"And I shal preve," quod Pees, "Hir peyne moot have ende, And from wo into wele Mowe wenden at the laste. For hadde thei wist of no wo, Wele hadde the noght knowen. For no wight woot what wele is, That nevere wo suffrede; Ne what is hoot hunger, 12490 That hadde nevere defaute. "If no nyght ne weere, No man, as I leeve, Sholde nevere wite witterly What day is to meene. Sholde nevere right riche man, {382} That lyveth in reste and ese, Wite what wo is, Ne were the deeth of kynde. "So God, that bigan al 12500 Of his goode wille, Bicam man of a mayde Mankynde to save; And suffrede to be sold, To se the sorwe of deying, The which unknytteth alle care, And comsynge is of reste. For til _modicum_ mete with us, I may it wel avowe, Woot no wight, as I wene, 12510 What y-nogh is to mene. "For-thi God of his goodnesse The firste gome Adam Sette hym in solace, And in sovereyn murthe; And siththe he suffred hym synne, Sorwe to feele, To wite what wele was Kyndeliche and knowe it. And after God auntrede hymself, 12520 And took Adames kynde, To wite what he hath suffred In thre sondry places, Bothe in hevene and in erthe, And now til helle he thenketh To wite what alle wo is, And what is alle joye. "So it shal fare by this folk, Hir folie and hir synne Shal lere hem what langour is 12530 {383} And lisse withouten ende. Woot no wight what werre is Ther that pees regneth, Ne what is witterly wele Til weylawey! hym teche." Thanne was ther a wight With two brode eighen, Book highte that beau-peere, A bold man of speche; "By Goddes body!" quod this Book, 12540 "I wol bere witnesse That tho this barn was y-bore, Ther blased a sterre That alle the wise of this world In o wit acorden, That swich a barn was y-bore In Bethleem the citee, That mannes soule sholde save, And synne destroye. And alle the elementz," quod the Book, 12550 "Herof beren witnesse, That he was God that al wroghte, The wolkne first shewed. "Tho that weren in hevene Token _stella cometa_, And tendeden it as a torche To reverencen his burthe; The light folwede the Lord Into the lowe erthe. "The water witnessed that he was God, 12560 For he wente on it. Peter the apostel Parceyved his gate, And as he wente on the water, {384} Wel hym knew, and seide, _Jube me venire ad te super aquas._ "And lo! how the sonne gan louke Hire light in hirselve, Whan she seigh hym suffre, That sonne and see made. 12570 "The erthe for hevynesse That he wolde suffre, Quaked as quyk thyng, And al biquasshed the roche.