They went on, and the Britons came up, but broke away after the plunder which lay spread out before them.

Their king, when he beheld them too greedily busied with scrambling for the treasure, bade them "take heed not to weary with a load of riches those hands which were meant for battle, since they ought to know that a victory must be culled ere it is counted.

Therefore let them scorn the gold and give chase to the possessors of the gold; let them admire the lustre, not of lucre, but of conquest; remembering, that a trophy gave more reward than gain.

Courage was worth more than dross, if they measured aright the quality of both; for the one furnished outward adorning, but the other enhanced both outward and inward grace.
Therefore they must keep their eyes far from the sight of money, and their soul from covetousness, and devote it to the pursuits of war.
Further, they should know that the plunder had been abandoned by the enemy of set purpose, and that the gold had been scattered rather to betray them than to profit them.

Moreover, the honest lustre of the silver was only a bait on the barb of secret guile.