[Linenotes: 3517 _aknowe_--aknowe it 3518 _seyn_--sayn 3523 _good[e]_--goode 3524 _done_--don 3526 _ben_--be 3527 _for_--to 3528 _myȝten_--myhte _don_--MS. done, C. doon _harme_--harm 3529 _gret_--MS. grete, C. gret 3533-36 _don_--MS. done, C. doon 3533-34 [_than----coueyten_]--from C. 3537 _moeuyng_--mowynge _wille_--wil 3539 _haþ_--MS. haþe _seyne_--seyn 3540 _done_ (1)--doon _moeuynge to done_--Mowynge to don _mot_--MS. mote, C. mot 3544 _gretely_--gretly 3545 _seyne_--seyn _were_--weeren _moeuyng_--mowynge 3548 _wenen_--weene _to lakken----yuel_--omitted 3549 _þere_--ther _so_ (2)--the 3550 _longe_--long 3552 _shrewednesse_--shrewednesses _often_--ofte 3558 _shrewednes_--shrewednesse _yfinissed_--fynyshed 3559 _weye_--wey _outerest[e]_--owtteryste [_yif_]--from C. 3560 _soþe_--soth 3561 _clerely_--cleerly 3563 [_conclusion_]--from C. _harde_--hard 3564 [_the_]--from C. 3567 _harde_--hard 3568 _fals_--false 3573 _nowe_--now] [Headnote: THE WRETCHEDNESS OF THE WICKED IS DIMINISHED BY PUNISHMENT.] but of þe þinges þat ben taken al so it is necessarie as who so seiþ it folweþ of þat whiche þat is p{ur}posed byforn. [Sidenote: _B._ What is that?] what is þat q{uo}d I. [Sidenote: _P._ That the wicked who have been punished for their crimes, are happier than if justice had allowed them to go unpunished.] ¶ certys q{uo}d she þat is 3576 þat þ{a}t þise wicked shrewes ben more blysful or ellys lasse wrecches. þat byen þe tourmentes þat þei han deserued. þan yif no peyne of Iustice ne chastied[e] hem. [Sidenote: I do not appeal to popular arguments, that punishment corrects vice, that the fear of chastisement leads them to take the right path, and that the sufferings of evil-doers deter others from vice, but I believe that guilty men, unpunished, become much more unhappy in another way.] ne þis ne seye I nat now for þat any man myȝt[e] 3580 þenk[e] þat þe maneres of shrewes ben coriged {and} chastised by veniaunce. {and} þat þei ben brouȝt to þe ryȝt wey by þe drede of þe tourment. ne for þat þei ȝeuen to oþer folk ensample to fleyen fro{m} vices. ¶ But 3584 I vndirstonde ȝitte [in] an oþer manere þat shrewes ben more vnsely whan þei ne ben nat punissed al be it so þat þere ne ben had no resou{n} or lawe of correcc{i}ou{n}. ne none ensample of lokynge. [Sidenote: _B._ In what way do you mean?] ¶ And what manere 3588 shal þat ben q{uo}d I. ouþer þan haþ ben told here [[pg 126]] byforn [Sidenote: _P._ Are not good people happy, and evil folk miserable?]