(654)
¶ ffor ellës is it light to vndirstonde,
Line 4572
To euery man þat wit can & resoun,
It is nat likly, á kyng for to stonde
In his welthë but a litil sesoun,
ffor Auaricë may ben énchesoun
Line 4576
His peple to destroyen [distroien R, destoyen H.] and oppresse; [folio 80b]
And, as I saydë, so may fool largesse. [H. wrongly puts st. 659 here, before sts. 655-8. R. puts st. 659 in its right place.]
Line 4578
(655)
¶ ffool largesse is a sekenesse curable,
Line 4579
Outhir of indigence, othir ellës [or elles of R.] age; [¶ Dicit idem philosophus, quod prodi|galitas est morbus cura|bilis, ab egestate vel etate.]
He þat fool large in ȝouthe is, is ful able
In eldë to abate it and aswage,
ffor agid folk ben more in þe seruage
Line 4583
Of auaricë þan ben folk in yowthe;
And what I schal eek seyn, herkneth wel nowþe.
(656)
¶ Of nede eek may it curid ben, and helid; [¶ Auaricia est morbus incurabilis, vt idem dicit.]
Line 4586
A man may so largë despenses make,
Til al is good be díspendid and delid;
And whan his purs y-emptid is, and schake,
Than, begynneþ indigence a-wake,
Line 4590
By whiche he cured is of þe seekenesse
Of prodigalitee, or fool [foole R, ful H.] largesse.
Line 4592
(657)
¶ But auarice, he seith, incurable is;
Line 4593
ffor ay þe more a man þerin procedith
And wexith olde, so mochil more I-wys,
He auaricious is; in him naght breedith
But thoght [thought R, toght H.] and woo, for ay his hertë dreedith
Line 4597
His good to leese; and morë for to hepe [folio 81a]
His thoghtës stirten heere & þere, and lepe.
Line 4599
