No More Learning

[Sidenote: But you may say, what greater confusion can there be
than that both prosperous and adverse things should at times
happen to good men, and that evil men should at one time enjoy
their desires and at another be tormented by hateful things. ]

but ? ou mayst sein 3960
what vnreste may ben a wors co{n}fusiou{n} ? an ? {a}t goode
men han so{m}me tyme aduersite. {and} so{m}tyme p{ro}sperite.
? and shrewes also han now ? inges ? at ? ei
desiren.

[Sidenote: Are men wise enough to discover, whether those whom
they believe to be virtuous or wicked, are so in reality? ]

{and} now ? i{n}ges ? at ? ei haten ? whe? er men 3964
lyuen now in swiche hoolnesse of ? ou? t. as who sei? .
ben men now so wise. ? at swiche folk as ? ei demen to
ben goode folk or shrewes ? {a}t it mot nedes ben ? at folk
ben swiche as ? ei wenen.

[Sidenote: Opinions differ as to this matter. Some who are deemed
worthy of reward by one person, are deemed unworthy by another. ]

but in ? is manere ? e domes 3968
of men discorden. ? at ? ilke men ? {a}t so{m}me folk demen
wor? i of mede. o? er folk demen hem wor? i of to{ur}ment.

[Sidenote: But, suppose it were possible for one to distinguish
with certainty between the good and the bad? ]

but lat vs graunt[e] I pose ? at som man may wel demen
or knowen ? e goode folk {and} ? e badde.

[Sidenote: Then he must have as accurate a knowledge of the mind
as one has of the body. ]

May he ? an 3972
knowen {and} seen ? ilke inrest attemp{er}aunce of corages.
as it ha? ben wont to be said of bodyes. as who sai?
may a man speken {and} determine of attemp{er}aunce in
corages. as men were wont to demen or speken of complexiou{n}s 3976
{and} attemp{er}aunces of bodies (q' non).

[Sidenote: It is miraculous to him who knows it not, why sweet
things are agreeable to some bodies, and bitter to others; why
some sick persons are relieved by lenitives and others by sharper
remedies. ]

ne it [ne] is nat an vnlyke miracle to hem ? at ne knowe{n}
it nat. ? As who sei? . but is lyke a merueil or a
miracle to hem ? at ne knowe{n} it nat. whi ? at swete 3980
? inges [ben] couenable to some bodies ? at ben hool {and}
to some bodies bittre ? inges ben couenable. {and} also
whi ? at some seke folk ben holpen w{i}t{h} ly? t medicines
[{and} some folk ben holpen w{i}t{h} sharppe medicynes] 3984

[Sidenote: It is no marvel to the leech, who knows the causes of
disease, and their cures. ]

but na? eles ? e leche ? {a}t knowe? ? e manere {and} ? e attemp{er}aunce
of heele {and} of maladie ne merueile? of it no
? ing.

[Sidenote: What constitutes the health of the mind, but goodness?
And what are its maladies, but vice? ]

but what o? er ? ing seme? hele of corages but
bounte {and} prowesse. {and} what o? er ? ing seme? maladie 3988
of corages but vices.

[Sidenote: Who is the preserver of good, or the driver away of
evil, but God, the physician of souls, who knows what is necessary
for men, and bestows it upon them? ]

who is ellys kep{er}e of good or
dryuere awey of yuel but god gouerno{ur} {and} leecher of [[pg 139]]
? ou? tes. ? e whiche god wha{n} he ha? by-holden from ? e
heye toure of hys p{ur}ueaunce he knowe? what is 3992
couenable to euery wy? t. {and} lene? hem ? at he wot
[? at] is couenable to hem.

[Sidenote: From this source springs that great marvel--_the order
of destiny_--wrought by the wisdom of God, and marveled at by
ignorant men. ]

Loo here of come? {and}
here of is don ? is noble miracle of ? e ordre destinal.

[Linenotes:
3959 _goode_--good
3960 _decline? _--MS. encline? , C. declynyth
3961 _wors_--worse
3962 _somme tyme_--somtyme
3965 _swiche_--swych
3967 _goode_--good
_mot_--moste
3971 _graunt[e]_--graunte
3973 _inrest_--Inneryste
3974 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
_said_--MS. saide, C. seyd
3975 _determine_--det{er}minen
3978 [_ne_]--from C.
_vnlyke_--vn-lyk
3979 _lyke_--lik
3981 [_ben_]--from C.
_hool_--hoole
3984 [_and----medicynes_]--from C.
3991 _ha? _--MS. ha? e
3993 _wot_--MS. wote, C. wot
3994 [_? at_]--from C.
3995 _don_--MS. done, C. don
_miracle_--MS. mirache, C. myracle
_ordre_--MS. ordre of]

[Headnote:
GOD THE SOUL'S PHYSICIAN. ]

whan god ? at alle knowe? do? swiche ? ing. of whiche 3996
? ing [? at] vnknowyng folk ben astoned

[Sidenote: But, now let us notice a few things concerning the
depth of the Divine knowledge which human reason may comprehend. ]

but forto constreine
as who sei? ? But forto co{m}prehende {and} telle
a fewe ? inges of ? e deuyne depnesse ? e whiche ? at mans
resou{n} may vnderstonde.

[Sidenote: The man you deem just, may appear otherwise to the
omniscient eye of Providence. ]

? ? ilk man ? at ? ou wenest 4000
to ben ry? t Iuste {and} ry? t kepyng of eq{u}ite. ? e contrarie
of ? at seme? to ? e deuyne p{ur}ueaunce ? at al woot.
? And lucan my familier telle? ? at ? e victories cause
liked[e] to ? e goddes {and} causes ouercomen liked[e] to 4004
cato{u}n.

[Sidenote: When you see apparent irregularities--unexpected and
unwished for--deem them to be rightly done. ]

? an what so euer ? ou mayst seen ? at is don in
? is [world] vnhoped or vnwened. certys it is ? e ry? t[e]
ordre of ? inges. but as to ? i wicked[e] oppiniou{n} it is a
co{n}fusiou{n}.

[Sidenote: Let us suppose a man so well behaved, as to be approved
of God and man--but not endowed with firmness of mind, so that the
reverses of fortune will cause him to forgo his probity, since
with it he cannot retain his prosperity. ]

but I suppose ? at som man be so wel y? ewed. 4008
? at ? e deuyne Iugement {and} ? e Iugeme{n}t of mankynde
accorden hem to gidre of hym. but he is so vnstedfast
of corage [? at] yif any aduersite come to hym he wolde
for-leten p{er}auenture to continue i{n}nocence by ? e 4012
whiche he ne may nat wi? holden fortune.

[Sidenote: A wise Providence, knowing that adversity might destroy
this man's integrity, averts from him that adversity which he is
not able to sustain. ]

[Sidenote: [* fol. 31 _b_. ]]

? ? an ?
e
wise dispensac{i}ou{n} of god spare? hym ? e whiche
man{er}e adu{er}site *my? t[e] enpeyren. ? For ? at god
wil nat suffren hym to trauaile. to whom ? at trauayl 4016
nis nat couenable.

[Sidenote: Another man is thoroughly virtuous, and approaches to
the purity of the deity--him Providence deems it an injustice to
oppress by adversity, and therefore exempts him even from bodily
disease. ]

? An o? {er} man is p{er}fit in alle
uertues. {and} is an holy man {and} neye to god so ? at ? e
p{ur}ueaunce of god wolde demen ? at it were a felony
? at he were touched wi? any aduersites. so ? at he ne 4020
wil nat suffre ? at swiche a man be moeued wi? any [[pg 140]]
manere maladie. ? But so as seide a philosophre [the
moore excellent by me]. ? e adu{er}sites comen nat (he
seide in grec[;]) ? ere ? {a}t uertues han edified ? e bodie 4024
of ? e holy man.

[Sidenote: Providence often gives the direction of public affairs
to good men, in order to curb and restrain the malice of the
wicked. ]

and ofte tyme it bitide? ? at ? e
so{m}me of ? inges ? at ben to don is taken to good folk
to gouerne. for ? at ? e malice habundaunt of shrewes
sholde ben abatid.

[Sidenote: To some is given a mixture of good and evil, according
to what is most suitable to the dispositions of their minds. ]

{and} god ? eue? {and} dep{ar}ti? to o? er 4028
folk p{ro}sp[er]ites {and} aduersites ymedeled to hepe aftir
? e qualite of hire corages {and} remordi? som folk by
adu{er}sites.

[Sidenote: Upon some are laid moderate afflictions, lest they wax
proud by too long a course of prosperity. ]

for ? ei ne sholden nat wexen proude by
longe welefulnesse.

[Sidenote: Others suffer great adversities that their virtues may
be exercised, and strengthened by the practice of patience. ]

{and} o? er folk he suffre? to ben 4032
trauayled wi? harde ? inges. ? For ? at ? ei sholden conferme
? e vertues of corage by ? e vsage {and} ex{er}citac{i}ou{n}
of pacie{n}ce.

[Sidenote: Some fear to be afflicted with what they are able to
endure. Others despise what they are unable to bear; and God
punishes them with calamities, to make them sensible of their
presumption. ]

and o? er folke dreden more ? en ? ei au? ten
? e wiche ? ei my? t[en] wel beren. {and} ? ilke folk god 4036
ledi? in to exp{er}ience of hem self by aspre {and} sorweful
? inges.

[Sidenote: Many have purchased a great name by a glorious death. ]

? And many o? er folk han bou? t honorable
renoune of ? is worlde by ? e pris of glorious dee? .

[Sidenote: Others by their unshaken fortitude, have shown that
virtue cannot be overcome by adversity. ]

and som men ? at ne mowen nat ben ouer-comen by 4040
tourment han ? euen ensample to o? er folk ? at vertue ne
may nat be ouer-comen by aduersites.

[[Transcriber's Note:
The sidenote "Others despise what they are unable to bear" does not
correspond to anything in the text. Skeat's edition includes the
phrase "and somme dispyse that they mowe nat beren" (Book IV,
Prose 6: _Ita Est Inquam_). ]]

[Linenotes:
3996 _alle_--al
_do? _--MS. do? e
_whiche_--which
3997 [_? at_]--from C.
3999 _mans_--mannes
4000 _? ilk_--thilke
4004 _liked[e]_ (_both_)--lykede
4005 _is don_--MS. is to don
4006 [_world_]--from C.
_ry? t[e]_--ryhte
4007 _wicked[e]_--wykkede
4010 _vnstedfast_--vnstydefast
4011 [_? at_]--from C.
_wolde_--wol
4015 _manere_--man
_my? t[e]_--myhte
4016 _wil_--wol
4018 _neye_--negh
4021 _wil_--wol
_swiche_--swych
4022 _manere_--bodyly
4022-3 [_the----me_]--from C.
4023 _? e aduersites----nat_--omitted
4024 _? ere_--omitted
4026 _don_--done
_to_ (2)--MS. so
_to good----gouerne_--to gou{er}ne to goode folk
4028 _o? er_--oothr{e}
4030 _som_--some
4031 _sholden_--sholde
4033 _conferme_--confermen
4034 _corage_--corages
4036 _my? t[en]_--myhten
4037 _hem_--hym
_sorweful_--sorwful
4038 _o? er_--oothr{e}
4039 _worlde_--world
_of_ (2)--of the
4041 _o? er_--othr{e}]

[Headnote:
HOW PROVIDENCE DEALS WITH MANKIND. ]

[Sidenote: These things are done justly, and in order, and are for
the good of those to whom they happen. ]

? and of alle
? ise ? inges ? er nis no doute ? {a}t ? ei ne ben don ry? tfully
{and} ordeinly to ? e p{ro}fit of hem to whom we 4044
seen ? ise ? inges bitide.

[Sidenote: From the same causes it happens, that sometimes
adversity and sometimes prosperity falls to the lot of the
wicked. ]

? For certys ? at aduersite
come? some tyme to shrewes. {and} some tyme ? at ? ei
desiren it come? of ? ise forseide causes

[Sidenote: None are surprised to see bad men afflicted--they get
what they deserve. ]

{and} of sorweful
? inges ? at bytyden to shrewes. Certys no man ne 4048
wondre? . For alle me{n} wenen ? at ? ei han wel deserued it.

[Sidenote: Their punishment, too, may cause amendment, or deter
others from like vices. ]

{and} ? ei ben of wicked m{er}ite of whiche
shrewes ? e to{ur}ment som tyme agaste? o? er to done [[pg 141]]
folies. {and} som tyme it amende? hem ? at suffren ? e 4052
to{ur}mentis.

[Sidenote: When the wicked enjoy felicity--the good should learn
how little these external advantages are to be prized, which may
fall to the lot of the most worthless. ]

? And ? e p{ro}sp{er}ite ? at is ? euen to
shrewes shewe? a grete argument to good[e] folk what
? ing ? ei sholde demen of ? ilk wilfulnesse ? e whiche
p{ro}sperite men seen ofte serue to shrewes.

[Sidenote: Another reason for dispensing worldly bliss to the
wicked is, that indigence would prompt naturally violent and
rapacious minds to commit the greatest enormities. ]

in ? e whiche 4056
? ing I trowe ? at god dispensi? . for p{er}auenture ? e nature
of som man is so ouer? rowyng to yuel {and} so vncouenable
? at ? e nedy pouerte of hys house-hold my? t[e]
ra? er egren hym to done felonies.

[Sidenote: Their disease God cures by the medicine of money. ]

and to ? e maladie 4060
of hym god putti? remedie to ? iuen hym rychesse.

[Sidenote: Some men will cease to do wrong for fear, lest their
wealth be lost through their crimes. ]

{and} som o? er man byholdi? hys conscience defouled wi?
synnes {and} maki? co{m}parisou{n} of his fortune {and} of
hym self ? and dredi? p{er}auenture ? at hys blisfulnesse 4064
of whiche ? e vsage is ioyful to hym ? at ? e lesynge of
? ilke blisfulnesse ne be nat sorweful to hym. {and} ? erfore
he wol chaunge hys maneres. and for he dredi?
to lese hys fortune.