[Sidenote: But to convince you I shall proceed to prove it from both these principles, establishing these truths, by arguments drawn first from one of these topics and then from the other.] but for as moche as þe fey of my sentence shal be þe more ferme {and} habou{n}daunt. I wil goon by þat oon wey {and} by þat oþer {and} I wil conferme 3180 þe þinges þat ben p{ur}posed now on þis side {and} now on þ{a}t syde. [Sidenote: Two things are necessary to every action--the Will and the Power; if either be wanting, nothing can be effected.] ¶ Two þinges þer ben in whiche þe effect of alle þe dedes of man kynde standiþ. þat is to seyn. wil {and} power. and yif þat oon of þise two fayleþ 3184 þere nis no þing þat may be don. [Sidenote: A man can do nothing without the concurrence of his will, and if power faileth the will is of no effect.] for yif þat wil lakkeþ þere nys no wyȝt þat vndirtakeþ to done þat he wol not don. and yif power fayleþ þe wille nis but i{n} ydel {and} stant for nauȝt. [Sidenote: Hence, if you see a person desirous of getting what he cannot procure, you are sure he lacks power to obtain it.] and þer of comeþ it þat yif þou se a 3188 wyȝt þat wolde gete{n} þat he may nat geten. þou mayst nat douten þat power ne fayleþ hy{m} to haue{n} þat he wolde. ¶ þis is open {and} clere q{uo}d I. ne it may nat ben denyed in no manere. [Sidenote: And if you see another do what he had a mind to do, can you doubt that he had the power to do it?] and yif þou se a wyȝt q{uo}d 3192 she. þat haþ don þat he wolde don þ{o}u nilt nat douten þat he ne haþ had power to done it. [Sidenote: _B._ No, surely. _P._ A man, then, is esteemed powerful in respect of what he is able to do, and weak in relation to what he is unable to perform.] no q{uo}d. I. and in þat. þat euery wyȝt may. in þat þat men may holden hym myȝty. as who seiþ i{n} as moche as a man is myȝty [[pg 113]] to done a þing. in so moche men halden hy{m} myȝty. 3197 and in þat þat he ne may. in þat men demen hym to ben feble. [Sidenote: _B._ That is true.] I confesse it wel q{uo}d I. [Sidenote: _P._ Do you remember that I proved that the will of man, following different pursuits, seeks happiness only?] Remembriþ þe q{uo}d she þat I. haue gadred {and} shewed by forseide resou{n}s 3200 þat al þe entenc{i}ou{n} of þe wil of ma{n}kynde whiche þat is lad by diuerse studies hastiþ to comen to blisfulnesse. ¶ It reme{m}breþ me wel q{uo}d I þat it hath ben shewed.