[Sidenote: _P._ Since all fortune, whether prosperous or adverse, is for the reward of the good or the punishment of the bad, all fortune is good which is either just or useful.] ¶ Now vndirstand q{uo}d she so as [alle fortune wheyther so it be Ioyeful fortune / or aspr{e}] fortune is ȝiuen eiþer by cause of g{er}donynge or ellys of 4168 ex{er}cisynge of goode folk or ellys by cause to punissen. or ellys to chastysen shrewes. ¶ þan is alle fortune [[pg 145]] good. þe whiche fortune is certeyne þat it be eiþer ryȝtful or p{ro}fitable. [Sidenote: But let us put this opinion among those positions which thou saidst were not commonly believed by the people.] ¶ For soþe þis is a ful verray resou{n} 4172 q{uo}d I. and yif I considere þe p{ur}ueau{n}ce {and} þe destine þat þou tauȝtest me a litel here byforne þis sentence is susteyned by stedfast resou{n}s. but yif it like vnto þe lat vs nou{m}bre hem amonges þilk[e] þinges of 4176 whiche þou seidest a litel here byforne þat þei ne were nat able to ben ywened to þe poeple. [Sidenote: _P._ Why so?] ¶ whi so q{uo}d she. [Sidenote: _B._ Because it is a common expression that _the fortune of such a one is bad_.] for þat þe comune worde of men mysusiþ q{uo}d I. þis manere speche of fortune. {and} sein ofte tymes [þ{a}t] 4180 þe fortune of som wyȝt is wicked. [Linenotes: 4163 _þing_--thinge 4165 _outerly_--al owtrely _al_--alle 4166-7 [_alle----aspre_]--from C. 4169 _goode_--good 4174 _here byforne_--her by-forn 4175 _stedfast_--stydefast 4176 _noumbre_--nowmbren _þilk[e]_--thilke 4177 _here byforne_--her by-forn 4178 _ywened_--weened 4179 _worde_--word] [Headnote: PUNISHMENT IS BENEFICIAL.] [Sidenote: _P._ Do you wish me to conform for awhile to the language of the people, lest we should seem to depart too much from the popular mode of expression?] wilt þou þan q{uo}d she þat I p{ro}che a litel to þe wordes of þe poeple so it seme nat to hem þat I be ouer moche dep{ar}tid as fro þe vsage of man kynde. [Sidenote: _B._ As you please.] as þou wolt q{uo}d I. [Sidenote: _P._ Is everything profitable that is good?] ¶ Demest 4184 þou nat q{uo}d she þat al þing þat p{ro}fitiþ is good. [Sidenote: _B._ Yes, certainly.] ȝis q{uo}d I. [Sidenote: _P._ That which exercises or corrects is profitable?] certis þilk þing þat ex{er}cisiþ or corigiþ profitiþ. [Sidenote: _B._ It is.] I confesse it wel q{uo}d I. [Sidenote: _P._ Therefore it is good?] þan is it good q{uo}d she. [Sidenote: _B._ Yes.] whi nat q{uo}d I.