Dame Avarice is noght soleine, Which is of gold the Capiteine; Bot of hir Court in sondri wise[2] After the Scole of hire aprise [Sidenote: Hic tractat confessor super illa specie Auaricie, que Cupiditas[3] dicitur, quam in amoris causa pertractans Amanti super hoc opponit.] Sche hath of Servantz manyon, Wherof that Covoitise is on; Which goth the large world aboute, To seche thavantages oute,[4] Wher that he mai the profit winne[5] To Avarice, and bringth it inne. 1980 That on hald and that other draweth,[6] Ther is no day which hem bedaweth, No mor the Sonne than the Mone, Whan ther is eny thing to done, And namely with Covoitise; For he stant out of al assisse [Sidenote: =P. ii. 194=] Of resonable mannes fare. Wher he pourposeth him to fare[7] Upon his lucre and his beyete, The smale path, the large Strete, 1990 The furlong and the longe Mile, Al is bot on for thilke while:[8] And for that he is such on holde, Dame Avarice him hath withholde, As he which is the principal Outward, for he is overal A pourveour and an aspie. For riht as of an hungri Pie The storve bestes ben awaited, Riht so is Covoitise afaited 2000 To loke where he mai pourchace, For be his wille he wolde embrace[9] Al that this wyde world beclippeth; Bot evere he somwhat overhippeth, That he ne mai noght al fulfille The lustes of his gredi wille. Bot where it falleth in a lond, That Covoitise in myhti hond Is set, it is ful hard to fiede; For thanne he takth non other hiede, 2010 Bot that he mai pourchace and gete, His conscience hath al foryete, And not what thing it mai amonte That he schal afterward acompte. Bote as the Luce in his degre Of tho that lasse ben than he [Sidenote: =P. ii. 195=] The fisshes griedeli devoureth, So that no water hem socoureth, Riht so no lawe mai rescowe Fro him that wol no riht allowe;[10] 2020 For wher that such on is of myht, His will schal stonde in stede of riht. Thus be the men destruid fulofte, Til that the grete god alofte Ayein so gret a covoitise Redresce it in his oghne wise: And in ensample of alle tho I finde a tale write so, The which, for it is good to liere, Hierafterward thou schalt it hiere.[11] 2030