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A hungry man eats meat, not gold. Haue a man neuere so miche · mischef of houngur,
He may hit staunche wiþ mete · & menden his paine.
A thirsty man drinks water. Þouh þirst dreche him wiþ drouhþe · drink may him helpe,
1033A litil wetinge of watur · his wo wol amende.
Ȝif gold were to a gome · so goode of his kinde,
Whan men hit helde in here hand · of hadde in here warde.
1036So scholde it be to a burn · bote of his nede,
His corsede couaytise · cofly to sese,
The more gold a man has, the more he wants. But now, þe more þat a man · may þer-of winne,
Þe more ȝernus he[1] ȝit · to ȝeme at his wille;
1040 & he is mensked þe mor · amongus ȝou alle,
For wel louus euery lud · þat liche is him tille.
Your gods cannot heal the dead. We sain þat ȝour sory godes · of wham ȝe so helpe,
Mow no manyr ded þing · þorou hure miht hele.
1044Ȝe tenden michil in ȝour time · templus to bulde,
& riche auterus riue · rere þere-inne;
Þanne founde ȝe ȝour falce godus · with sorw for to here,
& quellen for to quemen hem · of ȝour quike bestus;
1048Yet ye sacrifices to them. & in þat same sacrifice · ȝe seggen þe name
Of what burn þat hit be · þat wolde bone haue.
Þin aldur-fadur, alixandre · al þis haþ vsed,
& alle kydde of ȝour kin · kenden þis dedus,
1052þis is amongus ȝou men · in þis manere knowe ;
Ye err, ye know not how much. For þus ȝe erren echon · in erþliche werkus.
How luþurly ȝe liuen her · litil ȝe knowen;
1056Þow ȝe wiþ sinne be of-set · suffre ȝe[2] nolle,
Þat we by-wepe in þis word · ȝour wikkede dedus!
& miche, þinkeþ vs, a man · menskeþ anoþur,
He may hit staunche wiþ mete · & menden his paine.
A thirsty man drinks water. Þouh þirst dreche him wiþ drouhþe · drink may him helpe,
1033A litil wetinge of watur · his wo wol amende.
Ȝif gold were to a gome · so goode of his kinde,
Whan men hit helde in here hand · of hadde in here warde.
1036So scholde it be to a burn · bote of his nede,
His corsede couaytise · cofly to sese,
The more gold a man has, the more he wants. But now, þe more þat a man · may þer-of winne,
Þe more ȝernus he[1] ȝit · to ȝeme at his wille;
1040 & he is mensked þe mor · amongus ȝou alle,
For wel louus euery lud · þat liche is him tille.
Your gods cannot heal the dead. We sain þat ȝour sory godes · of wham ȝe so helpe,
Mow no manyr ded þing · þorou hure miht hele.
1044Ȝe tenden michil in ȝour time · templus to bulde,
& riche auterus riue · rere þere-inne;
Þanne founde ȝe ȝour falce godus · with sorw for to here,
& quellen for to quemen hem · of ȝour quike bestus;
1048Yet ye sacrifices to them. & in þat same sacrifice · ȝe seggen þe name
Of what burn þat hit be · þat wolde bone haue.
Þin aldur-fadur, alixandre · al þis haþ vsed,
& alle kydde of ȝour kin · kenden þis dedus,
1052þis is amongus ȝou men · in þis manere knowe ;
Ye err, ye know not how much. For þus ȝe erren echon · in erþliche werkus.
How luþurly ȝe liuen her · litil ȝe knowen;
1056Þow ȝe wiþ sinne be of-set · suffre ȝe[2] nolle,
Þat we by-wepe in þis word · ȝour wikkede dedus!
& miche, þinkeþ vs, a man · menskeþ anoþur,
beret, sitis non reprimetur. Si esuriit et cibo refecto ex auro refectus fuerit, fames non repelletur. Si autem aurum esset bone [ed. hmōi (sic)] nature et acciperet illud homo, cupiditatis puniretur vicium. Quid ergo proficit aurum? non purgat, non reprimit, non satiat, non sustentat; nullam cordi humano confert sanitatem nec vtilitatem. Quid inde vasa aurea componitis? Nonne vasa lutea tantundem proficiunt, nisi quod mentes vestre magis propter splendorem auri in superbiam eleuantur? Malum siquidem aurum est, quia
