Here begynneth the booke whiche is called the body of polycye And it speketh of vertues and of good maners, and the sayd boke is deuyded in thre partyes. The fyrst party is adressed to prynces. The seconde to knyghtes and nobles: and the thyrde to the vnyuersal people. The fyrst chapytre speketh of the dyscrypcyon of the body of polycye.

¶ Here it speketh of marchauntes. Capitulo. liiii.

OF suche people as we haue spoken of here tofore / that ben named marchauntes / whiche state of people is ryght necessary / and without that sa∣me / the state of kynges and prynces / and name∣ly the polycye of cytees / and of countrees my∣ght not be without •••• / for by the meanes of theyr wysdome and laboure all maner of people ben puruayed of suche thynges / as is to them necessary / whiche is brought in by the marchaū tes out of ferre coūtrees yf they haue money▪ wherfore it was

a well founde thynge for to fynde amonge worldely thynges, suche an inuencyon that people myght be laboured and put to dyuerse offyces / For and this were not / euery man sholde ha∣ue ynoughe to do for to gete his lyuynge without takynge he de of ony other scyence / wherfore god and reason hathe wel pur uayed▪ And for the good that they doo to euery man / that ma ner state of people / that is to knowe •• true marchauntes in by enge and sellynge for money / or other maner of trewe meanes as by entrechaungynge one thynge for another / ought grete∣ly for to be commended as for a thynge that is ryght necessary and in many countrees they be moche set by▪ And there is not soo grete a Cytezyne in some Cyte but they medle them with marchaundyse / yet ben they neuer the lesse sette by / nor called the more vnworshypfull. Lyke as at Uenyse / Ieene / and othed places where moche rychesses is / and myghty marchauntes whiche gothe thrughe euery lo••de too seche thynges of euery sorte whiche they dysperpule all aboute the worlde / and thus is the worlde serued of al maner of dyuers thynges. And with out ony fayle they that practyse trewely in doynge these wer∣kes / I suppose that they doo ryght a merytoryous offyce and is accepte of god and of the lawes premysse and approued / The se manere of people ought too be well aduysed in theyr dedes trewe in theyr laboure / and faythfull in theyr mouthe / too that entente that they maye by theyr marchaundyse at suche payce that they loose not in sellynge agayne of the same / And that they vnderstonde wel also that there ben plente of suche stuffe as they wyll bye in the countree where he gothe to. And on the other syde that there be no plente in that countree that he wyll vttre his marchaundyse in▪ And without this y^• feate of theyr practyse shall be as nought / and fayle of theyr purpose / Also they ought too be trewe in theyr laboure / that is too saye / they ought not vnder the payne of dampnacyon / and shamefull ••••••

nyssyon of theyr body make fayrer theyr marchaūdyse by ony maner of sleyght for to make them shewe better than they be / in deceyuynge of the people to that entente that they myght be y^• rather solde / for euery crafte is gretely reproued where frau de is in / and they that vse suche falshede ought not to be called marchauntes / but very false and begylers of the people for the marchauntes ought to be trewe of theyr worde / and souerayn ly of theyr promyses / wherfore in some countrees and places / they be so acustome to holde and kepe trouthe that a symple pro myse or a worde of a marchaunt shall be trusted as moche and taken for as grete a Suretye / as in other places mennes obly∣gacyon / and these people rather than they sholde be founde vn trewe of theyr promyses / had leuer suffre grete hurte than fay ••••ony thynge of theyr couenauntes the whiche thynge is fayre and good and a worshypfull custome. And yf it pleased god I wolde that our marchauntes of Fraunce and in all other lon∣des wolde do in lyke wyse / and thoughe so be that there be so∣me whiche do not all well / yet I tryst to god there be many that be good and trewe / ryche / honourable / and faythefull in theyr ••••••yse / and suche I praye almyghty god saue and mayntey ne in theyr goodnes For it is a grete goodnes to a countre and grete rychesse to a prynce / & namely to the comon welthe whan •••• towne is substancyally grounded in marchaundyse and ma ny marchauntes dwellynge therin. ••herfore these Cytees y^t ben set vpon the grete ryuers be comonly ryche and full of peo ple / for bycause of the grete marchaundyses y^• be brought thy∣der out of ferre countrees by the see. Also these sayd marchaū tes ought to be of honest & clene lyfe without ony pompe or p••y de & serue god incourage & drede / & to gyue fayre almes of the goodes y^• god hathe sente them / lyke as men may fynde of ma ny dyuers that haue gyuen the. x. parte of theyr wynnynge / & some y^• haue founded many chapelles / and dyuerse places of

prayer / & hospytalles for poore people. And yet there be suche y^• by the grace of god for theyr good merytes deserue to be rewar ded in heuen / and worshypped in this worlde.