I have, forsothe, swifte fetheres that surmounten the heighte of

hevene. Whan the swifte thought hath clothed it-self in tho

fetheres, it despyseth the hateful erthes, and surmounteth the

roundnesse of the grete ayr; and it seeth the cloudes behinde his

bak; and passeth the heighte of the region of the fyr, that

eschaufeth by the swifte moevinge of the firmament, til that he

areyseth him in-to the houses that beren the sterres, and ioyneth

his weyes with the sonne Phebus, and felawshipeth the wey of

the olde colde Saturnus; and he y-maked a knight of the clere

sterre; that is to seyn, that the thought is maked goddes knight by

the sekinge of trouthe to comen to the verray knowleche of god.

And thilke thoght renneth by the cercle of the sterres, in alle

places ther-as the shyninge night is peinted; that is to seyn, the

night that is cloudeles; for on nightes that ben cloudeles it semeth as

the hevene were peinted with dyverse images of sterres. And

whanne he hath y-doon ther y-nough, he shal forleten the laste

hevene, and he shal pressen and wenden on the bak of the

swifte firmament, and he shal ben maked parfit of the worshipful

light of god. Ther halt the lord of kinges the ceptre of his

might, and atempreth the governements of the world, and the

shyninge Iuge of thinges, stable in him-self, governeth the swifte

cart or wayn, that is to seyn, the circuler moevinge of the sonne.

And yif thy wey ledeth thee ayein so that thou be brought thider,

thanne wolt thou seye now that that is the contree that thou

requerest, of which thou ne haddest no minde: "but now it

remembreth me wel, heer was I born, heer wol I fastne my

degree, heer wole I dwelle." But yif thee lyketh thanne to loken

on the derknesse of the erthe that thou hast forleten, thanne

shalt thou seen that thise felonous tyraunts, that the wrecchede

peple dredeth, now shollen ben exyled fro thilke fayre contree.'

Than seyde I thus: 'owh! I wondre me that thou bihetest me

so grete thinges; ne I ne doute nat that thou ne mayst wel

performe that thou bihetest. But I preye thee only this, that

thou ne tarye nat to telle me thilke thinges that thou hast

moeved.'

'First,' quod she, 'thou most nedes knowen, that goode folk

ben alwey stronge and mighty, and the shrewes ben feble and

desert and naked of alle strengthes. And of thise thinges, certes,

everich of hem is declared and shewed by other. For so as

good and yvel ben two contraries, yif so be that good be stedefast,

than sheweth the feblesse of yvel al openly; and yif thou

knowe cleerly the frelenesse of yvel, the stedefastnesse of good is

knowen. But for as moche as the fey of my sentence shal be the

more ferme and haboundaunt, I will gon by that oo wey and by

that other; and I wole conferme the thinges that ben purposed,

now on this syde and now on that syde. Two thinges ther ben

in whiche the effect of alle the dedes of mankinde standeth, that

is to seyn, wil and power; and yif that oon of thise two fayleth,

ther nis nothing that may be don. For yif that wil lakketh, ther

nis no wight that undertaketh to don that he wol nat don; and

yif power fayleth, the wil nis but in ydel and stant for naught.

And ther-of cometh it, that yif thou see a wight that wolde geten

that he may nat geten, thou mayst nat douten that power ne

fayleth him to haven that he wolde.'

'This is open and cleer,' quod I; 'ne it may nat ben deneyed

in no manere.'

'And yif thou see a wight,' quod she, 'that hath doon that he

wolde doon, thou nilt nat douten that he ne hath had power to

don it?'

'No,' quod I.

'And in that that every wight may, in that men may holden

him mighty; as who seyth, in so moche as man is mighty to don a

thing, in so mochel men halt him mighty; and in that that he ne

may, in that men demen him to be feble.'

'I confesse it wel,' quod I.

'Remembreth thee,' quod she, 'that I have gadered and

shewed by forseyde resouns that al the entencioun of the wil of

mankinde, which that is lad by dyverse studies, hasteth to

comen to blisfulnesse?'

'It remembreth me wel,' quod I, 'that it hath ben shewed.'

'And recordeth thee nat thanne,' quod she, 'that blisfulnesse

is thilke same good that men requeren; so that, whan that

blisfulnesse is requered of alle, that good also is requered and

desired of alle?'

'It ne recordeth me nat,' quod I; 'for I have it gretly alwey

ficched in my memorie.'

'Alle folk thanne,' quod she, 'goode and eek badde, enforcen

hem with-oute difference of entencioun to comen to good?'

'This is a verray consequence,' quod I.

'And certein is,' quod she, 'that by the getinge of good ben

men y-maked goode?'

'This is certein,' quod I.

'Thanne geten goode men that they desiren?'

'So semeth it,' quod I.

'But wikkede folk,' quod she, 'yif they geten the good that

they desiren, they ne mowe nat be wikkede?'

'So is it,' quod I.

'Thanne, so as that oon and that other,' quod she, 'desiren

good; and the goode folk geten good, and nat the wikke folk;

thanne nis it no doute that the goode folk ne ben mighty and

the wikkede folk ben feble?'

'Who-so that ever,' quod I, 'douteth of this, he ne may nat

considere the nature of thinges ne the consequence of resouns.'

And over this quod she, 'yif that ther be two thinges that

han oo same purpose by kinde, and that oon of hem pursueth

and parformeth thilke same thing by naturel office, and that

other ne may nat doon thilke naturel office, but folweth, by other

manere thanne is convenable to nature, him that acomplissheth

his purpos kindely, and yit he ne acomplissheth nat his owne

purpos: whether of thise two demestow for more mighty?'

'Yif that I coniecte,' quod I, 'that thou wolt seye, algates yit

I desire to herkne it more pleynly of thee.'

'Thou wilt nat thanne deneye,' quod she, 'that the moevement

of goinge nis in men by kinde?'

'No, forsothe,' quod I.

'Ne thou ne doutest nat,' quod she, 'that thilke naturel office

of goinge ne be the office of feet?'

'I ne doute it nat,' quod I.

'Thanne,' quod she, 'yif that a wight be mighty to moeve and

goth upon his feet, and another, to whom thilke naturel office of

feet lakketh, enforceth him to gon crepinge up-on his handes:

whiche of thise two oughte to ben holden the more mighty by

right?'

'Knit forth the remenaunt,' quod I; 'for no wight ne douteth

that he that may gon by naturel office of feet ne be more mighty

than he that ne may nat.'

'But the soverein good,' quod she, 'that is eveneliche purposed

to the gode folk and to badde, the gode folk seken it by naturel

office of vertues, and the shrewes enforcen hem to geten it by

dyverse coveityse of erthely thinges, which that nis no naturel office

to geten thilke same soverein good. Trowestow that it be any

other wyse?'

'Nay,' quod I; 'for the consequence is open and shewinge of

thinges that I have graunted; that nedes gode folk moten ben

mighty, and shrewes feeble and unmighty.'

'Thou rennest a-right biforn me,' quod she, 'and this is the

Iugement; that is to seyn, I iuge of thee right as thise leches ben

wont to hopen of syke folk, whan they aperceyven that nature is

redressed and withstondeth to the maladye. But, for I see thee

now al redy to the understondinge, I shal shewe thee more thikke

and continuel resouns. For loke now how greetly sheweth the

feblesse and infirmitee of wikkede folk, that ne mowen nat comen

to that hir naturel entencioun ledeth hem, and yit almost thilke

naturel entencioun constreineth hem. And what were to demen

thanne of shrewes, yif thilke naturel help hadde forleten hem, the

which naturel help of intencioun goth awey biforn hem, and is so

greet that unnethe it may ben overcome? Consider thanne how

greet defaute of power and how greet feblesse ther is in wikkede

felonous folk; as who seyth, the gretter thing that is coveited and

the desire nat acomplisshed, of the lasse might is he that coveiteth it

and may nat acomplisshe. And forthy Philosophie seyth thus by

soverein good: Ne shrewes ne requeren nat lighte medes ne veyne

games, whiche they ne may folwen ne holden; but they failen of

thilke somme and of the heighte of thinges, that is to seyn, soverein

good; ne thise wrecches ne comen nat to the effect of soverein

good, the which they enforcen hem only to geten, by nightes and

by dayes; in the getinge of which good the strengthe of good folk

is ful wel y-sene. For right so as thou mightest demen him mighty

of goinge, that gooth on his feet til he mighte come to thilke

place, fro the whiche place ther ne laye no wey forther to ben

gon; right so most thou nedes demen him for right mighty, that

geteth and ateyneth to the ende of alle thinges that ben to desire,

biyonde the whiche ende ther nis nothing to desire. Of the

which power of good folk men may conclude, that the wikked

men semen to be bareine and naked of alle strengthe. For-why

forleten they vertues and folwen vyces? Nis it nat for that they

ne knowen nat the goodes? But what thing is more feble and

more caitif thanne is the blindnesse of ignoraunce? Or elles they

knowen ful wel whiche thinges that they oughten folwe, but

lecherye and coveityse overthroweth hem mistorned; and certes,

so doth distemperaunce to feble men, that ne mowen nat wrastlen

ayeins the vyces. Ne knowen they nat thanne wel that they

forleten the good wilfully, and tornen hem wilfully to vyces? And

in this wyse they ne forleten nat only to ben mighty, but they

forleten al-outrely in any wyse for to ben. For they that forleten

the comune fyn of alle thinges that ben, they forleten also therwith-al

for to ben.

And per-aventure it sholde semen to som folk that this were

a merveile to seyen: that shrewes, whiche that contienen the more

partye of men, ne ben nat ne han no beinge; but natheles, it is so,

and thus stant this thing. For they that ben shrewes, I deneye

nat that they ben shrewes; but I deneye, and seye simplely and

pleinly, that they ne ben nat, ne han no beinge. For right as

thou mightest seyen of the carayne of a man, that it were a deed

man, but thou ne mightest nat simplely callen it a man; so graunte

I wel forsothe, that vicious folk ben wikked, but I ne may nat

graunten absolutly and simplely that they ben. For thilke thing

that with-holdeth ordre and kepeth nature, thilke thing is and

hath beinge; but what thing that faileth of that, that is to seyn,

that he forleteth naturel ordre, he forleteth thilke thing that is set

in his nature. But thou wolt seyn, that shrewes mowen. Certes,

that ne deneye I nat; but certes, hir power ne descendeth nat of

strengthe, but of feblesse. For they mowen don wikkednesses;

the whiche they ne mighte nat don, yif they mighten dwellen in

the forme and in the doinge of good folk. And thilke power

sheweth ful evidently that they ne mowen right naught. For so

as I have gadered and proeved a litel her-biforn, that yvel is

naught; and so as shrewes mowen only but shrewednesses, this

conclusioun is al cleer, that shrewes ne mowen right naught, ne

han no power.

And for as moche as thou understonde which is the strengthe

of this power of shrewes, I have definisshed a litel her-biforn, that

nothing is so mighty as soverein good.'

'That is sooth,' quod I.

'And thilke same soverein good may don non yvel?'

'Certes, no,' quod I.

'Is ther any wight thanne,' quod she, 'that weneth that men

mowen doon alle thinges?'

'No man,' quod I, 'but-yif he be out of his witte.'

'But, certes, shrewes mowen don yvel,' quod she.

'Ye, wolde god,' quod I, 'that they mighten don non!'

'Thanne,' quod she, 'so as he that is mighty to doon only but

goode thinges may don alle thinges; and they that ben mighty to

don yvele thinges ne mowen nat alle thinges: thanne is it open

thing and manifest, that they that mowen don yvel ben of lasse

power. And yit, to proeve this conclusioun, ther helpeth me this,

that I have y-shewed her-biforn, that alle power is to be noumbred

among thinges that men oughten requere. And I have shewed

that alle thinges, that oughten ben desired, ben referred to good,

right as to a maner heighte of hir nature. But for to mowen don

yvel and felonye ne may nat ben referred to good. Thanne nis

nat yvel of the noumbir of thinges that oughte ben desired. But

alle power oughte ben desired and requered. Than is it open and

cleer that the power ne the mowinge of shrewes nis no power; and

of alle thise thinges it sheweth wel, that the goode folke ben certeinly

mighty, and the shrewes douteles ben unmighty. And it is

cleer and open that thilke opinioun of Plato is verray and sooth, that

seith, that only wyse men may doon that they desiren; and

shrewes mowen haunten that hem lyketh, but that they desiren,

that is to seyn, to comen to sovereign good, they ne han no power

to acomplisshen that. For shrewes don that hem list, whan, by

tho thinges in which they delyten, they wenen to ateine to thilke

good that they desiren; but they ne geten ne ateinen nat ther-to,

for vyces ne comen nat to blisfulnesse.

Who-so that the covertoures of hir veyne aparailes mighte strepen

of thise proude kinges, that thou seest sitten on heigh in hir

chaires gliteringe in shyninge purpre, envirouned with sorwful

armures, manasinge with cruel mouth, blowinge by woodnesse of

herte, he shulde seen thanne that thilke lordes beren with-inne hir

corages ful streite cheines. For lecherye tormenteth hem in that

oon syde with gredy venims; and troublable ire, that araiseth in

him the flodes of troublinges, tormenteth up-on that other syde

hir thought; or sorwe halt hem wery and y-caught; or slydinge

and deceivinge hope tormenteth hem. And therfore, sen thou

seest oon heed, that is to seyn, oon tyraunt, beren so manye

tyrannyes, thanne ne doth thilke tyraunt nat that he desireth, sin

he is cast doun with so manye wikkede lordes; that is to seyn, with

so manye vyces, that han so wikkedly lordshipes over him.

Seestow nat thanne in how grete filthe thise shrewes ben

y-wrapped, and with which cleernesse thise good folk shynen? In

this sheweth it wel, that to goode folk ne lakketh never-mo hir

medes, ne shrewes lakken never-mo torments. For of alle thinges

that ben y-doon, thilke thing, for which any-thing is don, it semeth

as by right that thilke thing be the mede of that; as thus: yif

a man renneth in the stadie, or in the forlong, for the corone,

thanne lyth the mede in the corone for which he renneth. And

I have shewed that blisfulnesse is thilke same good for which

that alle thinges ben doon. Thanne is thilke same good purposed

to the workes of mankinde right as a comune mede; which

mede ne may ben dissevered fro good folk. For no wight as by

right, fro thennes-forth that him lakketh goodnesse, ne shal ben

cleped good. For which thing, folk of goode maneres, hir medes

ne forsaken hem never-mo. For al-be-it so that shrewes wexen

as wode as hem list ayeins goode folk, yit never-the-lesse the

corone of wyse men shal nat fallen ne faden. For foreine shrewednesse

ne binimeth nat fro the corages of goode folk hir propre

honour. But yif that any wight reioyse him of goodnesse that he

hadde take fro with-oute (as who seith, yif that any wight hadde

his goodnesse of any other man than of him-self), certes, he that yaf

him thilke goodnesse, or elles som other wight, mighte binime it

him. But for as moche as to every wight his owne propre bountee

yeveth him his mede, thanne at erst shal he failen of mede whan

he forleteth to ben good. And at the laste, so as alle medes ben

requered for men wenen that they ben goode, who is he that

wolde deme, that he that is right mighty of good were part-les of

mede? And of what mede shal he be guerdoned? Certes, of

right faire mede and right grete aboven alle medes. Remembre

thee of thilke noble corolarie that I yaf thee a litel her-biforn;

and gader it to-gider in this manere:—so as good him-self is

blisfulnesse, thanne is it cleer and certein, that alle good folk ben

maked blisful for they ben goode; and thilke folk that ben blisful,

it acordeth and is covenable to ben goddes. Thanne is the mede

of goode folk swich that no day shal enpeiren it, ne no wikkednesse

ne shal derken it, ne power of no wight ne shal nat amenusen it,

that is to seyn, to ben maked goddes.

And sin it is thus, that goode men ne failen never-mo of hir mede,

certes, no wys man ne may doute of undepartable peyne of the

shrewes; that is to seyn, that the peyne of shrewes ne departeth nat

from hem-self never-mo. For so as goode and yvel, and peyne and

medes ben contrarye, it mot nedes ben, that right as we seen

bityden in guerdoun of goode, that also mot the peyne of yvel

answery, by the contrarye party, to shrewes. Now thanne, so as

bountee and prowesse ben the mede to goode folk, al-so is

shrewednesse it-self torment to shrewes. Thanne, who-so that

ever is entecched and defouled with peyne, he ne douteth nat,

that he is entecched and defouled with yvel. Yif shrewes thanne

wolen preysen hem-self, may it semen to hem that they ben with-outen

party of torment, sin they ben swiche that the uttereste

wikkednesse (that is to seyn, wikkede thewes, which that is the

uttereste and the worste kinde of shrewednesse) ne defouleth ne

enteccheth nat hem only, but infecteth and envenimeth hem

gretly? And also look on shrewes, that ben the contrarie party

of goode men, how greet peyne felawshipeth and folweth hem!

For thou hast lerned a litel her-biforn, that al thing that is and

hath beinge is oon, and thilke same oon is good; thanne is this

the consequence, that it semeth wel, that al that is and hath beinge

is good; this is to seyn, as who seyth, that beinge and unitee and

goodnesse is al oon. And in this manere it folweth thanne, that al

thing that faileth to ben good, it stinteth for to be and for to han

any beinge; wherfore it is, that shrewes stinten for to ben that

they weren. But thilke other forme of mankinde, that is to seyn,

the forme of the body with-oute, sheweth yit that thise shrewes

weren whylom men; wher-for, whan they ben perverted and

torned in-to malice, certes, than han they forlorn the nature of

mankinde. But so as only bountee and prowesse may enhaunsen

every man over other men; thanne mot it nedes be that shrewes,

which that shrewednesse hath cast out of the condicioun of mankinde,

ben put under the merite and the desert of men. Thanne

bitydeth it, that yif thou seest a wight that be transformed into

vyces, thou ne mayst nat wene that he be a man.

For yif he be ardaunt in avaryce, and that he be a ravinour by

violence of foreine richesse, thou shalt seyn that he is lyke to the

wolf. And yif he be felonous and with-oute reste, and exercyse

his tonge to chydinges, thou shalt lykne him to the hound. And

yif he be a prevey awaitour y-hid, and reioyseth him to ravisshe

by wyles, thou shalt seyn him lyke to the fox-whelpes. And yif he

be distempre and quaketh for ire, men shal wene that he bereth

the corage of a lyoun. And yif he be dredful and fleinge, and

dredeth thinges that ne oughten nat to ben dred, men shal holden

him lyk to the hert. And yif he be slow and astoned and lache, he

liveth as an asse. And yif he be light and unstedefast of corage, and

chaungeth ay his studies, he is lykned to briddes. And if he be

plounged in foule and unclene luxuries, he is with-holden in the

foule delyces of the foule sowe. Thanne folweth it, that he that forleteth

bountee and prowesse, he forleteth to ben a man; sin he may

nat passen in-to the condicioun of god, he is torned in-to a beest.

Eurus the wind aryvede the sailes of Ulixes, duk of the contree

of Narice, and his wandringe shippes by the see, in-to the ile

ther-as Circes, the faire goddesse, doughter of the sonne,

dwelleth; that medleth to hir newe gestes drinkes that ben

touched and maked with enchauntements. And after that hir

hand, mighty over the herbes, hadde chaunged hir gestes in-to

dyverse maneres; that oon of hem, is covered his face with forme

of a boor; that other is chaunged in-to a lyoun of the contree of

Marmorike, and his nayles and his teeth wexen; that other of

hem is neweliche chaunged in-to a wolf, and howleth whan he

wolde wepe; that other goth debonairely in the hous as a tygre

of Inde.

But al-be-it so that the godhed of Mercurie, that is cleped the

brid of Arcadie, hath had mercy of the duke Ulixes, biseged with

dyverse yveles, and hath unbounden him fro the pestilence of

his ostesse, algates the roweres and the marineres hadden by this

y-drawen in-to hir mouthes and dronken the wikkede drinkes.

They that weren woxen swyn hadden by this y-chaunged hir

mete of breed, for to eten akornes of okes. Non of hir limes ne

dwelleth with hem hole, but they han lost the voice and the

body; only hir thought dwelleth with hem stable, that wepeth

and biweileth the monstruous chaunginge that they suffren. O

overlight hand (as who seyth, O! feble and light is the hand of

Circes the enchaunteresse, that chaungeth the bodyes of folkes in-to

bestes, to regard and to comparisoun of mutacioun that is maked by

vyces); ne the herbes of Circes ne ben nat mighty. For al-be-it

so that they may chaungen the limes of the body, algates yit

they may nat chaunge the hertes; for with-inne is y-hid the

strengthe and vigor of men, in the secree tour of hir hertes; that

is to seyn, the strengthe of resoun. But thilke venims of vyces to-drawen

a man to hem more mightily than the venim of Circes;

for vyces ben so cruel that they percen and thorugh-passen the

corage with-inne; and, thogh they ne anoye nat the body, yit

vyces wooden to destroye men by wounde of thought.'

Than seyde I thus: 'I confesse and am a-knowe it,' quod I;

'ne I ne see nat that men may sayn, as by right, that shrewes ne

ben chaunged in-to bestes by the qualitee of hir soules, al-be-it so

that they kepen yit the forme of the body of mankinde. But I

nolde nat of shrewes, of which the thought cruel woodeth al-wey

in-to destruccioun of goode men, that it were leveful to hem to

don that.'

'Certes,' quod she, 'ne is nis nat leveful to hem, as I shal wel

shewe thee in covenable place; but natheles, yif so were that thilke

that men wenen be leveful to shrewes were binomen hem, so that

they ne mighte nat anoyen or doon harm to goode men, certes, a

greet partye of the peyne to shrewes sholde ben allegged and

releved. For al-be-it so that this ne seme nat credible thing,

per-aventure, to some folk, yit moot it nedes be, that shrewes ben

more wrecches and unsely whan they may doon and performe

that they coveiten, than yif they mighte nat complisshen that they

coveiten. For yif so be that it be wrecchednesse to wilne to don

yvel, than is more wrecchednesse to mowen don yvel; with-oute

whiche mowinge the wrecched wil sholde languisshe with-oute

effect. Than, sin that everiche of thise thinges hath his

wrecchednesse, that is to seyn, wil to don yvel and mowinge to don

yvel, it moot nedes be that they ben constreyned by three

unselinesses, that wolen and mowen and performen felonyes and

shrewednesses.'

'I acorde me,' quod I; 'but I desire gretly that shrewes

losten sone thilke unselinesse, that is to seyn, that shrewes weren

despoyled of mowinge to don yvel.'

'So shullen they,' quod she, 'soner, per-aventure, than thou

woldest; or soner than they hem-self wene to lakken mowinge to

don yvel. For ther nis no-thing so late in so shorte boundes of

this lyf, that is long to abyde, nameliche, to a corage inmortel;

of whiche shrewes the grete hope, and the hye compassinges of

shrewednesses, is ofte destroyed by a sodeyn ende, or they ben

war; and that thing estableth to shrewes the ende of hir

shrewednesse. For yif that shrewednesse maketh wrecches, than

mot he nedes ben most wrecched that lengest is a shrewe; the

whiche wikked shrewes wolde I demen aldermost unsely and caitifs,

yif that hir shrewednesse ne were finisshed, at the leste wey, by

the outtereste deeth. For yif I have concluded sooth of the unselinesse

of shrewednesse, than sheweth it cleerly that thilke

wrecchednesse is with-outen ende, the whiche is certein to ben

perdurable.'

'Certes,' quod I, 'this conclusioun is hard and wonderful to

graunte; but I knowe wel that it acordeth moche to the thinges

that I have graunted her-biforn.'

'Thou hast,' quod she, 'the right estimacioun of this; but

who-so-ever wene that it be a hard thing to acorde him to a

conclusioun, it is right that he shewe that some of the premisses

ben false; or elles he moot shewe that the collacioun of proposiciouns

nis nat speedful to a necessarie conclusioun. And yif it

be nat so, but that the premisses ben y-graunted, ther is not why

he sholde blame the argument.

For this thing that I shal telle thee now ne shal nat seme lasse

wonderful; but of the thinges that ben taken also it is necessarie;'

as who seyth, it folweth of that which that is purposed biforn.

'What is that?' quod I.

'Certes,' quod she, 'that is, that thise wikked shrewes ben

more blisful, or elles lasse wrecches, that abyen the torments that

they han deserved, than yif no peyne of Iustice ne chastysede

hem. Ne this ne seye I nat now, for that any man mighte

thenke, that the maners of shrewes ben coriged and chastysed by

veniaunce, and that they ben brought to the right wey by the

drede of the torment, ne for that they yeven to other folk

ensaumple to fleen fro vyces; but I understande yit in another

manere, that shrewes ben more unsely whan they ne ben nat

punisshed, al-be-it so that ther ne be had no resoun or lawe of

correccioun, ne non ensaumple of lokinge.'

'And what manere shal that ben,' quod I, 'other than hath be

told her-biforn?'

'Have we nat thanne graunted,' quod she, 'that goode folk

ben blisful, and shrewes ben wrecches?'

'Yis,' quod I.

'Thanne,' quod she, 'yif that any good were added to the

wrecchednesse of any wight, nis he nat more weleful than he that

ne hath no medlinge of good in his solitarie wrecchednesse?'

'So semeth it,' quod I.

'And what seystow thanne,' quod she, 'of thilke wrecche that

lakketh alle goodes, so that no good nis medled in his wrecchednesse,

and yit, over al his wikkednesse for which he is a wrecche, that

ther be yit another yvel anexed and knit to him, shal nat men

demen him more unsely than thilke wrecche of whiche the unselinesse

is releved by the participacioun of som good?'

'Why sholde he nat?' quod I.

'Thanne, certes,' quod she, 'han shrewes, whan they ben

punisshed, som-what of good anexed to hir wrecchednesse, that is

to seyn, the same peyne that they suffren, which that is good by

the resoun of Iustice; and whan thilke same shrewes ascapen

with-oute torment, than han they som-what more of yvel yit over

the wikkednesse that they han don, that is to seyn, defaute of

peyne; which defaute of peyne, thou hast graunted, is yvel for

the deserte of felonye.' 'I ne may nat denye it,' quod I. 'Moche

more thanne,' quod she, 'ben shrewes unsely, whan they ben

wrongfully delivered fro peyne, than whan they ben punisshed by

rightful veniaunce. But this is open thing and cleer, that it is

right that shrewes ben punisshed, and it is wikkednesse and

wrong that they escapen unpunisshed.'

'Who mighte deneye that?' quod I.

'But,' quod she, 'may any man denye that al that is right nis

good; and also the contrarie, that al that is wrong is wikke?'

'Certes,' quod I, 'these thinges ben clere y-nough; and that

we han concluded a litel her-biforn. But I praye thee that thou

telle me, yif thou acordest to leten no torment to sowles, after that

the body is ended by the deeth;' this is to seyn, understandestow

aught that sowles han any torment after the deeth of the body?

'Certes,' quod she, 'ye; and that right greet; of which sowles,'

quod she, 'I trowe that some ben tormented by asprenesse of

peyne; and some sowles, I trowe, ben exercised by a purginge

mekenesse. But my conseil nis nat to determinye of thise peynes.

But I have travailed and told yit hiderto, for thou sholdest knowe

that the mowinge of shrewes, which mowinge thee semeth to ben

unworthy, nis no mowinge: and eek of shrewes, of which thou

pleinedest that they ne were nat punisshed, that thou woldest

seen that they ne weren never-mo with-outen the torments of hir

wikkednesse: and of the licence of the mowinge to don yvel,

that thou preydest that it mighte sone ben ended, and that thou

woldest fayn lernen that it ne sholde nat longe dure: and that

shrewes ben more unsely yif they were of lenger duringe, and

most unsely yif they weren perdurable. And after this, I have

shewed thee that more unsely ben shrewes, whan they escapen

with-oute hir rightful peyne, than whan they ben punisshed by

rightful veniaunce. And of this sentence folweth it, that thanne

ben shrewes constreined at the laste with most grevous torment,

whan men wene that they ne be nat punisshed.'

'Whan I consider thy resouns,' quod I, 'I ne trowe nat that

men seyn any-thing more verayly. And yif I torne ayein to the

studies of men, who is he to whom it sholde seme that he ne

sholde nat only leven thise thinges, but eek gladly herkne

hem?'

'Certes,' quod she, 'so it is; but men may nat. For they han

hir eyen so wont to the derknesse of erthely thinges, that they ne

may nat liften hem up to the light of cleer sothfastnesse; but

they ben lyke to briddes, of which the night lightneth hir lokinge,

and the day blindeth hem. For whan men loken nat the ordre of

thinges, but hir lustes and talents, they wene that either the leve

or the mowinge to don wikkednesse, or elles the scapinge with-oute

peyne, be weleful. But consider the Iugement of the

perdurable lawe. For yif thou conferme thy corage to the beste

thinges, thou ne hast no nede of no Iuge to yeven thee prys or

mede; for thou hast ioyned thy-self to the most excellent thing.

And yif thou have enclyned thy studies to the wikked thinges, ne

seek no foreyne wreker out of thy-self; for thou thy-self hast

thrist thy-self in-to wikke thinges: right as thou mightest loken by

dyverse tymes the foule erthe and the hevene, and that alle other

thinges stinten fro with-oute, so that thou nere neither in hevene

ne in erthe, ne saye no-thing more; than it sholde semen to

thee, as by only resoun of lokinge, that thou were now in the

sterres and now in the erthe. But the poeple ne loketh nat on

thise thinges. What thanne? Shal we thanne aprochen us to

hem that I have shewed that they ben lyk to bestes? And what

woltow seyn of this: yif that a man hadde al forlorn his sighte

and hadde foryeten that he ever saugh, and wende that no-thing

ne faylede him of perfeccioun of mankinde, now we that mighten

seen the same thinges, wolde we nat wene that he were blinde?

Ne also ne acordeth nat the poeple to that I shal seyn, the which

thing is sustened by a stronge foundement of resouns, that is to

seyn, that more unsely ben they that don wrong to othre folk

than they that the wrong suffren.'

'I wolde heren thilke same resouns,' quod I.

'Denyestow,' quod she, 'that alle shrewes ne ben worthy to

han torment?'

'Nay,' quod I.

'But,' quod she, 'I am certein, by many resouns, that shrewes

ben unsely.'

'It acordeth,' quod I.

'Thanne ne doutestow nat,' quod she, 'that thilke folk that ben

worthy of torment, that they ne ben wrecches?'

'It acordeth wel,' quod I.

'Yif thou were thanne,' quod she, 'y-set a Iuge or a knower of

thinges, whether, trowestow, that men sholden tormenten him

that hath don the wrong, or elles him that hath suffred the

wrong?'

'I ne doute nat,' quod I, 'that I nolde don suffisaunt satisfaccioun

to him that hadde suffred the wrong by the sorwe of him

that hadde don the wrong.'

'Thanne semeth it,' quod she, 'that the doere of wrong is

more wrecche than he that suffred wrong?'

'That folweth wel,' quod I.

'Than,' quod she, 'by these causes and by othre causes that

ben enforced by the same rote, filthe or sinne, by the propre

nature of it, maketh men wrecches; and it sheweth wel, that the

wrong that men don nis nat the wrecchednesse of him that

receyveth the wrong, but the wrecchednesse of him that doth the

wrong. But certes,' quod she, 'thise oratours or advocats don al

the contrarye; for they enforcen hem to commoeve the Iuges to

han pitee of hem that han suffred and receyved the thinges that

ben grevous and aspre, and yit men sholden more rightfully han

pitee of hem that don the grevaunces and the wronges; the

whiche shrewes, it were a more covenable thing, that the

accusours or advocats, nat wroth but pitous and debonair, ledden

tho shrewes that han don wrong to the Iugement, right as men

leden syke folk to the leche, for that they sholde seken out the

maladyes of sinne by torment. And by this covenaunt, either the

entente of deffendours or advocats sholde faylen and cesen in al,

or elles, yif the office of advocats wolde bettre profiten to men,

it sholde ben torned in-to the habite of accusacioun; that is to

seyn, they sholden accuse shrewes, and nat excuse hem. And eek

the shrewes hem-self, yif hit were leveful to hem to seen at any

clifte the vertu that they han forleten, and sawen that they

sholden putten adoun the filthes of hir vyces, by the torments of

peynes, they ne oughte nat, right for the recompensacioun for to

geten hem bountee and prowesse which that they han lost,

demen ne holden that thilke peynes weren torments to hem; and

eek they wolden refuse the attendaunce of hir advocats, and

taken hem-self to hir Iuges and to hir accusors. For which it

bitydeth that, as to the wyse folk, ther nis no place y-leten to

hate; that is to seyn, that ne hate hath no place amonges wyse men.

For no wight nil haten goode men, but-yif he were over-mochel a

fool; and for to haten shrewes, it nis no resoun. For right so as

languissinge is maladye of body, right so ben vyces and sinne

maladye of corage. And so as we ne deme nat, that they that ben

syke of hir body ben worthy to ben hated, but rather worthy of

pitee: wel more worthy, nat to ben hated, but for to ben had in

pitee, ben they of whiche the thoughtes ben constreined by

felonous wikkednesse, that is more cruel than any languissinge of

body.