[6-text p 238] seith / that ther maketh no man himseluen riche / if he do harm to another wight ‖ [2774] This is to seyn / that nature deffendeth and forbedeth by right that no man make hym-self riche / vn-to the harm of another persone [2775] ¶ And Tullius seith ‖ þat no sorwe / ne no drede [¶ Tullius] of deeth / ne no thyng that may falle vn-to a man / [2776] is so muchel agayns nature / as a man to encressen his owene profit to the harm of another man ‖ [2777] And though the grete men [folio 168a] and the myghty men geten richesses moore lightly than thou /. [2778] yet shaltou nat been ydel ne slow to do thy profit. for thou shalt in alle wise flee ydel|nesse [2779] ¶ ffor Salomon seith /. that ydelnesse / techeth [¶ Salomon] a man to do manye yueles [2780] ¶ And the same Salomon seith ‖ That he that trauailleth and bisieth hym to tilien his land / shal eten breed [2781] but he that is ydel / and casteth hym to no bisynesse ne occupacion / shal falle in-to pouerte / and dye for hunger [2782] ¶ And he that is ydel and slow / kan neuere fynde couenable tyme for to doon his profit. [2783] ffor ther is a versifiour seith / that [¶ Vnde versifi|cator] the ydel man excuseth hym in wynter / by cause of the grete coold and in somer / by encheson of the heete ‖. [2784] ffor thise causes seiþ Caton ‖. waketh and enclyneth [¶ Cato] nat yow ouer muchel / for to slepe / for ouer muchel reste norisseth and causeth manye vices ‖. [2785] And therfore / seith Seint Ierome ‖. Dooth somme goodes / that the deuel / [¶ Sanctus Ieron|imus] which is oure enemy / ne fynde yow nat vnocupied ‖. [2786] ffor the deuel ne taketh nat lightly vn-to his werk|ynge swiche as he fyndeth occupied in goode werkes
[2787] ¶ Thanne thus / In getynge richesses / ye mosten flee ydelnesse ‖. [2788] And afterward ye shul vse the richesses / whiche ye haue geten by youre wit and by youre trauaille / [2789] in swich a manere / that men holde nat yow / to scars ne to sparynge ne to fool large / that is to seyn / ouer large a spendere / [2790] for right as men blamen an Auaricious man / by cause / of his scarsetee and chyngerie / [2791] In the same wise is he to blame
