ed by warre or by tempeste that myght falle or happen
in the contrey And hit is meruayll though hit so happen For that man
that is disagreable vnto god And weneth y't the multiplynge of his
goodes temporell cometh by the vertu of his owne co[=u]ceyll and his
wytte/ the whiche is made by the only ordenance of hym that made alle.
And by the same ordenance is soone taken away fro hym that is
disagreable/ and hit is reson that whan a man haboundeth by fortune in
goodes/ And knoweth not god/ by whom hit cometh/ that to hym come some
other fortune by the whiche he may requyre grace and pardon And to knowe
his god/ And we rede of the kynge Dauid that was first symple & one of
the comyn peple/ that whan fortune had enhaunsed and sette hym in grete
astate/ he lefte and forgate his god/ And fyll to aduoultrye and
homicyde and other synnes/ Than anon his owne sone Absalom assaylled &
began to persecute hym And than whan he sawe that fortune was contrarye
to hym/ he began to take agayn his vertuous werkis and requyred pardoun
and so retorned to god agayn. We rede also of the children of ysrael
that were nyghe enfamyned in desert and sore hongry & thrusty that they
prayd & requyred of god for remedy/ Anon he changed his wyll & sente to
hem manna/ & flessh &c./ And whan they were replenesshid & fatte of the
flessh of bestes & of the manna/ they made a calf of gold and worshippid
hit. Whiche was a grete synne & Inyquyte/ For whan they were hongry they
knewe god/ And whan theyre belyes were fylde & fatted/ they forgid
ydoles & were ydolatrers. After this euery labourer ought to be
faythfull & trewe That whan his maystre delyuereth to hym his lande to
be laboured/ that he take no thinge to hymself but that hym ought to
haue & is his/ but laboure truly & take cure and charge in the name of
his maistre/ and do more diligently his maisters labours than his owen/
for the lyf of y'e most grete & noble men next god lieth in y'e handes
of the labourers/ and thus all craftes & occupacions ben ordeyned not
only to suffise to them only/ but to the comyn/ And so hit happeth ofte
tyme that y'e labourer of the erthe vseth grete and boystous metes/ and
bringeth to his maister more subtile & more deyntous metes/ And valerius
reherceth in his. vi. book that ther was a wife & noble maistre y't was
named Anthoni9 that was accused of a caas of aduoultrye/ & as the cause
henge to fore the Iuges/ his accusers or denonciatours brought I
labourer that closid hi