The third tractate of the offices of the comyn peple. The first chappitre is of the offyce of the labourers and werkmen.                                                                                       Capitulo primo.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181	N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N	For so moche as noble persones cannot rewle ne governe without the servyse and werke of the people, than hit behoveth to devyse the oultrages and the offyces of the werkmen. Than I shal begynne first at the first pawn that is in the play of the chesse and signefieth a man of the comyn peple on fote. For they be al named “pietons," that is as moche to say as footmen. And thenne we wyl begynne at the pawn whyche standeth tofore the rooke on the right syde of the kyng, for as moche as thys pawne apperteyneth to serve the vycayre or lyeuetenaunt of the kyng and other officers under hym of necessaries of vytaylle.    And this maner of peple is figured and ought be maad in the forme and shappe of a man holdyng in his right honde a spade or shovel, and a rodde in the lyft hand. The spade or shovel is for to delve and labour therwyth the erthe, and the rodde is for to dryve and conduyte wyth al the bestys unto her pasture. Also, he ought to have on hys gyrdel a sarpe or crokyd hachet for to cutte of the superfluytees of the vignes and trees.    And we rede in the Bible that the first labourer that ever was was Caym, the first sone of Adam, that was so evyl that he slewe his broder Abel, for as moche as the smoke of his tithes went strayt unto heven, and the smoke and fume of the tythes of Caym went dounward upon the erthe. And how wel that thys cause was trewe. Yet was there another cause of envye that he had unto his broder. For when Adam, theyr fader, maryed them for to multeplye the erthe of his ligne, he wold not marye ner joyne togyder the two that were borne attones, but gaf unto Caym her that was born with Abel, and to Abel her that was borne wyth Caym. And thus began the envye that Caym had ayenst Abel, for hys wyf was fayrer than Caym’s wyf. And for this cause he sle[we] Abel wyth the chekebone of a beste. And at that tyme was never no maner of yron blody of manne’s blood. And Abel was the fyrst martir in the Olde Testament. And thys sayd Caym dyd many other evyl thynges whiche I leve, for it apperteyneth not to my mater.    But it behoveth for necessyté that somme shold laboure the erthe after the synne of Adam. For tofore or Adam synned, the erthe brought forth fruyt without labour of handes. But sithe he synned, hit must nedes be laboured with the handes of men. And for as moche as the erthe is moder of al thynges, and that we were first formed and took our begynnyng of the erthe, the same wyse at the last, she shal be the ende unto al us and to al thynges. And God that formed us of the erthe hath ordeyned that by the labour of men she shold gyve nourysshyng unto al that lyveth.    And first the labourer of the erthe ought to knowe his God that formed and made heven and erthe of nought, and ought to have loyalté and trouth in hymself, and despise deth for to entende to his labour. And he ought to geve thankynges to hym that made hym and of whom he receyveth al his goodes temporal, wherof his lyf is susteyned. And also, he is bounden to paye the dismes and tythes of al his thynges, and not as Caym dyd but as Abel dyd of the beste that he chese out alwey for to gyve to God and to plese Hym. For they that grutche and be greved in that they rendre and geve to God the tienthes of her goodes, they ought to be aferd and have drede that they shal falle in necessyté, and that they myght be despoylyd or robbyd by warre or by tempest that myght falle or happen in the contray. And hit is no merveylle, though hyt so happen for that man that is disagreable unto God and weneth that the multeplyeng of his goodes temporel cometh by the vertu of his owne counceyl and his witte, the whiche is made by the only ordenaunce of Hym that made al, and by the same ordenaunce is sone taken awey fro hym that is disagreable. And hit is reson that whan a man haboundeth by fortune in goodes and knowith not God by whom it cometh, that to hym come somme other fortune by the whiche he may requyre grace and pardon, and to knowe his God.    And we rede of the Kyng Davyd, that was first symple and one of the comyn peple, that whan fortune had enhauncid and sette him in grete estate, he left and forgate his God, and fyl to advoultrie and homycide and other synnes. Than anone his owne sone, Absalon, assaillid and began to persecute hym. And than whan he sawe that fortune was contrarye to hym, he began to take ageyn his vertuous werkis and requyred pardon and so retorned to God agayn.    We rede also of the children of Ysrael, that were nygh enfamyned in desert, and sore hungry and thrusty, that they prayed and requyred of God for remedye. Anone He chaunged His wille and sent to hem manna and flessh. And whan they were replenysshed and fatte of the flessh of bestes and of the manna, they made a calf of gold and worshipped hit, whiche was a grete synne and inyquyté. For whan they were hongry, they knewe God. And whan theyr belies were filled and fatted, they forgid ydolles and were ydolatreres.    After this every labourer ought to be faithful and trewe, that whan his maister delyvereth to hym his lande to be laboured, that he take nothyng to hymself but that he ought to have and is his, but laboure truly and take cure and charge in the name of hys maystre, and do more diligently hys mayster’s labours than his owen, for the lyf of the most grete and noble men next God lieth in the handes of the labourers. And thus al craftes and occupacions ben ordeyned not only to suffise to them only but to [the] comyn. And so it happeth oft tyme that the labourer of the erth useth grete and boistous metis, and bryngeth to his maister more subtile and more deynteous metes.    And Valerius rehercith in his sixt book that there was a wyse and noble maistre that was named Anthonius, that was accusid of a caas of avoultry. And as the cause henge tofore the juges, his accusers or denonciatours brought a labourer that closed his lande, for so moche as they sayd whan his mayster went to do the advoultrye, this same servaunt bare the lanterne, wherof Anthonius was sore abasshid and douted that he shold depose agaynst hym. But the labourer, that was named Papirion, said to his maister that he shold denye his cause hardily unto the juges, for to be tormentid, his cause shold never be enpeyred by hym, ner nothyng shold yssue out of his mouth wherof he shold be noyed or grevyd. And than was the labourer beten and tormentid, and brent in many places of his body. But he sayd never thyng wherof his maister was hurt or noyed. But the other that accused his maister were punysshed, and Papirion was delyverd of his paynes.    And also tellith Valerius that there was another labourer that was named Penapion, that servyd a maister whos name was Themes, which was of mervaillous faith to his maister. For hit befel that certeyn knyghtes cam to his maister’s hows for to slé hym. And anone as Penapion knewe hit, he went into his maister’s chambre and wold not be knowen, for he did on his mayster’s gowne and his rynge on his fyngre, and lay in his bedde, and thus put hymself in parelle of deth for to respyte hys mayster’s lyf. But we see nowadayes many fooks that daigne not to use grose metis of labourers and flee the cours clothyng and maners of a servaunt. Every wyse man [who is] a servaunt that trewly servyth his maister is free and not bonde. But a fool that is over proud is bonde. For the debylité and feblenes of corage that is broken in conscience by pryde, envye, or by covetyse is right servytude. Yet they ought not to doubte to laboure. For fere and drede of deth, no man ought to love to moche his lyf, for hit is a foul thyng for a man to renne to the deth for the envye of his lyf. And a wyse man and a stronge man ought not to fle for his lyf, but to yssue. For there is no man that lyveth but he must nedes dye.    And of this speketh Claudyan, and saith that al tho thynges that the ayer goth about and envyronneth, and alle thyng that the erthe laboureth, al thynges that ben conteyned within the see, al thynges that the flodes brynge forth, alle thynges that ben norisshed, and al the bestes that ben under the heven shal deporte alle from the world. And al shal goo at His commaundement, as wel kynges, prynces, and al that the world envyronneth and goeth about. Alle shal goo this way. Than he ought not to doubte for fere of deth. For as wel shal dye the ryche as the poure. Deth maketh alle thynge lyke and putteth al to an ende.    And therof made a noble versefyer two versis whiche folowe: “Forma, genus, mores, sapiencia, res, et honores / Morte ruant subita sola manent merita." Wherof the Englissh is: “Beauté, lignage, maners, wysedom, thynges and honoures / Shal ben deffetid by sodeyn deth; nothyng shal abyde but the meritis."    And herof fynde we in Vitas patrum that ther was an erle, a riche and noble man, that had a sone onely. And whan thys sone was of age to have knowleche of the lawe, he herde in a sermone that deth spareth none. And as wel dyeth the yonge as the olde. And that the deth ought specially to be doubted for thre causes. One was that no man knoweth whan he comyth. And the second, ner in what state he taketh a man. And the thyrd, he wote never whether he shal goo. Therfore eche man shold dispyse and flee the world, and lyve wel, and holde hym toward God.    And whan this yonge man herde this thyng, he wente out of his contray and fledde unto a wyldernesse unto an hermytage. And whan his fader had loste hym, he made grete sorowe and dyd do enquere and seke hym so moche that atte last he was founden in the hermytage. And thenne his fader cam theder to hym and sayd, “Dere sone, come from thens! Thou shalt be after my dethe erle and chyef of my lignage. I shal be lost yf thou come not out from thens."    And he than, that wyst none otherwyse to eschewe the yre of his fader, bethought hym and sayd, “Dere fader, there is in your contré and lande a right evyll custume. Yf hit plese you to put that awey, I shal gladly come out of this place and goo with you."    The fader was glad and had grete joye, and demaunded of hym what hit was. And yf he wolde telle hym, he promysed hym to take hit awey, and hit shold be lefte and sette aparte. Than he sayd, “Dere fader, there dyen as wel the yonge folke as the olde in your contray. Do that awey, I praye you."    Whan his fader herde that, he sayd, “Dere sone, that may not be, ner no man may put that awey but God onely."    Than answerd the sone to the fader, “Than wyl I serve Hym and dwelle here wyth Hym that may do that." And so abode the childe in the hermytage and lyved there in good werkis.    After this, hit apperteyneth to a labourer to entende to his labour and flee ydelnes. And thou oughtest to knowe that Davyd preyseth moche in the Sawlter the trewe labourers and sayth, “Thou shalt ete the labour of thyn handes and thou art blessyd, and He shal doo to thee good."    And hit behoveth that the labourer endende to his labour on the werkedayes for to recuyel and gadre togydre the fruyt of hys laboure. And also, he ought to reste on the holy day, bothe he and hys bestys. And a good labourer ought to norisshe and kepe his bestys. And this is signyfyed by the rodde that he hath, whiche is for to lede and dryve them to the pasture.    The first pastour that ever was was Abel, whyche was juste and trewe, and offrid to God the bestis unto hys sacrefise. And hym ought he to folowe in craft and maners. But no man that useth the malyce of Caym maye ensue and folowe Abel.    And thus hit apperteyneth to the labourer to sette and graffe trees and vygnes, and also to plante and cutte them. And so dyd Noe, whyche was the first that planted the vygne after the deluge and flood. For as Josephus reherceth in the Book of Naturel Thynges, Noe was he that fonde first the vigne, and he fonde hym bytter and wylde. And therfore he took four maners of blood, that is to wete the blood of a lyon, the blood of a lamb, the blood of a swyne, and the blood of an ape, and medlid them al togeder wyth the erthe. And than he cutte the vigne and put thys about the rotes therof, to the ende that the byttirnes shold be put awey, and that hit shold be swete. And whan he had dronken of the fruyt of thys vygne, hit was so good and myghty that he becam so dronke that he despoyled hym in suche wyse that his pryvy membres myght be seen. And his yongest sone, Cham, mocqued and skorned hym. And whan Noe was awaked and was sobre and fastyng, he assemblid his sones and shewed to them the nature of the vygne and of the wyn, and tolde to them the cause why that he had put the blood of the bestes about the rote of the vigne, and that they shold knowe wel that otherwhile, by the strengthe of the wyn, men be maad as hardy as the lyon and yrous. And otherwhile, they be made symple and shamefast as a lambe, and lecherous as a swyne, and curious and ful of play as an ape. For the ape is of suche nature that whan he seeth one doo a thyng, he enforceth hym to do the same, and so don many whan they ben dronke. They wyl meddle them with al offycers and maters that apperteyne nothyng to them. And whan they ben fastyng and sobre, they can scarcely accomplisshe theyr owne thynges.    And therfore, Valerian reherceth that of auncient and in olde tyme women dranke no wyn, for as moche as by dronkenshyp, they myght falle in ony filthe or vylony.    And as Ovyde saith, that the wynes otherwhyle apparaylle the corages in suche manere that they ben covenable to al synnes, whiche take awey the hertes to do wel. They make the poure, riche, as longe as the wyn is in his heed. And shortly, dronkenshyp is the begynnyng of alle evylles, and corrupteth the body, and destroyeth the sowle, and mynyssheth the goodes temporels.    And this suffiseth for the labourers.
	The second chappytre of the thyrd tractate treteth of the forme and maner of the second pawne and of the maner of a smyth.                                                         Capitulo secundo.
182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310	N N N N N N T N N	The second pawn that stondeth tofore the knyght on the right syde of the kyng hath the forme and fygure of a man as a smyth and that is reson. For hit apperteyneth to the knyghtes to have bridellys, sadellis, spores, and many other thynges maad by the handes of smythes, and ought to holde an hamer in his right hond, and in his lift hande a squyer. And he ought to have on his gyrdel a trowel, for by this is signefyed alle maner of werkmen as goldsmythes, marchallis, smythes of alle forges, forgers and makers of money. And al maner of smythes ben signefyed by the martel or hamer. The carpenters ben signefyed by the dolabre or squyer. And by the trowel we understonde al masons and kervers of stones, tylers, and al those that make howses, castels, and towres.    And unto al thyse crafty men hit aperteyneth that they be trewe, wyse, and stronge. And hit is nede that they have in hemself fayth and loyaulté. For unto the goldsmythes behoveth golde and sylver, and alle other metallys, yren and steel, to other. And unto the carpentiers and masons ben put to theyr edefyces the bodyes and goodes of the peple. And also men put in the handes of the maroners body and goodes of the peple. And in the garde and sewerté of them, men put body and sowle in the parilles of the see. And therfore ought they to be trewe unto whom men commytte suche grete charge and so grete thynges upon her fayth and truste.    And therfore sayth the phylosopher: “He that leseth his fayth and beleve may lose no gretter ne more thynge." And fayth is a soverayn good and cometh of the good wylle of the herte and of his mynde, and for no necessyté wyl deceyve no man, and is not corrupt for no mede.    Valerius rehercith that Fabius had receyved of Hanybal certeyn prysoners that he helde of the Romayns for a certeyn somme of money, whiche he promysed to paye to the sayd Hanybal. And whan he cam unto the senatours of Rome and desyred to have the money lente for hem, they answerd that they wold not paye nor lene. And than Fabius sent his sone to Rome and made hym to selle hys heritage and patrymonye, and sent the money that he receyvyd therof unto Hanybal, and had lever and lovyd better to be poure in his contréy of heritage than of beleve and fayth. But in thyse dayes it were grete folye to have suche affyaunce in moche peple but yf they had ben prevyd afore. For oftentymes men truste in them by whom they ben deceyvyd at theyr nede.    And it is to wete that these crafty men and werkmen ben soveraynly proffytable unto the world. And wythout artificers and werkmen, the world myght not be governed. And knowe thou verily that alle tho thynges that ben engendrid on the erthe and on the see ben maad and formed for to do proffyt unto the lignage of man, for man was formed for to have generacion that the men myght helpe and proffyt eche other. And here in ought we to folowe nature, for she sheweth to us that we shold do comyn proffyt, one to another. And the first fondement of justyce is that no man shold noye ne greve other, but that they ought do the comen proffyt. For men say in reproche, “That I see of thyn, I hope hit shal be myn." But who is he in thyse dayes that entendeth more to the comyn proffyt than to his owne? Certeynly none. But alwey a man ought to have drede and fere of his owne hows whan he seeth his neyghbour’s hows afyre. And therfore ought men gladly helpe the comyn prouffyt, for men otherwhyle sette not by a lytyl fyre and myght quenche hit in the begynnyng that afterward maketh a grete blasygng fire.    And fortune hath of nothyng so grete plesure as for to torne and werke alwey. And nature is so noble a thyng that whereas she is, she wyl susteyne and kepe. But thys rewle of nature hath faylled longe tyme.    How wel that the decree saith that alle the thynges that been ayenst the lawe of nature ought to be taken awey and put aparte. And he sayth tofore in the eighth distinccion that the ryght lawe of nature defferenceth ofte tymes fro custom and statutes establisshyd. For by lawe of nature al thyng ought to be comyn to every man. And thys lawe was of olde tyme. And men wene yet specially that the Trojans kept this lawe, and we rede that the multitude of the Trojans was one herte and one sowle. And verayly we fynde that in tyme passid the philosophres dide the same.    And also, it is to be supposid that suche as have theyr goodes comune and not propre is most acceptable to God. For ellis wold not thyse religyous men as monkes, freres, chanons, observauntes, and al other avowe hem and kepe the wylful poverté that they ben professyd to? For in trouth I have myself ben conversaunt in a religious hows of Whyt Freres at Gaunt, whiche have al thyng in comyn among them, and not one richer than another, insomoche that yf a man gaf to a frere three pence or four pence to praye for hym in his masse, as sone as the masse is don, he delyveryeth hit to his overest or procuratour, in whiche hows ben many vertuous and devout freris. And yf that lyf were not the best and the most holyest, Holy Chirche wold never suffre hit in religyon.    And accordyng therto, we rede in Plato, whiche sayth that the cyté is wel and justly governed and ordeyned in the which no man may say by right, by custome, ne by ordenaunce, “Thys is myn." But I say to thee certeynly that sythen this custome came forth to say “This is myn, and this is thyn," no man thought to preferre the comyn prouffyt so moche as his owne.    And al werkmen ought to be wyse and wel advysed so that they have none envye ne none evyll suspecion one to another. For God wyl that our humayn nature be covetous of two thynges, that is of religyon and of wysedom. But in this caas ben somme often tymes deceyved. For they take often tymes religyon and leve wysedom, and they take wysedom and refuse religion. And none may be veray and trewe wythout other. For it apperteyneth not to a wyse man to do onythyng that he may repente hym of hit, and he ought to do nothyng ayenst his wylle but to do al thyng nobly, meurely, fermely, and honestly. And yf he have envye upon ony, hit is folye, for he on whom he hath envye is more honest and of more havoyr than he whiche is so envyous. For a man may have none envye on another, but bycause he is more fortunat and hath more grace than hymself. For envye is a sorowe of corage that cometh of this ordenaunce of the prouffyt of another man.    And knowe thou verily that he that is ful of bounté shal never have envye of another. But the envyous man seeth and thynketh alwey that every man is more noble and more fortunat that hymself, and saith alwey to hymself, “That man wynneth more than I!" and “Myn neyghbours have more plenté of bestes!" and “Her thynges multeplye more than myn!" And therfore thou oughtest knowe that envye is the most grettest dedely synne that is, for she tormenteth hym that hath her within hym wythout tormentyng or doyng ony harme to hym on whom he hath envye.    And an envyous man hath no vertu in hymself, for he corrumpeth hymself, for as moche as he hateth alwey the welthe and vertues of other. And thus ought they to kepe them that they take none evyl suspecion. For a man naturelly, whan his affeccion hath suspecion in ony man that he weneth that he doth, hit semeth to hym veryly that it is don.    And it is an evyl thyng for a man to have suspecion on hymself. For we rede that Dyonyse of Zecyle, a tyraunt, was so suspecious that he had so grete fere and drede. For as moche as he was hated of alle men, that he put his frendes out of theyr offyces that they had and put other straungers in their places for to kepe his body, and chese suche as were right cruel and felons. And for fere and doubte of the barbours, he made his doughters to lerne shave and kembe. And whan they were grete, he wold not they shold use ony yron to be occupyed by them but to brenne and senge his heeris, and menaced them and durst not truste in them. And in like wyse they had none affyaunce in hym. And also, he did do envyronne the place where he lay wyth grete dyches and brode lyke a castel. And he entrid by a drawe bridge, whiche closid after hym. And his knyghtes laye wythout wyth his gardes, whiche watched and kept straytly thys forteresse. And whan Plato sawe thys said Dionyse, Kyng of Zecille, thus envyroned and sette about wyth gardes and watchemen for the cause of his suspescion, sayd to hym openly tofore alle men, “Kynge, why hast thou don so moche evyl and harme that thee behoveth to be kept wyth so moche peple? And therfore I say that it apperteyneth not to ony man that wylle truly behave hymself in his werkes to be suspecious."    And also, they ought to be stronge and seure in theyr werkys. And specially they that ben maysters and maronners on the see. For yf they be tumerous and ferdful, they shold make aferde them that ben in theyr shippis that knowe not the parilles. And so hit myght happen that by that drede and fere, al men shold leve theyr labour, and so they myght be perisshed and dispeyrid in theyr corages. For a shyppe is soon perisshed and lost by a litil tempest whan the governour faylleth to governe his shyppe for drede and can geve no counceyl to other. Thenne it is no mervaylle though they be aferde that ben in his governaunce. And therfore ought to be in them strengthe, force, and corage, and [they] ought to considere the paryls that myght falle. And the governour specially ought not to doubte. And yf hyt happyn that ony parril falle, he ought to promyse to the other good hoop. And hit aperteyneth wel that a man of good and hardy corage be sette in that office, in suche wyse that he have ferme and seure mynde ayenst the parylles that oft tymes happen in the see. And wyth this ought the maronners have good and ferme creaunce and beleve in God, and to be of good recomforte and of fayr langage unto them that he governeth in suche parellys.    And thys suffyseth to you as touchyng the labourers.
F	The thyrd chappytre of the thyrd book treteth of the office of notaries, advocates, skryvenars, and drapers or clothmakers.                                                                                 Capitulo tercio.
311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 399 400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 428 429 430 431 432 433 434 435 436 437 438 439 440 441 442 443 444 445 446 447 448 449 450 451 452 453 454 455 456 457 458 459 460 461 462 463 464 465 466 467 468 469 470 471 472 473 474 475 476 477 478 479 480 481 482 483 484 485 486 487 488 489 490 491 492 493 494 495 496 497 498 499 500 501 502 503 504 505 506 507 508 509 510 511 512 513 514 515 516 517 518 519 520 521 522 523 524 525 526 527 528 529 530 531 532 533 534 535 536 537 538 539 540 541 542 543 544 545 546 547 548 549 550 551 552 553 554 555 556 557 558 559 560 561 562 563 564 565 566 567 568 569 570 571 572 573 574 575 576 577 578 579 580 581 582 583 584 585 586 587 588 589 590 591	N N N N N N N N N T N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N	The third pawn, whiche is sette tofore the alphyn on the right syde, ought to be fygured as a clerke. And hit is reson that he shold so be. For as moche as emonge the comune peple of whom we speke in this boke they plete the differences, contencions, and causes, otherwhyle the whiche behoveth the alphyns to geve sentence and juge as juges. And hit is reson that the alphyn or juge have his notarye, by whom the processe may be wreton.    And this pawn ought to be maad and figured in this manere. He must be made like a man that holdeth in his right hand a payr of sheris or forcettis, and in the lyfte hand a grete knyf, and on his gurdel a penner and an ynkhorn, and on his eere a penne to wryte with. And that been the instrumentis and the offyces that been maad and putte in wrytyng autentique, and ought to have passyd tofore the juges as libelles, writes, condempnacions, and sentences. And that is signefied by the scripture and the penne. And on that other parte, hit aperteyneth to them to cutte clothe, shere, dyght, and dye. And that is signefyed by the forcettis or sheris. And the other ought to shave berdis and kembe the heeris. And the other ben coupers, coryers, tawyers, skynners, bouchers, and kordwanners. And these ben signefyed by the knyf that he holdeth in hys hand. And somme of thyse forsayd crafty men been named drapers or clothmakers, for so moche as they werke with wolle. And the notaries, skynnars, coryours, and cordwaners werke by skynnes and hydes as perchymyn, velume, peltrie, and cordewan. And the tayllours, cutters of cloth, wevars, fullars, dyers, and many other craftes ocupye and use wulle.    And al thyse crafty men, and many other that I have not named, ought to do theyr craft and mestier, where as they ben duly ordeyned curiously and trewly. Also, there ought to be amonge thyse crafty men amyable companye and trewe, honest contenaunce, and trouthe in theyr wordes. And hit is to wete that the notaryes ben ryght prouffytable and ought to be good and trewe for the comyn. And they ought to kepe them from appropryyng to them self that thyng that aperteyneth to the comyn. And yf they be good to themself, they ben good to other. And yf they be evyl for themself, they ben evyl for other. And the processes that ben maad tofore the juges ought to ben wreton and passyd by them. And it is to wete that by their writyng in the processis may come moche prouffit. And also, yf they wryte otherwyse than they ought to doo, may ensewe moche harme and domage to the comyn. Therfore ought they to take good hede that they chaunge not, ne corumpe in no wise, the content of the sentence. For than ben they first forsworne and ben bounden to make amendis to them that by their trecherye they have endomaged.    And also ought they to rede, visite, and to knowe the statutes, ordenaunces, and the lawes of the citees of the contré where they dwelle and enhabite. And they ought to considere yf there be onythyng therin conteyned ayenst right and reson. And yf they fynde onythynge contraire, they ought to admoneste and warne them that governe that suche thynges may be chaunged in to better estate. For custume establisshed ayenst good maners and ageynst the fayth ought not to be holden by ryght.    For as hit is sayd in the decree in the chappytre tofore all ordenaunce maad ayenst right ought to be holden for nought. Alas, who is now that advocate or notarye that hath charge to wryte and kepe sentence that putteth his entente to kepe more the comyn prouffyt or as moche as his owen! But alle drede of God is put aback, and they deceyve the symple men and drawen them to the courtes disordenatly, and constrayne them to swere and make othes not covenable. And in assemblyng the peple thus togyder, they make mo traysons in the cytees thenne they make good alyaunces. And otherwhile they deceyve theyr soverayns, whan they may do hit covertly. For there is nothyng at this day that so moche greveth Rome and Italie as doth the College of Notaryes and Advocates Publique, for they ben not of one accorde.    Alas! And in Engelond, what hurte doon the advocates, men of lawe, and attorneyes of court to the comyn peple of the royame, as wel in the spirituel lawe as in the temporalle! How torne they the lawe and statutes at their plesure! How ete they the peple! How enpovere they the comynté! I suppose that in alle Cristendom are not so many pletars, attorneys, and men of the lawe as been in Englond onely. For yf they were nombrid, alle that longe to the courtes of the chaunserye, kynge’s benche, comyn place, cheker, ressayt, and helle, and the bagge berars of the same, hit shold amounte to a grete multitude. And how al thyse lyve and of whom, yf hit shold be uttrid and tolde, hit shold not be belevyd, for they entende to theyr synguler wele and prouffyt and not to the comyn.    How wel they ought to be of good wyl togyder, and admoneste and warne the cytees, eche in his right in suche wyse that they myght have pees and love, one wyth another. And Tullyus saith that frendshyp and good wylle that one ought to have ayenst another for the wele of hym that he loveth, with the semblable wylle of hym, ought to be put forth tofore al other thynges. And ther is nothyng so resemblyng and lyke to the bees that maken hony ne so covenable in prosperité and in adversité, as is love. For by love, gladly the bees holden them togyder, and yf ony trespace to that other, anone they renne upon the malefactour for to punysshe hym.    And veray trewe love faylleth never for wele ne for evyl. And the most swete and the most comfortyng thyng is for to have a frend to whom a man may say his secret, as wel as to hymself. But verayly, amytye and frendshyp is somtyme founded upon somme thyng delectable. And this amytie cometh of yongthe, in the which dwellith a disordynate hete. And otherwhile, amytie is founded upon honesté. And this amytie is vertuous, of the whiche Tullyus saith that there is an amytie vertuous by the whiche a man ought to do to his frende al that he requyreth by reason. For for to do to hym a thyng dishonest, it is ayenst the nature of veray frendshyp and amytye. And thus for frendshyp ne for favour a man ought not to doo onythyng unresonable ayenst the comyn prouffyt, ner agaynst his fayth, ne ageynst his othe. For yf alle tho thynges that the frendes desyre and requyre were accomplisshed and doon, hyt shold seme that they shold be dyshoneste conivracions, and they myght otherwhyle more greve and hurte than proffyte and ayde.    And herof sayth Seneque that amytye is of suche wylle as the frende wylle, and to refuse that ought to be refused by reason. And yet he saith more, that a man ought to alowe and preise his frend tofore the peple, and to correcte and to chastyse hym pryvely, for the lawe of amytie is suche. For a man ought not to demaunde ner do to be doon to hys frende no vylayns thyng that ought to be kept secrete.    And Valerian sayth that it is a foule thynge and an evyl excusasion yf a man confesse that he hath doon ony evyl for his frende ayenst right and reason. And sayth that there was a good man named Taffyle, whiche herde one his frende requyre of hym a thynge dishoneste, whiche he denyed and wold not do. And than his frende said to hym in grete despyte, “What nede have I of thy frendship and amytee whan thou wilt not do that thyng that I requyre of thee?"    And Taffile answerd to hym, “What nede have I of the frendship and of the amyte of thee, yf I shold do for thee thyng dishonest?"    And thus love is founded otherwhile upon good prouffytable, and this love endureth as longe as he seeth his prouffyt. And herof men say a comyn proverbe in Englond, that love lasteth as longe as the money endurith, and whan the money failleth than there is no love.    And Varro rehercith in his sommes that the riche men ben al lovyd by this love, for their frendes ben like as the huske whiche is about the grayn. And no man may prove his frende so wel as in adversité or whan he is poure, for the veray trewe frende fayleth at no nede.    And Seneque saith that somme folowe the emperour for riches, and so don the flies the hony for the swetenes, and the wolf the carayn. And thyse companye folowe the praye and not the man.    And Tullyus sayth that Tarquyn the Proud had a nevewe of his suster, whiche was named Brutus, and this nevewe had banysshed Tarquin out of Rome and had sent hym in exyle. And than sayd he fyrst that he parceyved and knewe his frendes whyche were trewe and untrewe, and that he never perceyved afore tyme whan he was puyssaunt for to do theyr wylle, and sayd wel that the love that they had to hym endured not but as longe as hit was to them prouffytable. And therfore ought al the riche men of the world take hede, be they kynges, prynces, or duckes, to what people they doo prouffyt and how they may and ought be lovyd of theyr peple.    For Cathon sayth in his book, “See to whom thou gevest. And thys love whiche is founded upon theyr prouffit, whiche fayleth and endureth not, may better be callid and sayd ‘marchaundyse’ than love. For yf we repute this love to our prouffyt onely, and nothyng to the prouffyt of hym that we love, it is more marchaundyse than love, for he byeth our love for the prouffyt that he doth to us."    And therfore sayth the versefier thyse two versis: “Tempore felici multi numerantur amici / Cum fortuna perit nullus amicus erit," whiche is to say in Englissh that “as longe as a man is ewrous and fortunat, he hath many frendes, but whan fortune torneth and perissheth, there abydeth not to hym one frende." And of thys love ben loved the medowes, feldes, trees, and the bestys for the prouffyt that men take of them. But the love of the men ought to be charité, veray gracious and pure by good fayth. And the veray trewe frendes ben knowen in pure adversité.    And Piers Alphons sayth in his Book of Moralité that there was a phylosophre in Arabye that had an onely sone, of whom he demaunded what frendes he had goten hym in his lyf. And he answerd that he had many. And his fader sayd to hym, “I am an olde man, and yet coude I never fynde but one frende in al my lyf. And I trowe verely that it is no lytyl thyng for to have a frende, and hit is wel gretter and more a man to have many. And hit apperteyneth and behoveth a man to assaye and preve his frende or he have nede."    And thenne commaunded the philosopher his sone that he shold goo and slee a swyne and put hit in a sacke, and fayne that it were a man dede that he had slayn, and bere hit to his frendes for to burye hit secretly. And whan the sone had don as his fader commaunded hym, and had requyred his frendes one after another as afore is sayd, they denyed hym and answerd to hym that he was a vylayne to requyre and desire of them thyng that was so perilous. And than he came agayn to his fader and sayd to hym how he had requyred al his frendes, and that he had not founden one that wold helpe hym in his nede.    And than his fader sayd to hym that he shold goo and requyre his frende, whyche had but one, and requyre hym that he shold helpe hym in his nede. And whan he had requyred hym, anone he put out al his mayné out of hys hows. And whan they were out of the waye or aslepe, he dyd do make secretly a pytte in the grounde. And whan hit was redy and wold have buryed the body, he founde hit an hogge or a swyne, and not a man. And thus this sone prevyd this man to be a veray, trewe frende of his fader, and prevyd that his frendes were fals frendes of fortune.    And yet reherceth the sayd Piers Alphons that there were two marchauntes, one of Bandach and that other of Egypt, whiche were so joyned togeder by so grete frendshyp that he of Bandache cam on a tyme for to se hys frende in Egypt, of whom he was receyvyd right honuurably. And this marchaunt of Egypt had in his hows a fayre yonge mayden whom he shold have had in mariage to hymself, of the whiche mayde thys marchaunt of Bandach was esprised with her love so ardantly that he was right seek, and that men supposid hym to dye. And than the other dyd do come the phisisiens, whiche sayd that in hym was no sekenes sauf passyon of love. Thenne he axyd of the seek man yf there were ony woman in hys hows that he loved and maad al the women of his hows to come tofore hym. And than he chees her that shold have ben that other’s wyf and sayd that he was seek for her. Than his frende sayd to hym, “Frende, comforte yourself. For trewly I gyve her to you to wyf with alle the dowaire that is gyven to me wyth her." And had lever to suffre to be wythout wyf than to lese the body of his frende. And than he of Bandach wedded the mayde and went with his wyf and with his richesse ageyn in to his contré.    And after this, anone after, hit happend that the marchaunt of Egypt became so poure by evyl fortune that he was constreyned to seche and begge his breed by the contray, in so moche that he cam to Bandach. And whan he entrid in to the toun, hit was derk nyght that he coude not fynde the hows of his frende but went and lay thys nyght in an olde temple. And on the morne, whan he shold yssue out of the temple, the offycers of the toun arestyd hym and sayd that he was an homycide and had slayn a man whiche lay there dede. And anone he confessid hyt wyth a good wylle, and had lever to ben hangyd than to dye in that myserable and pour lyf that he suffryd. And thus whan he was brought to jugement, and sentence shold have ben gyven ayenst hym as an homycide, his frend of Bandach cam and sawe hym, and anone knewe that thys was his good frende of Egypte. And forthwyth stepte in and sayd that he hymself was culpable of the deth of this man and not that other, and enforcid hym in alle maners for to delyver and excuse that other.    And than whan that he that had doon the feet and had slayne the man sawe this thyng, he considerid in hymself that these two men were innocent of thys feet. And doubtyng the dyvyne jugement, he came tofore the juge and confessyd al the feet by ordre. And whan the juge sawe and herde al thys mater, and also the causes, he considered the ferme and trewe love that was betwene the two frendes, and understood the cause why that one wold save that other, and the trouth of the fayte of the homycide. And than he pardoned al the feet hooly and entierly. And after, the marchaunt of Bandach brought hym of Egipt wyth hym in to his hows, and gaf to hym his sister in mariage, and departed to hym half his goodes. And so bothe of hem were riche, and thus were they bothe veray faythful and trewe frendes.    Furthermore, notaries, men of lawe, and crafty men shold and ought to love eche other, and also ought to be contynent, chaste, and honeste. For by theyr craftes they ought so to be by necessyté. For they converse and accompanye them ofte tyme wyth women. And therfore hit apperteyneth to them to be chaste and honeste. And that they meve not the women, nor entyse them to lawghe and jape by ony dysordynate ensignes or tokenes.    Titus Livius reherceth that the philosopher Democreon dyd doo put out his eyen for as moche as he myght not beholde the women wythoute flesshly desyre. And how wel it is sayd before that he dyd hit for other certeyn cause. Yet was this one of the pryncipal causes.    And Valerian tellyth that there was a yong man of Rome of right excellent beaulté. And how wel that he was right chaste, for as moche as his beaulté mevyd many women to desire hym, insomoche that he understood that the parentes and frendes of them had suspecion in hym, he dyd his vysage to be kutte wyth a knyf and lancettis, endlong and everthwart for to deforme his vysage, and had lever have a fowle vysage and disformed than the beauté of his vysage shold meve other to synne.    And also we rede that there was a nonne, a virgyne, dyd do put out bothe her eyen, for as moche as the beauté of her eyen mevyd a kyng to love her, whyche eyen she sente to the kyng in a present.    And also we rede that Plato, the right ryche phylosopher, lefte his owne lande and contré, and chase his mansion and dwellyng in Achadomye, a toun whiche was not onely destroyed but also was ful of pestelence, so that by the cure and charge and customaunce of sorowe that he there suffrid myght eschewe the hetes and occasions of lecherye. And many of hys dysciples dyd in lyke wyse.    Helemand reherceth that Demostenes the philosopher laye ones by a noble woman for his dysporte, and playeng wyth her, he demaunded of her what he shold geve to have to doo wyth her. And she answerd to hym, “A thousand pens." And he sayd ageyn to her, “I shold repente me to bye hit so dere." And whan he advysed hym that, he was so sore chauffyd to speke to her for to accomplisshe his flesshly desyre, he despoyled hym al nakyd and wente and put hym in the myddes of the snowe.    And Ovyde rehercith that thys thynge is the leste that maye helpe and most greve the lovers.    And therfore Saynt Augustyn rehercith in his book, De civitate dei, that there was a right noble Romayn named Marculian that wan and took the noble cité of Siracuse. And tofore, er he dyd doo assayle hit or befight hit, and or he had do beshedde ony blood, he wepte and shedde many teeris tofore the cité. And that was for the cause that he doubted that his peple shold defoule and corumpe to moche dishonestly the chastyté of the toun, and ordeyned upon payn of deth that no man shold be so hardy to take and defoyle ony woman by force what that ever she were.    After thys, the crafty men ought to understonde for to be trewe and to have trouth in her mouthes, and that theyr dedes folowe theyr wordes. For he that sayth one thyng and doth another, he condempneth hymself by his word. Also, they ought to see wel to that they be of one accorde in good, by entente, by word, and by dede, so that they be not discordaunt in no caas, but that every man have pure verité and trouth in hymself. For God Hymself is pure verité. And men say comynly that trouth seketh none hernes, ne corners. And trouth is a vertu by the whiche alle drede and fraude is put awey. Men saye trewly whan they saye that they knowe, and they that knowe not trouthe ought to knowe hyt and alwey use trouthe.    For Saynt Austyn sayth that they that wene to knowe trouth and lyveth evyl and vyciously, it is folye yf he knoweth hit not. And also, he sayth in another place that it is better to suffre payn for trouth than for to have a benefete by falsnes or by flaterye. And man that is callyd a beste resonable, and doth not his werkys after reson and trouthe, is more bestyal than ony beste brute. And knowe ye that for to come to the trouthe hit cometh of a resonable forsight in his mynde. And lyeng cometh of an oultrageous and contrarie thought in hys mynde. For he that lyeth wittyngly knoweth wel that hit is ageynst the trouthe that he thynketh.    And herof speketh Saynt Bernard and sayth that the mouth that lyeth destroyeth the sowle.    And yet sayth Saynt Austyn in another place, “For to say one thynge and do the contrarye maketh doctryne suspecious."    And knowe ye verily that for to lye is a right perilous thynge to body and sowle. For the lye that the auncient enemye maad Eve and Adam to beleve hym, made hem for to be dampned with alle their lignage to the deth pardurable, and made hem to be cast out of paradyse terrestre. For he maad them to beleve that God had not forboden them the fruyt but onely bycause they shold not knowe that her Mayster knewe. But how wel that the devyl sayd thyse wordes yet had he double entente to hem bothe. For they knewe anone as they had tastyd of the fruyt that they were dampned to the deth pardurable. And God knewe hit wel tofore. But they supposid wel to have knowen many other thynges and to be lyke unto his knowleche and science.    And therfore saith Saynt Poule in a pistyl: “Hit ne apperteyneth to saver or knowe more than behoveth to saver or knowe, but to saver or knowe by mesure or sobrenes."    And Valerian rehercith that there was a good woman of Siracusane that wold not lye unto the Kyng of Secille, whyche was named Dyonyse. And this kyng was so ful of tyrannye and so cruel that alle the world desired his deth and cursid hym, sauf this woman onely, whiche was so olde that she had seen three or four kynges reignyng in the contré. And every mornyng, as sone as she was rysen, she prayed to God that he wold gyve unto the tyraunt good lyf and longe and that she myght never see his deth. And whan the Kyng Dyonyse knewe this, he sent for her and mervaylled moche herof, for he knewe wel that he was sore behated, and demaunded her what cause mevyd hyr to praye for hym. And she answerd and sayd to hym, “Sir, whan I was a mayde, we had a right evyl tyraunt to our kyng, of whom we coveyted sore the deth. And whan he was dede, there came after hym a werse, of whom we coveyted also the deth. And whan we were delyveryd of hym, thou camest to be our lord, which art worst of al other. And now I doubte yf we have one after thee he shal be worse than thou art. And therfore I shal praye for thee."    And whan Dyonyse understood that she was so hardy in sayeng the trouth, he durst not do torment her for shame by cause she was so olde.
F	The fourth chappitre of the third book tretith of the maner of the fourth pawn and of the marchauntis or chaungers.                                                                            Capitulo quarto.
592 593 594 595 596 597 598 599 600 601 602 603 604 605 606 607 608 609 610 611 612 613 614 615 616 617 618 619 620 621 622 623 624 625 626 627 628 629 630 631 632 633 634 635 636 637 638 639 640 641 642 643 644 645 646 647 648 649 650 651 652 653 654 655 656 657 658 659 660 661 662 663 664 665 666 667 668 669 670 671 672 673 674 675 676 677 678 679 680 681 682 683 684 685 686 687 688 689 690 691 692 693 694 695 696 697 698 699 700 701 702 703 704 705 706 707 708 709 710 711 712 713 714 715 716 717 718 719 720 721 722 723 724 725 726 727 728 729 730 731 732 733 734 735 736 737 738 739 740 741 742 743 744 745 746 747 748 749 750 751 752 753 754 755 756 757 758 759 760 761 762 763 764 765 766 767 768 769 770 771 772 773 774 775 776 777 778 779 780 781 782 783 784 785 786 787 788 789 790 791 792 793 794 795	N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N T N T N N	The fourth pawn is sette tofore the kyng and is formed in the forme of a man holdyng in his right hand a balaunce and the weyght in the lyft hand, and tofore hym a table, and at his gurdel a purse ful of money redy for to geve to them that requyred hit. And by thys peple ben signefyed the marchauntes of cloth, lynnen, and wollen, and of al other marchaundyses. And by the table that is tofore hym is signefyed the chaungers and they that lene money. And they that bye and selle by the weyght ben signefyed by the balaunces and weyghtes. And the customers, tollars, and receyvours of rentes and of money ben signefyed by the purse. And knowe ye that alle they that ben signefied by this peple ought to flee avarice and covetyse, and eschewe brekyng of the dayes of payment, and ought to holde and kepe theyr promyses, and ought also to rendre and restore that that is gyven to them to kepe.    And therfore hit is reson that this peple be set tofore the kyng, for as moche as they signefye the receyvours of the tresours ryal that ought alwey to be redy tofore the kyng, and to answer for hym to the knyghtes and to other persones for theyr wages and souldyes.    And therfore have I said that they ought to flee avarice, for avarice is as moche to say as an adourer or as worshypar of fals ymages. And herof sayth Tullyus that avarice is a covetise to gete that thyng that is above necessité. And it is a love disordynate to have onythyng, and it is one of the werst thynges that is, and specially to prynces and to them that governe the thynges of the comuneté. And this vyce causeth a man to do evyll, and thys doyng evyl is whan hit reygneth in olde men.    And herof sayth Seneque that all worldly thynges ben mortefyed and appetissed in olde men, reservyd avarice onely, whyche alwey abydeth wyth hym and dyeth with hym. But I understonde not wel the cause wherof this cometh ne wherfore hit may be. And hit is a fowle thyng and contrarye to reson that whan a man is at the ende of his journey for to lengthe his viage and to ordeyne more vitayl than hym behoveth. And this may wel be likned to the avaricious wolf, for the wolf doth never good tyl he be dede.    And thus it is sayd in the proverbys of the wyse men that the avaricious man doth no good tyl that he be deed, and he desireth nothynge but to lyve long in thys synne. For the covetous man certeynly is not good for onythyng, for he is evyl to hymself and to the riche and to the poure, and fyndeth cause to gaynsay theyr desire.    And herof rehercith Seneque, and sayth that Antigonus was a covetous prynce. And whan Tynque, whiche was his frende, requyred of hym a besaunt, he answerd to hym that he demaunded more than hyt apperteyned to hym. And than Tynque, constrayned by grete necessité, axid and requyred of hym a peny. And he answerd to hym that it was no yefte covenable for a kyng. And so he was alwey redy to fynde a cause nought to geve, for he myght have gyven to hym a besaunt as a kynge to his frende and the peny as to a poure man. And ther is nothyng so litil but that the humanyté of a kyng may geve hyt. Avarice ful of covetise is a maner of al vices of luxurye.    And Josephus rehercith in the Book of Auncient Histories that ther was in Rome a right noble lady named Paulyne, and was of the most noble of Rome, right honest for the noblesse of chastité, whiche was maryed in the tyme that the wommen glorefyed them in theyr chastyté unto a yonge man, fayr, noble, and riche above al other, and was lyke and semblable to his wyf in al caasis. And thys Pawlyne was belovyd of a knyght namyd Enymerancian and was so ardantly esprised in her love that he sent to her many right riche yeftes and made to her many grete promyses. But he myght never torne the herte of her, which was on her syde also colde and harde as marbyll. But she had lever to refuse his yeftes and hys promyses than to entende to covetyse and to lose her chastyté.    And we rede also in the Histories of Rome that there was a noble lady of Rome whiche lyved a solytarye lyf and was chaste and honeste, and had gadrid togeder a grete somme of golde, and had hyd hit in the erthe in a pytte wythin her hows. And whan she was deed, the bisshop dyd do burye her in the chirche wel and honestly. And anone after, this gold was founden and born to the bysshop. And the bisshop had to caste hit in to the pytte where she was buryed. And thre dayes men herd her crye and make grete noyse, and say that she brenned in grete payn, and they herd her ofte tymes thus tormentid in the chirche. The neyghbours went unto the bysshop and tolde hym therof, and the bisshop gaf hem leve to open the sepulcre. And whan they had openyd hit, they fonde al the golde molten with fire ful of sulphre, and was poured and put in her mouth. And they herd one say, “Thou desiredest this gold by covetyse! Take hyt and drynke hyt!" And thenne they took the body out of the tombe. And hit was cast out in a prevy place.    Seneque rehercith in the Boook of the Cryes of Women that avaryce is foundement of alle vyces.    And Valerian rehercith that avarice is a ferdful garde or kepar of richessis, for he that hath on hym or in his kepyng moche money or other richessis is alwey aferd to lose hit or to be robbid or to be slayn therfore. And he is not ewrous ner happy that by covetise getith hit.    And al the evyls of this vice of avarice had a man of Rome named Septenulle, for he was a frend of one named Tarchus. And this Septenulle brent so sore and so cruelly in this synne of covetise that he had no shame to smyte of the hede of hys frend by trayson, for as moche as one Framosian had promysed to hym as moche weyght of pure gold as the heed wayed. And he bare the said heed upon a staf thrugh the cité of Rome, and he voyded the brayn out therof and filled hyt ful of leed for to weye the hevyar. This was a right horrible and cruel avarice.    Ptolomé, Kyng of Egipciens, poursewed avarice in another manere. For whan Anthonie, Emperour of Rome, sawe that he was right riche of gold and silver, he had hym in grete hate and tormentid hym right cruelly. And whan he shold perissh bycause of his richessis, he toke al his havoir and put hyt in a shippe, and went withalle into the hye see to the ende for to drowne and perissh there the shippe and his richesses bycause Anthonye, his enemye, shold not have hit. And whan he was there, he durst not perisshe hit, ner myght not fynde in hys herte to departe from hit, but cam and brought hit agayn into his hows, where he receyvyd the rewarde of deth therfore. And without doubte he was not lord of the richesse, but the richesse was lady over hym.    And therfore hit is said in proverbe that a man ought to seignorie over the riches, and not for to serve hit. And yf thou canst dewly use thy richesse, than she is thy chamberer. And yf thou cannot departe from hit and use hit honestly at thy plesure, knowe verily that she is thy lady. For the riches never satisfyeth the covetous, but the more he hath, the more he desireth.    And Saluste saith that avarice destroubleth fayth, poesté, honesté, and al thise other good vertues, and taketh for thyse vertues pryde, cruelté, and to forgete God, and sayth that al thynges be vendable.    And after this, they ought to be ware that they lene not to moche, ner make so grete creaunces by whiche they may falle in poverté. For Saynt Ambrose saith upon Thoby: “Poverté hath no lawe, for to owe, hit is a shame, and to owe and not paye is a more shame. Yf thou be poure, beware how thou borowest and thynke how thou mayst paye and rendre agayn. Yf thou be riche, thou hast no nede to borowe and axe."    And it is said in the proverbis that hit is fraude to take that thou wylt not ner mayst [not] rendre and paye agayn.    And also, hit is sayd in reproche: “Whan I lene, I am thy frende, and whan I axe, I am thyn enemye," as who saith God at the lenyng and the devyll atte rendryng. And Seneke saith in his auctorités that they that gladly borowe ought gladly to paye, and ought to surmounte in corage to love hem the better bycause they lene hem and ayde hem in her nede. For benefetes and good tornes don to a man ought to gyve hym thankynges therfore, and moche more ought a man to repaye that is lent hym in his nede. But now in these dayes many men by lenyng of their money have made of their frendes enemyes.    And herof speketh Domas the philosopher and saith that, “My frende borowed money of me, and I have lost my frende and my money."    There was a marchaunt of Gene and also a chaungeour whos name was Albert Ganor. And this Albert was a man of grete trouth and loyalté. For on a tyme there was a man cam to hym and sayd and affermyd that he had delyveryd into his banke five honderd floryns of gold to kepe, whiche was not trouth, for he lyed, whiche five honderd floryns the sayd Albert knewe not of, ner coude fynde in al his bookes ony suche money to hym due. And this lyar coude brynge no wytnes, but began to braye, crye, and deffame the said Albert. And than this Albert callyd to hym this marchaunt and sayd, “Dere frende, take here five honderd florens whiche thou affermest and sayest that thou hast delyverd to me." And forthwyth tolde hem and toke hem to hym. And lo this good man had lever to lose his good than his good name and renome.    And this other marchaunt toke these florens that he had wrongfully receyvyd and enployed them in dyverse marchaundyse, in so moche that he gate and encresid and wan with them fifteen thousand florens. And whan he sawe that he approched toward his deth, and that he had no children, he establisshed Albert his heyr in al thynges, and sayd that with the five honderd florens that he had receyvyd of Albert falsely, he had goten alle that he had in the world. And thus by devyne purveaunce, he that had be a theef fraudelent was maad afterward a trewe procurour and atorney of the sayd Albert.    But now in thyse dayes there be marchauntis that do marchaundise with other menny’s money whiche is taken to hem to kepe. And whan they ben requyred to repaye hyt, they have no shame to denye hit appertly.    Wherof hit happend that ther was a marchaunt which had a good and a grete name and renome of kepyng wel suche thynges as was delyveryd to hym to kepe. But whan he sawe place and tyme, he reteyned hit lyke a theef. So hit befel that a marchaunt of without forth herd the good reporte and fame of this man, cam to hym, and delyverd hym grete tresour to kepe. And thys tresour abode three yere in his kepyng. And after this thre yere, thys marchaunt came and requyred to have his good delyverd to hym agayn. And thys man knewe wel that he had no recorde ne witnes to preve on hym this dueté, nor he had no obligacion ne wrytyng of hym therof, in suche wyse that he denyed al entierly and sayd playnly he knewe hym not. And whan this good man herd and understood this, he went sorowfully and wepyng from hym so ferre and longe that an olde woman mette wyth hym and demaunded of hym the cause of his wepyng. And he sayd to her, “Woman hit aperteyneth nothyng to thee! Goo thy waye!"    And she prayed hym that he wold telle her the cause of his sorowe, for paraventure she myght geve hym counceyl good and proffytable. And thenne this man tolde to her by ordre the caas of his fortune. And the olde woman, that was wyse and subtil, demaunded of hym yf he had in that cité ony frende whiche wold be faythful and trewe to hym. And he sayd “ye," that he had dyverse frendes. Than sayd she, “Goo thou to them and saye to them that they doo ordeyne and bye dyverce cofres and chestes, and that they doo fylle them wyth somme olde thynges of no value, and that they fayne and say that they be ful of golde, silver, and other jewels, and of moche grete tresour. And thenne that they brynge them to thys sayd marchaunt, and to say to hym that he wold kepe them, for as moche as they had grete trust in hym, and also that they have herd of his grete trouth and good renome, and also they wold go into fer contré and shold be longe er they retorned agayn. And whilis they speke to hym of this mater, thou shalt come upon them and requyre hym that he doo delyver to thee that thou tokest to hym. And I trowe, bycause of tho good men that than shal proffre to hym the sayd tresour and for the covetise to have hit, he shal delyver to thee thy good agayn. But beware! Late hym not knowe they ben thy good frendes ner of thy knowleche."    This was a grete and good counceyl of a woman. And verily it cometh of nature often tymes to women to geve counceyl shortly and unadvysedly to thynges that ben in doubte or perilous and nedeth hasty remedye. And as ye have herd, this good man dyd, and did after her counceyl, and came upon them whan they spack of the mater to the marchaunt for to delyver to hym the sayd cofres to kepe, whiche his frendes had fayned, and requyred of hym that he had taken to hym to kepe. And than anone the sayd marchaunt sayd to hym, “I knowe thee now wel. For I have advysed me that thou art suche a man, and camest to me suche a tyme, and delyvered to me suche a thynge whyche I have wel kept."    And thenne callyd his clerk and bad hym goo fetche suche a thyng in suche a place and delyver hit to that good man, “for he delyverd hit to me." And than the good man receyvyd his good and went his waye right joyously and glad. And this marchaunt trichour and deceyvour was defrauded from his evyl malice. And he ne had neyther that one ne that other onythyng that was of value.    And therfore hit is sayd in proverbe, “To defraude the begiler is no fraude." And he that doth wel foloweth our Lord.    And Seneke sayth that charité enseigneth and techeth that men shold paye wel, for good payement is somtyme good confessyon.    And this marchaunt trichour and deceyvour resemblith and is lyke to an hound that bereth a chese in his mouth whan he swymmeth over a water. For whan he is on the watre, he seeth the shadowe of the chese in the watre, and than he weneth hit be another chese. And for covetyse to have that, he openyth his mouth to catche that. And than the chese that he bare fallith doun into the watre, and thus he loseth bothe two. And in the same wyse was servyd thys marchaunt deceyvour. For for to have the cofres whiche he had not seen, he delyverd agayn that he wold have holden wrongfully, and thus by his covetise and propre malyce he was deceyved.    And therfore hit apperteyneth to every good and wyse man to knowe and considere in hymself how moche he hath receyved of other men. And upon what condycion hit was delyverd to hym. And it is to wete that thys thyng apperteyneth to receyvours and to chaungeours, and to alle trewe marchauntis and other, what that somever they be, and ought to kepe theyr bookes of resaytes and of payementes of whom and to whom, and what tyme and day. And yf ye demaunde what thyng makyth them to forgete suche thynges as ben taken to them to kepe, I answer and say that it is grete covetise for to have tho thynges to themself and never to departe from them. And hit is alle her thought and desire to assemble alle the goodes that they may gete, for they beleve on none other god, but on her richesses theyr hertes ben so obstynat.    And this suffyseth of the marchauntes.
F N	The fifthe chappitre of the thyrd book treteth of physiciens, medecynes, spycers, and appotiquaries.                                                                                            Capitulo five.
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And he is sette in a chayer as a maistre, and holdeth in his right hand a book, and an ample or a boxe with oynementis in his lyft hand. And at his gurdel his instrumentis of yron and of silver for to make incisions and to serche woundes and hurtes, and to cutte apostumes. And by thyse thynges ben knowen the surgyens. By the book ben understonden the phisiciens and all gramariens, logyciens, maystres of lawe, of geometrye, arsmetrique, musique, and of astronomye. And by the ampole ben signefyed the makers of pygmentaries, spicers, and apotiquaries, and they that make confeccions, and confites, and medecynes maad wyth precious spyce. And by the ferremens and instrumentis that hangen on the gurdel ben signefyed the surgyens and the maysters.    And knowe ye for certeyn that a maystre and physicyen ought to knowe the proporcions of lettres of gramayre, the monemens, the conclucions, and the sophyms of logique, the gracious speche and utteraunce of rethorique, the mesures of the houres and dayes, and of the cours of astronomye, the nombre of arsmetrique, and the joyous songes of musique. And of al thyse tofore named, the maysters of rethorique ben the chyef maysters in speculatyf. And the two last that ben practiciens and werkes ben callyd physiciens and surgyens, how wel they ben sage and curious in thyse sciences, and how wel that manny’s lyf is otherwhyle put in the ordonaunce of the physicien or surgyen. Yf he have not sagesse and wysedom in hymself of dyverce wrytynges and is not expert, and medlyth hym in the craft of physique, he ought better be callyd a slear of peple than a phisicien or surgyen. For he may not be a maystre but yf he be sewre and expert in the craft of phisike that he slee not moo than he cureth and maketh hoole.    And therfore sayth Avycenne in an Anforysme: “Yf thou curest the seek man and knowest not the cause wherof the maladye ought to be cured, hit ought to be sayd that thou hast cured hym by fortune and happe more than by ony kunnyng.” And in al thyse maner of people, ther ought to be meurté of good maners, curtosie of wordes, chastité of the body, promysse of helthe, and, as to them that been seek, contynuel vysitacion of them. And they ought to enquere the cause of theyr sekenessys and the sygnes and tokens of theyr maladyes, as is rehercid in the bokes of the auctours by right grete dyligence, and specially in the bookes of Ypocras, Galiene, and of Avycene.    And whan many maysters and phisiciens ben assemblid tofore the pacient or seke man, they ought not there to argue and dispute, one agaynst another. But they ought to make good and symple colacion togeder in suche wyse as they be not seen in theyr dysputyng one agaynst another for to encroche and gete more glory of the world to them self than to trete the salute and helthe of the pacient and seek man. I mervaylle why that, whan they see and knowe that whan the seek man hath grete nede of helthe, wherfore than they make gretter objeccion of contrariousnes, for as moche as the lyf of man is demened and put amonge them. But hit is by cause that he is reputed most sage and wyse that argueth and bryngeth in most subtiltees. And alle this maner is amonge doctours of lawe that tretith nothyng of manne’s lyf but of temporel thynges that he is holden most wyse and best lerned, that by hys counceyl can best accorde the contencions and dyssencions of men. And therfore ought the phisiciens and surgyens leve, whan they be tofore the seek men, al discencions and contrariousnes of wordes, in suche wyse that hit appere that they studye more for to cure the seek men than for to despute.    And therfore is the phisicien duly sette tofore the quene, so that it is figured that he ought to have in hymself chastyté and contynence of body. For hit apperteyneth som tyme unto the phisicien to vysite and cure quenes, duchesses and countesses, and alle other ladyes, and see and beholde somme secrete sekenessis that falle and come otherwhile in the secretis of nature. And therfore hit aperteyneth to them that they be chaste and folowe honesté and chastyté, and that they be ensaumple to other of good contynence.    For Valerian rehercith that Ypocras was of mervayllous contynence of his body. For whan he was in the scoles of Athenes, he had by hym a right fayr woman, whiche was comyn. And the yong scolers and the joly felawes that were students promysed to the woman a besaunte yf she myght or coude torne the corage of Ypocras for to have to doon wyth her. And she came to hym by nyght and dyd so moche by her craft that she laye wyth hym in his bedde. But she coude never do so moche that she myght corumpe his chaste lvyyng ne defoule the crowne of his conscience. And whan the yonge men knewe that she had ben wyth hym al the nyght and coude not chaunge his contynence, they began to mocque her and to axe and demaunde of her the besaunt that they had geven to her. And she answerd that hit was holden and gaged upon an ymage. For as moche as she myght not chaunge hys contynence, she callyd hym an ymage.    And in semblable wyse rehercith Valeryan of Scenocrates, phylosopher, that there laye wyth hym a woman alle nyght and tempted hym dysordonatly. But that right chaste man made never semblaunt to her, ner he never remevyd from hys ferme purpoos, in suche wyse as she departed from hym al confused and shamed.    Cornelius Scipion, that was sent by the Romayns for to governe Spayn, as sone as he entrid in to the castellys and into the townes of that londe, he began to take aweye al tho thynges that myght stere or meve his men to lecherye, wherfore men sayd that he drof and chased out of the hoost moo than two thousand bourdellys. And he that was wyse knewe wel that delyte of lecherye corupted and apayred the corages of tho men that ben abandoned to the same delyte.    And herof it is sayd in the fables of the poetes in the first book of the Truphes of the Philosophres by figure that they that entrid in to the fonteyne of the sirenes or mermaydens were corumped, and they took them awey wyth hem.    And also ye ought to knowe that they ought to entende dylygently to the cures of the infirmytees in cyrurgerye. They ought to make theyr plaisters accordyng to the woundes or soores. Yf the wounde be rounde, the enplastre must be rounde. And yf hit be longe, hit must be longe. And otherwhyle hit must be cured by his contrarye, lyke as it apperteyneth to phisique. For the hete is cured by colde, and the colde by hete, and joye by sorowe and sorowe by joye. And hit happeth ofte tymes that moche peple be in grete parille in takyng to moche joye and lese her membris, and become half benomen in the sodeyn joye. And joye is a repleccion of thynge that is delectable, sprad abrode in alle the membres wyth right grete gladnes. And al men entende and desyre to have the sayd right grete joye naturelly, but they knowe not what may ensue and come therof. And this joye cometh otherwhile of vertue of conscience, and the wise man is not wythout this joye. And thys joye is never interrupt ne in defaulte at no tyme, for hit cometh of nature. And fortune may not take awey that nature geveth.    And Marcial sayth that joyes fugetyves abyde not long, but fle awey anone.    And Valerian rehercith that he that hath force and strengthe resonable hath hit of veray matier of complecconn, and that cometh of love. And this joye hath as moche power to departe the sowle fro the body as hath the thondre. Wherof hit happend that there was a woman named Lyna, whiche had her husbond in the warre in the shyppys of the Romayns, and she supposid verayly that he was deed. But hit happend that he came agayn home, and as he entrid into his yate, his wyf mette wyth hym sodaynly, not warned of his comyng, whiche was so gladde and joyous that in enbracyng hym she fyl doun deed.    Also, of another woman to whom was reported by a fals messanger that her sone was deed, whiche went hoom soroufully to her hows. And afterward, when her sone came to her, as sone as she sawe hym, she was so esmoved wyth joye that she deyde tofore hym. But this is not so grete mervayle of women as is of the men.    For the women ben lykened unto softe waxe or softe ayer, and therfore she is callyd mulier, whiche is as moche to saye in Latyn as mollis aer and in Englissh “softe ayer.” And hit happeth ofte tymes that the nature of them that ben softe and mole taketh sonner inpressyon than the nature of men that be rude and stronge.    Valerie rehercith that a knyght of Rome named Instavlosus that had newly conquerid and subdued the Yle of Corsika. And as he sacrefyed his goodes, he receyvyd lettres from the senate of Rome in whiche were conteyned dyverce supplicacions, the whiche whan he understood, he was so glad and so enterprised wyth joye that he knewe not what to do. And than a grete fume or smoke yssued out of the fire, in whiche he dispayrid and fyl into the fyre, where he was anone deed.    And also it is sayd that Phylomenus lawghed so sore and distemperatly that he dyed al lawghyng.    And we rede that Ypocras, the phisicien, fond remedye for thys joye. For whan he had long dwellyd out of hys contrey for to lerne kunnyng and wysedom, and shold retorne unto his parentis and frendes, whan he approchyd nygh them, he sent a messanger tofore for to telle them his comyng and commaunded hym to saye that he cam. For they had not longe tofore seen hym, and that they shold attempre them in that joye or they shold see hym.    And also, we rede that Titus, the sone of Vaspasian, whan he had conquerd Jherusalem and abode in the contrees by, he herde that his fader, Vaspasian, was chosen by al the Senate for to governe the Empyre of Rome. Wherfore he had so right grete joye that sodeynly he lost the strength of al his membris and became al inpotent. And whan Josephus, that made the historye of the Romayns ayenst the Jewys, whiche was a right wyse phisicien, sawe and knewe the cause of this sekenes of the sayd Titus, he enquyred of his folke yf he had in hate ony man gretely so moche that he myght not here speke of hym ne wel se hym. And one of the servauntes of Tytus sayd that he had one persone in hate so moche that ther was no man in his courte so hardy that durst name hym in hys presence.    And than Josephus assigned a day whan this man shold come and ordeyned a table to be sette in the sight of Titus, and did hit to be replenysshed plentously wyth al dayntees. And ordeyned men to be armed to kepe hym in suche wise that no man shold hurt hym by the commaundement of Titus, and ordeyned boutelers, cokes, and other officers for to serve hym worshipfully like an emperour. And whan al this was redy, Josephus brought in this man that Titus hated, and sette hym at the table tofore his eyen, and was servyd of yong men with grete reverence right curtoisly. And whan Titus behelde his enemye sette tofore hym wyth so grete honour, he began to chauffe hymself by grete felonye, and commaunded his men that this man shold be slayn. And whan he sawe that none wold obeye hym, but that they alwey servyd hym reverently, he waxe so ardant and enbracid wyth so grete yre that he, that had lost al the force and strengthe of his body and was al impotent in alle his membrys, recoverd the helth agayn and strengthe of hys membris by the hete that entryd into the vaynes and synewes. And Josephus dyd so moche that he was recoveryd and hoole, and that he helde that man no more for hys enemye but helde hym for a veray trewe frende, and afterward maad hym his loyal felowe and companyoun.    And the espycers and apoticaries ought to make trewly suche thynges as is commaunded to them by the phisiciens. And they ought to accomplisshe their billes and charge curiously with grete diligence, that for none other cause they shold be ocupied but in makyng medecynes or confecconns trewly. And that they ought, upon paryl of their sowle, not to forgete by neglygence ne rechelesnes to gyve one medecyne for another, in suche wyse that they be not slears of men, and that they doo put no false thynges in her spices for to enpayre, or encrecyng the weyght. For yf they so do, they may better be callyd thevys than espycers or apoticaries. And they that ben acustumed to make oynementis, they ought to make it proprely of trewe stuffe and of good odoure after the receptes of the auncient doctours, and after the forme that the phisiciens and surgiens devyse unto them.    Also, they ought to be ware that for none avayle ne gyfte that they ought have, that they put in their medecynes nothyng venemous ne doyng hurte or scathe to ony persone of whom they have no good ne veray knowleche, to the ende that they to whom the medecynes shold be geven torne not to them hurt, ne domage, ne in destrucconns of their neyghbours. And also that they that have mynystrid tho thynges to them been not taken for parteners of the blame and of the synne of them.    The surgyens ought also to be debonayr, amyable, and to have pyté of theyr pacients. And also, they ought not be hasty to launce and cutte apostumes and soores, ne open the heedes, ner to arrache bones broken, but yf the cause be apparant. For they myght ellys lose theyr good renomee, and myght better be callyd bouchers thenne helars or guarysshours of woundes and sores. And also hit behoveth that alle thys maner of peple aforesayd, that have the charge for to make hoole and guarisshe alle maner of maladyes and infirmytees, that they first have the cure of themself. And they ought to purge themself from alle apostumes and alle vyces, in suche wyse that they be net and honeste and enformed in al good maners. And that they shewe hem hole and pure and redy for to hele other.    And herof sayth Boecius [in] De consolacisone, in his first booke that the sterres that ben hyd under the clowdes may gyve no light. And therfore, yf ony man wyl beholde clerely the verité, late hym withdrawe hym fro the obscureté and derknes of the cloudes of ygnoraunce. For whan the engyne of a man sheweth in joye or in sorow, the pensee or thought is envoluped in obscureté and under the clowdes.
F	The sixte chappitre of the thyrd book treteth of the sixte pawn, whiche is lykenyd to taverners, hostelers, and vytayllers.                                                                                              Capitulo six.
981 982 983 984 985 986 987 988 989 990 991 992 993 994 995 996 997 998 999 1000   1001 1002 1003 1004 1005 1006 1007 1008 1009 1010 1011 1012 1013 1014 1015 1016 1017 1018 1019 1020 1021 1022 1023 1024 1025 1026 1027 1028 1029 1030 1031 1032 1033 1034 1035 1036 1037 1038 1039 1040 1041 1042 1043 1044 1045 1046 1047 1048 1049 1050 1051 1052 1053 1054 1055 1056 1057 1058 1059 1060 1061 1062 1063 1064 1065 1066 1067 1068 1069 1070 1071 1072 1073 1074 1075 1076 1077 1078 1079 1080 1081 1082 1083 1084 1085 1086 1087 1088 1089 1090 1091 1092 1093 1094 1095 1096 1097 1098 1099 1100 1101 1102 1103 1104 1105 1106 1107 1108 1109 1110 1111 1112 1113 1114 1115 1116 1117 1118 1119 1120 1121 1122 1123 1124 1125 1126 1127 1128 1129 1130 1131 1132 1133 1134 1135 1136 1137 1138 1139 1140 1141 1142 1143 1144 1145 1146 1147 1148 1149 1150 1151 1152 1153 1154 1155 1156 1157 1158 1159 1160 1161 1162 1163 1164 1165 1166 1167	N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N	The sixte pawn, whiche stondeth tofore the alphyn on the lyfte syde, is made in this forme, for hit is a man that hath the right hond stratched out as for to calle men, and holdeth in his lift honde a loof of breed and a cuppe of wyn, and on his gurdel hangyng a bondel of keyes. And this resemblith the taverners, hostelers, and sellars of vytayl. And thyse ought properly to be sette tofore the alphyn, as tofore a juge. For there sourdeth oft tymes amonge hem contencion, noyse, and stryf, whyche behoveth to be determyned and trayted by the alphyn, whiche is juge of the kyng. And hit apperteyneth to them for to seke and enquere for good wynes and good vytayl for to gyve and selle to the byars, and to them that they herberowe. And hit aperteyneth to them wel to kepe theyr herberowes and innes, and alle tho thynges that they brynge into theyr lodgyng, and for to putte hyt in seure and sauf warde and kepyng.    And the first of them is signefyed by the lyfte hand in whyche he bereth breed and wyn. And the second is signefyed by the right hand whiche is stratched out to calle men. And the thyrd is representyd by the keyes hangyng on the gurdel.    And thyse maner of peple ought to eschewe the synne of glotonye. For moche people come into theyr howses for to drynke and for to ete, for whyche cause they ought resonably to rewle themself and to refrayne them from to moche mete and drynke, to the ende that they myght the more honestly delyver thynges nedeful unto the peple that come unto them, and nothyng by outrage that myght noye the body.    For hit happeth oft tymes that there cometh of glotonye, tencions, stryfs, riottes, wronges, and molestaconns, by whiche men lese otherwhyle their handes, theyr eyen, and other of theyr membris, and somtyme ben slayn or hurte unto the deth as it is wreton in Vitas Patrum, as on a tyme an hermyte went for to vysite his gossibs. And the devyl apperid to hym on the wey in likenes of another hermyte for to tempte hym, and said: “Thou hast left thyn hermytage and goest to visite thy gossibs. Thee behoveth by force to do one of the three thynges that I shal say to thee. Thou shalt chese whether thou wolt be dronk, or ellys have to do flesshlye with thy gossyb, or ellis thou shalt slee her husbond, whiche is thy gossib also.”    And the hermyte, that thought for to chese the leste evyl, chase for to be dronke. And whan he cam unto them, he drank so moche that he was veray dronk. And whan he was dronke and eschauffyd with the wyn, he wold have a doo with his gossyb. And her husbond withstood hym. And than the hermyte slewe hym and after that laye by his gossyb and knewe her flesshly. And thus by this synne of dronkenshyp, he accomplisshed the two other synnes.    By whiche thyng ye may understonde and knowe that whan the devyl wyl take one of the castellys of Jhesu Cryst, that is to wete the body of a man or of a woman, he doth as a prynce that setteth a siege tofore a castel that he wold wynne, whyche entendeth to wynne the gate. For he knoweth wel whan he hath wonne the gate he may sone doo his wylle wyth the castel. And in lyke wyse doth the devyl wyth every man and womman. For whan he hath wonne the gate, that is to wete the gate of the mouthe by glotonye or by ony other synne, he may do wyth the offyces of the body al his wylle as ye have herd tofore. And therfore ought every man ete and drynke sobrely in suche wyse as he may lyve, and not lyve to ete glotonsly and for to drynke dronk. Ye se comunely that a grete bole is suffisid with right a litil pasture, and that one wode suffiseth to many olephauntes. And hit behoveth a man to be fedde by the erthe or by the see. Nevertheles, it is no grete thynge to fede the bely, nothyng so grete as is the desire of many metes.    Wherof Quyntilian saith that hit happeth ofte tymes in grete festes and dyners that we be fylled with the sight of the noble and lichorous metis, and whan we wold ete, we ben saciat and fylled.    And therfore it is sayd in proverbe: “Hit is better to fille the belye than the eye.”    And Lucan saith that “glotony is the moder of al vices, and especial of lecherye, and also is destroyar of al goodes, and may not have suffysaunce of lytil thynge, a covetous honger, what sekest thou mete and vytayllis on the lande and in the see. And thy joye is nothyng ellis but to have playnteuous dysshes and wel filled at thy table. Lerne how men may demene theyr lyf with litil thynge.”    And Cathon saith, “In no wyse obeye to glotonye, whiche is frende to lecherye.”    And the holy doctour Saynt Augustyn saith, “The wyn eschauffith the bely that falleth anone to lecherye.” The bely and the membris ben neighbours to lecherie, and thus the vice of glotonye provoketh lecherye, wherof cometh forgetenes of his mynde and destruccion of alle quyck and sharpe reason, and is cause of distemperaunce of his wyttes. What synne is fowler than this synne and more stynkyng, ne more dommageous? For this synne hath taken awey the vertu of man. His prowesse languyssheth, his vertue is torned to diffame, the strengthe of body and of corage is torned by thee.    And therfore saith Vasilly la Graunt: “Late us take hede howe we serve the bely and the throte by glotonye like as we were dombe bestys. And we studye for to be lyke unto belues of the see, to whom nature hath gyven to be alwey enclyned toward the erthe, and therto loke for to serve their belyes.”    And herof sayth Boecius [in] De consolacione in his fourth book, that a man that lyveth and doth not the condicions of a man may never be in good condicion. Than must hit nedes be that he be transported in nature of a beste or of a belue of the see. How wel that right grete men and women, ful of mervayllous sciences and noble counceyl in thyse dayes in the world, be norisshed in this glotonye of wynes and metes, and ofte tymes ben overseen. How suppose ye is hit not right a perilous thyng that a lord or governour of the peple and comyn wele, how wel that he be wyse, yf he eschauffe hym sone, so that the wyn or other drynke surprise hym and overcome his brayn? His wisedom is lost.    For as Cathon sayth: “Ire enpessheth the corage in suche as he may not kepe verité and trouth.” And anone as he is chauffid, lecherye is mevyd in hym in suche wyse that the lecherye makyth hym to meddle in dyverse vylayns dedes, for than his wysedom is a slepe and goon.    And therfore saith Ovyde in his book De remedio amoris: “Yf thou take many and dyverce wynes, they apparayle and enforce the corages to lecherye.”    And Thobye wytnessyth in his book that luxurie destroyeth the body and mynyssheth rychessys. She loseth the sowle, she febleth the strengthe, she blyndeth the syght, and maketh the voys hoors and rawe. A right evyl and foule synne of dronkenshyp, by thee perisshith virgynyté, whiche is suster of aungellis, possedyng al goodnes and seurté of al joyes pardurable.    Noe was one tyme so chauffyd wyth wyn that he discoverd and shewid to hys sones his prevy membris in suche wyse as one of his sones mocqued hym, and that other coverd hem. And Loth, whiche was a man right chaste, was so assoted by moche drynkyng of wyn that on a mounteyn he knewe hys doughters carnelly, and had to doo wyth them as they had ben his propre wyves.    And Crete rehercith that Boece, whiche was flour of the men, tresour of richesses, synguler hous of sapyence, myrrour of the world, odour of good renomee, and glorie of his subgettis, lost al thise thynges by his luxurie. We have seen that dyverce that were joyned by grete amytie to geder whiles they were sobre, that that one wold put his body in parell of deth for that other, and whan they were eschauffid with wyn and dronke, they have ronne eche upon other for to slee hem. And somme have ben that have slayn so his frende.    Herodes Antipas had not doon Saynt John Baptist to ben beheded, ne had the dyner ben ful of glotonye and dronkship. Balthazar, kyng of Babylone, had not been chaced out of his kyngdom, ne be slayn, yf he had be sobre emonge hys peple, whom Tyrus and Dares fond dronken and slewe hym.    The hostelers ought to be wel bespoken and curtoys of wordes to them that they receyve in to theyr lodgyng. For fayr speche, and joyous chiere and debonayr, cause men to gyve the hosteler a good name. And therfore hit is sayd in a comyn proverbe: “Curtoyse langage and wel sayeng is moche worth and coste lytyl.” And in another place it is sayd that curtosye passeth beaulté.    Also, for as moche as many pareylls and adventures may happen on the wayes and passages to hem that been herberowed wyth in theyr innes, therfore they ought to accompanye them whan they departe, and enseigne them the weyes and telle to them the parilles, to the ende that they may surely goo theyr vyage and journey. And also they ought to kepe theyr bodyes, theyr goodes, and the good fame and renomee of theyr innes.    We rede that Loth, whan he had receyvyd the aungellys into his hows right debonayrly, whiche he had supposid had ben mortal men and straungers, to the ende that they shold eskape the disordynate and unnaturel synne of lecherye of the Sodomytes, by the vertu of good fayth, he sette a part the naturel love of a fader and proferd to them his doughters, whiche were vyrgyns, to the ende that they shold kepe them and defende them fro that villayn and horrible synne.    And knowe ye for certeyn that al tho thynges that been taken and delyverd to kepe to the hoste or hostessis, they ought to be sauf and yelden ageyn without appayryng. For the hoste ought to knowe who that entrith in to hys hous for to be herberowed takith hit for his habitacion for the tyme he hymself, and alle suche thynges as he bryngeth wyth hym, ben commysed of right in the warde and kepyng of the hoste or hosteler, and ought to be as sauf as they were put in his owne propre hows.    And also suche hostes ought to holde servauntes in theyr hows whiche shold be trewe and without avarice, in suche wyse that they coveyte not to have the goodes of theyr ghestes, and that they take not awey the provender fro theyr horses whan hit is gyven to them, that by the occasion therof, their horses perisshe not, ne faylle theyr maister whan they have nede, and myght falle in the handes of theyr enemyes. For than shold the servauntes be cause of that evyl wherfore their maysters shold see to. For without doubte, this thyng is worse than thefte.    Hit happend on a tyme in the parties of Lombardye in the cyté of Jene that a noble man was lodgyd in an hostelrye wyth moche companye. And whan they had gyven provendour to theyr horses, in the first oure of the nyght, the servaunt of the hows came secretly tofore the horses for to stele awey theyr provender. And whan he came to the lorde’s hors, the hors caught with his teth his arme and helde hit fast that he myght not escape. And whan the theef sawe that he was so strongly holden, he began to crye for the grete payn that he suffrid and felte, in suche wyse that the noble manny’s meyné cam wyth the hoste. But in no maner, ner for ought they coude doo, they coude not take the theef out of the horse’s mouth unto the tyme that the neyghbours, whiche were noyed wyth the noyse, came and sawe hit. And the theef was knowen and taken and brought tofore the juge, and confessyd the feet, and by sentence diffynytyf was hanged and lost his lyf. And in the same wyse was another that dyd so. And the hors smote hym in the vysage that the prynte of the hors shoo and nayles abode ever in his vysage.    Another caas right cruel and vilaynous fyl at Tholouse. Hit happend a yong man and his fader went a pylgremage to Saynt James in Galice and were lodgyd in an hostelrye of an evyl hoost, and ful of right grete covetyse, inso moche that he desired and coveyted the goodes of the two pylgrymes. And here upon advysed hym, and put a cuppe of silver secretly in the male that the yonge man bare. And whan they departed out of theyr lodgyng, he folowed after hem and sayd tofore the peple of the court that they had stolen and borne awey his cuppe. And the yong man excused hymself and his fader and sayd they were innocent of that caas. And thenne they serchyd hem, and the cuppe was founden in the male of the yonge man. And forthwyth he was dampned to deth and hanged as a theef. And thys feet doon, al the goodes that longed to the pylgrym were delyverd to the hoste as confisqued.    And than the fader went forth for to do his pylgremage. And whan he came ageyn, he must nedes come and passe by the place where his sone hynge on the gybet. And as he came he complayned to God and to Saynt James how they myght suffre this adventure to come unto hys sone. Anone his sone that hyng spake to his fader and said how that Saynt James had kept hym wythout harme, and bad his fader goo to the juge and shewe to hym the myracle, and how he was innocent of that fait. And whan this thyng was knowen, the sone of the pylgrym was taken doun fro the gybet, and the cause was brought tofore the juge, and the hoost was accused of the trayson. And he confessyd his trespaas and sayd he dyd hit for covetyse to have his good. And than the juge dampned hym for to be hanged on the same gybet where as the yonge pylgrym was hanged.    And that I have sayd of the servauntes beyng men, the same I say of the women as chaumberers and tapsters. For semblable caas fyl in Spayn at Saynt Donne of a chaumberer that put a cuppe in lyke wyse in the scrippe of a pylgryme bycause he wold not have a do wyth her in the synne of lecherye, wherfore he was hanged. And his fader and moder that were there wyth hym went and dyd her pylgremage. And whan they came agayn, they fonde her sone lyvyng. And than they went and tolde the juge, whiche juge sayd that he wold not beleve hit til a cok and an henne, whiche rosted on the fyre, were a lyve, and the cok crewe. And anone they began to wexe a lyve, and the cok crewe and began to crowe and to pasture. And whan the juge sawe this myracle, he went and toke doun the sone, and made the chaumberer to be taken and to be hanged. Wherfore I say that the hostes ought to holde no tapsters ne chaumberers but yf they were good, meure, and honeste. For many harmes may befalle and come by the disordenate rewle of servauntes.
F	The seventh chappitre of the thyrd tractate treteth of kepars of townes, customers, and tolle gaderers.                                                                                                              Capitulo seven.
1168 1169 1170 1171 1172 1173 1174 1175 1176 1177 1178 1179 1180 1181 1182 1183 1184 1185 1186 1187 1188 1189 1190 1191 1192 1193 1194 1195 1196 1197 1198 1199 1200 1201 1202 1203 1204 1205 1206 1207 1208 1209 1210 1211 1212 1213 1214 1215 1216 1217 1218 1219 1220 1221 1222 1223 1224 1225 1226 1227 1228 1229 1230 1231 1232 1233 1234 1235 1236 1237 1238 1239 1240 1241 1242 1243 1244 1245 1246 1247 1248 1249 1250 1251 1252 1253 1254 1255 1256 1257 1258 1259 1260 1261 1262 1263 1264 1265 1266 1267 1268 1269 1270 1271 1272 1273 1274 1275 1276 1277 1278 1279 1280 1281 1282 1283 1284 1285 1286 1287 1288 1289 1290 1291 1292 1293 1294 1295 1296 1297 1298 1299 1300 1301 1302 1303 1304 1305 1306 1307 1308 1309	N N N N N N N N N	The gardes and kepars of citees ben signefyed by the seventh pawn, whiche stondeth in the lyft side tofore the knyght, and is formed in the semblaunce of a man holdyng in his lyft hond grete keyes and in hys right hand a potte and an elle for to mesure wyth, and ought to have on his gurdel a purse open. And by the keyes ben signefied the kepars of the citees and townes and comyn offyces. And by the potte and elle ben signefyed them that have the charge to weye and mete and mesure trewly. And by the purse been signefyed them that receyve the costumes, tolles, scawage, peages, and duetees of the cytees and townes.    And thyse peple ben sette by right tofore the knyght. And hit behoveth that the gardes and offycers of the townes be taught and ensigned by the knyghtes, and that they knowe and enquyre how the citees and townes ben governed, whiche aperteyneth to be kept and defended by the knyghtes. And first hit aperteyneth that the kepars of the cyté be dyligent, besy, clere sayeng, and lovers of the comyn prouffyt and wele, as wel in the tyme of pees as in the tyme of warre. They ought alwey to goo in the cyté and enquyre of al thynges and ought reporte to the governours of the cyté suche thyng as they fynde and knowe, and suche thynge as aperteyneth and to the seurté of the same, and to denounce and telle the defaultes and parellys that there be. And yf hit be in tyme of warre, they ought not to open the gates by nyght to no man.    And suche men as ben put in this offyce ought to be of renome and fame, trewe, and of good conscience, in suche manere that they love them of the cyté or towne, and that they put to no man ony blame or vylanye with out cause by envye, covetyse, ne by hate, but they ought to be sory and hevy whan they see that ony man shold be compleyned on for ony cause. For hit happeth ofte tymes that dyverce offycers accuse the good peple fraudulently, to the ende that they myght have a thanke and ben praysed, and to abyde stylle in theyr offyces. And trewly hit is a grete and hye maner of malice to be in wylle to doo evyl and dyffame other wythout cause to grete glorye to hymself.    Also, the kepars and offycers of cytees ought to be suche that they suffre no wronegs ne vylonyes tofore the juges and governours of citees wythout cause to be doon to them that ben innocentes, but they ought to have theyr eyen and regarde unto hym that knoweth the hertes and thoughtes of al men. And they ought to drede and doubte Hym with out whos grace theyr watche and kepyng is nought, and that promyseth to them that doubte Hym shal be ewrous and happy. And by Hym ben al thynges accomplisshed in good.    Hit is founden in the histories of Rome that the Emperour Frederik the Second dyd doo make a gate of marble of mervayllous werk and enteyle in the cyté of Capuane upon the watre that renneth about the same. And upon this gate he made an ymage lyke hymself sittyng in his magesté and two juges, whiche were sette one on the right side and that other on the lift side. And upon the sercle above the hede of the juge on the right side was wreton: “Al they entre seurely that wyl lyve purely.” And upon the sercle of the juge on the lift side was wreton: “The untrewe man ought to doubte to doo thyng that he be put to pryson fore.” And on the sercle above the emperour was wreton: “I make them lyve in mysery that I see lyve dysmesurably.” And therfore hit aperteyneth to a juge to shewe to the peple for to drede and doubte to do evyl. And hyt aperteyneth to the gardes and offycers to doubte the juges and to doo trewly theyr servyces and offyces. And hit aperteyneth to a prynce to menace the traytours and the malefactours of right grevous paynes.    And herof we fynde in the auncient histories of Cecille that the Kyng Denys had a broder whom he lovyd sore wel. But alwey where he went, he made hevy and triste semblaunt. And thus as they went bothe to gyder on a tyme in a chare, ther cam agayn hem two poure men with glad vysage but in foule habyte. And the kyng, anone as he sawe them, sprange out of his chare and receyvyd them worshipfully with grete reverence, wherfore his barons were not onely amervaylled but also angry in their corages. Notwithstondyng, fere and drede letted them to demaunde hym the cause, but they made his broder to demaunde the cause and to knowe the certeynté. And whan he had herde his broder say to hym the demaunde, that he was blessyd and also a kyng whiche was riche and ful of delytes and worshyppes, he demaunded hym yf he wold assaye and knowe the grace and beneurté of a kyng. And his broder answerd “ye,” and that he desired and requyred hit of hym. And than the kyng commaunded unto alle hys subgettis that they shold obeye in al thynges onely unto his broder. And than, whan the oure of dyner cam and al thynge was redy, the broder was sette at the table of the kyng. And whan he sawe that he was servyd with right noble botelers and other offycers, and he herde the sownes of musique right melodyous, the kyng demaunded hym than yf he supposid that he were benerous and blessyd. And he answerd, “I wene wel that I am right blessyd and fortunat, and that I have wel proved and fele, and am expert therof.”    And than the kyng secretly made to be hanged over hys heed a sharpe cuttyng swerde, hangyng by an hors here or a sylken threde so smale that no man myght see hit where by hit henge. And whan he sawe his broder put no more his hand to the table, ne had no more regarde unto his servauntes, he sayd to hym: “Why ete ye not? Ar ye not blessid? Say yf ye fele onythyng otherwyse than blessid and wel.”    And he answerd, “For as moche as I see thys sharpe swerde hangyng so subtilly and parilously over myn hede, I fele wel that I am not blessyd, for I drede that hit shold falle on my hede.”    And thenne dyscoverd the kyng unto hem al wherfore he was alwey so hevy, cherid, and tryste. For where he was, he thought alwey on the swerde of the secrete vengaunce of God, whyche he behelde alwey in his herte, wherfore he had alwey in hymself grete drede. And therfore he worshyppyd gladly the poure peple with glad vysage and good conscience. And by this sheweth the kyng wel that what man that is alwey in drede is not alwey mery or blessyd.    And herof sayth Quyntilian that thys drede surmounteth alle other maleurtees and evylles, for it is maleurté of drede nyght and day. And it is verité that to hym that is doubted of moche peple, so muste he doubte moche. And that lorde is lasse thenne his servauntes that dredyeth his servauntes. And truly hit is a right sure thyng to drede nothyng but God. And somtyme, right hardy men ben constrayned to lyve in drede. Drede causith a man to be besy to kepe the thynges that be commysed to hym that they perisshe not. But to be to moche hardy and to moche ferdful, bothe two ben vices.    The comyn officers ought to be wyse and wel advysed in suche wise that they take not of the peple ne requyre no more than they ought to have by reson, ne that they take of the sellars ne of the byars no more than the right custume, for they bere the name of a persone, and therfore ought they to shewe them comune to alle men. And for as moche as the byars and sellars have somtyme moche langage, they ought to have wyth them these vertues, that is to wete pacience and good corage wyth honesté. For they that ben despytous to the comune been otherwhile had in vylayns despite. Therfore, beware that thou have no despyte unto the poure mendycants, yf thou wylt come and atteyne to thynges soverayn, for the injurye that is doon wythout cause torneth to diffame hym that doth hit.    A jogheler on a tyme behelde Socrates and sayd to hym: “Thou hast the eyen of corumpour of children and art as a traytre.” And whan his dysciples herde hym, they wold avengyd theyr maister. But he reprevyd hem by suche sentence sayeng: “Suffre my felawes, for I am he and suche one as he sayth by the sight of my vysage. But I refrayne and kepe me wel from suche thyng.”    This same Socrates hymself was chidde and right foul spoken to of hys wyf, and she imposid to hym many grete injuries wythout nombre. And she was in a place above over his heed. And whan she had brawled ynough, she made her water and poured hit on his heed. And he answerd to her nothyng agayn, sauf whan he had dryed and wyped his heed, he said he knewe wel that after suche wynde and thondre shold come rayne and watre. And the philosophers blamed hym that he coude not governe two women, that was his wyf and his chaumberer, and shewyd hym that one cokke governed wel fifteen hennes. He answerd to them that he was so used and acustumed with theyr chidyng that the chidyngis of them ne of straungers dyd hym no greef ne harme: “Gyve thou place to hym that brawleth or chideth, and in suffryng hym thou shalt be his vaynquysshour.”    And Cathon saith: “Whan thou lyvest rightfully, retche thee not of the wordes of evyl peple.”    And therfore hit is sayd in a comyn proverbe: “He that wel doth retcheth not who seeth hit, and hit is not in our power to lette men to speke.”    And Prosper sayth that to good men lacketh no goodnes, ner to evyl men tencions, stryves, and blames.    And pacience is a right noble vertu, as a noble versefier saith that pacience is a right noble maner to vaynquysshe. For he that suffreth overcometh. And yf thou wylt vaynquysshe and overcome, lerne to suffre.    The peagers, ner they that kepe passages, ought not to take other peage ne passage money but suche as the prynce or the lawe have establisshed, so that they be not more robbours of money than receyvours of peage and passage. And hit aperteyneth to them to goo out of the perelous weyes and doubteuous for to kepe theyr offyce. And they ought to requyre theyr passage of them that owe to paye hit wythout noyeng and contencion. And they ought not to love the comyn prouffyt so moche that they falle in the hurtyng of theyr conscience, for that shold be a maner of robberye.    And herof saith Ysaye: “Woo to thee that robbest! For thou, thyself, shalt be robbyd.”    The gardes or porters of the gates of citees and of the comyn good ought to be good and honeste. And al trouth ought to be in them, and they ought not to take ne withdrawe the goodes of the comyn that they have in kepyng more than aperteyneth to them for their pencion or fee, so that they that ben made tresorers and kepars ben not named thevys. For who that taketh more than his, he shal never thryve with al, ner shal not enjoye hit longe. For of evyl goten good, the third heyre shal never rejoyse.    And thys suffyseth.
	This eyght chappytre of the third book treteth of ribauldes, players of dyse, and of messagers and currours.                                                                                                          Capitulo eight.
1310 1311 1312 1313 1314 1315 1316 1317 1318 1319 1320 1321 1322 1323 1324 1325 1326 1327 1328 1329 1330 1331 1332 1333 1334 1335 1336 1337 1338 1339 1340 1341 1342 1343 1344 1345 1346 1347 1348 1349 1350 1351 1352 1353 1354 1355 1356 1357 1358 1359 1360 1361 1362 1363 1364 1365 1366 1367 1368 1369 1370 1371 1372 1373 1374 1375 1376 1377 1378 1379 1380 1381 1382 1383 1384 1385 1386 1387 1388 1389 1390 1391 1392 1393 1394 1395 1396 1397 1398 1399 1400 1401 1402 1403 1404 1405 1406 1407 1408 1409 1410 1411 1412 1413 1414 1415 1416 1417 1418 1419 1420 1421 1422 1423 1424 1425 1426 1427 1428 1429 1430 1431 1432 1433 1434 1435 1436 1437 1438 1439 1440 1441 1442 1443 1444 1445 1446 1447 1448 1449 1450 1451 1452 1453 1454 1455	N N N N	The ribauldes, players at dyse, and the messagers and currours ought to be sette tofore the rook, for hit apperteyneth to the rook, whiche is vicayr of the kyng to have men covenable for to renne here and there for to enquyre and espye the places and citees that myght be contrarie to the kyng. And thys pawn that representeth this peple ought to be formyd in this maner: he must have the forme of a man that hath long heeris and black, and holdeth in his ryght hand a litil money, and in his lift hand thre dyse, and aboute hym a corde in stede of a gurdel, and [he] ought to have a boxe ful of lettres.    And by the first, whiche is money, is understonde they that be fole large and wastours of theyr goodes. And by the second, whiche is the dyse, ben represented the playes at dyse, ribauldes, and butters. And by the thyrd, whyche is the boxe ful of lettris, ben represented the messagers, currours, and berars of lettres. And ye shal understonde that the rooke, whiche is vycayre of the kyng, whan he seeth tofore hym suche peple as ben fole large and wastours, he is bounden to constitute and ordeygne upon them tutours and curatours to see that they ete not ne waste in suche maner their goodes ne their heritages, that poverté constrayne hem not to stele. For he that of custume hath had habundaunce of money, and goeth and dispendeth hit folily, and wasteth hit awey, whan he cometh to poverté and hath nought, he must nedes begge and axe his breed, or ellis he must be a theef. For suche maner of peple, yf they have been delycious, they wyl not laboure, for they have not lernyd hit. And yf they be noble and comen of gentylmen, they be ashamyd to axe and begge, and thus must they by force, whan they have wasted theyr owne propre goodes, yf they wyl lyve, they must stele and robbe the goodes of other. And ye shalle understonde that fole large is a ryght evyl vyce. For how wel that she doeth good and prouffyt somtyme to other, yet she doth harme and dommage to hym that so wasteth.    Cassiodore admonesteth the fole larges to kepe their thynges that by no necessité they falle in poverté and that they be not constrayned to begge ne to stele of other men. For he sayth that hit is gretter subtilté to kepe wel his owne goodes than to fynde straunge thynges, and that it is gretter vertue to kepe that is goten than to gete and wynne more.    And Claudyan saith in like wyse in his book that hyt is a gretter thynge and better to kepe that is goten than to gete more. And therfore hit is sayd that the poure demaundeth and beggith or he felith. And also hit is said that he that dispendeth more than he hath without stroke, he is smyton to the deth.    There was a noble man named John de Ganazath, whiche was right riche. And this man had but two doughters, whom he maried to two noble men. And whan he had maried them, he loved so wel his sones-in-lawe, theyr husbondes, that in space and successyon of tyme, he departed to them al his goodes temporel. And as longe as he gaf to them, they obeyed hym and were right dyligent to plese and serve hym.    So hit befel that on a tyme that he had alle gyven in so moche that he had right nought. Than hit happend that they to whom he had gyven his goodes, whiche were wont to be amyable and obeysaunt to hym as longe as he gaf, whan the tyme came that he was poure and knewe that he had nought, they became unkynde, dysagreable, and dysobeysaunt. And whan the fader sawe that he was deceyvyd by his debonayrté and love of his doughters, he desyred and coveyted sore to eschewe hys poverté.    Atte laste he went to a marcheunt that he knewe of olde tyme and requyrid him to lene to hym ten thousand pound for to paye and rendre agayn wythin thre dayes. And he lente hit hym. And whan he had brought hit into hys hous, hit happend that hit was a day of a solempne feste, on whiche day he gaf to his doughters and her husbond a right noble dyner. And after dyner he entrid into his chaumbre secretly wyth them, and drewe out of a coffre that he had do make al newe shittyng wyth thre lockes, the money that the marchaunt had lente hym, and poured hit out upon a tapite that his doughtres and their husbondes myght see hit. And whan he had shewyd hit unto them, he put hit up ageyn and put hit into the cheste, faynyng that hit had been al his. And whan they were departed, he bare the money home to the marchaunt that he had borowed hit of.    And the next day after, his doughters and their husbondes axyd of hym how moche money was in the cheste that was shette wyth thre lockis. And than he fayned and sayd that he had therin twenty-five thousand pounde, whiche he kept for to make his testament and for to leve to his doughters and hem yf they wold bere hem as wel to hym afterward as they did whan they were maried. And than whan they herde that, they were right joyous and glad. And they thought and concluded to serve hym honourably as wel in clothyng as in mete and drynke, and of alle other thynges necessarye to hym unto hys ende. And after this, whan the ende of hym began to approche, he callyd his doughters and their husbondes, and sayd to hem in this manere: “Ye shalle understonde that the money that is in the cheste shette under thre lockes I wyl leve to you, savyng I wyl that ye geve in my presence, er I dye whiles I lyve, to the frere prechours an hondred pounde, and to the frere menours an hondred pounde, and to the heremytes of Saynt Austyn fifty pound to the ende that whan I am buryed and put in the erthe, ye may demaunde of them the keyes of the chest where my tresour is inne, whiche keyes they kepe. And I have put on eche keye a bylle and writyng in witnessyng of the thynges above sayd.”    And also ye shal understonde that he dyd to be gyven, whiles he lay in his deth bedde, to eche chirche and recluse and to pour peple, a certeyn quantité of money by the handes of his doughter’s husbondes, whiche they dyd gladly in hope to have shortly the money that they supposid in the cheste. And whan hit came to the last day that he dyed, he was borne to chirche and his exequye doon and was buried solempnly. And the seventh day, the servyse worshypfully accomplisshed, they went for to demaunde the keyes of the religyous men that they had kept, whiche were delyverd to them. And than they went and opend the coffre where they supposid the money had ben inne. And there they fond nothyng but a grete clubbe. And on the handlyng was wreton: “I, John of Canazath, make this testament: that he be slayn wyth thys clubbe that leveth his owne prouffyt and gyveth hit to other, as who sayth hit is no wysedom for a man to gyve his good to his chyldren and kepe none for hymself.”    And ye shal understonde that hit is a grete folye to dyspende and waste his good in hope for to recover hit of other, be hit of sone or doughter, or right nygh kynne. For a man ought to kepe in his hand in dispendyng his owne goodes tofore he see that he dispende other mennys. And he ought not to be holden for a good man that hath litil renomee and spendeth many thynges. And I trowe that suche persones wold gladly make noveltees as for to noye and greve seignories and meve warres and tencions ageynst them that habounde in richessis and goodes, and also make extorcions, clamours, and tribulaconns agenst their lordes to the ende to waste the goodes of the peple, lyke as they have wasted theyres. And suche a wastour of goodes may never be good for the comyn prouffyt.    And ye shal understonde that after these wastours of goodes we saye that the players of dyse and they that use bordellys ben worst of al other. For whan the hete of playeng at the dyse and the covetise of theyr stynkyng lecherye hath brought hem to poverté, hit foloweth by force that they must ben thevys and robbours. And also dronkenshyp, glotenye, and alle maner of evyls folowe them and myschyef. And they folowe gladly the companyes of knyghtes and of noble men whan they goon unto the warre or bataylles. And they coveyte not so moche the victorye as they doo the robberye. And they doo moche harme as they goo, and they brynge lityl gayn or wynnyng.    Wherof hit happend on a tyme that Saynt Bernard rode on an hors about the contrey and mette wyth an hasardour, or dyse player, which sayd to hym: “Thou, Goddes man, wylt thou playe at dyse with me, thyn hors agenst my sowle?”    To whom Saint Bernard answerd: “Yf thou wylt oblyge thy sowle to me agenst my hors, I wyl alyght doun and playe wyth thee. And yf thou have mo poyntes than I on thre dyse, I promyse thee thou shalt have myn hors.”    And thenne he was glad, and anone caste thre dyse. And on eche dyse was a sise, whiche made eighteen poyntes. And anone he took the hors by the brydel, as he that was seure that he had wonne, and sayd that the hors was his. And than Saynt Bernard sayd: “Abyde my sone, for there be mo poyntes on the dyse than eighteen.” And than he cast the dyse in suche wyse that one of the three dyse clefte a sondre in the myddes. And on that one parte was six, and on that other side an aas, and eche of that other was a sise. And than Saynt Bernard sayd that he had wonne his sowle for as moche as he had cast on thre dyse nineteen poyntes. And than whan this player sawe and aperceyvyd thys myracle, he gaf his sowle to Saynt Bernard and became a monke and finysshed his lyf in good werkys.    The currours and berars of lettres ought hastely and spedely doo her vyage that is commaunded hem without taryeng. For theyr taryeng myght noye and greve them that sende hem forth, or ellis them to whom they be sent to, and torne hem to right grete dommage or vylonye, for whiche cause every noble man ought wel to take hede to whom he delyver his lettres and his maundementis.    And otherwhiles suche peple ben joghelers and dronklewe, and goon out of their weye for to see abbayes and noble men for to have avauntage. And hit happeth ofte tymes that whan suche messagers or currours ben enpesshid by ony tarieng, that other currours bere letters contrarye to hys and come tofore hym, of whiche thynges ofte tymes cometh many thynges discovenable of losse of frendes, of castellys, and of lande and many other thynges as in the feet of marchaundyses. And otherwhile hit happeth that a prynce, for the faulte of suche messangers, leseth to have victorye upon his enemyes.    And also, there be somme that, whan they come in a cité where they have not ben tofore, they ben more besy to visite the cyté and the noble men that dwelle therin than they ben to do theyr voyage, whiche thyng they ought not to do, but yf they had special charge of them that sent hem forth so to doo. And also whan they be sent forth of ony lordes or marchauntes, they ought to be wel ware that they charge hem not wyth over moche mete on mornynges ne wyth to moche wyne on evenynges, wherby her sinewes and vaynes myght be grevyd that they must for faute of good rewle tarye. But they ought to goo and come hastely for to reporte to their maysters answers as hit aperteyneth.    And thise suffysen of the thynges above sayd.