_Egenti largire quicquid poteris._ Gyue to the nedye what [Sidenote: Luke xi. 41 vi. 38.] thou well maye. For our lorde saythe in his gospell: _Date elemosinam, et omnia munda sunt vobis. Et alibi. Date, et dabitur vobis_: Gyue almes, and all worldly rychesse is 4 yours; gyue, and it shall be gyuen to you. Almes-dede is a holy thynge, it encreaseth a mans welthe, it maketh lesse a mannes synnes, it lengtheth a mans lyfe, it maketh [Sidenote: [Fol. 86.]] a man of good mynde, it delayeth yll tymes, and closeth 8 all thynges, hit delyuereth a manne from deathe, it ioyneth a manne with aungelles, and seuereth hym from the dyuell, and is lyke a wall vnable to be foughten agaynst. And saynt James saythe: _Sicut aqua extinguit ignem, ita elemosina 12 peccatum._ As water slecketh fyer, soo dothe almes-dede [Sidenote: Prov. xxviii. 27.] slake synne. Salomon saythe, _Qui dat pauperi, non indigebit._ He that giueth vnto a poore man, shal neuer [Sidenote: Prov. xxi. 13.] haue nede. And also he sayth, _Qui obturat aurem suam 16 ad clamorem pauperis, et ipse clamabit, et non exaudietur._ He that stoppeth his eare at the clamoure or crie of a pore man, he shall crye, and he shall not be gracyousely herde. There maye no manne excuse hym from gyuynge 20 of almes, thoughe he be poore. And let hym doo as [Sidenote: Mark, xii. 42;] [Sidenote: Luke, xxi. 2.] the poore wydowe dyd, that offered a farthynge, wherfore she hadde more thanke and rewarde of god, thanne the ryche men that offered golde. And if thou mayste not 24 gyue a farthynge, gyue lesse, or gyue fayre wordes, or good information, ensaumple, and token: and god shall rewarde the bothe for thy dede and for thy good wyll. And that thou dooste, do it with a good wyll. For saynte 28 [Sidenote: 2 Cor. ix. 7.] Paule saythe, _Hilarem datorem diligit deus_. God loueth [Sidenote: [Fol. 86_b_.]] a glad gyuer, and that if it be of true begotten goodes. For Salomon saythe, _De tuis iustis laboribus ministra pauperibus_. Of thy trewe labours mynystre and gyue to 32 [Sidenote: Isidore.] the poore folkes. For Isodorus saythe, _Qui iniuste tollit, iuste nunquam tribuit_. He that taketh wrongfully, cannot gyue trewelye. For it is wrytten Ecclesiastici xxxv. [Sidenote: Eccles. xxxiv. 24.] _Qui de rapinis, aut vsuris, aut de furto immolat: e[s]t quasi 36 qui coram patre victimat filium._ He that offereth of the goodes, that he getteth by extortyon, vsurye, or thefte, he is lyke as a man slewe the sonne in the presence of the father. Thou mayste ryghte well knowe, the father 40 wolde not be well contente. Noo more wolde god be pleased with the gyfte of suche begotten goodes. 170. ¶ The seconde maner of almes.