[6-text p 238] seyth / that there makyth no man hym ryche / ȝif he do harm to a-nothyr witht. [2774] this is to seyne / that nature defendyth / & forbedyth by ryght / that no man make hym self ryche; vn-to the harm of a-nothyr / persone. [2775] And thullius seyth / that no sorwe ne no drede / of deth ne nothing that may falle vn-to a man [2776] is so meche ageyns nature; as a man to encrese his owene profit / to the harm of a-nothir man / [2777] And thow the greete men / & the myȝty men / getyn richessis / moore lyȝthely than thow / [2778] ȝit schalt thu nat been ydyl ne slow to don thyn profit ffor thow schalt in alle wise / fleen ydilnesse / [2779] ffor Salomon seyth / that idilnesse techith a man to doon manye euyllis / [2780] And the Same Salomon seyth that he that trauaylith / & besijth hym to tilyin his lond schal etyn breed / [2781] But he that is idyl & castyth hym to no besynesse / ne ocupacioun schal falle in-to pouerte / & deye for hungir / [2782] And he that is ydil & slow / can neuere fyndyn conabele tyme for to doon his profyt [2783] ffor there is a versefiour seyth / that the ydele man excuseth hym in wyntyr bi cause of greet cold / & in somyr by cause of the greete heete / [2784] For these causes / seyth catoun wakyth & enclynyth ȝow nat ouyrmeche for to slepe / ffor ouyrmeche slep causeth & norichith manye vicis [2785] And therfore seyth seynt Ierome / doth some goode dedys / that the deuyl whiche is oure enemy / ne fynde ȝow nat vn-ocupied / [2786] For the deuyl takyth nat lyȝtely vn-to hise werk|ynge sweche as he fyndyth ocupied in goode werkis /
[2787] Thanne thus in getynge richesses the muste fleen Idilnesse / [2788] & aftyrward ȝe schul vse the rychesses / whiche ȝe han getyn by ȝoure wit And by ȝoure trauayle / [2789] in swich manere that men holdyn [folio 344a] ȝow nat to scars ne to sparynge / ne fool large / that is to seyne ouyr large a spendere / [2790] For ryȝt as men blamyn an auericious man / by cause of hise scarcite & chyncherye; [2791] ryȝt so / in the same wise / is he to blame
