeth alle thinges by the keye of his goodnesse, and alle thise

same thinges, as I have taught thee, hasten hem by naturel

entencioun to comen to good: ther may no man douten that they

ne be governed voluntariely, and that they ne converten hem of

hir owne wil to the wil of hir ordenour, as they that ben acordinge

and enclyninge to hir governour and hir king.'

'It mot nedes be so,' quod I; 'for the reaume ne sholde nat

semen blisful yif ther were a yok of misdrawinges in dyverse

parties; ne the savinge of obedient thinges ne sholde nat be.'

'Thanne is ther nothing,' quod she, 'that kepeth his nature,

that enforceth him to goon ayein god?'

'No,' quod I.

'And yif that any-thing enforcede him to with-stonde god,

mighte it availen at the laste ayeins him, that we han graunted to

ben almighty by the right of blisfulnesse?'

'Certes,' quod I, 'al-outrely it ne mighte nat availen him.'

'Thanne is ther no-thing,' quod she, 'that either wole or may

with-stonden to this soverein good?'

'I trowe nat,' quod I.

'Thanne is thilke the soverein good,' quod she, 'that alle

thinges governeth strongly, and ordeyneth hem softely.'

Thanne seyde I thus: 'I delyte me,' quod I, 'nat only in the

endes or in the somme of the resouns that thou hast concluded

and proeved, but thilke wordes that thou usest delyten me moche

more; so, at the laste, fooles that sumtyme renden grete thinges

oughten ben ashamed of hem-self;' that is to seyn, that we fooles

that reprehenden wikkedly the thinges that touchen goddes governaunce,

we oughten ben ashamed of our-self: as I, that seyde that

god refuseth only the werkes of men, and ne entremeteth nat of

hem.

'Thou hast wel herd,' quod she, 'the fables of the poetes,

how the giaunts assaileden the hevene with the goddes; but forsothe,

the debonair force of god deposede hem, as it was worthy;

that is to seyn, destroyede the giaunts, as it was worthy. But wilt

thou that we ioignen to-gider thilke same resouns? For per-aventure,

of swich coniuncioun may sterten up som fair sparkle

of sooth.'

'Do,' quod I, 'as thee liste.'

'Wenest thou,' quod she, 'that god ne be almighty? No man

is in doute of it.'

'Certes,' quod I, 'no wight ne douteth it, yif he be in his

minde.'

'But he,' quod she, 'that is almighty, ther nis nothing that he

ne may?'

'That is sooth,' quod I.

'May god don yvel?' quod she.

'Nay, forsothe,' quod I.

'Thanne is yvel nothing,' quod she, 'sin that he ne may nat

don yvel that may don alle thinges.'

'Scornest thou me?' quod I; 'or elles pleyest thou or deceivest

thou me, that hast so woven me with thy resouns the hous of

Dedalus, so entrelaced that it is unable to be unlaced; thou that

other-whyle entrest ther thou issest, and other-whyle issest ther

thou entrest, ne foldest thou nat to-gider, by replicacioun of

wordes, a maner wonderful cercle or environinge of the simplicitee

devyne? For certes, a litel her-biforn, whan thou bigunne at

blisfulnesse, thou seydest that it is soverein good; and seydest

that it is set in soverein god; and seydest that god him-self

is soverein good; and that god is the fulle blisfulnesse; for which

thou yave me as a covenable yift, that is to seyn, that no wight

nis blisful but-yif he be god also ther-with. And seidest eek,

that the forme of good is the substaunce of god and of blisfulnesse;

and seidest, that thilke same oon is thilke same good, that is

requered and desired of alle the kinde of thinges. And thou

proevedest, in disputinge, that god governeth all the thinges of

the world by the governements of bountee, and seydest, that alle

thinges wolen obeyen to him; and seydest, that the nature of yvel

nis no-thing. And thise thinges ne shewedest thou nat with none

resouns y-taken fro with-oute, but by proeves in cercles and hoomlich

knowen; the whiche proeves drawen to hem-self hir feith and

hir acord, everich of hem of other.'

Thanne seyde she thus: 'I ne scorne thee nat, ne pleye, ne

deceive thee; but I have shewed thee the thing that is grettest

over alle thinges by the yift of god, that we whylom preyeden.

For this is the forme of the devyne substaunce, that is swich that

it ne slydeth nat in-to outterest foreine thinges, ne ne receiveth

no straunge thinges in him; but right as Parmenides seyde in

Greek of thilke devyne substaunce; he seyde thus: that "thilke

devyne substaunce torneth the world and the moevable cercle of

thinges, whyl thilke devyne substaunce kepeth it-self with-oute

moevinge;" that is to seyn, that it ne moeveth never-mo, and yit it

moeveth alle othre thinges. But natheles, yif I have stired resouns

that ne ben nat taken fro with-oute the compas of thing of which

we treten, but resouns that ben bistowed with-in that compas,

ther nis nat why that thou sholdest merveilen; sin thou hast

lerned by the sentence of Plato, that "nedes the wordes moten

be cosines to the thinges of which they speken."

Blisful is that man that may seen the clere welle of good; blisful

is he that may unbinden him fro the bondes of the hevy erthe.

The poete of Trace, Orpheus, that whylom hadde right greet sorwe

for the deeth of his wyf, after that he hadde maked, by his weeply

songes, the wodes, moevable, to rennen; and hadde maked the

riveres to stonden stille; and hadde maked the hertes and the

hindes to ioignen, dredeles, hir sydes to cruel lyouns, for to herknen

his songe; and hadde maked that the hare was nat agast of the

hounde, which that was plesed by his songe: so, whan the moste

ardaunt love of his wif brende the entrailes of his brest, ne the

songes that hadden overcomen alle thinges ne mighten nat

asswagen hir lord Orpheus, he pleynede him of the hevene goddes

that weren cruel to him; he wente him to the houses of helle.

And there he temprede hise blaundisshinge songes by resowninge

strenges, and spak and song in wepinge al that ever he hadde

received and laved out of the noble welles of his moder Calliope

the goddesse; and he song with as mochel as he mighte of wepinge,

and with as moche as love, that doublede his sorwe, mighte

yeve him and techen him; and he commoevede the helle, and

requerede and bisoughte by swete preyere the lordes of sowles

in helle, of relesinge; that is to seyn, to yilden him his wyf.

Cerberus, the porter of helle, with his three hevedes, was caught

and al abayst for the newe song; and the three goddesses, Furies,

and vengeresses of felonyes, that tormenten and agasten the sowles

by anoy, woxen sorwful and sory, and wepen teres for pitee.

Tho ne was nat the heved of Ixion y-tormented by the overthrowinge

wheel; and Tantalus, that was destroyed by the woodnesse

of longe thurst, despyseth the flodes to drinke; the fowl that

highte voltor, that eteth the stomak or the giser of Tityus, is so

fulfild of his song that it nil eten ne tyren no more. At the laste

the lord and Iuge of sowles was moeved to misericordes and

cryde, "we ben overcomen," quod he; "yive we to Orpheus his

wyf to bere him companye; he hath wel y-bought hir by his song

and his ditee; but we wol putte a lawe in this, and covenaunt in

the yifte: that is to seyn, that, til he be out of helle, yif he loke

behinde him, that his wyf shal comen ayein unto us."

But what is he that may yive a lawe to loveres? Love is

a gretter lawe and a strenger to him-self than any lawe that men

may yeven. Allas! whan Orpheus and his wyf weren almest at the

termes of the night, that is to seyn, at the laste boundes of helle,

Orpheus lokede abakward on Eurydice his wyf, and loste hir, and

was deed.

This fable aperteineth to yow alle, who-so-ever desireth or

seketh to lede his thought in-to the soverein day, that is to seyn,

to cleernesse of soverein good. For who-so that ever be so overcomen

that he ficche his eyen into the putte of helle, that is to

seyn, who-so sette his thoughtes in erthely thinges, al that ever he

hath drawen of the noble good celestial, he leseth it whan he

loketh the helles,' that is to seyn, in-to lowe thinges of the erthe.

Whan Philosophye hadde songen softely and delitably the

forseide thinges, kepinge the dignitee of hir chere and the

weighte of hir wordes, I thanne, that ne hadde nat al-outerly

foryeten the wepinge and the mourninge that was set in myn

herte, forbrak the entencioun of hir that entendede yit to seyn

some othre thinges. 'O,' quod I, 'thou that art gyderesse of

verrey light; the thinges that thou hast seid me hider-to ben so

clere to me and so shewinge by the devyne lookinge of hem, and

by thy resouns, that they ne mowen ben overcomen. And

thilke thinges that thou toldest me, al-be-it so that I hadde

whylom foryeten hem, for the sorwe of the wrong that hath ben

don to me, yit natheles they ne weren nat al-outrely unknowen to

me. But this same is, namely, a right greet cause of my sorwe,

so as the governour of thinges is good, yif that yveles mowen ben

by any weyes; or elles yif that yveles passen with-oute punisshinge.

The whiche thing only, how worthy it is to ben wondred

up-on, thou considerest it wel thy-self certeinly. But yit to this

thing ther is yit another thing y-ioigned, more to ben wondred

up-on. For felonye is emperesse, and floureth ful of richesses;

and vertu nis nat al-only with-oute medes, but it is cast under and

fortroden under the feet of felonous folk; and it abyeth the

torments in stede of wikkede felounes. Of alle whiche thinges

ther nis no wight that may merveylen y-nough, ne compleine,

that swiche thinges ben doon in the regne of god, that alle thinges

woot and alle thinges may, and ne wole nat but only gode

thinges.'

Thanne seyde she thus: 'Certes,' quod she, 'that were a greet

merveyle, and an enbasshinge with-outen ende, and wel more

horrible than alle monstres, yif it were as thou wenest; that is to

seyn, that in the right ordenee hous of so mochel a fader and an

ordenour of meynee, that the vesseles that ben foule and vyle

sholden ben honoured and heried, and the precious vesseles

sholden ben defouled and vyle; but it nis nat so. For yif tho

thinges that I have concluded a litel her-biforn ben kept hole

and unraced, thou shalt wel knowe by the autoritee of god, of the

whos regne I speke, that certes the gode folk ben alwey mighty,

and shrewes ben alwey out-cast and feble; ne the vyces ne ben

never-mo with-oute peyne, ne the vertues ne ben nat with-oute

mede; and that blisfulnesses comen alwey to goode folk, and

infortune comth alwey to wikked folk. And thou shalt wel

knowe many thinges of this kinde, that shollen cesen thy pleintes,

and strengthen thee with stedefast sadnesse. And for thou hast

seyn the forme of the verray blisfulnesse by me, that have

whylom shewed it thee, and thou hast knowen in whom blisfulnesse

is y-set, alle thinges y-treted that I trowe ben necessarie to

putten forth, I shal shewe thee the wey that shal bringen thee

ayein un-to thyn hous. And I shal ficchen fetheres in thy thought,

by whiche it may arysen in heighte, so that, alle tribulacioun

y-don awey, thou, by my gydinge and by my path and by my

sledes, shalt mowe retorne hool and sound in-to thy contree.