Two Dyaloges (c. 1549) by Desiderius Erasmus
page 23 of 33 (69%)
page 23 of 33 (69%)
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thynge. _Boni._ Surely & so thynke I. Yf he be a
kinge whiche by lawe and equyte regardes more the commoditie of his people then his owne lucre/yf he be a bisshop which alwayes is careful for the lordes flocke cõmytted to his pastorall charge/yf he be a magistrate which frankelie and of good wyll dothe make prouysyon, and dothe all thinge for the comyn welthes sake/and yf he be a phylosopher whiche passynge not vpon the goodes of this worlde, only geueth hym selfe to attayn to a good mynde, and to leade a vertuous lyfe. _Bea._ Lo thus ye may perseyue what a nombre of semblable exãples ye may collecte & gether. _Boni._ Undouted a great sorte. _Bea._ But I pray the tel me wyll you saye that all these are no men. _Boni._ Nay I feare rather lest in so sayenge it shulde cost vs our lyues, and ||so myght we our selues shortelye be no men. _Bea._ Yf man be a resonable creature, howe ferre dyffers this from all good reason, that in cõmodities apertayning to the body (for so they deserue rather to be called then goodnes) and in outwarde gyftes whiche dame fortune geues and takes awaye at her pleasure, we had rather haue the thynge then the name, and in the true and only goodnes of the mynd we passe more vpon the name then the thynge. _Boni._ So god helpe me it is a corrupte and a preposterours iudgement, yf a man marke and consyder it wel. _Bea._ The selfe same reason is in contrarie thinges. _Boni._ I wolde gladly knowe what ye meane by that. _Bea._ We maye |
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