in þe whiche 4056 þing I trowe þat god dispensiþ. for p{er}auenture þe nature of som man is so ouerþrowyng to yuel {and} so vncouenable þat þe nedy pouerte of hys house-hold myȝt[e] raþer egren hym to done felonies. [Sidenote: Their disease God cures by the medicine of money.] and to þe maladie 4060 of hym god puttiþ remedie to ȝiuen hym rychesse. [Sidenote: Some men will cease to do wrong for fear, lest their wealth be lost through their crimes.] {and} som oþer man byholdiþ hys conscience defouled wiþ synnes {and} makiþ co{m}parisou{n} of his fortune {and} of hym self ¶ and drediþ p{er}auenture þat hys blisfulnesse 4064 of whiche þe vsage is ioyful to hym þat þe lesynge of þilke blisfulnesse ne be nat sorweful to hym. {and} þerfore he wol chaunge hys maneres. and for he drediþ to lese hys fortune. he forletiþ hys wickednesse. 4068 [Sidenote: Upon others unmerited happiness is conferred, which at last precipitates them into deserved destruction.] to oþer folk is welefulnesse yȝeue{n} vnworþily þe whiche ouerþroweþ hem in to destrucc{i}ou{n} þat þei han deserued. [Sidenote: To some there is given the power of chastisement, in order both to exercise the virtues of the good and to punish the wicked.] and to som oþer folk is ȝeuen power to punisse{n}. for þat it shal be cause of continuac{i}ou{n} {and} 4072 ex{er}cisinge to good[e] folk. {and} cause of to{ur}ment to shrewes. [Sidenote: For as there is no alliance between good and bad, so neither can the vicious agree together.] ¶ For so as þer nis none alyaunce bytwixe good[e] folke {and} shrewes. ne shrewes ne mowen nat accorde{n} amo{n}ges hem self [Sidenote: And how should they? Their vices make them at war with themselves, rending and tearing their consciences, and there is scarce anything they do, but what afterwards they disapprove of.] {and} whi nat. for shrewes 4076 discorde{n} of hem self by her vices þe whiche vices al to renden her consciences. {and} don oft[e] tyme þinges þe whiche þinges whan þei han don hem. þei demen þat þo þinges ne sholde nat han ben don. [Sidenote: Hence arises a signal miracle brought about by Providence--that evil men have often made wicked men good.] for whiche þinge 4080 þilke souereyne p{ur}ueaunce haþ maked oft[e] tyme [fair{e}] miracle so þ{a}t shrewes han maked oftyme [[pg 142]] shrewes to ben good[e] men. [Sidenote: For these latter having suffered injuries from the former, have become virtuous, in order that they might not resemble those whom they so detested.] [Sidenote: [* fol. 32.]]