Ms. f» VII r

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sessibnes prout expediebat divisae suiit. Ex hoc autem coiitig-it, quod unus habuil de uiia re ultra suam iiocessitatem, alius vero de eadem re habuit parum aut nilill, et de alia re e contrario fuit. Sicut pastor • quis habundavit ovibus, et pane indig-uit, et ag-ricola e converso. Cœperunt erg-o homines mercari sine moneta. et dabat unus alteri ovem pro frumento, et alius de labore suo pro pane vel lana, et sic de aliis rébus, quod adhuc long-o tempore postea fuit in quibusdam civitatibus institutum, prout narrât Justinus.

Sed tamen in hujusmodi permutatione et transportatione rerum , multse difficultates accideruiil ; sabtilisati sunt ergo homines usum invenire moneta^, quce esset Instrumentum permutandi ad invicem naturales divitias, quibus de per se subvenitur naturaliter humanae necessitati. Nam ipsae pecuniie dicuntur artificiales divitiîe, contin^'it enini his abundantcni mori famé, sicut exemplificat Aristoteles de rege cupido, qui oravit ut quidquid ipse tang-eret, aurum esset; quod Dii annuerunt, et sic famé periit, ut dicunt poetae ;

erth and possessions as it expédient ther bien divided. Of this forsoth it happith and fallith that oon hath more of oothyngthan hym needith. Another forsoth of the same hath litil or noug'ht, and of another thvng- even the contrary. So as a stronge shepherd habundith plentivously of sheepe and nedith or lakkith brede, and the plowg"hman or cathtilier the contrary. Therfor men tooke and big-an to marchaundise and chaung-e without mouey and yaf oon to another a sheepe for wheete and another of his labour for brede or wul, and so of other thyng-es, that long tyme after hiderto vit in sum citées wasordeigned so as tellith Justius. But as in this maner permutacioun and transportacioun or beryng over of thynges many difficultés fillen, subtile men ther wern to fynde thuse of money, the whiche was an instrument of permutacioun and chaunge to itself is natural Richessis, of whiche and bi itsilf undirgœth and helpith to mannes nécessite. For whi theo moneys they seyen to be artificial Richessis, forsoth of thiese happith and fallith that sum plentivous and

I, Wol : forsan.

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quoniam per pecuniam non immédiate succuritur indisrentise vitae,sed est instrumentum artificialitcr adinventum pro naturalil)us divitiis levius permutandis. Et abscfue alla probatione clare potest apj^arere, quod numisma est valde bonum communitati civili, et Reipublicae usibus oppoitunum. imo necessarium, ut probat Aristotek's V Ethicorum, quanquam de hoc dicat Ovidius ; Effodiuntur opes irritamenla ntaloriim, Inqiie nocen.s ferrant ferroque nocentius auriun, Prodierat.

Hoc enim facit perversa malorum cupiditas, non ipsa pecunia, quÉe est Inimano convictni multum accommoda, et cuju.s usus per se bonus est. Inde ait Cassiodorus : Peciiniœ ipsœ quainvis usa celeberrinio viles esse videantur, animadvertenduiii est quanta tamen a ueteribus ratione collertœ siint. Et alio loco dicit, quod constat monetarios in usutn piiblicuin specialiter esse inventas.

habundaunt of Richesse to die for hung-er, so as Aristotil exemplifieth of a covetouskyngwhiche praied as whatsumever he towched was g'old, that the Goddis told and warned hym and so with hung-er he perisshed,as poetis seyn.|]]For whi bi money not inmediatly socourith indig-ence of lif, but is an Instrument artificiaal to the help for natural and kyndely Richessis the more lig-htiv of permutacioun and chaung-e.

And without any other proef clierely may be shewed that money is a wounder g-rete profite toa comune civih^, and to thyng- publique to covenable uses, therfor the more necessary, as provith Aristotil inhis V booke of Etikes, an das Ovide saith ' of this Tournes >;hed ont with warthfnl thyng-es of cvil inen and shrewes differith, etc, ^ For soth this doeth the froward covetise of uien nat the money it silf whiche is to mannes felowship R^igdit grete and comodious and of whos vsc bi it silf is g-oode. Therof spekith Cassiodorus that money in itsilf to what holsum use thow wilt use it sum seeme it vile and foule, It is to be advertised in