For whan anthonie emperour of rome sawe that he was
right riche of gold and siluer/ he had hym in grete
hate and tormentid hym right cruelly And whan he shold
perishe be cause of his richessis/ he toke alle his
hauoyr and put hit in a shippe And wente wyth alle
in to the hye see to thende for to drowne and perishe
there the shippe and his rychesses be cause Anthonie
his enemye shold not haue hit/ And whan he was there
he durst not perisshe hit ner myght not fynde in his
herte to departe from hit/ but cam and brought hit
agayn in to his hows where he resseyuyd the reward
of deth therfore. And wyth oute doubte he was
not lord of the richesse but the richesse was lady
ouer hym/ And therfore hit is sayd in prouerbe that
a man ought to seignorye ouer the riches/ and not for
to serue hit/ and yf thou canst dewly vse thy rychesse
than she is thy chamberyer/ And yf thou can not departe
from hit and vse hit honestly at thy playsir/ knowe
verily y’t she is thy lady For the richesse neuer
satisfieth the couetouse/ but the more he hath/ the
more he desireth/ And saluste sayth that auarice distourblith
fayth poeste honeste and alle these other good vertues/
And taketh for these vertues pryde. cruelte. And
to forgete god/ And saith that alle thynges be vendable
And after this they ought to be ware that they leue
not to moche/ ner make so grete creances by which
they may falle in pouerte/ For saynt Ambrose saith
upon tobye. pouerte hath no lawe/ for to owe hit is
a shame/ & to owe and not paye is a more shame/ yf
y’u be poure beware how thou borowest/ and thinke
how thou maist paye & rendre agayn yf y’u be
ryche y’u hast none nede to borowe & axe/ &
it is said in the prouerbes y’t hit is fraude
to take/ that y’u wilt not ner maist rendre
& paye agayn/ and also hit is said in reproche/ whan
I leue I am thy frend/ & whan I axe I am thy enemye/
as wo saith/ god at the lenynge/ & the deuyll at rendrynge/
And seneque sayth in his au[c]torites/ that they
y’t gladly borowe/ ought gladly to paye/ and
ought to surmonte in corage to loue hem the better
be cause they leue hem & ayde hem in her nede/ For
for benefetes & good tornes doon to a man ought to
gyue hym thankinges therfore/ And moche more ought
a man to repaye that Is lente hym in his nede/ But
now in these dayes many men by lenynge of their money
haue made of their frendes enemyes/ And herof speketh
Domas the philosopher and sayth that my frende borowed
money of me/ And I haue lost my frende and my money
attones/ Ther was a marchant of Gene & also a chaungeour/
whos name was Albert gauor/ And this albert was a
man of grete trouth and loyaulte/ for on a tyme ther
was a man cam to hym and said & affermed that he had
delyueryd in to his banke .v. honderd floryns of gold
to kepe whiche was not trouth for he lyed/ whyche
fyue honderd floryns the said Albert knewe not of/
ner coude fynde in all hys bookes ony suche money to
hym due And this lyar coude not brynge no wytnessis/
but began to braye. crye and deffame the said albert