The Canterbury tales

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Title

Author

Chaucer, Geoffrey, d. 1400

Publication

Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin

1957

Rights/Permissions

Available at URL http://www.hti.umich.edu/c/cme/

This text has been made available through the Oxford Text Archive for personal scholarly use only. OTA number: U-1678-C

Cite this Item

"The Canterbury tales." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/CT. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 7, 2024.

Pages

Part III
Now is it bihovely thyng to telle whiche Line 387 
Been the sevene deedly synnes, this is to seyn, Line 387 
Chiefaynes of synnes. Alle they renne in o Line 387 
Lees, but in diverse manneres. Now been they Line 387 
Cleped chieftaynes, for as muche as they been Line 387 
Chief and spryng of alle othere synnes./ Of Line 388 
The roote of thise sevene synnes, thanne, is Line 388 
Pride the general roote of alle harmes. For of Line 388 
This roote spryngen certein braunches, as ire, Line 388 
Envye, accidie or slewthe, avarice or coveitise Line 388 
(to commune understondynge), glotonye, and Line 388 
Lecherye./ And everich of thise chief synnes Line 389 
Hath his braunches and his twigges, as shal be Line 389 
Declared in hire chapitres folwynge./ Line 390 
And thogh so be that no man kan outerly Line 390 
Telle the nombre of the twigges and of the Line 390 
Harmes that cometh of pride, yet wol I shewe Line 390 
A partie of hem, as ye shul understonde./  Line 390 
ther is inobedience, avauntynge,  Line 391 
ypocrisie, despit, arrogance, inpudence,  Line 391 
swellynge of herte, insolence, elacioun, Line 391 
Inpacience, strif, contumacie, presumpcioun, Line 391 
Irreverence, pertinacie, veyne glorie, and many Line 391 
Another twig that I kan nat declare./ Inobedient  Line 392 
is he that disobeyeth for despit to the comandementz  Line 392 
of god, and to his sovereyns, and Line 392 
To his goostly fader./ Avauntour is he that Line 393 
Bosteth of the harm or of the bountee that he Line 393 
Hath doon./ Ypocrite is he that hideth to Line 394 
Shewe hym swich as he is, and sheweth hym Line 394 
Swich as he noght is./ Despitous is he that Line 395 
Hath desdeyn of his neighebor, that is to seyn, of Line 395 
His evene-cristene, or hath despit to doon Line 395 
That hym oghte to do./ Arrogant is he Line 396 
That thynketh that he hath thilke bountees Line 396 
In hym that he hath noght, or weneth that he Line 396 
Sholde have hem by his desertes, or elles he Line 396 
Demeth that he be that he nys nat./ Inpudent Line 397 
Is he that for his pride hath no shame of his Line 397 
Synnes./ Swellynge of herte is whan a man rejoyseth  Line 398 
hym of harm that he hath doon./ Insolent  Line 399 
is he that despiseth in his juggement alle Line 399 
Othere folk, as to regatd of his value, and of his Line 399 
Konnyng, and of his spekyng, and of his beryng./  Line 399 
elacioun is whan he ne may neither Line 400 
Suffre to have maister ne felawe./ Inpacient  Line 401 
is he that wol nat been ytaught ne Line 401 
Undernome of his vice, and by strif werreieth Line 401 
Troughe wityngly, and deffendeth his folye./ Line 402 
Contumax is he that thurgh his indignacioun Line 402 
Is agayns everich auctoritee or power of hem Line 402 
That been his sovereyns./ Presumpcioun is whan Line 403 
A man undertaketh an emprise that hym oghte  Line 403 

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 Line 403 
Nat do, or elles that he may nat do; and this Line 403 
Is called surquidrie. Irreverence is whan men Line 403 
Do nat honour there as hem oghte to doon, Line 403 
And waiten to be reverenced./ Pertinacie is Line 404 
Whan man deffendeth his folie, and truseth to Line 404 
Muchel to his owene wit./ Veyneglorie is for Line 405 
To have pompe and delit in his temporeel Line 405 
Hynesse, and glorifie hym in this worldly Line 405 
Estaat./ Janglynge is whan a man speketh Line 406 
To muche biforn folk, and clappeth as a Line 406 
Mille, and taketh no keep what he seith./ Line 407 
And yet is ther a privee spece of pride, that Line 407 
Waiteth first to be salewed er he wole salewe, Line 407 
Al be be lasse worth than that oother is peraventure;  Line 407 
and eek he waiteth or desireth to Line 407 
Sitte, or elles to goon above hym in the wey, Line 407 
Or kisse pax, or been encensed, or goon to Line 407 
Offryng biforn his neighebor,/ and swiche sem0 Line 408 
Blable thynges, agayns his duetee, peraventure, Line 408 
But that he hath his herte and his entente in Line 408 
Swich a proud desir to be magnified and honoured  Line 408 
biforn the peple./ Line 409 
Now been ther two maneres of pride: that Line 409 
Oon of hem is withinne the herte of man, and Line 409 
That oother is withoute./ Of whiche, soothly, Line 410 
Thise forseyde thynges, and no that I have Line 410 
Seyd, apertenen to pride that is in the herte Line 410 
Of man; and that othere speces of pride Line 410 
Been withoute./ But natheles that oon Line 411 
Of thise speces of pride is signe of that Line 411 
Oother, right as the gaye leefsel atte taverne Line 411 
Is signe of the wyn that is in the celer./ And Line 412 
This is in manye thynges: as in speche and contenaunce,  Line 412 
and in outrageous array of clothyng./  Line 412 
for certes, if ther ne hadde be no synne Line 413 
In clothyng, crist wolde nat so soone have Line 413 
Noted and spoken of the clothyng of thilke Line 413 
Riche man in the gospel./ And as seith seint Line 414 
Gregorie, that cprecious clothyng is cowpable Line 414 
For the derthe of it, and for his softenesse, and Line 414 
For his strangenesse and degisynesse, and for Line 414 
The superfluitee, or for the inordinat scantnesse Line 414 
Of it./ Allas! may man nat seen, as in oure Line 415 
Dayes, the synful costlewe array of clothynge, Line 415 
And namely in to muche superfluite, or Line 415 
Elles in to desordinat scantnesse?/ Line 416 
As to the first synne, that is in superfluitee  Line 416 
of clothynge, which that maketh it so deere, Line 416 
To harm of the peple;/ nat oonly the cost of Line 417 
Embrowdynge, the degise endentynge or barrynge,  Line 417 
owndynge, palynge, wyndynge or bendynge,  Line 417 
and semblable wast of clooth in vanitee;/ Line 418 
But ther is also costlewe furrynge in hir gownes, Line 418 
So muche pownsonynge of chisels to maken Line 418 
Holes, so muche daggynge of sheres;/ forthwith  Line 419 
the superfluitee in lengthe of the forseide Line 419 
Gowens, trailynge in the dong and in the mire, Line 419 
On horse and eek on foote, as wel of man as Line 419 
Of womman, that al thilke trailyng is verraily Line 419 
As in effect wasted, consumed, thredbare, and Line 419 
Roten with donge, rather than it is yeven to the Line 419 
Povre, to greet damage of the forseyde povre Line 419 
Folk./ And that in sondry wise; this is to seyn Line 420 
That the moore that clooth is wasted, the moore Line 420 
Moot it coste to the peple for the scarsnesse./  Line 420 
and forther over, if so be that Line 421 
They wolde yeven swich pownsoned and Line 421 
Dagged clothyng to the povre folk, it is Line 421 
Nat convenient to were for hire estaat, ne suffisant  Line 421 
to beete hire necessitee, to kepe hem fro Line 421 
The distemperance of the firmament./ Upon Line 422 
That oother side, to speken of the horrible disordiant  Line 422 
scantnesse of clothyng, as been thise Line 422 
Kutted sloppes, or haynselyns, that thurgh hire Line 422 
Shortnesse ne covere nat the shameful membres  Line 422 
of man, to wikked entente./ Allas! somme Line 423 
Of hem shewen the boce or hir shap, and the Line 423 
Horrible swollen membres, that semeth lik the Line 423 
Maladie of hirnia, in the wrappynge of hir Line 423 
Hoses;/ and eek the buttokes of hem faren as Line 424 
It were the hyndre part of a she-ape in the fulle Line 424 
Of the moone./ And mooreover, the wrecched Line 425 
Swollen membres that they shewe thurgh disgisynge,  Line 425 
in departynge of hire hoses in whit and Line 425 
Reed, semeth that half hir shameful privee Line 425 
Membres weren flayne./ And if so be that Line 426 
They departen hire hoses in othere colours, Line 426 
As is whit and blak, or whit and blew, or blak Line 426 
And reed, and so forth,/ thanne semeth it, as Line 427 
By variaunce of colour, that half the partie of Line 427 
Hire privee membres were corrupt by the fir Line 427 
Of seint antony, or by cancre, or by oother Line 427 
Swich meschaunce./ Of the hyndre part of hir Line 428 
Buttokes, it is ful horrible for to see. For certes, Line 428 
In that partie of hir body ther as they purgen Line 428 
Hir stynkynge ordure,/ that foule partie shewe Line 429 
They to the peple prowdly in despit of honestitee,  Line 429 
which honestitee that jhesu crist and Line 429 
His freendes observede to shewen in hir lyve./ Line 430 
Now, as of the outrageous array of wommen, Line 430 
God woot that though the visages of somme of Line 430 
Hem seme ful chaast and debonaire, yet notifie Line 430 
They in hire array of atyr likerousnesse and Line 430 
Pride./ I sey nat that honestitee in clothynge  Line 431 
of man or womman is uncovenable, Line 431 
But certes the superfluitee or disordinat scantitee  Line 431 
of clothynge is reprevable./ Also the synne Line 432 
Of aornement or of apparaille is in thynges that  Line 432 

Page 241

 Line 432 
Apertenen to ridynge, as in to manye delicat Line 432 
Horses that been hoolden for dlit, that been so Line 432 
Faire, fatte, and costlewe;/ and also in many a Line 433 
Vicious knave that is sustened by cause of hem, Line 433 
And in to curious harneys, as in sadeles, in Line 433 
Crouperes, peytrels, and bridles coverd Line 433 
Precious clothyng, and riche barres and plates Line 433 
Of gold and of silver./ For which God seith Line 434 
By zakarie the prophete, I wol confounde the Line 434 
Rideres of swiche horses./ This folk taken litel Line 435 
Reward of the ridynge of goddes sone of hevene,  Line 435 
and of his harneys whan he rood upon Line 435 
The asse, and ne hadde noon oother harneys Line 435 
But the povre clother of his disciples; ne we ne Line 435 
Rede nat that evere he rood on oother Line 435 
Beest./ I speke this for the synne of superfluitee,  Line 436 
and nat for resonable honestitee, Line 436 
Whan reson it requireth./ And forther over, Line 437 
Certes, pride is greetly notified in holdynge of Line 437 
Greet meynee, whan they be of litel profit or Line 437 
Of right no profit;/ and namely whan that Line 438 
Meynee is felonous and damageous to the peple Line 438 
By hardynesse of heigh lordshipe or by wey of Line 438 
Offices./ For certes, swiche lordes sellen thanne Line 439 
Hir lordshipe to the devel of helle, whanne they Line 439 
Sustenen the wikkednesse of hir meynee./ Or Line 440 
Elles, whan this folk of lowe degree, as thilke Line 440 
That holden hostelries, sustenen the thefte of Line 440 
Hire hostilers, and that is in many manere Line 440 
Of deceites./ Thilke manere of folk been Line 441 
The flyes that folwen the hony, or elles the Line 441 
Houndes that folwen the careyne. Swich forseyde  Line 441 
folk stranglen spiritually hir lordshipes;/ Line 442 
For which thus seith david the prophete: wikked  Line 442 
deeth moote come upon thilke lordshipes, Line 442 
And God yeve that they moote descenden into Line 442 
Helle al doun; for in hire houses been iniquitees Line 442 
And shrewednesses, and nat God of hevene./ Line 443 
And certes, but if they doon amendement, Line 443 
Right as God yaf his benysoun to (laban) by Line 443 
The service of jacob, and to (pharao) by the Line 443 
Service of joseph, right so God wol yeve his Line 443 
Malisoun to swiche lordshipes as sustenen the Line 443 
Wikkednesse of hir servauntz, but they come to Line 443 
Amendement./ Pride of the table appeereth Line 444 
Eek ful ofte; for certes, riche men been cleped Line 444 
To festes, and povre folk been put awey and rebuked./  Line 444 
also in excesse of diverse metes and Line 445 
Drynkes, and namely swich manere bake-metes Line 445 
And dissh-metes, brennynge of wilde fir and Line 445 
Peynted and castelled with papir, and semblable  Line 445 
wast, so that it is abusioun for to Line 445 
Thynke./ And eek in to greet preciousnesse  Line 446 
of vessel and curiositee of mynstralcie,  Line 446 
by whiche a man is stired the moore to delices  Line 446 
of luxurie,/ if so be that he sette his herte Line 447 
The lasse upon oure lord jhesu crist, certeyn it Line 447 
Is a synne; and certeinly the delices myghte Line 447 
Been so grete in this caas that man myghte Line 447 
Lightly falle by hem into deedly synne. / the Line 448 
Especes that sourden of pride, soothly whan Line 448 
They sourden of malice ymagined, avised, and Line 448 
Forncast, or elles of usage, been deedly synnes, Line 448 
It is no doute. / and whan they sourden by Line 449 
Freletee unavysed, and sodeynly withdrawen Line 449 
Ayeyn, al been they grevouse synnes, I gesse Line 449 
That they ne been nat deedly. / now myghte Line 450 
Men axe wherof that pride sourdeth and Line 450 
Spryngeth, and I seye, somtyme it spryngeth Line 450 
Of the goodes of nature, and somtyme of the Line 450 
Goodes of fortune, and somtyme of the Line 450 
Goodes of grace./ Certes, the goodes of Line 451 
Nature stonden outher in goodes of body Line 451 
Or in goodes of soule./ Certes, goodes of body Line 452 
Been heele of body, strengthe, delivernesse, Line 452 
Beautee, gentrice, franchise./ Goodes of nature  Line 453 
of the soule been good wit, sharp understondynge,  Line 453 
subtil engyn, vertu natureel, good Line 453 
Memorie./ Goodes of fortune been richesse, Line 454 
Hyghe degrees of lordshipes, preisynges of the Line 454 
Peple./ Goodes of grace been science, power Line 455 
To suffre spiritueel travaille, benignitee, vertuous  Line 455 
contemplacioun, withstondynge of Line 455 
Temptacioun, and semblable thynges./ Of Line 456 
Whiche forseyde goodes, certes it is a ful Line 456 
Greet folye a man to priden hym in any of hem Line 456 
Alle./ Now as for to speken of goodes of nature, Line 457 
God woot that somtyme we han hem in nature Line 457 
As muche to oure damage as to oure profit./ Line 458 
As for to speken of heele of body, certes it Line 458 
Passeth ful lightly, and eek it is ful ofte enchesoun  Line 458 
of the siknesse of oure soule. For, god Line 458 
Woot, the flessh is a ful greet enemy to the Line 458 
Soule; and therfore, the moore that the body Line 458 
Is hool, the moore be we in peril to falle./ Eke Line 459 
For to pride hym in his strengthe of body, it Line 459 
Is an heigh folye. For certes, the flessh coveiteth  Line 459 
agayn the spirit; and ay the moore strong Line 459 
That the flessh is, the sorier may the soule be./ Line 460 
And over al this, strengthe of body and worldly Line 460 
Hardynesse causeth ful ofte many a man to Line 460 
Peril and meschaunce./ Eek for to pride Line 461 
Hym of his gentrie is ful greet folie; for Line 461 
Ofte tyme the gentrie of the body binymeth Line 461 
The gentrie of the soule; and eek we ben alle Line 461 
Of o fader and of o mooder; and alle we been Line 461 
Of o nature, roten and corrupt, bothe riche and Line 461 
Povre./ For sothe, o manere gentrie is for to  Line 462 

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 Line 462 
Preise, that apparailleth mannes corage with Line 462 
Vertues and moralitees, and maketh hym cristes Line 462 
Child./ For truste wel that over what man that Line 463 
Synne hath maistrie, he is a verray cherl to Line 463 
Synne./ Line 464 
Now been ther generale signes of gentillesse, Line 464 
As eschewynge of vice and ribaudye and servage Line 464 
Of synne, in word, in werk, and contenaunce;/ Line 465 
And usynge vertu, curteisye, and clennesse, and Line 465 
To be liberal, that is to seyn, large by mesure; Line 465 
For thilke that passeth mesure is folie and Line 465 
Synne./ Another is to remembre hym of Line 466 
Bountee, that he of oother folk hath receyved./  Line 466 
another is to be benigne to his goode Line 467 
Subetis; wherfore seith senek, ther is no Line 467 
Thing moore covenable to a man of heigh estaat  Line 467 
than debonairetee and pitee./ And therfore  Line 468 
thise flyes that men clepen bees, whan Line 468 
They maken hir kyng, they chesen oon that Line 468 
Hath no prikke wherwith he may stynge./ Another  Line 469 
is, a man to have a noble herte and Line 469 
A diligent, to attayne to heighe vertuouse Line 469 
Thynges./ Now certes, a man to pride hym in Line 470 
The goodes of grace is eek an outrageous folie; Line 470 
For thilke yifte of grace that sholde have turned Line 470 
Hym to goodnesse and to medicine, turneth Line 470 
Hym to venym and to confusioun, as seith Line 470 
Seint gregorie./ Certes also, whoso prideth  Line 471 
hym in the goodes of fortune, he is a Line 471 
Ful greet fool; for somtyme is a man a greet Line 471 
Lord by the morwe, that is a caytyf and a Line 471 
Wrecche er it be nyght;/ and somtyme the Line 472 
Richesse of a man is cause of his deth; somtyme  Line 472 
the delices of a man ben cause of the Line 472 
Grevous maladye thurgh which he dyeth./ Line 473 
Certes, the commendacioun of the peple is Line 473 
Somtyme ful fals and ful brotel for to triste; Line 473 
This day they preyse, tomorwe they blame./ Line 474 
God woot, desir to have commendacioun eek Line 474 
Of the peple hath caused deeth to many a bisy Line 474 
Man./ Line 475 
Now sith that so is that ye han understonde Line 475 
What is pride, and whiche been the speces of it, Line 475 
And whennes pride sourdeth and spryngeth,/  Line 475 
now shul ye understonde which is Line 476 
The remedie agayns the synne of pride; Line 476 
And that is hymylitee, or mekenesse./ That is Line 477 
A vertu thurgh which a man hath verray Line 477 
Knoweleche of hymself, and holdeth of hymself  Line 477 
no pris ne deyntee, as in regard of his Line 477 
Desertes, considerynge evere his freletee./ Now Line 478 
Been ther three maneres of hymylitee: as humylitee  Line 478 
in herte; another hymylitee is in his Line 478 
Mouth; the thridde in his werkes./ The humilitee  Line 479 
in herte is in foure maneres. That oon is Line 479 
Whan a man holdeth hymself as noght worth Line 479 
Biforn God of hevene. Another is whan he ne Line 479 
Despiseth noon oother man./ The thridde is Line 480 
Whan he rekketh nat, though men holde hym Line 480 
Noght worth. The ferthe is whan he nys Line 480 
Nat sory of his humiliacioun./ Also the Line 481 
Humilitee of mouth is in foure thynges: in Line 481 
Attempree speche, and in humblesse of speche, Line 481 
And whan he biknoweth with his owene mouth Line 481 
That he is swich as hym thynketh that he is in Line 481 
His herte. Another is whan he preiseth the Line 481 
Bountee of another man, and nothyng therof Line 481 
Amenuseth./ Humilitee eek in werkes is in Line 482 
Foure maneres. The firste is whan he putteth Line 482 
Othere men biforn hym. The seconde is to Line 482 
Chese the loweste place over al. The thridde Line 482 
Is gladly to assente to good conseil./ The Line 483 
Ferthe is to stonde gladly to the award of his Line 483 
Sovereyns, or of hym that is in hyer degree. Line 483 
Certein, this is a greet werk of hymylitee./ Line 484 
After pride wol I speken of the foule synne Line 484 
Of envye, which that is, as by the word of the philosophre,  Line 484 
sorwe of oother mannes prosperitee; Line 484 
And after the word of seint augustyn, it is sorwe Line 484 
Of oother mennes wele, and joye of othere Line 484 
Mennes harm./ This foule synne is platly Line 485 
Agayns the hooly goost. Al be it so that every Line 485 
Synne is agayns the hooly goost, yet nathelees, Line 485 
For as muche as bountee aperteneth proprely to Line 485 
The hooly goost, and envye comth proprely Line 485 
Of malice, therfore it is proprely agayn the Line 485 
Bountee of the hooly goost./ Now hath Line 486 
Malice two speces; that is to seyn, ahrdnesse  Line 486 
of herte in wikkednesse, or elles the flessh Line 486 
Of man is so blynd that he considereth nat that Line 486 
He is in synne, or rekketh nat that he is in synne, Line 486 
Which is the hardnesse of the devel./ That Line 487 
Oother spece of malice is whan a man werreyeth  Line 487 
trouthe, whan he woot that it is trouthe; Line 487 
And eek whan he werreyeth the grace that god Line 487 
Hath yeve to his neighebor; and al this is by Line 487 
Envye./ Certes, thanne is envye the worste Line 488 
Synne that is. For soothly, alle othere synnes Line 488 
Been somtyme oonly agayns o special vertu;/ Line 489 
But certes, envye is agayns alle vertues and Line 489 
Agayns alle goodnesses. For it is sory of alle  Line 489 

Page 243

 Line 489 
The bountees of his neighebor, and in this manere  Line 489 
it is divers from alle othere synnes./ For Line 490 
Wel unnethe is ther any synne that it ne hath Line 490 
Som delit in itself, save oonly envye, that Line 490 
Evere hath in itself angwissh and sorwe./ Line 491 
The speces of envye been thise. Ther is Line 491 
First, sorwe of oother mannes goodnesse and Line 491 
Of his prosperitee; and prosperitee is kyndely Line 491 
Matere of joye; thanne is envye a synne agayns Line 491 
Kynde./ The seconde spece of envye is joye Line 492 
Of oother mannes harm; and that is proprely Line 492 
Lyk to the devel, that evere rejoyseth hym of Line 492 
Mannes harm./ Of thise two speces comth bakbityng;  Line 493 
and this synne of bakbityng or detraccion  Line 493 
hath certeine speces, as thus. Som man Line 493 
Preiseth his neighebor by a wikked entente;/ Line 494 
For he maketh alwey a wikked knotte atte laste Line 494 
Ende. Alwey he maketh a but atte laste ende, Line 494 
That is digne of moore blame, than worth is al Line 494 
The preisynge./ The seconde spece is that if a Line 495 
Man be good, and dooth or seith a thing to Line 495 
Good entente, the bakbitere wol turne al thilke Line 495 
Goodnesse up-so-doun to his shrewed entente./  Line 495 
the thridde is to amenuse the Line 496 
Bountee of his neighebor./ The fourthe Line 497 
Spece of bakbityng is this, that if men speke Line 497 
Goodnesse of a man, thanne wol the bakbitere Line 497 
Seyn, parfey, swich a man is yet bet than he; Line 497 
In dispreisynge of hym that men preise./ The Line 498 
Fifte spece is this, for to consente gladly and Line 498 
Herkne gladly to the harm that men speke of Line 498 
Oother folk. This synne is ful greet, and ay Line 498 
Encreesseth after the wikked entente of the Line 498 
/bakbitere./ After bakbityng cometh gruchchyng  Line 500 
or murmuracioun; and somtyme it Line 500 
Spryngeth of inpacience agayns god, and som-tyme  Line 500 
agayns man./ Agayn God it is, whan Line 501 
A man gruccheth agayn the peyne of helle, or Line 501 
Agayns poverte, or los of catel, or agayn reyn Line 501 
Or tempest; or elles gruccheth that shrewes Line 501 
Han prosperitee, or elles for the goode Line 501 
Men han adversitee./ And alle thise Line 502 
Thynges sholde man suffre paciently, for Line 502 
They comen by the rightful juggement and Line 502 
Ordinaunce of god./ Somtyme comth grucching  Line 503 
of avarice; as judas grucched agayns the Line 503 
Magdaleyne, whan she enoynted the heved of Line 503 
Oure lord jhesu crist with hir precious oynement./  Line 503 
this manere murmure is swich as whan Line 504 
Man gruccheth of goodnesse that hymself Line 504 
Dooth, or that oother folk doon of hir owene Line 504 
Catel./ Somtyme comth murmure of pride; as Line 505 
Whan simon the pharisse gruchched agayn the Line 505 
Magdaleyne, whan she approched to jhesu Line 505 
Crist, and weep at his feet for hire synnes./ Line 506 
And somtyme grucchyng sourdeth of envye; Line 506 
Whan men discovereth a mannes harm that Line 506 
Was pryvee, or bereth hym on hond Line 506 
Thyng that is fals./ Murmure eek is ofte Line 507 
Amonges servauntz that grucceh whan hir Line 507 
Sovereyns bidden hem doon leveful thynges; / Line 508 
And forasmuche as they dar nat openly withseye  Line 508 
the comaundementz of hir sovereyns, yet Line 508 
Wol they seyn harm, and grucche, and murmure  Line 508 
prively for verray despit;/ whiche wordes Line 509 
Men clepen the develes pater noster, though Line 509 
So be that the devel ne hadde nevere pater Line 509 
Noster, but that lewed folk yeven it swich a Line 509 
Name./ Somtyme it comth of ire or pive hate, Line 510 
That norisseth rancour in herte, as afterward I Line 510 
Shal declare./ Thanne cometh eek bitternesse Line 511 
Of herte, thurgh which bitternesse every good Line 511 
Dede of his neighebor semeth to hym bitter  Line 511 
and unsavory./ Thanne cometh discord,  Line 512 
that unbyndeth alle manere of Line 512 
Freendshipe. Thanne comth scornynge of his Line 512 
Neighebor, al do he never so weel./ Thanne Line 513 
Comth accusynge, as whan man seketh occasioun  Line 513 
to anoyen his neighebor, which that is Line 513 
Lyk the craft of the devel, that waiteth bothe Line 513 
Nyght and day to accusen us alle./ Thanne Line 514 
Comth malignitee, thurgh which a man anoyeth  Line 514 
his neighebor prively, if he may;/ and if Line 515 
He noght may, algate his wikked wil ne shal Line 515 
Nat wante, as for to brennen his hous pryvely, Line 515 
Or empoysone or sleen his beestes, and semblable  Line 515 
thynges./ Line 516 
Now wol I speke of remedie agayns this Line 516 
Foule synne of envye. First is the love of god Line 516 
Principal, and lovyng of his neighebor as hymself;  Line 516 
for soothly, that oon ne may nat been Line 516 
Withoute that oother./ And truste wel that Line 517 
In the name of thy neighebor thou shalt Line 517 
Understonde the name of thy brother; for certes Line 517 
Alle we have o fader flesshly, and o mooder, Line 517 
That is to seyn, adam and eve; and eek o fader Line 517 
Espiritueel, and that is God of hevene./ Thy Line 518 
Neighebor artow holden for to love, and wilne Line 518 
Hym alle goodnesse; and therfore seith god, Line 518 
Love thy neighebor as thyselve, that is to Line 518 
Seyn, to salvacioun bothe of lyf and of soule./ Line 519 
And mooreover thou shalt love hym in word, Line 519 
And in benigne amonestynge and chastisynge, Line 519 
And conforten hym in his anoyes, and preye for Line 519 
Hym with al thyn herte./ And in dede thou  Line 520 

Page 244

 Line 520 
Shalt love hym in swich wise that thou shalt Line 520 
Doon to hym in charitee as thou woldest that Line 520 
It were doon to thyn owene persone./ And Line 521 
Therfore thou ne shalt doon hym no damage Line 521 
In wikked word, ne harm in his body, ne in Line 521 
His catel, ne in his soule, by entissyng of Line 521 
Wikked ensample./ Thou shalt nat desiren Line 522 
His wyf, ne none of his thynges. Understoond  Line 522 
eek that in the name of neighebor is Line 522 
Comprehended his enemy./ Certes, man shal Line 523 
Loven his enemy, by the comandement of god, Line 523 
And soothyly thy freend shaltow love in god./ Line 524 
I seye, thyn enemy shaltow love for goddes Line 524 
Sake, by his comandement. For if it were reson Line 524 
That man sholde haten his enemy, for so he Line 524 
God nolde nat receyven us to his love that been Line 524 
His enemys./ Agayns three manere of wronges Line 525 
That his enemy dooth to hym, he shal doon Line 525 
Three thynges, as thus./ Agayns hate and rancour  Line 526 
of herte, he shal love hym in herte. Line 526 
Agayns chidyng and wikkede wordes, he shal Line 526 
Preye for his enemy. Agayns the wikked dede Line 526 
Of his enemy, he shal doon hym bountee./  Line 526 
for crist seith: loveth youre enemys,  Line 527 
and preyeth for hem that speke yow Line 527 
Harm, and eek for hem that yow chacen and Line 527 
Pursewen, and dooth bountee to hem that yow Line 527 
Haten. Loo, thus comaundeth us oure lord Line 527 
Jhesu crist to do to oure enemys./ For smoothly, Line 528 
Nature dryveyh us to loven oure freends, and Line 528 
Parfey, oure enemys han moore nede to love Line 528 
That oure freendes; and they that moore nede Line 528 
Have, certes to hem shal men doon goodnesse;/ Line 529 
And certes, in thilke dede have we remembraunce  Line 529 
of the love of jhesu crist that deyde Line 529 
For his enemys./ And in as muche as thilke Line 530 
Love is the moore grevous to perfourne, so Line 530 
Muche is the moore gret the merite; and therfore  Line 530 
the lovynge of oure enemy hath confounded  Line 530 
the venym of the devel./ For right Line 531 
As the devel is disconfited by humylitee, right Line 531 
So is he wounded to the deeth by love of Line 531 
Oure enemy./ Certes, thanne is love the Line 532 
Medicine that casteth out the venym of Line 532 
Envye fro mannes herte./ The speces of this Line 533 
Paas shullen be moore largely declared in hir Line 533 
Chapitres folwynge./ Line 534 
And envye wol I discryven the synne Line 534 
Ire. For soothly, whoso hath envye upon his Line 534 
Neighebor, anon he wole comunly fynde hym Line 534 
A matere of wratthe, in word or in dede, agayns Line 534 
Hym to whom he hath envye./ And as wel Line 535 
Comth ire of pride, as of envye; for soothly, Line 535 
He that is proud or envyous is lightly wrooth./ Line 536 
This synne of ire, after the discryvyng of Line 536 
Seint augustyn, is wikked wil to been Line 536 
Avenged by word, or by dede./ Ire, after Line 537 
The philosophre, is the fervent blood of Line 537 
Man yquyked in his herte, thurgh which he Line 537 
Wole harm to hym that he hateth./ For certes, Line 538 
The herte of man, by eschawfynge and moevynge  Line 538 
of his blood, wexeth so trouble that he is Line 538 
Out of alle juggement of resoun./ But ye shal Line 539 
Understonde that ire is in two maneres; that Line 539 
Oon of hem is good, and that oother is wikked./  Line 539 
the goode ire is by jalousie of goodnesse,  Line 540 
thurgh which a man is wrooth with wikkednesse  Line 540 
and agayns wikkednesse; and therfore  Line 540 
seith a wys man that ire is bet than pley./ Line 541 
This ire is with debonairetee, and it is wrooth Line 541 
Withouten bitternesse; nat wrooth agayns the Line 541 
Man, but wrooth with the mysdede of the man, Line 541 
As seith the prophete david, irasciminI Line 541 
Et nolite peccare./ Now understondeth Line 542 
That wikked ire is in two maneres; that is Line 542 
To seyn, sodeyn ire or hastif ire, withouten Line 542 
Avisement and consentynge of resoun./ The Line 543 
Menyng and the sens of this is, that the resoun Line 543 
Of a man ne consente nat to thilke sodeyn ire; Line 543 
And thanne is it venial./ Another ire is ful Line 544 
Wikked, that comth of felonie of herte avysed Line 544 
And cast biforn, with wikked wil to do vengeance,  Line 544 
and therto his resoun consenteth; and Line 544 
Soothly this is deedly synne./ This ire is so Line 545 
Displesant to God that it troubleth his hous, Line 545 
And chaceth the hooly goost out of mannes Line 545 
Soule, and wasteth and destroyeth the liknesse Line 545 
Of god, that is to seyn, the vertu that is in Line 545 
Mannes soule,/ and put in hym the liknesse Line 546 
Of the devel, and bynymeth the man fro Line 546 
God, that is his rightful lord./ This ire Line 547 
Is a ful greet plesaunce to the devel; for Line 547 
It is the develes fourneys, that is eschawfed Line 547 
With the fir of helle./ For certes, right so as Line 548 
Fir is moore mighty to destroyen erthely thynges Line 548 
Than any oother element, right so ire is myghty Line 548 
To destroyen alle spiritueel thynges./ Looke how Line 549 
That fir of smale gleedes, that been almost dede Line 549 
Under asshen, wollen quike agayn whan they Line 549 
Been touched with brymstoon; right so ire wol Line 549 
Everemo quyken agayn, whan it is touched by Line 549 
The pride that is covered in mannes herte./ Line 550 
For certes, fir ne may nat comen out of no Line 550 
Thyng, but if it were first in the same thyng Line 550 
Natureely, as fir is drawen out of flyntes with  Line 550 

Page 245

 Line 550 
Steel./ And right so as pride is ofte tyme matere  Line 551 
of ire, right so is rancour norice and Line 551 
Kepere of ire./ Ther is a maner tree, as Line 552 
Seith seint ysidre, that whan men maken Line 552 
Fir of thilke tree, and covere the coles of Line 552 
With asshen, soothly the fir of it wol lasten Line 552 
A yeer or moore./ And right so fareth it Line 553 
Rancour; whan it is ones conceyved in the Line 553 
Hertes of som men, certein, it wol lasten peraventure  Line 553 
from oon estre day unto another Line 553 
Estre day, and moore./ But certes, thilke man Line 554 
Is ful fer fro the mercy of God al thilke while./ Line 555 
In this forseyde develes fourneys ther forgen Line 555 
Three shrewes: pride, that ay bloweth and encreesseth  Line 555 
the fir by chidynge and wikked Line 555 
Wordes;/ thanne stant envye, the holdeth the Line 556 
Hoote iren upon the herte of man with a Line 556 
Peire of longe toonges of long rancour;/ Line 557 
And thanne stant the synne of contumelie, Line 557 
Or strif and cheeste, and batereth and forgeth Line 557 
By vileyns reprevynges./ Certes, this cursed Line 558 
Synne annoyeth bothe to the man hymself and Line 558 
Eek to his neighebor. For soothly, almoost al Line 558 
The harm that any man dooth to his neighebor Line 558 
Comth of wratthe./ For certes, outrageous Line 559 
Wratthe dooth al that evere the devel hym Line 559 
Comaundeth; for he ne spareth neigher crist ne Line 559 
His sweete mooder./ And in his outrageous anger  Line 560 
and ire, allas! allas! ful many oon at that Line 560 
Tyme feeleth in his herte ful wikkedly, bothe Line 560 
Of crist and eek of alle his halwes./ Is nat this Line 561 
A cursed vice? yis, certes. Allas! it bynymeth Line 561 
From man his wit and his resoun, and al his debonaire  Line 561 
lif espiritueel that sholde kepen his Line 561 
Soule./ Certes, it bynymeth eek goddes Line 562 
Due lordshipe, and that is mannes soule, Line 562 
And the love of his neighebores. It stryveth Line 562 
Eek alday agayn trouthe. It reveth hym the Line 562 
Quiete of his herte, and subverteth his soule./ Line 563 
Of ire comen thise stynkynge engendrures: Line 563 
First, hate, that is oold wratthe; discord, thurgh Line 563 
Which a man forsaketh his olde freend that he Line 563 
Hath loved ful longe;/ and thanne cometh Line 564 
Werre, and every manere of wrong that man Line 564 
Dooth to his neighebor, in body or in catel./ Line 565 
Of this cursed synne of ire cometh eek manslaughtre.  Line 565 
and understonde wel that homycide, Line 565 
That is manslaughtre, is in diverse wise. Som Line 565 
Manere of homycide is spiritueel, and som is Line 565 
Bodily./ Spiritueel manslaughtre is in sixe Line 566 
Thynges. First by hate, as seith seint john: Line 566 
He that hateth his brother is an homycide./  Line 566 
homycide is eek by babkbitynge, Line 567 
Of whiche bakbiteres seith salomon that Line 567 
They han two swerdes with whiche they sleen Line 567 
Hire neighebores. For soothly, as wikke is to Line 567 
Bynyme his good name as his lyf./ Homycide is Line 568 
Eek in yevynge of wikked conseil by fraude; Line 568 
As for to yeven conseil to areysen wrongful Line 568 
Custumes and taillages./ Of whiche seith salomon:  Line 569 
leon rorynge and bere hongry been like Line 569 
To the crueel lordshipes in witholdynge or Line 569 
Abreggynge of the shepe (or the hyre), or of Line 569 
The wages of sevauntz, or elles in usure, or Line 569 
In withdrawynge of the almesse of povre folk./ Line 570 
For which the wise man seith, fedeth hym that Line 570 
Almoost dyeth for honger; for soothly, but if Line 570 
Thow feede hym, thou sleest hym; and alle thise Line 570 
Been deedly synnes./ Bodily manslaughtre is, Line 571 
Whan thow sleest him with thy tonge in oother Line 571 
Manere; as whan thou comandest to sleen a Line 571 
Man, or elles yevest hym conseil to sleen Line 571 
A man./ Manslaughtre in dede is in foure Line 572 
Maneres. That oon is by lawe, right as a Line 572 
Justice dampneth hym that is coupable to the Line 572 
Deeth. But lat the justice be war that he do Line 572 
It rightfully, and that he do it nat for delit to Line 572 
Spille blood, but for kepynge of rightwisnesse./ Line 573 
Another homycide is that is doon for necessitee, Line 573 
As whan o man sleeth another is his defendaunt,  Line 573 
and that he ne may noon ootherwise escape  Line 573 
from his owene deeth./ But certeinly if Line 574 
He may escape withouten slaughtre of his adversarie,  Line 574 
and sleeth hym, he dooth synne and Line 574 
He shal bere penance as for deedly synne./ Line 575 
Eek if a man, by caas or aventure, shete an arwe, Line 575 
Or caste a stoon, with which he sleeth a man, Line 575 
He is homycide./ Eek if a womman by necligence  Line 576 
overlyeth hire child in hir slepyng, Line 576 
It is homycide and deedly synne./ Eek Line 577 
Whan man destourbeth concepcioun of a Line 577 
Child, and maketh a womman outher bareyne Line 577 
By drynkynge venenouse herbes thurgh which Line 577 
She may nat conceyve, or sleeth a child by Line 577 
Drynkes wilfully, or elles putteth certeine material  Line 577 
thynges in hire secree places to slee the Line 577 
Child,/ or elles dooth unkyndely synne, by Line 578 
Which man or womman shedeth hire nature Line 578 
In manere or in place ther as a child may nat Line 578 
Be conceived, or elles if a woman have conceyved,  Line 578 
and hurt hirself and sleeth the child, Line 578 
Yet is it homycide./ What seye we eek of Line 579 
Wommen that mordren hir children for drede Line 579 
Of worldly shame? certes, an horrible homicide./  Line 579 
homycide is eek if a man approcheth Line 580 
To a womman by desir of lecherie, thurgh which Line 580 
The child is perissed, or elles smyteth a womman Line 580 
Wityngly, thurgh which she leseth hir child.  Line 580 

Page 246

 Line 580 
Alle thise been homycides and horrible deedly Line 580 
Synnes./ Yet comen ther of ire manye mo Line 581 
Synnes, as wel in word as in thoght and in Line 581 
Dede; as he that arretteth upon god, or blameth  Line 581 
god of thyng of which he is hymself Line 581 
Gilty, or despiseth God and alle his halwes, as Line 581 
Doon thise cursede hasardours in diverse Line 581 
Contrees./ This cursed synne doon they, Line 582 
Whan they feelen in hir herte ful wikkedly Line 582 
Of God and of his halwes./ Also whan they Line 583 
Treten unreverently the sacrement of the auter, Line 583 
Thilke synne is so greet that unnethe may it Line 583 
Been releessed, but that the mercy of god Line 583 
Passeth alle his werkes; it is so greet, and he Line 583 
So benigne./ Thanne comth of ire attry angre. Line 584 
Whan a man is sharply amonested in his shrifte Line 584 
To forleten his synne,/ thanne wole he be anfry,  Line 585 
and answeren hokerly and angrily, and Line 585 
Deffended or excusen his synne by unstedefastnesse  Line 585 
of his flessh; or elles he dide it for Line 585 
To holde compaignye with his felawes; or elles, Line 585 
He seith, the feend enticed hym;/ or elles he Line 586 
Dide it for his youthe; or elles his compleccioun  Line 586 
is so corageous that he may nat forbere; Line 586 
Or elles it is his destinee, as he seith, unto a Line 586 
Certein age; or eles, he seith, it cometh hym Line 586 
Of gentillesse of his auncestres; and semblable  Line 586 
thynges./ Alle thise manere of folk Line 587 
So wrappen hem in hir synnes that they ne Line 587 
Wol nat delivere hemself. For soothly, no wight Line 587 
That excuseth hym wilfully of his synne may Line 587 
Nat been delivered of his synne, til that he Line 587 
Mekely biknoweth his synne./ After this, Line 588 
Thanne cometh sweryng, that is expres agayn Line 588 
The comandement of god; and this bifalleth Line 588 
Ofte of anger and of ire./ God seith: thow Line 589 
Shalt nat take the name of thy lord God in Line 589 
Veyn or in ydel. Also oure lord jhesu crist Line 589 
Weith, by the word of seint mathew,/ ne wol Line 590 
Ye nat swere in alle manere; neither by hevene,  Line 590 
for it is goddes trone; ne by erthe, for Line 590 
It is the bench of his feet; ne by jerusalem, Line 590 
For it is the citee of a greet kyng; ne by thyn Line 590 
Heed, for thou mayst nat make an heer whit Line 590 
Ne blak./ But seyeth by youre word -- ye, he, -- Line 591 
And -- nay, nay -- ; and what that is moore, it Line 591 
Is of yvel, -- thus seith crist./ For cristes Line 592 
Sake, ne swereth nat so synfully in dismembrynge  Line 592 
of crist by soule, herte, bones, and Line 592 
Body. For certes, it semeth that ye thynke that Line 592 
The cursede jewes ne dismembred nat ynough Line 592 
The preciouse persone of crist, but ye dismembre  Line 592 
hym moore./ And if so be that the lawe Line 593 
Compelle yow to swere, thanne rule yow after Line 593 
The lawe of God in youre sweriyng, as seith Line 593 
Jeremye, quarto capitulo: thou shalt kepe Line 593 
Three condicions: thou shalt swere in trouthe, Line 593 
In doom, and in rightwisnesse./ This is to Line 594 
Seyn, thou shalt swere sooth; for every lesynge Line 594 
Is agayns crist. For crist is verray trouthe. Line 594 
And thynk wel this, that every greet swerere Line 594 
Nat compedded lawefully to swere, the wounde Line 594 
Shal nat departe from his hous whil he useth Line 594 
Swich unleveful swerying./ Thou shalt sweren Line 595 
Eek in doom, whan thou art constreyned by thy Line 595 
Domesman to witnessen the trouthe./ Eek thow Line 596 
Shalt nat swere for envye, ne for favour, ne for Line 596 
Meede, but for rightwisnesse, for declaracioun Line 596 
Of it, to the worshipe of God and helpyng Line 596 
Of thyne evene-cristene./ And therefore Line 597 
Every man that taketh goodes name in Line 597 
Ydel, or falsly swereth with his mouth, or elles Line 597 
Taketh on hym the name of crist, to be called Line 597 
A cristen man, and lyveth agayns cristed lyvynge  Line 597 
and his techynge, alle they taken goddes Line 597 
Name in ydel./ Looke eek what seint peter Line 598 
Seith, actuum, quarto, non est aliud nomen sub Line 598 
Celo, etc., ther nys noon oother name, seith Line 598 
Seint peter, under hevene yeven to men, in Line 598 
Which they mowe be saved; that is to seyn, Line 598 
But the name of jhesu crist./ Take kep eek Line 599 
How precious is the name of crist, as seith Line 599 
Seint paul, ad philipenses, secundo, in nomine Line 599 
Jhesu, etc., that in the name of jhesu every Line 599 
Knee of hevenely creatures, or erthely, or of helle Line 599 
Sholde bowe; for it is so heigh and so worshipful  Line 599 
that the cursede feend in helle sholde tremblen  Line 599 
to heeren it ynempned./ Thanne semeth Line 600 
It that men that sweren so horribly by his Line 600 
Blessed name, that they despise it moore Line 600 
Booldely that dide the cursede jewes, or elles Line 600 
The devel, that trembleth whan he heereth his Line 600 
Name./ Line 601 
Now certes, sith that sweryng, but if it Line 601 
Be lawefully doon, is so heighly deffended, Line 601 
Muche worse is forsweryng falsly, and yet Line 601 
Nedelees./ Line 602 
What seye we eek of hem that deliten Line 602 
Hem in sweryng, and holden it a gentrie or a Line 602 
Manly dede to swere grete others? and what Line 602 
Of hem that of verray usage ne cesse nat to Line 602 
Swere grete othes, al be the cause nat worth Line 602 
A straw? certes, this is horrible synne./ Swerynge  Line 603 
sodeynly withoute avysement is eek a Line 603 
Synne./ But lat us go now to thilke horrible Line 604 
Sweryng of adjuracioun and conjuracioun, as Line 604 
Doon thise false enchauntours or nigromanciens  Line 604 
in bacyns ful of water, or in a bright  Line 604 

Page 247

 Line 604 
Swerd, in a cercle, or in a fir, or in a shulderboon  Line 604 
of a sheep./ I kan nat seye but that they Line 605 
Doon cursedly and dampnably agayns crist and Line 605 
Al the feith of hooly chirche./ Line 606 
What seye we of hem that bileeven on divynailes,  Line 606 
as by flight or by noyse of briddes, or Line 606 
Of beestes, or by sort, by nigromancie, by dremes, Line 606 
By chirkynge of dores, or crakkynge of houses, Line 606 
By gnawynge of rattes, and swich manere Line 606 
Wrecchednesse?/ certes, al this thyng is Line 607 
Deffended by God and by hooly chirche. Line 607 
For which they been acursed, til they come Line 607 
To amendement, that on swich filthe setten hire Line 607 
Bileeve./ Charmes for woundes or maladie of Line 608 
Men or of beestes, if they taken any effect, it Line 608 
May be peraventure that God suffreth it, for Line 608 
Folk sholden yeve the moore feith and reverence  Line 608 
to his name./ Line 609 
Now wol I speken of lesynges, which generally  Line 609 
is fals signyficaunce of word, in entente to Line 609 
Deceyven his evene-cristene./ Som lesynge is Line 610 
Of which ther comth noon avantage to no wight; Line 610 
And som lesynge turneth to the ese and profit Line 610 
Of o man, and to disese and damage of another Line 610 
Man./ Another lesynge is for to saven his lyf Line 611 
Of his catel. Another lesynge comth of delit Line 611 
For to lye, in which delit they wol forge a Line 611 
Long tale, and peynten it with alle circumstaunces,  Line 611 
where al the ground of the tale Line 611 
Is fals./ Som lesynge comth, for he wole Line 612 
Sustene his word; and som lesynge comth Line 612 
Of reccheleesnesse withouten avisement; and Line 612 
Semblable thynges./ Line 613 
Lat us now touche the vice of flaterynge, Line 613 
Which ne comth nat gladly but for drede or Line 613 
For coveitise./ Flaterye is generally wrongful Line 614 
Preisynge. Flatereres been the develes norices, Line 614 
That norissen his children with milk losengerie./  Line 614 
for sothe, salomon seith that flaterie Line 615 
Is wors than detraccioun. For somtyme detraccion  Line 615 
maketh an hauteyn man be the moore Line 615 
Humble, for he dredeth detraccion; but certes Line 615 
Flaterye, that maketh a man to enhauncen his Line 615 
Herte and his contenance./ Flatereres been Line 616 
The develes enchauntours; for they make a Line 616 
Man to wene of hymself be lyk that he nys Line 616 
Nat lyk./ They been lyk to judas that bitraysen  Line 617 
a man to sellen hym to his enemy, Line 617 
That is to the devel./ Flatereres been the develes  Line 618 
chapelleyns, that syngen evere placebb./ Line 619 
I rekene flaterie in the vices of ire; for ofte Line 619 
Tyme, if o man be wrooth with another, thanne Line 619 
Wole he flatere som wight to sustene hym in his Line 619 
Querele./ Line 620 
Speke we now of swich cursynge as comth Line 620 
Of irous herte. Malisoun generally may be Line 620 
Seyd every maner power of harm. Swich cursynge  Line 620 
bireveth man fro the regne of god, as Line 620 
Seith seint paul. / and ofte tyme swiche cursynge  Line 621 
wrongfully retorneth agayn to hym that Line 621 
Curseth, as a bryd that retorneth agayn to Line 621 
His owene nest./ And over alle thyng men Line 622 
Oghten eschewe to cursen hir children, Line 622 
And yeven to the devel hire engendrure, as Line 622 
Ferforth as in hem is. Certes, it is greet peril Line 622 
And greet synne./ Line 623 
Lat us thanne speken of chidynge and reproche,  Line 623 
whiche been ful grete woundes in Line 623 
Mannes herte, for they unsowen the semes of Line 623 
Freendshipe in mannes herte./ For certes, unnethes  Line 624 
may a man pleynly been accorded with Line 624 
Hym that hath hym openly revyled and repreved  Line 624 
and disclaundred. This ia a ful grisly Line 624 
Synne, as crist seith in the gospel./ And taak Line 625 
Kep now, that he that repreveth his neighebor, Line 625 
Outher he repreveth hym by som harm of peyne Line 625 
That he hath on his body, as mesel, croked Line 625 
Harlot, or by som synne that he dooth./ Now Line 626 
If he repreve hym by harm of peyne, thanne Line 626 
Turneth the repreve to jhesu crist, for peyne Line 626 
Is sent by the rightwys sonde of god, and Line 626 
By his suffrance, be it meselrie, or maheym,  Line 626 
or maladie./ And if he repreve hym Line 627 
Uncharitably of synne, as thou holour, Line 627 
Thou dronkelewe harlot, and so forth, thanne Line 627 
Aperteneth that to the rejoysynge of the devel, Line 627 
That evere hath joyde that men doon synne./ Line 628 
And certes, chidynge may nat come but out Line 628 
Of a vileyns herte. For after the habundance Line 628 
Of the herte speketh the mouth ful ofte./ And Line 629 
Ye shul understonde that looke, by the wey, Line 629 
Whan any man shal chastise another, that he Line 629 
Be war from chidynge or reprevynge. For Line 629 
Trewely, but he be war, he may ful lightly Line 629 
Quyken the fir of angre and of wratthe, which Line 629 
That he sholde quenche, and peraventure sleeth Line 629 
Hym, which that he myghte chastise with benignitee./  Line 629 
for as seith salomon, the amyable Line 630 
Tonge is the tree of lyf, that is to seyn, of lyf Line 630 
Espiritueel; and soothly, a deslavee tonge sleeth Line 630 
Spirites of hym that repreveth and eek of Line 630 
Hym that is repreved./ Loo, what seith seint Line 631 
Augustyn: ther is nothyng so lyk the develes Line 631 
Child as he that ofte chideth. Seint paul seith Line 631 
Eek, the servant of God bihoveth nat to Line 631 
Chide./ And how that chidynge be a Line 632 
Vileyns thyng bitwixe alle manere folk, Line 632 
Yet is it certes moost uncovenable bitwixe a  Line 632 

Page 248

 Line 632 
Man and his wyf; for there is nevere reste. And Line 632 
Wherfore seith salomon, an hous that is uncovered  Line 632 
and droppynge, and a chidynge wyf, Line 632 
Been lyke./ A man that is in a droppynge Line 633 
Hous in manye places, though he eschewe the Line 633 
Droppynge in a place, it droppeth on hym in Line 633 
Another place. So fareth it by a chydynge wyf; Line 633 
But shc chide hym in o place, she wol chide Line 633 
Hym in another./ And therfore, bettre is a Line 634 
Morsel of breed with joye than an hous ful of Line 634 
Delices with chidynge, seith salomon./ Seint Line 635 
Paul seith: oye wommen, be ye subgetes to Line 635 
Youre housbondes as bihoveth in god, and ye Line 635 
Men loveth youre wyves. Add colossenses, Line 635 
Tertio./ Line 636 
Afterward speke we of scornynge, which is Line 636 
A wikked synne, and namely whan he Line 636 
Scorneth a man for his goode werkes./ Line 637 
For certes, swiche scorneres faren lyk the Line 637 
Foule tode, that may nat endure to smelle the Line 637 
Soote savour of the vyne whanne it florissheth./ Line 638 
Thise scorneres been partyng felawes with the Line 638 
Devel; for they han joye whan the devel wynneth,  Line 638 
and sorwe whan he leseth./ They been Line 639 
Adversaries of jhesu crist, for they haten that Line 639 
He loveth, that is to seyn, salvacioun of soule./ Line 640 
Speke we now of wikked conseil; for he that Line 640 
Wikked conseil yeveth is a traytour. For he deceyveth  Line 640 
hym that trusteth in hym, ut achitofel Line 640 
Ad absolonem. But nathelees, yet is his wikked Line 640 
Conseil first agayn hymself/ for, as seith the Line 641 
Wise man, every fals lyvynge hath this propertee  Line 641 
in hymself, that he that wole anoye Line 641 
Another man, he anoyeth first hymself./ Line 642 
And men shul understonde that man shal Line 642 
Nat taker his conseil of fals folk, ne of angry Line 642 
Folk, or grevous folk, ne of folk that lovern Line 642 
Specially to muchel hir owene profit, ne to Line 642 
Muche worldly folk, namely in conseilynge of Line 642 
Soules./ Line 643 
Now comth the synne of hem that sowen Line 643 
And maken discord amounges folk, which is a Line 643 
Synne that crist hateth outrely. And no wonder  Line 643 
is; for he deyde for to make concord./ And Line 644 
Moore shame do they to crist, than dide they Line 644 
That hym crucifiede; for God loveth bettre that Line 644 
Freendshipe be amonges folk, than he dide his Line 644 
Owene body, the which that he yaf for unitee. Line 644 
Therfore been they likned to the devel, that Line 644 
Evere is aboute to maken discord./ Line 645 
Now comth the synne of double tonge; Line 645 
Swiche as speken faire byforn folk, and wikkedly  Line 645 
bihynde; or elles they maken semblant Line 645 
As though they speeke of good entencioun, or Line 645 
Elles in game and pley, and yet they speke of Line 645 
Wikked entente./ Line 646 
Now comth biwreying of conseil, thurgh Line 646 
Which a man is defamed; certes, unnethe Line 646 
May be restoore the damage./ Line 647 
Now comth manace, that is an open Line 647 
Folye; for he that ofte manaceth, he threteth Line 647 
Moore than he may perfourne ful ofte tyme./ Line 648 
Now cometh ydel wordes, that is withouten Line 648 
Profit of hym that speketh tho wordes, and eek Line 648 
Of hym that herkneth tho wordes. Or elles ydel Line 648 
Wordes been tho that been nedelees, or withouten  Line 648 
entente of natureel profit./ And al be it Line 649 
That ydel wordes been somtyme venial synne, Line 649 
Yet sholde men douten hem, for we shul yeve Line 649 
Rekenynge of hem bifore god./ Line 650 
Now comth janglynge, that may nat been Line 650 
Withoute synne. And, as seith salomon, it is Line 650 
A sygne a apert folye./ And therfore a phI Line 651 
Losophre seyde, whan men axed hym how that Line 651 
Men sholde plese the peple, and he answerde Line 651 
Do manye goode werkes, and spek fewe Line 651 
Jangles./ Line 652 
After this comth the synne of japeres, Line 652 
That been the develes apes; for they maken Line 652 
Folk to laughe at hire japerie as folk doon at Line 652 
The gawdes of an ape. Swiche japes deffendeth  Line 652 
seint paul./ Looke how that vertuouse Line 653 
Wordes and hooly conforten hem that travaillen Line 653 
In the service of crist, right so conforten the Line 653 
Vileyns wordes and knakkes of japeris hem that Line 653 
Travaillen in the service of the devel./ Thise Line 654 
Been the synnes that comen of the tonge that Line 654 
Comen of ire and of ohtere synnes mo./ Line 655 
The remedie agayns ire is a vertu that men Line 655 
Clepen mansuetude, that is debonairette; and Line 655 
Eek another vertu, that men callen pacience or Line 655 
Suffrance./ Line 656 
Debonairetee withdraweth and refreyneth the Line 656 
Stirynges and the moevynges of mannes corage Line 656 
In his herte, in swich manere that they ne Line 656 
Skippe nat out by angre ne by ire./ Suffrance  Line 657 
suffreth swetely alle the anoyaunces Line 657 
And the wronges that men doon to man outward./  Line 657 
seint jerome seith thus of debonairetee, Line 658 
That it dooth noon harm to no wight ne seith; Line 658 
Ne for noon harm that men doon or seyn, he Line 658 
Ne eschawfeth nat agayns his resoun./ This Line 659 
Vertu somtyme comth of nature; for, as seith Line 659 
The philosophre, a man is a quyk thyng, by  Line 659 

Page 249

 Line 659 
Nature debonaire and tretable to goodnesse; Line 659 
But whan debonairetee is enformed of grace, Line 659 
Thanne is it the moore worth./ Line 660 
Pacience, that is another remedie agayns iro, Line 660 
Is a vertu that suffreth swetely every mannes Line 660 
Goodnesse, and is nat wrooth for noon harm Line 660 
That is doon to hym./ The philosophre seith Line 661 
That pacience is thilke vertu that suffreth Line 661 
Debonairely alle the outrages of adversitee Line 661 
And every wikked word./ This vertu maketh  Line 662 
a man lyk to god, and maketh hym Line 662 
Goddes owene deere child, as seith grist. This Line 662 
Vertu disconfiteth thyn enemy. And therfore Line 662 
Seith the wise man. If thow wolt venquysse Line 662 
Thyn enemy, lerne to suffre./ And thou shalt Line 663 
Understonde that man suffreth foure manere of Line 663 
Grevances in outward thynges, agayns the Line 663 
Whiche foure he moot have foure manere of Line 663 
Paciences./ Line 664 
The firste grevance is of wikkede wordes. Line 664 
Thilke suffrede jhesu crist withouten grucchyng,  Line 664 
ful paciently, whan the jewes despised Line 664 
And repreved hym ful ofte./ Suffre thou therfore  Line 665 
paciently; for the wise man seith, if thou Line 665 
Stryve with a fool, though the fool be wrooth Line 665 
Or though he laughe, algate thou shalt have no Line 665 
Reste./ That oother grevance outward is to Line 666 
Have damage of thy catel. Theragayns suffred  Line 666 
crist ful paciently, whan he was despoyled Line 666 
Of al that he hadde in this lyf, and that nas Line 666 
But his clothes./ The thridde grevance is a Line 667 
Man to have harm in his body. That suffred  Line 667 
crist ful paciently in al his passioun./ The Line 668 
Fourthe grevance is in outrageous labour in Line 668 
Werkes. Wherfore I seye that folk that maken Line 668 
Hir servantz to travaillen to grevously, or out Line 668 
Of tyme, as on haly dayes, soothly they do greet Line 668 
Synne./ Heer-agayns suffred crist ful paciently Line 669 
And taughte us pacience, whan he baar upon Line 669 
His blissed shulder the croys upon which e Line 669 
Sholde suffren despitous deeth./ Heere man Line 670 
Men lerne to be pacient; for certes noght oonly Line 670 
Cristen men been pacient, for love of jhesu Line 670 
Crist, and for gerdoun of the blisful lyf that Line 670 
Is perdurable, but certes, the olde payens that Line 670 
Nevere were cristene, commendeden and useden  Line 670 
the vertu of pacience./ Line 671 
A philosophre upon a tyme, that wolde have Line 671 
Beten his disciple for his grete trespas, for Line 671 
Which he was greetly amoeved, broghte Line 671 
A yerde to scoure with the child;/ and Line 672 
Whan this child saugh the yerde, he seyde Line 672 
To his maister, what thenke ye do?? I wol Line 672 
Bete thee, quod the maister, for thy correccioun./  Line 672 
for sothe, quod the child, ye Line 673 
Oghten first correcte youreself, that han lost Line 673 
Al youre pacience for the gilt of a child./ Line 674 
For sothe, quod the maister al wepynge, Line 674 
Thow seyst sooth. Have thow the yerde, my Line 674 
Deere sone, and correcte me for myn impacience./  Line 674 
of pacience comth obedience, thurgh Line 675 
Which a man is obedient to crist and to alle Line 675 
Hem to whiche he oghte to been obedient in Line 675 
Crist./ And understond wel that obedience is Line 676 
Perfit, whan that a man dooth gladly and Line 676 
Hastily, with good herte entierly, al that Line 676 
He sholde do./ Obedience generally is to Line 677 
Perfourne the doctrine of God and of his Line 677 
Sovereyns, to whiche hym oghte to ben obeisaunt  Line 677 
in alle rightwisnesse./ Line 678 
After the synne of envye and of ire, now Line 678 
Wol I speken of the synne of accidie. For Line 678 
Envye blyndeth the herte of a man, and ire Line 678 
Troubleth a man, and accidie maketh hym Line 678 
Hevy, thoghtful, and wraw./ Envye and ire Line 679 
Maker bitternesse in herte, which bitternesse Line 679 
Is mooder of accidie, and bynymeth hym the Line 679 
Love of alle goodnesse. Thanne is accidie the Line 679 
Angwissh of troubled herte; and seint augustyn Line 679 
Seith, it is anoy of goodnesse and ioye of Line 679 
Harm./ Certes, this is a dampnable synne; Line 680 
For it dooth worng to jhesu crist, in as muche Line 680 
As it bynymeth the service that men oghte doon Line 680 
To crist with alle diligence, as seith salomon./ Line 681 
But accidie dooth no swich diligence. He Line 681 
Dooth alle thyng with anoy, and with wrawnesse,  Line 681 
slaknesse, and excusacioun, and with Line 681 
Ydelnesse, and unlust; for which the book seith, Line 681 
Acursed be he that dooth the service of Line 681 
God necligently. / thanne is accidie enemy  Line 682 
to everich estaat of man; for certes, Line 682 
The estaat of man is in three maneres. / outher Line 683 
It is th,estaat of innocence, as was th,estaat of Line 683 
Adam biforn that he fil into synne;in which Line 683 
Estaat he was holden to wirche as in heriynge Line 683 
And adowrynge of god. / another estaat is the Line 684 
Estaat of synful men, in which estaat men been Line 684 
Holden to laboure in preiynge to God for Line 684 
Amendement of hire synnes, and that he wole Line 684 
Graunte hem to arysen out of hir symmes. / another  Line 685 
estaat is th,estaat of grace; in which estaat Line 685 
He is holden to werkes of penitence. And certes, Line 685 
To alle thise thynges is accidie enemy and contrarie,  Line 685 
for he lovethno bisynesse at al. / now Line 686 
Certes, this foule synne, accidie, is eek a ful  Line 686 

Page 250

 Line 686 
Greet enemy to the liflode of the body; for it Line 686 
Ne hath no purveaunce agayn temporeel necessitee; Line 686 
For it forsleweth and forsluggeth and Line 686 
Destroyeth alle goodes temporeles by Line 686 
Reccheleesnesse. / Line 687 
 the fourthe thyng is that accidie is lyk Line 687 
Hem that been in the peyne of helle, by cause Line 687 
Of hir slouthe and of hire hevynesse; for they Line 687 
That been dampned been so bounde that they Line 687 
Ne may neither wel do ne wel thynke./ Of Line 688 
Accidie comth first, that a man is anoyed and Line 688 
Encombred for to doon any goodnesse, and Line 688 
Maketh that God hath abhomynacion of swich Line 688 
Accidie, as seith seint john. / Line 689 
 now comth slouthe, that wol nat suffre Line 689 
Noon hardnesse ne no penaunce. For soothly, Line 689 
Slouthe is so tendre and so delicaat, as seith Line 689 
Salomon, that he wol nat suffre noon hardnesse Line 689 
Ne penaunce, and therfore he shendeth al that Line 689 
He dooth. / agayns this roten-herted synne of Line 690 
Accidie and slouthe sholde men exercise hemself Line 690 
To doon goode werkes, and manly and vertuously Line 690 
Cacchen corage wel to doon, thynkynge Line 690 
That oure lord jhesu crist quiteth every good Line 690 
Dede, be it never so lite. / usage of labour is Line 691 
A greet thyng, for it maketh, as seith seint bernard, Line 691 
The laborer to have stronge armes and Line 691 
Harde synwes; and slouthe maketh hem Line 691 
Feble and tendre. / thanne comth drede Line 692 
To bigynne to werke anye goode werkes. Line 692 
For certes, he that is enclyned to synne, hym Line 692 
Thynketh it is so greet an emprise for to undertake Line 692 
To doon werkes of goodnesse, / and Line 693 
Casteth in his herte that the circumstances of Line 693 
Goodnesse been so grevouse and so chargeaunt Line 693 
For to suffre, that he dar nat undertake to do Line 693 
Werkes of goodnesse, as seith seint gregorie. / Line 694 
 now comth wanhope, that is despeir of the Line 694 
Mercy of god, that comth somtyme of to muche Line 694 
Outrageous sorwe, and somtyme of to muche Line 694 
Drede, ymaginynge that he hath doon so muche Line 694 
Synne that it wol nat availlen hym, though Line 694 
He wolde repenten hym and forsake synne; / Line 695 
Thurgh which despeir or drede he abaundoneth Line 695 
Al his herte to every maner synne, as seith Line 695 
Seint augustin. / which dampnable synne, if Line 696 
That it continue unto his ende, it is cleped Line 696 
Synnyng in the hooly goost. / this horrible Line 697 
Synne is so perilous that he that is Line 697 
Despeired, ther nys no felonye ne no synne that Line 697 
He douteth for to do; as shewed wel by judas. / Line 698 
Certes, aboven alle synnes thanne is this synne Line 698 
Moost displesant to crist, and moost adversarie. / Line 699 
Soothly, he that despeireth hym is lyk Line 699 
The coward champious recreant, that seith, Line 699 
Creant withoute nede, allas! akkas! bedekes us Line 699 
He recreant and nedelees despeired. / certes, Line 700 
The mercy of God is evere redy to the penitent, Line 700 
And is aboven alle his werkes. / allas! kan a Line 701 
Man nat bithynke hym on the gospel of seint Line 701 
Luc, 15, where as crist seith that as wel shal Line 701 
Ther be joye in hevene upon a synful man that Line 701 
Dooth penitence, as upon nynty and nyne Line 701 
Rightful men that neden no penitence. / Line 702 
Looke forther, in the same gospel, the joye Line 702 
And the feeste of the goode man that hadde Line 702 
Lost his sone, whan his sone with repentaunce Line 702 
Was retourned to his fader. / kan they nat remembren Line 703 
Hem eek that, as seith seint luc, 23, Line 703 
How that the theef that was hanged bisyde Line 703 
Jhesu crist, seyde -- lord, remembre of me, Line 703 
Whan thow comest into thy regne? / for Line 704 
Sothe, seyde crist, I seye to thee, to-day Line 704 
Shaltow been with me in paradys. / certes, Line 705 
Ther is noon so horrible synne of man that it Line 705 
Ne may in his lyf be destroyed by penitence, Line 705 
Thurgh vertu of the passion and of the deeth Line 705 
Of crist. / allas! what nedeth man thanne to Line 706 
Been despeired, sith that his mercy so redy Line 706 
Is and large? axe and have. / thanne cometh Line 707 
Sompnolence, that is, sloggy slombrynge, Line 707 
Which maketh a man be hevy and dul Line 707 
In body and in soule; and this synne comth Line 707 
Of slouthe. / and certes, the tyme that, by eey Line 708 
Of resoun, men sholde nat slepe, that is by the Line 708 
Morwe, but if ther were cause resonable. / for Line 709 
Soothly, the morwe tyde is moost covenable a Line 709 
Man to seye his preyeres, and for to thynken on Line 709 
God, and for to honoure god, and to yeven Line 709 
Almesse to the povre that first cometh in the Line 709 
Name of crist. / lo, what seith salomon --  Line 710 
Whoso wolde by the morwe awaken and Line 710 
Seke me, he shal fynde. / thanne cometh necligence, Line 711 
Or reccheleesnesse, that rekketh of Line 711 
No thyng. And how that ignoraunce be Line 711 
Mooder of alle harm, certes, necligence Line 711 
Is the norice. / necligence ne dooth no Line 712 
Fors, whan he shal doon a thyng, wheither Line 712 
He do it weel or baddely / Line 713 
 of the remedie of thise two synnes, as seith Line 713 
The wise man, that he that dredeth god, he Line 713 
Spareth nat to doon that him oghte doon. / Line 714 
And he that loveth god, he wol doon diligence Line 714 
To plese God by his werkes, and abaundone Line 714 
Hymself, with al his myght, wel for to doon. / Line 715 
Thanne comth ydelnesse, that is the yate of alle Line 715 
Harmes. An ydel man is lyk to a place that hath Line 715 
No walles; the develes may entre on every syde,  Line 715 

Page 251

 Line 715 
Or sheten at hym at discovert, by temptacion Line 715 
On every syde. / this ydelnesse is the thurrok Line 716 
Of alle wikked and vileyns thoghtes, and of Line 716 
Alle jangles, trufles, and of alle ordure. / Line 717 
Certes, the hevene is yeven to hem that Line 717 
Wol labourn, and nat to ydel folk. Eek david Line 717 
Seith that they ne been nat in the labour of Line 717 
Men, ne they shul nat been whipped with men, Line 717 
That is to seyn, in purgatorie. / certes, thanne Line 718 
Semeth it, they shul be tormented with the Line 718 
Devel in helle, but if they doon penitence. / Line 719 
 thanne comth the synne that men clepen Line 719 
Tarditas, as whan a man is to laterede or tariynge, Line 719 
Er he wole turne to god; and certes, that Line 719 
Is a greet folie. He is lyk to hym that falleth in Line 719 
The dych, and wol nat arise. / and this vice Line 720 
Comth of a fals hope, that he thynketh that he Line 720 
Shal lyve longe; but that hope faileth ful ofte. / Line 721 
 thanne comth lachesse; that is he, that Line 721 
Whan he biginneth any good werk, anon he Line 721 
Shal forleten it and stynten; as doon they that Line 721 
Han any wight to governe, and ne taken of Line 721 
Hym namoore kep, anon as they fynden Line 721 
Any contrarie or any anoy. / thise been Line 722 
The newe sheepherdes that leten hir sheep Line 722 
Wityngly go renne to the wolf that is in the Line 722 
Breres, or do no fors of hir owene governaunce. / Line 723 
Of this comth poverte and destruccioun, bothe Line 723 
Of spiritueel and temporeel thynges. Thanne Line 723 
Comth a manere cooldnesse, that freseth al th Line 723 
Herte of a man. / thanne comth devoccioun, Line 724 
Thurgh which a man is so blent, as seith seint Line 724 
Bernard, and hath swich languour in soule that Line 724 
He may neither rede ne singe in hooly chirche, Line 724 
Ne heere ne thynke of no devoioun, ne travaille Line 724 
With his handes in no good werk, that it nys Line 724 
Hym unsavory and al apalled. / thanne wexeth Line 725 
He slough and slombry, and soone wol be Line 725 
Wrooth, and soone is enclyned to hate and to Line 725 
Envye. / thanne comth the synne of worldly Line 726 
Sorwe, swich as is cleped tristicia, that Line 726 
Sleeth man, as seith seint paul. / for Line 727 
Certes, swich sorwe werketh to the deeth Line 727 
Of the soule and of the body also; for therof Line 727 
Comth that a man is anoyed of his owene lif. / Line 728 
Wherfore swich sorwe shorteth ful ofte the lif Line 728 
Of man, er that his tyme be come by wey of Line 728 
Kynde. / Line 729 
 agayns this horrible synne of accidie, an Line 729 
The branches of the same, ther is a vertu that Line 729 
Is called fortitudo or strentthe, that is an affeccioun Line 729 
Thurgh which a man despiseth anoyouse Line 729 
Thinges. / this vertu is so myghty and so vigerous Line 730 
That it dar withstonde myghtily and wisely Line 730 
Kepen hymself fro perils that been wikked, and Line 730 
Wrastle agayn the assautes of the devel. / for Line 731 
It enhaunceth and enforceth the soule, right as Line 731 
Accidie abateth it and maketh it fieble. For this Line 731 
Fortitudo may endure by long suffraunce Line 731 
The travailles that been covenable. / Line 732 
 this vertu hath manye speces; and the Line 732 
Firste is cleped magnanimitee, that is to seyn, Line 732 
Greet corage. For certes, ther bihoveth greet Line 732 
Corage agains accidie, lest that it ne swolwe Line 732 
The soule by the synne of sorwe, or destroye it Line 732 
By wanhope. / this vertu maketh folk to undertake Line 733 
Harde thynges and grevouse thynges, Line 733 
By hir owene wil, wisely and resonably. / and Line 734 
For as muchel as the devel fighteth agayns a Line 734 
Man moore by queyntise and by sleighte than Line 734 
By strengthe, therfore men shal withstonden Line 734 
Hym by wit and by resoun and by discrecioun. / Line 735 
Thanne arn ther the vertues of feith and hope Line 735 
In God and in his seintes, to acheve and acomplice Line 735 
The goode werkes in the whiche he purposeth Line 735 
Fermely to continue. / thanne comth Line 736 
Seuretee or sikernesse; and that is whan a man Line 736 
Ne douteth no travaille in tyme comynge of Line 736 
The goode werkes that a man hath bigonne. / Line 737 
Thanne comth magnificence, that Line 737 
Is to seyn, whan a man dooth and perfourneth Line 737 
Grete werkes of goodnesse; and that Line 737 
Is the ende why that men sholde do goode Line 737 
Werkes, for in the acomplissynge of grete goode Line 737 
Werkes lith the grete gerdoun. / thanne is ther Line 738 
Constaunce, that is, stablenesse of corage; and Line 738 
This sholde been in herte by stedefast feith, Line 738 
And in mouth, and in berynge, and in chiere, Line 738 
And in dede. / eke ther been mo speciale remedies Line 739 
Against accidie in diverse werkes, and Line 739 
In consideracioun of the peynes of helle and Line 739 
Of the joyes of hevene, and in the trust of the Line 739 
Grace of the holy goost, that wole yeve hym Line 739 
Myght to perfourne his goode entente. / Line 740 
 after accidie wol I speke of avarice and of Line 740 
Coveitise, of which synne seith seint paul that Line 740 
The roote of alle harmes is coveitise. Ad Line 740 
Thimotheum sexto. / for soothly, whan the Line 741 
Herte of a man is confounded in itself and Line 741 
Troubled, and that the soule hath lost the confort Line 741 
Of god, thanne seketh he an ydel solas Line 741 
Of worldly thynges. /  Line 742 

Page 252

 Line 742 
 avarice, after the descripcioun of seint Line 742 
Augustyn, is a likerousnesse in herte to have Line 742 
Erthely thynges. / som oother folk seyn that Line 743 
Avarice is for to purchacen manye erthely Line 743 
Thynges, and no thyng yeve to hem that han Line 743 
Nede. / and understoond that avarice ne stant Line 744 
Nat oonly in lond ne catel, but somtyme in Line 744 
Science and in glorie, and in every manere Line 744 
Of outrageous thyng is avarice and coveitise. / Line 745 
And the difference bitwixe avarice and coveitise Line 745 
Is this -- coveitise is for to coveite swiche Line 745 
Thynges as thou hast nat; and avarice is for Line 745 
To withholde and kepe swiche thynges as thou Line 745 
Hast, withoute rightful nede. / soothly, this Line 746 
Avarice is a synne that is ful dampnable; Line 746 
For al hooly writ curseth it, and speketh agayns Line 746 
That vice; for it dooth wrong to jhesu Line 746 
Crist. / for it bireveth hym the love that Line 747 
Men to hym owen, and turneth it bakward Line 747 
Agayns alle resoun, / and maketh that the avaricious Line 748 
Man hath moore hope in his catel than Line 748 
In jhesu crist, and dooth moore observance in Line 748 
Kepynge of his tresor than he dooth to the Line 748 
Service of jhesu crist. / and therfore seith Line 749 
Seint paul ad ephesios, quinto, that an avaricious Line 749 
Man is in the thraldom of ydolatrie. / Line 750 
 what difference is bitwixe an ydolastre and Line 750 
An avaricious man, but that an ydolastre, per Line 750 
Aventure, ne hath but o mawmet or two, and Line 750 
The avaricious man hath manye? for certes, Line 750 
Every floryn in his cofre is his mawmet. / and Line 751 
Certes, the synne of mawmettrie is the firste Line 751 
Thyng that God deffended in the ten comaundementz Line 751 
As bereth witnesse in exodi capitulo Line 751 
Vicesimo. / thou shalt have no false Line 752 
Goddes bifore me, ne thou shalt make to Line 752 
Thee no grave thyng. Thus is an avaricious Line 752 
Man, that loveth his tresor biforn god, an Line 752 
Ydolastre, / thurgh this cursed synne of avarice. Line 753 
Of coveitise comen thise harde lordshipes, Line 753 
Thurgh whiche men been distreyned by taylages, Line 753 
Custumes, and cariages, moore than hire Line 753 
Duetee or resoun is. And eek taken they of Line 753 
Hire bonde-men amercimentz, whiche myghten Line 753 
Moore resonably ben cleped extorcions than Line 753 
Amercimentz. / of whiche amercimentz and Line 754 
Raunsonynge of boonde-men somme hordes stywards Line 754 
Seyn that it is ryghtful, for as muche as Line 754 
A cherl hath no temporeel thyng that it ne is his Line 754 
Lordes, as they seyn. / but certes, thise lordshipes Line 755 
Doon wrong that bireven hire bondefolk Line 755 
Thynges that they nevere yave hem. Augustinus, Line 755 
De civitate, libro nono. / sooth is Line 756 
That the condicioun of thraldom and the firste Line 756 
Cause of thraldom is for synne. Genesis, Line 756 
Nono. / Line 757 
 thus may ye seen that the gilt disserveth Line 757 
Thraldom, but nat nature./ Wherfore thise Line 758 
Lordes ne sholde nat muche glorifien hem in Line 758 
Hir lordshipes, sith that by natureel condicion Line 758 
They been nat lordes over thralles, but that Line 758 
Thraldom comth first by the desert of synne. / Line 759 
And forther over, ther as the lawe seith that Line 759 
Temporeel goodes of boonde-folk been the Line 759 
Goodes of hir lordeshipes, ye, that is for to understonde, Line 759 
The goodes of the emperour, to deffenden Line 759 
Hem in hir right, but nat for to robben Line 759 
Hem ne reven hem. / and therfore seith Line 760 
Seneca, thy prudence sholde lyve benignely Line 760 
With thy thralles. / thilke that thou clepest Line 761 
Thy thralles been goddes peple; for humble Line 761 
Folk been cristes freendes; they been contubernyal Line 761 
With the lord. / Line 762 
 thynk eek that of swich seed as cherles Line 762 
Spryngen, of swich seed spryngen lordes. As Line 762 
Wel may the cherl be saved as the lord. / the Line 763 
Same deeth that taketh the cherl, swich deeth Line 763 
Taketh the lord. Wherfore I rede, do right so Line 763 
With the cherl, as thou woldest that thy lord Line 763 
Dide with thee, if thou were in his plit. / every Line 764 
Synful man is a cherl to synne. I rede thee, Line 764 
Certes, that thou, lord, werke in swich wise Line 764 
With thy cherles that they rather love thee than Line 764 
Drede. / I woot wel ther is degree above degree, Line 765 
As reson is; and skile is that men do hir devoir Line 765 
Ther as it is due; but certes, extorcions and Line 765 
Despit of youre underlynges is dampnable. / Line 766 
 and forther over, understoond wel that thise Line 766 
Conquerours or tirauntz maken ful ofte thralles Line 766 
Of hem that been born of as roial blood as Line 766 
Been they that hem conqueren. / this Line 767 
Name of thraldom was nevere erst kowth, Line 767 
Til that noe seyde that his sone canaan sholde Line 767 
Be thral to his bretheren for his synne. / what Line 768 
Seye we thanne of hem that pilen and doon Line 768 
Extorcions to hooly chirche? certes, the swerd Line 768 
That men yeven first to a knyght, whan he is Line 768 
Newe dubbed, signifieth that he sholde deffenden Line 768 
Hooly chirche, and nat robben it ne Line 768 
Pilen it; and whoso dooth is traitour to crist. / Line 769 
And, as seith seint augustyn, they been the Line 769 
Develes wolves that stranglen the sheep of Line 769 
Jhesu crist; and doon worse than wolves. / Line 770 
For soothly, whan the wolf hath ful his wombe, Line 770 
He styntheth to strangle sheep. But soothly, the Line 770 
Pilours and destroyours of the godes of hooly Line 770 
Chirche no do nat so, for they ne stynte nevere Line 770 
To pile. / now as I have seyd, sith so is that  Line 771 

Page 253

 Line 771 
Synne was first cause of thraldom, thanne is it Line 771 
Thus, that thilke tyme that al this world was Line 771 
In synne, thanne was al this world in thraldom Line 771 
And subjeccioun. / but certes, sith the Line 772 
Time of grace cam, God ordeyned that som Line 772 
Folk sholde be moore heigh in estaat and in Line 772 
Degree, and som folk moore lough, and that Line 772 
Everich sholde be served in his estaat and in Line 772 
His degree. / and therfore in somme contrees, Line 773 
Ther they byen thralles, whan they han turned Line 773 
Hem to the feith, they maken hire thralles free Line 773 
Out of thraldom. And therfore, certes, the lord Line 773 
Oweth to his man that the man oweth to his Line 773 
Lord. / the pope calleth hymself servant of the Line 774 
Servantz of god; but for as muche as the estaat Line 774 
Of hooly chirche ne myghte nat han be, Line 774 
Ne the commune profit myghte nat han be kept, Line 774 
Ne pees and rest in erthe, but if God hadde Line 774 
Ordeyned that som men hadde hyer degree and Line 774 
Som men lower, / therfore was sovereyntee ordeyned, Line 775 
To kepe and mayntene and deffenden Line 775 
Hire underlynges or hire subgetz in resoun, as Line 775 
Ferforth as it lith in hire power, and nat to destroyen Line 775 
Hem ne confounde. / wherfore I seye Line 776 
That thilke lordes that been lyk wolves, that Line 776 
Devouren the possessiouns or the catel of povre Line 776 
Folk wrongfully, withouten mercy or mesure, / Line 777 
They shul receyven, by the same Line 777 
Mesure that they han mesured to povre Line 777 
Folk, the mercy of jhesu crist, but if it be Line 777 
Amended. / now comth deciete bitwixe marchaunt Line 778 
And marchant. And thow shalt understonde Line 778 
That marchandise is in manye maneres; Line 778 
That oon is bodily, and that oother is goostly; Line 778 
That oon is honest and leveful, and that oother Line 778 
Is deshonest and unleveful. / of thilke bodily Line 779 
Marchandise that is leveful and honest is this --  Line 779 
That, there as God hath ordeyned that a regne Line 779 
Or a contree is suffisaunt to hymself, thanne is Line 779 
It honest and leveful that of habundaunce of Line 779 
This contree, that men helpe another contree Line 779 
That is moore needy. / and therfore ther moote Line 780 
Been marchantz to bryngen fro that o contree Line 780 
To that oother hire marchandises. / that oother Line 781 
Marchandise, that men haunten with fraude and Line 781 
Trecherie and deceite, with lesynges and Line 781 
False othes, is cursed and dampnable. / espiritueel Line 782 
Marchandise is proprely symonue, Line 782 
That is, ententif desir to byen thyng espiritueel, Line 782 
That is, thyng that aperteneth to the seintuarie Line 782 
Of God and to cure of the soule. / this desir, Line 783 
If so be that a man do his diligence to parfournen Line 783 
It, al be it that his desir ne take noon Line 783 
Effect, yet is it to hym a deedly synne; and if Line 783 
He be ordred, he is irreguler. / certes symonye Line 784 
Is cleped of simon magus, that wolde han Line 784 
Boght for temporeel catel the yifte that god Line 784 
Hadde yeven, by the hooly goost, to seint Line 784 
Peter and to the apostles. / and therfore understoond Line 785 
That bothe he that selleth and he that Line 785 
Beyeth thynges espirituels been cleped symonyals, Line 785 
Be it by catel, be it by procurynge, or Line 785 
By flesshly preyere of his freendes, flesshly Line 785 
Freendes, or espiritueel freendes. / flesshly in Line 786 
Two maneres; as by kynrede, or othere freendes. Line 786 
Soothly, if they praye for hym that is nat Line 786 
Worthy and able, it is symonye, if he take the Line 786 
Benefice; and if he be worthy and able, Line 786 
Ther nys noon. / that oother manere is Line 787 
Whan men or wommen preyen for folk to Line 787 
Avauncen hem, oonly for wikked flesshly affeccioun Line 787 
That they han unto the persone; and Line 787 
That is foul symonye. / but certes, in service, Line 788 
For which men yeven thynges espirituels unto Line 788 
Hir servauntz, it moot been understonde that the Line 788 
Service moot been honest, and elles nat; and Line 788 
Eek that it be withouten bargaynynge, and that Line 788 
The persone be able. / for, as seith seint damasie, Line 789 
Alle the synnes of the world, at regard Line 789 
Of this synne, arn as thyng of noght. For it Line 789 
Is the gretteste synne that may be, after the Line 789 
Synne of lucifer and antecrist. / for by this Line 790 
Synne God forleseth the chirche and the soule Line 790 
That he boghte with his precious blood, by hem Line 790 
That yeven chirches to hem that been nat Line 790 
Digne. / for they putten in theves that stelen Line 791 
The soules of jhesu crist and destroyen his Line 791 
Patrimoyne. / by swiche undigne preestes Line 792 
And curates han lewed men the lasse reverence Line 792 
Of the sacramentz of hooly chirche; and Line 792 
Swiche yeveres of chirches putten out the children Line 792 
Of crist, and putten into the chirche the Line 792 
Develes owene sone. / they sellen the soules Line 793 
That lambes sholde kepen to the wolf that strangleth Line 793 
Hem. And therfore shul they nevere han Line 793 
Part of the pasture of lambes, that is the blisse Line 793 
Of hevene. / now comth hasardrie with his Line 794 
Apurtenaunces, as tables and rafles, of which Line 794 
Comth deceite, false othes, chidynges, and alle Line 794 
Ravynes, blasphemynge and reneiynge of god, Line 794 
And hate of his neighebores, wast of goodes, Line 794 
Mysspendynge of tyme, and somtyme manslaughtre. / Line 795 
Certes, hasardours ne mowe nat Line 795 
Been withouten greet synne whiles they haunte Line 795 
That craft. / of avarice comen eek lesynges, Line 796 
Thefte, fals witnesse, and false othes. And ye Line 796 
Shul understonde that thise been grete synnes, Line 796 
And expres agayn the comaundementz of  Line 796 

Page 254

 Line 796 
God, as I have seyd. / fals witnesse is in Line 797 
Word and eek in dede. In word, as for to Line 797 
Bireve thy neighebores goode name by thy fals Line 797 
Witnessyng, or bireven hym his catel or his Line 797 
Heritage by thy fals witnessyng, whan thou for Line 797 
Ire, or for meede, or for envye, berest fals Line 797 
Witnesse, or accusest hym or excusest hym by Line 797 
Thy fals witnesse, or elles excusest thyself Line 797 
Falsly. / ware yow, questemongeres and notaries! Line 798 
Certes, for fals witnessyng was susanna Line 798 
In ful gret sorwe and peyne, and many another Line 798 
Mo. / the synne of thefte is eek expres agayns Line 799 
Goddes heeste, and that in two maneres, corporeel Line 799 
Or spiritueel. / corporeel, as for to take Line 800 
Thy neighebores catel agayn his wyl, be it by Line 800 
Force or by sleighte, be it by met or by mesure; / Line 801 
By stelyng eek of false enditementz upon Line 801 
Hym, and in borwynge of thy neighebores catel, Line 801 
In entente nevere to payen it agayn, and Line 801 
Semblable thynges. / espiritueel thefte is Line 802 
Sacrilege, that is to seyn, hurtynge of hooly Line 802 
Thynges, or of thynges sacred to crist, in two Line 802 
Maneres -- by reson of the hooly place, as Line 802 
Chirches or chirche-hawes, / for which every Line 803 
Vileyns synne that men doon in swiche places Line 803 
May be cleped sacrilege, or every violence in Line 803 
The semblable places; also, they that withdrawen Line 803 
Falsly the rightes that longen to hooly Line 803 
Chirche. / and pleynly and generally, sacrilege Line 804 
Is to reven hooly thyng fro hooly place, or unhooly Line 804 
Thyng out of hooly place, or hooly thing Line 804 
Out of unhooly place. / Line 805 
 niw shul ye understonde that the releevynge Line 805 
Of avarice is misericorde, and pitee largely Line 805 
Taken. And men myghten axe why that misericorde Line 805 
And pitee is releevynge of avarice. / Line 806 
Certes, the avricious man sheweth no pitee ne Line 806 
Misericorde to the nedeful man, for he deliteth Line 806 
Hym in the kepynge of his tresor, and nat Line 806 
In the rescowynge ne releevynge of his evene-cristen. Line 806 
And therfore speke I first of misericorde. / Line 807 
Thanne is misericorde, as seith Line 807 
The philosophre, a vertu by which the corage Line 807 
Of a man is stired by the mysese of hym Line 807 
That is mysesed. / upon which misericorde Line 808 
Folweth pitee in parfournynge of charitable Line 808 
Werkes of misericorde. / and certes, thise Line 809 
Thynges moeven a man to the misericorde of Line 809 
Jhesu crist, that he yaf hymself for oure gilt, Line 809 
And suffred deeth for misericorde, and forgay Line 809 
Us oure originale synnes, / and therby relessed Line 810 
Us fro the peynes of helle, and amenused the Line 810 
Peynes of purgatorie by penitence, and yeveth Line 810 
Grace wel to do, and atte laste the blisse of Line 810 
Hevene. / the speces of misericorde been, as Line 811 
For to lene and for to yeve, and to foryeven Line 811 
And relesse, and for to han pitee in herte Line 811 
And compassioun of the meschief of his evene-cristene, Line 811 
And eek to chastise, there as nede Line 811 
Is. /another manere of remedie agayns Line 812 
Avarice is resonable largesse; but soothly, Line 812 
Heere bihoveth the consideracioun of the grace Line 812 
Of jhesu crist, and of his temporeel goodes, Line 812 
And eek of the goodes perdurables, that crist Line 812 
Yaf to us; / and to han remembrance of the Line 813 
Deeth that he shal receyve, he noot whanne, Line 813 
Where, ne how; and eek that he shal forgon al Line 813 
That he hath, save oonly that he hath despended Line 813 
In goode werkes. / Line 814 
 but for as muche as som folk been unmesurable, Line 814 
Men oghten eschue fool-largesse, that Line 814 
Men clepen wast. / certes, he that is fool-large Line 815 
Ne yeveth nat his catel, but he leseth iis catel. Line 815 
Soothly, what thyng that he yeveth for veyne Line 815 
Glorie, as to mynstrals and to folk, for to beren Line 815 
His renoun in the world, he hath synne therof, Line 815 
And noon almesse. / certes, he leseth foule his Line 816 
Good, that ne seketh with the yifte of his Line 816 
Good nothyng but synne. / he is lyk to an Line 817 
Hors that seketh rather to drynken drovy Line 817 
Or trouble water than for to drynken water of Line 817 
The clere welle. / and for as muchel as they Line 818 
Yeven ther as they sholde nat yeven, to hem Line 818 
Aperteneth thilke malisoun that crist shal Line 818 
Yeven at the day of doom to hem that shullen Line 818 
Been dampned. / Line 819 
 after avarice comth glotonye, which is expres Line 819 
Eek agayn the comandement of god. Glotonye Line 819 
Is unmesurable appetit toete or to drynke, Line 819 
Or elles to doon ynogh to the unmesurable appetit Line 819 
And desordeynee coveitise to eten or to Line 819 
Drynke. / this synne corrumped al this world, Line 820 
As is wel shewed in the synne of adam and of Line 820 
Eve. Looke eek what seith saint paul, of glotonye -- / Line 821 
Manye, seith seint paul, goon, of Line 821 
Whiche I have ofte seyd to yow, and now I Line 821 
Seye it wepynge, that been the enemys of the Line 821 
Croys of crist; of whiche the ende is deeth, and Line 821 
Of whiche hire wombe is hire god, and hire Line 821 
Glorie in confusioun of hem that so savouren Line 821 
Erthely thynges. / he that is Line 822 
Usaunt to this synne of glotonye, he ne  Line 822 

Page 255

 Line 822 
May no synne withstonde. He moot been in Line 822 
Servage of alle vices, for it is the develes hoord Line 822 
Ther he hideth hym and resteth. / this synne Line 823 
Hath manye speces. The firste is dronkenesse, Line 823 
That is the horrible sepulture of mannes resoun; Line 823 
And therfore, whan a man is dronken, he hath Line 823 
Lost his resoun; and this is deedly synne. / but Line 824 
Soothly, whan that a man is nat wont to strong Line 824 
Drynke, and peraventure ne knoweth nat the Line 824 
Strengthe of the drynke, or hath feblesse in his Line 824 
Heed, or hath travailed, thurgh which he drynketh Line 824 
The moore, al be he sodeynly caught with Line 824 
Drynke, it is no deedly synne, but venyal. / the Line 825 
Seconde spece of glotonye is that the spirit Line 825 
Of a man wexeth al trouble, for dronkenesse Line 825 
Bireveth hym the discrecioun of his wit. / the Line 826 
Thridde spece of glotonye is whan a man devoureth Line 826 
His mete, and hath no rightful Line 826 
Manere of etynge. / the fourthe is whan, Line 827 
Thurgh the grete habundaunce of his mete, Line 827 
The humours in his body been distempred. / the Line 828 
Fifthe is foryetelnesse by to muchel drynkynge; Line 828 
For which somtymee a man foryeteth er the Line 828 
Morwe what he dide at even, or on the nyght Line 828 
Biforn. / Line 829 
 in oother manere been distinct the speces of Line 829 
Glotonye, after seint gregorie. The firste is Line 829 
For to ete biforn tyme to ete. The seconde is Line 829 
Whan a man get hym to delicaat mete or Line 829 
Drynke. / the thridde is whan men taken to Line 830 
Muche over mesure. The fourthe is curiositee, Line 830 
With greet entente to maken and apparaillen Line 830 
His mete. The fifthe is for to eten to gredily. / Line 831 
Thise been the fyve fyngres of the develes Line 831 
Hand, by whiche he draweth folk to Line 831 
Synne. / Line 832 
 agayns glotonye is the remedie abstinence, Line 832 
As seith galien; but that holde I nat meritorie, Line 832 
If he do it oonly for the heele of his body. Line 832 
Seint augustyn wole that abstinence be doon Line 832 
For vertu and with pacience. / abstinence, Line 833 
He seith, is litel worth, but if a man have good Line 833 
Wil therto, and but it be enforced by pacience Line 833 
And by charitee, and that men doon it for Line 833 
Godes sake, and in hope to have the blisse of Line 833 
Hevene./ Line 834 
The felawes of abstinence been attemperaunce,  Line 834 
that holdeth the meene in alle thynges; Line 834 
Eek shame, that aschueth alle deshonestee; surfisance,  Line 834 
that seketh no riche metes ne drynkes, Line 834 
Ne dooth no fors of to outrageous appariailynge  Line 834 
of mete;/ mesure also, that restreyneth Line 835 
By resoun the deslavee appetit of etynge; sobrenesse  Line 835 
also, that restreyneth the outrage of Line 835 
Drynke;/ sparynge also, that restreyneth the Line 836 
Delacaat ese to sitte longe at his mete and Line 836 
Softely, wherfore some folk stonden of Line 836 
Hir owene wyl to eten at the lasse leyser./ Line 837 
After glotonye thanne comth lecherie, for Line 837 
Thise two synnes been so ny cosyns that ofte Line 837 
Tyme they wol nat departe./ God woot, this Line 838 
Synne is ful displesaunt thyng to god; for he Line 838 
Seyde hymself, do no lecherie. And therfore  Line 838 
he putte grete peynes agayns this synne Line 838 
In the olde lawe./ If waomman thral were taken Line 839 
In this synne, she sholde be beten with staves Line 839 
To the deeth; and if she were a gentil womman, Line 839 
She sholde be slayn with stones; and if she Line 839 
Were a bisshoppes doghter, she sholde been Line 839 
Brent, by goddes comandement./ Forther Line 840 
Over, by the synne of lecherie God dreynte Line 840 
Al the world at the diluge. And after that he Line 840 
Brente fyve citees with thonder-leyt, and sak Line 840 
Hem into helle./ Line 841 
Now lat us speke thanne of thilke stynkynge Line 841 
Synne of lecherie that men clepe avowtrie of Line 841 
Wedded folk, that is to seyn, if that oon of Line 841 
Hem be wedded, or elles bothe./ Seint john Line 842 
Seith that avowtiers shullen been in helle, Line 842 
In a stank brennynge of fyr and of brymston; Line 842 
In fyr, for hire lecherye; in brymston, for the Line 842 
Stynk of hire ordure./ Certes, the brekynge of Line 843 
This sacrement is an horrible thyng. It was Line 843 
Maked of God hymself in paradys, and confermed  Line 843 
by jhesu crist, as witnesseth seint Line 843 
Mathew in the gospel: a man shal lete fader Line 843 
And mooder, and taken hym to his wif, and Line 843 
They shullen be two in o flesh./ This sacrement  Line 844 
bitokneth the knyttynge togidre of crist Line 844 
And of hooly chirche./ And nat oonly that god Line 845 
Forbad avowtrie in dede, but eek he comanded Line 845 
That thou sholdest nat coveite thy neighebores Line 845 
Wyf./ In this heeste, seith seint augustyn, Line 846 
Is forboden alle manere coveitise to doon lecherie.  Line 846 
lo, what seith seint mathew in the gospel,  Line 846 
that whose seeth a womman to coveitise Line 846 
Of his lust, he hath doon lecherie with hire Line 846 
In his herte./ Heere may ye seen that Line 847 
Nat oonly the dede of this synne is forboden,  Line 847 
but eek the desire to doon that synne./ Line 848 
This cursed synne anoyeth grevousliche hem Line 848 
That it haunten. And first to hire soule, for he  Line 848 

Page 256

 Line 848 
Obligeth it to synne and to peyne of deeth that Line 848 
Is perdurable./ Unto the body anoyeth it grevously  Line 849 
also, for it dreyeth hym, and wasteth him, Line 849 
And shent hym, and of his blood he maketh sacrifice  Line 849 
to the feend of helle. It wasteth eek his Line 849 
Catel and his substaunce./ And certes, if it be Line 850 
A foul thyng a man to waste his catel on wommen,  Line 850 
yet is it a fouler thyng whan that, for Line 850 
Swich ordure, wommen dispenden upon men Line 850 
Hir catel and substaunce./ This synne, as seith Line 851 
The prophete, bireveth man and womman hir Line 851 
Goode fame and al hire honour; and it is ful Line 851 
Plesaunt to the devel, for therby wynneth Line 851 
He the mooste partie of this world./ And Line 852 
Right as a marchant deliteth hym moost in Line 852 
Chaffare that he hath moost avantage of, right Line 852 
So deliteth the fend in this ordure./ Line 853 
This is that oother hand of the devel with Line 853 
Fyve fyngres to cacche the peple to his vileynye./  Line 853 
the firste fynger is the fool lookynge Line 854 
Of the fool womman and of the fool man, that Line 854 
Sleeth, right as the basilicok sleeth folk by the Line 854 
Venym of his sighte; for the coveitise of eyen Line 854 
Folweth the coveitise of the herte./ The seconde  Line 855 
fynger is the vileyns touchynge in wikkede  Line 855 
manere. And therfore seith salomon that Line 855 
Whoso toucheth and handleth a womman, he Line 855 
Fareth lyk hym that handleth the scorpioun that Line 855 
Styngeth and sodeynly sleeth thurgh his envenymynge;  Line 855 
as whoso toucheth warm pych, Line 855 
It shent his fyngres./ The thridde is foule Line 856 
Wordes, that fareth lyk fyr, that right anon Line 856 
Brenneth the herte./ The fourthe fynger Line 857 
Is the kissynge; and trewely he were a Line 857 
Greet fool that wolde kisse the mouth of a Line 857 
Brennynge oven or of a fourneys./ And moore Line 858 
Fooles been they that kissen in vileynye, for Line 858 
That mouth is the mouth of helle; and namely Line 858 
Thise olde dotardes holours, yet wol they kisse, Line 858 
Though they may nat do, and smatre hem./ Line 859 
Certes, they been lyk to houndes; for an hound, Line 859 
Whan he comth by the roser or by othere Line 859 
(bushes), though he may nat pisse, yet wole Line 859 
He heve up his leg and make a contenaunce Line 859 
To pisse./ And for that many man weneth that Line 860 
He may nat synne, for no likerousnesse that Line 860 
He dooth with his wyf, certes, that opinion is Line 860 
Fals. God woot, a man may sleen hymself with Line 860 
His owene knyf, and make hymselve dronken Line 860 
Of his owene tonne./ Certes, be it wyf, be it Line 861 
Child, or any worldly thyng that he loveth biforn  Line 861 
god, it is his mawmet, and he is an Line 861 
Ydolastre./ Man sholde loven hys wyf by Line 862 
Discrecioun, paciently and atemprely; and Line 862 
Thanne is she as though it were his suster./ The Line 863 
Fifthe fynger of the develes hand is the stynkynge  Line 863 
dede of leccherie./ Certes, the fyve fyngres  Line 864 
of glotonie the feend put in the wombe Line 864 
Of a man, and with his fyve fingres of lecherie  Line 864 
he gripeth hym by the reynes, for to Line 864 
Throwen hym into the fourneys of helle./ Ther Line 865 
As they shul han the fyr and the wormes that Line 865 
Evere shul lasten, and wepynge and wailynge Line 865 
Sharp hunger and thurst, and grymnesse of Line 865 
Develes, that shullen al totrede hem without Line 865 
Repit and withouten ende./ Of leccherie, as Line 866 
I seyde, sourden diverse speces, as fornicacioun, Line 866 
That is bitwixe man and womman that been Line 866 
Nat maried; and this is deedly synne, and Line 866 
Agayns nature./ Al that is enemy and destruccioun  Line 867 
to nature is agayns nature./ Line 868 
Parfay, the resoun of a man telleth eek hym Line 868 
Wel that is is deedly synne, for as muche as Line 868 
God forbad leccherie. And seint paul yeveth Line 868 
Hem the regne that nys dewe to no wight but Line 868 
To hem that doon deedly synne./ Another Line 869 
Synne of leccherie is to bireve a mayden of Line 869 
Hir maydenhede, for he that so dooth, certes, Line 869 
He casteth a mayden out of the hyeste degree Line 869 
That is in this present lif,/ and bireveth hir Line 870 
Thilke percious fruyt that the book clepeth the Line 870 
Hundred fruyt. I ne kan seye it noon oother-wewyes  Line 870 
in englissh, but in latyn it highte centesimus  Line 870 
fructus./ Certes, he that so dooth is Line 871 
Cause of manye damages and vileynyes, mo Line 871 
Than any man kan rekene; right as he somtyme Line 871 
Is cause of alle damages that beestes don in Line 871 
The feeld, that breketh the hegge or the closure, Line 871 
Thurgh which he destroyeth that may nat Line 871 
Been restoored./ For certes, namoore may Line 872 
Maydenhede be restoored than a arm that Line 872 
Is smyten fro the body may retourne agany to Line 872 
Wexe./ She may have mercy, this woot I wel, Line 873 
If she do penitence; but nevere shal it be that Line 873 
She nas corrupt./ And al be it so that I have Line 874 
Spoken somwhat of avowtrie, it is good to Line 874 
Shewen mo perils that longen to avowtrie, for Line 874 
To eschue that foule synne./ Avowtrie in latyn Line 875 
Is for to seyn, approchynge of oother mannes Line 875 
Bed, thurgh which tho that whilom weren a Line 875 
Flessh abowndone hir bodyes to othere persones./  Line 875 
of this synne, as seith the wise man, Line 876 
Folwen manye harmes. First, brekynge of feith; Line 876 
And certes, in feith is the keye of cristendom./  Line 876 
and whan that feith is broken Line 877 
And lorn, soothly cristendom stant veyn Line 877 
And withouten fruyt./ This synne is eek a Line 878 
Thefte; for thefte generally is for to reve a  Line 878 

Page 257

 Line 878 
Wight his thyng agayns his wille./ Certes, this Line 879 
Is the fouleste thefte that may be, whan a Line 879 
Womman steleth hir body from hir housbonde, Line 879 
And yeveth it to hire holour to defoulen hire; Line 879 
And steleth hir soule fro crist, and yeveth it to Line 879 
The devel./ This is a fouler thefte than for to Line 880 
Breke a chirche and stele the chalice; for thise Line 880 
Avowtiers breken the temple of God spiritually Line 880 
And stelen the vessel of grace, that is the body Line 880 
And the soule, for which crist shal destroyen Line 880 
Hem, as seith seint paul./ Soothly, of this Line 881 
Thefte douted gretly joseph, whan that his Line 881 
Lordes wyf preyed hym of vileynye, whan he Line 881 
Seyde, lo, my lady, how my lord hath take Line 881 
To me under my warde al that he hath in this Line 881 
World, ne no thyng of his thynges is out of Line 881 
My power, but oonly ye, that been his Line 881 
Wyf./ And how sholde I thanne do this Line 882 
Wikkednesse, and synne so horribly agayns Line 882 
God and agayns my lord? God it forbeede! Line 882 
Allas! al to litel is swich trouthe now yfounde./ Line 883 
The thridde harm is the filthe thurgh which Line 883 
They breken the comandement of god, and defoulen  Line 883 
the auctour of matrimoyne, that is Line 883 
Crist./ For certes, in so muche as the sacrement  Line 884 
of mariage is so noble and so digne, so Line 884 
Muche is it gretter synne for to breken it; for Line 884 
God made mariage in paradys, in the estaat of Line 884 
Innocence, to multiplye mankynde to the service  Line 884 
of god./ And therfore is the brekynge Line 885 
Therof the moore grevous; of which brekynge Line 885 
Comen false heires ofte tyme, that wrongfully Line 885 
Ocupien folkes heritages. And therfore wol Line 885 
Crist putte hem out of the regne of hevene, that Line 885 
Is heritage to goode folk./ Of this brekynge Line 886 
Comth eek ofte tyme that folk unwar wedden Line 886 
Or synnen with hire owene kynrede, and Line 886 
Namely thilke harlotes that haunten bordels Line 886 
Of thise fool wommen, that mowe be likned to Line 886 
A commune gong, where as men purgen Line 886 
Hire ordure./ What seve we eek of putours  Line 887 
that lyven by the horrible synne of Line 887 
Putrie, and constreyne wommen to yelden hem Line 887 
A certeyn rente of hire bodily puterie, ye, Line 887 
Somtyme of his owene wyf or his child, as Line 887 
Doon thise bawdes? certes, thise been cursede Line 887 
Synnes./ Understoond eek that avowtrie is set Line 888 
Gladly in the ten comandementz bitwixe thefte Line 888 
And manslaughtre; for it is the gretteste thefte Line 888 
That may be, for it is thefte of body and of Line 888 
Soule. / and it is lyk to homycide, for it herveth  Line 889 
atwo and breketh atwo hem that first were Line 889 
Maked o flessh. And therfore, by the olde lawe Line 889 
Of god, they sholde by slayn./ But nathelees, Line 890 
By the lawe of jhesu crist, that is lawe of pitee, Line 890 
Whan he seyde to the womman that was Line 890 
Founden in avowtrie, and sholde han been slayn Line 890 
With stones, after the wyl of the jewes, as was Line 890 
Hir lawe, go, quod jhesu crist, and have Line 890 
Namoore wyl to synne, or, wille namoore Line 890 
To do synne./ Soothly the vengeaunce of Line 891 
Avowtrie is awarded to the peynes of helle, Line 891 
But if so be that it be destourbed by penitence./  Line 891 
yet been ther mo speces of this Line 892 
Cursed synne; as whan that oon of hem Line 892 
Is religious, or elles bothe; or of folk that been Line 892 
Entred into ordre, as subdekne, or dekne, or Line 892 
Preest, or hospitaliers. And evere the hyer that Line 892 
He is in ordre, the gretter is the synne./ The Line 893 
Thynges that gretly agreggen hire synne is the Line 893 
Brekynge of hire avow of chastitee, whan they Line 893 
Receyved the ordre./ And forther over, sooth Line 894 
Is that hooly ordre is chief of al the tresorie of Line 894 
Good, and his especial signe and mark of chastitee,  Line 894 
to shewe that they been joyned to chastitee,  Line 894 
which that is the moost precious lyf that Line 894 
Is./ And thise ordred folk been specially titled Line 895 
To god, and of the special meignee of god, Line 895 
For which, whan they doon deedly synne, they Line 895 
Been the special traytours of God and of his Line 895 
Peple; for they lyven of the peple, to preye for Line 895 
.,/the peple, and whike they been suche traitours, Line 896 
Here preyer avayleth nat to the peple. Line 896 
Preestes been aungels, as by the dignitee of hir Line 896 
Mysterye; but for sothe, seint paul seith that Line 896 
Sathanas transformeth hym in an aungel Line 896 
Of light./ Soothly, the preest that haunteth  Line 897 
deedly synne, he may be likned to the Line 897 
Aungel of derknesse transformed in the aungel Line 897 
Of light. He semeth aungel of light, but for Line 897 
Sothe he is aungel of derknesse./ Swiche Line 898 
Preestes been the sones of helie, as sweweth Line 898 
In the book of kynges, that they weren the Line 898 
Sones of belial, that is, the devel./ Belial is to Line 899 
Seyn, withouten juge; and so faren they; hem Line 899 
Thynketh they been free, and han no juge, namoore  Line 899 
than hath a free bole that taketh which Line 899 
Cow that hym liketh in the town./ So faren Line 900 
They by wommen. For right as a free bole is Line 900 
Ynough for al a toun, right so is a wikked preest Line 900 
Corrupcioun ynough for al a parisshe, or for al Line 900 
A contree./ Thise preestes, as seith the book, Line 901 
Ne konne nat the mysterie of preesthod to the peple,  Line 901 
ne God ne knowe they nat. They ne helde Line 901 
Hem nat apayd, as seith the book, os soden Line 901 
Flessh that was to hem offred, but they Line 901 
Tooke by force the flessh that is rawe./ Line 902 
Certes, so thise shrewes ne holden hem nat  Line 902 

Page 258

 Line 902 
Apayed of roosted flessh and sode flessh, with Line 902 
Which the peple feden hem in greet reverence, Line 902 
But they wole have raw flessh of folkes wyves Line 902 
And hir doghtres./ And certes, thise wommen Line 903 
That consenten to hire harlotrie doon greet Line 903 
Wrong to crist, and to hooly chirche, and alle Line 903 
Halwes, and to alle soules; for they bireven alle Line 903 
Thise hym that sholde worshipe crist and hooly Line 903 
Chirche, and preye for cristene soules./ And Line 904 
Therfore han swiche preestes, and hire lemmanes  Line 904 
eek that consenten to hir leccherie, the Line 904 
Malisoun of al the court cristien, til they come Line 904 
To amendement./ The thridde spece of avowtrie  Line 905 
is somtyme bitwixe a man and his wyf, and Line 905 
That is whan they take no reward in hire assemblynge  Line 905 
but oonly to hire flesshly delit, as Line 905 
Seith seint jerome,/ and ne rekken of nothyng  Line 906 
but that they been assembled; by cause Line 906 
That they been maried, al is good ynough, Line 906 
As thynketh to hem./ But in swich folk Line 907 
Hath the devel power, as seyde the aungel Line 907 
Raphael to thobie, for in hire assemblynge Line 907 
They putten jhesu crist out of hire herte, and Line 907 
Yeven hemself to alle ordure./ The fourthe Line 908 
Spece is the assemblee of hem that been of Line 908 
Hire kynrede, or of hem that been of oon affynytee,  Line 908 
or elles with hem with whiche hir fadres Line 908 
Or hir kynrede han deled in the synne of lecherie.  Line 908 
this synne maketh hem lyk to houndes, Line 908 
That taken no kep to kynrede./ And certes, parentele  Line 909 
is in two maneres, outher goostly or Line 909 
Flesshly; goostly, as for to deelen with his god-sibbes./  Line 909 
for right so as he that engendreth a Line 910 
Child is his flesshly fader, right so in his god-fader  Line 910 
his fader espiritueel. For which a womman  Line 910 
may in no lasse synne assemblen with Line 910 
Hire godsib than with hire owene flesshly Line 910 
Brother./ The fifthe spece is thilke abhomynable  Line 911 
synne, of which that no man unnethe Line 911 
Oghte speke ne write; nathelees it is Line 911 
Openly reherced ib holy writ./ This cursednesse  Line 912 
doon men and wommen in Line 912 
Diverse entente and in diverse manere; but Line 912 
Though that hooly writ speke of horrible synne, Line 912 
Certes hooly writ may nat been defouled, namoore  Line 912 
than the sonne that shyneth on the Line 912 
Mixne./ Another synne aperteneth to leccherie, Line 913 
That comth in slepynge, and this synne cometh Line 913 
Ofte to hem that been maydenes, and eek to hem Line 913 
That been corrupt; and this synne men clepen Line 913 
Polucioun, that comth in foure maneres./ Somtyme  Line 914 
of langwissynge of body, for the humours Line 914 
Been to ranke and to habundaunt in the body Line 914 
Of man; somtyme of infermetee, for the fieblesse Line 914 
Of the vertu retentif, as phisik maketh mencion; Line 914 
Somtyme for surfeet of mete and drynke;/ and Line 915 
Somtyme of vileyns thoghtes that been enclosed Line 915 
In mannes mynde whan he gooth to slepe, Line 915 
Which may nat been withoute synne; for which Line 915 
Men moste kepen hem wisely, or elles may men Line 915 
Synnen ful grevously./ Line 916 
Now comth the remedie agayns leccherie, Line 916 
And that is generally chastitee and continence,  Line 916 
that restreyneth alle the desordeynee Line 916 
Moevynges that comen of flesshly talentes./  Line 916 
and evere the gretter merite shal Line 917 
He han, that moost restreyneth the wikkede  Line 917 
eschawfynges of the ardour of this synne. Line 917 
And this is in two maneres, that is to seyn, Line 917 
Chastitee in mariage, and chastitee of widwehod./  Line 917 
now shaltow understonde that matrimoyne  Line 918 
is leefful assemblynge of man and of Line 918 
Womman that receyven by vertu of the sacrement  Line 918 
the boond thurgh which they may nat Line 918 
Be departed in al hir lyf, that is to seyn, whil Line 918 
That they lyven bothe./ This, as seith the book, Line 919 
Is a ful greet sacrement. God maked it, as I Line 919 
Have seyd, in paradys, and wolde hymself be Line 919 
Born in mariage./ And for to halwen mariage Line 920 
He was at a weddynge, where as he turned water  Line 920 
into wyn; which was the firste miracle that Line 920 
He wroghte in erthe biforn his disciples./ Line 921 
Trewe effect of mariage clenseth fornicacioun Line 921 
And replenysseth hooly chirche of good lynage; Line 921 
For that is the ende of mariage; and it chaungeth  Line 921 
deedly synne into venial synne bitwixe hem Line 921 
That been ywedded, and maketh the hertes al Line 921 
Oon of hem that been ywedded, as wel as Line 921 
The bodies./ This is verray mariage, that Line 922 
Was establissed by god, er that synne bigan,  Line 922 
whan natureel lawe was in his right poynt Line 922 
In paradys; and it was ordeyned that o man sholde Line 922 
Have but o womman, and o womman but o man, Line 922 
As seith seint augustyn, by manye resouns./ Line 923 
First, for mariage is figured bitwixe crist Line 923 
And holy chirche. And that oother is for a Line 923 
Man is heved of a womman; algate, by ordinaunce  Line 923 
it sholde be so./ For if a womman Line 924 
Hadde mo men that oon, thanne sholde she Line 924 
Have moo hevedes than oon, and that were an Line 924 
Horrible thyng biforn god; and eek a womman Line 924 
Ne myghte nat plese to many folk at oones. Line 924 
And also ther ne sholde nevere be pees ne Line 924 
Reste amonges hem; for everich wolde axen his Line 924 
Owene thyng./ And forther over, no man ne  Line 925 

Page 259

 Line 925 
Sholde knowe his owene engendrure, ne who Line 925 
Sholde have his heritage; and the womman Line 925 
Sholde been the lasse biloved fro the tyme that Line 925 
She were conjoynt to many men./ Line 926 
Now comth how that a man sholde bere Line 926 
Hym with his wif, and namely in two Line 926 
Thynges, that is to seyn, in suffraunce and Line 926 
Reverence, as shewed crist whan he made Line 926 
First womman./ For he ne made hire nat Line 927 
Of the heved of adam, for she sholde nat Line 927 
Clayme to greet lordshipe./ For ther as the Line 928 
Womman hath the maistrie, she maketh to Line 928 
Muche desray. Ther neden none ensamples of Line 928 
This; the experience of day by day oghte suffise./  Line 928 
also, certes, God ne made nat womman Line 929 
Of the foot of adam, for she ne sholde nat Line 929 
Been holden to lowe; for she kan nat paciently Line 929 
Suffre. But God made womman of the ryb of Line 929 
Adam, for womman sholde be felawe unto Line 929 
Man./ Man sholde bere hym to his wyf in Line 930 
Feith, in trouthe, and in love, as seith seint Line 930 
Paul, that a man sholde loven his wyf as crist Line 930 
Loved hooly chirche, that loved it so wel Line 930 
That he deyde for it. So sholde a man for his Line 930 
Wyf, if it were nede./ Line 931 
Now how that a womman sholde be subget  Line 931 
to hire housbonde, that telleth seint Line 931 
Peter. First, in obedience./ And eek as Line 932 
Seith the decree, a womman that is wyf, Line 932 
As longe as she is a wyf, she hath noon auctoritee  Line 932 
to swere ne to bere witnesse withoute leve Line 932 
Of hir housbonde, that is hire lord; algate, he Line 932 
Sholde be so by resoun./ She sholde eek serven Line 933 
Hym in alle honestee, and been attempree of Line 933 
Hire array. I woot wel that they sholde setten Line 933 
Hire entente to plesen hir housbondes, but nat Line 933 
By hire queyntise of array./ Seint jerome Line 934 
Seith that wyves that been apparailled in silk Line 934 
And in precious purpre ne mowe nat clothen Line 934 
Hem in jhesu crist. Loke what seith seint Line 934 
John eek in thys matere?/ seint gregorie eek Line 935 
Seith that no wight seketh precious array but Line 935 
Oonly for veyne glorie, to been honoured the Line 935 
Moore biforn the peple./ It is a greet folye, Line 936 
A womman to have a fair array outward Line 936 
And in hirself be foul inward./ A wyf Line 937 
Sholde eek be mesurable in lookynge and Line 937 
In berynge and in lawghynge, and discreet Line 937 
In alle hire wordes and hire dedes./ And Line 938 
Aboven alle worldy thyng she sholde loven hire Line 938 
Houbonde with al hire herte, and to hym be Line 938 
Trewe of hir body./ So sholde an housbonde Line 939 
Eek be to his wyf. For sith that al the body Line 939 
Is the housbondes, so sholde hire herte been, Line 939 
Or elles ther is bitwixe hem two, as in that, Line 939 
No parfit mariage./ Thanne shal men understonde  Line 940 
that for thre thynges a man and his wyf Line 940 
Flesshly mowen assemble. The firste is in entente  Line 940 
of engendrure of children to the service Line 940 
Of god; for certes that is the cause final of Line 940 
Matrimoyne./ Another cause is to yelden everich  Line 941 
of hem to oother the dette of hire bodies; Line 941 
For neither of hem hath power of his owene Line 941 
Body. The thridde is for to eschewe leccherye  Line 941 
and vileynye. The ferthe is for sothe Line 941 
Deedly synne./ As to the firste, it is mertorie;  Line 942 
the seconde also, for, as seith the Line 942 
Decree, that she hath merite of chastitee that Line 942 
Yeldeth to hire housbonde the dette of hir body, Line 942 
Ye, though it be agayn hir likynge and the lust Line 942 
Of hire herte./ The thridde manere is venyal Line 943 
Synne; and, trewely, scarsly may ther any of Line 943 
Thise be withoute venial synne, for the corrupcion  Line 943 
and for the delit./ The fourthe manere Line 944 
Is for to understonde, as if they assemble oonly Line 944 
For amorous love and for noon of the foreseyde Line 944 
Causes, but for to accomplice thilke brennynge Line 944 
Delit, they rekke nevere how ofte. Soothly it Line 944 
Is deedly synne; and yet, with sorwe, somme Line 944 
Folk wol peynen hem moore to doon than to Line 944 
Hire appetit suffiseth./ Line 945 
The seconde manere of chastitee is for to Line 945 
Been a clene wydewe, and eschue the embracynges  Line 945 
of man, and desiren the embracynge of Line 945 
Jhesu crist./ Thise been tho that han been Line 946 
Wyves and han forgoon hire housbondes, and Line 946 
Eek wommen that han doon leccherie and Line 946 
Been releeved by penitence./ And certes, Line 947 
If that a wyf koude kepen hire al chaast Line 947 
By licence of hir housbonde, so that she yeve Line 947 
Nevere noon occasion that he agilte, it were Line 947 
To hire a greet merite./ Thise manere wommen  Line 948 
that observen chastitee moste be clene Line 948 
In herte as wel as in body and in though, and Line 948 
Mesurable in clothynge and in contenaunce; Line 948 
And been abstinent in etynge and drynkynge, Line 948 
In spekynge, and in dede. They been the vessel  Line 948 
or the boyste of the blissed magdelene, that Line 948 
Fulfilleth hooly chirche of good odour./ The Line 949 
Thridde manere of chastitee is virginitee, and Line 949 
It bihoveth that she be hooly in herte and clene Line 949 
Of body. Thanne is she spouse to jhesu crist, Line 949 
And she is the lyf of angeles./ She is the preisynge  Line 950 
of this world, and she is as thise martirs Line 950 
In egalitee; she hath in hire that tonge may Line 950 
Nat telle ne herte thynke./ Virginitee baar Line 951 
Oure lord jhesu crist, and virgine was Line 951 
Hymselve./  Line 952 

Page 260

 Line 952 
 another remedie agayns leccherie is specially  Line 952 
to withdrawen swiche thynges as yeve Line 952 
Occasion to thilke vileynye, as ese, etynge, and Line 952 
Drynkynge. For certes, whan the pot boyleth Line 952 
Strongly, the beste remedie is to withdrawe the Line 952 
Fyr. / slepynge longe in greet quiete is eek Line 953 
A greet norice to leccherie. / Line 954 
Another remedie agayns leccherie is that a Line 954 
Man or a womman eschue the compaignye of Line 954 
Hem by whiche he douteth to be tempted; for Line 954 
Al be it so that the dede be withstonden, yet Line 954 
Is ther greet temptacioun./ Soothly, a whit Line 955 
Wal, although it ne brenne noght fully by Line 955 
Stikynge of a candele, yet is the wal blak of Line 955 
The leyt./ Ful ofte tyme I rede that no man Line 956 
Truste in his owene perfeccioun, but he be Line 956 
Stronger than sampson, and hoolier than Line 956 
David, and wiser than salomon./ Line 957 
Now after that I have declared yow, as Line 957 
I kan, the sevene deedly synnes, and somme Line 957 
Of hire braunches and hire remedies, soothly, Line 957 
If I koude, I wolde telle yow the ten comandementz./  Line 957 
but so heigh a doctrine I lete to divines.  Line 958 
nathelees, I hope to god, they been Line 958 
Touched in this tretice, everich of hem alle./ Line 959 
Now for as muche as the seconde partie of Line 959 
Penitence stant in confessioun of mouth, as I Line 959 
Bigan in the firste chapitre, I seye, seint augustyn  Line 959 
seith:/ synne is every word and every Line 960 
Dede, and al that men coveiten, agayn the lawe Line 960 
Of jhesu crist; and this is for to synne in herte, Line 960 
In mouth, and in dede, by thy fyve wittes, that Line 960 
Been sighte, herynge, smellynge, tastynge or Line 960 
Savourynge, and feelynge./ Now is it good Line 961 
To understonde the circumstances that Line 961 
Agreggen muchel every synne./ Thou Line 962 
Shalt considere what thow art that doost Line 962 
The synne, wheither thou be male or femele, Line 962 
Yong or oold, gentil or thral, free or servant, Line 962 
Hool or syk, wedded or sengle, ordred or unordred,  Line 962 
wys or fool, clerk or seculeer;/ if she Line 963 
Be of thy kynrded, bodily of goostly, or noon; Line 963 
If any of thy kynrede have synned with hire, Line 963 
Or noon; and manye mo thinges./ Line 964 
Another circumstaunce is this: wheither it Line 964 
Be doon in fornicacioun or in avowtrie or noon; Line 964 
Incest or noon; mayden or noon; in manere of Line 964 
Homicide or noon; horrible grete synnes or Line 964 
Smale; and how longe thou hast continued in Line 964 
Synne./ The thridde circumstaunce is the Line 965 
Place ther thou hast do synne; wheither in Line 965 
Oother mennes hous or in thyn owene; in feeld Line 965 
Or in chirche or in chirchehawe; in chirche Line 965 
Dedicaat or noon./ For if the chirche be Line 966 
Halwed, and man or womman spille his kynde Line 966 
Inwith that place, by wey or synne or by wikked  Line 966 
temptacioun, the chirche is entredited Line 966 
Til it be reconsiled by the bysshop./ And Line 967 
The preest sholde be enterdited that dide Line 967 
Swich a vileynye; to terme of al his lif he sholde Line 967 
Namoore synge masse, and if he dide, he sholde Line 967 
Doon deedly synne at every time that he so Line 967 
Songe masse./ The fourthe circumstaunce is Line 968 
By whiche mediatours, or by whiche messagers,  Line 968 
as for enticement, or for consentement to Line 968 
Bere compaignye with felaweshipe; for many Line 968 
A swecche, for to bere compaignye, wol go to Line 968 
The devel of helle./ Wherfore they that eggen Line 969 
Or consenten to the synne been parteners of Line 969 
The synne, and of the dampnacioun of the synnere./ Line 969 
The fifthe circumstaunce is how manye Line 970 
Tymes that he hath synne, if it be in his mynde, Line 970 
And how ofte that he hath falle./ For he that Line 971 
Ofte talleth in synne, he despiseth the mercy Line 971 
Of god, and encreesseth hys synne, and is unkynde  Line 971 
to crist; and he wexeth the moore Line 971 
Fieble to withstonde synne, and synneth Line 971 
The moore lightly,/ and the latter ariseth, Line 972 
And is the moore eschew for to shryven Line 972 
Hym, and namely, to hym that is his confessour./ Line 973 
For which that folk, whan they falle agayn in Line 973 
Hir olde folies, outher they forleten hir olde Line 973 
Confessours ol outrely, or eles they departen Line 973 
Hir shrift in diverse places; but soothly, swich Line 973 
Departed shrift deserveth no mercy of God of Line 973 
His synnes./ The sixte sircumstaunce is why Line 974 
That a man synneth, as by which temptacioun; Line 974 
And if hymself procure thilke temptacioun, or by Line 974 
The excitynge of oother folk; or if he synne Line 974 
With a womman by force, or by hire owene Line 974 
Assent;/ of if the womman, maugree hir hed, Line 975 
Hath been afforced, or noon. This shal she Line 975 
Telle: for coveitise, or for poverte, and if it was Line 975 
Hire procurynge, or noon; and swich manere Line 975 
Harneys./ The seventhe circumstaunce is in Line 976 
What manere he hath doon his synne, or how Line 976 
That she hath suffred that folk han doon Line 976 
To hire./ And the same shal the man telle Line 977 
Pleynly with alle circumstaunces; and Line 977 
Wheither he hath synned with comune bordel Line 977 
Wommen, or noon;/ or doon his synne in hooly Line 978 
Tymes, or noon; in fastyng tymes, or noon; or Line 978 
Biforn his shrifte, or after his latter shrifte;/ Line 979 
And hath peraventure broken therfore his penance   Line 979 

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 Line 979 
enjoyned; by whos help and whos conseil; Line 979 
By sorcerie or craft; al moste be toold./ Alle Line 980 
Thise thynges, after that they been grete or Line 980 
Smale, engreggen the conscience of man. And Line 980 
Eek the preest, that is thy juge, may the bettre Line 980 
Been avysed of his juggement in yevynge of Line 980 
Thy penaunce, and that is after thy contricioun./  Line 980 
for understond wel that after tyme Line 981 
That a man hath defouled his baptesme by Line 981 
Synne, if he wole come to salvaciou, ther is Line 981 
Noon other wey but by penitence and Line 981 
Shrifte and satisfaccioun;/ and namely by Line 982 
The two, if ther be a confessour to which Line 982 
He may shriven hym, and the thridde, if he Line 982 
Have lyf to parfournen it./ Line 983 
Thanne shal man looke and considere that Line 983 
If he wole maken a trewe and a profitable confessioun,  Line 983 
ther moste be foure condiciouns./ Line 984 
First, it moot been in sorweful bitternesse of Line 984 
Herte, as seyde the kyng ezechias to god: I Line 984 
Wol remembre me alle the yeres of my lif in Line 984 
Bitternesse of myn herte./ This condicioun of Line 985 
Bitternesse hath fyve signes. The firste is that Line 985 
Confessioun moste be shamefast, nat for to coyere  Line 985 
ne hyden his synne, for he hath agilt his Line 985 
God and defouled his soule./ And herof seith Line 986 
Seint augustyn: the herte tavailleth for Line 986 
Shame of his synne; and for he hath greet Line 986 
Shamefastnesse, he is digne to have greet Line 986 
Mercy of god./ Swich was the confessioun  Line 987 
of the publican that wolde nat heven Line 987 
Up his eyen to hevene, for he hadde offended Line 987 
God of hevene; for which shamefastnesse he Line 987 
Hadde anon the mercy of god./ And therof Line 988 
Seith seint augustyn that swich shamefast folk Line 988 
Been next foryevenesse and remissioun./ Another  Line 989 
signe is humylitee in confessioun; of Line 989 
Which seith seint peter,~humbleth yow under Line 989 
The myght of god. The hond of God is Line 989 
Myghty in confessiou, for therby God foryeveth  Line 989 
thee thy synnes, for he allone hath the Line 989 
Power./ And this humylitee shal been in herte, Line 990 
And in signe outward; for right as he hath humylitee  Line 990 
to God in his herte, right so sholde he Line 990 
Humble his body outward to the preest, that Line 990 
Sit in goddes place./ For which in no manere,  Line 991 
sith that crist is sovereyn, and the preest Line 991 
Meene and mediatour bitwixe crist and the Line 991 
Synnere, and the synnere is the laste by Line 991 
Wey of resoun,/ thanne sholde nat the Line 992 
Synnere sitte as heighe as his confessour, Line 992 
But knele biforn hym or at his feet, but if maladie  Line 992 
destourbe it. For he shal nat taken kep Line 992 
Who sit there, but in whos place that he sitteth./  Line 992 
a man that hath trespased to a lord, Line 993 
And comth for to axe mercy and maken his accord,  Line 993 
and set him doun anon by the lord, men Line 993 
Wolde holden hym outrageous, and nat worthy Line 993 
So soone for to have remissioun ne mercy./ The Line 994 
Thridde signe is how that thy shrift sholde Line 994 
Be ful of teeris, if man may, and if man may Line 994 
Nat wepe with his bodily eyen, lat hym wepe Line 994 
In herte./ Swich was the confession of seint Line 995 
Peter, for after that he hadde forsake jhesu Line 995 
Crist, he wente out and weep ful bitterly./ Line 996 
The fourthe signe is that he ne lette nat Line 996 
For shame to shewen his confessioun./ Line 997 
Swich was the confessioun of the magdalene,  Line 997 
that ne spared, for no shame of hem Line 997 
That weren atte feeste, for to go to oure lord Line 997 
Jhesu crist and biknowe to hym hire synne./ Line 998 
The fifthe signe is that a man or a womman Line 998 
Be obeisant to receyven the penaunce that hym Line 998 
Is enjoyned ofr his synnes, for certes, jhesu Line 998 
Crist, for the giltes of o man, was obedient to Line 998 
The deeth./ Line 999 
The seconde condicion of verray confession Line 999 
Is that it be hastily doon. For certes, if a man Line 999 
Hadde a deedly wounde, evere the lenger that Line 999 
He taried to warisshe hymself, the moore wolde Line 999 
It corrupte and haste hym to his deeth; and Line 999 
Eek the wounde wolde be the wors for to Line 999 
Heele./ And right so fareth synne that longe Line 1000 
Tyme is in a man unshewed./ Certes, a man Line 1001 
Oghte hastily shewen his synnes for manye Line 1001 
Causes; as for drede of deeth, that cometh ofte Line 1001 
Sodeynly, and no certeyn what tyme it shal be, Line 1001 
Ne in what place; and eek the drecchynge  Line 1001 
of o synne draweth in another;/ and Line 1002 
Eek the lenger that he tarieth, the ferther Line 1002 
He is fro crist. And if he abide to his laste day, Line 1002 
Scarsly may he shryven hym or remembre hym Line 1002 
Of his synnes or repenten hym, for the grevous Line 1002 
Maladie of his deeth./ And for as muche as he Line 1003 
Ne hath nat in his lyf herkned jhesu crist Line 1003 
Whanne he hath spoken, he shal crie to jhesu Line 1003 
Crist at his laste day, and scarsly wol he Line 1003 
Herkne hym./ And understond that this condicioun  Line 1004 
moste han foure thunges. Thi shrift Line 1004 
Moste be purveyed bifore and avysed; for Line 1004 
Wikked haste dooth no profit; and that a man Line 1004 
Konne shryve hym of his synnes, be it of pride, Line 1004 
Or of envye, and so forth with the speces and Line 1004 
Circumstances;/ and that he have comprehended  Line 1005 
in hys mynde the nombre and the Line 1005 
Greetnesse of his synnes, and how longe that Line 1005 
He hath leyn in synne;/ and eek that he be Line 1006 
Contrit of his synnes, and in stidefast purpos,  Line 1006 

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 Line 1006 
By the grace of god, nevere eft to falle in Line 1006 
Synne; and eek that he drede and countrewaite Line 1006 
Hymself, that he fle the occasiouns of Line 1006 
Synne to whiche he is enclyned./ Also Line 1007 
Thou shalt shryve thee of alle thy synnes Line 1007 
To o man, and nat a parcel to o man and a parcel  Line 1007 
to another; that is to understonde, in entente Line 1007 
To departe thy confessioun, as for shame of Line 1007 
Drede; for it nys but stranglynge of thy soule./ Line 1008 
For certes jhesu crist is entierly al good; in Line 1008 
Hym nys noon imperfeccioun; and therfore Line 1008 
Outher he foryeveth al parfitly or never a deel./ Line 1009 
I seye nat that if thow be assigned to the penitauncer  Line 1009 
for certein synne, that thow art bounde Line 1009 
To shewen hym al the remenaunt fo thy synnes, Line 1009 
Of whiche thow hast be shryven of thy curaal, Line 1009 
But if it like to thee of thyn humylitee; this is Line 1009 
No departynge of shrifte./ Ne I seye nat, ther Line 1010 
As I speke of divisioun of confessioun, that Line 1010 
If thou have licence for to shryve thee to a discreet  Line 1010 
and an honest preest, where thee liketh, Line 1010 
And by licence of thy curaat, that thow ne Line 1010 
Mayst wel shryve thee to him al alle thy Line 1010 
Synnes./ But lat no blotte be bihynde; lat no Line 1011 
Synne been untoold, as fer as thow hast Line 1011 
Remembraunce./ And whan thou shalt be Line 1012 
Shryven to thy curaat, telle hym eek alle Line 1012 
The synnes that thow hast doon syn thou were Line 1012 
Last yshryven; this is no wikked entente of divisioun  Line 1012 
of shrifte./ Line 1013 
Also the verray shrifte axeth certeine condiciouns.  Line 1013 
first, that thow shryve thee by thy Line 1013 
Free wil, noght constreyned, ne for shame of Line 1013 
Folk, ne for maladie, ne swich thynges. For Line 1013 
It is resoun that he that trespaseth by his free Line 1013 
Wyl, that by his free wyl he confesse his trespas;/  Line 1013 
and that noon oother man telle his synne Line 1014 
But he hymself; ne he shal nat nayte ne denye Line 1014 
His synne, ne wratthe hym agayn the preest Line 1014 
For his amonestynge to lete synne./ The seconde  Line 1015 
condicioun is that thy shrift be laweful, Line 1015 
That is to seyn, that thow that shryvest thee, Line 1015 
And eek the preest that hereth thy confessioun, Line 1015 
Been verraily in the feith of hooly chirche;/ Line 1016 
And that a man ne be nat despeired of the Line 1016 
Mercy of jhesu crist, as caym or judas./ Line 1017 
And eek a man moot accusen hymself of Line 1017 
His owene trespas, and nat another; but he Line 1017 
Shal blame and wyten hymself and his owene Line 1017 
Malice of his synne, and noon oother./ But Line 1018 
Nathelees, if that another man be occasioun or Line 1018 
Enticere of his synne, or the estaat of a persone  Line 1018 
be swich thurgh which his synne is Line 1018 
Agregged, or elles that he may nat pleynly Line 1018 
Shryven hym but he telle the persone with Line 1018 
Which he hath synned, thanne may he telle it,/ Line 1019 
So that his entente ne be nat to bakbite the Line 1019 
Persone, but oonly to declaren his confessioun./ Line 1019 
Thou ne shalt nat eek make no lesynges in Line 1020 
Thy confessioun, for humylitee, peraventure, to Line 1020 
Seyn that thou hast doon synnes of whiche Line 1020 
Thow were nevere gilty./ For seint augustyn Line 1021 
Seith, if thou, by cause of thyn hymylitee, Line 1021 
Makest lesynges on thyself, though thow ne Line 1021 
Were nat in synne biforn, yet artow thanne Line 1021 
In synne thurgh thy lesynges./ Thou Line 1022 
Most eek shewe thy synne by thyn owene Line 1022 
Propre mouth, but thow be woxe dowmb, and Line 1022 
Nat by no lettre; for thow that hast doon the Line 1022 
Synne, thou shalt have the shame therfore./ Line 1023 
Thow shalt nat eek peynte thy confessioun by Line 1023 
Faire subtile wordes, to covere the moore thy Line 1023 
Synne; for thanne bigilestow thyself, and nat Line 1023 
The preest. Thow most tellen it platly, be it Line 1023 
Nevere so foul ne so horrible./ Thow shalt Line 1024 
Eek shryve thee to a preest that is discreet to Line 1024 
Conseille thee; and eek thou shalt nat shryve Line 1024 
Thee for veyne glorie, ne for ypocrisye, ne for no Line 1024 
Cause but oonly for the doute of jhesu crist and Line 1024 
The heele of thy soule./ Thow shalt nat eek Line 1025 
Renne to the preest sodeynly to tellen hym Line 1025 
Lightly thy synne, as whoso telleth a jape or Line 1025 
A tale, but avysely and with greet devocioun./ Line 1026 
And generally, shryve thee ofte. If thou Line 1026 
Ofte falle, ofte thou arise by confessioun./ Line 1027 
And though thou shryve thee ofter than Line 1027 
Ones of synne of which thou hast be shryven, Line 1027 
It is the moore merite. And, as seith seint Line 1027 
Augustyn, thow shalt have the moore lightly Line 1027 
Relessyng and grace fo god, bothe of synne and Line 1027 
Of peyne./ And certes, oones a yeere atte leeste Line 1028 
Wey it is laweful for to been housled; for certes, Line 1028 
Oones a yeere alle thynges renovellen./ Line 1029 
Now have I toold yow of verray confessioun,  Line 1029 
that is the seconde partie of penitence./ Line 1030 
The thridde partie of penitence is satisfaccioun,  Line 1030 
and that stant moost generally in almesse  Line 1030 
and in bodily peyne./ Now been ther thre Line 1031 
Manere of almesse: contricion of herte, where Line 1031 
A man offreth hymself to god; another is to Line 1031 
Han pitee of defaute of his neighebores; and the Line 1031 
Thridde is in yevynge of good conseil and comfort,  Line 1031 
goostly and bodily, where men han nede,  Line 1031 

Page 263

 Line 1031 
And namely in sustenaunce of mannes Line 1031 
Foode./ And tak kep that a man hath Line 1032 
Nede of thise thinges generally: he hath Line 1032 
Nede of foode, he hath nede of clothyng  Line 1032 
and herberwe, he hath nede of charitable  Line 1032 
conseil and visitynge in prisone and Line 1032 
In maladie, and sepulture of his dede body./ Line 1033 
And if thow mayst nat visite the nedeful  Line 1033 
with thy persone, visite hym by thy Line 1033 
Message and by thy yiftes./ Thise been general  Line 1034 
almesses or werkes of chritee of hem that Line 1034 
Han temporeel richesses or discrecioun in conseilynge.  Line 1034 
of thise werkes shaltow heren at the Line 1034 
Day of doom./ Line 1035 
Thise almesses shaltow doon of thyne owene Line 1035 
Propre thynges, and hastily and prively, if Line 1035 
Thow mayst./ But nathelees, if thow mayst Line 1036 
Ant doon it prively, thow shalt nat forbere to Line 1036 
Doon almesse though men seen it, so that it Line 1036 
Be nat doon for thank of the world, but Line 1036 
Oonly for thank of jhesu crist./ For, as Line 1037 
Witnesseth seint mathew, capitulo quinto, Line 1037 
A citee may nat been hyd that is set on a Line 1037 
Montayne, ne men lighte nat a lanterne and Line 1037 
Put it under a busshel, but men sette it on a Line 1037 
Candle-stikke to yeve light to the men in the Line 1037 
Hous./ Right so shal youre light lighten bifore Line 1038 
Men, that they may seen youre goode werkes, Line 1038 
And glorifie youre fader that is in hevene./ Line 1039 
Now as to speken of bodily peyne, it stant Line 1039 
In preyeres, in wakynges, in fastynges, in vertuouse  Line 1039 
techynges of orisouns./ And ye shul Line 1040 
Understonde that orisouns or preyeres is for to Line 1040 
Seyn a pitous wyl of herte, that redresseth it Line 1040 
In God and expresseth it by word outward, to Line 1040 
Remoeven harmes and to han thynges espiritueel  Line 1040 
and durable, and somtyme temporele Line 1040 
Thynges; of whiche orisouns, certes, in the Line 1040 
Orison of the pater noster hath jhesu crist enclosed  Line 1040 
moost thynges./ Certes, it is privyleged  Line 1041 
of thre thynges in his dignytee, for Line 1041 
Which it is moore digne than any oother Line 1041 
Preyere; for that jhesu crist hymself Line 1041 
Maked it;/ and it is short, for it sholde Line 1042 
Be koud the moore lightly, and for to Line 1042 
Withholden it the moore esily in herte, and Line 1042 
Helpen hymself the ofter with the orisoun,/ Line 1043 
And for a man sholde be the lasse wery to Line 1043 
Seyen it, and for a man may nat excusen hym Line 1043 
To lerne it, it is so short and so esy; and for it Line 1043 
Comprehendeth in it self alle goode preyeres./ Line 1044 
The exposicioun of this hooly preyere, that is Line 1044 
So excellent and digne, I bitake to thise maistres  Line 1044 
of theologie, save thus muchel wol I seyn; Line 1044 
That whan thow prayest that God sholde for Line 1044 
Yeve thee thy giltes as thou foryevest hem that Line 1044 
Agilten to thee, be ful wel war that thow ne Line 1044 
Be nat out of charitee./ This hooly orison Line 1045 
Amenuseth eek venyal synne, and therfore it Line 1045 
Aperteneth specially to penitence./ Line 1046 
This preyere moste be trewely seyd, and in Line 1046 
Verray feith, and that men preye to God ordinatly  Line 1046 
and discreetly and devoutly; and alwey Line 1046 
A man shal putten his wyl to be subget to Line 1046 
The wille of god./ This orisoun moste eek Line 1047 
Been seyd with greet humblesse and ful Line 1047 
Pure; honestly, and nat to the anoyaunce of Line 1047 
Any man or womman. It moste eek been continued  Line 1047 
with the werkes of chritee./ It avayleth  Line 1048 
eek agayn the vices of the soule; for, as Line 1048 
Seith seint jerome, by fastynge been saved the Line 1048 
Vices of the flessh, and by preyere the vices of Line 1048 
The soule./ Line 1049 
After this, thou shalt understonde that bodily  Line 1049 
peyne stant in wakynge; for jhesu crist Line 1049 
Seith, waketh and preyeth, that ye ne entre Line 1049 
In wikked temptacioun./ Ye shul understanden  Line 1050 
also that fastynge stant in thre thynges: Line 1050 
In forberynge of bodily mete and drynke, and Line 1050 
In forberynge of worldly jolitee, and in forberynge  Line 1050 
of deedly synne; this is to seyn, that a Line 1050 
Man shal kepen hym fro deedly synne with al Line 1050 
His might. / Line 1051 
And thou shalt understanden eek that god Line 1051 
Ordeyned fastynge, and to fastynge appertenen  Line 1051 
foure thinges:/ largenesse to Line 1052 
Povre folk; gladnesse of herte espiritueel, Line 1052 
Nat to been angry ne anoyed, ne grucche for Line 1052 
He fasteth; and also resonable houre for to ete; Line 1052 
Ete by mesure; that is for to seyn, a man shal Line 1052 
Nat ete in untyme, ne sitte the lenger at his Line 1052 
Table to ete for he fasteth./ Line 1053 
Thanne shaltow understonde that bodily Line 1053 
Peyne stant in disciplyne or techynge, by word, Line 1053 
Or by writynge, or in ensample; also in werynge  Line 1053 
of heyres, or of stamyn, or of haubergeons  Line 1053 
on hire naked flessh, for cristes sake, Line 1053 
And swiche manere penances./ But war thee Line 1054 
Wel that swiche manere penaunces on thy Line 1054 
Flessh ne make nat thyn herte bitter or angry Line 1054 
Or anoyed of thyself; for bettre is to caste awey Line 1054 
Thyn heytre, that for to caste awey the swetenesse  Line 1054 
of jhesu crist./ And therfore seith seint Line 1055 
Paul, clothe yow, as they that been chosen Line 1055 
Of god, in herte of misericorde, debonairetee, Line 1055 
Suffraunce, and swich manere of clothynge; Line 1055 
Of whiche jhesu crist is moore apayed than Line 1055 
Of heyres, or haubergeouns, or hauberkes./  Line 1056 

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 Line 1056 
Thanne is discipline eek in knokkynge of Line 1056 
Thy brest, in scourgynge with yerdes, in Line 1056 
Knelynges, in tribulaciouns,/ in suffrynge Line 1057 
Paciently wronges that been doon to thee, Line 1057 
And eek in pacient suffraunce of maladies, or Line 1057 
Lesynge of worldly catel, or of wyf, or of child, Line 1057 
Or othere freendes./ Line 1058 
Thanne shaltow understonde whiche thynges Line 1058 
Destourben penaunce; and this is in foure Line 1058 
Maneres, that is, drede, shame, hope, and wanhope,  Line 1058 
that is, desperacion./ And for to speke Line 1059 
First of drede; for which he weneth that he Line 1059 
May suffre no penaunce;/ ther-agayns is remedie  Line 1060 
for to thynke that bodily penaunce is but Line 1060 
Short and litel at regard of the peyne of helle, Line 1060 
That is so crueel and so long that it lasteth Line 1060 
Withouten ende./ Line 1061 
Now again the shame that a man hath to Line 1061 
Shryven hym, and namely thise ypocrites that Line 1061 
Wolden been holden so parfite that they Line 1061 
Han no nede to shryven hem;/ agayns that Line 1062 
Shame sholde a man thynke that, by wey Line 1062 
Of resoun, that he that hath nat been shamed Line 1062 
To doon foule thinges, certes hym oghte nat Line 1062 
Been ashamed to do faire thynges, and that is Line 1062 
Confessiouns./ A man sholde eek thynke that Line 1063 
God seeth and woot alle his thoghtes and alle Line 1063 
His werkes; to hym may no thyng been hyd Line 1063 
Ne covered./ Men sholden eek remembren Line 1064 
Hem of the shame that is to come at the day Line 1064 
Of doom to hem that been nat penitent and Line 1064 
Shryven in this present lyf./ For alle the Line 1065 
Creatures in hevene, in erthe, and in helle Line 1065 
Shullen seen apertly al that they hyden in this Line 1065 
World./ Line 1066 
Now for to speken of the hope of hem that Line 1066 
Been necligent and slowe to shryven Line 1066 
Hem, that stant in two maneres./ That Line 1067 
Oon is that he hopeth for to lyve longe Line 1067 
And for to purchacen muche richesse for his Line 1067 
Delit, and thanne he wol shryven hym; and Line 1067 
As he seith, hym semeth thanne tymely Line 1067 
Ynough to come to shrifte./ Another is of Line 1068 
Surquidrie that he hath in cristes mercy./ Line 1069 
Agayns the firste vice, he shal thynke that oure Line 1069 
Life is in no sikernesse, and eek that alle the Line 1069 
Richesses in this world ben in aventure, and Line 1069 
Passen as a shadwe on the wal;/ and , as seith Line 1070 
Seint gregorie, that it aperteneth to the grete Line 1070 
Righwisnesse of God that nevere shal the peyne Line 1070 
Stynte of hem that nevere wolde withdrawen Line 1070 
Hem fro synne, hir thankes, but ay continue Line 1070 
In synne; for thilke perpetueel wil to do synne Line 1070 
Shul they han perpetueel peyne./ Line 1071 
Wanhope is in two maneres; the firste wanhope  Line 1071 
is in the mercy of crist; that oother is Line 1071 
That they thynken that they ne myghte Line 1071 
That longe persevere in goodnesse./ The Line 1072 
Firste wanhope comth of that he demeth Line 1072 
That he hath synned so greetly and so ofte, Line 1072 
And so longe leyn in synne, that he shal Line 1072 
Nat be saved./ Certes, agayns that cursed wanhope  Line 1073 
sholde he thynke that the passion of jhesu Line 1073 
Crist is moore strong for to bynde than Line 1073 
Synne is strong for to bynde. / agayns the Line 1074 
Seconde wanhope he shal thynke that as ofte Line 1074 
As he falleth he may arise agayn by penitence. Line 1074 
And though he never so longe have leyn in Line 1074 
Synne, the mercy of crist is alwey redy to receiven  Line 1074 
hym to mercy./ Agayns the wanhope Line 1075 
That he demeth that he sholde nat longe persevere  Line 1075 
in goodnesse, he shal thynke that the Line 1075 
Feblesse of the devel may nothyng doon, but Line 1075 
If men wol suffren hym;/ and eek he shal han Line 1076 
Strengthe of the help of god, and of al hooly Line 1076 
Chirche, and of the proteccioun of aungels,  Line 1076 
if hym list./ Line 1077 
Thanne shal men understonde what is Line 1077 
The fruyt of penaunce; and, after the word of Line 1077 
Jhesu crist, it is the endelees blisse of hevene,/  Line 1077 
ther joye hath no contrarioustee of wo Line 1078 
Ne grevaunce; ther alle harmes been passed Line 1078 
Of this present lyf; ther as is the sikernesse fro Line 1078 
The peyne of helle; ther as is the blisful compaignye  Line 1078 
that rejoysen hem everemo, everich of Line 1078 
Otheres joye;/ ther as the body of man, that Line 1079 
Whilom was foul and derk, is moore cleer than Line 1079 
The sonne; ther as the body, that whilom was Line 1079 
Syk, freele, and fieble, and mortal, is inmortal, Line 1079 
And so strong and so hool that ther may no Line 1079 
Thyng apeyren it;/ ther as ne is neither hunger,  Line 1080 
thurst, ne coold, but every soule replenyssed  Line 1080 
with the sighte of the parfit knowynge Line 1080 
Of god./ This blisful regne may men purchace  Line 1081 
by poverte espiritueel, and the glorie by Line 1081 
Lowenesse, the plentee of joye by hunger and Line 1081 
Thurst, and the reste by travaille, and the Line 1081 
Lyf by deeth and mortificacion of synne./ Line 1082 

The Canterbury tales

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