'Ye,' quod she, 'I have thee excused; al suche thinges as yet mowe nat be redressed; thy Margarites vertue I commende wel 85 the more, that paciently suche anoyes suffreth. David king was meke, and suffred mokel hate and many yvel speches; no despyt ne shame that his enemys him deden might nat move pacience out of his herte, but ever in one plyte mercy he used. Wherfore god him-selfe took reward to the thinges; and theron suche 90 punisshment let falle. Trewly, by reson, it ought be ensample of drede to al maner peoples mirth. A man vengeable in wrath no governance in punisshment ought to have. Plato had a cause his servant to +scourge, and yet cleped he his neibour to performe the doinge; him-selfe wolde nat, lest wrath had him a-maistred; and 95 so might he have layd on to moche: evermore grounded vertue sheweth th'entent fro within. And trewly, I wot wel, for her goodnesse and vertue, thou hast desyred my service to her plesance wel the more; and thy-selfe therto fully hast profered.' 'Good lady,' quod I, 'is vertue the hye way to this knot that 100 long we have y-handled?' 'Ye, forsoth,' quod she, 'and without vertue, goodly this knot may nat be goten.' 'Ah! now I see,' quod I, 'how vertu in me fayleth; and I, as a seer tree, without burjoning or frute, alwaye welke; and 105 so I stonde in dispeyre of this noble knot; for vertue in me hath no maner workinge. A! wyde-where aboute have I traveyled!' 'Pees,' quod she, 'of thy first way; thy traveyle is in ydel; and, as touchinge the seconde way, I see wel thy meninge. Thou 110 woldest conclude me, if thou coudest, bycause I brought thee to service; and every of my servantes I helpe to come to this blisse, as I sayd here-beforn. And thou saydest thy-selfe, thou mightest nat be holpen as thou wenest, bycause that vertue in thee fayleth; and this blisse parfitly without vertue may nat be 115 goten; thou wenest of these wordes contradiccion to folowe. Pardè, at the hardest, I have no servant but he be vertuous in dede and thought. I brought thee in my service, yet art thou nat my servant; but I say, thou might so werche in vertue herafter, that than shalt thou be my servant, and as for my servant 120 acompted. For habit maketh no monk; ne weringe of gilte spurres maketh no knight. Never-the-later, in confort of thyne herte, yet wol I otherwyse answere.' 'Certes, lady,' quod I tho, 'so ye muste nedes; or els I had nigh caught suche a +cardiacle for sorowe, I wot it wel, I shulde 125 it never have recovered. And therfore now I praye [thee] to enforme me in this; or els I holde me without recovery. I may nat long endure til this lesson be lerned, and of this mischeef the remedy knowen.'