but co{ n}sider{ e} þe iugement of þe p{ er}durable lawe. for if 3660 þou conferme þi corage to þe beste þinges. þou ne hast no nede to no iuge to [gh]iue{ n} þe p{ r}is or meede. for þou hast ioigned þi self to þe most excellent þing.
[Sidenote: If you indulge in vice, you need no other chastisement--you have degraded yourself into a lower order of beings.]
and yif þou haue enclined þi studies to þe wicked þinges. ne 3664 seek no foreyn wrekere out of þi self. for þou þi self hast þrest þe in to wicked þinges. ry[gh]t as þou my[gh]test loken by dyuerse tymes þe foule erþe { and} þe heuene. { and} þat alle oþer þinges stynten fro wiþ oute. so þat 3668 þou [ner{ e} neyther in heuene ne in erthe] ne say[e] no þing more. þan sholde it semen to þe as by only resou{ n} of lokynge. þat þou were in þe sterres. { and} now in þe erþe.
[Sidenote: The multitude doth not consider this.]
but þe poeple ne lokeþ nat on þise þinges.
[Sidenote: What then? Shall we take them as our models who resemble beasts?]
what 3672 þan shal we þan app{ ro}chen vs to hem þat I haue shewed þat þei ben lyke to þe bestes. (q. d. no{ n})
[Linenotes: 3662 _to_ (1)--of 3665 _foreyn_--foreyne 3666 _þrest_--thryst _wicked_--wikke 3669 [_nere----erthe_]--from C. _heuene_--C. heuenene _say[e]_--C. saye 3672 _on_--in 3674 _lyke_--lyk _q. d._--MS. q{ uo}d]
[Sidenote: If a man who had lost his sight, having even forgotten his blindness, should declare that his faculties were all perfect, shall we weakly believe that those who retain their sight are blind?]
¶ And what wilt þou seyne of þis ¶ yif þat a man hadde al forlorn hys sy[gh]t. { and} had[de] for[gh]eten þat he 3676 euer saw { and} wende þ{ a}t no þing ne fayled[e] hym of p{ er}fecc{ i}ou{ n} of ma{ n}kynde. now we þat my[gh]ten sen þe same þing wolde we nat wene þat he were bly{ n}de (q. d. sic).
[Sidenote: The vulgar will not assent to what I am going to say, though supported by conclusive arguments--to wit, that persons are more unhappy that do wrong than those who suffer wrong.]
ne also ne accordeþ nat þe poeple to þat I shal 3680 seyne. þe whiche þing is susteyned by a stronge foundement of resou{ n}s. þat is to seyn þat more vnsely ben þei þat don wrong to oþer folk. þen þei þat þe wrong [[pg 129]] suffren.