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.