4P Li gç(' TRANSACTIONS

VOL. 47, PT. 5, 19571 ORESME'S VERSION AND ENGLISH TRANSLATION 819
perturbe les sens et mesme de gens raisoimables et encor
plus de geiis serfs, gut ont peu de raison et gui boivent
oultre mesure cluant on leur donne. Et par ce sunt faiz
pereceus et endorinis, on inobediens on injurieus.
T. 11 est chose manifeste que de cc doit l'en dormer
a ses servans 1 ou nient on peu.
G. Ce est assavoir, tie yin et de tout nourrissement delicatif.
Car qui leur acoustunie en jennece, len les trouve
apres contumaux et rcbclles, si comnie dit le Sage: Qui
delicate a puericia nutrit servuni suurn, postea senciet eum
contumacem.
T. Item, .iii. clioses sunt: besongne, peine ou correction
et vivre.
G. Ces .iii. choses doivent estre distribuees as sers et
leur appartieiineiit. Et ce est selon l'Escripture alleguec:
Panis et disciplina et opus servo.
T. Et autre chose, ce est assavoir, // (335a) non
pugnir Ic serf et qu'il ne besongne et qu'il ait son vivre,
cc est cc qui le fait injurieus.
G. Quant il sunt nourris en oisiveté. Car gui ne labourc
ne doit pas mengier, Si comme dit l'Apostle. Et a cest propos
Aristote, ou .xxxii. chapitre du .vii. dEfhiqucs, allegue
un proverbe ancien: Non est servis vacacio. Les
serfs ne doivent pas estre longuenient oyseus. Et est selon
l'Escripture qui dit: Mitte servum in operacione, ne vacet;
multam enim maliciam docuit ociositas. Oisivetd les fait
nialves.
T. Et une atitre chose est: cc est assavoir, faire les
cevres et avoir peines ou punitions et non avoir son
vivre, ce est chose violente et qui fait et cause debilité ou
flebece. lit donqucs reste que I'en doit donncr as serfs
cevres a faire et vivre souffisant.
G. lit ce declare it apres par .ii. raisons.
7'. Car ce est impossible de avoir domination sus son
serf sans ltd donner louier. Et an serf, son louier est
son vivre.
G. Car Ic serf, conime dit est, est possession et instrument
de son seigneur. Et lie pent avoir des biens de fortune
rico qui soit sien en tant comme serf, lit donques
autre louier tie lui est deu fors son vivre: Merces fructus
ventris. lit est a entendre du serf operatif, gui est serf
naturelnient.
T. Item, aussi comme as autres gens, quant l'en ne
fait bicn as bons et l'en ne fait retribution tie bonté et
pugnition tie malice it sunt fait pires, en ceste maniere
cst ii des serfs.
G. lit encor plus, que les serfs tie ont pas tant de vertu
on de raison qui les refreine quant l'en leur donne occasion
tie mal fai- / (335b) re. lit ties autres, gui sunt trans de
nature, encor sunt tres pen gui lie deviennent nialves ou
nioins bons quant it voient que len ne est rcinuneré pour
hien faire tie pugni pour mal faire, lit que pis est, que
les bons sunt depriiiiés et les nialvés avancies: Ecce ipsi
peccatores in seculo habundantcs obtinuerunt divicias, etc.
Et pour cc disoit Ic Prophete que a pen quil n'avoit erré
et soy departi de la bonne voie : Mci autem pene moti soot
pedes, mci pene effusi sunt gressus mci. Et tie Saint
Thomas tie Canthorbic disoit Un que it devoit bien estre
be, car il osa bieii estre bon en malvés temps et sous dur
prince: Debes laudare queni sub principe duro tempori-
fuses the senses with its exhalations. Even reasonable
people and still more the serfs, who have little reason and
drink without restraint when it is given them, in this way
become lazy and sleepy or disobedient and abusive.
T. It is clear that one should give none of this to his
servants or very little.
G. That is, of wine or of any delicate food. For if they
become accustomed to it in their youth, they are found to
be contumacious and rebellious; as Solomon says: "He
who brings up his servant delicately from a child shall
afterward feel his insubordination" j, Prov. 29: 21].
T. Three things are to be borne in mind: (1) work,
(2) punishment or chastisement, and (3) food.
G. These three things should be accorded to slaves and
are suitable for them. This accords with the Scriptural
admonition above: "Bread, discipline and work for the
servant" [Ecclicus 33: 25].
T. And moreover, // (335a) if the slave is given
food but is not chastised or given work, this renders
him abusive.
G. When they are nourished in idleness. For he who
does not work should not eat, as Paul says [II Thess. 3:
10]. Oti this subject Aristotle quotes an ancient proverb:
Non est servis vacacio. "Slaves must not be idle for long."
Politics 'VII, 13 [1334a 20]. And this agrees with Scripture:
"Put thy servant to work that lie be not idle; for idleness
teaches much mischief" [Ecclicus 33: 28]. Idleness
makes them bad.
T. And another item is as follows: to work and
suffer chastisement without food is oppressive and
makes them weak and listless. There is no alternative
therefore except to give the slaves tasks to perform and
to feed them adequately.
G. This he clarifies in two explanations.
T. For it is impossible to control one's slave without
rewarding him and for the slave, his reward is his
food.
C. Because as we have already stated, the slave is the
property and instrument of his master and he can have no
possession of his own in his status as slave. Thus no other
pay is due him than his food: "His reward is the fruit of
the womb" [I'saliii 126: 3]. And this applies to the laborer,
who is a slave by nature.
T. Just as with other people, when one does not
treat the good individuals well and reward goodness
anti punish malice they are made worse, just so it is
with slaves.
C. All the more so, since slaves do not possess sufficient
virtue or reason to restrain them when the opportunity
arises for evil doing. / (335b) And therefore, of those that
are naturally upright, very few fail to succumb to evil
when they see that they are not rewarded for good actions
or punished for evil deeds. What is worst of all is the
fact that the good are oppressed and imposed upon, while
the evil are abetted and advanced: "Behold, these are the
ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches"
[Psalm 72: 12]. And thus the prophet David used to say
that he had very nearly erred and departed from the right
way: "As for me, lily feet were almost gone; my steps had
well nigh slipped" [Psalm 72: 2]. And a certain person
said of Saint Thomas of Canterbury that lie deserved to be