Page 249

C.xvi.

occupoient en aprendre philosophie. Ainsi estui
oient anciennement les philosophes avant leur
mort pour adreschier et attraire eulx et les aultres
a la congnoissanche de leur createur et traveilloient
moult pour adreschier toutes gens a vertu. ils ordon
noient les monnoies que ilz portoient pour avoir
leurs vivres en les achetant et paiant. car len ne don
ne pas tousjours. Et pour la convoitise des gens qui
ont paour de leurs despens corrompent droit et na
ture. Car par rayson et droiture deveroit ung chascun
prendre son vivre. Et pur che fu monnoie establie
pour soustenir son vivre a chascun et sa vie. Lors que
ilz par les chemins. Mais ilz amient leurs charon
gues et leurs peaulx trop plus que besoing ne leur
fust et retiennent des biens plus que mestier ne leur
seroit pour leur ordinaire. Lesquels laissant empres
eulx pourrir et voient que maintes povres person
nes en ont si grant besoing. Les monnoies ne furent
pas pour ceste cause trouvees fors pour avoir son
vivre jusques ad che que la mort qui tout prend en
feroit che quelle doit au plaisir de dieu et ainsi fus

116

all their time in learning philosophy. In this way, in olden days,
the philosophers studied before their death to direct and attract
themselves and others to the knowledge of their Creator, and they labored
greatly to set all people on the path toward virtue. They organized
money that they carried in order to gain what they needed to
live by buying and paying for it, for people do not always
give [freely]. The greed of people who are
fearful of the expense corrupts law and nature. (see note) For according
to reason and nature everyone one should be able to take what
they need to live, and for this reason money was established
to sustain each one in what he needed to live and in his life when
he was on the road. But they [the greedy people] loved their flesh
and their skin much more than they needed to, and retained
possession of goods that they didn't need for their daily life,
leaving those goods to rot even while seeing that many poor people
had great need of them. Money was not invented
for this reason, except to have what one needs to live
until death takes everything, doing as one should by God's pleasure. So

C.xvi.

occupoient en aprendre philosophie. Ainsi estui
oient anciennement les philosophes avant leur
mort pour adreschier et attraire eulx et les aultres
a la congnoissanche de leur createur et traveilloient
moult pour adreschier toutes gens a vertu. ils ordon
noient les monnoies que ilz portoient pour avoir
leurs vivres en les achetant et paiant. car len ne don
ne pas tousjours. Et pour la convoitise des gens qui
ont paour de leurs despens corrompent droit et na
ture. Car par rayson et droiture deveroit ung chascun
prendre son vivre. Et pur che fu monnoie establie
pour soustenir son vivre a chascun et sa vie. Lors que
ilz par les chemins. Mais ilz amient leurs charon
gues et leurs peaulx trop plus que besoing ne leur
fust et retiennent des biens plus que mestier ne leur
seroit pour leur ordinaire. Lesquels laissant empres
eulx pourrir et voient que maintes povres person
nes en ont si grant besoing. Les monnoies ne furent
pas pour ceste cause trouvees fors pour avoir son
vivre jusques ad che que la mort qui tout prend en
feroit che quelle doit au plaisir de dieu et ainsi fus

116

all their time in learning philosophy. In this way, in olden days,
the philosophers studied before their death to direct and attract
them and others to the knowledge of their Creator, and they labored
greatly to set all people on the path toward virtue. They ordered
money that they carried in order to gain what they needed to
live by buying and paying for it (for it was not always given
to them), and because of the jealousy of people who, afraid
of their payments, corrupted right and nature. For according
to reason and nature everyone one should be able to take what
they need to live, and for this reason money was established
to sustain each one in what he needed to live and in his life when
he was on the road. But they [the detractors] loved their flesh
and their skin much more than they needed to, and retained
possession of goods that they didn't need for their daily life,
leaving them to rot even while seeing that many poor people
had great need of them. Money was not invented
for this reason, except to have what one needs to live
until death takes everything that he should, by God's pleasure. So