[Sidenote: It is only the Divine power that can turn evil to good, overruling it for his own purposes.]
¶ Certys þis only is þe deuyne my[gh]t to þe whiche my[gh]t 4088 yueles ben þan good. whan it vseþ þo yueles couenably { and} draweþ out þe effect of any good. as who seiþ þat yuel is good oonly by þe my[gh]t of god. for þe my[gh]t of god ordeyneþ þilk yuel to good. For oon ordre enbrasiþ 4092 alle þinges. so þat what wy[gh]t [þ{ a}t] dep{ ar}tiþ fro þe resou{ n} of þe ordre whiche þat is assigned to hym. algates [gh]it he slideþ in to an oþ{ er} ordre.
[Sidenote: Nothing occurs by the caprice of chance in the realms of Divine Providence.]
so þat noþing nis leueful to folye in þe realme of þe deuyne p{ ur}ueaunce. 4096 as who seiþ no þing nis wiþouten ordinaunce in þe realme of þe deuyne purueaunce.
[Sidenote: Since God is the governor of all things, it is not lawful to man to attempt to comprehend the whole of the Divine economy, or to explain it in words.]
¶ Syn þat þe ry[gh]t strong[e] god gouerniþ alle þinges in þis worlde for it nis nat leueful to no man to co{ m}p{ re}henden by witte ne 4100 vnfolden by worde alle þe subtil ordinaunces { and} disposic{ i}ou{ n}s of þe deuyne entent.
[Sidenote: Let it suffice to know that God orders all things for the best.]
for oonly it au[gh]t[e] suffice to han loked þat god hym self makere of alle natures ordeyniþ and dressiþ alle þinges to good.
[Sidenote: And while he retains things created after his own likeness conformably to his goodness, he banishes evil by the cause of destiny out of his empire.]
while 4104 þat he hastiþ to wiþhalden þe þinges þat he haþ maked in to hys semblaunce. þat is to seyn forto wiþholden þinges in to good. for he hym self is good he chaseþ oute al yuel of þe boundes of hys co{ m}munalite by þe 4108 ordre of necessite destinable.
[Sidenote: So that those evils which you seem to see are only imaginary.]
For whiche it folweþ þat yif þou loke þe p{ ur}ueaunce ordeynynge þe þinges þat men wenen ben haboundaunt in erþes. þou ne shalt not seen in no place no þing of yuel.
[Sidenote: But you are exhausted and weary with the prolixity of my reasoning, and look for relief from the harmony of my verse.]
¶ but I se now þat 4112 þou art charged wiþ þe wey[gh]te of þe questiou[n] { and} [[pg 143]] wery wiþ lengþe of my resou{ n}. { and} þat þou abidest som swetnesse of songe.