y maintain them. And
yet, as much as God and nature both bind us to the sustenance of
our father, his need may be so little (though it be somewhat) and
another man's so great, that both nature and God also would that I
should, in such unequal need, relieve that urgent necessity of a
stranger--yea, my foe, and God's enemy too, the very Turk or
Saracen--before a little need, and unlikely to do great harm, in
my father and my mother too. For so ought they both twain
themselves to be well content that I should.

But now, cousin, outside of such extreme need well perceived and
known unto myself, I am not bound to give to every beggar who will
ask; nor to believe every imposter that I meet in the street who
will say himself that he is very sick; nor to reckon all the poor
folk committed by God only so to my charge alone, that no other
man should give them anything of his until I have first given out
all mine. Nor am I bound either to have so evil opinion of all
other folk save myself as to think that, unless I help, the poor
folk shall all fail at once, for God hath left in all this quarter
no more good folk now but me! I may think better of my neighbours
and worse of myself than that, and yet come to heaven, by God's
grace, well enough.

VINCENT: Marry, uncle, but some man will peradventure be right
content, in such cases, to think his neighbours very charitable,
to the intent that he may think himself at liberty to give nothing
at all.

ANTHONY: That is, cousin, very true. Some will be content either
to think so, or to make as though they thought so. But those are
they who are content to give naught because they are naught! But
our question is, cousin, not of them, but of good folk who, by
the keeping of worldly goods, stand in great fear to offend God.
For the quieting of their conscience speak we now, to the intent
that they may perceive what manner of having of worldly goods, and
keeping of them, may stand with the state of grace.

Now think I, cousin, that if a man keep riches about him for a
glory and royalty of the world, taking a great delight in the
consideration of it and liking himself for it, and taking him who
is poorer for the lack of it as one far worse than himself, such a
mind is very vain foolish pride and such a man is very wicked
indeed. But on the other hand, there may be a man--such as would
God there were many!--who hath no love unto riches, but having it
fall abundantly unto him, taketh for h