No More Learning

_endirken_--derken]

[Headnote:
VIRTUE EXALTS MANKIND. ]

? certys no wise man ne may doute of ? e vndep{ar}table
peyne of shrewes. ? ? at is to seyn ? at ? e peyne of
shrewes ne dep{ar}ti? nat from hem self neuer mo. 3424

[Sidenote: For since _good_ and _evil_ are contraries, so are
_rewards_ and _punishments_. ]

? For so as goode {and} yuel {and} peyne {and} medes ben
contrarie it mot nedes ben ? {a}t ry? t as we seen by-tiden
in gerdou{n} of goode.
[Sidenote: It is evident that rewards follow good actions, and
punishments attend evil actions; then as virtue itself is the
reward of the virtuous, so vice is the punishment of the vicious. ]

? at also mot ? e peyne of yuel
answer{e} by ? e contrarie partye to shrewes. now ? an so 3428
as bounte {and} prowesse ben ? e medes to goode folk.
also is shrewednesse it self torment to shrewes

[Sidenote: He who is punished with pain and uneasiness knows that
he is afflicted with evil. ]

? ? an
who so ? at euer is entecched {and} defouled wi? yuel.

[Sidenote: If, then, the wicked did rightly understand themselves
they would perceive that they are not exempted from punishment. ]

yif shrewes wolen ?