'Therfore,' quod she, 'they that sechen gold in grene trees, and 40 wene to gader precious stones among vynes, and layn her nettes in mountains to fisshe, and thinken to hunte in depe sees after hart and hynd, and sechen in erth thilke thinges that surmounteth heven, what may I of hem say, but folisshe ignoraunce misledeth wandring wrecches by uncouth wayes that shulden be forleten, 45 and maketh hem blynde fro the right pathe of trewe way that shulde ben used? Therfore, in general, errour in mankynde departeth thilke goodes by mis-seching, whiche he shulde have hole, and he sought by reson. Thus goth he begyled of that he sought; in his hode men have blowe a jape.' 50 'Now,' quod I, 'if a man be vertuous, and al in vertue liveth, how hath he al these thinges?' 'That shal I proven,' quod she. 'What power hath any man to lette another of living in vertue? For prisonment, or any other disese, [if] he take it paciently, discomfiteth he nat; the 55 tyrant over his soule no power may have. Than hath that man, so tourmented, suche power, that he nil be discomfit; ne overcome may he nat ben, sithen pacience in his soule overcometh, and +is nat overcomen. Suche thing that may nat be a-maistred, he hath nede to nothing; for he hath suffisaunce y-now, to helpe 60 him-selfe. And thilke thing that thus hath power and suffisance, and no tyrant may it reve, and hath dignitè to sette at nought al thinges, here it is a greet dignitè, that deth may a-maistry. Wherfore thilke power [with] suffisaunce, so enclosed with dignitè, by al reson renomè must have. This is thilke riches with suffisaunce 65 ye sholde loke after; this is thilke worshipful dignitè ye shulde coveyte; this is thilke power of might, in whiche ye shulde truste; this is the ilke renomè of glorie that endlesse endureth; and al nis but substaunce in vertuous lyving.' 'Certes,' quod I, 'al this is sothe; and so I see wel that vertue 70 with ful gripe encloseth al these thinges. Wherfore in sothe I may saye, by my trouth, vertue of my Margarite brought me first in-to your service, to have knitting with that jewel, nat sodain longinges ne folkes smale wordes, but only our conversacion togider; and than I, seinge th'entent of her trewe mening with 75 florisshing vertue of pacience, that she used nothing in yvel, to quyte the wicked lesinges that false tonges ofte in her have laid, I have seye it my-selfe, goodly foryevenesse hath spronge out of her herte. Unitè and accord, above al other thinges, she desyreth in a good meke maner; and suffereth many wicked 80 tales. Trewly, lady, to you it were a gret worship, that suche thinges by due chastisment were amended.'