De Pizan, Christine -- The Book of the Three Virtues [Le Livre des Trois Vertus; Treasury of the City of Ladies], Book 1, ch. 10 (1405) [tr. Willard (1989)]

Dave — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 19:48:04 +0000

Do not let the bread of the hungry mildew in your larder! Do not let moths eat the poor man’s cloak. Do not store the shoes of the barefoot. Do not hoard the money of the needy. Things you possess in too great abundance belong to the poor and not to you. You are the thief who steals from God if you are able to help your neighbor and refuse to do it.

[Si gardes que le pain du fameilleux ne moisisse en ta huche que le costé du nu tu ne laisses mengier aux vers que tu ne tienges enclos le soulier du deschaulx & que tu ne possides l’argent du souffreteux. Car saches de vray que les biens dont tu as trop grant largesse sont aux povres & nonpas tiens si es larron ou laronnesse & embles a dieu si tu peux secourir ton prouchain & tu ne le secours.]

Christine de Pizan (1364–1430) Italian-born court writer in the French court, poet, woman of letters [de Pisan, da Pizzano]
The Book of the Three Virtues [Le Livre des Trois Vertus; Treasury of the City of Ladies], Book 1, ch. 10 (1405) [tr. Willard (1989)]

(Source (French), ch. 9)

WIST Quotations

De Pizan, Christine -- The Book of the Three Virtues [Le Livre des Trois Vertus; Treasury of the City of Ladies], Book 1, ch. 10 (1405) [tr. Willard (1989)]