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The Brahmhis to Alexander. Their better ness.

quer other
men,

They change
their laws,
and do but
hold with
fine speech,
loving gold
and silver and
rich things.
The Greeks
live in glut-
tony and fall
sick.

The wisdom of
the Brahmins
surpasses all
that of the
Greeks.
They burn the
bodies of the
dead and do
not give back
to earth what
earth has
given forth.
The Brah-
mins slay no
beasts in the
worship of
God, neither
do they have
gold nor
silver nor
precious
things in His
service, since
for none of
these things
does God hear
man, but only
for his good
works.
Prayer is the
word and the
word is God.
Therefore are
the Greeks
fools, holding
themselves
* Leaf 34 bk.
heavenly and
thinking they
communicate
with God
whilst they
defile

wyfes, and Proserpyna made many men) to do advowtry wit hir.
FuH: wreched' & futt hye fules ]:>ay ere, J^at swilke goddes
wirchipes. ^qq witt no5te suffer men) lyfe in J^aire awenn)
libertee bot makes J>am) ^owr thralles & '^our sugetes. 3^ deme
no3te ri^twisly, ^e gerre jowr iuge^ change '^our lawes as 30W
liete. 3^ say many thynge^ )?at sulde be donwe, bot 36 do J^am)
no3te. 3c balde na man) wysse bot hym )?at base Eloquence of
speche. 3® ^^.fe att 3oitr witt in 5owr tunge5, and att "pur
wysdome es in '^our mouthe. 3® ^^^^ golde & silu^r & gaders
J^am to-gedir and desyre3 to bafe grete howse5 ^ ^^^ ^^^ grete
multitude of seruande5. 3® ^^^ ^ drynk to mekitt:, so ]?at
oftymes 5ottr stomake thurgli grete repleccion) es greued" & many
sekenesse J^aris-tburgli 56 fatt in, & so ofte sythes dyes before
30'wr tyme. 3^ wolde euer-mare halde 30wr reches and alt
thynge^ Jjat 3e may gete. Bot att thynge5 at J?e laste leues 30W.
pe wysdoin) allanly of ]?e Bragmayns passe3 att '^our witt &
30itr wysdom). For, & we wele coTisedere, J^e same moder \>ai
broghte forthe stanes & trees, of j^e same was bathe oure bygyn-
nyng & "^ours. 3® honowre 301*^ Sepultowrs curyousely wit
golde & syluer, and in vessette made of precyouse stanes 36 putt
J^e asse of 30t^r bodys, when) J^ay ere brynnedl And what may
be werre J?an) for titt take )^e banes, ]?at f>e erthe sulde hafe, for
to ga bryn) J>am), and no5te suffers \>q erthe resayffe his element
\>Q whilke he broghte forthe.

'We sla na beste5 in J^e wirchipe of goddej. Nee temples
make we nane, for to sett in ymage5 of golde or of siluere in })e
name of false godde3, as 3e do ; ne awters of golde and of
preciows stanes. 3^ ^^-fe swilke a lawe for to honoure '^our
godde5 wit 50wr gudes for f)at f»ay salt here '^our prayers.
Bot we vndirstande & wate wele ]>at noJ?er for golde ne silu^r ;
ne for )?e blode of calues nor gayte ne schepe Godd" heres any
man). Bot for gude werkes ]>e whilke Godd' lufes, and thurgh
J>e wordes of denote prayere. Godd" witJ here a man) for J)e
worde. For thurgti worde we ere lyke to Goddl For Godd* es
worde,* and J^at worde made alt J^e werlde aud thurgh \>at worde
att thynge3 base beyng, Mouyng & lyfe. That worde wirchipe
wee and luffes & honowres. Godd' es a spirite. And he lufes
na-thyng bot ]?at that es clene. Whare-fore we halde 30W fult
grete foles, that wene5 50wr kynde be heuenly, and \>ai 50 hafe

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