loo for her man{ er}s ben *diuerse { and} discordaunt ¶ þei moeuen vnry[gh]tful oostes { and} cruel batailes. { and} wilne 3752 to p{ er}isse by enterchaungynge of dartes.
[Sidenote: But this is no just reason for shedding blood.]
but þe resou{ n} of cruelte nis nat ynou[gh] ry[gh]tful.
[Sidenote: Wouldst thou reward each as he deserves? Then love the good as they deserve, and have pity upon the wicked.]
wilt þou þan [gh]elden a couenable gerdou{ n} to þe desertes of men ¶ Loue ry[gh]tfully goode folk[;] { and} haue pite on shrewes. 3756
[Linenotes: 3743 [_the_]--from C. 3745 [_by_]--from C. 3746 _hastisiþ_--hasteth _owen wille_--owne wyl 3747 [_the_]--from C. 3749 _boore_--boor _teþe_--teth 3750 _swerde_--swerd 3751 _her_--hir 3752 _wilne_--wylnen 3753 _enterchaungynge_--entrechaungynges]
[Sidenote: _B._ I see plainly the nature of that felicity which attends the virtues of the good, and of the misery that follows the vices of the wicked.]
++Þus see I wel q{ uo}d I. eyþer what blisfulnesse or ellys what vnselinesse is estab[l]issed in þe desertys of goode men { and} of shrewes.
[Sidenote: But in Fortune I see a mixture of good and evil. The wise man prefers riches, &c., to poverty, &c.]
¶ but in þis ilke fortune of poeple I see somwhat of goode. { and} somwhat of 3760 yuel. for no wise man haþ nat leuer ben exiled pore { and} nedy { and} nameles. þan forto dwellen in hys Citee { and} flouren of rychesses. { and} be redoutable by honoure. { and} stronge of power
[Sidenote: And wisdom appears more illustrious, when wise men are governors and impart their felicity to their subjects; and when imprisonment, torture, &c., are inflicted only upon bad citizens.]
for in þis wise more clerely { and} 3764 more witnesfully is þe office of wise men ytretid whan þe blisfulnes { and} [the] pouste of gouerno{ ur}s is as it were yshad amonges poeples þat ben ney[gh]boures { and} subgit[gh]. syn þat namely prisou{ n} lawe { and} þise oþer 3768 to{ ur}ment[gh] of lawful peynes ben raþer owed to felonous Cite[gh]eins. for þe whiche felonous Cite[gh]eins þo peynes ben establissed. þan for goode folk.
[Sidenote: Why, then, should things undergo so unnatural a change? Why should the worthy suffer and the vicious receive the reward of virtue?]