79

Dlndimus" letter to Alexander. 79

nanne. Mete & drynke hafe we ynoghe, and oper mete seke we nane, bot pat pe erthe oure allere moder wit-owtten inannes
labour brynges furthe. Wit swilke metis we filt oure wambes, whilke nuzes vs nozte, ne na harme dose. And zit of swilke metis we fill nojte oure bodis to full. For amangez vs it es an vn-semely thynge & an vn-leefutt to see a grete-belyed man. And pare-for ere we att oure lyfe tyin wit-owtten sekenesse & lyffez lang & alwaye are in gude hele titt oure lyffes ende.
We vse neu«r-mare na medcyns ne sekes na helpe for be hele of *^®"^- They

'' ^ ' have no

oure bodys. At a terme of deede endes oure lyfes, for ane of vs sickness
leues na langere )?an) an)-oJ?(?r, Bot efter pe order of pe birtlie of cines. They

la mafD, be terme of deede comes tiK ilke a man). Thare eome^ live the

•■ ■' nxed term

nane of vs at na fire for na calde, ne clathej comej pare nane of life.

apon) vs, Bot alway we ga naked". We fulfill neuer pe desyres ^o^Xe for
of oure bodys. Thurgfi pacyence we suffree att thynge^. Att ^^l^. They

i6 oure inwarde enemys we slaa, So pat we drede nane enemys themselves,
wtt-owtten). For ligbtlyer es a citee or a castette taken) pat es conquers^
ensegged" bathe w^t inwarde enemys & w^t-owtten), J^an) pat J^at pthers and
es ensegged" allanly wit owtwarde enemys. Bot pou, emperour, quered by

ao feghtes agaynes owtwarde; enemys for [to] foster & nuresche thyn) ^iemS^
inwarde; enemys, pe whilke ere fendes of hette. We Bragmayns Therefore
has slayne alt oure inwarde; enemys and pare^ore we drede nane Brahmins
owtwarde enemys ne nane helpe sekes for to hafeagayne; J^afn)* * ^©^^ 33

24 noper be see ne be landl Bot we ere always sewre ynoghe, foes. They
and lyffe; wit-owtten) any drede. Oure bodys we hitt wit ieaves\nd
pe leues of trees and pe fruyte of pam) we ete. We ete mylke ^^^^
also and drynkes water of a gude ryuere or of swete welles. They wor-

a8 We wirchippe a godcr, and tilt hym alwaye we jelde lonynge;. god'a^d

We desire be life of be werlde bat es to come, and vs liste noste desire eter-

r \ I nallife.

liere pe pyng pat twrne; to na profett. We spekke no5te They love

mekilt, Bot when) we ere artede for to speke we say no;te bot ^peech^Sor

32 be sothe, and onane we halde vs stilt. Heches luffe we no5te. covetous-
' . . ness.

CouetiBe es a thynge pat may no^te be filled", pe whilke ofte- They are

sythe; brynge; a man) tilt a mescheuows ende. Wrethe ne might^and^

env.ie es pare nane amange; vs, ne nane of vs es strangere J)an) riches, and

36 ano]:>er. Of the pouert J?at we hafe we ere riche, for we hafe it weapons.

in comofD. We strife neuer mare, ne beres neuer wapen). We ^ave the

here peesse ilkan) titt oj^er of custom), no;te thurgh vertu. dooms, for

Domes hafe we nane amanges vs, for we do nane ilt, whare-fore m.