Apoftolus. pendium mors eft.
That fuche werres ledeth inne.
If that he do it for to winne,
First to accompte his grete cofte,
Forth with the folke that he hath lofte
As to the worldes reckeninge,
There shall he finde no winninge.
And if he do it to purchace
The heven, mede of fuche a grace
I can nought speke, and netheles
Crift hath commaunded love and pees.
And who that worcheth the revers,
I trowe his mede is full divers.
And fithen thanne that we finde,
That werres in her owne kinde
Ben toward god of no deferte
And eke they bringen in pouerte
Of worldes good, it is merveile
Among the men what it may eile,
That they a pees ne connen fette.
I trowe finne be the lette,
And every mede of finne is deth.
Sti- So wote I never howe it geth.
peccati
But we, that ben of o beleve
Among us felf, this wolde I leve,
That better it were pees to chefe
Than fo by double weie lefe.
I not if that it now fo ftonde,
But this a man may understonde,
Who that these olde bokes redeth,
That covetife is one, which ledeth
And broughte first the werres inne.
At Grece if that I shall beginne,
There was it proved howe it stood
To Perfe, whiche was full of good.
They maden werre in speciall
And fo they didden over all,
Where great richeffe was in londe,
So that they leften nothing ftonde
Unwerred, but onliche Archade.
For there they no werres made
Because it was barein and pouer,
Wherof they mighte nought recouer
And thus pouerte was forbore.
He that nought had nought hath lore. yet it is a wonder thinge,
Whan that a riche worthy kinge
Or other lord, what so he be,
Woll axe and claime properte
In thing, to whiche he hath no right,
But only of his grete might.
For this may every man well wite,
That bothe kinde and lawe write
Expreffely ftonden there ayein.
But he mot nedes fomewhat fain,
All though there be no reson inne,
Which fecheth cause for to winne.
For wit, that is with will oppreffed,
Whan covetise him hath adreffed
And alle refon put away,
He can well finde fuch a way
Nota, quod Greci omnem terram fertilem debellabant, fed tantum Archadiam pro eo, quod pauper et fterilis fuit, pacifice dimiferunt.
Hic declarat per exemplum contra iftos principes feu alios quofcumque illicite guerre motores,
narrat de quodam pi
rata in partibus mari
To werre, where as ever him liketh,
Wherof that he the worde entriketh,
That many a man of him compleigneth.
But yet alway fome cause he feigneth
And of his wrongfull herte he demeth,
That all is well, what ever him femeth,
Be fo that he may winne inough.
For as the true man to the plough
Only to the gaignage entendeth,
Right fo the werriour defpendeth
His time and hath no confcience.
And in this point for evidence
Of hem that fuche werres make,
Thou might a great enfample take,
How they her tirannie excufen
Of that they wrongful werres ufen,
And how they ftonde of one accorde,
The fouldeour forth with the lorde,
pouer man forth with the riche, As of corage they ben liche
To make werres and to pille
For lucre, and for none other skille,
Wherof a propre tale I rede,
As it whilom befelle in dede.
Of him, whom all this erthe dradde,
Whan he the world fo overladde
Through werre, as it fortuned is,
King Alifaundre, I rede this,
nis fpoliatore notiffi- How in a marche, where he lay,
fuiffet, et in judicium It fell parchaunce upon a day
A rover of the fee was nome,
Which many a man had overcome
And flain and take her good away.
This pilour as the bokes fay,
A famous man in fondry stede
Was of the werkes, whiche he dede.
This prifoner to-fore the kinge
Was brought, and therupon this thinge
In audience he was accused,
And he his dede hath nought excused
And praid the king to done him right
And faid: Sire, if I were of might,
I have an herte liche unto thine,
For if thy power were mine,
My wille is most in speciall
To rifle and geten over all
The large worldes good about.
But for I lede a pouer route
And am as who faith at mifchefe,
The name of pilour and of thefe
I bere, and thou which routes great
Might lede and take thy beyete
And doft right as I wolde do,
Thy name is nothing cleped fo,
But thou art named emperour.
Our dedes ben of one colour
And in effecte of one deferte,
But thy richesse and my pouerte
They be nought taken evenliche,
And netheles he that is riche
coram rege Alexandro productus et de latricino accufatus dixit: O Alexander, vere quia cum paucis fociis fpoliorum caufa naves tantum exploro, ego latrunculus vocor, tu autem quia cum infinita bellatorum multitudine univerfam terram fubjugando fpoliafti, imperator diceris, itaque ftatus tuus a ftatu meo differt, fed eodem animo condicionem parilem habemus. Alexander vero eius audaciam in refponfione comprobans ipfum penes fe familiarem retinuit. Et fic bellicofus bellatori complacuit.
This day, to morwe he may be
And in contrarie alfo recouer
A pouer man to grete richeffe.
Men fain forthy let rightwiseneffe
Be peised even in the balaunce.
The king his hardy contenaunce
Behelde, and herd his wordes wife
And faid unto him in this wife:
Thin answere I have understonde,
Wherof my will is, that thou stonde
In my service and stille abide.
And forth with al the fame tide
He hath him terme of life witholde
The more and for he fhuld ben holde,
He made him knight and yaf him lond,
Whiche afterward was of his honde
An orped knight in many a stede
And great proweffe of armes dede,
As the croniques it recorden.
And in this wife they accorden,
The whiche of condicion
upon destruction.
Such capitain fuch retenue.
But for to fee to what iffue
The king befalleth at the laste,
It is great wonder that men cafte
Her herte upon fuch wrong to winne,
Where no beyete may ben inne,
And doth difefe on every fide,
But whan refon is put afide
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