THE
PSONGS
OF
NICHOLAS THE SENIOR
Money a great word on the tongue
Psong 8
aIs it not true that only money transcends everything? And is not money the only universal joy to be found on earth?
2Surely, all other things are changeable, and their value cannot be agreed upon from nation to nation, nor from man to man.
3bA woman may be beautiful in one nation, her looks a cause for worship and amazement; but somewhere else, the same woman may be reviled as fat and clumsy as a cow, and not worth a second look.
4The same is true of other things: Truth wears a different face in every household, and cmen will tear each other limb from limb over principles and politics and ideas that they believe absolutely to be true.
5And what other things bring joy equally to all? One can claim that the beauty of nature is constant, and yet do all men like to eat a dsheep intestine, and will no one make a face and spit it out because it offends his taste?
6eEven the Gods change their names and images from place to place: Here the face of God is fat and round and smooth; there it is lean and dark and hairy.
7Nor are they the same behind their faces: One God commands worship on Sunday, another on Saturday; one commands strict fobedience and sacrifice, ganother tolerance and love.
8hAll things are so changeable that men would plunge into chaos without some source of universal understanding: iThank goodness that you are there, O Money, to speak in a common tongue to all men.
9For though you also wear many faces, all men can understand you.
10All men are united by the desire to have you; and to give your blessings to others, whoever they are, in exchange for something of jvalue.
11What a blessing this: Without it, would there still be anyone alive to worship all those so-called Gods?
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Psong 8 / 66