Here endith a compendiouse treetise dyalogue. of Diues [and] paup[er]. that is to say. the riche [and] the pore fructuously tretyng vpon the x. co[m]man̄mentes ...

The ix. chapter.

DIues.

What saist thou of theym that thoughe they swere sothe / yitt in sligh wordes they disseyue their euyn cristen whiche vnderstond theym nat.

Pauper.

Suche be forsworne. For in ii. maners a man may be forsworne in swe∣rynge soth. First if he swere soth in gilous wordes and slighe for to begile his euyn cristen For as saithe. Isodorus xxii. q̄. quinta. quacū{que}. What crafte or slighte euir thou vsest in thy speche and in thyne othes to disseyue thyne euyn cristen / god that knowyth thy thought and thy conscience. takith it nat as you menyst / but as he vnderstondeth it / to whom thou sweryst so in disseyte. And as he saith thou dost double syn so swerynge For bothe thou ta∣kest goddes name in veyne / and also thou disseyuest thyne euyn cristen.

Diues.

Telle sūme ex∣ample.

Pauper.

We fynde in the lyf of seynt Nicholas that a iewe lent a cristen man a greate sūme of gold vnto a certeyn day and toke no sikernes of him but his feith / and seynt Nicholas to borowe The day passide and y^e cristē mā paied nat. Wherfore y^e iewe chalēged his gold of the cri¦sten mā bifore a iuge / for he said falsly that he hadde payed hym. Whan the iuge shulde sytt on the cause. the cristē man bithoughte him of gile and feynyd him seke & came lenyng on a staffe bifore the iuge / in whiche staffe he had putt al the golde y^t he oughte to the iewe and more therto / for y^e staffe was holowe And whanne be shulde ley his honde on the bo¦ke / he toke the iewe the staffe in his honde / prayng him to holde it while he made his othe The iewe thought of no gyle / but to∣ke the staffe to holde as he pray¦ed him And than the false cristen man leyd his honde on the boke & made his othe on this manere. By god and seint Nicholas & so helpe me god at the holy doome I toke the al the money y^t thou chalengist and more therto And he saide soth / for he hadde taken it him that tyme in the staffe. The iewe was wrothe & said to him Now as wysly as you hast forsworne the by god & seynt ny¦cholas. I pray god and seynt ni¦cholas y^t was thy borowe / y^t hard vēgeaūce come to y^e The cristē mā toke ayē his staf of the iewe & went homwarde ayen lenyng on his staffe Ther felle suche an heuynes of slepe on him that he leyd hī downe ī the way to slepe a lytel from the cite wher̄ he had

made his othe / and leyd the staf with the golde faste besides him Came a carte and wente vpon him / and slewe him and brak his staffe. tyl the golde scateryd alle aboute Anoon the peple and the iewe also ranne for to see. What was fallen. And whanne they sawe the staffe broken / and the golde so scateryd about they knewe howe gylefully he hadde sworne. and thankyd god. and seint Nicholas. that the treuthe was tryed and shewid The iewe yaue that golde to pore folke / & bicame a cristen man.

Diues.

This ensample is open. Nowe I se that gyleful othes been ful perilous Say forthe I pray the

Pauper.

Alsoo a man may be forsworne sweryng sothe vnwit¦tingly and wenyth to swere fals to disseyue his euyn cristen As if I swore to a nother that it were nat day to disseyue him and lett him of his iourney / wenyng my self that it were day / al thoughe it were nat day but fer from day yit I were forsworne. As the lawe shewyth wel. xxii. q̄. ii. c. i^o Also if a man swere a treuthe w^t a blasphemye of goddes name. As if he swore by goddes bodye. herte / iyen / woundes / or any su¦che other / if he be customyd ther¦to / he is forsuorne / whether it be sothe or false that he sueryth.