And cam vpon them whan they spack of
the mater to the marchant for to deliuere to hym the sayd cofres to kepe
whyche his frendes had fayned and requyred of hym that he had taken to
hym to kepe/ and than an[=o]n the sayd marchant sayd to hym I knowe the
now well. For I haue auysed me that thou art suche a man/ And camst to
me suche a tyme/ And deliuerest to me suche a thynge whiche I haue well
kept/ And than callyd his clerck/ and bad hym goo fecche suche a thynge
in suche a place/ and deliuere hit to that good man For he deliuerid hit
to me/ And than the good man receyuyd his good. And wente his way right
Ioyously and gladd/ And this marchant trycheur and deceyuour was
defrauded from his euyll malice/ And he ne had neyther that one ne that
other ony thynge that was of value/ And therfore hit Is sayd in prouerbe
to defraude the beguylar is no fraude/ And he that doth well foloweth
oure lord And seneke faith that charyte enseygneth and techeth that men
shold paye well For good payement is sometyme good confession/ And this
marchant trycheour & deceyuour resembleth & Is lyke to an hound that
bereth a chese in his mouth whan he swymmeth ouer a watre For whan he is
on the watre He seeth the shadowe of the chese in the watre/ And than he
weneth hit be an other chese/ And for couetyse to haue that/ he openth
his mouth to cacche that/ And than the chese that he bare fallyth doun
in to the watre/ And thus he loseth bothe two/ And in the same wise was
seruyd this marchant deceyuour/ For for to haue the coffres/ whiche he
had not seen/ He deliueryd agayn that he wold haue holden wrongfully &
thus by his couetise and propre malice he was deceyuyd/ And therfore hit
apperteyneth to euery good & wyse man to knowe & considere in hym self
how moche he had resseyuyd of other men/ And vpon what condicion hit was
deliuerid to hym And hit is to wete y't this thinge apperteyneth to
resseyuours & to chaungeours And to alle true marchans and other what
som euyr they bee/ and ought to kepe their bookes of resaytes & of
payements of whom & to whom and what tyme & day. and yf y'e demande what
thynge makyth them to forgete suche thynges as ben taken to them to kepe
I answere & saye that hyt Is grete couetyse for to haue tho thynges to
themself and neuer to departe from them/ And it is all her thought and
desire to assemble alle the good that they may gete For they beleue on
none other god/ but on her richessis theyr hertes ben so obstynat/ and
this