84 The Bahmins to Alexander; the ills of Heathendom.

[Typed in margin]
which they offer to their gods. The gods become not their helpers but their tormenters, egging them on to all evils. Yet they must herken to them.
Righteous punishment fo rthe ill deeds of the Greeks.
The prayers of the Greeks are evil, so that they are harmed whether such be heard or not.
All the torments of hell are in the Greeks through their own vices.
And the bdies of the Greks are a living hell.
[End margin]

of courtesy ye adorn with roses. All your might & your trust ye put in him that may know nothing help at need. Now truly ye pray them not to be your helpers, but
your tormentors. For it [?] [?] be that, all many gods all ye worship and give them power of your [?], all many torments ye wuffer. One of your gods stirs you to fornicatin. One other to eat and drink to [a] great [extent], and another to [fight? fate?] and strife. All ere they your lords, and to them ye obey and serve and worship. So that wonder it es that your wrechid bodies fail not for the many service that ye do to so many gods. And good will it is that ye serve those gods because of the many wicked deeds that ye do. And for ye will not cease of your ill deeds, therefore ye serve those gods till your own harm, for evermore they desire that ye do ill. If your gods here know when ye pray to them, they do know harm in your conscience. For that that ye pray for is ill. And if you thay here know not, then ere they contrary to your desires. Wherefore whether they here know, or they here know not, evermore they do know disease. Wise ere the¹ torment that our doctors fortell us of, that here in this world torment know as ye [cruel?] deed. For, and ye consider well, there may no man suffer more tourment than ye do. For all the takens that our doctors tell us ere in hell, and we see them in you.² Surely are many pains in hell, ye suffer pains when ye wake for to do adultries, fornications, and thefts, manslaughters. And namely, that ye be filled worldly riches; [ya?] and of worldly richness. For our doctors say, there is in hell so much thirst, that it may never been slowed; and and ye have so great courtesy of wordly riches that ye may never be full. They say also that in hell there is a hound that is called Cerberus the which has three hounds; and if ye consider right, your wombes are like Cerberus. For much eating and drinking, they say also, there is³ in hell a manner of snake that is called Hydra. And ye for the many vices, that ye have because of your full wombs may be called Hydra. Wherefore and behold well all that

¹ MS. reads þa.
² in ȝowe inserted in the right-hand margin by the same scribe.
³ MS. twice over, þare es.