xj. CHAPITER.

FERTHERMORE for to trete upon this Fadris seiyng, thouȝ this what is now seid and proued, (that the Page  340 seid endewing to be oonli an occasioun of yuel, and not to be cause of yuel,) is ynouȝ forto lette of the oold Fadris seid wordis folewe the riche endewing of the clergie be yuel doon; ȝit more than this mai be sett therto into the same purpos, and in this maner; that, thouȝ a gouernance be an occasioun of yuel, it is to be considerid ferther of how miche good the same gouernaunce is occasioun and of how myche yuelis letting and forbaring the same gouernaunce is an occasioun, with this, that the same gouernaunce is an occasioun of sum yuel, thouȝ not of riȝt myche yuel. And if of al the yuel, which cometh bi the gouernaunce, the same gouernaunce is not but an oc|casioun and not cause; and therwith the same gouer|naunce is occasion of myche good, and is occasioun of letting miche yuel; and herwith it is not knowun whethir the yuel comyng bi the seid gouernaunce is more than the yuel which is lettid bi the same gouernaunce;—certis no man ouȝte thilk while iuge that thilk gouernaunce ouȝte be leid awey. But so it is in this present purpos, that thouȝ the riche endew|ing of the clergie be an occasioun of myche yuel, ȝit it is an occasioun of myche good; and it is also occasioun of aȝen putting miche synful yuel, which ellis schulde falle; and no man can iuge pleinli and sureli, that the yuel which cometh bi the seid riche endewing is gretter than is the yuel which is lettid to be bi the same endewyng; as y commytte to the discrecioun of wise men for to it ouerse and iuge. And her with it is trewe, that the seid riche endew|ing is not cause of the yuelis which comen occa|sionarili oonli bi it, as it is bifore proued in the [viij^e.]*. [A space left in the MS. for the number.] chapiter of this present iij^e. partie. Wherfore no wise man neither eny other man without ouer greet booldnes of presumpcioun ouȝte iuge and seie, Page  341 that the seid riche endewing ouȝte be kutt awey for the yuel of which the same endewing is occasioun.

Ȝit ferther, not withstonding al this, it mai seme bothe bi reson and bi Holi Scripture, that the yuel which is lettid bi the seid riche endewing is gretter than the yuel which is comyng out ther of and ther bi. And forto proue this first bi resoun y procede in this wise: It is miche harder forto suffre peyne of fleisch in this lijf than it is forto forgo and forbere lustis of fleisch in this lijf, as ech man may soone aspie in experience: and also bi resoun, for bi suffring of peyne bodili deeth cometh miche sooner than bi forbering of delectaciouns oonli. And if this be trewe, thanne it is more perel to a man for to bere him weel in suffring of peyne, than is forto bere him weel in forbering of delectaciouns and lustis. But so it is, that al the perel which is in hauyng of grete ricch|essis is, lest a man bere him not weel in forbering lustis; and the perel which is in lacking richessis is, lest a man bere him not weel and strongli in suffring of peyne. Wherfore nedis folewith, that more perel is to a man,*. [a man, MS. (first hand, a cor|rector having wrongly erased the article).] whanne he is sett in to suffring of peyn, than whanne he is sett into forbering of lustis. And thanne ferther thus: But so it is, that whanne a man is sett forto reioice grete ricchessis, he is sett forto forbere lustis strongli and manli; and whanne he [is] sette forto lacke tho ricchessis, he is sett forto suffre peynes strongli and manli. Wherfore folewith needis, that gretter perel is in lacking of ricchessis than in the hauyng of hem; and gretter perel nouȝwhere is,*. [is is interlineated by a later (?) hand.] saue where grettir yuel is likeli to come: wherefore gretter yuel were likeli to come in the clergie, if thei hadden lak of plenteuose ricchessis, than if thei hadden plenteuose ricchessis. Page  342

For to proue the same bi Holi Scripture y procede thus: Frowhens schule we trowe this came, that so manye pseudo or false Apostlis preching for lucre weren in the chirche in tyme of the Apostlis, as of such spekith Poul and Peter and Iohun and Iudas in her Epistilis, than fro this now to be seid? Aftir that thei weren assigned bi the veri Apostlis forto preche, thei hadden no finding assigned and lymytid to hem in propre neither in comoun; bi cause the clergie in thilk daies was not endewid with vnmouable possessiouns; neither was eny posytyue lawe mad, wherbi the prechouris myȝten cleyme eny certeinte of porcioun to be ȝouun to hem of the lay peple to whom thei prechiden; but thei eten freeli ȝouun mete and drinke of hem to whom thei freli prechiden; neither thei weren so stronge in pacience and in douȝtynes that thei wolden laboure for her lijflode and contynue her preching, whanne the peple wexe vnkinde and vndeuout forto sufficiently hem fynde in necessaries, (as Poul for lijk caus and in lijk caas wrouȝte with hise hondis forto haue his lijflode to preche:) and therfore thei weren temptid and stirid and brouȝt into consent and into deede and werk for to preche bi gileful meenis, wherbi thei myȝten the more redili receyue of the peple ȝiftis in to her eese and habun|daunt fare; and therfore thei prechiden newe thingis and vntrewe thingis forto plese the peple the more; and at the laste, (for as miche as ther fore bitwixe the Apostlis and hem wexid distaunce and contrauersie, as needis muste wexe,) tho pseudo Apostilis wrouȝten persecucioun bothe priueili and openli aȝens the trewe Apostlis, and peruertiden ofte tymes myche what the trewe Apostilis hadden weel groundid, and thei turn|eden the peple ful ofte and myche forto lothee and hate the Apostilis, and forto not bileeue to*. [to is interlineated by a later hand.] the verry Page  343 trewe Apostilis, as mai be had of the firste and ij^e. Epistilis of Poul to the Corynthies. And whether this yuel comyng into the chirche in this now seid maner, and that for defaute of riches, was not a greet myscheef; ȝhe, and gretter than schulde haue be likeli to falle, if alle the clergie in tho daies hadde be endewid bi vnmouable godis richeli, deme ȝe. For what*. [forwhat, MS.] so greet myscheef schulde bi likelihode haue come bi habundaunce of ricches in tho pseudo, as came bi her pouerte in hem, whanne thei diffameden the trewe Apostlis and peruertiden the Corinthies and the Thessalonicenses*. [Tessalonicenses, MS.] fro the wey in which Poul and Apollos*. [Appollo, MS.] hadden hem foundid and groundid? And therfore to alle freel persoones and not disposid to greet perfitnes of pacience and of douȝtines, as Poul was, the lak of sufficience is of more perel than habundance ouer and aboue sufficience.

Also forto proue this same purpos more euidentli bi Holi Scripture, y procede also thus: It is writun, Prouerb. xxx^e. capitulum. thus: Ȝeue thou not to me beggerie neither richessis; ȝeue thou oonli necessaries to my lijflode; lest perauenture y be fillid and be drawen to denye, and seie, Who is the Lord? and leste y compellid bi nedines stele, and forswere*. [for swere, MS.]the name of my God. Lo how Salamon is aknowe to God that bothe greet ricches and lak of sufficience ben occasiouns of yuel; and therfore for feer he desirid the meene, which is sufficience, withoute hauyng of nede and withoute hauyng of more richesse than is necessarie into sufficience, as weel for thanne as for tyme to come. Neuertheles into my present purpos he weel witnessith, that gretter perel is*. [is is added by a later hand.] in lak of sufficience than is in habundaunce of grete ricchessis; Page  344 sithen he openli knoulechith that the yuel, of which lak of sufficience is occasioun, is gretter yuel than is the yuel, of which habundaunce of ricches is occasion. Forwhi, as he seith, the yuel, of which the lak of sufficience is occasioun, is to stele and forsake God bi ooth and so bi avisement; and the yuel, of which habundaunce of ricches is occasioun, is forto forsake*. [sake, MS. (first hand).] God in a liȝtnes and in a rechelesnes. And alle men witen that the former of these ij. defautis is gretter than is the secunde. Wherfore more yuel cometh of lak of ricches than of habundaunce of ricches.

For more pleyner vndirstonding to be had upon the now bifore rehercid wordis of Salamon, Prouerb. xxx^e. capitulum., and forto wite what Salamon meened in hem, and forto therbi se how it is trewe that greeter yuel cometh bi lak of ricches than bi the hauyng of ricches, it is to vndirstonde and to holde that Salamon in the now seid text meened bi "sufficience" not oonli the hauour which fillith or remedieth al his lak and nede now had, but which is ther with so abiding that it schal not lasse; or ellis not so myche lasse, but that it schal alwey aftir*. [aftir is added in a later hand, which has made erasures in the text.] be able to fille and remedie al his lak and nede, which is for eny tyme likeli to falle. And that Salamon vndirstode thus bi the seid sufficience spokun in his text, it is open herbi; forwhi al hauour, that is lasse than is this now seid sufficience, is "beggeri" as for now or as for tyme to come, as schal appere and be open anoon*. [anoon is interlineated by a later hand.] aftir whanne it schal be declarid what beggeri is. Wherfore sithen Salamon preied that "beggerie schulde not falle to him," and ȝit that "he schulde haue sufficience," he muste needis vndirstonde bi suf|ficience such a thing which ledith not into beggerie, Page  345 but which aȝenstondith beggerie. And that is the sufficience now declarid.

Forthermore bi "beggerie" Salamon vndirstondith in the same text al lak*. [al-lak, MS.] of the now seid sufficience, or the lak of the now seid sufficient hauour. For|whi whanne euere eny man lackith his seid sufficient hauour, and is not in nyȝe power forto gete or haue it bi his owne wynnyng or bi eny other wey than bi asking it of othere, that it be ȝouun to him, sotheli than he is excusid forto begge; and his plite, in which he thanne is, which is not ellis than lak of sufficience into what he hath for than to do, mai and ouȝte be clepid to him beggerie.

The "ricches" of which he spekith in the same text is hauour of so miche ricches, that thouȝ it lassee and abbate, as myche as it is likeli it abate bi condicioun of the world, ȝit it schal not be so litil, but that it schal be to a man ouer and aboue the seid sufficience,*. [the seid sufficience is added in the margin by a later hand.] al the while that he hath to do with thilk ricches. And that he vndirstode thus bi thilk ricches, y proue thus: If he hadde vndirstonde eny ricches lasse than this now seid, sithen ech ricches lasse than this now seid wole make bi proces of tyme to his possessour state or plite of sufficience, it wolde folewe that Salamon in the seid text, whanne he preied that ricches schulde not be ȝouun to him, he preied ther yn that sufficience schulde not be ȝouun to him. Wherfore he meened bi ricchesse as it is now expowned.

And so folewith herof, that vndir the meenyng of Salamon in his now rehercid preier to God it is includid that he wolde this: If eny couent or comounte or eny oon persoon schulde be endewid into such sufficience Page  346 that he schulde not falle into beggerie, he muste be endewid with lijflode which schal neuere appeire; and therwith hise costis muste be suche, that thei schulen neuere encrece; or ellis, for as miche as these ij. now rehercid pointis mowe not be had abiding in eeny co|mounte or persoon, therfore in the seid preier of Sala|mon muste needis be includid this,—that ech couent or comounte or persoon to be endewid in to his suf|ficience muste needis be endewid with so miche good that, (thouȝ it appeire as myche as it is to appeire bi his natural condicion and bi the*. [the is interlineated, perhaps by a later hand.] rennyng condi|cioun of the world,) ȝit it schal neuere so miche abate, but that al the nede of thilk same couent,*. [couet, MS., the stroke over the o being apparently by the same hand.] comounte, or persoon schal ther bi be releeued and remedied: and ellis thilk couent, comounte, or persoon is not foundid and endewid into his sufficience, as Salamon takith here sufficience. Forwhi he is not foundid and endewid fro this, that he is out of the fal into beggerie bi proces of tyme. And so herbi founders of collegis and of couentis and of persoones and of statis mowen*. [mowe, MS. (first hand).] take*. [take is added by a later hand.] good remembraunce, if thei founde eny such, that thei founde and endewe miche aboue the sufficience which is into the reme|diyng of nede had in the dai of fundacioun: and ellis, certis, bi proces of tyme her werk, otherwise than so foundid and endewid, schal come into beg|gerie, which y woot weel thei wolen not desire but avoide, what thei mowe.

For sureli to seie y haue take heede, and in al my daies and long bifore y wiste neuere ȝit college or cumpanie endewid, (thouȝ thei weren endewid ouer and more than the nede of hem askid in the dai of Page  347 her fundacioun,) but that aftirward her endewing so myche schranke and her costis so miche grewe more than couthe be bifore seen, that it was aftirward ouer litle to supporte her necessaries. And therfore foun|ders and endewers of eny persoones or comountees, if thei endewiden so richeli, that it was more than bi streit mesure was to her nede ynouȝ in the dai of her fundacioun, thei weren*. [were, MS. (first hand) twice.] not ther yn to be blamed; but thei weren*. [were, MS. (first hand) twice.] ther yn to be preisid, bi cause that thilk lijflode wolde continueli schrinke, and the costis wolde contynueli growe and encrece. Forwhi if a fadir for loue to his sone wolde ordeine to him a peire of schoon, and the lethir wher of the schoon schulde*. [sculde, MS.] be maad were of such kinde that it wolde daili schrinke whilis it were vsid in weryng, certis this fadir were not to be blamed, if he wolde ordeyne that these schoon be notabli widdir than the meetenes of hem wolde aske, as for the firste dai in which thei schulden be*. [be is interlineated by a later hand.] worne, but he were to be preisid, if he wolde so ordeyne to his loued sone; ȝhe, the fadir were worthi be blamed, if he wolde ordeyne these schoon to be no wijdir than euen meete to hise sones feet in the dai of his*. [her, MS. (first hand) apparently, which is perhaps better.] firste wering. Forwhi therof wolde needis folowe that with inne proces of daies the schoon schulden be so narowe, that thei schulden needis wringe his sones feet into greet peyne of his sone. And therfore bi lijk skile the endewers of reli|gioses hauing possessioun and of cathedral chirchis and of collegis weren not to be blamed in that, that thei so richeli endewid her foundid cumpenies aboue the*. [the is interlineated by a later hand (twice).] streit or euen meet of the nede had in the dai of fundacioun, but thei weren ther yn to be preisid, if thei so diden, for the*. [the is interlineated by a later hand (twice).] cause now seid; thouȝ the Page  348 persoones so foundid ben miche to be blamed, but*. [Perhaps we should read but if.] thei in the meene tyme wijsly and weel kepe thilk ricchessis and wijsly and weel hem expende, as suffi|cient resoun wole deme.

But of al this, (thouȝ founderis and endeweris of couentis, of collegis, of statis, and of persoones in state ouȝten for to in this maner endewe, whilis thei en|tenden forto warde and wilne that her werk come not into beggerie; and thouȝ Salamon preied to God that he schulde not haue lasse than the seid suffi|cience declarid now bifore to be of his meenyng, and that he schulde not falle into the*. [the is interlineated by a later hand.] beggerie also now bifore declarid to be of his meenyng,) schal it be seid therfore of this to folewe, that it is a perfiter lijf forto lyue in such a now seid sufficience or in the seid richessis, than forto lyue in the seid beggerie? Nai certis, this folewith not. For thouȝ Salamon so preied for more suerte to his freelnes, and for that he was not so perfit that he couthe bere beggerie at ful*. [the ful, MS. (first hand).] withoute sclaundre, bi cause, as Scripture witnessith weel, he was a ful freel man; and ther|fore he hadde more nede forto seke aftir the surer to him weies, than aftir the hardir and the bateil|fuller weies and therfore the perfiter to him weies; and thouȝ founders and endeweris of collegis and of couentis and of persoones in state founden and endewen into more suerte, bi cause that in multitude of persoones fewe schulden be founde disposid to hiȝe perfitnes, (in reward of hem whiche schulen be dis|posid to meenes*. [Probably we should read meener.] and louȝer degre of lyuyng than is perfitnes:)—ther of folewith not, that ech other maner of lyuyng, dyuers fro this which Salamon askid, and dyuers fro this whiche the seid endewers entenden in her seid fundacioun and endewing, is not so holi and Page  349 so perfit as these ben; neither it is to be seid that Holi Writt approueth the seid sufficience to be of more holynes than the seid beggerie or the seid riche endewing, bi cause that Holi Writt makith mensioun that Salamon chase and askid rathir the seid suf|ficience than the seid beggerie or the seid ricchessis. For of this, that Holi Writt makith this now seid mensioun, folewith no more, but that Holi Writt groundith this*. [this is interlineated by a later (?) hand.] or witnessith this;—that Salamon chaas the seid sufficience bifore the seid beggerie and bifore the seid ricchessis. But the argument is nauȝt, "Holi Writt seith that Salamon chaas this bifore that; therfore Holi Writt seith that this is bettir than that;" but if therwith this were knowen for trewe, that Salamon chas this afore that, bi cause that this was bettir and perfiter than that, and that he weel knewe this to be better than that. But this Holi Writt seith not, and also this is not trewe, as may be proued: and therfore it is to be seid, as is now bifore seid, that Salamon,—as a freel [man], and as he which ofte and miche synned, and as he which knewe*. [miche knewe, MS. (first hand).] his vnperfitnes, and was feerd forto aske and assaie and take upon him the hardir, hiȝer, and per|fiter wey,—askid mekeli and discreetli the imperfiter*. [ī pfit̛, MS. Very likely the scribe, (who often disjoins prepo|sitions in composition from their nouns and verbs,) intended the text to be in perfiter.] wey, as it which was to him surer and meeter than was the perfiter wey. And more than this can not bi the rehercid text of Salamon be had bi maistrie, if eny man be aboute forto seie ther aȝens nay, in the maner now mynistrid.

Neuertheles alwey thoruȝ al what is seid euer this apperith to be trewe, that forto be endewid in to a sufficience aȝens beggerie, which ellis now schulde be, and aȝens beggerie, which ellis in tyme com|yng Page  350 schulde come and be, is not vnleeful and synful; but it is according with doom of resoun, and is ther|fore leeful: ȝhe, and to*. [into, MS. (first hand).] men being not disposid to grettist perfitnes, and of which it is not like to be turned into such disposicioun, it is discreetist and best.