The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 09 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 478 pages of information about The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 09.

The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 09 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 478 pages of information about The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 09.
alle gode condiciouns, thei weren nevere greved with tempestes ne with thondre ne with leyt ne with hayl ne with pestylence ne with werre ne with hungre ne with non other tribulaccioun, as wee ben many tymes amonges us, for our synnes.  Wherfore it semethe wel, that God lovethe hem and is plesed with hire creance, for hire gode dedes.  Thei beleven wel in God, that made alle thinges; and him thei worschipen.  And thei preysen non erthely ricchesse; and so thei ben alle right fulle.  And thei lyven fulle ordynatly, and so sobrely in met and drynk, that thei lyven right longe.  And the most part of hem dyen with outen syknesse, whan nature faylethe hem for elde.  And it befelle in Kyng Alisandres tyme, that he purposed him to conquere that yle, and to maken hem to holden of him.  And whan thei of the contree herden it, thei senten messangeres to him with lettres, that seyden thus:  What may ben y now to that man, to whom alle the world is insuffisant:  thou schalt fynde no thing in us, that may cause the to warren azenst us:  for wee have no ricchesse, ne none wee coveyten:  and alle the godes of our contree ben in comoun.  Oure mete, that we susteyne with alle oure bodyes, is our richesse:  and in stede of tresoure of gold and sylver, wee maken oure tresoure of accord and pees, and for to love every man other.  And for to apparaylle with oure bodyes, wee usen a sely litylle clout, for to wrappen in oure carcynes.  Oure wyfes ne ben not arrayed for to make no man plesance, but only connable array, for to eschewe folye.  Whan men peynen hem to arraye the body, for to make it semen fayrere than God made it, thei don gret synne.  For man scholde not devise no aske grettre beautee, than God hathe ordeyned man to ben at his birthe.  The erthe mynystrethe to us 2 thynges; our liflode, that comethe of the erthe that wee lyve by, and oure sepulture aftre oure dethe.  Wee have ben in perpetuelle pees tille now, that thou come to disherite us; and also wee have a kyng, nought for to do justice to every man, for he schalle fynde no forfete amonge us; but for to kepe noblesse, and for to schewe that wee ben obeyssant, wee have a kyng.  For justice ne hathe not among us no place:  for wee don no man otherwise than wee desiren that man don to us; so that rightwisnesse ne vengeance han nought to don amonges us; so that no thing thou may take fro us, but oure god pes, that alle weys hath dured amonge us.  And whan Kyng Alisandre had rad theise lettres, he thoughte that he scholde do gret synne, for to trouble hem:  and thanne he sente hem surteez, that thei scholde not ben aferd of him, and that thei scholde kepen hire gode maneres and hire gode pees, as thei hadden used before of custom; and so he let hem allone.

Copyrights
Project Gutenberg
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 09 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.