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 xii. chapter.

DIues.

Why wolde god make the worlde more in the nombre of vi. daies thanne in any other nombre of daies.

Pauper.

For as Salomon saith god made al thing in nom¦bre weight and mesure He made no thinge to moche ne to lytel But he made euery thinge par∣fytely in his kynde / and endyde al his werkes in {per}fytnesse. And for the nombre of vi. is the first nombre euyn that is {per}fyte / ther∣fore he made alle the worlde in nōbre of vi. daies

Diues.

Hou is the nombre of vi. more parfy¦te thāne another nōbre.

Pau{per}.

For al his parties y^t mete him if they be taken to gidder make e∣uyn vi. As one ii.iii•• make euen vi. & these thre nombres mete hī. For sixe sithes one is vi. & thries two is vi. and twies thre is vi. And this {per}fection is in no nom∣bre within x. but in vi / And fro ten. to an hundryd is none butt xxviii And from an hundryd to a thousande is but this euyn nō¦bre. foure hundryd lxxx / xvi. The nexte is viii thousande an hundryd and xviii. And thanne no mo suche butt one within an hundryd thousande And who so wole fynde that he muste study After an hundryd thousande bē mo suche than al the clerkes vn¦dre sūne tan telle / mo thanne a∣ny herte may thynke or tūge tel and yit it is fulle harde to fynde one. And for that vi. is the firste parfite nombre in this maner. Therfore god wolde make this worlde in the nombre of vi∣ī to¦ken that al his werkes were par¦fite And therfore saith holy writ Gen̄. ii / c. That heuyn and erth and al their araye were parfyte. And for the same skylle god ma¦de man the vi day as for a parfi¦te and a noble creature / For the same skylle in the vi age of the worlde bicame man And on the vi day gode friday the vi / oure of ye day ī the vi age / he bought ayen mankynde with his p̄cio{us} blode in token that al his wer∣kes were parfyte And that same

nombre of daies god hath graū∣tyd vs to worche in / in token y^t alle oure werkes shulde be par∣fyte & gode / and no thynge do a¦mys / that we shulde for no coue¦tise do to moche / ne for no sleuth do to lytel / but alway holde vs ī a meane and in euenhede For god graūtyd vs no tyme to syn. Therfore he wole alway y^t we be euen with god and with our euē cristen / as sixe is alway euyn w^t his parties to giddre.