[6-text p 653] seith Seneca. Thi prudence schulde lyue benyngli with [¶ Seneca ./] thyn thrallis. [760] thilke that thou clepist thyn thrall. ben goddis peple ffor humble folke ben cristes frendis. thei ben contubernyall with the lorde.
[761] ¶ Thenke eke that suche seed as cherlis spryngen. of suche seed spryngen lordis. As well may the cherle be sauyd. as the lord. [762] The same deth that taketh the cherle. the same deth takith the lorde. ¶ Wherfore I rede do right so with thi cherle as thou woldist thi chirle did with the. if thou were in his plite. [763] Euery synfull man is a cherle to synne. I rede the certis that thou lord thou wirche in suche wise that thi cherlis rather loue the than drede the. [764] I wote well there is degre a-boue degre as reson is & skill is that men don her deuyr ther as it is dewe. But certis extorcions & dispites of your vndirlynges is dampnable.
[765] ¶ And further ouyr vndirstonde well that Conquerours or tirauntis make full often thrallis of hem that ben born of as roiall blood. as ben thei that hem conqueryn. [766] ¶ This name of thraldom was [¶ Genesis .10. Maledictus Canaan seruus seruorum erit fratribus / suis /] neuyr knowe erste. till that Noe seide that his sone Canaan schulde be thrall to his bretheryn for his [Harl. 1758 folio 222a] synne [767] ¶ What seie we than of hem that pilen & don extorcions to holi chirche ¶ Certis the swerde that men yeuyn first to a knyȝt when he is newe dobbid. [¶ How knyght|hode schulde defende holi chirche ./] signyfieth that he schulde defende holy chirche & noght robbe hit. And who so doth is a traitour to crist. [768] As seith seynt Austyn. Thei ben [¶ Augutinus ./] deuyls wolfis that stranglen the scheep of ihesu crist & don wers than wolfis. [769] ¶ ffor sothli when the wolfe haþ full his wombe; he stynteth to strangle scheep. But sothli the pilours & distroi|ers [¶ Of pilours & distroiers of holi chirche goodis ./] of godis of holi chirche ne do not so for thei ne stynte neuyr to pilen. [770] ¶ Now as I haue seide sethyns so is that synne was first cause of thraldom. then it is
