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Whanne philosophie hadde songen softly and delitably þe forseide þinges kepynge þe dignitee of hir choere in þe weyȝte of hir wordes. I þan þat ne hadde nat al outerly forȝeten þe wepyng and mournyng þat was set in myne herte for-brek þe entencioun of hir þat entended[e] ȝitte to seyne oþer þinges. ¶ Se quod I. þou þat art gideresse of verray lyȝte þe þinges þat þou
hast seid [me] hider to ben to me so clere and so shewyng by þe deuyne lokyng of hem and by þi resouns þat þei ne mowe nat ben ouercomen. ¶ And þilke þingus þat þou toldest me. al be it so þat I hadde som tyme fo[r]ȝeten hem for [the] sorwe of þe wronge þat haþ ben don to me. ȝit naþeles þei ne were nat alouterly vnknowen to me. but þis same is namly a gret cause of my sorwe. þat so as þe gouernoure of þinges is goode. yif þat yuelys mowen ben by any weyes. or ellys yif þat yuelys passen wiþ outen punyssheinge. þe whiche þinge oonly how worþi it is to ben wondred vpon. þou considerest it weel þi self certeynly. but ȝitte to þis þing þere is an oþer þing y-ioigned more to ben ywondred vpon. ¶ For felonie is emperisse and flowreþ ful of rycchesse. and vertues nis nat al oonly wiþ outen medes. but it is cast vndir and fortroden vndir þe feet of felonous folk. and it abieþ þe tourmentes in sted of wicked felouns ¶ Of al[le] whiche þing þer nis no wyȝt þat [may] merueyllen ynouȝ ne compleyne þat swiche þinges ben don in þe regne of god þat alle þinges woot. and alle þinges may and ne wool nat but only goode þinges. ¶ þan seide she þus. certys quod she þat were a grete meruayle and an enbaissynge wiþouten ende. and wel more horrible þan alle monstres yif it were as þou wenest. þat is to sein. þat in þe ryȝt ordeyne house of so mochel a fader and an ordenour of meyne. þat þe vesseles þat ben foule and vyle sholde ben honoured and heried. and þe precious uesseles sholde ben defouled and vyle. but it nis nat so. For yif þe þinges
þat I haue concluded a litel here byforne ben kept hoole and vnraced. þou shalt wel knowe by þe auctorite of god. of þe whos regne I speke þat certys þe good[e] folk ben alwey myȝty. and shrewes ben alwey yuel and feble. ne þe vices ben neuere mo wiþ outen peyne.̉ ne þe vertues ne ben nat wiþ outen mede. and þat blisfulnesses comen alwey to goode folke. and infortune comeþ alwey to wicked folke. ¶ And þou shalt wel knowe many[e] þinges of þis kynde þat sholle cessen þi pleyntes. and stedfast þe wiþ stedfast saddenesse. ¶ And for þou hast seyn þe forme of þe verray blisfulnesse by me þat [haue] somtyme I-shewed it þe. And þou hast knowen in whom blysfulnesse is set. alle þinges I treted þat I trowe ben nessessarie to put[te] furþe ¶ I shal shewe þe. þe weye þat shal brynge þe aȝeyne vnto þi house and I shal ficche feþeres in þi þouȝt by whiche it may arysen in heyȝte. so þat al tribulacioun don awey þou by my gidyng & by my paþe and by my sledes shalt mowen retourne hool and sounde in to þi contre.