he wolde forse [bisyen, E.] him to knowe hem, boþe for worshipe and for profit?
Crist seiþ first, Blessid ben þo þat ben pore in spirit; and here Crist techiþ mekenesse, aȝens pride of worldli men. And here men seien soþli, þat Crist clepide povert in spirit, for bodili poverte is noȝt, but ȝif it have þis poverte. For boþe vertues and synnes ben first in þe spirit. And wanting of goodis standiþ wiþ a dampned man; as beggeris and þeves ben ofte porer þan Joob was; but poverte in spirit stondiþ in mekenes,—whanne a man knowiþ þe makere above, how he is riche wiþouten eende, and we ben pore beggeris,—and puttiþ hem [putten bym, E.] mekeli in þe ordenaunce of God. How þat God wole ordeyne for his servaunt ouþer do or suffre, he holdiþ him wel paied; siþ God is a ferour [ferrour, E.] and he is Goddis instrument, redi wher God wole make him hamer, or tongis, or a stiþie, to suffre howevere þat God wole. And certis noon comeþ to hevene but ȝif he be þus pliable; for a ferrour formeþ not his metal, but ȝif it wole be temperid, and þis vertue lastiþ boþe here and in hevene. And þerfore seiþ Crist, þat sich pore men have þe rewme of hevene. For þe blisse of hevene falliþ not to a creature but ȝif he be þus pore; as Crist, and aungels, and oþer blessid seintis have fulli þis poverte, and þerfore þei ben blessid. And no man myȝte here lerne more nedeful lessoun þan bigynne at þis poverte, and grounden him wel þerinne. And so shulden men note þe firste proude noumbre [The number 2 is probably meant by the 'firste proude noum|bre.' The Pythagoreans called it … among other things, and assigned to it various revolutionary attributes. But no author that I have consulted speaks of the num|ber 6 otherwise than as synonymous with perfection, as symbolizing ma|trimony, creation, and a hundred other excellent things. The num|ber 9 on the other hand was treated with great indignity; Peter Bungus says that it denotes the ruin of the angels, who fell through pride, and of whom there were nine orders, that it embraces all heretics, and charac|terizes infidels and idolaters, &c., &c. See the Denarius Pythagoricus of Meursius in Gronovius' Thesaurus, vol. IX, and the Numerorum Mys|teria of Petrus Bungus.] , and aȝen ech part of it grounden hem in mekenesse. Sum men ben proud for holynesse þat þei feynen; and þes men ben ypocritis moost perilous of alle oþere. Sum men ben proud for cunnyng þat þei have; as þe laste frend of Joob seide, his beli was ful as
