[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 þe souereyne good q{uo}d she þat is euenlyche p{ur}posed to þe good folk {and} to 3244 badde. þe good folke seken it by naturel office of uertues. {and} þe shrewes enforcen hem to geten it by dyuerse couetise of erþely þinges. whiche þat nis no naturel office to geten þilke same souereyne goode. 3248 [Sidenote: Do you think otherwise?] trowest þou þat it be any oþer 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 þe co{n}seque{n}ce is open {and} shewynge of þinges þat I haue graunted. ¶ þat nedes goode folk moten ben myȝty. {and} shrewes feble {and} vnmyȝty. [Sidenote: _P._ You rightly anticipate me; for it is a good sign, as physicians well know, when Nature exerts herself and resists the malady.] ¶ þou rennest aryȝt 3252 byfore me q{uo}d she. {and} þis is þe iugement þat is to seyn. ¶ I iuge of þe ryȝt as þise leches ben wont forto hopen of seke folk whan þei ap{er}ceyuen þat nature is redressed {and} wiþstondeþ to þe maladie. [Sidenote: But, as you are so quick of apprehension, I shall continue this mode of reasoning.] ¶ But for I 3256 see þe now al redy to þe vndirstandynge I shal shewe þe more þilke {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 shewiþ þe feblesse {and} infirmite of wicked [[pg 115]] folke. þat ne mowen nat come to þat hire naturel 3260 entenc{i}ou{n} ledeþ hem. {and} ȝitte almost þilk naturel entenc{i}ou{n} constreineþ hem. ¶ and what wer{e} to deme þan of shrewes. yif þilke naturel helpe hadde for-leten hem. ¶ þe whiche naturel helpe of entenc{i}ou{n} goþ alwey 3264 byforne hem. {and} is so grete þat vnneþ 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 þan how gret defaute of power {and} how gret feblesse þere is in grete felonous folk as who seiþ þe gretter þi{n}ges þat ben coueited {and} þe desire 3268 nat accomplissed of þe lasse myȝt is he þat coueiteþ it {and} may nat acomplisse. ¶ And forþi philosophie seiþ þus by souereyne good.