The Parson's Tale
Part I
Oure sweete lord God of hevene, that no
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Man wole perisse, but wole that we comen alle
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Yo yhr knoweleche of hym, and to the blisful
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lif that is perdurable,/ amonesteth us
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By the prophete jeremie, that seith in thys
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Wyse:/ stondeth upon the weyes, and seeth
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And axeth of olde pathes (that is to seyn, of olde
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Sentences) which is the goode wey./ And wald
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Eth in that wey, and ye shal fynde refresshynge
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For youre soules, etc./ Manye been the weyes
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Espirituels that leden fold to oure lord jhesu
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Crist, and to the regne of glorie./ Of whiche
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Weyes, ther is a ful noble wey and ful covenable,
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which may nat fayle to man ne to womman
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that thurgh synne hath mysgoon fro
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The righte wey of jerusalem celestial;/ and
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This wey is cleped penitence, of which man
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Sholde gladly herknen and enquere with
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His herte,/ to wyten what is penitence, and
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Wheenes it is cleped penitence, and in how
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Manye maners been the acciouns or werkynges
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of penitence,/ and how manye speces
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Ther been of penitence, and whiche thynges
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Apertenen and bihoven to penitence, and
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Whiche thynges destourben penitence./
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Seint ambrose seith that penitence is the
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Pleynynge of man for the gilt that he hath
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Doon, and namoore to do any thyng for which
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Hym oghte to pleyne./ And som doctour seith.
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Penitence is the waymentynge of man that
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Sorweth for his synne, and pyneth hymself
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for he hath mysdoon./ Penitence,
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With certeyne circumstances, is varray repentance
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of a man that halt hymself in sorwe
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And oother peyne for his giltes. / and for he
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Shal be verray penitent, he shal first biwaylen
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The synnes that he hath doon, and stidefastly
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Purposen in his herte to have shrift of mouthe,
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And to doon satisfaccioun, / and nevere to doon
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Thyng for which hym oghte moore to biwayle
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Or to compleyne, and to continue in goode
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Werkes, or elles his repentance may nat availle. /
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For, as seith seint ysidre, he is a japere and
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A gabbere, and no verray repentant, that eftsoone
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dooth thyng for which hym oghte repente./
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wepynge, and nat for to stynte to
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Do synne, may nat avayle./ But nathelees,
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Men shal hope that every tyme that man
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Falleth, be it never so ofte, that he may arise
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Thurgh penitence, if he have grace; but certeinly
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it is greet doute./ For, as seith seint
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Gregorie, unnethe ariseth he out of his synne,
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That is charged with the charge of yvel usage./
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And therfore repentant folk, that stynte for to
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Synne, and forlete synne er that synne forlete
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Hem, hooly chirche holdeth hem siker of hir
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Savacioun. / and he that synneth and verraily
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Repenteth hym in his laste, hooly chirche yet
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Hopeth his savacioun, by the grete mercy of
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Oure lord jhesu crist, for his repentaunce; but
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Taak the siker wey./
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And now, sith I have declared yow what
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Thyng is penitence, now shul ye understonde
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That ther been three acciouns of penitence./
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the firste is that if a man be baptized
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after that he hath synned,/ seint augustyn
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seith, but he be penytent for his olde
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Synful lyf, he may nat bigynne the newe clene
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Lif./ For, certes, if he be baptized withouten
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Penitence of his olde gilt, he receyveth the mark
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Of baptesme, but nat the grace ne the remission
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Of his synnes, til he have repentance verray./
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Another defaute is this, that men doon deedly
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Synne after that they han receyved baptesme./
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The thridde defaute is that men fallen in
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Venial synnes after hir baptesme, fro day
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To day./ Therof seith seint augustyn that
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Penitence of goode and humble folk is the
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Penitence of every day./
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The speces of penitence been three. That
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Oon of hem is solempne, another is commune,
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And the thridde is privee./ Thilke penance that
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Is solempne is in two maneres; as to be put out
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Of hooly chirche in-lente, for slaughtre of children
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and swich maner thyng./ Another is,
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Whan a man hath synned openly, of which
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Synne the fame is openly spoken in the contree,
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and thanne hooly chirche by juggement
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Destreyneth hym for to do open penaunce./
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Commune penaunce is that preestes enjoynen
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Men communly in certeyn caas, as for to goon
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Prevee penaunce is thilke that men
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Doon alday for privee synnes, of whiche we
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Shryve us prively and receyve privee penaunce./
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Now shaltow understande what is bihovely
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And necessarie to verray perfit penitence. And
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This stant on three thynges:/ contricioun of
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Herte, confessioun of mouth, and satisfaction.
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/ for which seith seint crisostomz
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Penitence destreyneth a man to accepte benygnely
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every peyne that hym is enjoyned,
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With contricioun of herte, and shrift of mouth,
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With satisfaccioun; and in werkynge of alle
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Manere humylitee./ And this is fruytful penitence
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agayn three thinges in which we
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Wratthe oure lord jhesu crist:/ this is to
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Seyn, by delit in thynkynge, by reccheleesnesse
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in spekynge, and by wikked synful werknyge./
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and agayns thise wikkede giltes is penitence,
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that may be likned unto a tree./
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The roote of this tree is contricioun, that
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Hideth hym in the herte of hym that is verray
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Repentaunt, right as the roote of a tree gydeth
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Hym in the erthe./ Of the roote of contricioun
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Spryngeth a stalke that bereth braunches and
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Leves of confessioun, and fruyt of satisfaccioun./
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for which crist seith in his gospel:
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Dooth digne fruyt of penitence; for by this
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Fruyt may men knowe this tree, and nat by the
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Roote that is hyd in the herte of man, ne by the
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Braunches, ne by the leves of confessioun./
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and therfore oure lord jhesu
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Crist seith thus: by the fruyt of hem shul
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Ye knowen hem./ Of this roote eek spryngeth
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A seed of grace, the which seed is mooder of
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Sikernesse, and this seed is egre and hoot./ The
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Grace of this seed spryngeth of God thurgh remembrance
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of the day of doom and on the
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Peynes of helle./ Of this matere seith salomon
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that in the drede of God man forleteth his
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Synne./ The heete of this seed is the love of
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God, and the desiryng of the joye perdurable./
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this heete draweth the herte
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Of a man to god, and dooth hym haten his
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Synne./ For soothly ther is nothyng that savoureth
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so wel to a child as the milk of his
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Norice, ne nothyng is to hym moore abhomnyable
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than thilke milk whan it is medled with
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Oother mete./ Right so the synful man that
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Loveth his synne, hym semeth that it is to him
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Moost sweete of any thyng;/ but fro that tyme
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That he loveth sadly oure lord jhesu crist, and
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Desireth the lif perdurable, ther nys to him no
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Thyng moore abhomynable./ For soothly the
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Lawe of God is the love of god; for which
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David the prophete seith: I have loved thy
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Lawe, and hated wikkednesse and hate; he
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That loveth God kepeth his lawe and his
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Word./ This tree saugh the prophete
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Daniel in spirit, upon the avysioun of the
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Kyng nabugodonosor, whan he conseiled hym
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To do penitence./ Penaunce is the tree of lyf
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To hem that is receyven, and he that holdeth
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Hym in verray penitence is blessed, after the
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Sentence of solomon./
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In this penitence or contricioun man shal
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Understonde foure thynges; that is to seyn, what
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Is contricioun, and whiche been the causes that
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Moeven a man to contricioun, and how he
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Sholde be contrit, and what contricioun availleth
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to the soule./ Thanne is it thus: that contricioun
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is the verray sorwe that a man receyveth
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in his herte for his synnes, with sad purpos
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To shryve hum, and to do penaunce, and neveremoore
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to do synne./ And this sorwe shal
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Been in this manere, as seith seint bernard: it
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Shal been hevy and grevous, and ful sharp
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And poynaunt in herte./ First, for man
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Hath agilt his lord and his creatour; and
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Moore sharp and poynaunt, for he hath agilt hys
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Fader celestial;/ and yet moore sharp and
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Poynaunt, for he hath wrathed and agilt hym
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That boghte hym, that with his precious blood
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Hath delivered us fro the bondes of synne, and
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Fro the crueltee of the deve, and fro the peynes
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Of helle./
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The causes that oghte moeve a man to contricioun
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been sixe. First a man shal remembre
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Hym of his synnes;/ but looke he that thilke
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Remembraunce ne be to hym no delit by no
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Qwy, but greet shame and sorwe for his gilt.
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For job seith, synful men doon werkes worthy
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Of confusioun./ And therfore seith ezechie,
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I wol remembre me alle the yeres of my
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Lyf in bitternesse of myn herte./ And
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God seith in the apocalipse, remembreth
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Yow fro whennes that ye been falle; for biforn
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That tyme that ye synned, ye were the children
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Of god, and lymes of the regne of god;/ but for
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Youre synne ye been woxen thral, and foul, and
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Membres of the feend, hate of aungels, sclaundre
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of hooly chirche, and foode of the false
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Serpent; prepetueel matere of the fir of helle:/
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And yet moore foul and abhomynable, for ye
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Trespassen so ofte tyme as dooth the hound that
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Retourneth to eten his spewyng./ And yet be
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Ye fouler for youre longe continuyng in synne
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And youre synful usage, for which ye be roten
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Manere of thoghtes maken a man to have shame
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Of his synne, and no delit, as God seith by
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The prophete ezechiel:/ ye shal remembre
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yow of youre weyes, and they shuln
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Displese yow. Soothly synnes been the weyes
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That leden folk of helle./
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The seconde cause that oghte make a man
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To have desdeyn of synne is this: that, as seith
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Seint peter, whoso that dooth synne is thral
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Of synne; and synne put a man in greet thraldom./
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and therfore seith the prophete ezechiel:
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I wente sorweful in desdayn of mysekf.
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Certes, wel oghte a man have desdayn of synne,
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And withdrawe hym from that thraldom and
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Vileynye./ And lo, what seith seneca in this
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Matere? he seith thus: though I wiste that
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Neither God ne man ne sholde nevere knowe
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It, yet wolde I have desdayn for to do synne./
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And the same seneca also seith: I am born to
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Gretter thynges that to be thral to my body,
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Or than for to maken of my body a thral./
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Ne a fouler thral may no man ne womman
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Maken of his body that for to yeven his body
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To synne./ Al were it the fouleste cherl or the
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Fouleste womman that lyveth, and leest of
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~alue, yet is he thanne moore foul and moore
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In servitute./ Evere fro the hyer degree that
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Man falleth, the moore is he thral, and moore
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To God and to the world vile and abhomynable./
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o goode god, wel oghte man have desdayn
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of synne, sith that thurgh synne, ther he
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Was free, now is he maked bonde./ And therfore
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seyth seint augustyn: if thou hast desdayn
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of thy servant, if he agilte or synne, have
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Thou thanne desdayn that thou thyself
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Sholdest do synne./ Tak reward of thy
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Value, that thou ne be foul to thyself./
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Allas! wel oghten they thanne have desdayn to
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Been servauntz and thralles to synne, and soore
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Been ashamed of hemself,/ that God of his
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Endelees goodnesse hath set hem in heigh estaat,
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or yeven hem wit, strenghte of body,
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Heele, beautee, prosperitee,/ and boghte hem
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Fro the deeth with his herte-blood. That they
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So unkyndely, agayns his gentilesse, quiten hym
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So vileynsly to slaughtre of hir owene soules./
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O goode god, ye wommen that been of so greet
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Beautee, remembreth yow of the proverbe
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Of salomon. He seith:/ likneth a fair
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Womman that is a fool of hire body lyk to
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A ryng of gold that were in the groyn of a
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Soughe./ For right as a soughe wrotheth in
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Everich ordure, so wroteth she hire beautee in
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The stynkynge ordure of synne./
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The thridde cause that oghte moeve a man
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To contricioun is drede of the day of doom and
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Of the horrible peynes of helle./ For, as seint
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Jerome seith, at every tyme that me remembreth
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of the day of doom I quake;/ for whan
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I ete or drynke, or what so that I do, evere
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Semeth me that the trompe sowneth in
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Myn ere:/ -- riseth up, ye that been dede,
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And cometh to the juggement. -- / o goode
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God, muchel oghte a man to drede wich a
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Juggement, ther as we shullen been alle, as
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Seint poul seith, biforn the seete of oure lord
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Jhesu crist;/ whereas he shal make a general
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Congregacioun, whereas no man may been absent./
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for certes there availleth noon essoyne
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Ne excusacioun./ And nat oonly that oure defautes
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shullen be jugged, but eek that alle
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Oure werkes shullen openly be knowe./
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And as seith seint bernard, ther ne shal
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No pledynge availle, ne no sleighte; we shullen
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Yeven rekenynge of everich ydel word./ Ther
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Shul we han a juge that may nat been deceyved
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ne corrput. And why? for, certes, alle
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Oure thoghtes been discovered as to hym; ne
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For preyere ne for meede he shal nat been corrupt./
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and therfore seith salomon, the
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Wratthe of God ne wol nat spare no wight, for
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Prevere ne for yifte; and therfore, at the day
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Of doom, ther nys noon hope to escape./ Wherfore,
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as seith seint anselm, ful greet angwyssh
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shul the synful folk have at that tyme;/
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Ther shal the stierne and wrothe juge sitte
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Above, and under hym the horrible pit of helle
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Open to destroyen hym that moot biknowen his
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Synnes, whiche synnes openly been shewed
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Biforn God and biforn every creature;/
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And in the left syde mo develes that herte
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May bithynke, for the harye and drawe the synful
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soules to the peyne of helle;/ and withinne
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The hertes of folk shall be bitynge conscience,
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and withoute forth shal be the orld
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Al brennynge./ Whider shall thanne the
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Wrecched synful man flee th hiden hym?
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Certes, he may nat hyden hym; he moste come
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Forth and shewen hym./ For certes, as seith
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Seint jerome, the erthe shal casten hym out
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Of hym, and the see also, and the eyr also, that
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Shal be ful of thonder-clappes and lightnynges./
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now soothly, whoso wel remembreth
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Hym of thise thynges, I gesse that his synne
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Shal nat turne hym into delit, but to greet
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Sorwe, for drede of the peyne of helle./
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And therfore seith job to god: suffre,
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Er I go withoute returnyng to the derke lord,
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Covered with the derknesse of deeth;/ to the
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Lond of mysese and of derknesse, whereas is the
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Shadwe of deeth; whereas ther is noon ordre or
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Ordinaunce, but grisly drede that evere shal
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Laste./ Loo, heere may ye seen that job
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Preyde repit a while, to biwepe and waille his
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Trespas; for soothly oo day of respit is bettre
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Than al the tresor of this world./ And forasmuche
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as a man may acquiten hymself biforn
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God by penitence in this world, and nat by
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Tresor, therfore sholde he preye to God to yeve
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Hymrespit a while to biwepe and biwaillen
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His trespas./ For certes, al the sorwe that a
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Man myghte make fro the bigynnyng of the
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World nys but a litel thyng at regard of the
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Sorwe of helle./ The cause why that job
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Clepeth helle the lond of derknesse;/ understondeth
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that he clepeth it lond or erthe,
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For it is stable, and nevere shal faille; derk,
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For he that is in helle hath defaute of light material./
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for certes, the derke light that shal
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Come out of the fyr that evere shal brenne, shal
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Furne hym al to peyne that is in helle; for it
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Sheweth him to the horrible develes that hym
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Tormenten./ Covered with the derknesse of
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Deeth, that is to seyn, that he that is in helle
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Shal have defaute of the sighte of god; for
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Certes, the sighte of God is the lyf perdurable./
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The derknesse of deeth been the synnes that
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The wrecched man hath doon, whiche that destourben
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hym to see the face of god, right as
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Dooth a derk clowde bitwixe us and the
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Sonne./ Lond of misese, by cause that
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Ther been three maneres of defautes, agayn
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Three thynges that folk of this world han in this
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Present lyf, that is to seyn, honours, delices, and
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Richesses./ Agayns honour, have they in helle
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Shame and confusioun./ For wel ye woot that
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Men clepen honour the reverence that man
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Doth to man; but in helle is noon honour ne
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Reverence. For certes, namoore reverence shal
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Be doon there to a kyng than to a knave./ For
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Which God seith by the prophete jeremye,
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Thilke folk that me despisen shul been in
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Despit./ Honour is eek cleped greet lordshipe;
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Ther shal no wight serven other, but of harm
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And torment. Honour is eek cleped greet dignytee
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and heighnesse, but in helle shul
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They been al fortroden of develes./ And
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God seith, the horrible develes shulle
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Goon and comen upon the hevedes of the
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Dampned folk. And this is for as muche as the
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Hyer that they were in this present lyf, the
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Moore shulle they been abated and defouled
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In helle./ Agayns the richesse of this world
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Shul they han mysese of poverte, and this poverte
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shal been in foure thynges:/ in defaute of
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Tresor, of which that david seith, the riche
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Folk, that embraceden and oneden al hire herte
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To tresor of this world, shul slepe in the slepynge
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of deeth; and nothyng ne shal they fynden
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In hir handes of al hir tresor./ And moore-over
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the myseyse of helle shal been in defaute
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Of mete and rinke./ For God seith thus by
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Moyses: they shul been wasted with hunger,
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And the briddes of helle shul devouren hem
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With bitter deeth, and the galle of the dragon
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Shal been hire drynke, and the venym of
195
The dragon hire morsels./ And forther
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Over, hire myseyse shal been in defaute of
196
Clothyng; for they shulle be naked in body as
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Of clothyng, save the fyr in which they bree
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And othere filthes;/ and naked shul they been
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Of soule, as of alle manere vertues, which that
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Is the clothyng of the soule. Where been
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Thannne the gaye robes, and the softe shetes,
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And the smale shertes?/ loo, what seith god
198
Of hem by the prophete ysaye: that under hem
198
Shul been strawed motthes, and hire covertures
198
Shulle been of womres of helle./ And forther
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Over, hir myseyse shal been in defaute of
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Freendes. For he nys nat povre that hath goode
199
Freendes; but there is no frend,/ for neither
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God ne no creature shal been freend to hem,
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And everich of hem shal haten oother
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With deedly hat./ The sones and the
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Doghtren shullen rebellen agayns fader
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And mooder, and kynrede agauns kynrede, and
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Chiden and despisen everich of hem oother
201
Bothe day nad nyght, as God seith by the
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Prophete michias./ And the lovynge children,
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That whilom loveden so flesshly everich oother,
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Wolden everich of hem eten oother if they
202
Myghte./ For how sholden they love hem togidre
203
in the peyne of helle, whan they hated
203
Everich of hem oother in the progenitee of this
203
Lyr?/ for truste wel, hir flesshly love was
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Deedly hate, as seith the prophete david:
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Whoso that loveth wikkednesse, he hateth his
204
Soule./ And whoso hateth his owene soule,
205
Certes, he may love noon oother wight in
205
No manere./ And therfore, in helle is no
206
Solas ne no freendshipe, but evere the
206
Moore flesshly kynredes that been in helle, the
206
Moore cursynges, the more chidynges, and the
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Moore deedly hate ther is among hem./ And
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Manere delices. For certes, delices been after
207
The appetites of the fyve wittes, as sighte, herynge,
207
smellynge, savorynge, and touchynge./
208
But in helle hir sighte shal be ful of derknesse
208
And of smoke, and therfore ful of teeres; and
208
Hir herynge ful of waymentynge and of grynt
208
Ynge of teeth, as seith jhesu crist./ Hir nose-
209
Thirles shullen be ful of stynkynge stynk; and
209
As seith ysaye the prophete, hir savoryng shal
209
Be ful of bitter galle;/ and touchynge of al hir
210
Body ycovered with fir that nevere shal
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Quenche, and with wormes that nevere shul
210
Dyen, as God seith by the mouth of
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Ysaye./ And for as muche as they shul
211
Nat wene that they may dyen for peyne,
211
And by hir deeth flee fro peyne, that may they
211
Understonden by the word of job, that seith,
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Ther as is the shadwe of deeth./ Certes, a
212
Shadwe hath the liknesse of the thyng of which
212
It is shadwe, but shadwe is nat the same thyng
212
Of which it is shadwe./ Right so fareth the
213
Peune of helle; it is lyk deeth for the horrible
213
Angwissh, and why? for it peyneth hem evere,
213
As though they sholde dye anon; but certes,
213
They shal nat dye./ For, as seith seint gregorie,
214
to wrecche caytyves shal be deeth
214
Withoute deeth, adn end withouten ende, and
214
Defaute withoute failynge./ For hir deeth shal
215
Alwey lyven, and hir ende shal everemo bigynne,
215
and hir defaute shal nat faille./
216
And therfore seith seint john the evaungelist:
216
they shullen folwe deeth, and they shul
216
Nat fynde hym; and they shul desiren to dye,
216
And deeth shal flee fro hem./ And eek job
217
Seith that in helle is noon ordre of rule./ And
218
Al be it so that God hath creat alle thynges
218
In right ordre, and no thyng withouten ordre,
218
But alle thynges been ordeyned and nombred;
218
yet, nathelees, they that been dampned
218
Been nothyng in ordre, ne holden noon ordre./
219
For the erthe ne shal bere hem no fruyt./ For
220
As the prophete david seith, God shal destroie
220
The fruyt of the erthe as fro hem; ne water ne
220
Shal yeve hem no moisture, ne the eyr no
220
Refresshyng, ne fyr no light./ For, as
221
Seith seint basilie, the brennynge of the
221
Fyr of this world shal God yeven in helle to hem
221
That been dampned,/ but the light and the cleernesse
222
shal be yeven in hevene to this childre;
222
Right as the goode man yeveth flessh to his
222
Children and bones to his houndes./ And for
223
They shullen have noon hope to escape, seith
223
Seint job atte laste that ther shal horrour and
223
Grisly drede dwellen withouten ende./ Horrour
224
is alwey drede of harm that is to come,
224
And this drede shal evere dwelle in the hertes
224
Of hem that been dampned. And therfore han
224
They lorn al hire hope, for sevene causes./
225
First, for god, that is hir juge, shal be withouten
225
mercy to hem; and they may nat plese
225
Hym ne noon of his halwes; ne they ne
225
May yeve no thyng for hir raunsoun;/ ne
226
They have no voys to speke to hym; ne
226
They may nat fle fro peyne; ne they have no
226
Goodnesse in hem, that they mowe shewe to
226
Delivere hem fro peyne./ And therfore seith
227
Salomon: the wikked man dyeth, and whan
227
He is deed, he shal have noon hope to escape
227
Fro peyne./ Whoso thanne wolde wel understande
228
thise peynes, and bithynke hym weel
228
That he hath deserved thilke peynes for his
228
Synnes, errtes, he sholde have moore talent to
228
Siken and to wepe, than for to syngen and to
228
Pleye./ For, as that seith salomon, whoso
229
That hadde the science to knowe the peynes
229
That been establissed and ordeyned for synne,
229
He wolde make sorwe./ Thilke science, as
230
Seith seint augustyn, maketh a man to
230
Waymenten in his herte./
231
The fourthe point that oghte maken a
231
Man to have contricion is the sorweful remembraunce
231
of the good that he hath left to
231
Doon heere in erthe, and eek the good that he
231
Hath lorn./ Soothly, the goode werkes that he
232
Hath lost, outher they been the goode werkes
232
That he wroghte er he fel into deedly synne, or
232
Elles the goode werkes that he wroghte while
232
He lay in synne./ Soothly, the goode werkes
233
That he dide biforn that he fil in synne been al
233
Mortefied and astoned and dulled by the ofte
233
Synnyng./ The othere goode werkes, that he
234
Wroghte whil he lay in deedly synne, thei been
234
Outrely dede, as to the lyf perdurable in hevene./
234
thanne thikle goode werkes that been
235
Mortefied by ofte synnyng, whiche goode
235
Werkes he dide whil he was in charitee, ne
235
Mowe nevere quyken agayn withouten verray
235
penitence./ And therof seith God by
236
The mouth of ezechiel, that if the rightful
236
Man returne agayn from his rightwisnesse and
236
Werke wikkednesse, shal he lyve?/ nay, for
237
Alle the goode werkes that he hath wroght ne
237
Shul nevere been in remembraunce, for he shal
237
Dyen in this synne./ And upon thilke chapitre
238
Seith seint gregorie thus: that we shulle understonde
238
this principally;/ that whan we doon
239
Deedly synne, it is for noght thanne to rehercen
239
We han wroght biforn. / for certes, in the
240
Werkynge of the deedly synne, ther is no trust
240
To no good werk that we can doon biforn; that
240
Is to seyn, as for to have therby the lyf
240
Perdurable in hevene./ But nathelees, the
241
Goode werkes quyken agayn, and comen
241
Agayn, and helpen, and availlen to have the
241
Lyf perdurable in hevene, whan we han contricioun./
241
but soothly, the goode werkes that
242
Men doon whil they been in deedly synne, for
242
As muche as they were doon in deedly synne,
242
They may nevere quyke agayn./ For certes
243
Thyng that nevere hadde lyf may nevere quykene;
243
and nathelees, al be it that they ne availle
243
Noght to han the lyf perdurable, yet availlen
243
They to abregge of the peyne of helle, or elles
243
To geten temporal richesse,/ or elles that god
244
Wole the rather enlumyne and lightne the herte
244
Of the synful man to have repentaunce;/ and
245
Eek they availlen for to usen a man to doon
245
Goode werkes, that the feend have the
245
Lasse power of his soule./ And thus the
246
Curteis lord jhesu crist ne wole that no
246
Good werk be lost; for in somwhat it shal
246
Availle./ But, for as muche as the goode werkes
247
That men doon whil they been in good lyf been
247
Al mortefied by synne folwynge, and eek sith
247
That alle the goode werkes that men doon whil
247
They been in deedly synne been outrely dede as
247
For to have the lyf perdurable;/ wel may that
248
Man that no good werk ne dooth synge thilke
248
Newe frenshe song, jay tout perdu mon temps
248
Et mon labour./ For certes, synne bireveth a
249
Man bothe goodnesse of nature and eek the
249
Goodnesse of grace./ For soothly, the grace of
250
The hooly goost fareth lyk fyr, that may nat
250
Been ydel; for fyr fayleth anoon as it forleteth
250
His wirkynge, and right so grace fayleth
250
Anoon as it forleteth his werkynge./ Then
251
Leseth the synful man the goodnesse of
251
Glorie, that oonly is bihight to goode men that
251
Labouren and werken./ Wel may he be sory
252
Thanne, that oweth al his lif to God as longe
252
As he hath lyved, and eek as longe as he shal
252
Lyve, that no goodnesse ne hath to paye with
252
His dette to God to whom he oweth al his lyf./
253
For trust wel, he shal yeven acountes, as seith
253
Seint bernard, of alle the goodes that han be
253
Yeven hym in this present lyf, and how he hath
253
Hem despended;/ in so muche that ther shal
254
Nat perisse an heer of his heed, ne a moment
254
Of an houre ne shal nat perisse of his tyme, that
254
He ne shal yeve of it a rekenyng./
255
The fifthe thyng that oghte moeve a man to
255
Contricioun is remembrance of the passioun
255
That oure lord jhesu crist suffred for oure
255
Synnes./ For, as seith seint bernard,
256
Whil that I lyve I shal have remembrance
256
of the travailles that oure lord crist
256
Suffred in prechyng;/ his werynesse in travaillyng,
257
his temptaciouns whan he fasted, his longe
257
Wakynges whan he preyde, hise teeres whan
257
That he weep for pitee of good peple;/ the
258
Wo and the shame and the filthe that men
258
Seyden to hym; of the foule spittyng that men
258
Spitte in his face, of the buffettes that men
258
Yaven hym, of the foule mowes, and of the repreves
258
that men to hym seyden;/ of the nayles
259
With whiche he was nayled to the croys, and
259
Of al the remenant of his passioun that he suffred
259
for my synnes, and no thyng for his gilt./
260
And ye shul understonde that in mannes synne
260
Is every manere of ordre or ordinaunce
260
Turned up-so-doun./ For it is sooth that
261
God, and resoun, and sensualitee, and the
261
Body of man been so ordeyned that everich of
261
Thise foure thynges sholde have lordshipe over
261
That oother;/ as thus: God sholde have lordshipe
262
over resoun, and resoun over sensualitee,
262
And sensualitee over the body of man./ But
263
Soothly, whan man synneth, al this ordre or
263
Ordinaunce is turned up-so-doun./ And therfore,
264
thanne, for as muche as the resoun of man
264
Ne wol nat be subget ne obeisant to god, that
264
Is his lord by right, therfore leseth it the lordshipe
264
that it sholde have over sensualitee, and
264
Eek over the body of man./ And why? for
265
Sensualitee rebelleth thanne agayns resoun,
265
And by that way leseth resoun the lordshipe
265
over sensualitee and over the body./
266
For right as resoun is rebel to god, right so
266
Is bothe sensualitee rebel to resoun and the
266
Body also./ And certes this disordinaunce and
267
This rebellioun oure lord jhesu crist aboghte
267
Upon his precious body ful deere, and herkneth
267
In which wise./ For as muche thanne as resoun
268
is rebel to god, therfore is man worthy
268
To have sorwe and to be deed./ This suffred
269
Oure lord jhesu crist for man, after that he
269
Hadde be bitraysed of his disciple, and distreyned
269
and bounde, so that his blood brast
269
Out at every nayl of his handes, as seith seint
269
As resoun of man ne wol nat daunte sensualitee
270
whan it may, therfore is man worthy to have
270
Shame; and this suffred oure lord jhesu
270
Crist for man, whan they spetten in his
270
Visage./ And forther over, for as muchel
271
Thanne as the caytyf body of man is rebel
271
Bothe to resoun and to sensualitee, therfore is
271
It worthy the deeth./ And this suffred oure
272
Lord jhesu crist for man upon the croys
272
Where as ther was no part of his body free
272
Withouten greet peyne and bitter passioun. /
273
And al this suffred jhesu crist, that nevere
273
Forfeted. And therfore resonably may be seyd
273
Jhesu in this manere: to muchel am I
273
Peyned for the thynges that I nevere deserved,
273
And to muche defouled for shendshipe that
273
Man is worthy to have./ And therfore may
274
The synful man wel seye, as seith seint bernard,
274
Acursed be the bitternesse of my synne, for
274
Which ther moste be suffred so muchel bitternesse./
274
for certes, after the diverse disordinaunces
275
of oure wikkednesses was the passioun
275
of jhesu crist ordeyned in diverse
275
Thynges,/ as thus. Certes, synful mannes
276
Soule is bitraysed of the devel by coveitise
276
Of temporeel prosperitee, and scorned by deceite
276
whan he cheseth flesshly delices; and yet
276
Is it tormented by inpacience of adversitee,
276
And bispet by servage and subjeccioun of
276
Synne; and atte laste it is slayn fynally./ For
277
This disordinaunce of synful man was jhesu
277
Crist first bitraysed, and after that was he
277
Bounde, that cam for to unbynden us of synne
277
And peyne./ Thanne was he byscorned, that
278
Oonly sholde han been honoured in alle thynges
278
And of alle thynges./ Thanne was his visage,
279
That oghte be desired to be seyn of al mankynde,
279
in which visage aungels desiren to looke,
279
Vileynsly bispet./ Thanne was he scourged,
280
That no thyng hadde agilt; and finally,
280
Thanne was he crucified and slayn./
281
Thanne was acompliced the word of ysaye,
281
He was wounded for oure mysdedes and defouled
281
for oure felonies./ Now sith that jhesu
282
Crist took upon hymself the peyne of alle oure
282
Wikkednesses, muchel oghte synful man wepen
282
And biwayle, that for his synnes goddes sone
282
Of hevene sholde al this peyne endure./
283
The sixte thyng that oghte moeve a man to
283
Contricioun is the hope of three thynges; that
283
Is to seyn, foryifnesse of synne, and the yifte to
283
Grace wel for to do, and the glorie of hevene,
283
With which God shal gerdone man for his
283
Goode dedes./ And for as muche as jhesu
284
Crist yeveth us thise yiftes of his largesse and
284
Of his sovereyn bountee, therfore is he cleped
284
Jhesus nazarenus rex judeorum./ Jhesus is to
285
Seyn saveour or salvacioun, on whom men
285
Shul hope to have foryifnesse of synnes,
285
Which that is proprely salvacioun of
285
Synnes./ And terfore seyde the aungel
286
To joseph, thou shalt clepen his name
286
Jhesus, that shal saven his peple of hir synnes./
287
And heerof seith seint peter: ther is noon
287
Oother name under hevene that is yeve to any
287
Man, by which a man may be saved, but oonly
287
Jhesus./ Nazarenus is as muche for to seye as
288
Florisshynge, in which a man shal hope that
288
He that yeveth hym remissioun of synnes shal
288
Yeve hym eek grace wel for to do. For in the
288
Flour is hope of fruyt in tyme comynge, and in
288
Foryifnesse of synnes hope of grace wel for to
288
Do./ I was atte dore of thyn herte, seith
289
Jhesus, and cleped for to entre. He that openeth
289
to me shal have foryifnesse of synne./ I
290
Wol entre into hym by my grace, and soupe
290
With hym, by the goode werkes that he shal
290
Doon, whiche werkes been the foode of god;
290
And he shal soupe with me, by the grete
290
Joye that I shal yeven hym./ Thus shal
291
Man hope, for his werkes of penaunce,
291
That God shal yeven hym his regne, as he bihooteth
291
hym in the gospel./
292
Now shal a man understonde in which manere
292
shal been his contricioun. I seye that it
292
Shal been universal and total. This is to seyn,
292
A man shal be verray repentaunt for alle his
292
Synnes that he hath doon in delit of his thoght;
292
For delit is ful perilous./ For ther been two
293
Manere of consentynges: that oon of hem is
293
Cleped consentynge of affeccioun, whan a man
293
Is moeved to do synne, and deliteth hym longe
293
For to thynke on that synne;/ and his reson
294
Aperceyveth it wel that it is synne agayns the
294
Lawe of god, and yet his resoun refreyneth nat
294
His foul delit or talent, though he se wel apertly
294
That it is agayns the reverence of god. Although
294
his resoun ne consente noght to doon
294
That synne in dede,/ yet seyn somme doctours
295
That swich delit that dwelleth longe, it is
295
Ful perilous, al be it nevere so lite./ And
296
Also a man sholde sorwe namely for al that
296
Evere he hath desired agayn the lawe of god
296
With perfit consentynge of his resoun; for therof
296
Is no doute, that it is deedly synne in consentynge./
296
for certes, ther is no deedly synne, that
297
It nas first in mannes thought, and after that
297
In his delit, and so forth into consentynge and
297
Into dede./ Wherfore I seye that many men
298
Ne repenten hem nevere of swiche thoghtes and
298
Delites, ne nevere shryven hem of it, but oonly
298
Of the dede of grete synnes outward./ Wherfore
299
thoghtes been subtile bigileres of hem that
299
Shullen be dampned./ Mooreover man oghte
300
To sorwe for his wikkede wordes as wel as for
300
His wikkede dedes. For certes, the repentaunce
300
Of a synguler synne, and nat repente of alle his
300
Ohter synnes, or elles repenten hym of alle his
300
Othere synnes, and nat of a synguler synne,
300
May nat availle./ For certes, God almyghty
301
is al good; and therfore he foryeveth
301
al, or elles right noght./ And heerof
302
Seith seint augustyn:/ I wot certeynly that
303
God is enemy to everich synnere; and how
303
Thanne, he that observeth o synne, shal he have
303
Foryifnesse of the remenaunt of his othere
303
Synnes? nay./ And forther over, contrcioun
304
Sholde be wonder sorweful and angwissous;
304
And therfore yeveth hym God pleynly his
304
Mercy; and therfore, whan my soule was angwissous
304
withinne me, I hadde remembrance
304
Of God that my preyere myghte come to hym./
305
Forther over, contricioun moste be continueel,
305
And that man have stedefast purpos to shriven
305
Hum, and for to amenden hym of his
305
Lyf./ For soothly, whil contricioun lasteth,
306
Man may evere have hope of foryifnesse;
306
And of this comth hate of synne, that destroyeth
306
synne, bothe in himself, and eek in oother
306
Folk, at his power./ For which seith david:
307
Ye that loven god, hateth wikkednesse. For
307
Trusteth wel, to love God is for to love that he
307
Loveth, and hate that he hateth./
308
The laste thyng that men shal understonde
308
In contricioun is this: wherof avayleth contricioun.
308
I seye that somtyme contricioun delivereth
308
a man fro synne;/ of which that david
309
Seith, I seye, quod david (that is to seyn,
309
I purposed fermely) to shryve me, and thow,
309
Lord, relessedest my synne./ And right so as
310
Contricion availleth noght withouten sad purpos
310
of shrifte, if man have oportunitee, right
310
So litel worth is shrifte or satisfaccioun
310
Withouten contricioun./ And mooreover
311
Contricion destroyeth the prisoun of helle,
311
And maketh wayk and fieble alle the strengthes
311
Of the develes, and restoreth the yiftes of the
311
Hooly goost and of alle goode vertues;/ and
312
It clenseth the soule of synne, and delivereth
312
The soule fro the peyne of helle, and fro the
312
Compaignye of the devel, and fro the servage
312
Of synne, and restoreth it to alle goodes espirituels,
312
and to the compaignye and communyoun
312
Of hooly chirche./ And forther over, it maketh
313
Hym that whilom was sone of ire to be sone
313
Of grace; and alle thise thynges been preved
313
By hooly writ./ And therfore, he that wolde
314
Sette his entente to thise thynges, he were ful
314
Wys; for soothly he ne sholde nat thanne in al
314
His lyf have corage to synne, but yeven his body
314
And al his herte to the service of jhesu crist,
314
And therof doon hym hommage./ For soothly
315
Oure sweete lord jhesu crist hath spared us
315
So debonairly in oure folies, that if he ne hadde
315
Pitee of mannes soule, a sory song we
315
Myghten alle synge./
316
Part II
The seconde partie of penitence is confressioun,
316
that is signe of contricioun./ Now shul
317
Ye understonde what is confessioun, and
317
Wheither it oghte nedes be doon or noon, and
317
Whiche thynges been covenable to verray confessioun./
317
First shaltow understonde that confessioun
318
Is verray shewynge of synnes to the preest./
319
This is to seyn verray, for he moste confessen
319
Hym of alle the condiciouns that bilongen to his
319
Synne, as ferforth as he kan./ Al moot be seyd,
320
And no thyng excused ne hyd ne forwrapped,
320
And noght avaunte thee of thy goode
320
Werkes./ And forther over, it is necessarie
321
to understonde whennes that synnes
321
Spryngen, and how they encreessen and whiche
321
They been./
322
Of the spryngynge of synnes seith seint paul
322
In this wise: that right as by a man synne entred
322
first into this world, and thurgh that synne
322
Deeth, right so thilke deeth entred into alle
322
Men that synneden./ And this man was adam,
323
By whom synne entred into this world, whan
323
He brak the comaundementz of god./ And
324
Therfore, he that first was so myghty that he
324
Sholde nat have dyed, bicam swich oon that he
324
Moste nedes dye, wheither he wolde or noon,
324
And al his progenye in this world, that in thilke
324
Man synneden./ Looke that in th' estaat of innocence,
325
whan adam and eve naked weren
325
In paradys, and nothyng ne hadden shame
325
Of hir nakednesse,/ how that the serpent,
326
That was moost wily of alle othere beestes
326
That God hadde maked, seyde to the womman:
326
Why comaunded God to yow ye sholde nat
326
Answerde: of the fruyt, quod she, of the trees
327
In paradys we feden us, but soothly, of the
327
Fruyt of the tree that is in the myddel of paradys,
327
god forbad us for to ete, ne nat touchen
327
It, lest per aventure we sholde dyen./ The
328
Serpent seyde to the womman: nay, nay, ye
328
Shul nat dyen of deeth; for sothe, God woot
328
That what day that ye eten therof, youre eyen
328
Shul opene, and ye shul been as goddes, knowynge
328
good and harm./ The womman thanne
329
Saugh that the tree was good to feedyng, and
329
Fair to the eyen, and delitable to the sighte.
329
She took of the fruyt of the tree, and eet it,
329
And yaf to hire housbonde, and he eet, and
329
Anoon the eyen of hem bothe openeden./ And
330
Whan that they knewe that they were naked,
330
They sowed of fige leves a maner of
330
Breches to hiden hire membres./ There
331
May ye seen that deedly synne hath, first,
331
Suggestion of the feend, as sheweth heere by
331
The naddre; and afterward, teh delit of the
331
Flessh, as sheweth heere by eve; and after that,
331
The consentynge of resoun, as sheweth heere
331
By adam./ For trust wel, though so were that
332
The feend tempted eve, that is to seyn, the
332
Flessh, and the flessh hadde delit in the beautee
332
Of the fruyt defended, yet certes, til that resoun,
332
That is to seyn, adam, consented to the etynge
332
Of the fruyt, yet stood he in th' estaat of innocence./
332
of thilke adam tooke we thilke wynne
333
Original; for of hym flesshly descended be we
333
Alle, and engendred of vile and corrupt mateere./
333
and whan the soule is put in oure body,
334
Right anon is contract original synne; and that
334
That was erst but oonly peyne of concupiscence,
334
is afterward bothe peyne and synne./
335
And therfore be we alle born sones of wratthe
335
And of dampnacioun perdurable, if it nere baptesme
335
that we receyven, which bynymeth us
335
The culpe. But for sothe, the peyne dwelleth
335
With us, as to temptacioun, which peyne
335
Highte concupiscence./ And this concupiscence,
336
whan it is wrongfully disposed
336
Or ordeyned in man, it maketh hym coveite,
336
By coveitise of flessh, flesshly synne, by sighte
336
Of his eyen as to erthely thynges, and eek
336
Coveitise of hynesse by pride of herte./
337
Now, as for to speken of the firste coveitise,
337
That is concupiscence, after the lawe of oure
337
Membres, that weren lawefulliche ymaked and
337
By rightful juggement of god;/ I seye, forasmuche
338
as man is nat obeisaunt to god, that is
338
His lord, therfore is the flessh to hym disobeisaunt
338
thurgh concupiscence, whigh yet is
338
Cleped norrissynge, of synne and occasioun
338
Of synne./ Therfore, al the while that a
339
Man hath in hym the peyne of concupiscence,
339
it is impossible but he be tempted
339
Somtime and moeved in his flessh to synne./
340
And this thyng may nat faille as longe
340
As he lyveth; it may wel wexe fieble and faille
340
By vertu of baptesme, and by the grace of
340
God thurgh penitence;/ but fully ne shal
341
It nevere quenche, that he ne shal som
341
Tyme be moeved in hymself, but if he were al
341
Refreyded by siknesse, or by malefice of sorcerie,
341
Or colde drynkes./ For lo, what seith seint
342
Paul: the flessh coveiteth agayn the spirit, and
342
The spirit agayn the flessh; they been so contrarie
342
and so stryven that a man may nat alway
342
doon as he wolde./ The same seint paul,
343
After his grete penaunce in water and in lond,
343
-- in water by nyght and by day in greet peril
343
And in greet peyne; in lond, in famyne and
343
Thurst, in coold and cloothelees, and ones stoned
343
Almoost to the deeth,/-- yet seyde he, allas,
344
I caytyf man! who sahl delivere me fro the
344
Prisoun of my caytyf body?/ and seint jerome,
345
whan he longe tyme hadde woned in
345
Desert, where as he hadde no compaignye but
345
Of wilde beestes, where as he ne hadde no mete
345
But herbes, and water to his drynke, ne no bed
345
But the naked erthe, for which his flessh was
345
Blak as an ethiopeen for heete, and ny destroyed
345
for coold,/ yet seyde he that the
346
Brennynge of lecherie boyled in al his
346
Body./ Wherfore I woot wel sykerly that they
347
Been deceyved that seyn that they ne be nat
347
Empted in hir body./ Witnesse on seint jame
348
The apostel, that seith that every wight is
348
Tempted in his owene concupiscence; that is
348
To seyn, that everich of us hath matere and
348
Occasioun to be tempted of the norissynge of
348
Synne that is in his body./ And therfore seith
349
Seint john the evaungelist: if that we seyn
349
That we be withoute synne, we deceyve us
349
Selve, and trouthe is nat in us./
350
Now hal ye understonde in what manere
350
That synne wexeth or encreesseth in man. The
350
Firste thyng is thilke norissynge of synne of
350
Which I spak biforn, thilke flesshly concupiscence./
350
and after that comth the
351
Subjeccioun of the devel, this is to seyn,
351
The develes bely, with which he bloweth in man
351
The fir of flesshly concupiscence./ And after
352
That, a man bithynketh hym wheither he wol
352
Doon, or no, thilke thing to which he is
352
and weyve the firste entisynge of his
353
Flessh and of the feend, thanne is it no synne;
353
And if it so be that he do nat so, thanne feeleth
353
he anoon a flambe of delit./ And thanne
354
Is it good to be war, and kepen hym wel, or
354
Elles he wol falle anon into consentynge of
354
Synne; and thanne wol he do it, if he may have
354
Tyme and place./ And of this matere seith
355
Moyses by the devel in this manere: the
355
Feend seith, -- I wole chace and pursue the man
355
By wikked suggestioun, and I wole hente hym
355
By moevynge or stirynge of synne. And I wol
355
Departe my prise or my praye by deliberacioun,
355
And my lust shal been acompliced in delit.
355
I wol drawe my swerd in consentynge -- /
356
For certes, right as a swerd departeth a
356
Thyng in two peces, right so consentynge departeth
356
god fro man -- and thanne wol I
356
Sleen hym with myn hand in dede of synne;
356
Thus seith the feend./ For certes, thanne is
357
A man al deed in soule. And thus is synne
357
Acompliced by temptacioun, by delit, and by
357
Consentynge; and thanne is the synne cleped
357
Actueel./
358
For sothe, synne is in two maneres; outher
358
It is venial, or deedly synne. Soothly, whan
358
Man loveth any creature moore than jhesu
358
Crist oure creatour, thanne is it deedly synne.
358
And venial synne is it, if man love jhesu crist
358
Lasse than hym oghte./ For sothe, the dede
359
Of this venial synne is ful perilous; for it
359
Amenuseth the love that men sholde han to
359
God moore and moore./ And therfore, it a
360
Man charge hymself with manye swiche venial
360
Synnes, certes, but if so be that he somtyme
360
Descharge hym of hem by shrifte, they mowe
360
Ful lightly amenuse in hym al the love that
360
He hath to jhesu crist;/ and in this wise
361
Skippeth venial into deedly synne. For
361
Certes, the moore that a man chargeth his
361
Soule with venial synnes, the moore is he enclyned
361
to fallen into deedly synne./ And therfore
362
lat us nat be necligent to deschargen us
362
Of venial synnes. For the proverbe seith that
362
Manye smale maken a greet./ And herkne
363
This ensample. A greet wawe of the see comth
363
Som tyme with so greet a violence that it
363
Drencheth the ship. And the same harm doon
363
Som tyme the smale dropes of water, that entren
363
thurgh a litel crevace into the thurrok,
363
And in the botme of the ship, if men be so
363
Necligent that they ne descharge hem nat by
363
Tyme./ And therfore, although ther be a difference
364
bitwixe thise two causes of drenchynge,
364
Algates the ship is dreynt./ Right so fareth it
365
Somtyme of deedly synne, and of anoyouse
365
Veniale synnes, whan they multiplie in a man
365
So greetly that the love of thilke worldly
365
Thynges that he loveth, thurgh whiche he synneth
365
venyally, is as greet in his herte as
365
The love of god, or moore./ And therfore,
366
the love of every thyng that is nat
366
Biset in god, ne doon principally for goddes
366
Sake, although that a man love it lasse than
366
God, yet is it venial synne;/ and deedly synne
367
Whan the love of any thyng weyeth in the
367
Herte of man as muchel as the love of god, or
367
Moore./ Deedly synne, as seith seint augustyn,
368
is whan a man turneth his herte fro
368
God, which that is verray sovereyn bountee,
368
That may nat chaunge, and yeveth his herte
368
To thyng that may chaunge and flitte./ And
369
Certes, that is every thyng save God of hevene.
369
For sooth is that if a man yeve his love, the
369
Which that he oweth al to God with al his
369
Herte, unto a creature, certes, as muche of his
369
Love as he yeveth to thilke creature, so muche
369
He bireveth fro god;/ and therfore dooth he
370
Synne. For he that is dettour to God ne yeldeth
370
nat to God al his dette, that is to seyn,
370
Al the love of his herte./
371
Now sith man understondeth generally
371
Which is venial synne, thanne is it covenable
371
To tellen specially of synnes whiche that many
371
A man peraventure ne demeth hem nat synnes,
371
And ne shryveth him nat of the same thynges,
371
And yet natheless they been synnes;/ soothly, as
372
Thise clerkes writen, this is to seyn, that at every
372
Tyme that a man eteth or drynketh moore than
372
Suffiseth to the sustenaunce of his body, in certein
372
he dooth synne./ And eek whan he speketh
373
moore than it nedeth, it is synne. Eke
373
Whan he herkneth nat benignely the compleint
373
Of the povre;/ eke whan he is in heele of body,
374
And wol nat faste whan other folk faste, withouten
374
cause resonable; eke whan he slepeth
374
Moore than nedeth, or whan he comth by thilke
374
Enchesoun to late to chirche, or to othere werkes
374
Of charite;/ eke whan he useth his wyf, withouten
375
sovereyn desir of engendrure to the honour
375
of god, or for the entente to yelde to
375
His wyf the dette of his body;/ eke whan
376
He wol nat visite the sike and the prisoner,
376
If he may; eke if he love wyf or child, or oother
376
Worldly thyng, moore than resoun requireth;
376
Eke if he flatere or blandise moore than hym
376
Oghte for any necessitee;/ eke if he amenuse
377
He apparailleth his mete moore deliciously than
377
Nede is, or ete it to hastily by likerousnesse;/
378
Eke if he tale vanytees at chirche or at goddes
378
Service, or that he be a talker of ydel wordes of
378
Folye or of vileynye, for he shal yelden acountes
378
Of it at the day of doom;/ eke whan he biheteth
379
or assureth to do thynges that he may nat
379
Perfourne; eke whan that he by lightnesse or
379
Folie mysseyeth or scorneth his neighebor;/
380
Eke whan he hath any wikked suspecioun
380
Of thyng ther he ne woot of it no soothfastnesse:/
380
thise thynges, and no withoute
381
nombre, been synnes, as seith seint
381
Augustyn./
382
Now shal men understonde that, al be it so
382
That noon erthely man may eschue alle venial
382
Synnes, yet may be refreyne hym by the brennynge
382
love that he hath to oure lord jhesu
382
Christ, and by preyeres and confessioun and
382
Othere goode werkes, so that it shal but litel
382
Greve./ For, as seith seint augustyn, if a man
383
Love God in swich manere that al that evere he
383
Dooth is in the love of god, and for the love of
383
God, verraily, for he brenneth in the love of
383
God,/ looke, how muche that a drope of water
384
that falleth in a fourneys ful of fyr anoyeth
384
Or greveth, so muche anoyeth a venial synne
384
Unto a man that is perfit in the love of jhesu
384
Crist./ Men may also refreyne venial synne
385
By receyvynge worthily of the precious
385
Body of jhesu crist;/ by receyvynge eek
386
Of booly water; by almesdede; by general
386
Confessioun of confiteor at masse and at complyn;
386
and by blessynge of bisshopes and of
386
Preestes, and by oothere goode werkes./
387
Part III
Now is it bihovely thyng to telle whiche
387
Been the sevene deedly synnes, this is to seyn,
387
Chiefaynes of synnes. Alle they renne in o
387
Lees, but in diverse manneres. Now been they
387
Cleped chieftaynes, for as muche as they been
387
Chief and spryng of alle othere synnes./ Of
388
The roote of thise sevene synnes, thanne, is
388
Pride the general roote of alle harmes. For of
388
This roote spryngen certein braunches, as ire,
388
Envye, accidie or slewthe, avarice or coveitise
388
(to commune understondynge), glotonye, and
388
Lecherye./ And everich of thise chief synnes
389
Hath his braunches and his twigges, as shal be
389
Declared in hire chapitres folwynge./
390
And thogh so be that no man kan outerly
390
Telle the nombre of the twigges and of the
390
Harmes that cometh of pride, yet wol I shewe
390
A partie of hem, as ye shul understonde./
390
ther is inobedience, avauntynge,
391
ypocrisie, despit, arrogance, inpudence,
391
swellynge of herte, insolence, elacioun,
391
Inpacience, strif, contumacie, presumpcioun,
391
Irreverence, pertinacie, veyne glorie, and many
391
Another twig that I kan nat declare./ Inobedient
392
is he that disobeyeth for despit to the comandementz
392
of god, and to his sovereyns, and
392
To his goostly fader./ Avauntour is he that
393
Bosteth of the harm or of the bountee that he
393
Hath doon./ Ypocrite is he that hideth to
394
Shewe hym swich as he is, and sheweth hym
394
Swich as he noght is./ Despitous is he that
395
Hath desdeyn of his neighebor, that is to seyn, of
395
His evene-cristene, or hath despit to doon
395
That hym oghte to do./ Arrogant is he
396
That thynketh that he hath thilke bountees
396
In hym that he hath noght, or weneth that he
396
Sholde have hem by his desertes, or elles he
396
Demeth that he be that he nys nat./ Inpudent
397
Is he that for his pride hath no shame of his
397
Synnes./ Swellynge of herte is whan a man rejoyseth
398
hym of harm that he hath doon./ Insolent
399
is he that despiseth in his juggement alle
399
Othere folk, as to regatd of his value, and of his
399
Konnyng, and of his spekyng, and of his beryng./
399
elacioun is whan he ne may neither
400
Suffre to have maister ne felawe./ Inpacient
401
is he that wol nat been ytaught ne
401
Undernome of his vice, and by strif werreieth
401
Troughe wityngly, and deffendeth his folye./
402
Contumax is he that thurgh his indignacioun
402
Is agayns everich auctoritee or power of hem
402
That been his sovereyns./ Presumpcioun is whan
403
Nat do, or elles that he may nat do; and this
403
Is called surquidrie. Irreverence is whan men
403
Do nat honour there as hem oghte to doon,
403
And waiten to be reverenced./ Pertinacie is
404
Whan man deffendeth his folie, and truseth to
404
Muchel to his owene wit./ Veyneglorie is for
405
To have pompe and delit in his temporeel
405
Hynesse, and glorifie hym in this worldly
405
Estaat./ Janglynge is whan a man speketh
406
To muche biforn folk, and clappeth as a
406
Mille, and taketh no keep what he seith./
407
And yet is ther a privee spece of pride, that
407
Waiteth first to be salewed er he wole salewe,
407
Al be be lasse worth than that oother is peraventure;
407
and eek he waiteth or desireth to
407
Sitte, or elles to goon above hym in the wey,
407
Or kisse pax, or been encensed, or goon to
407
Offryng biforn his neighebor,/ and swiche sem0
408
Blable thynges, agayns his duetee, peraventure,
408
But that he hath his herte and his entente in
408
Swich a proud desir to be magnified and honoured
408
biforn the peple./
409
Now been ther two maneres of pride: that
409
Oon of hem is withinne the herte of man, and
409
That oother is withoute./ Of whiche, soothly,
410
Thise forseyde thynges, and no that I have
410
Seyd, apertenen to pride that is in the herte
410
Of man; and that othere speces of pride
410
Been withoute./ But natheles that oon
411
Of thise speces of pride is signe of that
411
Oother, right as the gaye leefsel atte taverne
411
Is signe of the wyn that is in the celer./ And
412
This is in manye thynges: as in speche and contenaunce,
412
and in outrageous array of clothyng./
412
for certes, if ther ne hadde be no synne
413
In clothyng, crist wolde nat so soone have
413
Noted and spoken of the clothyng of thilke
413
Riche man in the gospel./ And as seith seint
414
Gregorie, that cprecious clothyng is cowpable
414
For the derthe of it, and for his softenesse, and
414
For his strangenesse and degisynesse, and for
414
The superfluitee, or for the inordinat scantnesse
414
Of it./ Allas! may man nat seen, as in oure
415
Dayes, the synful costlewe array of clothynge,
415
And namely in to muche superfluite, or
415
Elles in to desordinat scantnesse?/
416
As to the first synne, that is in superfluitee
416
of clothynge, which that maketh it so deere,
416
To harm of the peple;/ nat oonly the cost of
417
Embrowdynge, the degise endentynge or barrynge,
417
owndynge, palynge, wyndynge or bendynge,
417
and semblable wast of clooth in vanitee;/
418
But ther is also costlewe furrynge in hir gownes,
418
So muche pownsonynge of chisels to maken
418
Holes, so muche daggynge of sheres;/ forthwith
419
the superfluitee in lengthe of the forseide
419
Gowens, trailynge in the dong and in the mire,
419
On horse and eek on foote, as wel of man as
419
Of womman, that al thilke trailyng is verraily
419
As in effect wasted, consumed, thredbare, and
419
Roten with donge, rather than it is yeven to the
419
Povre, to greet damage of the forseyde povre
419
Folk./ And that in sondry wise; this is to seyn
420
That the moore that clooth is wasted, the moore
420
Moot it coste to the peple for the scarsnesse./
420
and forther over, if so be that
421
They wolde yeven swich pownsoned and
421
Dagged clothyng to the povre folk, it is
421
Nat convenient to were for hire estaat, ne suffisant
421
to beete hire necessitee, to kepe hem fro
421
The distemperance of the firmament./ Upon
422
That oother side, to speken of the horrible disordiant
422
scantnesse of clothyng, as been thise
422
Kutted sloppes, or haynselyns, that thurgh hire
422
Shortnesse ne covere nat the shameful membres
422
of man, to wikked entente./ Allas! somme
423
Of hem shewen the boce or hir shap, and the
423
Horrible swollen membres, that semeth lik the
423
Maladie of hirnia, in the wrappynge of hir
423
Hoses;/ and eek the buttokes of hem faren as
424
It were the hyndre part of a she-ape in the fulle
424
Of the moone./ And mooreover, the wrecched
425
Swollen membres that they shewe thurgh disgisynge,
425
in departynge of hire hoses in whit and
425
Reed, semeth that half hir shameful privee
425
Membres weren flayne./ And if so be that
426
They departen hire hoses in othere colours,
426
As is whit and blak, or whit and blew, or blak
426
And reed, and so forth,/ thanne semeth it, as
427
By variaunce of colour, that half the partie of
427
Hire privee membres were corrupt by the fir
427
Of seint antony, or by cancre, or by oother
427
Swich meschaunce./ Of the hyndre part of hir
428
Buttokes, it is ful horrible for to see. For certes,
428
In that partie of hir body ther as they purgen
428
Hir stynkynge ordure,/ that foule partie shewe
429
They to the peple prowdly in despit of honestitee,
429
which honestitee that jhesu crist and
429
His freendes observede to shewen in hir lyve./
430
Now, as of the outrageous array of wommen,
430
God woot that though the visages of somme of
430
Hem seme ful chaast and debonaire, yet notifie
430
They in hire array of atyr likerousnesse and
430
Pride./ I sey nat that honestitee in clothynge
431
of man or womman is uncovenable,
431
But certes the superfluitee or disordinat scantitee
431
of clothynge is reprevable./ Also the synne
432
Apertenen to ridynge, as in to manye delicat
432
Horses that been hoolden for dlit, that been so
432
Faire, fatte, and costlewe;/ and also in many a
433
Vicious knave that is sustened by cause of hem,
433
And in to curious harneys, as in sadeles, in
433
Crouperes, peytrels, and bridles coverd
433
Precious clothyng, and riche barres and plates
433
Of gold and of silver./ For which God seith
434
By zakarie the prophete, I wol confounde the
434
Rideres of swiche horses./ This folk taken litel
435
Reward of the ridynge of goddes sone of hevene,
435
and of his harneys whan he rood upon
435
The asse, and ne hadde noon oother harneys
435
But the povre clother of his disciples; ne we ne
435
Rede nat that evere he rood on oother
435
Beest./ I speke this for the synne of superfluitee,
436
and nat for resonable honestitee,
436
Whan reson it requireth./ And forther over,
437
Certes, pride is greetly notified in holdynge of
437
Greet meynee, whan they be of litel profit or
437
Of right no profit;/ and namely whan that
438
Meynee is felonous and damageous to the peple
438
By hardynesse of heigh lordshipe or by wey of
438
Offices./ For certes, swiche lordes sellen thanne
439
Hir lordshipe to the devel of helle, whanne they
439
Sustenen the wikkednesse of hir meynee./ Or
440
Elles, whan this folk of lowe degree, as thilke
440
That holden hostelries, sustenen the thefte of
440
Hire hostilers, and that is in many manere
440
Of deceites./ Thilke manere of folk been
441
The flyes that folwen the hony, or elles the
441
Houndes that folwen the careyne. Swich forseyde
441
folk stranglen spiritually hir lordshipes;/
442
For which thus seith david the prophete: wikked
442
deeth moote come upon thilke lordshipes,
442
And God yeve that they moote descenden into
442
Helle al doun; for in hire houses been iniquitees
442
And shrewednesses, and nat God of hevene./
443
And certes, but if they doon amendement,
443
Right as God yaf his benysoun to (laban) by
443
The service of jacob, and to (pharao) by the
443
Service of joseph, right so God wol yeve his
443
Malisoun to swiche lordshipes as sustenen the
443
Wikkednesse of hir servauntz, but they come to
443
Amendement./ Pride of the table appeereth
444
Eek ful ofte; for certes, riche men been cleped
444
To festes, and povre folk been put awey and rebuked./
444
also in excesse of diverse metes and
445
Drynkes, and namely swich manere bake-metes
445
And dissh-metes, brennynge of wilde fir and
445
Peynted and castelled with papir, and semblable
445
wast, so that it is abusioun for to
445
Thynke./ And eek in to greet preciousnesse
446
of vessel and curiositee of mynstralcie,
446
by whiche a man is stired the moore to delices
446
of luxurie,/ if so be that he sette his herte
447
The lasse upon oure lord jhesu crist, certeyn it
447
Is a synne; and certeinly the delices myghte
447
Been so grete in this caas that man myghte
447
Lightly falle by hem into deedly synne. / the
448
Especes that sourden of pride, soothly whan
448
They sourden of malice ymagined, avised, and
448
Forncast, or elles of usage, been deedly synnes,
448
It is no doute. / and whan they sourden by
449
Freletee unavysed, and sodeynly withdrawen
449
Ayeyn, al been they grevouse synnes, I gesse
449
That they ne been nat deedly. / now myghte
450
Men axe wherof that pride sourdeth and
450
Spryngeth, and I seye, somtyme it spryngeth
450
Of the goodes of nature, and somtyme of the
450
Goodes of fortune, and somtyme of the
450
Goodes of grace./ Certes, the goodes of
451
Nature stonden outher in goodes of body
451
Or in goodes of soule./ Certes, goodes of body
452
Been heele of body, strengthe, delivernesse,
452
Beautee, gentrice, franchise./ Goodes of nature
453
of the soule been good wit, sharp understondynge,
453
subtil engyn, vertu natureel, good
453
Memorie./ Goodes of fortune been richesse,
454
Hyghe degrees of lordshipes, preisynges of the
454
Peple./ Goodes of grace been science, power
455
To suffre spiritueel travaille, benignitee, vertuous
455
contemplacioun, withstondynge of
455
Temptacioun, and semblable thynges./ Of
456
Whiche forseyde goodes, certes it is a ful
456
Greet folye a man to priden hym in any of hem
456
Alle./ Now as for to speken of goodes of nature,
457
God woot that somtyme we han hem in nature
457
As muche to oure damage as to oure profit./
458
As for to speken of heele of body, certes it
458
Passeth ful lightly, and eek it is ful ofte enchesoun
458
of the siknesse of oure soule. For, god
458
Woot, the flessh is a ful greet enemy to the
458
Soule; and therfore, the moore that the body
458
Is hool, the moore be we in peril to falle./ Eke
459
For to pride hym in his strengthe of body, it
459
Is an heigh folye. For certes, the flessh coveiteth
459
agayn the spirit; and ay the moore strong
459
That the flessh is, the sorier may the soule be./
460
And over al this, strengthe of body and worldly
460
Hardynesse causeth ful ofte many a man to
460
Peril and meschaunce./ Eek for to pride
461
Hym of his gentrie is ful greet folie; for
461
Ofte tyme the gentrie of the body binymeth
461
The gentrie of the soule; and eek we ben alle
461
Of o fader and of o mooder; and alle we been
461
Of o nature, roten and corrupt, bothe riche and
461
Preise, that apparailleth mannes corage with
462
Vertues and moralitees, and maketh hym cristes
462
Child./ For truste wel that over what man that
463
Synne hath maistrie, he is a verray cherl to
463
Synne./
464
Now been ther generale signes of gentillesse,
464
As eschewynge of vice and ribaudye and servage
464
Of synne, in word, in werk, and contenaunce;/
465
And usynge vertu, curteisye, and clennesse, and
465
To be liberal, that is to seyn, large by mesure;
465
For thilke that passeth mesure is folie and
465
Synne./ Another is to remembre hym of
466
Bountee, that he of oother folk hath receyved./
466
another is to be benigne to his goode
467
Subetis; wherfore seith senek, ther is no
467
Thing moore covenable to a man of heigh estaat
467
than debonairetee and pitee./ And therfore
468
thise flyes that men clepen bees, whan
468
They maken hir kyng, they chesen oon that
468
Hath no prikke wherwith he may stynge./ Another
469
is, a man to have a noble herte and
469
A diligent, to attayne to heighe vertuouse
469
Thynges./ Now certes, a man to pride hym in
470
The goodes of grace is eek an outrageous folie;
470
For thilke yifte of grace that sholde have turned
470
Hym to goodnesse and to medicine, turneth
470
Hym to venym and to confusioun, as seith
470
Seint gregorie./ Certes also, whoso prideth
471
hym in the goodes of fortune, he is a
471
Ful greet fool; for somtyme is a man a greet
471
Lord by the morwe, that is a caytyf and a
471
Wrecche er it be nyght;/ and somtyme the
472
Richesse of a man is cause of his deth; somtyme
472
the delices of a man ben cause of the
472
Grevous maladye thurgh which he dyeth./
473
Certes, the commendacioun of the peple is
473
Somtyme ful fals and ful brotel for to triste;
473
This day they preyse, tomorwe they blame./
474
God woot, desir to have commendacioun eek
474
Of the peple hath caused deeth to many a bisy
474
Man./
475
Now sith that so is that ye han understonde
475
What is pride, and whiche been the speces of it,
475
And whennes pride sourdeth and spryngeth,/
475
now shul ye understonde which is
476
The remedie agayns the synne of pride;
476
And that is hymylitee, or mekenesse./ That is
477
A vertu thurgh which a man hath verray
477
Knoweleche of hymself, and holdeth of hymself
477
no pris ne deyntee, as in regard of his
477
Desertes, considerynge evere his freletee./ Now
478
Been ther three maneres of hymylitee: as humylitee
478
in herte; another hymylitee is in his
478
Mouth; the thridde in his werkes./ The humilitee
479
in herte is in foure maneres. That oon is
479
Whan a man holdeth hymself as noght worth
479
Biforn God of hevene. Another is whan he ne
479
Despiseth noon oother man./ The thridde is
480
Whan he rekketh nat, though men holde hym
480
Noght worth. The ferthe is whan he nys
480
Nat sory of his humiliacioun./ Also the
481
Humilitee of mouth is in foure thynges: in
481
Attempree speche, and in humblesse of speche,
481
And whan he biknoweth with his owene mouth
481
That he is swich as hym thynketh that he is in
481
His herte. Another is whan he preiseth the
481
Bountee of another man, and nothyng therof
481
Amenuseth./ Humilitee eek in werkes is in
482
Foure maneres. The firste is whan he putteth
482
Othere men biforn hym. The seconde is to
482
Chese the loweste place over al. The thridde
482
Is gladly to assente to good conseil./ The
483
Ferthe is to stonde gladly to the award of his
483
Sovereyns, or of hym that is in hyer degree.
483
Certein, this is a greet werk of hymylitee./
484
After pride wol I speken of the foule synne
484
Of envye, which that is, as by the word of the philosophre,
484
sorwe of oother mannes prosperitee;
484
And after the word of seint augustyn, it is sorwe
484
Of oother mennes wele, and joye of othere
484
Mennes harm./ This foule synne is platly
485
Agayns the hooly goost. Al be it so that every
485
Synne is agayns the hooly goost, yet nathelees,
485
For as muche as bountee aperteneth proprely to
485
The hooly goost, and envye comth proprely
485
Of malice, therfore it is proprely agayn the
485
Bountee of the hooly goost./ Now hath
486
Malice two speces; that is to seyn, ahrdnesse
486
of herte in wikkednesse, or elles the flessh
486
Of man is so blynd that he considereth nat that
486
He is in synne, or rekketh nat that he is in synne,
486
Which is the hardnesse of the devel./ That
487
Oother spece of malice is whan a man werreyeth
487
trouthe, whan he woot that it is trouthe;
487
And eek whan he werreyeth the grace that god
487
Hath yeve to his neighebor; and al this is by
487
Envye./ Certes, thanne is envye the worste
488
Synne that is. For soothly, alle othere synnes
488
Been somtyme oonly agayns o special vertu;/
489
But certes, envye is agayns alle vertues and
489
The bountees of his neighebor, and in this manere
489
it is divers from alle othere synnes./ For
490
Wel unnethe is ther any synne that it ne hath
490
Som delit in itself, save oonly envye, that
490
Evere hath in itself angwissh and sorwe./
491
The speces of envye been thise. Ther is
491
First, sorwe of oother mannes goodnesse and
491
Of his prosperitee; and prosperitee is kyndely
491
Matere of joye; thanne is envye a synne agayns
491
Kynde./ The seconde spece of envye is joye
492
Of oother mannes harm; and that is proprely
492
Lyk to the devel, that evere rejoyseth hym of
492
Mannes harm./ Of thise two speces comth bakbityng;
493
and this synne of bakbityng or detraccion
493
hath certeine speces, as thus. Som man
493
Preiseth his neighebor by a wikked entente;/
494
For he maketh alwey a wikked knotte atte laste
494
Ende. Alwey he maketh a but atte laste ende,
494
That is digne of moore blame, than worth is al
494
The preisynge./ The seconde spece is that if a
495
Man be good, and dooth or seith a thing to
495
Good entente, the bakbitere wol turne al thilke
495
Goodnesse up-so-doun to his shrewed entente./
495
the thridde is to amenuse the
496
Bountee of his neighebor./ The fourthe
497
Spece of bakbityng is this, that if men speke
497
Goodnesse of a man, thanne wol the bakbitere
497
Seyn, parfey, swich a man is yet bet than he;
497
In dispreisynge of hym that men preise./ The
498
Fifte spece is this, for to consente gladly and
498
Herkne gladly to the harm that men speke of
498
Oother folk. This synne is ful greet, and ay
498
Encreesseth after the wikked entente of the
498
/bakbitere./ After bakbityng cometh gruchchyng
500
or murmuracioun; and somtyme it
500
Spryngeth of inpacience agayns god, and som-tyme
500
agayns man./ Agayn God it is, whan
501
A man gruccheth agayn the peyne of helle, or
501
Agayns poverte, or los of catel, or agayn reyn
501
Or tempest; or elles gruccheth that shrewes
501
Han prosperitee, or elles for the goode
501
Men han adversitee./ And alle thise
502
Thynges sholde man suffre paciently, for
502
They comen by the rightful juggement and
502
Ordinaunce of god./ Somtyme comth grucching
503
of avarice; as judas grucched agayns the
503
Magdaleyne, whan she enoynted the heved of
503
Oure lord jhesu crist with hir precious oynement./
503
this manere murmure is swich as whan
504
Man gruccheth of goodnesse that hymself
504
Dooth, or that oother folk doon of hir owene
504
Catel./ Somtyme comth murmure of pride; as
505
Whan simon the pharisse gruchched agayn the
505
Magdaleyne, whan she approched to jhesu
505
Crist, and weep at his feet for hire synnes./
506
And somtyme grucchyng sourdeth of envye;
506
Whan men discovereth a mannes harm that
506
Was pryvee, or bereth hym on hond
506
Thyng that is fals./ Murmure eek is ofte
507
Amonges servauntz that grucceh whan hir
507
Sovereyns bidden hem doon leveful thynges; /
508
And forasmuche as they dar nat openly withseye
508
the comaundementz of hir sovereyns, yet
508
Wol they seyn harm, and grucche, and murmure
508
prively for verray despit;/ whiche wordes
509
Men clepen the develes pater noster, though
509
So be that the devel ne hadde nevere pater
509
Noster, but that lewed folk yeven it swich a
509
Name./ Somtyme it comth of ire or pive hate,
510
That norisseth rancour in herte, as afterward I
510
Shal declare./ Thanne cometh eek bitternesse
511
Of herte, thurgh which bitternesse every good
511
Dede of his neighebor semeth to hym bitter
511
and unsavory./ Thanne cometh discord,
512
that unbyndeth alle manere of
512
Freendshipe. Thanne comth scornynge of his
512
Neighebor, al do he never so weel./ Thanne
513
Comth accusynge, as whan man seketh occasioun
513
to anoyen his neighebor, which that is
513
Lyk the craft of the devel, that waiteth bothe
513
Nyght and day to accusen us alle./ Thanne
514
Comth malignitee, thurgh which a man anoyeth
514
his neighebor prively, if he may;/ and if
515
He noght may, algate his wikked wil ne shal
515
Nat wante, as for to brennen his hous pryvely,
515
Or empoysone or sleen his beestes, and semblable
515
thynges./
516
Now wol I speke of remedie agayns this
516
Foule synne of envye. First is the love of god
516
Principal, and lovyng of his neighebor as hymself;
516
for soothly, that oon ne may nat been
516
Withoute that oother./ And truste wel that
517
In the name of thy neighebor thou shalt
517
Understonde the name of thy brother; for certes
517
Alle we have o fader flesshly, and o mooder,
517
That is to seyn, adam and eve; and eek o fader
517
Espiritueel, and that is God of hevene./ Thy
518
Neighebor artow holden for to love, and wilne
518
Hym alle goodnesse; and therfore seith god,
518
Love thy neighebor as thyselve, that is to
518
Seyn, to salvacioun bothe of lyf and of soule./
519
And mooreover thou shalt love hym in word,
519
And in benigne amonestynge and chastisynge,
519
And conforten hym in his anoyes, and preye for
519
Shalt love hym in swich wise that thou shalt
520
Doon to hym in charitee as thou woldest that
520
It were doon to thyn owene persone./ And
521
Therfore thou ne shalt doon hym no damage
521
In wikked word, ne harm in his body, ne in
521
His catel, ne in his soule, by entissyng of
521
Wikked ensample./ Thou shalt nat desiren
522
His wyf, ne none of his thynges. Understoond
522
eek that in the name of neighebor is
522
Comprehended his enemy./ Certes, man shal
523
Loven his enemy, by the comandement of god,
523
And soothyly thy freend shaltow love in god./
524
I seye, thyn enemy shaltow love for goddes
524
Sake, by his comandement. For if it were reson
524
That man sholde haten his enemy, for so he
524
God nolde nat receyven us to his love that been
524
His enemys./ Agayns three manere of wronges
525
That his enemy dooth to hym, he shal doon
525
Three thynges, as thus./ Agayns hate and rancour
526
of herte, he shal love hym in herte.
526
Agayns chidyng and wikkede wordes, he shal
526
Preye for his enemy. Agayns the wikked dede
526
Of his enemy, he shal doon hym bountee./
526
for crist seith: loveth youre enemys,
527
and preyeth for hem that speke yow
527
Harm, and eek for hem that yow chacen and
527
Pursewen, and dooth bountee to hem that yow
527
Haten. Loo, thus comaundeth us oure lord
527
Jhesu crist to do to oure enemys./ For smoothly,
528
Nature dryveyh us to loven oure freends, and
528
Parfey, oure enemys han moore nede to love
528
That oure freendes; and they that moore nede
528
Have, certes to hem shal men doon goodnesse;/
529
And certes, in thilke dede have we remembraunce
529
of the love of jhesu crist that deyde
529
For his enemys./ And in as muche as thilke
530
Love is the moore grevous to perfourne, so
530
Muche is the moore gret the merite; and therfore
530
the lovynge of oure enemy hath confounded
530
the venym of the devel./ For right
531
As the devel is disconfited by humylitee, right
531
So is he wounded to the deeth by love of
531
Oure enemy./ Certes, thanne is love the
532
Medicine that casteth out the venym of
532
Envye fro mannes herte./ The speces of this
533
Paas shullen be moore largely declared in hir
533
Chapitres folwynge./
534
And envye wol I discryven the synne
534
Ire. For soothly, whoso hath envye upon his
534
Neighebor, anon he wole comunly fynde hym
534
A matere of wratthe, in word or in dede, agayns
534
Hym to whom he hath envye./ And as wel
535
Comth ire of pride, as of envye; for soothly,
535
He that is proud or envyous is lightly wrooth./
536
This synne of ire, after the discryvyng of
536
Seint augustyn, is wikked wil to been
536
Avenged by word, or by dede./ Ire, after
537
The philosophre, is the fervent blood of
537
Man yquyked in his herte, thurgh which he
537
Wole harm to hym that he hateth./ For certes,
538
The herte of man, by eschawfynge and moevynge
538
of his blood, wexeth so trouble that he is
538
Out of alle juggement of resoun./ But ye shal
539
Understonde that ire is in two maneres; that
539
Oon of hem is good, and that oother is wikked./
539
the goode ire is by jalousie of goodnesse,
540
thurgh which a man is wrooth with wikkednesse
540
and agayns wikkednesse; and therfore
540
seith a wys man that ire is bet than pley./
541
This ire is with debonairetee, and it is wrooth
541
Withouten bitternesse; nat wrooth agayns the
541
Man, but wrooth with the mysdede of the man,
541
As seith the prophete david, irasciminI
541
Et nolite peccare./ Now understondeth
542
That wikked ire is in two maneres; that is
542
To seyn, sodeyn ire or hastif ire, withouten
542
Avisement and consentynge of resoun./ The
543
Menyng and the sens of this is, that the resoun
543
Of a man ne consente nat to thilke sodeyn ire;
543
And thanne is it venial./ Another ire is ful
544
Wikked, that comth of felonie of herte avysed
544
And cast biforn, with wikked wil to do vengeance,
544
and therto his resoun consenteth; and
544
Soothly this is deedly synne./ This ire is so
545
Displesant to God that it troubleth his hous,
545
And chaceth the hooly goost out of mannes
545
Soule, and wasteth and destroyeth the liknesse
545
Of god, that is to seyn, the vertu that is in
545
Mannes soule,/ and put in hym the liknesse
546
Of the devel, and bynymeth the man fro
546
God, that is his rightful lord./ This ire
547
Is a ful greet plesaunce to the devel; for
547
It is the develes fourneys, that is eschawfed
547
With the fir of helle./ For certes, right so as
548
Fir is moore mighty to destroyen erthely thynges
548
Than any oother element, right so ire is myghty
548
To destroyen alle spiritueel thynges./ Looke how
549
That fir of smale gleedes, that been almost dede
549
Under asshen, wollen quike agayn whan they
549
Been touched with brymstoon; right so ire wol
549
Everemo quyken agayn, whan it is touched by
549
The pride that is covered in mannes herte./
550
For certes, fir ne may nat comen out of no
550
Thyng, but if it were first in the same thyng
550
Steel./ And right so as pride is ofte tyme matere
551
of ire, right so is rancour norice and
551
Kepere of ire./ Ther is a maner tree, as
552
Seith seint ysidre, that whan men maken
552
Fir of thilke tree, and covere the coles of
552
With asshen, soothly the fir of it wol lasten
552
A yeer or moore./ And right so fareth it
553
Rancour; whan it is ones conceyved in the
553
Hertes of som men, certein, it wol lasten peraventure
553
from oon estre day unto another
553
Estre day, and moore./ But certes, thilke man
554
Is ful fer fro the mercy of God al thilke while./
555
In this forseyde develes fourneys ther forgen
555
Three shrewes: pride, that ay bloweth and encreesseth
555
the fir by chidynge and wikked
555
Wordes;/ thanne stant envye, the holdeth the
556
Hoote iren upon the herte of man with a
556
Peire of longe toonges of long rancour;/
557
And thanne stant the synne of contumelie,
557
Or strif and cheeste, and batereth and forgeth
557
By vileyns reprevynges./ Certes, this cursed
558
Synne annoyeth bothe to the man hymself and
558
Eek to his neighebor. For soothly, almoost al
558
The harm that any man dooth to his neighebor
558
Comth of wratthe./ For certes, outrageous
559
Wratthe dooth al that evere the devel hym
559
Comaundeth; for he ne spareth neigher crist ne
559
His sweete mooder./ And in his outrageous anger
560
and ire, allas! allas! ful many oon at that
560
Tyme feeleth in his herte ful wikkedly, bothe
560
Of crist and eek of alle his halwes./ Is nat this
561
A cursed vice? yis, certes. Allas! it bynymeth
561
From man his wit and his resoun, and al his debonaire
561
lif espiritueel that sholde kepen his
561
Soule./ Certes, it bynymeth eek goddes
562
Due lordshipe, and that is mannes soule,
562
And the love of his neighebores. It stryveth
562
Eek alday agayn trouthe. It reveth hym the
562
Quiete of his herte, and subverteth his soule./
563
Of ire comen thise stynkynge engendrures:
563
First, hate, that is oold wratthe; discord, thurgh
563
Which a man forsaketh his olde freend that he
563
Hath loved ful longe;/ and thanne cometh
564
Werre, and every manere of wrong that man
564
Dooth to his neighebor, in body or in catel./
565
Of this cursed synne of ire cometh eek manslaughtre.
565
and understonde wel that homycide,
565
That is manslaughtre, is in diverse wise. Som
565
Manere of homycide is spiritueel, and som is
565
Bodily./ Spiritueel manslaughtre is in sixe
566
Thynges. First by hate, as seith seint john:
566
He that hateth his brother is an homycide./
566
homycide is eek by babkbitynge,
567
Of whiche bakbiteres seith salomon that
567
They han two swerdes with whiche they sleen
567
Hire neighebores. For soothly, as wikke is to
567
Bynyme his good name as his lyf./ Homycide is
568
Eek in yevynge of wikked conseil by fraude;
568
As for to yeven conseil to areysen wrongful
568
Custumes and taillages./ Of whiche seith salomon:
569
leon rorynge and bere hongry been like
569
To the crueel lordshipes in witholdynge or
569
Abreggynge of the shepe (or the hyre), or of
569
The wages of sevauntz, or elles in usure, or
569
In withdrawynge of the almesse of povre folk./
570
For which the wise man seith, fedeth hym that
570
Almoost dyeth for honger; for soothly, but if
570
Thow feede hym, thou sleest hym; and alle thise
570
Been deedly synnes./ Bodily manslaughtre is,
571
Whan thow sleest him with thy tonge in oother
571
Manere; as whan thou comandest to sleen a
571
Man, or elles yevest hym conseil to sleen
571
A man./ Manslaughtre in dede is in foure
572
Maneres. That oon is by lawe, right as a
572
Justice dampneth hym that is coupable to the
572
Deeth. But lat the justice be war that he do
572
It rightfully, and that he do it nat for delit to
572
Spille blood, but for kepynge of rightwisnesse./
573
Another homycide is that is doon for necessitee,
573
As whan o man sleeth another is his defendaunt,
573
and that he ne may noon ootherwise escape
573
from his owene deeth./ But certeinly if
574
He may escape withouten slaughtre of his adversarie,
574
and sleeth hym, he dooth synne and
574
He shal bere penance as for deedly synne./
575
Eek if a man, by caas or aventure, shete an arwe,
575
Or caste a stoon, with which he sleeth a man,
575
He is homycide./ Eek if a womman by necligence
576
overlyeth hire child in hir slepyng,
576
It is homycide and deedly synne./ Eek
577
Whan man destourbeth concepcioun of a
577
Child, and maketh a womman outher bareyne
577
By drynkynge venenouse herbes thurgh which
577
She may nat conceyve, or sleeth a child by
577
Drynkes wilfully, or elles putteth certeine material
577
thynges in hire secree places to slee the
577
Child,/ or elles dooth unkyndely synne, by
578
Which man or womman shedeth hire nature
578
In manere or in place ther as a child may nat
578
Be conceived, or elles if a woman have conceyved,
578
and hurt hirself and sleeth the child,
578
Yet is it homycide./ What seye we eek of
579
Wommen that mordren hir children for drede
579
Of worldly shame? certes, an horrible homicide./
579
homycide is eek if a man approcheth
580
To a womman by desir of lecherie, thurgh which
580
The child is perissed, or elles smyteth a womman
580
Alle thise been homycides and horrible deedly
580
Synnes./ Yet comen ther of ire manye mo
581
Synnes, as wel in word as in thoght and in
581
Dede; as he that arretteth upon god, or blameth
581
god of thyng of which he is hymself
581
Gilty, or despiseth God and alle his halwes, as
581
Doon thise cursede hasardours in diverse
581
Contrees./ This cursed synne doon they,
582
Whan they feelen in hir herte ful wikkedly
582
Of God and of his halwes./ Also whan they
583
Treten unreverently the sacrement of the auter,
583
Thilke synne is so greet that unnethe may it
583
Been releessed, but that the mercy of god
583
Passeth alle his werkes; it is so greet, and he
583
So benigne./ Thanne comth of ire attry angre.
584
Whan a man is sharply amonested in his shrifte
584
To forleten his synne,/ thanne wole he be anfry,
585
and answeren hokerly and angrily, and
585
Deffended or excusen his synne by unstedefastnesse
585
of his flessh; or elles he dide it for
585
To holde compaignye with his felawes; or elles,
585
He seith, the feend enticed hym;/ or elles he
586
Dide it for his youthe; or elles his compleccioun
586
is so corageous that he may nat forbere;
586
Or elles it is his destinee, as he seith, unto a
586
Certein age; or eles, he seith, it cometh hym
586
Of gentillesse of his auncestres; and semblable
586
thynges./ Alle thise manere of folk
587
So wrappen hem in hir synnes that they ne
587
Wol nat delivere hemself. For soothly, no wight
587
That excuseth hym wilfully of his synne may
587
Nat been delivered of his synne, til that he
587
Mekely biknoweth his synne./ After this,
588
Thanne cometh sweryng, that is expres agayn
588
The comandement of god; and this bifalleth
588
Ofte of anger and of ire./ God seith: thow
589
Shalt nat take the name of thy lord God in
589
Veyn or in ydel. Also oure lord jhesu crist
589
Weith, by the word of seint mathew,/ ne wol
590
Ye nat swere in alle manere; neither by hevene,
590
for it is goddes trone; ne by erthe, for
590
It is the bench of his feet; ne by jerusalem,
590
For it is the citee of a greet kyng; ne by thyn
590
Heed, for thou mayst nat make an heer whit
590
Ne blak./ But seyeth by youre word -- ye, he, --
591
And -- nay, nay -- ; and what that is moore, it
591
Is of yvel, -- thus seith crist./ For cristes
592
Sake, ne swereth nat so synfully in dismembrynge
592
of crist by soule, herte, bones, and
592
Body. For certes, it semeth that ye thynke that
592
The cursede jewes ne dismembred nat ynough
592
The preciouse persone of crist, but ye dismembre
592
hym moore./ And if so be that the lawe
593
Compelle yow to swere, thanne rule yow after
593
The lawe of God in youre sweriyng, as seith
593
Jeremye, quarto capitulo: thou shalt kepe
593
Three condicions: thou shalt swere in trouthe,
593
In doom, and in rightwisnesse./ This is to
594
Seyn, thou shalt swere sooth; for every lesynge
594
Is agayns crist. For crist is verray trouthe.
594
And thynk wel this, that every greet swerere
594
Nat compedded lawefully to swere, the wounde
594
Shal nat departe from his hous whil he useth
594
Swich unleveful swerying./ Thou shalt sweren
595
Eek in doom, whan thou art constreyned by thy
595
Domesman to witnessen the trouthe./ Eek thow
596
Shalt nat swere for envye, ne for favour, ne for
596
Meede, but for rightwisnesse, for declaracioun
596
Of it, to the worshipe of God and helpyng
596
Of thyne evene-cristene./ And therefore
597
Every man that taketh goodes name in
597
Ydel, or falsly swereth with his mouth, or elles
597
Taketh on hym the name of crist, to be called
597
A cristen man, and lyveth agayns cristed lyvynge
597
and his techynge, alle they taken goddes
597
Name in ydel./ Looke eek what seint peter
598
Seith, actuum, quarto, non est aliud nomen sub
598
Celo, etc., ther nys noon oother name, seith
598
Seint peter, under hevene yeven to men, in
598
Which they mowe be saved; that is to seyn,
598
But the name of jhesu crist./ Take kep eek
599
How precious is the name of crist, as seith
599
Seint paul, ad philipenses, secundo, in nomine
599
Jhesu, etc., that in the name of jhesu every
599
Knee of hevenely creatures, or erthely, or of helle
599
Sholde bowe; for it is so heigh and so worshipful
599
that the cursede feend in helle sholde tremblen
599
to heeren it ynempned./ Thanne semeth
600
It that men that sweren so horribly by his
600
Blessed name, that they despise it moore
600
Booldely that dide the cursede jewes, or elles
600
The devel, that trembleth whan he heereth his
600
Name./
601
Now certes, sith that sweryng, but if it
601
Be lawefully doon, is so heighly deffended,
601
Muche worse is forsweryng falsly, and yet
601
Nedelees./
602
What seye we eek of hem that deliten
602
Hem in sweryng, and holden it a gentrie or a
602
Manly dede to swere grete others? and what
602
Of hem that of verray usage ne cesse nat to
602
Swere grete othes, al be the cause nat worth
602
A straw? certes, this is horrible synne./ Swerynge
603
sodeynly withoute avysement is eek a
603
Synne./ But lat us go now to thilke horrible
604
Sweryng of adjuracioun and conjuracioun, as
604
Doon thise false enchauntours or nigromanciens
604
Swerd, in a cercle, or in a fir, or in a shulderboon
604
of a sheep./ I kan nat seye but that they
605
Doon cursedly and dampnably agayns crist and
605
Al the feith of hooly chirche./
606
What seye we of hem that bileeven on divynailes,
606
as by flight or by noyse of briddes, or
606
Of beestes, or by sort, by nigromancie, by dremes,
606
By chirkynge of dores, or crakkynge of houses,
606
By gnawynge of rattes, and swich manere
606
Wrecchednesse?/ certes, al this thyng is
607
Deffended by God and by hooly chirche.
607
For which they been acursed, til they come
607
To amendement, that on swich filthe setten hire
607
Bileeve./ Charmes for woundes or maladie of
608
Men or of beestes, if they taken any effect, it
608
May be peraventure that God suffreth it, for
608
Folk sholden yeve the moore feith and reverence
608
to his name./
609
Now wol I speken of lesynges, which generally
609
is fals signyficaunce of word, in entente to
609
Deceyven his evene-cristene./ Som lesynge is
610
Of which ther comth noon avantage to no wight;
610
And som lesynge turneth to the ese and profit
610
Of o man, and to disese and damage of another
610
Man./ Another lesynge is for to saven his lyf
611
Of his catel. Another lesynge comth of delit
611
For to lye, in which delit they wol forge a
611
Long tale, and peynten it with alle circumstaunces,
611
where al the ground of the tale
611
Is fals./ Som lesynge comth, for he wole
612
Sustene his word; and som lesynge comth
612
Of reccheleesnesse withouten avisement; and
612
Semblable thynges./
613
Lat us now touche the vice of flaterynge,
613
Which ne comth nat gladly but for drede or
613
For coveitise./ Flaterye is generally wrongful
614
Preisynge. Flatereres been the develes norices,
614
That norissen his children with milk losengerie./
614
for sothe, salomon seith that flaterie
615
Is wors than detraccioun. For somtyme detraccion
615
maketh an hauteyn man be the moore
615
Humble, for he dredeth detraccion; but certes
615
Flaterye, that maketh a man to enhauncen his
615
Herte and his contenance./ Flatereres been
616
The develes enchauntours; for they make a
616
Man to wene of hymself be lyk that he nys
616
Nat lyk./ They been lyk to judas that bitraysen
617
a man to sellen hym to his enemy,
617
That is to the devel./ Flatereres been the develes
618
chapelleyns, that syngen evere placebb./
619
I rekene flaterie in the vices of ire; for ofte
619
Tyme, if o man be wrooth with another, thanne
619
Wole he flatere som wight to sustene hym in his
619
Querele./
620
Speke we now of swich cursynge as comth
620
Of irous herte. Malisoun generally may be
620
Seyd every maner power of harm. Swich cursynge
620
bireveth man fro the regne of god, as
620
Seith seint paul. / and ofte tyme swiche cursynge
621
wrongfully retorneth agayn to hym that
621
Curseth, as a bryd that retorneth agayn to
621
His owene nest./ And over alle thyng men
622
Oghten eschewe to cursen hir children,
622
And yeven to the devel hire engendrure, as
622
Ferforth as in hem is. Certes, it is greet peril
622
And greet synne./
623
Lat us thanne speken of chidynge and reproche,
623
whiche been ful grete woundes in
623
Mannes herte, for they unsowen the semes of
623
Freendshipe in mannes herte./ For certes, unnethes
624
may a man pleynly been accorded with
624
Hym that hath hym openly revyled and repreved
624
and disclaundred. This ia a ful grisly
624
Synne, as crist seith in the gospel./ And taak
625
Kep now, that he that repreveth his neighebor,
625
Outher he repreveth hym by som harm of peyne
625
That he hath on his body, as mesel, croked
625
Harlot, or by som synne that he dooth./ Now
626
If he repreve hym by harm of peyne, thanne
626
Turneth the repreve to jhesu crist, for peyne
626
Is sent by the rightwys sonde of god, and
626
By his suffrance, be it meselrie, or maheym,
626
or maladie./ And if he repreve hym
627
Uncharitably of synne, as thou holour,
627
Thou dronkelewe harlot, and so forth, thanne
627
Aperteneth that to the rejoysynge of the devel,
627
That evere hath joyde that men doon synne./
628
And certes, chidynge may nat come but out
628
Of a vileyns herte. For after the habundance
628
Of the herte speketh the mouth ful ofte./ And
629
Ye shul understonde that looke, by the wey,
629
Whan any man shal chastise another, that he
629
Be war from chidynge or reprevynge. For
629
Trewely, but he be war, he may ful lightly
629
Quyken the fir of angre and of wratthe, which
629
That he sholde quenche, and peraventure sleeth
629
Hym, which that he myghte chastise with benignitee./
629
for as seith salomon, the amyable
630
Tonge is the tree of lyf, that is to seyn, of lyf
630
Espiritueel; and soothly, a deslavee tonge sleeth
630
Spirites of hym that repreveth and eek of
630
Hym that is repreved./ Loo, what seith seint
631
Augustyn: ther is nothyng so lyk the develes
631
Child as he that ofte chideth. Seint paul seith
631
Eek, the servant of God bihoveth nat to
631
Chide./ And how that chidynge be a
632
Vileyns thyng bitwixe alle manere folk,
632
Man and his wyf; for there is nevere reste. And
632
Wherfore seith salomon, an hous that is uncovered
632
and droppynge, and a chidynge wyf,
632
Been lyke./ A man that is in a droppynge
633
Hous in manye places, though he eschewe the
633
Droppynge in a place, it droppeth on hym in
633
Another place. So fareth it by a chydynge wyf;
633
But shc chide hym in o place, she wol chide
633
Hym in another./ And therfore, bettre is a
634
Morsel of breed with joye than an hous ful of
634
Delices with chidynge, seith salomon./ Seint
635
Paul seith: oye wommen, be ye subgetes to
635
Youre housbondes as bihoveth in god, and ye
635
Men loveth youre wyves. Add colossenses,
635
Tertio./
636
Afterward speke we of scornynge, which is
636
A wikked synne, and namely whan he
636
Scorneth a man for his goode werkes./
637
For certes, swiche scorneres faren lyk the
637
Foule tode, that may nat endure to smelle the
637
Soote savour of the vyne whanne it florissheth./
638
Thise scorneres been partyng felawes with the
638
Devel; for they han joye whan the devel wynneth,
638
and sorwe whan he leseth./ They been
639
Adversaries of jhesu crist, for they haten that
639
He loveth, that is to seyn, salvacioun of soule./
640
Speke we now of wikked conseil; for he that
640
Wikked conseil yeveth is a traytour. For he deceyveth
640
hym that trusteth in hym, ut achitofel
640
Ad absolonem. But nathelees, yet is his wikked
640
Conseil first agayn hymself/ for, as seith the
641
Wise man, every fals lyvynge hath this propertee
641
in hymself, that he that wole anoye
641
Another man, he anoyeth first hymself./
642
And men shul understonde that man shal
642
Nat taker his conseil of fals folk, ne of angry
642
Folk, or grevous folk, ne of folk that lovern
642
Specially to muchel hir owene profit, ne to
642
Muche worldly folk, namely in conseilynge of
642
Soules./
643
Now comth the synne of hem that sowen
643
And maken discord amounges folk, which is a
643
Synne that crist hateth outrely. And no wonder
643
is; for he deyde for to make concord./ And
644
Moore shame do they to crist, than dide they
644
That hym crucifiede; for God loveth bettre that
644
Freendshipe be amonges folk, than he dide his
644
Owene body, the which that he yaf for unitee.
644
Therfore been they likned to the devel, that
644
Evere is aboute to maken discord./
645
Now comth the synne of double tonge;
645
Swiche as speken faire byforn folk, and wikkedly
645
bihynde; or elles they maken semblant
645
As though they speeke of good entencioun, or
645
Elles in game and pley, and yet they speke of
645
Wikked entente./
646
Now comth biwreying of conseil, thurgh
646
Which a man is defamed; certes, unnethe
646
May be restoore the damage./
647
Now comth manace, that is an open
647
Folye; for he that ofte manaceth, he threteth
647
Moore than he may perfourne ful ofte tyme./
648
Now cometh ydel wordes, that is withouten
648
Profit of hym that speketh tho wordes, and eek
648
Of hym that herkneth tho wordes. Or elles ydel
648
Wordes been tho that been nedelees, or withouten
648
entente of natureel profit./ And al be it
649
That ydel wordes been somtyme venial synne,
649
Yet sholde men douten hem, for we shul yeve
649
Rekenynge of hem bifore god./
650
Now comth janglynge, that may nat been
650
Withoute synne. And, as seith salomon, it is
650
A sygne a apert folye./ And therfore a phI
651
Losophre seyde, whan men axed hym how that
651
Men sholde plese the peple, and he answerde
651
Do manye goode werkes, and spek fewe
651
Jangles./
652
After this comth the synne of japeres,
652
That been the develes apes; for they maken
652
Folk to laughe at hire japerie as folk doon at
652
The gawdes of an ape. Swiche japes deffendeth
652
seint paul./ Looke how that vertuouse
653
Wordes and hooly conforten hem that travaillen
653
In the service of crist, right so conforten the
653
Vileyns wordes and knakkes of japeris hem that
653
Travaillen in the service of the devel./ Thise
654
Been the synnes that comen of the tonge that
654
Comen of ire and of ohtere synnes mo./
655
The remedie agayns ire is a vertu that men
655
Clepen mansuetude, that is debonairette; and
655
Eek another vertu, that men callen pacience or
655
Suffrance./
656
Debonairetee withdraweth and refreyneth the
656
Stirynges and the moevynges of mannes corage
656
In his herte, in swich manere that they ne
656
Skippe nat out by angre ne by ire./ Suffrance
657
suffreth swetely alle the anoyaunces
657
And the wronges that men doon to man outward./
657
seint jerome seith thus of debonairetee,
658
That it dooth noon harm to no wight ne seith;
658
Ne for noon harm that men doon or seyn, he
658
Ne eschawfeth nat agayns his resoun./ This
659
Vertu somtyme comth of nature; for, as seith
659
Nature debonaire and tretable to goodnesse;
659
But whan debonairetee is enformed of grace,
659
Thanne is it the moore worth./
660
Pacience, that is another remedie agayns iro,
660
Is a vertu that suffreth swetely every mannes
660
Goodnesse, and is nat wrooth for noon harm
660
That is doon to hym./ The philosophre seith
661
That pacience is thilke vertu that suffreth
661
Debonairely alle the outrages of adversitee
661
And every wikked word./ This vertu maketh
662
a man lyk to god, and maketh hym
662
Goddes owene deere child, as seith grist. This
662
Vertu disconfiteth thyn enemy. And therfore
662
Seith the wise man. If thow wolt venquysse
662
Thyn enemy, lerne to suffre./ And thou shalt
663
Understonde that man suffreth foure manere of
663
Grevances in outward thynges, agayns the
663
Whiche foure he moot have foure manere of
663
Paciences./
664
The firste grevance is of wikkede wordes.
664
Thilke suffrede jhesu crist withouten grucchyng,
664
ful paciently, whan the jewes despised
664
And repreved hym ful ofte./ Suffre thou therfore
665
paciently; for the wise man seith, if thou
665
Stryve with a fool, though the fool be wrooth
665
Or though he laughe, algate thou shalt have no
665
Reste./ That oother grevance outward is to
666
Have damage of thy catel. Theragayns suffred
666
crist ful paciently, whan he was despoyled
666
Of al that he hadde in this lyf, and that nas
666
But his clothes./ The thridde grevance is a
667
Man to have harm in his body. That suffred
667
crist ful paciently in al his passioun./ The
668
Fourthe grevance is in outrageous labour in
668
Werkes. Wherfore I seye that folk that maken
668
Hir servantz to travaillen to grevously, or out
668
Of tyme, as on haly dayes, soothly they do greet
668
Synne./ Heer-agayns suffred crist ful paciently
669
And taughte us pacience, whan he baar upon
669
His blissed shulder the croys upon which e
669
Sholde suffren despitous deeth./ Heere man
670
Men lerne to be pacient; for certes noght oonly
670
Cristen men been pacient, for love of jhesu
670
Crist, and for gerdoun of the blisful lyf that
670
Is perdurable, but certes, the olde payens that
670
Nevere were cristene, commendeden and useden
670
the vertu of pacience./
671
A philosophre upon a tyme, that wolde have
671
Beten his disciple for his grete trespas, for
671
Which he was greetly amoeved, broghte
671
A yerde to scoure with the child;/ and
672
Whan this child saugh the yerde, he seyde
672
To his maister, what thenke ye do?? I wol
672
Bete thee, quod the maister, for thy correccioun./
672
for sothe, quod the child, ye
673
Oghten first correcte youreself, that han lost
673
Al youre pacience for the gilt of a child./
674
For sothe, quod the maister al wepynge,
674
Thow seyst sooth. Have thow the yerde, my
674
Deere sone, and correcte me for myn impacience./
674
of pacience comth obedience, thurgh
675
Which a man is obedient to crist and to alle
675
Hem to whiche he oghte to been obedient in
675
Crist./ And understond wel that obedience is
676
Perfit, whan that a man dooth gladly and
676
Hastily, with good herte entierly, al that
676
He sholde do./ Obedience generally is to
677
Perfourne the doctrine of God and of his
677
Sovereyns, to whiche hym oghte to ben obeisaunt
677
in alle rightwisnesse./
678
After the synne of envye and of ire, now
678
Wol I speken of the synne of accidie. For
678
Envye blyndeth the herte of a man, and ire
678
Troubleth a man, and accidie maketh hym
678
Hevy, thoghtful, and wraw./ Envye and ire
679
Maker bitternesse in herte, which bitternesse
679
Is mooder of accidie, and bynymeth hym the
679
Love of alle goodnesse. Thanne is accidie the
679
Angwissh of troubled herte; and seint augustyn
679
Seith, it is anoy of goodnesse and ioye of
679
Harm./ Certes, this is a dampnable synne;
680
For it dooth worng to jhesu crist, in as muche
680
As it bynymeth the service that men oghte doon
680
To crist with alle diligence, as seith salomon./
681
But accidie dooth no swich diligence. He
681
Dooth alle thyng with anoy, and with wrawnesse,
681
slaknesse, and excusacioun, and with
681
Ydelnesse, and unlust; for which the book seith,
681
Acursed be he that dooth the service of
681
God necligently. / thanne is accidie enemy
682
to everich estaat of man; for certes,
682
The estaat of man is in three maneres. / outher
683
It is th,estaat of innocence, as was th,estaat of
683
Adam biforn that he fil into synne;in which
683
Estaat he was holden to wirche as in heriynge
683
And adowrynge of god. / another estaat is the
684
Estaat of synful men, in which estaat men been
684
Holden to laboure in preiynge to God for
684
Amendement of hire synnes, and that he wole
684
Graunte hem to arysen out of hir symmes. / another
685
estaat is th,estaat of grace; in which estaat
685
He is holden to werkes of penitence. And certes,
685
To alle thise thynges is accidie enemy and contrarie,
685
for he lovethno bisynesse at al. / now
686
Greet enemy to the liflode of the body; for it
686
Ne hath no purveaunce agayn temporeel necessitee;
686
For it forsleweth and forsluggeth and
686
Destroyeth alle goodes temporeles by
686
Reccheleesnesse. /
687
the fourthe thyng is that accidie is lyk
687
Hem that been in the peyne of helle, by cause
687
Of hir slouthe and of hire hevynesse; for they
687
That been dampned been so bounde that they
687
Ne may neither wel do ne wel thynke./ Of
688
Accidie comth first, that a man is anoyed and
688
Encombred for to doon any goodnesse, and
688
Maketh that God hath abhomynacion of swich
688
Accidie, as seith seint john. /
689
now comth slouthe, that wol nat suffre
689
Noon hardnesse ne no penaunce. For soothly,
689
Slouthe is so tendre and so delicaat, as seith
689
Salomon, that he wol nat suffre noon hardnesse
689
Ne penaunce, and therfore he shendeth al that
689
He dooth. / agayns this roten-herted synne of
690
Accidie and slouthe sholde men exercise hemself
690
To doon goode werkes, and manly and vertuously
690
Cacchen corage wel to doon, thynkynge
690
That oure lord jhesu crist quiteth every good
690
Dede, be it never so lite. / usage of labour is
691
A greet thyng, for it maketh, as seith seint bernard,
691
The laborer to have stronge armes and
691
Harde synwes; and slouthe maketh hem
691
Feble and tendre. / thanne comth drede
692
To bigynne to werke anye goode werkes.
692
For certes, he that is enclyned to synne, hym
692
Thynketh it is so greet an emprise for to undertake
692
To doon werkes of goodnesse, / and
693
Casteth in his herte that the circumstances of
693
Goodnesse been so grevouse and so chargeaunt
693
For to suffre, that he dar nat undertake to do
693
Werkes of goodnesse, as seith seint gregorie. /
694
now comth wanhope, that is despeir of the
694
Mercy of god, that comth somtyme of to muche
694
Outrageous sorwe, and somtyme of to muche
694
Drede, ymaginynge that he hath doon so muche
694
Synne that it wol nat availlen hym, though
694
He wolde repenten hym and forsake synne; /
695
Thurgh which despeir or drede he abaundoneth
695
Al his herte to every maner synne, as seith
695
Seint augustin. / which dampnable synne, if
696
That it continue unto his ende, it is cleped
696
Synnyng in the hooly goost. / this horrible
697
Synne is so perilous that he that is
697
Despeired, ther nys no felonye ne no synne that
697
He douteth for to do; as shewed wel by judas. /
698
Certes, aboven alle synnes thanne is this synne
698
Moost displesant to crist, and moost adversarie. /
699
Soothly, he that despeireth hym is lyk
699
The coward champious recreant, that seith,
699
Creant withoute nede, allas! akkas! bedekes us
699
He recreant and nedelees despeired. / certes,
700
The mercy of God is evere redy to the penitent,
700
And is aboven alle his werkes. / allas! kan a
701
Man nat bithynke hym on the gospel of seint
701
Luc, 15, where as crist seith that as wel shal
701
Ther be joye in hevene upon a synful man that
701
Dooth penitence, as upon nynty and nyne
701
Rightful men that neden no penitence. /
702
Looke forther, in the same gospel, the joye
702
And the feeste of the goode man that hadde
702
Lost his sone, whan his sone with repentaunce
702
Was retourned to his fader. / kan they nat remembren
703
Hem eek that, as seith seint luc, 23,
703
How that the theef that was hanged bisyde
703
Jhesu crist, seyde -- lord, remembre of me,
703
Whan thow comest into thy regne? / for
704
Sothe, seyde crist, I seye to thee, to-day
704
Shaltow been with me in paradys. / certes,
705
Ther is noon so horrible synne of man that it
705
Ne may in his lyf be destroyed by penitence,
705
Thurgh vertu of the passion and of the deeth
705
Of crist. / allas! what nedeth man thanne to
706
Been despeired, sith that his mercy so redy
706
Is and large? axe and have. / thanne cometh
707
Sompnolence, that is, sloggy slombrynge,
707
Which maketh a man be hevy and dul
707
In body and in soule; and this synne comth
707
Of slouthe. / and certes, the tyme that, by eey
708
Of resoun, men sholde nat slepe, that is by the
708
Morwe, but if ther were cause resonable. / for
709
Soothly, the morwe tyde is moost covenable a
709
Man to seye his preyeres, and for to thynken on
709
God, and for to honoure god, and to yeven
709
Almesse to the povre that first cometh in the
709
Name of crist. / lo, what seith salomon --
710
Whoso wolde by the morwe awaken and
710
Seke me, he shal fynde. / thanne cometh necligence,
711
Or reccheleesnesse, that rekketh of
711
No thyng. And how that ignoraunce be
711
Mooder of alle harm, certes, necligence
711
Is the norice. / necligence ne dooth no
712
Fors, whan he shal doon a thyng, wheither
712
He do it weel or baddely /
713
of the remedie of thise two synnes, as seith
713
The wise man, that he that dredeth god, he
713
Spareth nat to doon that him oghte doon. /
714
And he that loveth god, he wol doon diligence
714
To plese God by his werkes, and abaundone
714
Hymself, with al his myght, wel for to doon. /
715
Thanne comth ydelnesse, that is the yate of alle
715
Harmes. An ydel man is lyk to a place that hath
715
Or sheten at hym at discovert, by temptacion
715
On every syde. / this ydelnesse is the thurrok
716
Of alle wikked and vileyns thoghtes, and of
716
Alle jangles, trufles, and of alle ordure. /
717
Certes, the hevene is yeven to hem that
717
Wol labourn, and nat to ydel folk. Eek david
717
Seith that they ne been nat in the labour of
717
Men, ne they shul nat been whipped with men,
717
That is to seyn, in purgatorie. / certes, thanne
718
Semeth it, they shul be tormented with the
718
Devel in helle, but if they doon penitence. /
719
thanne comth the synne that men clepen
719
Tarditas, as whan a man is to laterede or tariynge,
719
Er he wole turne to god; and certes, that
719
Is a greet folie. He is lyk to hym that falleth in
719
The dych, and wol nat arise. / and this vice
720
Comth of a fals hope, that he thynketh that he
720
Shal lyve longe; but that hope faileth ful ofte. /
721
thanne comth lachesse; that is he, that
721
Whan he biginneth any good werk, anon he
721
Shal forleten it and stynten; as doon they that
721
Han any wight to governe, and ne taken of
721
Hym namoore kep, anon as they fynden
721
Any contrarie or any anoy. / thise been
722
The newe sheepherdes that leten hir sheep
722
Wityngly go renne to the wolf that is in the
722
Breres, or do no fors of hir owene governaunce. /
723
Of this comth poverte and destruccioun, bothe
723
Of spiritueel and temporeel thynges. Thanne
723
Comth a manere cooldnesse, that freseth al th
723
Herte of a man. / thanne comth devoccioun,
724
Thurgh which a man is so blent, as seith seint
724
Bernard, and hath swich languour in soule that
724
He may neither rede ne singe in hooly chirche,
724
Ne heere ne thynke of no devoioun, ne travaille
724
With his handes in no good werk, that it nys
724
Hym unsavory and al apalled. / thanne wexeth
725
He slough and slombry, and soone wol be
725
Wrooth, and soone is enclyned to hate and to
725
Envye. / thanne comth the synne of worldly
726
Sorwe, swich as is cleped tristicia, that
726
Sleeth man, as seith seint paul. / for
727
Certes, swich sorwe werketh to the deeth
727
Of the soule and of the body also; for therof
727
Comth that a man is anoyed of his owene lif. /
728
Wherfore swich sorwe shorteth ful ofte the lif
728
Of man, er that his tyme be come by wey of
728
Kynde. /
729
agayns this horrible synne of accidie, an
729
The branches of the same, ther is a vertu that
729
Is called fortitudo or strentthe, that is an affeccioun
729
Thurgh which a man despiseth anoyouse
729
Thinges. / this vertu is so myghty and so vigerous
730
That it dar withstonde myghtily and wisely
730
Kepen hymself fro perils that been wikked, and
730
Wrastle agayn the assautes of the devel. / for
731
It enhaunceth and enforceth the soule, right as
731
Accidie abateth it and maketh it fieble. For this
731
Fortitudo may endure by long suffraunce
731
The travailles that been covenable. /
732
this vertu hath manye speces; and the
732
Firste is cleped magnanimitee, that is to seyn,
732
Greet corage. For certes, ther bihoveth greet
732
Corage agains accidie, lest that it ne swolwe
732
The soule by the synne of sorwe, or destroye it
732
By wanhope. / this vertu maketh folk to undertake
733
Harde thynges and grevouse thynges,
733
By hir owene wil, wisely and resonably. / and
734
For as muchel as the devel fighteth agayns a
734
Man moore by queyntise and by sleighte than
734
By strengthe, therfore men shal withstonden
734
Hym by wit and by resoun and by discrecioun. /
735
Thanne arn ther the vertues of feith and hope
735
In God and in his seintes, to acheve and acomplice
735
The goode werkes in the whiche he purposeth
735
Fermely to continue. / thanne comth
736
Seuretee or sikernesse; and that is whan a man
736
Ne douteth no travaille in tyme comynge of
736
The goode werkes that a man hath bigonne. /
737
Thanne comth magnificence, that
737
Is to seyn, whan a man dooth and perfourneth
737
Grete werkes of goodnesse; and that
737
Is the ende why that men sholde do goode
737
Werkes, for in the acomplissynge of grete goode
737
Werkes lith the grete gerdoun. / thanne is ther
738
Constaunce, that is, stablenesse of corage; and
738
This sholde been in herte by stedefast feith,
738
And in mouth, and in berynge, and in chiere,
738
And in dede. / eke ther been mo speciale remedies
739
Against accidie in diverse werkes, and
739
In consideracioun of the peynes of helle and
739
Of the joyes of hevene, and in the trust of the
739
Grace of the holy goost, that wole yeve hym
739
Myght to perfourne his goode entente. /
740
after accidie wol I speke of avarice and of
740
Coveitise, of which synne seith seint paul that
740
The roote of alle harmes is coveitise. Ad
740
Thimotheum sexto. / for soothly, whan the
741
Herte of a man is confounded in itself and
741
Troubled, and that the soule hath lost the confort
741
Of god, thanne seketh he an ydel solas
741
avarice, after the descripcioun of seint
742
Augustyn, is a likerousnesse in herte to have
742
Erthely thynges. / som oother folk seyn that
743
Avarice is for to purchacen manye erthely
743
Thynges, and no thyng yeve to hem that han
743
Nede. / and understoond that avarice ne stant
744
Nat oonly in lond ne catel, but somtyme in
744
Science and in glorie, and in every manere
744
Of outrageous thyng is avarice and coveitise. /
745
And the difference bitwixe avarice and coveitise
745
Is this -- coveitise is for to coveite swiche
745
Thynges as thou hast nat; and avarice is for
745
To withholde and kepe swiche thynges as thou
745
Hast, withoute rightful nede. / soothly, this
746
Avarice is a synne that is ful dampnable;
746
For al hooly writ curseth it, and speketh agayns
746
That vice; for it dooth wrong to jhesu
746
Crist. / for it bireveth hym the love that
747
Men to hym owen, and turneth it bakward
747
Agayns alle resoun, / and maketh that the avaricious
748
Man hath moore hope in his catel than
748
In jhesu crist, and dooth moore observance in
748
Kepynge of his tresor than he dooth to the
748
Service of jhesu crist. / and therfore seith
749
Seint paul ad ephesios, quinto, that an avaricious
749
Man is in the thraldom of ydolatrie. /
750
what difference is bitwixe an ydolastre and
750
An avaricious man, but that an ydolastre, per
750
Aventure, ne hath but o mawmet or two, and
750
The avaricious man hath manye? for certes,
750
Every floryn in his cofre is his mawmet. / and
751
Certes, the synne of mawmettrie is the firste
751
Thyng that God deffended in the ten comaundementz
751
As bereth witnesse in exodi capitulo
751
Vicesimo. / thou shalt have no false
752
Goddes bifore me, ne thou shalt make to
752
Thee no grave thyng. Thus is an avaricious
752
Man, that loveth his tresor biforn god, an
752
Ydolastre, / thurgh this cursed synne of avarice.
753
Of coveitise comen thise harde lordshipes,
753
Thurgh whiche men been distreyned by taylages,
753
Custumes, and cariages, moore than hire
753
Duetee or resoun is. And eek taken they of
753
Hire bonde-men amercimentz, whiche myghten
753
Moore resonably ben cleped extorcions than
753
Amercimentz. / of whiche amercimentz and
754
Raunsonynge of boonde-men somme hordes stywards
754
Seyn that it is ryghtful, for as muche as
754
A cherl hath no temporeel thyng that it ne is his
754
Lordes, as they seyn. / but certes, thise lordshipes
755
Doon wrong that bireven hire bondefolk
755
Thynges that they nevere yave hem. Augustinus,
755
De civitate, libro nono. / sooth is
756
That the condicioun of thraldom and the firste
756
Cause of thraldom is for synne. Genesis,
756
Nono. /
757
thus may ye seen that the gilt disserveth
757
Thraldom, but nat nature./ Wherfore thise
758
Lordes ne sholde nat muche glorifien hem in
758
Hir lordshipes, sith that by natureel condicion
758
They been nat lordes over thralles, but that
758
Thraldom comth first by the desert of synne. /
759
And forther over, ther as the lawe seith that
759
Temporeel goodes of boonde-folk been the
759
Goodes of hir lordeshipes, ye, that is for to understonde,
759
The goodes of the emperour, to deffenden
759
Hem in hir right, but nat for to robben
759
Hem ne reven hem. / and therfore seith
760
Seneca, thy prudence sholde lyve benignely
760
With thy thralles. / thilke that thou clepest
761
Thy thralles been goddes peple; for humble
761
Folk been cristes freendes; they been contubernyal
761
With the lord. /
762
thynk eek that of swich seed as cherles
762
Spryngen, of swich seed spryngen lordes. As
762
Wel may the cherl be saved as the lord. / the
763
Same deeth that taketh the cherl, swich deeth
763
Taketh the lord. Wherfore I rede, do right so
763
With the cherl, as thou woldest that thy lord
763
Dide with thee, if thou were in his plit. / every
764
Synful man is a cherl to synne. I rede thee,
764
Certes, that thou, lord, werke in swich wise
764
With thy cherles that they rather love thee than
764
Drede. / I woot wel ther is degree above degree,
765
As reson is; and skile is that men do hir devoir
765
Ther as it is due; but certes, extorcions and
765
Despit of youre underlynges is dampnable. /
766
and forther over, understoond wel that thise
766
Conquerours or tirauntz maken ful ofte thralles
766
Of hem that been born of as roial blood as
766
Been they that hem conqueren. / this
767
Name of thraldom was nevere erst kowth,
767
Til that noe seyde that his sone canaan sholde
767
Be thral to his bretheren for his synne. / what
768
Seye we thanne of hem that pilen and doon
768
Extorcions to hooly chirche? certes, the swerd
768
That men yeven first to a knyght, whan he is
768
Newe dubbed, signifieth that he sholde deffenden
768
Hooly chirche, and nat robben it ne
768
Pilen it; and whoso dooth is traitour to crist. /
769
And, as seith seint augustyn, they been the
769
Develes wolves that stranglen the sheep of
769
Jhesu crist; and doon worse than wolves. /
770
For soothly, whan the wolf hath ful his wombe,
770
He styntheth to strangle sheep. But soothly, the
770
Pilours and destroyours of the godes of hooly
770
Chirche no do nat so, for they ne stynte nevere
770
Synne was first cause of thraldom, thanne is it
771
Thus, that thilke tyme that al this world was
771
In synne, thanne was al this world in thraldom
771
And subjeccioun. / but certes, sith the
772
Time of grace cam, God ordeyned that som
772
Folk sholde be moore heigh in estaat and in
772
Degree, and som folk moore lough, and that
772
Everich sholde be served in his estaat and in
772
His degree. / and therfore in somme contrees,
773
Ther they byen thralles, whan they han turned
773
Hem to the feith, they maken hire thralles free
773
Out of thraldom. And therfore, certes, the lord
773
Oweth to his man that the man oweth to his
773
Lord. / the pope calleth hymself servant of the
774
Servantz of god; but for as muche as the estaat
774
Of hooly chirche ne myghte nat han be,
774
Ne the commune profit myghte nat han be kept,
774
Ne pees and rest in erthe, but if God hadde
774
Ordeyned that som men hadde hyer degree and
774
Som men lower, / therfore was sovereyntee ordeyned,
775
To kepe and mayntene and deffenden
775
Hire underlynges or hire subgetz in resoun, as
775
Ferforth as it lith in hire power, and nat to destroyen
775
Hem ne confounde. / wherfore I seye
776
That thilke lordes that been lyk wolves, that
776
Devouren the possessiouns or the catel of povre
776
Folk wrongfully, withouten mercy or mesure, /
777
They shul receyven, by the same
777
Mesure that they han mesured to povre
777
Folk, the mercy of jhesu crist, but if it be
777
Amended. / now comth deciete bitwixe marchaunt
778
And marchant. And thow shalt understonde
778
That marchandise is in manye maneres;
778
That oon is bodily, and that oother is goostly;
778
That oon is honest and leveful, and that oother
778
Is deshonest and unleveful. / of thilke bodily
779
Marchandise that is leveful and honest is this --
779
That, there as God hath ordeyned that a regne
779
Or a contree is suffisaunt to hymself, thanne is
779
It honest and leveful that of habundaunce of
779
This contree, that men helpe another contree
779
That is moore needy. / and therfore ther moote
780
Been marchantz to bryngen fro that o contree
780
To that oother hire marchandises. / that oother
781
Marchandise, that men haunten with fraude and
781
Trecherie and deceite, with lesynges and
781
False othes, is cursed and dampnable. / espiritueel
782
Marchandise is proprely symonue,
782
That is, ententif desir to byen thyng espiritueel,
782
That is, thyng that aperteneth to the seintuarie
782
Of God and to cure of the soule. / this desir,
783
If so be that a man do his diligence to parfournen
783
It, al be it that his desir ne take noon
783
Effect, yet is it to hym a deedly synne; and if
783
He be ordred, he is irreguler. / certes symonye
784
Is cleped of simon magus, that wolde han
784
Boght for temporeel catel the yifte that god
784
Hadde yeven, by the hooly goost, to seint
784
Peter and to the apostles. / and therfore understoond
785
That bothe he that selleth and he that
785
Beyeth thynges espirituels been cleped symonyals,
785
Be it by catel, be it by procurynge, or
785
By flesshly preyere of his freendes, flesshly
785
Freendes, or espiritueel freendes. / flesshly in
786
Two maneres; as by kynrede, or othere freendes.
786
Soothly, if they praye for hym that is nat
786
Worthy and able, it is symonye, if he take the
786
Benefice; and if he be worthy and able,
786
Ther nys noon. / that oother manere is
787
Whan men or wommen preyen for folk to
787
Avauncen hem, oonly for wikked flesshly affeccioun
787
That they han unto the persone; and
787
That is foul symonye. / but certes, in service,
788
For which men yeven thynges espirituels unto
788
Hir servauntz, it moot been understonde that the
788
Service moot been honest, and elles nat; and
788
Eek that it be withouten bargaynynge, and that
788
The persone be able. / for, as seith seint damasie,
789
Alle the synnes of the world, at regard
789
Of this synne, arn as thyng of noght. For it
789
Is the gretteste synne that may be, after the
789
Synne of lucifer and antecrist. / for by this
790
Synne God forleseth the chirche and the soule
790
That he boghte with his precious blood, by hem
790
That yeven chirches to hem that been nat
790
Digne. / for they putten in theves that stelen
791
The soules of jhesu crist and destroyen his
791
Patrimoyne. / by swiche undigne preestes
792
And curates han lewed men the lasse reverence
792
Of the sacramentz of hooly chirche; and
792
Swiche yeveres of chirches putten out the children
792
Of crist, and putten into the chirche the
792
Develes owene sone. / they sellen the soules
793
That lambes sholde kepen to the wolf that strangleth
793
Hem. And therfore shul they nevere han
793
Part of the pasture of lambes, that is the blisse
793
Of hevene. / now comth hasardrie with his
794
Apurtenaunces, as tables and rafles, of which
794
Comth deceite, false othes, chidynges, and alle
794
Ravynes, blasphemynge and reneiynge of god,
794
And hate of his neighebores, wast of goodes,
794
Mysspendynge of tyme, and somtyme manslaughtre. /
795
Certes, hasardours ne mowe nat
795
Been withouten greet synne whiles they haunte
795
That craft. / of avarice comen eek lesynges,
796
Thefte, fals witnesse, and false othes. And ye
796
Shul understonde that thise been grete synnes,
796
God, as I have seyd. / fals witnesse is in
797
Word and eek in dede. In word, as for to
797
Bireve thy neighebores goode name by thy fals
797
Witnessyng, or bireven hym his catel or his
797
Heritage by thy fals witnessyng, whan thou for
797
Ire, or for meede, or for envye, berest fals
797
Witnesse, or accusest hym or excusest hym by
797
Thy fals witnesse, or elles excusest thyself
797
Falsly. / ware yow, questemongeres and notaries!
798
Certes, for fals witnessyng was susanna
798
In ful gret sorwe and peyne, and many another
798
Mo. / the synne of thefte is eek expres agayns
799
Goddes heeste, and that in two maneres, corporeel
799
Or spiritueel. / corporeel, as for to take
800
Thy neighebores catel agayn his wyl, be it by
800
Force or by sleighte, be it by met or by mesure; /
801
By stelyng eek of false enditementz upon
801
Hym, and in borwynge of thy neighebores catel,
801
In entente nevere to payen it agayn, and
801
Semblable thynges. / espiritueel thefte is
802
Sacrilege, that is to seyn, hurtynge of hooly
802
Thynges, or of thynges sacred to crist, in two
802
Maneres -- by reson of the hooly place, as
802
Chirches or chirche-hawes, / for which every
803
Vileyns synne that men doon in swiche places
803
May be cleped sacrilege, or every violence in
803
The semblable places; also, they that withdrawen
803
Falsly the rightes that longen to hooly
803
Chirche. / and pleynly and generally, sacrilege
804
Is to reven hooly thyng fro hooly place, or unhooly
804
Thyng out of hooly place, or hooly thing
804
Out of unhooly place. /
805
niw shul ye understonde that the releevynge
805
Of avarice is misericorde, and pitee largely
805
Taken. And men myghten axe why that misericorde
805
And pitee is releevynge of avarice. /
806
Certes, the avricious man sheweth no pitee ne
806
Misericorde to the nedeful man, for he deliteth
806
Hym in the kepynge of his tresor, and nat
806
In the rescowynge ne releevynge of his evene-cristen.
806
And therfore speke I first of misericorde. /
807
Thanne is misericorde, as seith
807
The philosophre, a vertu by which the corage
807
Of a man is stired by the mysese of hym
807
That is mysesed. / upon which misericorde
808
Folweth pitee in parfournynge of charitable
808
Werkes of misericorde. / and certes, thise
809
Thynges moeven a man to the misericorde of
809
Jhesu crist, that he yaf hymself for oure gilt,
809
And suffred deeth for misericorde, and forgay
809
Us oure originale synnes, / and therby relessed
810
Us fro the peynes of helle, and amenused the
810
Peynes of purgatorie by penitence, and yeveth
810
Grace wel to do, and atte laste the blisse of
810
Hevene. / the speces of misericorde been, as
811
For to lene and for to yeve, and to foryeven
811
And relesse, and for to han pitee in herte
811
And compassioun of the meschief of his evene-cristene,
811
And eek to chastise, there as nede
811
Is. /another manere of remedie agayns
812
Avarice is resonable largesse; but soothly,
812
Heere bihoveth the consideracioun of the grace
812
Of jhesu crist, and of his temporeel goodes,
812
And eek of the goodes perdurables, that crist
812
Yaf to us; / and to han remembrance of the
813
Deeth that he shal receyve, he noot whanne,
813
Where, ne how; and eek that he shal forgon al
813
That he hath, save oonly that he hath despended
813
In goode werkes. /
814
but for as muche as som folk been unmesurable,
814
Men oghten eschue fool-largesse, that
814
Men clepen wast. / certes, he that is fool-large
815
Ne yeveth nat his catel, but he leseth iis catel.
815
Soothly, what thyng that he yeveth for veyne
815
Glorie, as to mynstrals and to folk, for to beren
815
His renoun in the world, he hath synne therof,
815
And noon almesse. / certes, he leseth foule his
816
Good, that ne seketh with the yifte of his
816
Good nothyng but synne. / he is lyk to an
817
Hors that seketh rather to drynken drovy
817
Or trouble water than for to drynken water of
817
The clere welle. / and for as muchel as they
818
Yeven ther as they sholde nat yeven, to hem
818
Aperteneth thilke malisoun that crist shal
818
Yeven at the day of doom to hem that shullen
818
Been dampned. /
819
after avarice comth glotonye, which is expres
819
Eek agayn the comandement of god. Glotonye
819
Is unmesurable appetit toete or to drynke,
819
Or elles to doon ynogh to the unmesurable appetit
819
And desordeynee coveitise to eten or to
819
Drynke. / this synne corrumped al this world,
820
As is wel shewed in the synne of adam and of
820
Eve. Looke eek what seith saint paul, of glotonye -- /
821
Manye, seith seint paul, goon, of
821
Whiche I have ofte seyd to yow, and now I
821
Seye it wepynge, that been the enemys of the
821
Croys of crist; of whiche the ende is deeth, and
821
Of whiche hire wombe is hire god, and hire
821
Glorie in confusioun of hem that so savouren
821
Erthely thynges. / he that is
822
May no synne withstonde. He moot been in
822
Servage of alle vices, for it is the develes hoord
822
Ther he hideth hym and resteth. / this synne
823
Hath manye speces. The firste is dronkenesse,
823
That is the horrible sepulture of mannes resoun;
823
And therfore, whan a man is dronken, he hath
823
Lost his resoun; and this is deedly synne. / but
824
Soothly, whan that a man is nat wont to strong
824
Drynke, and peraventure ne knoweth nat the
824
Strengthe of the drynke, or hath feblesse in his
824
Heed, or hath travailed, thurgh which he drynketh
824
The moore, al be he sodeynly caught with
824
Drynke, it is no deedly synne, but venyal. / the
825
Seconde spece of glotonye is that the spirit
825
Of a man wexeth al trouble, for dronkenesse
825
Bireveth hym the discrecioun of his wit. / the
826
Thridde spece of glotonye is whan a man devoureth
826
His mete, and hath no rightful
826
Manere of etynge. / the fourthe is whan,
827
Thurgh the grete habundaunce of his mete,
827
The humours in his body been distempred. / the
828
Fifthe is foryetelnesse by to muchel drynkynge;
828
For which somtymee a man foryeteth er the
828
Morwe what he dide at even, or on the nyght
828
Biforn. /
829
in oother manere been distinct the speces of
829
Glotonye, after seint gregorie. The firste is
829
For to ete biforn tyme to ete. The seconde is
829
Whan a man get hym to delicaat mete or
829
Drynke. / the thridde is whan men taken to
830
Muche over mesure. The fourthe is curiositee,
830
With greet entente to maken and apparaillen
830
His mete. The fifthe is for to eten to gredily. /
831
Thise been the fyve fyngres of the develes
831
Hand, by whiche he draweth folk to
831
Synne. /
832
agayns glotonye is the remedie abstinence,
832
As seith galien; but that holde I nat meritorie,
832
If he do it oonly for the heele of his body.
832
Seint augustyn wole that abstinence be doon
832
For vertu and with pacience. / abstinence,
833
He seith, is litel worth, but if a man have good
833
Wil therto, and but it be enforced by pacience
833
And by charitee, and that men doon it for
833
Godes sake, and in hope to have the blisse of
833
Hevene./
834
The felawes of abstinence been attemperaunce,
834
that holdeth the meene in alle thynges;
834
Eek shame, that aschueth alle deshonestee; surfisance,
834
that seketh no riche metes ne drynkes,
834
Ne dooth no fors of to outrageous appariailynge
834
of mete;/ mesure also, that restreyneth
835
By resoun the deslavee appetit of etynge; sobrenesse
835
also, that restreyneth the outrage of
835
Drynke;/ sparynge also, that restreyneth the
836
Delacaat ese to sitte longe at his mete and
836
Softely, wherfore some folk stonden of
836
Hir owene wyl to eten at the lasse leyser./
837
After glotonye thanne comth lecherie, for
837
Thise two synnes been so ny cosyns that ofte
837
Tyme they wol nat departe./ God woot, this
838
Synne is ful displesaunt thyng to god; for he
838
Seyde hymself, do no lecherie. And therfore
838
he putte grete peynes agayns this synne
838
In the olde lawe./ If waomman thral were taken
839
In this synne, she sholde be beten with staves
839
To the deeth; and if she were a gentil womman,
839
She sholde be slayn with stones; and if she
839
Were a bisshoppes doghter, she sholde been
839
Brent, by goddes comandement./ Forther
840
Over, by the synne of lecherie God dreynte
840
Al the world at the diluge. And after that he
840
Brente fyve citees with thonder-leyt, and sak
840
Hem into helle./
841
Now lat us speke thanne of thilke stynkynge
841
Synne of lecherie that men clepe avowtrie of
841
Wedded folk, that is to seyn, if that oon of
841
Hem be wedded, or elles bothe./ Seint john
842
Seith that avowtiers shullen been in helle,
842
In a stank brennynge of fyr and of brymston;
842
In fyr, for hire lecherye; in brymston, for the
842
Stynk of hire ordure./ Certes, the brekynge of
843
This sacrement is an horrible thyng. It was
843
Maked of God hymself in paradys, and confermed
843
by jhesu crist, as witnesseth seint
843
Mathew in the gospel: a man shal lete fader
843
And mooder, and taken hym to his wif, and
843
They shullen be two in o flesh./ This sacrement
844
bitokneth the knyttynge togidre of crist
844
And of hooly chirche./ And nat oonly that god
845
Forbad avowtrie in dede, but eek he comanded
845
That thou sholdest nat coveite thy neighebores
845
Wyf./ In this heeste, seith seint augustyn,
846
Is forboden alle manere coveitise to doon lecherie.
846
lo, what seith seint mathew in the gospel,
846
that whose seeth a womman to coveitise
846
Of his lust, he hath doon lecherie with hire
846
In his herte./ Heere may ye seen that
847
Nat oonly the dede of this synne is forboden,
847
but eek the desire to doon that synne./
848
This cursed synne anoyeth grevousliche hem
848
Obligeth it to synne and to peyne of deeth that
848
Is perdurable./ Unto the body anoyeth it grevously
849
also, for it dreyeth hym, and wasteth him,
849
And shent hym, and of his blood he maketh sacrifice
849
to the feend of helle. It wasteth eek his
849
Catel and his substaunce./ And certes, if it be
850
A foul thyng a man to waste his catel on wommen,
850
yet is it a fouler thyng whan that, for
850
Swich ordure, wommen dispenden upon men
850
Hir catel and substaunce./ This synne, as seith
851
The prophete, bireveth man and womman hir
851
Goode fame and al hire honour; and it is ful
851
Plesaunt to the devel, for therby wynneth
851
He the mooste partie of this world./ And
852
Right as a marchant deliteth hym moost in
852
Chaffare that he hath moost avantage of, right
852
So deliteth the fend in this ordure./
853
This is that oother hand of the devel with
853
Fyve fyngres to cacche the peple to his vileynye./
853
the firste fynger is the fool lookynge
854
Of the fool womman and of the fool man, that
854
Sleeth, right as the basilicok sleeth folk by the
854
Venym of his sighte; for the coveitise of eyen
854
Folweth the coveitise of the herte./ The seconde
855
fynger is the vileyns touchynge in wikkede
855
manere. And therfore seith salomon that
855
Whoso toucheth and handleth a womman, he
855
Fareth lyk hym that handleth the scorpioun that
855
Styngeth and sodeynly sleeth thurgh his envenymynge;
855
as whoso toucheth warm pych,
855
It shent his fyngres./ The thridde is foule
856
Wordes, that fareth lyk fyr, that right anon
856
Brenneth the herte./ The fourthe fynger
857
Is the kissynge; and trewely he were a
857
Greet fool that wolde kisse the mouth of a
857
Brennynge oven or of a fourneys./ And moore
858
Fooles been they that kissen in vileynye, for
858
That mouth is the mouth of helle; and namely
858
Thise olde dotardes holours, yet wol they kisse,
858
Though they may nat do, and smatre hem./
859
Certes, they been lyk to houndes; for an hound,
859
Whan he comth by the roser or by othere
859
(bushes), though he may nat pisse, yet wole
859
He heve up his leg and make a contenaunce
859
To pisse./ And for that many man weneth that
860
He may nat synne, for no likerousnesse that
860
He dooth with his wyf, certes, that opinion is
860
Fals. God woot, a man may sleen hymself with
860
His owene knyf, and make hymselve dronken
860
Of his owene tonne./ Certes, be it wyf, be it
861
Child, or any worldly thyng that he loveth biforn
861
god, it is his mawmet, and he is an
861
Ydolastre./ Man sholde loven hys wyf by
862
Discrecioun, paciently and atemprely; and
862
Thanne is she as though it were his suster./ The
863
Fifthe fynger of the develes hand is the stynkynge
863
dede of leccherie./ Certes, the fyve fyngres
864
of glotonie the feend put in the wombe
864
Of a man, and with his fyve fingres of lecherie
864
he gripeth hym by the reynes, for to
864
Throwen hym into the fourneys of helle./ Ther
865
As they shul han the fyr and the wormes that
865
Evere shul lasten, and wepynge and wailynge
865
Sharp hunger and thurst, and grymnesse of
865
Develes, that shullen al totrede hem without
865
Repit and withouten ende./ Of leccherie, as
866
I seyde, sourden diverse speces, as fornicacioun,
866
That is bitwixe man and womman that been
866
Nat maried; and this is deedly synne, and
866
Agayns nature./ Al that is enemy and destruccioun
867
to nature is agayns nature./
868
Parfay, the resoun of a man telleth eek hym
868
Wel that is is deedly synne, for as muche as
868
God forbad leccherie. And seint paul yeveth
868
Hem the regne that nys dewe to no wight but
868
To hem that doon deedly synne./ Another
869
Synne of leccherie is to bireve a mayden of
869
Hir maydenhede, for he that so dooth, certes,
869
He casteth a mayden out of the hyeste degree
869
That is in this present lif,/ and bireveth hir
870
Thilke percious fruyt that the book clepeth the
870
Hundred fruyt. I ne kan seye it noon oother-wewyes
870
in englissh, but in latyn it highte centesimus
870
fructus./ Certes, he that so dooth is
871
Cause of manye damages and vileynyes, mo
871
Than any man kan rekene; right as he somtyme
871
Is cause of alle damages that beestes don in
871
The feeld, that breketh the hegge or the closure,
871
Thurgh which he destroyeth that may nat
871
Been restoored./ For certes, namoore may
872
Maydenhede be restoored than a arm that
872
Is smyten fro the body may retourne agany to
872
Wexe./ She may have mercy, this woot I wel,
873
If she do penitence; but nevere shal it be that
873
She nas corrupt./ And al be it so that I have
874
Spoken somwhat of avowtrie, it is good to
874
Shewen mo perils that longen to avowtrie, for
874
To eschue that foule synne./ Avowtrie in latyn
875
Is for to seyn, approchynge of oother mannes
875
Bed, thurgh which tho that whilom weren a
875
Flessh abowndone hir bodyes to othere persones./
875
of this synne, as seith the wise man,
876
Folwen manye harmes. First, brekynge of feith;
876
And certes, in feith is the keye of cristendom./
876
and whan that feith is broken
877
And lorn, soothly cristendom stant veyn
877
And withouten fruyt./ This synne is eek a
878
Wight his thyng agayns his wille./ Certes, this
879
Is the fouleste thefte that may be, whan a
879
Womman steleth hir body from hir housbonde,
879
And yeveth it to hire holour to defoulen hire;
879
And steleth hir soule fro crist, and yeveth it to
879
The devel./ This is a fouler thefte than for to
880
Breke a chirche and stele the chalice; for thise
880
Avowtiers breken the temple of God spiritually
880
And stelen the vessel of grace, that is the body
880
And the soule, for which crist shal destroyen
880
Hem, as seith seint paul./ Soothly, of this
881
Thefte douted gretly joseph, whan that his
881
Lordes wyf preyed hym of vileynye, whan he
881
Seyde, lo, my lady, how my lord hath take
881
To me under my warde al that he hath in this
881
World, ne no thyng of his thynges is out of
881
My power, but oonly ye, that been his
881
Wyf./ And how sholde I thanne do this
882
Wikkednesse, and synne so horribly agayns
882
God and agayns my lord? God it forbeede!
882
Allas! al to litel is swich trouthe now yfounde./
883
The thridde harm is the filthe thurgh which
883
They breken the comandement of god, and defoulen
883
the auctour of matrimoyne, that is
883
Crist./ For certes, in so muche as the sacrement
884
of mariage is so noble and so digne, so
884
Muche is it gretter synne for to breken it; for
884
God made mariage in paradys, in the estaat of
884
Innocence, to multiplye mankynde to the service
884
of god./ And therfore is the brekynge
885
Therof the moore grevous; of which brekynge
885
Comen false heires ofte tyme, that wrongfully
885
Ocupien folkes heritages. And therfore wol
885
Crist putte hem out of the regne of hevene, that
885
Is heritage to goode folk./ Of this brekynge
886
Comth eek ofte tyme that folk unwar wedden
886
Or synnen with hire owene kynrede, and
886
Namely thilke harlotes that haunten bordels
886
Of thise fool wommen, that mowe be likned to
886
A commune gong, where as men purgen
886
Hire ordure./ What seve we eek of putours
887
that lyven by the horrible synne of
887
Putrie, and constreyne wommen to yelden hem
887
A certeyn rente of hire bodily puterie, ye,
887
Somtyme of his owene wyf or his child, as
887
Doon thise bawdes? certes, thise been cursede
887
Synnes./ Understoond eek that avowtrie is set
888
Gladly in the ten comandementz bitwixe thefte
888
And manslaughtre; for it is the gretteste thefte
888
That may be, for it is thefte of body and of
888
Soule. / and it is lyk to homycide, for it herveth
889
atwo and breketh atwo hem that first were
889
Maked o flessh. And therfore, by the olde lawe
889
Of god, they sholde by slayn./ But nathelees,
890
By the lawe of jhesu crist, that is lawe of pitee,
890
Whan he seyde to the womman that was
890
Founden in avowtrie, and sholde han been slayn
890
With stones, after the wyl of the jewes, as was
890
Hir lawe, go, quod jhesu crist, and have
890
Namoore wyl to synne, or, wille namoore
890
To do synne./ Soothly the vengeaunce of
891
Avowtrie is awarded to the peynes of helle,
891
But if so be that it be destourbed by penitence./
891
yet been ther mo speces of this
892
Cursed synne; as whan that oon of hem
892
Is religious, or elles bothe; or of folk that been
892
Entred into ordre, as subdekne, or dekne, or
892
Preest, or hospitaliers. And evere the hyer that
892
He is in ordre, the gretter is the synne./ The
893
Thynges that gretly agreggen hire synne is the
893
Brekynge of hire avow of chastitee, whan they
893
Receyved the ordre./ And forther over, sooth
894
Is that hooly ordre is chief of al the tresorie of
894
Good, and his especial signe and mark of chastitee,
894
to shewe that they been joyned to chastitee,
894
which that is the moost precious lyf that
894
Is./ And thise ordred folk been specially titled
895
To god, and of the special meignee of god,
895
For which, whan they doon deedly synne, they
895
Been the special traytours of God and of his
895
Peple; for they lyven of the peple, to preye for
895
.,/the peple, and whike they been suche traitours,
896
Here preyer avayleth nat to the peple.
896
Preestes been aungels, as by the dignitee of hir
896
Mysterye; but for sothe, seint paul seith that
896
Sathanas transformeth hym in an aungel
896
Of light./ Soothly, the preest that haunteth
897
deedly synne, he may be likned to the
897
Aungel of derknesse transformed in the aungel
897
Of light. He semeth aungel of light, but for
897
Sothe he is aungel of derknesse./ Swiche
898
Preestes been the sones of helie, as sweweth
898
In the book of kynges, that they weren the
898
Sones of belial, that is, the devel./ Belial is to
899
Seyn, withouten juge; and so faren they; hem
899
Thynketh they been free, and han no juge, namoore
899
than hath a free bole that taketh which
899
Cow that hym liketh in the town./ So faren
900
They by wommen. For right as a free bole is
900
Ynough for al a toun, right so is a wikked preest
900
Corrupcioun ynough for al a parisshe, or for al
900
A contree./ Thise preestes, as seith the book,
901
Ne konne nat the mysterie of preesthod to the peple,
901
ne God ne knowe they nat. They ne helde
901
Hem nat apayd, as seith the book, os soden
901
Flessh that was to hem offred, but they
901
Tooke by force the flessh that is rawe./
902
Apayed of roosted flessh and sode flessh, with
902
Which the peple feden hem in greet reverence,
902
But they wole have raw flessh of folkes wyves
902
And hir doghtres./ And certes, thise wommen
903
That consenten to hire harlotrie doon greet
903
Wrong to crist, and to hooly chirche, and alle
903
Halwes, and to alle soules; for they bireven alle
903
Thise hym that sholde worshipe crist and hooly
903
Chirche, and preye for cristene soules./ And
904
Therfore han swiche preestes, and hire lemmanes
904
eek that consenten to hir leccherie, the
904
Malisoun of al the court cristien, til they come
904
To amendement./ The thridde spece of avowtrie
905
is somtyme bitwixe a man and his wyf, and
905
That is whan they take no reward in hire assemblynge
905
but oonly to hire flesshly delit, as
905
Seith seint jerome,/ and ne rekken of nothyng
906
but that they been assembled; by cause
906
That they been maried, al is good ynough,
906
As thynketh to hem./ But in swich folk
907
Hath the devel power, as seyde the aungel
907
Raphael to thobie, for in hire assemblynge
907
They putten jhesu crist out of hire herte, and
907
Yeven hemself to alle ordure./ The fourthe
908
Spece is the assemblee of hem that been of
908
Hire kynrede, or of hem that been of oon affynytee,
908
or elles with hem with whiche hir fadres
908
Or hir kynrede han deled in the synne of lecherie.
908
this synne maketh hem lyk to houndes,
908
That taken no kep to kynrede./ And certes, parentele
909
is in two maneres, outher goostly or
909
Flesshly; goostly, as for to deelen with his god-sibbes./
909
for right so as he that engendreth a
910
Child is his flesshly fader, right so in his god-fader
910
his fader espiritueel. For which a womman
910
may in no lasse synne assemblen with
910
Hire godsib than with hire owene flesshly
910
Brother./ The fifthe spece is thilke abhomynable
911
synne, of which that no man unnethe
911
Oghte speke ne write; nathelees it is
911
Openly reherced ib holy writ./ This cursednesse
912
doon men and wommen in
912
Diverse entente and in diverse manere; but
912
Though that hooly writ speke of horrible synne,
912
Certes hooly writ may nat been defouled, namoore
912
than the sonne that shyneth on the
912
Mixne./ Another synne aperteneth to leccherie,
913
That comth in slepynge, and this synne cometh
913
Ofte to hem that been maydenes, and eek to hem
913
That been corrupt; and this synne men clepen
913
Polucioun, that comth in foure maneres./ Somtyme
914
of langwissynge of body, for the humours
914
Been to ranke and to habundaunt in the body
914
Of man; somtyme of infermetee, for the fieblesse
914
Of the vertu retentif, as phisik maketh mencion;
914
Somtyme for surfeet of mete and drynke;/ and
915
Somtyme of vileyns thoghtes that been enclosed
915
In mannes mynde whan he gooth to slepe,
915
Which may nat been withoute synne; for which
915
Men moste kepen hem wisely, or elles may men
915
Synnen ful grevously./
916
Now comth the remedie agayns leccherie,
916
And that is generally chastitee and continence,
916
that restreyneth alle the desordeynee
916
Moevynges that comen of flesshly talentes./
916
and evere the gretter merite shal
917
He han, that moost restreyneth the wikkede
917
eschawfynges of the ardour of this synne.
917
And this is in two maneres, that is to seyn,
917
Chastitee in mariage, and chastitee of widwehod./
917
now shaltow understonde that matrimoyne
918
is leefful assemblynge of man and of
918
Womman that receyven by vertu of the sacrement
918
the boond thurgh which they may nat
918
Be departed in al hir lyf, that is to seyn, whil
918
That they lyven bothe./ This, as seith the book,
919
Is a ful greet sacrement. God maked it, as I
919
Have seyd, in paradys, and wolde hymself be
919
Born in mariage./ And for to halwen mariage
920
He was at a weddynge, where as he turned water
920
into wyn; which was the firste miracle that
920
He wroghte in erthe biforn his disciples./
921
Trewe effect of mariage clenseth fornicacioun
921
And replenysseth hooly chirche of good lynage;
921
For that is the ende of mariage; and it chaungeth
921
deedly synne into venial synne bitwixe hem
921
That been ywedded, and maketh the hertes al
921
Oon of hem that been ywedded, as wel as
921
The bodies./ This is verray mariage, that
922
Was establissed by god, er that synne bigan,
922
whan natureel lawe was in his right poynt
922
In paradys; and it was ordeyned that o man sholde
922
Have but o womman, and o womman but o man,
922
As seith seint augustyn, by manye resouns./
923
First, for mariage is figured bitwixe crist
923
And holy chirche. And that oother is for a
923
Man is heved of a womman; algate, by ordinaunce
923
it sholde be so./ For if a womman
924
Hadde mo men that oon, thanne sholde she
924
Have moo hevedes than oon, and that were an
924
Horrible thyng biforn god; and eek a womman
924
Ne myghte nat plese to many folk at oones.
924
And also ther ne sholde nevere be pees ne
924
Reste amonges hem; for everich wolde axen his
924
Sholde knowe his owene engendrure, ne who
925
Sholde have his heritage; and the womman
925
Sholde been the lasse biloved fro the tyme that
925
She were conjoynt to many men./
926
Now comth how that a man sholde bere
926
Hym with his wif, and namely in two
926
Thynges, that is to seyn, in suffraunce and
926
Reverence, as shewed crist whan he made
926
First womman./ For he ne made hire nat
927
Of the heved of adam, for she sholde nat
927
Clayme to greet lordshipe./ For ther as the
928
Womman hath the maistrie, she maketh to
928
Muche desray. Ther neden none ensamples of
928
This; the experience of day by day oghte suffise./
928
also, certes, God ne made nat womman
929
Of the foot of adam, for she ne sholde nat
929
Been holden to lowe; for she kan nat paciently
929
Suffre. But God made womman of the ryb of
929
Adam, for womman sholde be felawe unto
929
Man./ Man sholde bere hym to his wyf in
930
Feith, in trouthe, and in love, as seith seint
930
Paul, that a man sholde loven his wyf as crist
930
Loved hooly chirche, that loved it so wel
930
That he deyde for it. So sholde a man for his
930
Wyf, if it were nede./
931
Now how that a womman sholde be subget
931
to hire housbonde, that telleth seint
931
Peter. First, in obedience./ And eek as
932
Seith the decree, a womman that is wyf,
932
As longe as she is a wyf, she hath noon auctoritee
932
to swere ne to bere witnesse withoute leve
932
Of hir housbonde, that is hire lord; algate, he
932
Sholde be so by resoun./ She sholde eek serven
933
Hym in alle honestee, and been attempree of
933
Hire array. I woot wel that they sholde setten
933
Hire entente to plesen hir housbondes, but nat
933
By hire queyntise of array./ Seint jerome
934
Seith that wyves that been apparailled in silk
934
And in precious purpre ne mowe nat clothen
934
Hem in jhesu crist. Loke what seith seint
934
John eek in thys matere?/ seint gregorie eek
935
Seith that no wight seketh precious array but
935
Oonly for veyne glorie, to been honoured the
935
Moore biforn the peple./ It is a greet folye,
936
A womman to have a fair array outward
936
And in hirself be foul inward./ A wyf
937
Sholde eek be mesurable in lookynge and
937
In berynge and in lawghynge, and discreet
937
In alle hire wordes and hire dedes./ And
938
Aboven alle worldy thyng she sholde loven hire
938
Houbonde with al hire herte, and to hym be
938
Trewe of hir body./ So sholde an housbonde
939
Eek be to his wyf. For sith that al the body
939
Is the housbondes, so sholde hire herte been,
939
Or elles ther is bitwixe hem two, as in that,
939
No parfit mariage./ Thanne shal men understonde
940
that for thre thynges a man and his wyf
940
Flesshly mowen assemble. The firste is in entente
940
of engendrure of children to the service
940
Of god; for certes that is the cause final of
940
Matrimoyne./ Another cause is to yelden everich
941
of hem to oother the dette of hire bodies;
941
For neither of hem hath power of his owene
941
Body. The thridde is for to eschewe leccherye
941
and vileynye. The ferthe is for sothe
941
Deedly synne./ As to the firste, it is mertorie;
942
the seconde also, for, as seith the
942
Decree, that she hath merite of chastitee that
942
Yeldeth to hire housbonde the dette of hir body,
942
Ye, though it be agayn hir likynge and the lust
942
Of hire herte./ The thridde manere is venyal
943
Synne; and, trewely, scarsly may ther any of
943
Thise be withoute venial synne, for the corrupcion
943
and for the delit./ The fourthe manere
944
Is for to understonde, as if they assemble oonly
944
For amorous love and for noon of the foreseyde
944
Causes, but for to accomplice thilke brennynge
944
Delit, they rekke nevere how ofte. Soothly it
944
Is deedly synne; and yet, with sorwe, somme
944
Folk wol peynen hem moore to doon than to
944
Hire appetit suffiseth./
945
The seconde manere of chastitee is for to
945
Been a clene wydewe, and eschue the embracynges
945
of man, and desiren the embracynge of
945
Jhesu crist./ Thise been tho that han been
946
Wyves and han forgoon hire housbondes, and
946
Eek wommen that han doon leccherie and
946
Been releeved by penitence./ And certes,
947
If that a wyf koude kepen hire al chaast
947
By licence of hir housbonde, so that she yeve
947
Nevere noon occasion that he agilte, it were
947
To hire a greet merite./ Thise manere wommen
948
that observen chastitee moste be clene
948
In herte as wel as in body and in though, and
948
Mesurable in clothynge and in contenaunce;
948
And been abstinent in etynge and drynkynge,
948
In spekynge, and in dede. They been the vessel
948
or the boyste of the blissed magdelene, that
948
Fulfilleth hooly chirche of good odour./ The
949
Thridde manere of chastitee is virginitee, and
949
It bihoveth that she be hooly in herte and clene
949
Of body. Thanne is she spouse to jhesu crist,
949
And she is the lyf of angeles./ She is the preisynge
950
of this world, and she is as thise martirs
950
In egalitee; she hath in hire that tonge may
950
Nat telle ne herte thynke./ Virginitee baar
951
Oure lord jhesu crist, and virgine was
951
another remedie agayns leccherie is specially
952
to withdrawen swiche thynges as yeve
952
Occasion to thilke vileynye, as ese, etynge, and
952
Drynkynge. For certes, whan the pot boyleth
952
Strongly, the beste remedie is to withdrawe the
952
Fyr. / slepynge longe in greet quiete is eek
953
A greet norice to leccherie. /
954
Another remedie agayns leccherie is that a
954
Man or a womman eschue the compaignye of
954
Hem by whiche he douteth to be tempted; for
954
Al be it so that the dede be withstonden, yet
954
Is ther greet temptacioun./ Soothly, a whit
955
Wal, although it ne brenne noght fully by
955
Stikynge of a candele, yet is the wal blak of
955
The leyt./ Ful ofte tyme I rede that no man
956
Truste in his owene perfeccioun, but he be
956
Stronger than sampson, and hoolier than
956
David, and wiser than salomon./
957
Now after that I have declared yow, as
957
I kan, the sevene deedly synnes, and somme
957
Of hire braunches and hire remedies, soothly,
957
If I koude, I wolde telle yow the ten comandementz./
957
but so heigh a doctrine I lete to divines.
958
nathelees, I hope to god, they been
958
Touched in this tretice, everich of hem alle./
959
Now for as muche as the seconde partie of
959
Penitence stant in confessioun of mouth, as I
959
Bigan in the firste chapitre, I seye, seint augustyn
959
seith:/ synne is every word and every
960
Dede, and al that men coveiten, agayn the lawe
960
Of jhesu crist; and this is for to synne in herte,
960
In mouth, and in dede, by thy fyve wittes, that
960
Been sighte, herynge, smellynge, tastynge or
960
Savourynge, and feelynge./ Now is it good
961
To understonde the circumstances that
961
Agreggen muchel every synne./ Thou
962
Shalt considere what thow art that doost
962
The synne, wheither thou be male or femele,
962
Yong or oold, gentil or thral, free or servant,
962
Hool or syk, wedded or sengle, ordred or unordred,
962
wys or fool, clerk or seculeer;/ if she
963
Be of thy kynrded, bodily of goostly, or noon;
963
If any of thy kynrede have synned with hire,
963
Or noon; and manye mo thinges./
964
Another circumstaunce is this: wheither it
964
Be doon in fornicacioun or in avowtrie or noon;
964
Incest or noon; mayden or noon; in manere of
964
Homicide or noon; horrible grete synnes or
964
Smale; and how longe thou hast continued in
964
Synne./ The thridde circumstaunce is the
965
Place ther thou hast do synne; wheither in
965
Oother mennes hous or in thyn owene; in feeld
965
Or in chirche or in chirchehawe; in chirche
965
Dedicaat or noon./ For if the chirche be
966
Halwed, and man or womman spille his kynde
966
Inwith that place, by wey or synne or by wikked
966
temptacioun, the chirche is entredited
966
Til it be reconsiled by the bysshop./ And
967
The preest sholde be enterdited that dide
967
Swich a vileynye; to terme of al his lif he sholde
967
Namoore synge masse, and if he dide, he sholde
967
Doon deedly synne at every time that he so
967
Songe masse./ The fourthe circumstaunce is
968
By whiche mediatours, or by whiche messagers,
968
as for enticement, or for consentement to
968
Bere compaignye with felaweshipe; for many
968
A swecche, for to bere compaignye, wol go to
968
The devel of helle./ Wherfore they that eggen
969
Or consenten to the synne been parteners of
969
The synne, and of the dampnacioun of the synnere./
969
The fifthe circumstaunce is how manye
970
Tymes that he hath synne, if it be in his mynde,
970
And how ofte that he hath falle./ For he that
971
Ofte talleth in synne, he despiseth the mercy
971
Of god, and encreesseth hys synne, and is unkynde
971
to crist; and he wexeth the moore
971
Fieble to withstonde synne, and synneth
971
The moore lightly,/ and the latter ariseth,
972
And is the moore eschew for to shryven
972
Hym, and namely, to hym that is his confessour./
973
For which that folk, whan they falle agayn in
973
Hir olde folies, outher they forleten hir olde
973
Confessours ol outrely, or eles they departen
973
Hir shrift in diverse places; but soothly, swich
973
Departed shrift deserveth no mercy of God of
973
His synnes./ The sixte sircumstaunce is why
974
That a man synneth, as by which temptacioun;
974
And if hymself procure thilke temptacioun, or by
974
The excitynge of oother folk; or if he synne
974
With a womman by force, or by hire owene
974
Assent;/ of if the womman, maugree hir hed,
975
Hath been afforced, or noon. This shal she
975
Telle: for coveitise, or for poverte, and if it was
975
Hire procurynge, or noon; and swich manere
975
Harneys./ The seventhe circumstaunce is in
976
What manere he hath doon his synne, or how
976
That she hath suffred that folk han doon
976
To hire./ And the same shal the man telle
977
Pleynly with alle circumstaunces; and
977
Wheither he hath synned with comune bordel
977
Wommen, or noon;/ or doon his synne in hooly
978
Tymes, or noon; in fastyng tymes, or noon; or
978
Biforn his shrifte, or after his latter shrifte;/
979
enjoyned; by whos help and whos conseil;
979
By sorcerie or craft; al moste be toold./ Alle
980
Thise thynges, after that they been grete or
980
Smale, engreggen the conscience of man. And
980
Eek the preest, that is thy juge, may the bettre
980
Been avysed of his juggement in yevynge of
980
Thy penaunce, and that is after thy contricioun./
980
for understond wel that after tyme
981
That a man hath defouled his baptesme by
981
Synne, if he wole come to salvaciou, ther is
981
Noon other wey but by penitence and
981
Shrifte and satisfaccioun;/ and namely by
982
The two, if ther be a confessour to which
982
He may shriven hym, and the thridde, if he
982
Have lyf to parfournen it./
983
Thanne shal man looke and considere that
983
If he wole maken a trewe and a profitable confessioun,
983
ther moste be foure condiciouns./
984
First, it moot been in sorweful bitternesse of
984
Herte, as seyde the kyng ezechias to god: I
984
Wol remembre me alle the yeres of my lif in
984
Bitternesse of myn herte./ This condicioun of
985
Bitternesse hath fyve signes. The firste is that
985
Confessioun moste be shamefast, nat for to coyere
985
ne hyden his synne, for he hath agilt his
985
God and defouled his soule./ And herof seith
986
Seint augustyn: the herte tavailleth for
986
Shame of his synne; and for he hath greet
986
Shamefastnesse, he is digne to have greet
986
Mercy of god./ Swich was the confessioun
987
of the publican that wolde nat heven
987
Up his eyen to hevene, for he hadde offended
987
God of hevene; for which shamefastnesse he
987
Hadde anon the mercy of god./ And therof
988
Seith seint augustyn that swich shamefast folk
988
Been next foryevenesse and remissioun./ Another
989
signe is humylitee in confessioun; of
989
Which seith seint peter,~humbleth yow under
989
The myght of god. The hond of God is
989
Myghty in confessiou, for therby God foryeveth
989
thee thy synnes, for he allone hath the
989
Power./ And this humylitee shal been in herte,
990
And in signe outward; for right as he hath humylitee
990
to God in his herte, right so sholde he
990
Humble his body outward to the preest, that
990
Sit in goddes place./ For which in no manere,
991
sith that crist is sovereyn, and the preest
991
Meene and mediatour bitwixe crist and the
991
Synnere, and the synnere is the laste by
991
Wey of resoun,/ thanne sholde nat the
992
Synnere sitte as heighe as his confessour,
992
But knele biforn hym or at his feet, but if maladie
992
destourbe it. For he shal nat taken kep
992
Who sit there, but in whos place that he sitteth./
992
a man that hath trespased to a lord,
993
And comth for to axe mercy and maken his accord,
993
and set him doun anon by the lord, men
993
Wolde holden hym outrageous, and nat worthy
993
So soone for to have remissioun ne mercy./ The
994
Thridde signe is how that thy shrift sholde
994
Be ful of teeris, if man may, and if man may
994
Nat wepe with his bodily eyen, lat hym wepe
994
In herte./ Swich was the confession of seint
995
Peter, for after that he hadde forsake jhesu
995
Crist, he wente out and weep ful bitterly./
996
The fourthe signe is that he ne lette nat
996
For shame to shewen his confessioun./
997
Swich was the confessioun of the magdalene,
997
that ne spared, for no shame of hem
997
That weren atte feeste, for to go to oure lord
997
Jhesu crist and biknowe to hym hire synne./
998
The fifthe signe is that a man or a womman
998
Be obeisant to receyven the penaunce that hym
998
Is enjoyned ofr his synnes, for certes, jhesu
998
Crist, for the giltes of o man, was obedient to
998
The deeth./
999
The seconde condicion of verray confession
999
Is that it be hastily doon. For certes, if a man
999
Hadde a deedly wounde, evere the lenger that
999
He taried to warisshe hymself, the moore wolde
999
It corrupte and haste hym to his deeth; and
999
Eek the wounde wolde be the wors for to
999
Heele./ And right so fareth synne that longe
1000
Tyme is in a man unshewed./ Certes, a man
1001
Oghte hastily shewen his synnes for manye
1001
Causes; as for drede of deeth, that cometh ofte
1001
Sodeynly, and no certeyn what tyme it shal be,
1001
Ne in what place; and eek the drecchynge
1001
of o synne draweth in another;/ and
1002
Eek the lenger that he tarieth, the ferther
1002
He is fro crist. And if he abide to his laste day,
1002
Scarsly may he shryven hym or remembre hym
1002
Of his synnes or repenten hym, for the grevous
1002
Maladie of his deeth./ And for as muche as he
1003
Ne hath nat in his lyf herkned jhesu crist
1003
Whanne he hath spoken, he shal crie to jhesu
1003
Crist at his laste day, and scarsly wol he
1003
Herkne hym./ And understond that this condicioun
1004
moste han foure thunges. Thi shrift
1004
Moste be purveyed bifore and avysed; for
1004
Wikked haste dooth no profit; and that a man
1004
Konne shryve hym of his synnes, be it of pride,
1004
Or of envye, and so forth with the speces and
1004
Circumstances;/ and that he have comprehended
1005
in hys mynde the nombre and the
1005
Greetnesse of his synnes, and how longe that
1005
He hath leyn in synne;/ and eek that he be
1006
By the grace of god, nevere eft to falle in
1006
Synne; and eek that he drede and countrewaite
1006
Hymself, that he fle the occasiouns of
1006
Synne to whiche he is enclyned./ Also
1007
Thou shalt shryve thee of alle thy synnes
1007
To o man, and nat a parcel to o man and a parcel
1007
to another; that is to understonde, in entente
1007
To departe thy confessioun, as for shame of
1007
Drede; for it nys but stranglynge of thy soule./
1008
For certes jhesu crist is entierly al good; in
1008
Hym nys noon imperfeccioun; and therfore
1008
Outher he foryeveth al parfitly or never a deel./
1009
I seye nat that if thow be assigned to the penitauncer
1009
for certein synne, that thow art bounde
1009
To shewen hym al the remenaunt fo thy synnes,
1009
Of whiche thow hast be shryven of thy curaal,
1009
But if it like to thee of thyn humylitee; this is
1009
No departynge of shrifte./ Ne I seye nat, ther
1010
As I speke of divisioun of confessioun, that
1010
If thou have licence for to shryve thee to a discreet
1010
and an honest preest, where thee liketh,
1010
And by licence of thy curaat, that thow ne
1010
Mayst wel shryve thee to him al alle thy
1010
Synnes./ But lat no blotte be bihynde; lat no
1011
Synne been untoold, as fer as thow hast
1011
Remembraunce./ And whan thou shalt be
1012
Shryven to thy curaat, telle hym eek alle
1012
The synnes that thow hast doon syn thou were
1012
Last yshryven; this is no wikked entente of divisioun
1012
of shrifte./
1013
Also the verray shrifte axeth certeine condiciouns.
1013
first, that thow shryve thee by thy
1013
Free wil, noght constreyned, ne for shame of
1013
Folk, ne for maladie, ne swich thynges. For
1013
It is resoun that he that trespaseth by his free
1013
Wyl, that by his free wyl he confesse his trespas;/
1013
and that noon oother man telle his synne
1014
But he hymself; ne he shal nat nayte ne denye
1014
His synne, ne wratthe hym agayn the preest
1014
For his amonestynge to lete synne./ The seconde
1015
condicioun is that thy shrift be laweful,
1015
That is to seyn, that thow that shryvest thee,
1015
And eek the preest that hereth thy confessioun,
1015
Been verraily in the feith of hooly chirche;/
1016
And that a man ne be nat despeired of the
1016
Mercy of jhesu crist, as caym or judas./
1017
And eek a man moot accusen hymself of
1017
His owene trespas, and nat another; but he
1017
Shal blame and wyten hymself and his owene
1017
Malice of his synne, and noon oother./ But
1018
Nathelees, if that another man be occasioun or
1018
Enticere of his synne, or the estaat of a persone
1018
be swich thurgh which his synne is
1018
Agregged, or elles that he may nat pleynly
1018
Shryven hym but he telle the persone with
1018
Which he hath synned, thanne may he telle it,/
1019
So that his entente ne be nat to bakbite the
1019
Persone, but oonly to declaren his confessioun./
1019
Thou ne shalt nat eek make no lesynges in
1020
Thy confessioun, for humylitee, peraventure, to
1020
Seyn that thou hast doon synnes of whiche
1020
Thow were nevere gilty./ For seint augustyn
1021
Seith, if thou, by cause of thyn hymylitee,
1021
Makest lesynges on thyself, though thow ne
1021
Were nat in synne biforn, yet artow thanne
1021
In synne thurgh thy lesynges./ Thou
1022
Most eek shewe thy synne by thyn owene
1022
Propre mouth, but thow be woxe dowmb, and
1022
Nat by no lettre; for thow that hast doon the
1022
Synne, thou shalt have the shame therfore./
1023
Thow shalt nat eek peynte thy confessioun by
1023
Faire subtile wordes, to covere the moore thy
1023
Synne; for thanne bigilestow thyself, and nat
1023
The preest. Thow most tellen it platly, be it
1023
Nevere so foul ne so horrible./ Thow shalt
1024
Eek shryve thee to a preest that is discreet to
1024
Conseille thee; and eek thou shalt nat shryve
1024
Thee for veyne glorie, ne for ypocrisye, ne for no
1024
Cause but oonly for the doute of jhesu crist and
1024
The heele of thy soule./ Thow shalt nat eek
1025
Renne to the preest sodeynly to tellen hym
1025
Lightly thy synne, as whoso telleth a jape or
1025
A tale, but avysely and with greet devocioun./
1026
And generally, shryve thee ofte. If thou
1026
Ofte falle, ofte thou arise by confessioun./
1027
And though thou shryve thee ofter than
1027
Ones of synne of which thou hast be shryven,
1027
It is the moore merite. And, as seith seint
1027
Augustyn, thow shalt have the moore lightly
1027
Relessyng and grace fo god, bothe of synne and
1027
Of peyne./ And certes, oones a yeere atte leeste
1028
Wey it is laweful for to been housled; for certes,
1028
Oones a yeere alle thynges renovellen./
1029
Now have I toold yow of verray confessioun,
1029
that is the seconde partie of penitence./
1030
The thridde partie of penitence is satisfaccioun,
1030
and that stant moost generally in almesse
1030
and in bodily peyne./ Now been ther thre
1031
Manere of almesse: contricion of herte, where
1031
A man offreth hymself to god; another is to
1031
Han pitee of defaute of his neighebores; and the
1031
Thridde is in yevynge of good conseil and comfort,
1031
And namely in sustenaunce of mannes
1031
Foode./ And tak kep that a man hath
1032
Nede of thise thinges generally: he hath
1032
Nede of foode, he hath nede of clothyng
1032
and herberwe, he hath nede of charitable
1032
conseil and visitynge in prisone and
1032
In maladie, and sepulture of his dede body./
1033
And if thow mayst nat visite the nedeful
1033
with thy persone, visite hym by thy
1033
Message and by thy yiftes./ Thise been general
1034
almesses or werkes of chritee of hem that
1034
Han temporeel richesses or discrecioun in conseilynge.
1034
of thise werkes shaltow heren at the
1034
Day of doom./
1035
Thise almesses shaltow doon of thyne owene
1035
Propre thynges, and hastily and prively, if
1035
Thow mayst./ But nathelees, if thow mayst
1036
Ant doon it prively, thow shalt nat forbere to
1036
Doon almesse though men seen it, so that it
1036
Be nat doon for thank of the world, but
1036
Oonly for thank of jhesu crist./ For, as
1037
Witnesseth seint mathew, capitulo quinto,
1037
A citee may nat been hyd that is set on a
1037
Montayne, ne men lighte nat a lanterne and
1037
Put it under a busshel, but men sette it on a
1037
Candle-stikke to yeve light to the men in the
1037
Hous./ Right so shal youre light lighten bifore
1038
Men, that they may seen youre goode werkes,
1038
And glorifie youre fader that is in hevene./
1039
Now as to speken of bodily peyne, it stant
1039
In preyeres, in wakynges, in fastynges, in vertuouse
1039
techynges of orisouns./ And ye shul
1040
Understonde that orisouns or preyeres is for to
1040
Seyn a pitous wyl of herte, that redresseth it
1040
In God and expresseth it by word outward, to
1040
Remoeven harmes and to han thynges espiritueel
1040
and durable, and somtyme temporele
1040
Thynges; of whiche orisouns, certes, in the
1040
Orison of the pater noster hath jhesu crist enclosed
1040
moost thynges./ Certes, it is privyleged
1041
of thre thynges in his dignytee, for
1041
Which it is moore digne than any oother
1041
Preyere; for that jhesu crist hymself
1041
Maked it;/ and it is short, for it sholde
1042
Be koud the moore lightly, and for to
1042
Withholden it the moore esily in herte, and
1042
Helpen hymself the ofter with the orisoun,/
1043
And for a man sholde be the lasse wery to
1043
Seyen it, and for a man may nat excusen hym
1043
To lerne it, it is so short and so esy; and for it
1043
Comprehendeth in it self alle goode preyeres./
1044
The exposicioun of this hooly preyere, that is
1044
So excellent and digne, I bitake to thise maistres
1044
of theologie, save thus muchel wol I seyn;
1044
That whan thow prayest that God sholde for
1044
Yeve thee thy giltes as thou foryevest hem that
1044
Agilten to thee, be ful wel war that thow ne
1044
Be nat out of charitee./ This hooly orison
1045
Amenuseth eek venyal synne, and therfore it
1045
Aperteneth specially to penitence./
1046
This preyere moste be trewely seyd, and in
1046
Verray feith, and that men preye to God ordinatly
1046
and discreetly and devoutly; and alwey
1046
A man shal putten his wyl to be subget to
1046
The wille of god./ This orisoun moste eek
1047
Been seyd with greet humblesse and ful
1047
Pure; honestly, and nat to the anoyaunce of
1047
Any man or womman. It moste eek been continued
1047
with the werkes of chritee./ It avayleth
1048
eek agayn the vices of the soule; for, as
1048
Seith seint jerome, by fastynge been saved the
1048
Vices of the flessh, and by preyere the vices of
1048
The soule./
1049
After this, thou shalt understonde that bodily
1049
peyne stant in wakynge; for jhesu crist
1049
Seith, waketh and preyeth, that ye ne entre
1049
In wikked temptacioun./ Ye shul understanden
1050
also that fastynge stant in thre thynges:
1050
In forberynge of bodily mete and drynke, and
1050
In forberynge of worldly jolitee, and in forberynge
1050
of deedly synne; this is to seyn, that a
1050
Man shal kepen hym fro deedly synne with al
1050
His might. /
1051
And thou shalt understanden eek that god
1051
Ordeyned fastynge, and to fastynge appertenen
1051
foure thinges:/ largenesse to
1052
Povre folk; gladnesse of herte espiritueel,
1052
Nat to been angry ne anoyed, ne grucche for
1052
He fasteth; and also resonable houre for to ete;
1052
Ete by mesure; that is for to seyn, a man shal
1052
Nat ete in untyme, ne sitte the lenger at his
1052
Table to ete for he fasteth./
1053
Thanne shaltow understonde that bodily
1053
Peyne stant in disciplyne or techynge, by word,
1053
Or by writynge, or in ensample; also in werynge
1053
of heyres, or of stamyn, or of haubergeons
1053
on hire naked flessh, for cristes sake,
1053
And swiche manere penances./ But war thee
1054
Wel that swiche manere penaunces on thy
1054
Flessh ne make nat thyn herte bitter or angry
1054
Or anoyed of thyself; for bettre is to caste awey
1054
Thyn heytre, that for to caste awey the swetenesse
1054
of jhesu crist./ And therfore seith seint
1055
Paul, clothe yow, as they that been chosen
1055
Of god, in herte of misericorde, debonairetee,
1055
Suffraunce, and swich manere of clothynge;
1055
Of whiche jhesu crist is moore apayed than
1055
Thanne is discipline eek in knokkynge of
1056
Thy brest, in scourgynge with yerdes, in
1056
Knelynges, in tribulaciouns,/ in suffrynge
1057
Paciently wronges that been doon to thee,
1057
And eek in pacient suffraunce of maladies, or
1057
Lesynge of worldly catel, or of wyf, or of child,
1057
Or othere freendes./
1058
Thanne shaltow understonde whiche thynges
1058
Destourben penaunce; and this is in foure
1058
Maneres, that is, drede, shame, hope, and wanhope,
1058
that is, desperacion./ And for to speke
1059
First of drede; for which he weneth that he
1059
May suffre no penaunce;/ ther-agayns is remedie
1060
for to thynke that bodily penaunce is but
1060
Short and litel at regard of the peyne of helle,
1060
That is so crueel and so long that it lasteth
1060
Withouten ende./
1061
Now again the shame that a man hath to
1061
Shryven hym, and namely thise ypocrites that
1061
Wolden been holden so parfite that they
1061
Han no nede to shryven hem;/ agayns that
1062
Shame sholde a man thynke that, by wey
1062
Of resoun, that he that hath nat been shamed
1062
To doon foule thinges, certes hym oghte nat
1062
Been ashamed to do faire thynges, and that is
1062
Confessiouns./ A man sholde eek thynke that
1063
God seeth and woot alle his thoghtes and alle
1063
His werkes; to hym may no thyng been hyd
1063
Ne covered./ Men sholden eek remembren
1064
Hem of the shame that is to come at the day
1064
Of doom to hem that been nat penitent and
1064
Shryven in this present lyf./ For alle the
1065
Creatures in hevene, in erthe, and in helle
1065
Shullen seen apertly al that they hyden in this
1065
World./
1066
Now for to speken of the hope of hem that
1066
Been necligent and slowe to shryven
1066
Hem, that stant in two maneres./ That
1067
Oon is that he hopeth for to lyve longe
1067
And for to purchacen muche richesse for his
1067
Delit, and thanne he wol shryven hym; and
1067
As he seith, hym semeth thanne tymely
1067
Ynough to come to shrifte./ Another is of
1068
Surquidrie that he hath in cristes mercy./
1069
Agayns the firste vice, he shal thynke that oure
1069
Life is in no sikernesse, and eek that alle the
1069
Richesses in this world ben in aventure, and
1069
Passen as a shadwe on the wal;/ and , as seith
1070
Seint gregorie, that it aperteneth to the grete
1070
Righwisnesse of God that nevere shal the peyne
1070
Stynte of hem that nevere wolde withdrawen
1070
Hem fro synne, hir thankes, but ay continue
1070
In synne; for thilke perpetueel wil to do synne
1070
Shul they han perpetueel peyne./
1071
Wanhope is in two maneres; the firste wanhope
1071
is in the mercy of crist; that oother is
1071
That they thynken that they ne myghte
1071
That longe persevere in goodnesse./ The
1072
Firste wanhope comth of that he demeth
1072
That he hath synned so greetly and so ofte,
1072
And so longe leyn in synne, that he shal
1072
Nat be saved./ Certes, agayns that cursed wanhope
1073
sholde he thynke that the passion of jhesu
1073
Crist is moore strong for to bynde than
1073
Synne is strong for to bynde. / agayns the
1074
Seconde wanhope he shal thynke that as ofte
1074
As he falleth he may arise agayn by penitence.
1074
And though he never so longe have leyn in
1074
Synne, the mercy of crist is alwey redy to receiven
1074
hym to mercy./ Agayns the wanhope
1075
That he demeth that he sholde nat longe persevere
1075
in goodnesse, he shal thynke that the
1075
Feblesse of the devel may nothyng doon, but
1075
If men wol suffren hym;/ and eek he shal han
1076
Strengthe of the help of god, and of al hooly
1076
Chirche, and of the proteccioun of aungels,
1076
if hym list./
1077
Thanne shal men understonde what is
1077
The fruyt of penaunce; and, after the word of
1077
Jhesu crist, it is the endelees blisse of hevene,/
1077
ther joye hath no contrarioustee of wo
1078
Ne grevaunce; ther alle harmes been passed
1078
Of this present lyf; ther as is the sikernesse fro
1078
The peyne of helle; ther as is the blisful compaignye
1078
that rejoysen hem everemo, everich of
1078
Otheres joye;/ ther as the body of man, that
1079
Whilom was foul and derk, is moore cleer than
1079
The sonne; ther as the body, that whilom was
1079
Syk, freele, and fieble, and mortal, is inmortal,
1079
And so strong and so hool that ther may no
1079
Thyng apeyren it;/ ther as ne is neither hunger,
1080
thurst, ne coold, but every soule replenyssed
1080
with the sighte of the parfit knowynge
1080
Of god./ This blisful regne may men purchace
1081
by poverte espiritueel, and the glorie by
1081
Lowenesse, the plentee of joye by hunger and
1081
Thurst, and the reste by travaille, and the
1081
Lyf by deeth and mortificacion of synne./
1082
