[Linenotes: 3743 [_the_]--from C. 3745 [_by_]--from C. 3746 _hastisiþ_--hasteth _owen wille_--owne wyl 3747 [_the_]--from C. 3749 _boore_--boor _teþe_--teth 3750 _swerde_--swerd 3751 _her_--hir 3752 _wilne_--wylnen 3753 _enterchaungynge_--entrechaungynges] [Headnote: THE OPERATIONS OF CHANCE.] HINC EGO UIDEO INQ{UA}M. {ET} CET{ERA}. [Sidenote: [The fyfthe p{ro}se.]] [Sidenote: _B._ I see plainly the nature of that felicity which attends the virtues of the good, and of the misery that follows the vices of the wicked.] ++Þus see I wel q{uo}d I. eyþer what blisfulnesse or ellys what vnselinesse is estab[l]issed in þe desertys of goode men {and} of shrewes. [Sidenote: But in Fortune I see a mixture of good and evil. The wise man prefers riches, &c., to poverty, &c.] ¶ but in þis ilke fortune of poeple I see somwhat of goode. {and} somwhat of 3760 yuel. for no wise man haþ nat leuer ben exiled pore {and} nedy {and} nameles. þan forto dwellen in hys Citee {and} flouren of rychesses. {and} be redoutable by honoure. {and} stronge of power [Sidenote: And wisdom appears more illustrious, when wise men are governors and impart their felicity to their subjects; and when imprisonment, torture, &c., are inflicted only upon bad citizens.] for in þis wise more clerely {and} 3764 more witnesfully is þe office of wise men ytretid whan þe blisfulnes {and} [the] pouste of gouerno{ur}s is as it were yshad amonges poeples þat ben neyȝboures {and} subgitȝ. syn þat namely prisou{n} lawe {and} þise oþer 3768 to{ur}mentȝ of lawful peynes ben raþer owed to felonous Citeȝeins. for þe whiche felonous Citeȝeins þo peynes ben establissed. þan for goode folk. [Sidenote: Why, then, should things undergo so unnatural a change? Why should the worthy suffer and the vicious receive the reward of virtue?] ¶ þan I m{er}ueile me gretly q{uo}d I. whi [þ{a}t] þe þinges ben so mys 3772 entrechaunged. þat to{ur}mentȝ felounes pressen {and} confounden goode folk. {and} shrewes rauyssen medes of vertue {and} ben i{n} hono{ur}s. {and} in grete estatis. [[pg 132]] [Sidenote: I should like to hear the reason of so unjust a distribution.] and I desire eke to wite{n} of þe. what semeþ þe to ben þe 3776 resou{n} of þis so wrongful a confusiou{n} [Sidenote: I should not marvel so much if _Chance_ were the cause of all this confusion.] ¶ For I wolde wondre wel þe lasse yif I trowed[e] þat alle þise þinges were medeled by fortuouse hap. [Sidenote: But I am overwhelmed with astonishment when I reflect, that God the director of all things thus unequally distributes rewards and punishments.]