University of Virginia Library

SCENE XIX

AUARICIA.
Now, Mankynd, be war of þis:
Þou art a-party wele in age.
I wolde not þou ferdyst amys;
Go we now knowe my castel cage.
In þis bowre I schal þe blys;
Worldly wele schal be þi wage;
More mucke þanne is þyne iwys
Take þou in þis trost terage
And loke þat þou do wronge.
Coveytyse, it is no sore,
He wyl þe feffen ful of store,
And alwey, alwey sey ‘more and more’,
And þat schal be þi songe.

HUMANUM GENUS.
A, Coveytyse, haue þou good grace!
Certys þou beryst a trewe tonge.
‘More and more’, in many a place,
Certys þat songe is oftyn songe.
I wyste neuere man, be bankys bace,
So seyn in cley tyl he were clonge:
‘Inow, inow’ hadde neuere space,
Þat ful songe was neuere songe,
Nor I wyl not begynne.
Goode Coveytyse, I þe prey
Þat I myth wyth þe pley.
Ȝeue me good inow, or þat I dey,
To wonne in werldys wynne.

AUARICIA.
Haue here, Mankynd, a thousend marke.
I, Coveytyse, haue þe þis gote.
Þou mayst purchase þerwyth bothe ponde and parke
And do þerwyth mekyl note.
Lene no man hereof, for no karke,
Þou he schulde hange be þe þrote,
Monke nor frere, prest nor clerke,
Ne helpe þerwyth chyrche nor cote,
Tyl deth þi body delue.
Þou he schuld sterue in a caue,
Lete no pore man þerof haue.
In grene gres tyl þou be graue
Kepe sumwhat fore þiselue.

HUMANUM GENUS.
I vow to God, it is gret husbondry.
Of þe I take þese noblys rownde.
I schal me rapyn, and þat in hye,
To hyde þis gold vndyr þe grownde.
Þer schal it ly tyl þat I dye,
It may be kepte þer saue and sownde.
Þou my neygbore schuld be hangyn hye,
Þerof getyth he neythyr peny nor pownde.
Ȝyt am I not wel at ese.
Now wolde I haue castel wallys,
Stronge stedys and styf in stallys.
Wyth hey holtys and hey hallys,
Coveytyse, þou muste me sese.

AUARICIA.
Al schalt þou haue al redy, lo,
At þyn owyn dysposycyoun.
Al þis good take þe to,
Clyffe and cost, toure and toun.
Þus hast þou gotyn in synful slo
Of þyne neygborys be extorcyoun.
‘More and more’ sey ȝyt, haue do,
Tyl þou be ded and drepyn dounn;
Werke on wyth werldys wrenchys.
‘More and more’ sey ȝyt, I rede,
To more þanne inow þou hast nede.
Al þis werld, bothe lenthe and brede,
Þi coveytyse may not qwenche.

HUMANUM GENUS.
Qwenche neuere no man may;
Me þynkyth neuere I haue inow.
Þer ne is werldys wele, nyth nor day,
But þat me thynkyth it is to slow.
‘More and more’ ȝit I say
And schal euere whyl I may blow;
On Coveytyse is al my lay
And schal tyl deth me ouyrthrow.
‘More and more’, þis is my steuene.
If I myth alwey dwellyn in prosperyte,
Lord God, þane wel were me.
I wolde, þe medys, forsake þe
And neuere to comyn in heuene.