first q{ uo}d she þou most nedes knowen. þ{ a}t good[e] folk ben al wey strong[e] { and} my[gh]ty. and þe shrewes ben feble { and} desert { and} naked 3172 of alle strengþes.
[Sidenote: These assertions do mutually demonstrate each other.]
and of þise þinges certys eueryche of hem is declared { and} shewed by oþ{ er}.
[Sidenote: For since good and evil are contrary, if good be powerful evil must be impotent.]
¶ For so as good { and} yuel ben two cont{ ra}ries. yif so be þat goode be stedfast. þa{ n} sheweþ þe fieblesse of yuel al openly. 3176
[Sidenote: And if the frailty of evil is known, the strength and stability of good must also be known to you.]
and yif þou knowe clerely þe freelnesse of yuel. þe stedfastnesse of goode is knowen.
[Sidenote: But to convince you I shall proceed to prove it from both these principles, establishing these truths, by arguments drawn first from one of these topics and then from the other.]
but for as moche as þe fey of my sentence shal be þe more ferme { and} habou{ n}daunt. I wil goon by þat oon wey { and} by þat oþer { and} I wil conferme 3180 þe þinges þat ben p{ ur}posed now on þis side { and} now on þ{ a}t syde.
[Sidenote: Two things are necessary to every action--the Will and the Power; if either be wanting, nothing can be effected.]
¶ Two þinges þer ben in whiche þe effect of alle þe dedes of man kynde standiþ. þat is to seyn. wil { and} power. and yif þat oon of þise two fayleþ 3184 þere nis no þing þat may be don.
[Sidenote: A man can do nothing without the concurrence of his will, and if power faileth the will is of no effect.]
for yif þat wil lakkeþ þere nys no wy[gh]t þat vndirtakeþ to done þat he wol not don. and yif power fayleþ þe wille nis but i{ n} ydel { and} stant for nau[gh]t.
[Sidenote: Hence, if you see a person desirous of getting what he cannot procure, you are sure he lacks power to obtain it.]
and þer of comeþ it þat yif þou se a 3188 wy[gh]t þat wolde gete{ n} þat he may nat geten. þou mayst nat douten þat power ne fayleþ hy{ m} to haue{ n} þat he wolde. ¶ þis is open { and} clere q{ uo}d I. ne it may nat ben denyed in no manere.
[Sidenote: And if you see another do what he had a mind to do, can you doubt that he had the power to do it?]
and yif þou se a wy[gh]t q{ uo}d 3192 she. þat haþ don þat he wolde don þ{ o}u nilt nat douten þat he ne haþ had power to done it.