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 tor-
mentors,
egging
them on to
all evils.
Yet they
must

hearken to
them.

Righteous
punish-
ment for
the 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 tor-
ments of
hell are in
the Greeks
through
their own
vices.

And the
bodies of
the Greeks
are a living
hell.
[End margin]

of Couetyse ȝe enourne wit roseȝ. Alle ȝour myghte & ȝoure
triste ȝe putt in þam þat may ȝow na-thyng helpe at nede.
Now sothely ȝe pray þam noȝte to be ȝour helpers, Bot
ȝoure tourmentours. For it byhoues nedis be þat, als many 4
goddes als ȝe wirchipe & gyffeȝ þam powere of ȝour lymmes,
als many tourmenteȝ ȝe suffere. Ane of ȝour goddes stirres
ȝow to fornycacion. Ane oþer to ete & drynke to mekill, and
anoþer to feghte & stryffe. All ere þay ȝour lordes, and to 8
þam ȝe obey & serues and wirchippes. So þat wonder it es
þat ȝour wrechid bodys fayles noȝte for þe many seruyceȝ þat
ȝe do to so many goddes. And gud riȝte it es þat ȝe serue
swilke goddes bi-cause of þe many wikkede dedis þat ȝe do.
And for ȝe will noȝte ceese of ȝour ill dedis, þarefore ȝe serue
swilke goddes till ȝour awenn harme, For euermare þay desyre
þat ȝe do ill. If ȝour goddes here ȝow when ȝe pray to þam,
þay do ȝow harme in ȝour conscience. For þat that ȝe pray 16
fore es ill. And if þay here ȝow noghte, þan ere þay contrarye
to ȝour desyres. Whare-fore whethir þay here ȝow, or þay here
ȝow noghte, euer-mare þay do ȝow disesse. Ƿise ere þa¹
tourmenteȝ þat oure doctours talde vs offe, þat here in this 20
werlde tourementȝ ȝow as ȝe ware dede. For, and ȝe consyder
wele, þare may no man suffere wers tourment þan ȝe doo.
For all þe takens þat oure doctours tellȝ vs ere in helle,
and we see þam in ȝowe.² Ƿare are many paynes in helle, 24
ȝe suffre paynes when ȝe wake for to do advowtres, forny-
cacions, & thiftes, man-slawghters. And namely, þat ȝe bee
filled of werdly reches; ȝa, & of worldly rechesse. For oure
doctours says, þare es in helle so mekill thriste, þat it may 28
neuer be slokend; and ȝe haue so grete Couetyse of worldely
reches þat ȝe may neuer be full. Ƿay say also þat in helle þare
es a hunde þat es callede Cerberus þe whilke hase thre heuedes;
And if ȝee conseder ryȝte, ȝour wambes are lyke Cerberus. 32
For mekill etyng & drynkkynge, þay say also, þare es³ in
helle a maner of nedder þat es called Idra. And ȝe for þe
many viceȝ, þat ȝe hafe bicause of ȝour full wambeȝ may be
callede Idra. Whare-fore & we bi-held wele all þat 36

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

[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.

[Typed in margin]
which they
offer to
their gods.
The gods
become not
their
helpers but
their tor-
mentors,
egging
them on to
all evils.
Yet they
must

hearken to
them.

Righteous
punish-
ment for
the 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 tor-
ments of
hell are in
the Greeks
through
their own
vices.

And the
bodies of
the Greeks
are a living
hell.
[End margin]

of Couetyse ȝe enourne wit roseȝ. Alle ȝour myghte & ȝoure
triste ȝe putt in þam þat may ȝow na-thyng helpe at nede.
Now sothely ȝe pray þam noȝte to be ȝour helpers, Bot
ȝoure tourmentours. For it byhoues nedis be þat, als many 4
goddes als ȝe wirchipe & gyffeȝ þam powere of ȝour lymmes,
als many tourmenteȝ ȝe suffere. Ane of ȝour goddes stirres
ȝow to fornycacion. Ane oþer to ete & drynke to mekill, and
anoþer to feghte & stryffe. All ere þay ȝour lordes, and to 8
þam ȝe obey & serues and wirchippes. So þat wonder it es
þat ȝour wrechid bodys fayles noȝte for þe many seruyceȝ þat
ȝe do to so many goddes. And gud riȝte it es þat ȝe serue
swilke goddes bi-cause of þe many wikkede dedis þat ȝe do.
And for ȝe will noȝte ceese of ȝour ill dedis, þarefore ȝe serue
swilke goddes till ȝour awenn harme, For euermare þay desyre
þat ȝe do ill. If ȝour goddes here ȝow when ȝe pray to þam,
þay do ȝow harme in ȝour conscience. For þat that ȝe pray 16
fore es ill. And if þay here ȝow noghte, þan ere þay contrarye
to ȝour desyres. Whare-fore whethir þay here ȝow, or þay here
ȝow noghte, euer-mare þay do ȝow disesse. Ƿise ere þa¹
tourmenteȝ þat oure doctours talde vs offe, þat here in this 20
werlde tourementȝ ȝow as ȝe ware dede. For, and ȝe consyder
wele, þare may no man suffere wers tourment þan ȝe doo.
For all þe takens þat oure doctours tellȝ vs ere in helle,
and we see þam in ȝowe.² Ƿare are many paynes in helle, 24
ȝe suffre paynes when ȝe wake for to do advowtres, forny-
cacions, & thiftes, man-slawghters. And namely, þat ȝe bee
filled of werdly reches; ȝa, & of worldly rechesse. For oure
doctours says, þare es in helle so mekill thriste, þat it may 28
neuer be slokend; and ȝe haue so grete Couetyse of worldely
reches þat ȝe may neuer be full. Ƿay say also þat in helle þare
es a hunde þat es callede Cerberus þe whilke hase thre heuedes;
And if ȝee conseder ryȝte, ȝour wambes are lyke Cerberus. 32
For mekill etyng & drynkkynge, þay say also, þare es³ in
helle a maner of nedder þat es called Idra. And ȝe for þe
many viceȝ, þat ȝe hafe bicause of ȝour full wambeȝ may be
callede Idra. Whare-fore & we bi-held wele all þat 36

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