No More Learning

[Sidenote: _B. _ It is so. ]

so is it q{uo}d . I.

[Sidenote: _P. _ Since then both parties pursue the good, which
only the virtuous obtain, we must believe that good men are
powerful, and that the wicked are weak and feeble? ]

? ? an so as 3216
? at oon {and} ? at o? er [q{uod} she] desiren good. {and} ? e
goode folk geten good {and} nat ? e wicked folk ? ? an
nis it no doute ? at ? e goode folk ne ben my? ty {and} ? e
wicked folk ben feble.

[Sidenote: _B. _ None can doubt this, save such as either consider
not rightly the nature of things, or are incapable of
comprehending the force of any reasoning. ]

? who so ? at euer q{uo}d I 3220
doute? of ? is. he ne may nat considre ? e nature of
? i{n}ges. ne ? e consequence of resou{n}. and ouer ? is q{uo}d she.

[Linenotes:
3205-6 _goode_--good
3206 [_also_]--from C.
3207 _al_--alle
_It----I_--it ne recordeth me nat q{uod} I
3210-12(1)-15 _goode_--good
3214 _wicked[e]_--wikkede
3215 [_ne_]--from C.
3216 _mowen_--mowe
3217 [_quod she_]--from C.
3218 _wicked_--wilk{e} (? wikke)
3220 _wicked_--wikkede]

[Headnote:
THE WICKED DO NOT SEEK ARIGHT THE SUPREME GOOD. ]

[Sidenote: _P. _ If two beings have the same end in view--and one
of them accomplishes his purpose by the use of natural means,
while the other not using legitimate means does not attain his
end--which of these two is the most powerful? ]

? yif ? at ? er ben two ? inges ? at han o same 3223
p{ur}pos by kynde. {and} ? at one of he{m} p{ur}sue? {and} p{er}forme?
? ilke same ? inge by naturel office. {and} ? at o? er
ne may nat done ? ilk naturel office. but folwe? by
o? er manere ? an is couenable to nat{ur}e ? Hym ? at
acomplisi? hys p{ur}pos kyndely.
{and} ? it he ne acomplisi? [[pg 114]]
nat hys owen purpos. whe? er of ? ise two demest 3229
? ou for more my? ty.

[Sidenote: _B. _ Illustrate your meaning more clearly. ]

? yif ? at I coniecte q{uo}d . I. ? at
? ou wilt seye algates. ? it I desire to herkene it more
pleynely of ? e.

[Sidenote: _P. _ The motion of walking is natural to man? And this
motion is the natural office of the feet? Do you grant this? ]

? ou nilt nat ? an denye q{uo}d she ? at ? e 3232
moeueme{n}t? of goynge nis in men by kynde. no for so? e
q{uo}d I. ne ? ou ne doutest nat q{uo}d she ? {a}t ? ilke naturel
office of goynge ne be ? e office of feet.

[Sidenote: _B. _ I do. ]

I ne doute
it nat q{uo}d . I.

[Sidenote: _P. _ If, then, he who is able to use his feet walks,
whilst another lacking this power creeps on his hands--surely he
that is able to move naturally upon his feet is more powerful than
he who cannot. ]

? an q{uo}d she yif ? at a wy? t be my? ty to 3236
moeue {and} go? vpon hys feet. and ano? er to whom
? ilke naturel office of feet lakke? . enforce? hym to gone
crepynge vpo{n} hys handes. ? whiche of ? ise two au? te
to ben holden more my? ty by ry? t. knyt fur? e ? e remenaunt 3240
q{uo}d I. ? For no wy? t ne doute? ? at he ? at
may gone by nat{ur}el office of feet. ne be more my? ty
? an he ? at ne may nat

[Sidenote: _P. _ The good and bad seek the supreme good: the good
by the natural means of virtue--the wicked by gratifying divers
desires of earthly things (which is not the natural way of
obtaining it). ]

? but ? e souereyne good q{uo}d
she ? at is euenlyche p{ur}posed to ? e good folk {and} to 3244
badde. ? e good folke seken it by naturel office of
uertues. {and} ? e shrewes enforcen hem to geten it by
dyuerse couetise of er? ely ? inges. whiche ? at nis no
naturel office to geten ? ilke same souereyne goode. 3248

[Sidenote: Do you think otherwise? ]

trowest ? ou ? at it be any o? er wyse.

[Sidenote: _B. _ The consequence is plain, and that follows from
what has been granted--that the good are powerful, while the
wicked are feeble. ]

nay q{uo}d . I. for ? e
co{n}seque{n}ce is open {and} shewynge of ? inges ? at I haue
graunted. ? ? at nedes goode folk moten ben my? ty.
{and} shrewes feble {and} vnmy? ty.

[Sidenote: _P. _ You rightly anticipate me; for it is a good sign,
as physicians well know, when Nature exerts herself and resists
the malady. ]

? ? ou rennest ary? t 3252
byfore me q{uo}d she. {and} ? is is ? e iugement ? at is to
seyn. ? I iuge of ? e ry? t as ? ise leches ben wont forto
hopen of seke folk whan ? ei ap{er}ceyuen ? at nature is
redressed {and} wi? stonde? to ? e maladie.

[Sidenote: But, as you are so quick of apprehension, I shall
continue this mode of reasoning. ]

? But for I 3256
see ? e now al redy to ? e vndirstandynge I shal shewe
? e more ? ilke {and} continuel resou{n}s.
[Sidenote: The weakness of the wicked is conspicuous--they cannot
attain the end to which their natural disposition prompts and
almost compels them; what would become of them without this
natural prompting, so powerful and irresistible? ]

? For loke now
how gretly shewi? ? e feblesse {and} infirmite of wicked [[pg 115]]
folke. ? at ne mowen nat come to ? at hire naturel 3260
entenc{i}ou{n} lede? hem. {and} ? itte almost ? ilk naturel
entenc{i}ou{n} constreine? hem. ? and what wer{e} to deme
? an of shrewes. yif ? ilke naturel helpe hadde for-leten
hem. ? ? e whiche naturel helpe of entenc{i}ou{n} go? alwey 3264
byforne hem. {and} is so grete ? at vnne? it may be
ou{er}comen.

[Sidenote: Consider how great is the impotence of the wicked. (The
greater the things desired, but unaccomplished, the less is the
power of him that desires, and is unable to attain his end. )]

? Considre ? an how gret defaute of power
{and} how gret feblesse ? ere is in grete felonous folk as
who sei? ? e gretter ? i{n}ges ? at ben coueited {and} ? e desire 3268
nat accomplissed of ? e lasse my? t is he ? at coueite? it
{and} may nat acomplisse. ? And for? i philosophie sei?
? us by souereyne good.

[Sidenote: The wicked seek after no trivial things--which they
fail to obtain; but they aspire in vain to the sovereign good,
which they endeavour day and night to obtain. ]

? Sherewes ne requere nat
ly? t[e] medes ne veyne gaines whiche ? ei ne may nat 3272
folwen ne holden. but ? ei fayle{n} of ? ilke some of ? e
hey? te of ? inges ? at is to seyne souereyne good. ne ? ise
wrecches ne comen nat to ? e effect of souereyne good.

[Sidenote: [* fol. 26. ]]

*? e whiche ? ei enforcen hem oonly to gete{n} by ny? tes 3276
{and} by dayes.

[Sidenote: The good attain the end of their desires, and therein
their power is manifested. ]

? In ? e getyn[g] of whiche goode ? e
streng? e of good folk. is ful wel ysen.

[Sidenote: For as you deem him a good walker that goes to the end
of his journey, so you must esteem him powerful that attains his
desires, beyond which there is nothing to desire. ]

For ry? t so as
? {o}u my? test demen hym my? ty of goynge ? at go? on
hys feet til he my? t[e] come to ? ilke place fro ? e whiche 3280
place ? ere ne lay no wey for? er to be gon. Ry? t so
most ? ou nedes demen hym for ry? t my? ty ? at geti?
{and} atteini? to ? e ende of alle ? inges ? at ben to desire.
by-? onde ? e whiche ende ? at ? er nis no ? ing to desire. 3284

[Linenotes:
3226 _? ilk_--thilke
3229 _owen_--owne
3231 _wilt_--wolt
_herkene_--herkne
3232 _pleynely_--pleynly
_denye_--denoye
3233 _moeuement? _--Moeuement
3237 _go? _--MS. go? e
_hys_--hise
3238 _gone_--goon
3239 _hys_--hise
_whiche_--which
3240 _more_--the Moore
_fur? e_--forth
3242 _gone_--gon
3245 _good_--goode
3246 _uertues_--vertuus
3247 _whiche_--which
3248 _goode_--good
3253 _byfore_--by-forn
3254 _forto_--to
3255 _seke_--sike
3259 _wicked_--wikkede
3260 _come_--comyn
3261 _? ilk_--thilke
3262 _deme_--demen
3263-4 _helpe_--help
3264 _whiche_--which
_go? _--MS. go? e
3265 _grete_--gret
_vnne? _--vnnethe
_be ouercomen_--ben ou{er}come
3267 _? ere_--ther
_grete_--wikkede
3268 _? inges_--thing
_ben_--is
3271 _Sherewes ne requere_--ne shrewes ne requeren
3272 _ly? t[e]_--lyhte
_veyne_--veyn
_nat_--omitted
3276 _whiche_--which
3277 _getyn[g]_--getinge
_whiche goode_--which good
3278 _ysen_--MS. and C. ysene
3279 _go? _--MS. go? e
3280 _my? t[e]_--myhte
3281 _? ere_--ther
_lay_--laye
_for? er_--forthere
_be_--ben
3283 _desire_--desired
3284 _? at_--omitted]

[Headnote:
THE WICKED HAVE NO REAL EXISTENCE. ]

[Sidenote: Wicked men, then, are destitute of those powers which
the good so amply possess. ]

? Of whiche power of good folk men may conclude ? at
wicked men semen to ben bareyne {and} naked of alle
streng? e.

[Sidenote: Wherefore do they leave virtue, and follow vice? Is it
because they are ignorant of good? ]

For whi forleten ? ei v{er}tues {and} folwen
vices. nis it nat for ? at ? ei ne knowen nat ? e goodes. 3288

[Sidenote: What is more weak and base than the blindness of
ignorance? Or do they know the way they ought to follow, but are
led astray by lust and covetousness? ]

? But what ? ing is more feble {and} more caitif ? an is ? e [[pg 116]]
blyndenesse of ignoraunce. or ellys ? ei knowen ful wel
whiche ? inges ? at ? ei au? ten to folwen ? but lecherye
{and} couetise ouer? rowe? hem mysturned.

[Sidenote: And so, indeed, weak-minded men are overpowered by
intemperance, for they cannot resist vicious temptations. ]

? and certis 3292
so do? distemp{er}aunce to feble men. ? at ne mowe{n} nat
wrastle a? eins ? e vices

[Sidenote: Do they willingly desert Good and turn to Evil? If they
do so, they not only cease to be powerful, but even cease to
exist. ]

? Ne knowen ? ei nat ? an wel
? at ? ei foreleten ? e good wilfully. {and} turnen hem vilfully
to vices. ? And in ? is wise ? ei ne forleten nat 3296
oonly to ben my? ty. but ? ei forleten al outerly in any
wise forto ben

[Sidenote: For those who neglect the common end of all beings,
cease to exist. ]

? For ? ei ? at forleten ? e comune fyn of
alle ? inges ? at ben. ? ei for-leten also ? erwi? al forto
ben.

[Sidenote: You may marvel that I assert that the wicked, the
majority of the human race, have no existence--but it is, however,
most true. ]

and p{er}auenture it sholde semen to som folk ? at 3300
? is were a merueile to seyne ? at shrewes whiche ? at
contienen ? e more p{ar}tie of me{n} ne ben nat. ne han no
beynge. ? but na?