The Harleian ms. 7334 of Chaucer's Canterbury tales. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall.

¶ Remedium contra Auariciam[from margin]

[804]

NOw schul ȝe vnderstonde þat þe releuynge of auarice is misericorde and pite largely taken. And men might axen why þat misericord and pite is relieuyng of auarice. [805] ¶ Certes þe auaricious man schewith no pite ne misericorde to þe needeful man. For he delitith him in kepyng of his tresor and nouȝt in þe rescowyng ne relieuyng of his euen|cristen. & þerfore speke I first of misericord [806] ¶ Thanne is misericord as saith þe philosopher a vertu. by which þe corrage of a man is stired by þe myseise of him þat is myseysed. [807] vpon which misericorde folwith in parformynge of chariteable werkis of misericord. [808] ¶ And certes þese moeuen men to þe misericord of ihū crist þat ȝaf himself for oure gult. and suffred deþ for misericord and forȝaf vs oure original synne [809] and þer by relessid vs fro peyne of helle and amenusid þe peynes of purgatorie by penitence and ȝeueth grace wel to do and at þe laste þe ioye of heuen [810] ¶ The spices of misericorde ben for to loue and for to ȝiue. and eek for to forȝiue and for to relesse and for to haue pite in herte and compassioun of þe meschief of his

[6-text p 658] euencristen and eek chastiȝe þe as neede is [811] ¶ Anoþer maner of remedye agayns auarice is resonable largesse but sothely here bihouith þe con|sideracioun of þe grace of ihū crist and of his temporel goodes and eek of his goodes perdurable þat crist ȝaf vs. [812] and eek to haue remembrance of þe deþ þat/ he schal resceyue he noot not whanne . . . [no gap] and eke he schal forgon al þat he hath saue oonly þat he haþ dispendid in goode werkes

[813] ¶ But for als moche as some folk ben vnreson|able men oughte to eschiewe foly largesse þam clepen wast/ [814] Certes he þat is fool-large ne ȝiueþ nouȝt his catel. . . . . [no gap] Sothely what þing þat he ȝiueth for vayn glorie as to mynstrals and to folk for to bere his renoun in þe world; he haþ synne and noon almes [815] ¶ Certes he lesith foule his goodes þat sekith wiþ þe ȝift [folio 276b] of his good no þing but synne. [816] he is like to an hors þat sekith raþer to drynke drouy watir and trouble þan for to drinke watir of þe welle þat is cleer. [817] And for as moche as þay ȝiue þer as þay schuld not ȝiue; to hem appendith þilke malisoun þat crist schal ȝiue at þe day of doom to hem þat schal be dampned. [[No break in the MS.]]