_De miseria divitis et pauperis._ (99) Pauperes enim premuntur inedia, cruciantur aerumna, fame, siti, frigore, nuditate; vilescunt, tabescunt, spernuntur, et confunduntur. O miserabilis mendicantis conditio; et si petit, pudore confunditur, et si non petit, egestate consumitur, sed ut mendicet, necessitate compellitur. (106) Deum causatur iniquum, quod non recte dividat; proximum criminatur malignum, quod non plene subveniat. Indignatur, murmurat, imprecatur. (113) Adverte super hoc sententiam Sapientis, 'Melius est,' inquit, 'mori quam indigere': 'Etiam proximo suo pauper odiosus erit.' 'Omnes dies pauperis mali'; (120) 'fratres hominis pauperis oderunt eum; insuper et amici procul recesserunt ab eo.' For further references to the quotations occurring in the above passage, see the notes below, to ll. 114, 118, 120. 99. _poverte_ = _povértë_, with the accent on the second syllable, as it rimes with _herte_; in the Wyf of Bathes Tale, it rimes with _sherte_. Poverty is here personified, and addressed by the Man of Lawe. The whole passage is illustrated by a similar long passage near the end of the Wyf of Bathes Tale, in which the opposite side of the question is considered, and the poet shews what can be said in Poverty's praise. See D. 1177-1206. 101. _Thee_ is a dative, like _me_ in l. 91.--M. See Gen. ii. 15 (A. S. version), where _him þæs ne sceamode_ = they were not ashamed of it; lit. it shamed them not of it. 102. _artow_, art thou; the words being run together: so also _seistow_ = sayest thou, in l. 110. 104. _Maugree thyn heed_, in spite of all you can do; lit. despite thy head; see Knightes Tale, A. 1169, 2618, D. 887. 105. _Or ... or_ = either ... or; an early example of this construction.--M. 108. _neighebour_ is a trisyllable; observe that _e_ in the middle of a word is frequently sounded; cf. l. 115. _wytest_, blamest. 110. 'By my faith, sayest thou, he will have to account for it hereafter, when his tail shall burn in the fire (lit. glowing coal), because he helps not the needy in their necessity.' 114. 'It is better (for thee) to die than be in need.' Tyrwhitt says--'This saying of Solomon is quoted in the Romaunt of the Rose, [143] l. 8573--Mieux vault mourir que pauvres estre'; [l. 8216, ed. Méon.] The quotation is not from Solomon, but from Jesus, son of Sirach; see Ecclus. xl. 28, where the Vulgate has--'Melius est enim mori quam indigere.' Cf. B. 2761. 115. _Thy selve neighebor_, thy very neighbour, even thy next neighbour. See note to l. 108. 118. In Prov. xv. 15, the Vulgate version has--'Omnes dies _pauperis_ mali'; where the A. V. has 'the afflicted.' 119. The reading _to_ makes the line harsh, as the final _e_ in _come_ should be sounded, and therefore needs elision. _in that prikke_, into that point, into that condition; cf. l. 1028.