[6-text p 237] a man to doon manye euellis / [2754] And th[e]r|fore clepith Cassiodere / pouerte the moodyr of ruine / [2755] that is to seyne the modyr of ouyrthrowynge or of fallynge doun / [2756] And therrefore seyth Peers alfonce On of the gretteste aduersiteis of this world is [2757] whan a fre man by kynde / or of burthe is constreyned / bi pouerte / to ete te almesse / of hise enemy / [2758] & the same seyth Innocent in oon of hise bookis / he seith that sorweful & myshappi · is the condicioun of a poore beggere / [2759] for if he axe nat his meete / he dieth fore hungir / [2760] And ȝif he axe / he dieth for ¶ schame / And algatis necescitee constreynyth hym to axe / [2761] And therfore seith Salomon / betere is it to deye than for to haue swich pouerte / [2762] And as the same Salo|mon seith Betere it is to deye of bittere deth; than for to leuyn in swich wyse / [2763] By these resonys that I haue seyd vn-to ȝow / & by manye othere resonys / that I coude seye / [2764] I graunte ȝow that richessis been goode to hem that hem getyn weel / And to hem that weel vsyn the rychessis / [2765] and therffore wele I schewe ȝow how ȝe schul haue ȝow in [amassant les (Le Ménagier, i. 222)] rychessis & in what maneere ȝe schul vse hem /
[2766] Fyrst ȝe schul geete hem with-outyn greet desyr / bi good leyseer / sokyngely but nat ouer hastyfely / [2767] For a man that is to desyrynge / to geete rychessis / abandonyth hym fyrst to thefte & to alle othere euyllis / [2768] And therfore seyth Salomon he that hastyth hym to busily to wexen ryche / he schal been noon innocent / [2769] he [folio 343b] seyth also that the rychesse that hastily comyth to a man; soone anlyghtely goth & passith from a man / [2770] But that richesse that comyth lityl & lyȝtil / wexeth alwey & multyplyeth / [2771] And sere ȝe schul gete richessis by ȝoure wit / & by ȝoure trauayle / vn-to ȝoure profyt [2772] & that with-outyn wrong or harm doinge to ony othir persone / [2773] For the law
