[Sidenote: Since, then, happiness belongs to good men, punishment inseparably attends the wicked.] ¶ and syn it is 3420 þus þat goode men ne faylen neuer mo of hir{e} medes. [Linenotes: 3399 _reioiseþ_--reioyse _hem_--hym _þei had[de]_--he hadde 3400 [_þat_]--from C. 3401 _had[de]_--hadde 3402 _self_--MS. selk 3403 _myȝt[e] bynym[e]_--myhte be-nyme 3404 _owen_--owne 3406 _laste_--last 3408 _good[e]_--goode _wolde_--nolde 3409 _goode_--good _of_ (2)--of the 3411 _greet_--grete 3412 _here byforne_--her by-forn 3413 _god_--good 3414 _is_ (1)--his _clere_--cleer 3415 _good[e]_--goode 3417 _godde[s]_--goddes _swiche_--swich 3418 [_ne_]--from C. _endirken_--derken] [Headnote: VIRTUE EXALTS MANKIND.] ¶ certys no wise man ne may doute of þe vndep{ar}table peyne of shrewes. ¶ þat is to seyn þat þe peyne of shrewes ne dep{ar}tiþ 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 þ{a}t ryȝt 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.] þat also mot þe peyne of yuel answer{e} by þe contrarie partye to shrewes. now þan so 3428 as bounte {and} prowesse ben þe 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.] ¶ þan who so þat euer is entecched {and} defouled wiþ yuel. [Sidenote: If, then, the wicked did rightly understand themselves they would perceive that they are not exempted from punishment.] yif shrewes wolen þan p{re}isen hem self may it semen 3432 to hem þat þei ben wiþ oute{n} p{ar}tye of tourment. [Sidenote: Since vice, the extreme and worst kind of evil, not only afflicts them, but infects and entirely pollutes them.] syn þei ben swiche þat þe [vtteriste wikkednesse / þ{a}t is to seyn wikkede thewes / which þ{a}t is the] out{er}este {and} þe w[or]ste kynde of shrewednesse ne defouliþ nat ne 3436 entecehiþ nat hem oonly but infectiþ {and} enuenemyþ he{m} gretely [Sidenote: But contemplate the punishment of the wicked.] ¶ And al so loke on shrewes þat ben þe contrarie p{ar}tye of goode men. how grete peyne felawshipeþ [[pg 121]] {and} folweþ hem.