The Triumph of Patience in Julian of Norwich and Langland.

Both Julian of Norwich and WL develop from the traditional Old Testament retributive and penitential view of patience a more positive account of the virtue as capable of transforming the world and giving man the victory over sin in imitating Christ. In the “Dowel” section, Will moves from impatience with God’s apparent injustice (his conversations with Clergy and Reason), to an understanding of patience’s retributive purpose (e.g., Patience’s speech to Haukyn), then to its power to change humanity (B. 14), where patience is offered as the best means of converting others from their sin in causing poverty.