{and} also yif al þe moneye þat is ouer-al in þe world were gadered towar[d] o man. it sholde maken al oþer men [[pg 46]] to ben nedy as of þat. ¶ And certys a voys al hool þat is to seyn wiþ-oute amenusynge fulfilleþ to gyder 1192 þe heryng of myche folke. [Sidenote: Riches cannot be dispensed without diminution.] but Certys ȝoure rycchesse ne mowen nat passen vnto myche folk wiþ-oute amenussyng ¶ And whan þei ben apassed. nedys þei maken hem pore þat forgon þe rycchesses. [Sidenote: O the poverty of riches, that cannot be enjoyed by many at the same time, nor can be possessed by one without impoverishing others!] ¶ O streite {and} 1196 nedy clepe I þise rycchesses. syn þat many folke [ne] may nat han it al. ne al may it nat comen to on man wiþ-oute pouerte of al oþer folke. ¶ And þe shynynge of ge{m}mes þat I clepe p{re}ciouse stones. draweþ it nat 1200 þe eyen of folk in to hem warde. þat is to seyne for þe beaute. [Sidenote: The beauty of precious stones consists only in their brightness, wherefore I marvel that men admire that which is motionless, lifeless, and irrational.] ¶ For certys yif þer were beaute or bounte in shynyng of stones. þilke clerenesse is of þe stones hem self. {and} nat of men. ¶ For whiche I wondre 1204 gretly þat men merueilen on swiche þinges. ¶ For whi what þing is it þat yif it wa{n}teþ moeuyng {and} ioynture of soule {and} body þat by ryȝt myȝt[e] semen a faire creature to hym þat haþ a soule of resou{n}. 1208 [Sidenote: Precious stones are indeed the workmanship of the Creator, but their beauty is infinitely below the excellency of man’s nature.] ¶ For al be it so þat ge{m}mes drawen to hem self a litel of þe laste beaute of þe worlde. þoruȝ þe entent of hir creato{ur} {and} þoruȝ þe distincc{i}ou{n} of hem self. ȝit for as myche as þei ben put vndir ȝoure excellence. 1212 þei han not desserued by no weye þat ȝe shullen merueylen on hem. [Sidenote: Doth the beauty of the field delight thee?] ¶ And þe beaute of feeldes deliteþ it nat mychel vnto ȝow. [Sidenote: _B._ Why should it not? for it is a beautiful part of a beautiful whole.] _Boyce._ ¶ Whi sholde it nat deliten vs. syn þat it is a ryȝt fayr porciou{n} of þe ryȝt 1216 fair werk. þat is to seyn of þis worlde. [Sidenote: Hence, we admire the face of the sea, the heavens, as well as the sun, moon, and stars.] ¶ And ryȝt so ben we gladed somtyme of þe face of þe see whan it is clere. And also merueylen we on þe heuene {and} on þe sterres. {and} on þe sonne. {and} on þe mone. [[pg 47]] [Sidenote: _P._ Do these things concern thee? darest thou glory in them?]