152. Prodigality in feasting. 103 



A man is noth)'nge but stynkynge fylthe, a sacke of Man is but 

 dounge, and wormes meate. The whiche sayinges wolde meat. 

 36 be remew/bred, and than me semeth this is suflBcient at this 

 time for the first point of the thre. 



152. ^ Of delycyouse meates and drynkes. 



Howe costely are the charges of delycious meates & 

 dr}nkes, that be nowe most commonly vsed, ouer that it 

 hath ben in tymes paste, and howe fer aboue measure ? 

 4 For I haue seen bokes of accompte of householde, t/oL^: «" 



^ ^ fol. 67.] 



and brumentes vpon the same, & I double not, but 



in delycyous meates, drinkes, and spyces, there is at Men now 



•^ spend four 



this daye foure tymes so moche spent, as was at these t'l"" as 



■' ■' ' much upon 



8 dayes, to a lyke man in degree ; and yet at that tjme ^^^'^^ 

 there was as moche befe and mutton spent as is nowe, 

 and as many good housholdes kept, and as many 

 yomenne wayters therin as be nowe. This began with 



12 loue and char}tye whan a lorde, gentylman, or yoman 

 desyred or prayed an other to come to dyner or soupper, 

 and bycause of his commynge he wolde haue a dysshe 

 or two mo than he wolde haue had, if he had ben 



1 6 away. Than of \ery loue he, remembrynge howe louyngely This has 



' come about 



he was bydden to dynner, and howe well he fared, he graduaUy. 

 thynketh of \ery kyndnes he muste nedes byd h}Tn to 

 dyner agayne, and soo ordej-neth for hym as manye maner 

 20 of suche dysshes and meates, as the other man dyd, and 

 two or .iii, mo, & thus by lyttel and litell it is commen fer 

 aboue measure. And begon of loue and char}-te, and Begnn in 



kindness, it 



endeth in pryde and glotony, wherof saynte lerome ^^^^ ''> 

 24 say the : Qui post camem. ambulant, in ventrem et libidineto. Jerome. 

 proni sunt, quasi irrationabilia iumenta reputanlur. That is 

 to say. They that walke, and be redy to fulfill the lust of [Fd. 68*.] 

 the fleshe and the bely, are taken as vnreasonable beastes ; 

 28 and sayncte Gregor}' sayth, Donitnanie vicio gula, omnes Gr^ory. 



