|b_Chaucer's_Canterbury_Tales:_The_Person's_Tale,_ed._Norman_Blake



|p596


Here bigynneth the persons tale.

Ieremie 6ų: State super vias et videte et interrogate de semitis antiquis que
sit via bona et ambulate in ea et inuenietis refrigerium animabus vestris, etc.

(75) Ovre swete lord god of heuene, that no man wole perisse but wole that
we comen alle to the knoweliche of hym and to the blisful lyf that is pardur_able,/
amonesteth vs by the prophete Ieromie that seith in this wise:/ Stondeth
vpon the weyes and seeth and axeth of olde pathes (that is to seyn of olde
sentences) which is the goode wey/ and walketh in that wey and ye shal fynde
refresshynge for youre soules etc./ Manye been the weyes espirituels that leden
folk to oure lord Iesu Crist and to the regne of glorie. (80) Of whiche weyes
ther is a ful noble wey and a ful couenable which may nat faile to man ne to
womman that thurgh synne hath mysgoon fro the righte wey of Ierusalem
celestial./ And this wey is clepid penitence, of which men sholde gladly herknen
and enquere with al his herte/ to wite what is penitence and whennes it is clepid
penitence and in how manye maneres been the accions or werkynges of
penitence,/ and how manye spices ther ben of penitences, and whiche thynges
apertenen and bihouen to penitence, whiche thynges destourben penitence./
  Seint Ambrose seith that penitence is the pleynynge of man for the gilt that
he hath doon and namoore to doon any thyng for which hym oghte to pleyne.
(85) And som doctour seith: Penitence is <th>e waymentynge of man that sorweth



|p597


for his synne and pyneth hymself for he hath mysdoon./ Penitence with certeyne
circumstances is verray repentance of a man that halt hymself in sorwe and
oother peyne for hise giltes./ And for he shal be verray penitent he shal first
biwailen the synnes that he hath doon and stedefastly purposen in his herte
to haue shrift of mouthe and to doon satisfaccioun,/ and neuere to doon thyng
for which hym oghte moore to biwaile or to compleyne and to continue in
goode werkes - or ellis his repentance may nat auayle./ [f.236v] For as seith seint
Isydre: He is a iapere and a gabber and no verray repentant that eftsoone dooth
thyng for which hym oghte repente. (90) Wepynge and nat for to stynte to do
synne may nat auaile./ But nathelees men shal hope that at euery tyme that
man falleth be it neuer so ofte that he may arise <th>urgh penitence if he haue
grace, but certeynly it is greet dowte./ For as seith seint Gregorie: Vnnethe
ariseth he out of his synne that is charged with the charge of yuel vsage,/ 
and therfore repentant folk that stynte for to synne and forlete synne er that
synne forlete hem, holy chirche halt hem siker of hir sauacion;/ and he that
synneth and verraily repenteth hym in his laste, holy chirche yet hopeth his
sauacion hy the grete mercy of oure lord Iesu Crist for his repentance. But taak
the siker wey.
  (95) And now sith that I haue declared yow what thyng is penitence, now
shul ye vnderstonde that ther been iij accions of penitence./ The firste is that
if a man be baptised after that he hath synned./ Seint Augustyn seith: But
he be penitent for his olde, synful lyf, he may nat bigynne the newe, clene
lyf/ For certes if he be baptised withoute penitence of his olde gilt, he receyueth
the mark of baptesme but nat the grace ne the remissioun of hise synnes til
he haue repentance verray./ Another defaute is this that men doon deedly
synne after that they han receyued baptesme. (100) The thridde defaute is
that men fallen in venyal synnes after hir baptesme fro day to day./ Therof
seith seint Augustyn that penitence of goode and of humble folk is the penitence
of euery day./
  The speces of penaunce been iij: that oon of hem is solempne, another is
commune, and the thridde is priuee./ Thilke penaunce that is solempne is in 
two maneres as to be put out of holy chirche in Lente for slaughtre of children



|p598


and swich manere thyng./ Another is whan man hath synned openly of which
synne the fame is openly spoken in the contree, and thanne holy chirche by
iugement destreyneth hym for to doon open penance. (105) Commune
penaunce is that preestes enioynen men communly in certeyn cas as for to goon
parauenture naked in pilgrymage or barefoot./ Pryuee penaunce is thilke that
men doon alday for priuee synnes, of whiche we shryue vs pryuely and receyue
pryuee penance./
  Now shaltow vnderstande what bihoueth and is necessarie to verray, parfit
penitence. And this stant on iij thynges:/ contricioun of herte, confessioun of
mouth, and satisfaccioun./ For which seith seint Iohn Crisostomus: [f.237]
Penitence destreyneth man to accepte benygnely euery peyne that hym is
enioyned with contricioun of herte, and shrift of mowthe, with satisfaccioun,
and in wirkynge of alle manere humylitee. (110) And this is fruytful penitence
agayn iij thynges in whiche we wrathe oure lord Iesu Crist,/ this is to seyn
by delit in thynkynge, by recchelesnesse in spekynge, by wikked synful
wirkynge./ And agayns thise wikkede giltes is penitence that may be likned
vnto a tree./
  The roote of this tree is contricioun that hideth hym in the herte of hym
that is verray repentant right as the roote of a tree hideth hym in the erthe./
Of the roote of contricioun spryngeth a stalke that bereth branches and leues
of confessioun and fruyt of satisfaccioun. (115) For which Crist seith in his
gospel: Dooth digne fruyt of penitence. For by this fruyt may men knowe this
tree and nat by the roote that is hyd in the herte of man ne by the branches
ne the leues of confessioun./ And therfore oure lord Iesu Crist seith thus: By
the fruyt of hem shul ye knowe hem./ Of this roote eek spryngeth a seed of
grace, the which seed is moder of sikernesse, and this seed is egre and hoot./
The grace of thys seed spryngeth of god thurgh remembrance on the day of
dome and on the peynes of helle./ Of this matere seith Salomon that in the
drede of god man forleteth his synne. (120) The hete of thys seed is the loue
of god and the desirynge of the ioye pardurable./ This hete draweth the herte
of man to god and dooth hym hate his synne./ For soothly ther is nothyng that
sauoureth so wel to a child as the mylk of his norice ne nothyng is to hym moore



|p599


abhomynable than thilke mylk whan it is medled with oother mete./ Right so
the synful man that loueth his synne hym semeth it is to hym moost swete
of any thyng;/ but fro that tyme that he loueth sadly oure lord Iesu Crist
and desireth the lyf pardurable, ther nys to hym nothyng moore abhomynable.
(125) For soothly the lawe of god is the loue of god, for which Dauid the
prophete seith: I haue loued thy lawe and hated wikkednesse and hate. He
that loueth god kepeth his lawe and his word./ This tree saugh the prophete
Daniel in spirit vpon the auysion of Nabugodonosor whanne he conseiled hym
to do penitence./ Penance is the tree of lyf to hem that it receyuen, and he that
holdeth hym in verray penitence is blessed after the sentence of Salomon./
  In this penitence or contricioun man shal vnderstonde iiij thynges: that is
to seyn what is contricioun, and whiche ben the causes that moeuen a man
to contricioun, and how he [f.237v] sholde be contrit, and what contricioun
auaileth to the soule./ Thanne is it thus that contricioun is the verray sorwe
that a man receyueth in his herte for hise synnes with sad purpos to shryue
hym and to do penance and neuere moore to do synne. (130) And this sorwe
shal ben in this manere as seith seint Bernard: It shal ben heuy and greuous
and ful sharp and poynaunt in herte,/ first for man hath agilt his lord and his
creatour; and moore sharp and poynaunt for he hath agilt his fader celestial;/
and yet moore sharp and poynaunt for he hath wrathed and agilt hym that
boughte hym that with his precious blood hath delyuered vs fro the bondes
of synne and fro the creweltee of the deuel and fro the peynes of helle./
  The causes that oghten moeuen a man to contricioun been vj. First a man shal
remembren hym of hise synnes./ But looke that thilke remembrance ne be to
hym no delit by no wey but gret shame and sorwe for his gilt. For Iob seith:
Synful men doon werkes worthy of confessioun. (135) And therfore seith
Ezechie: I wol remembre me alle the yeris of my lyfin bitternesse of myn herte./
And god seith in the Apocalips: Remembre yow fro whennes that ye ben falle,
or biforn that tyme that ye synned ye were the children of god and lymes
of the regne of god./ But for youre synne ye ben woxe thral and foul and
membres of the feend, hate of aungeles, sclaundre of holy chirche, and foode
of the false serpent, perpetuel matere of the fyr of helle;/ and yet moore foul
and abhomynable for ye trespasen so ofte tyme as dooth the hound that
retorneth to ete his spewyng./ And yet be ye fouler for youre longe contynuynge
in synne and youre synful vsage for which ye been roten in youre synne as a



|p600


beest in his donge. (140) Swiche manere of thoughtes maken a man haue
shame of his synne and no delit as god seyth by the prophete Ezechiel:/
Ye shal remembre yow of youre weyes and they shullen displese yow soothly.
Synnes been the weyes that leden folk to helle./
  The seconde cause that oghte make a man to han desdeyn of synne is this
that as seith seint Peter. Whoso that dooth synne is thral of synne and synne
put a man in greet thraldam./ And therfore seith the prophete Ezechiel: I
wente sorweful in desdayn of myself. Certes wel oghte a man haue desdayn of
synne and withdrawe hym fro that thraldom and vileynye./ And lo what seith
Seneca in this matere; he seith thus. Though I wiste that neither god ne man
ne sholde neuere knowe it, yet [f.238] wolde I haue desdayn for to do synne.
(145) And the same Seneca also seith: I am born to gretter thynges than to
be thral to my body or than for to maken of my body a thral./ Ne a fouler
thral may no man ne womman make of his body than for to yeue his body
to synne./ Al were it the fouleste cherl or the fouleste womman that lyueth
and leest of value, yet is he thanne moore foul and moore in seruitute./ Euere
fro the hyer degree that man falleth, the moore is he thral and moore to god
and to the world vil and abhomynable./ O goode god, wel oghte man haue
greet desdayn of synne sith that thurgh synne ther he was fre now is he maked
bonde. (150) And therfore seith seint Augustyn: If thow hast desdayn of thy
seruant if he agilte or synne, haue thow thanne desdayn that thow thyself
sholdest do synne./ Take reward of thy value that thow ne be to foul to thyself /
Allas wel oghten they thanne haue desdayn to ben seruantz and thralles to
synne and soore ben ashamed of hemself,/ that god of his endelees goodnesse
hath set hem in heigh estat or yeuen hem wit, strengthe of body, heele, beautee,
prosperitee,/ and boghte hem fro the deeth with his herte-blood that they so
vnkyndely agayns his gentilesse quyten hym so vileynsly to slawghtre of hir
owene soules. (155) O goode god, ye wommen that been of so greet beautee,
remembreth yow of the prouerbe of Salomon. He seith:/ Likneth a fair
womman that is a fool of hir body lyk to a ryng of gold that were in the groyn
of a sowe,/ for right as a sowe wroteth in euerich ordure so wroteth she hir
beaute in stynkynge ordure of synne./



|p601


  The thridde cause that oughte moeue a man to contricion is drede of the
day of dome and of the horrible peynes of helle./ For as seint Ierome seith:
At euery tyme that me remembreth of the day of dome I quake, (160) for
whan I ete and drynke or whatso that I do, euere semeth me that the trompe
sowneth in myn ere:/ Riseth ye vp that ben dede and cometh to the iugement./
O goode god, muchel oghte a man to drede swich a iugement ther as we shullen
ben alle, as seith seint Poul, biforn the sete of oure lord Iesu Crist,/ wher
as he shal maken a general congregacioun wher as no man may ben absent./
For certes there ne auaileth noon essoyne ne excusacioun. (165) And nat oonly
that oure defautes shullen be iuged, but eek that alle oure werkes shullen
openly be knowe./ And as that seith seint [f.238v] Bernard: Ther ne shal no
pletynge auaile ne no sleighte; we shullen yeue rekenynge of euerich ydel word./
There shul we han a iuge that may nat ben deceyued ne corrupt. And why?
For certes alle oure thoghtes ben descouered as to hym, ne for prayere ne for
mede he wol nat ben corrupt./ And therfore seith Salomon: The wrathe of god
ne wol nat spare no wight for prayere ne for yifte. And therfore at the day of
dome ther nys noon hope to escape./ Wherfore as seith seint Anselme: Ful
gret anguisse shullen the synful folk haue at that tyme. (170) Ther shal the
stierne and wrothe iuge sitte aboue, and vnder hym the horrible pit of helle
open to destroye hym that moot biknowen hise synnes, whiche synnes openly
ben shewed biforn god and biforn euey creature./ And on the left syde mo
deueles than herte may bithynke for to harye and drawe the synful soules
to the pyne of helle./ And withinne the hertes of folk shal be the bityng
conscience and withoute forth shal be the world al brennynge./ Whider shal
thanne the wreched synful man fle to hyde hym? Certes he may nat hyde
hym: he moste come forth and shewe hym./ For certes as seith seint
Ierome: The erthe shal caste hym out of hym and the see also and the eyr
also, that shal ben ful of thonder-clappes and lightnynges. (175) Now soothly
whoso wel remembreth hym of thise thynges. I gesse that his synne shal nat
torne hym in delit, but to gret sorwe for drede of the peyne of helle./ And



|p602


therfore seith Iob to god: Suffre, lord, that I may a while biwayle and
wepe er I go withoute returnynge to the dirke lond couered with the
derknesse of deeth,/ to the lond of mysese and of derknesse where as is the
shadwe of deeth, where as ther is noon ordre or ordinaunce but grisly drede that
euere shal laste./ Lo here may ye seen that Iob preyde respit a while to biwepe
and wayle his trespas, for soothly o day of respit is bettre than al the tresor
of this world./ And for as muche as a man may acquyte hymself biforn god
by penitence in this world and nat by tresor, therfore sholde he preye to god
to yeue hym respit a while to biwepe and biwaylen his trespas. (180) For certes
al the sorwe that a man myghte make fro the bigynnyng of the world nys
but a litel thyng at regard of the sorwe of helle. /
  The cause why that Iob clepeth helle the lond of derknesse?/ Vnderstondeth
[f.239] that he clepeth it lond or erthe, for it is stable and neuere shal faile
dirk, for he that is in helle hath defaute of light material./ For certes the derke
light that shal come out of the fyr that euere shal brenne shal turne hym al
to peyne that is in helle, for it sheweth hym to the horrible deueles that hym
tormenten./ Couered with the derknesse of deeth, that is to seyn that he that
is in helle shal haue defaute of the sighte of god, for certes the sighte of god is
the lyf pardurable. (185) The derknesse of deeth ben the synnes that the
wrecched man hath doon, whiche that destourben hym to se the face of god
right as a dirk clowde bitwixe vs and the sonne./ Lond of myseise by cause
that ther ben iij manere of defautes agayns iij thynges that folk of this world
han in this present lyf, that is to seyn honours, delices and rychesses./ Agayns
honour han they in helle shame and confusion,/ for wel ye woot that men clepen
honour the reuerence that man dooth to man. But in helle is noon honour
ne reuerence, for certes namoore reuerence shal be doon to a kyng than to a
knaue./ For which god seith by the prophete Ieremye: Thilke folk that me
despisen shulle ben in despit. (190) Honour is eek clepid greet lordshipe. Ther
shal no, wight seruen oother but of harm and torment. Honour is eek clepid
greet dignytee and heighnesse, but in helle shul they ben al fortroden of
deueles./ As god seith: The horrible deueles shullen goon and comen vpon
the heuedes of dampned folk. And this is for as muche as the heyer that
they were in this present lyf, the moore shulle they ben abated and defouled
in helle./ Agayns the richesse of this world shul they han myseyse of pouerte.
And this pouerte shal bein iiij thynges./ In defaute of tresor, of which that
Dauid seith: The riche folk that embraceden and oneden al hir herte to tresor
of this world shulle slepen in the slepynge of deeth and nothyng ne shal they
fynden in hir handes of al hir tresor./ And mooreouer the misayse of helle shal



|p603


ben in defaute of mete and drynke: (195) For god seith thus by Moyses: They
shul ben wasted with honger and the bryddes of helle shul deuouren hem
with bitter deeth, and the galle of the dragon shal ben hire drynke, and the
venym of the dragon hir morsels./ And fortherouer hire miseyse shal ben in
defaute of clothyng for they shullen ben naked in body as of clothyng saue
the fyr in which they brenne and othere filthes./ And naked shul they ben of
soule, of alle manere vertues which that is the clothyng of soule. Where
[f.239v] ben thanne the gaye robes and the softe shetes and the smale shertes?/
Lo what seith god of hem by the prophete Ysaye that vnder hem shul ben
strawed moththes and hir couertures shullen ben of wormes of helle./ And
fortherouer hir miseyse shal ben in defaute offrendes for he is nat pouere that
hath goode frendes. But there is no freend, (200) for neither god ne no creature
shal ben freend to hem, and euerich ofhem shal haten oother with deedly hate./
The sones and the doghtren shullen rebellen agayns fader and moder, and
kynrede agayns kynrede, and chiden and despisen euerich of hem oother bothe
day and nyght. As god seith by the prophete Michias:/ And the louynge
children that whilom loueden so flesshly euerich oother wolden euerich of hem
eten oother if they myghte./ For how sholde they louen hem togidre in the peyne
of helle whan they hateden euerich of hem oother in the prosperitee of this lyf?/
For truste wel hire flesshly loue was dedly hate, as seith the prophete Dauid:
Whoso that loueth wikkednesse he hateth his soule. (205) And whoso hateth
his owene soule certes he may loue noon oother wight in no manere./ And
therfore in helle is no solas ne no frendshipe, but euere the moore flesshly
kynredes that ben in helle the moore cursynges, the moore chidynges, and the
moore dedly hate ther is among hem./ And fortherouer they shul haue defaute
of alle manere delices, for certes delices ben after the appetites of the
v wittes as sighte, herynge, smellynge, sauorynge and touchynge./ But in
helle hir sighte shal be ful of dirknesse and of smoke, and therfore ful of teerys;
and hir herynge ful of waymentynge and of gryntynge of teeth, as seith Iesu
Crist:/ Hire nosethirles shul ben ful of stynkynge stynk. And as seith Ysaye the
prophete: Hir sauorynge shal be ful of bitter galle. (210) And touchynge of al
hir body ycouered with fyr that neuere shal quenche and with wormes that
neuere shul dyen, as god seith by the mowth of Ysaye./
  And for as muche as they shul nat wene that they may dyen for peyne and
by hir deeth fle fro peyne, that may they vnderstonde in the word of Iob that



|p604


seith there as is the shadwe of de<th>:/ Certes a shadwe hath the liknesse of the
thyng of which it is shadwe, but shadwe is nat the same thyng of which it is
shadwe./ Right so fareth the peyne of helle. It is lyk deeth for the horrible
angwissh. And why? For it peyneth [f.240] hem euere as thogh men sholde
dye anon. But certes they shal nat dye./ For as seith seint Gregorie: To wrecche
kaityues shal be deeth withoute deeth and ende withouten ende and defaute
withoute failynge' (215) for hir deeth shal alwey lyuen, and hire ende shal
eueremo bigynne, and hir defaute shal nat faile./ And therfore seith sein Iohn the euaungelist: They shullen folwe deeth and they shal nat fynde hym, and
they shul desiren to dye and deeth shal fle fro hem./ 
  And eek Iob seith that in helle is noon ordre of rewle./ And al be it so that
god hath creat alle thynges in right ordre and nothyng withouten ordre, but
alle thynges ben ordeyned and nombred, yet nathelees they that ben dampned
ben nothyng in ordre ne holden noon ordre,/ for the erthe ne shal bere hem
no fruyt. (220) For as the prophete Dauid seith: God shal destroye the
fruyt of the erthe as fro hem, ne water ne shal yeue hem no moysture: ne the
eyr no refresshyng, ne fyr no light./ For as seith seint Basile: The brennynge
of the fyr of this world shal god yeuen in helle to hem that ben -dampned,/ 
but the light and the cleernesse shal he yeuen in heuene to hise children right
as the goode man yeueth flessh to hise children and bones to hise houndes./ 
  And for they shullen haue noon hope to escape, seith seint Iob atte laste that
ther shal horrour and grisly drede dwelle withouten ende./ Horrour is alwey
drede of harm that is to come and this drede shal euere dwelle in the hertes
of hem that ben dampned and therfore han they lorn al hire hope for vij
causes. (225) First for god that is hir iuge shal be withoute mercy; to hem, ne
they may nat plese hym ne noon of hise halwes, ne they ne may yeue nothyng
for hir raunsoun,/ ne they haue no voys to speke to hym, ne they; may nat fle
fro peyne, ne they haue no goodnesse in hem that they may shewe to delyuere
hem fro peyne./ And therfore seith Salomon: The wikked man die(th) and whan
he is deed he shal haue noon hope to escape fro peyne./ Whoso thanne wolde
wel vnderstonde thise peynes and bithynke hym wel that he hath disserued
thilke peynes for hise synnes, certes he sholde haue moore talent to siken and
to wepe than for to syngen and to pleve./ For as that seith Salomon: Whoso
that hadde the science to knowe the peynes that ben establised and ordeyned
for synne, he wolde make sorwe. (230) Thilke science, as seith seint Augustyn,
maketh a man to waymente in his herte./ 



|p605


  The iiije poynt that [f.240v] oghte make a man haue contricioun is the
sorweful remembrance of the good that he hath left to doon here in erthe and
eek the good that he hath lorn./ Soothly the goode werkes that he hath left
either they ben the goode werkes that he wroghte er he fil into deedly synne
or ellis the goode werkes that he wroghte whil he lay in synne./ Soothly the
goode werkes that he dide biforn that he fil in synne ben al mortefied and
astoned and dulled by the ofte synnynge./ That othere goode werkes that he
wroghte whil he lay in dedly synne, they ben outrely dede as to the lyf
pardurable in heuene. (235) Thanne thilke goode werkes that ben mortefied
by ofte synnyng' whiche goode werkes he dide while he was in charitee, ne
mowe neuere quyken agayn withoute verray penitence./ And therof seith god
by the mowth of Ezechiel that if the rightful man returne agayn from his right_wisnesse 
and werke wikkednesse, shal he lyue?/ Nay for alle the goode werkes
that he hath wroght ne shulle neuere ben in remembrance, for he shal dye in
his synne./ and vpon thilke chapitre seith seint Gregorie thus that we shul
vnderstonde this principally/ that whan we doon dedly synne it is for nawght
thanne to reherse or drawen into memorie the goode werkes that we han wroght
biforn. (240) For certes in the werkynge of the dedly synne ther is no trust to
no good werk that we han doon biforn, that is to seyn as for to haue therby
the lyf pardurable in heuene./ But nathelees the goode werkes quyken agayn
and comen agayn and helpen and auaylen to haue the lyf pardurable in heuene
whan we han contricion./ But soothly the goode werkes that men doon whil
that they been in dedly synne for as muche as they weren doon in dedly synne
they may neuere quyken agayn./ For certes thyng that neuere hadde lyf may
neuere quyken. And natheles al be it that they ne auayle noght to han the
lyf pardurable, yet auaylen they to abreggen of the peyne of helle or ellis to
gete temporal richesses,/ or ellis that god wole the rather enlumyne and lighte
the herte of the synful man to han repentance. (245) And eek they auailen for
to vsen a man to doon goode werkes that the feend haue the lasse power of
his soule./ And thus the curteys lord Iesu Crist ne wole that no good werk
be lost for in somwhat it shal auayle./ But for as muche as the goode werkes
that men doon whil they ben in good lyf ben al amortised by synne folwynge
and eek sith that alle the [f.i42] goode werkes that men doon whil they ben
in dedly synne ben outrely dede as for to han the lyf pardurable,/ wel may
that man that no good werk ne dooth synge thilke newe Frenshe song I'ay tout
perdu mon temps et mon labour./ For certes synne bireueth a man bothe goodnesse



|p606


of nature and eek the goodnesse of grace. (250) For soothly the grace of the
holy goost fareth lyk fyr that may nat ben ydel, for fyr faileth anon as it
forleteth his werkynge, and right so grace faileth anon as it forleteth his
werkynge./ Thanne leseth the synful man the goodnesse of glorie that oonly
is bihight to goode men that labouren and werken./ Wel may he be sory thanne
that oweth al his lyf to god as longe as he hath lyued and eek as longe as he
shal lyue that no goodnesse ne hath to paye with his dette to god to whom he
oweth al his lyf./ For truste wel he shal yeue acountes, as seith seint Bernard,
of alle the goodes that han ben yeuen hym in this present lvf and how, he
hath hem despended,/ nat so muche that ther shal nat perisse an heer of his
heed ne a moment of an houre ne shal nat perisse of his tyme that he ne shal
yeue of it a rekenynge.
  (255) The vthe thyng that oghte moeue a man to contricioun is remembrance
of the passion that oure lord Iesu Crist suffred for oure synnes./ For as seith
seint Bernard: Whil that I lyue I shal haue remembrance of the trauailes that
oure lord Iesu Crist suffred in prechynge,/ his werynesse in trauailynge, hise
temptacions whan he fasted, hise longe wakynges whan he preyed, hise teerys
whan that he weep for pitee of good peple,/ the wo and the shame and the
fiithe that men seyden to hym, of the foule spittyng that men spitte on his
face, of the buffettes that men vaue hym, of the fowle mowwes and of the
repreues that men to hym seyden:/ of the nayles with whiche he was nayled
to the croys, and of al the remenant of his passioun that he suffred for my
synnes and nothyng for his gilt.
  (260) And ye shal understonde that in mannes synne is euery manere ordre
of ordinance turned vp-so-down./ For it is soo(th) that god and reson and
sensualitee and the body of man ben so ordeyned that euerich of thise iiij
thynges sholde haue lordshipe ouer that oother/ as thus: god sholde have
lordshipe ouer resoun, and resoun ouer sensualitee, and sensualitee ouer the
body of man./ But soothly whan man synneth al this ordre or ordinance is
turned vp-so-down./ And therfore [f.241v] thanne for as muche as the reson of
man ne wol nat be subget ne obeisaunt to god that is his lord by right,
therfore leseth it the lordshipe that it sholde haue in sensualitee and eek
ouer the body ofman. (265) And why? For sensualitee rebelleth thanne agayns
resoun and by that wey leseth reson the lordshipe ouer sensualitee and ouer
the body./ For right as reson is rebel to god, right so is bothe sensualitee rebel
to reson and the body also./ 
  And certes this desordinaunce and this rebellioun oure lord Iesu Crist
aboghte vpon his precious body ful deere. And herkneth in which wise./ For
as muche thanne as reson is rebel to god, therfore is man worthy to haue sorwe



|p607


and to be deed./ This suffred oure lord Iesu Crist for man after that he hadde be
bitraysed of his disciple and destreyned and bounde so that the blood brast
out at euery nayl of hise handes, as seith seint Augustyn. (270) And fortherouer
for as muchel as reson of man ne wol nat daunte sensualitee whan it may
therfore is man worthy to han shame. And this suffrede oure lord Iesu Crist
for man whan they spette in his visage./ And fortherouer for as muche thanne
as the kaytif body of man is rebel bothe to resoun and to sensualitee, therfore
is it worthy the deeth./ And this suffred oure lord Iesu Crist for man vpon
the croys wher as ther nas no part of his body free withoute gret peyne and
bitter passioun./ And al this suffred Iesu Crist that neuere forfeted: To muchel
am I peyned for the thynges that I neuere deserued and to muche defouled
for shendshipe that man is worthy to haue./ And therfore may the synful man
wel seye as seith seint Bernard: Acursed be the bitternesse of my synne for
which ther moste be suffred so muche bitternesse. (275) For certes after the
diuerse discordaunces of oure wikkednesses was the passioun of Iesu Crist
ordeyned in diuerse thynges,/ as thus: certes synful mannes soule is bitraysed
of the deuel by coueitise of temporel prosperrtee and scorned by deceyte whan
he cheseth flesshly delices, and yet is it tormented by inpacience of aduersitee
and byspet by seruage and subieccioun of synne, and atte laste it is slayn
fynally./ For this desordenaunce of synful man was Iesu Crist first bitraysed and
after that was he bownde that cam for to vnbynde vs of synne and of peyne./ 
Thanne was he biscorned that oonly sholde ben honoured in alle thynges of alle
thynges. Thanne was his visage, that oghte be desired to be seyn of all
mankynde in which visage angels desiren to looke, vileynsly bispet. (280)
Thanne was he skourged that nothyng hadde agilt. And fynally thanne was
he crucefied and slayn./ Thanne was acompli[f.242]ced the word of Ysaie:
He was wounded for oure mysdedes and defouled by oure felonyes./ Now sith
that Iesu Crist took vpon hymself the peyne of alle oure wikkednesses muchel
oghte synful man wepe and biwayle that for hise synnes goddes sone of heuene
sholde al this peyne endure. / 
  The vjthe thyng that oghte moeue a man to contricioun is the hope of iij
thynges, that is to seyn foryeuenesse of synne, and the yifte of grace wel for to
do, and the glorie of heuene with which god shal gerdone man for hise goode
dedes. / 
  And for as muche as Iesu Crist yeueth vs thise yiftes of his largesse and of
his souereyn bountee, therfore is he clepid Iesus Nazarenus rex Iudeorum.(285)



|p608


Iesu is for to seyn saueour or sauacioun, on whom men shal hope to haue
forifnyse of synnes which that is proprely sauacion of synnes./ And therfore
seyde the aungel to Ioseph: Thow shalt clepe his name Iesus that shal saue
his peple of hir synnes./ And heerof seith seint Peter: Ther is noon oother name
vnder heuene that is yeue to any man by which a man may be saued but oonly
Iesus./ Nazarenus is as muche for to seye as florissynge, in which a man shal
hope that he that yeueth hym remissioun of synnes shal yeue hym eek grace wel
to do, for in the flour is hope of fruyt in tyme comynge and in foryfnesse of
synnes hope of grace wel to do./ I was at the dore of thyn herte (seith Iesus) 
and clepede for to entre. He that opneth to me shal haue foryifnesse of synne.
(290) I wol entre into hym by my grace and sowpe with hym by the goode
werkes that he shal doon, whiche werkes ben the foode of god, and he shal
sowpe with me by the grete ioye that I shal yeue hym./ Thus shal man hope
that for hise werkes ofpenance god shal veue hym his regne as he byheteth hym
in the gospel./ 
  Now shal man vnderstonde in which manere shal ben his contricioun. 
seye that it shal ben vniuersal and total this is to seyn a man shal be verray
repentaunt for alle hise synnes that he hath doon in delit of his thoght: for
delit is ful perilous./ For ther ben two manere of consentynges: that oon of hem
is clepid consentynge of affeccion whan a man is moeued to do synne and
thanne deliteth hym longe for to thynke on that synne./ And his reson
aperceyueth wel that it is synne agayns the lawe of god, and yet his resoun
refreyneth nat his fool delit or talent though he seeth wel apertly that it is
agayns the reuerence of god although his resoun ne consente nat to doon the
[f.242v] synne in dede. (295) Yet seyn somme doctours that swich delit that
dwelle(th) longe, it is ful perilous al be it neuer so lite./ And also a man sholde
sorwe, namely for al that euere he hath desired agayn the lawe of god with
parfit consentynge of his resoun, for therof is no doute that it is dedly synne
in the consentynge./ For certes ther is no dedly synne that it nas first in mannes
thoght and after that in his delit and so forth into consentynge and into dede./ 
Wherfore I seye that many men ne repenten hem neuere of swyche thoghtes
and delites ne neuere shryuen hem of it, but oonly of the dede of grete synnes
outward./ Wherfore I seye that swiche wikked delites and wikked toghtes ben
subtil bigyleris of hem that shullen ben dampned.
  (300) Mooreouer man oghte to sorwen for hise wikked wordes as wel as hise
wikked dedes. For certes the repentance of a singuler synne and nat repente



|p609


of alle hise othere synnes or ellis repente hym of alle hise othere synnes and nat
of a syngler synne may nat auayle./ For certes god almyghty is al good, and
therfore outher he foryeueth al or ellis right noght./ And herof seith seint
Augustyn:/ I woot certeynly that god is enemy to euerich synnere. And how
thanne he that obserueth o synne, shal he haue foryeuenesse of the remenant
of hise othere synnes? Nay./ 
  And fortherouer contricioun sholde be wonder sorweful and anguissous and
therfore yeueth hym god pleynly his mercy. And therfore whan my soule was
anguissous withinne me I hadde remembraunce of god that my prayere myghte
come to hym.
  (305) Fortherouer contricioun moste be continuel and that man haue
stedefast purpos to shryue hym and for to amende hym of his lyf./ For soothly
whil contricion lasteth man may euere haue hope of foryeuenesse. And of this
cometh hate of synne that destroyeth synne bothe in hymself and eek in othere
folk at his power./ For which seith Dauid: Ye that louen god hateth wikked_nesse, 
for trusteth wel to loue god is for to loue that he loueth and hate that
he hateth./ 
  The laste thyng that men shal vnderstonde in contricioun is this: wherof
auaileth contricioun. I seye that somtyme contricioun delyuereth man fro
synne./ Of which that Dauid seith: I seye (quod Dauid), that is to seyn I
purposed fermely to shryue me and thow lord relessedest my synne. (310)
And right so as contricioun auaileth nat withouten sad purpos of shrifte if man
haue oportunytee, right so litel worth is shrifte or satisfaccioun withoute
contricioun./ And mooreouer contricion destroyeth the prisoun of helle [f.243]
and maketh wayk and feble the strengthes of the deueles and restoreth the
yiftes of the holy goost and of alle goode vertues/ and it clenseth the soule of
synne and delyuereth the soule fro the peyne of helle and fro the compaignye
of the deuel and fro the seruage of synne, and restoreth it to alle goodes
espirituels and to the compaignye and communyoun of holy chirche./ And
fortherouer it maketh hym that whilom was sone of ire to be sone of grace.
And alle thise thynges be preued by holy writ./ And therfore he that wolde
sette his entente to thise thynges, he were ful wys; for soothly he ne sholde nat
thanne in al his lyf haue corage to synne but yeue his body and al his herte
to the seruyce of Iesu Crist and therof doon hym hommage. (315) For certes



|p610


oure swete lord Iesu Crist hath sparid vs so debonairly in oure folies that if
he ne hadde pitee of mannes soule a sory song we myghten alle synge./ 

Explicit prima pars penitencie et incipit secunda pars eiusdem.
The seconde partie of penitence is confessioun that is signe of contricioun./ 
Now shul ye understonde what is confessioun and wheither it oghte nedes be
doon or noon and whiche thynges ben couenable to verray confessioun./ 
  First shaltow understonde that confession is verray shewynge of synnes to the
preest./ This is to seyn verray for he moot confesse hym ofalle the condiciouns
that bilongen to his synne as ferfor(th) as he kan. (320) Al moot be seyd and
nothyng excused ne hid ne forwrapped, and nat auaunce hym of hise goode
werkes./ And fortherouer it is necessarie to understonde whennes that synnes
spryngen and how they encressen and whiche they ben. / 
  Of the spryngynge of synnes as seith seint Paul in this wise that right as by
a man synne entred first into this world and thurgh that synne deth, right so
thilke deth entred into alle men that synneden./ And this man was Adam by
whom synne entred into this world whan he brak the comandementz of god./
And therfore he that first was so myghty that he sholde nat haue deyed bicam
swich oon that he moste nedes dye wheither he wolde or noonand al his
progenye that is in this world that in thilke man synneden. (325) Looke that
in th'estat of innocence whan Adam and Eue naked weren in paradys [f.243v]
and nothyng ne hadden shame of hir nakednesse,/ how that the serpent that was
moost wily of alle othere bestes that god hadde maked seyde to the womman:
`Why comanded god to yow ye sholde nat eten of euery tree in paradys?'
  The womman answerde: `Of the fruyt, quod she, `of the trees in paradys
we feden us, but soothly of the fruyt of the tree that is in the myddel of paradys
god forbad vs for to ete ne nat touche it list parauenture we sholde dyen.'/
  The serpent seyde to the womman: `Nay, nay, ye shul nat dyen of deth. For
sothe god woot that what day that ye eten therof youre eyen shulle opne and
ye shul ben as goddes konnynge good and harm.'
  The womman saugh that the tree was good to fedvnge and fair to the eyen
and delitable to sighte. She took of the fruyt of the tree and eet it and yaf
it to hir housbonde and he eet and anon the eyen of hem bothe opnede.
(330) And whan that they knewe that they were naked they sowed of fyge-leues
in manere of breches to hiden hire membres./ Here may ye seen that dedly synne



|p611


hath first suggestioun of the feend as sheweth heere by the naddre, and after_ward 
the delit of the flessh as sheweth heere by Eua, and after that the
consentynge of resoun as sheweth heere by Adam./ For truste wel thogh so
were that the feend tempted oon that is to seyn the Hessh and the flessh hadde
delit in the beautee of the fruyt deffended, yet certes til that reson, that is to
seyn Adam, consented to the etyng of the fruyt yet stood he in the estat of
innocence./ Of thilke Adam toke we thilke synne original, for of hym flesshly
descended be we alle and engendred of vile and corrupt matere./ And whan
the soule is put in oure body right-anoon is contract original synne; and that
that was erst but oonly peyne of concupiscence is afterward bothe peyne and
synne. (335) And therfore be we alle yborn sones of wraththe and of
dampnacioun pardurable, if it nere baptesme that we receyuen which
bynyme(th) vs the culpe. But for sothe the peyne dwelleth with vs as to
temptacioun, which peyne highte concupiscence./ And this concupiscence
whan it is wrongfully disposed or ordeyned in man, it maketh hym coueite
by coueitise of flessh flesshly synne by sighte of hise eyen as to erthely thynges
and eek coueitise of heynesse by pryde of herte./ 
  Now as to speke of the firste coueitise, that is concupiscence after the lawe
of oure membres that weren lawefulliche ymaked and by rightful iugement of
god: I seye for as muche as man is nat obeisaunt to god that is his lord, therfore
is the flessh to hym desobeisaunt [f.244] thurgh concupiscence which that yet
is clepid norissynge of synne and occasioun of synne./ Therfore al the while
that a man hath in hym the peyne of concupiscence it is impossible but he
be tempted somtyme and moeued in his flessh to synne. (340) And this thyng
may nat faile as longe as he lyueth. It may wel wexe feble and faile by vertu
of baptesme and by the grace of god thrugh penitence./ But fully ne shal it
neuere quenche that he ne shal somtyme be moeued in hymself but if he were
al refreided by siknesse or by malefice of sorcerye or colde drynkes./ For lo
what seith seint Paul: The flessh coueiteth agayn the spirit and the spirit agayn
the flessh. They, ben so contrarie and so stryuen that a man may nat alwey
do as he wolde./ The same seynt Paul after his grete penaunce in water and
in londe, in water by nygght and by day in gret peril and in gret peyne, in
londe in famyn and thurst, in cold and clothlees and ones stooned almoost to
the deth,/ yet seyde he: Allas I kaytif man, who shal delyvere me fro the prison
of my kaytif body? (345) And seint Ierom whanne he longe tyme hadde woned



|p612


in desert where as he hadde no compaignye but of wilde bestes, wher as he
hadde no mete but herbes and water to his drynke, ne no bed but the naked
erthe for which his flessh was blak as an Ethiopen for hete and ney destroyed
for cold,/ yet seyde he that the brennynge of lecherye boylede in al his body./ 
Wherfore I woot wel sikerly that they ben deceyued that seyn that they ne be nat
tempted in hire body/ Witnesse on seint Iame the apostel that seith that euery
wight is tempted in his owene concupiscence, that is to seyn that euerich of vs
hath matere and occasioun to be tempted of the norissynge of synne that is in
his body./ And therfore seith seint Iohn the euaungelist: If that we seyn that
we be withoute synne, we deceyuen vsselue and trouthe is nat in vs.
  (350) Now shul ye vnderstonde in what manere that synne wexeth and
encresceth in man.
The firste thyng is thilke norissynge of synne of which I spak
biforn, thilke flesshly concupiscence./ And after that comth the subieccioun of
the deuel, this is to seyn the deueles bely with which he bloweth in man the
fyr of flesshly concupiscence./ And after that a man bythynketh hym wheither
he wol doon or no thilke thyng to which he is tempted./ And thanne if that
a man withstonde [f.244..] and wayue the firste entisynges of his flessh and of
the feend, thanne is it no synne. And if so be that he do nat so, thanne
feeleth he anon a flawmbe of delit./ And thanne is it good to be war and kepe
hym wel or ellis he wol falle anon into consentynge of synne, and thanne wol
he do it if he may haue tyme and place. (355) And of this matere seith
Moyses by the deuel in this manere: The feend seith: `I wol chace and pursue
the man by wikked suggestioun, and I wol hente hym by moeuyng or stiryng
of synne, and I wol departe my prise or my preve by deliberacioun and my lust
shal ben acompliced in delit, I wol drawe my swerd in consentynge;/ for certes
right as a swerd departeth a thyng in two peces, right so consentynge departeth
god fro man, and thanne wol I sle hym with myn hand in dede of synne;'
thus seyth the feend./ For certes thanne is a man al deed in soule and thus
is synne acompliced by temptacioun, by delit and by consentynge, and thanne
is the synne clepid actuel./ 
  For sothe synne is in two maneres: outher is it venyal or dedly synne. Soothly
whan man loueth any creature moore than Iesu Crist oure creatour, thanne
is it dedly synne, and venial synne is it if man loue Iesu Crist lasse than hym
oghte./ For sothe the dede of this venial synne is ful perilous, for it amenuseth



|p613


the loue that men sholde han to god moore and moore. (360) And therfore if
a man charge hymself with manye swiche venial synnes, certes but ifso be that
he somtyme descharge hym of hem by shrifte they mowe ful lightly amenuse
in hym al the loue that he hath to Iesu Crist./ And in this wise skippeth venial
into dedly synne, for certes the moore that a man chargeth his soule with venial
synnes the moore is he enclyned to falle in dedly synne./ And therfore lat vs
nat be necligent to deschargen vs of venial synnes, for the prouerbe seith that
manye smale maketh a greet./ And herkne this ensample. A greet wawe of the
see comth somtyme with so greet a violence that it drencheth the ship; and the
same harm doon somtime the smale dropes of water that entreth thurgh a
litel creuesse into the thurrok and in the botme of the ship, if men be so necligent
that men ne descharge hem nat by tyme./ And therfore althogh ther be a
difference bitwixe thise two causes of drenchynge, algates the ship is dreynt.
(365) Right so fareth it somtyme of dedly synne and of anoyouse venials synnes
whan they multiplie in a man so gretly that thilke wordly thynges that he
loueth thurgh which he synneth venially is as gret in his herte as the loue of
[f.245] god or moore./ And therfore the loue of euerythyng that is nat byset
in god ne doon principally for goddes sake, al that a man loueit lasse than
god yet is it venial synne;/ and dedly synne whan the loue of any thyng weyeth
in the herte of man as muche as the loue of god or moore./ Dedly synne, as
seith seynt Augustyn, is whan man turneth his herte fro god which that is verray
souereyn vowntee that may nat chaunge and yeueth his herte to a thyng
may chaunge and flitte / and certes that is euerythyng saue god of heuene.
For sooth is that if a man yeue his loue, the which that he oweth al to god
with al his herte, vnto a creature, certes as muche of his loue as he yeueth
to thilke creature so muche he bireueth fro god. (370) and therfore dooth he
synne for he that is dettour to god ne yeldeth nat to god al his dette: that is to
seyn al the loue of his herte. / 
  Now sith man vnderstondeth generally which is venial synne, thanne is it
couenable to tellen specially of synnes whiche that many a man parauenture
ne demeth hem nat synnes and ne shryueth hym nat of the same thynges and
yet nathelees they been synnes./ And soothly as thise clerkes writen, this is to
seyn that euery tyme that man eteth or drynketh moore than suffiseth to the
sustenaunce of his body in certeyn he dooth synne./ And eek whan he speketh
moore than it nedeth, it is synnee. Eek whan he is in heele of body and wol nat faste,
whan oother folk fasten, withouten cause resonable. Eek whan he slepeth moore
than nedeth or whan he comth by thilke encheson to late to chirche or to othere
werkes of charitee. (375) Eek whan he yseth his wyf withoute souereyn desir



|p614


of engendrure to honour of god or for the entente to yelde to his wyf the dette
of his body/ Eek whan he wol nat visite the syke and the prisoner if he may.
Eek if he loue wyf or child or oother worldly thyng moore than reson requereth.
Eek if he flatre or blaundise moore than hym oghte for any necessitee./ Eek if
he amenuse or withdrawe the almesse of the pouere. Eek if he apparaileth his
mete moore deliciously than nede is or ete it to hastily by likerousnesse./ Eek
if he tale vanytes at chirche or at goddes seruyce or that he be a talker of ydel
wordes offolye or of vileynye, for he shal yelde acounte of it at the day of dome./ 
Eek whan he biheteth or assureth to do thynges that he ne may nat parfourne.
Eek whan that he by lightnesse or folye mysseyth or scorneth his neighebore.
[f.245.;] (380) Eek whan he hath any wikked suspecioun of thyng ther he ne
woot of it no soothfastnesse./ Thise thynges and mo withoute nombre ben
synnes, as seith seint Augustyn./ 
  Now shal men vnderstonde that al be it so that noon erthely man may
eschewe alle veniale synnes, yet may he refreyne hem by the brennynge loue
that he hath to oure lord Iesu Crist and by preyeres and confession and othere
goode werkes so that it shal but litel greue./ For as seith seint Augustyn: If a
man loue god in swich manere that al that euere he dooth is in the loue of
god or for the loue of god verraily for he brenneth in the loue of god,/ looke
how muche that a drope of water that falleth in a furneys ful of fyr anoyeth
or greueth, so muche anoyeth a venial synne vnto a man that is parfit in the
loue of Iesu Crist. (385) Men may also refreyne venial synne by receyuynge
worthily of the precious body of lesu Crist,/ by receyuynge eek of holy water,
by almesdede, by general confession of Confiteor at masse and at complyn, and
by blessynge of bisshopes and of preestes and by othere goode werkes./ 

De septem peccatis mortalibus
Now is it bihouely thyng to telle whiche ben dedly synnes, that is to seyn
chieftaynes of synnes. Alle they renne in o lees but in dyuerse manere. Now
ben they clepid chieftaynes for as muche as they ben chief and spryrige of alle
othere synnes./ Of the roote of thise vij synnes thanne is pryde the general roote
of alle harmes, for of this roote spryngen certeyn braunches as ire, enuye, accidie
or sleuthe, auarice or coueitise to commune vnderstondynge, glotonye, and
lecherye./ And euerich of thise chief synnes hath hise braunches and hise
twigges, as shal be declared in hire chapitres folwynge.
  (390) And though so be that no man kan outrely tellen the nombre of twigges
and of the harmes that comen of pridee, yet wol I shewe a partie of hem as ye



|p615


shul vnderstande./ Ther is inobedience, auantynge, ypocrisye, despit, arro_gaunce, 
inpudence, swellynge of herte, insolence, elacioun, inpacience, stryf,
contumacie, presumpcioun, inreuerence, pertinacie, veyne glorie, and many
another twig that I kan nat declare./ Inobedient is he that desobeieth for
despit to the comandementz of god and to hise souereins and to his goostly
fader./ Auantour is he that bosteth of the [f.246] harm or of the bowntee that
he hath doon./ Ypocrite is he that hideth to shewe hym swich as he is and
sheweth hym swich as he nawght is. (395) Despitous is he that hath desdeyn
of his neighebore, that is to seyn of his euenecristen' or hath despit to doon
that hym oghte to do./ Arrogaunt is he that thynketh that he hath thilke
bountees in hym that he hath nat or weneth that he sholde have hem by hise
desertes or ellis he demeth that he be that he nys nat./ Impudent is he that
for his pryde hath no shame of his synne./ Swellynge of herte is whan man
reioseth hym of harm that he hath doon./ Insolent is he that despiseth in
his iugement all oother folk as to regard of his value and of his konnynge and
of his spekynge and of his berynge. (400) Elacioun is whan he ne may neither
suffre to haue maister ne felawe./ Inpacient is he that wol nat ben ytaught ne
vndernome of his vice, and by stryf werreieth trouthe wityngly and deflendeth
his folye./ Contumax is he that thurgh his indignacioun is agayns euerich
auctoritee or power of hem that ben hise souereyns./ Presumpcioun is whan
a man vndertaketh an emprise that hym oghte nat do or ellis that he may
nat do and that is called surquvdie. Inreuerence is whan men do nat
honour ther as hem oghte to doon and waiteth to be reuerenced./ Pertinacie
is whan a man defflendeth his folye and trusteth tp muche to his owene wit.
(405) Veyne glorie is for to haue pompe and delit in thise temporel heynesses
and glorifie hem in worldly estatz./ Ianglynge is whan a man speketh to muche
biforn folk and clappeth as a melle and taketh no kepe what he seith./
  And yet is ther a pryuee spice of pryde that waiteth first to be salewed er
he wole salewe al be he lasse worthy than that oother is parauenture; and eek he
wavteth or desireth to sitte or ellis to goon aboue hym in the weye or kisse
pax or ben ensensed or goon to offrynge biforn his neighebore,/ and swiche
semblable thynges agayns his duetee parauenture but that he hath his
herte and his entente in swich a proud desir to be magnyfied and honoured
biforn the peple./ 



|p616


  Now ben ther two maneres of pryde, that oon of hem is withinne the herte
of man and that oother is withoute. (410) Of whiche soothly thise forseyde
thynges and mo than I haue seyd aperte[f.246v]nen to pryde that is in the herte
of man, and that othere speces of pride ben withoute./ But natheles that oon
of thise speces of pride is signe of that oother right as the gaye leuesel atte
tauerne is signe of the wyn that is in the celer./ And this is in manye thynges
as in speche and contenaunce and in outrageous array ofclothyng./ For certes
if ther ne hadde be no synne in clothyng Crist wolde nat so soone haue noted
and spoke of the clothyng of thilke riche man in the gospel./ And as seith
seint Gregorie that precious clothyng is cowpable for the derthe of it and for
his softnesse and for his straungenesse and degisynesse and for the superfluitee
or for the inordinat scantnesse of it. (415) Allas may man nat seen as in oure
dayes the synful costlewe array of clothynge and namely in to muche
superfluitee or ellis in to desordinat scantnesse. / 
  As to the firste synne that is in superfluitee of clothynge, which that maketh
it so deere to harm of the peple,/ nat oonly the cost of enbrawdynge, the degyse
endentynge, or barrynge, owndynge, palynge, or bendynge, and semblable
wast of.cloth in vanytee,/ but ther is also the costlewe furrynge in
hir gownes, so muche pownsonynge of chisel to maken holes, so muche
daggynge of sheris,/ forth with the superfluitee in lengthe of the forseyde
gownes trailynge in the dong and in the myre on horse and eek on foote as
wel of man as of womman that al thilke trailynge is verraily as in eflect wasted,
consumed thredbare and roten with dong rather than it is yeuen to the pouere
to gret damage of the forseide pouere folk (420) and that in sondry wise, this
is to seyn that the moore that clooth is wasted the moore moot it coste to the
peple for the scarsnesse./ And fortherouer if so be that they wolde yeue swich
pownsonyd and dagged clothynge to the pouere folk, it is nat conuenient to
were for hir estat ne suffisant to beete hire necessitee to kepe hem fro the
destemperance of the firmament./ Vpon that oother syde to speke of the



|p617


horrible desordynat scantnesse of clothyng as ben thise kutted sloppes or
hanselyns that thurgh hir shortnesse ne keuere nat the shameful membres of a
man to wikke entente./ Allas somme of hem shewen the shap and the boce of
hir horrible, swollen membres that semeth lik the maladie of hirnia in the
wrappynge of hir hoses,/ and eek the buttokes of hem, that faren as it were the
hyndre part of a she-ape in the fulle of the moone. (425)' And mooreouer the
wrecched, swollen membres that they shewe thurgh degisynge in departynge
of hire hoses in whit and reed semeth that half hir shameful pryuee membres
weren flayn./ [f.247] And if so be that they departen hire hoses in othere colours
as is whit and blew or whit and blak or blak and reed and so forth,/ thanne
semeth it as by wariaunce of colour that half the partie of hire pryuee membres
ben corrupt by the fyr of seint Antony or by cancre or othere swiche
meschaunces./ Yet of the handre part of hire buttokes it is ful horrible for to
se, for certes in that partie of hir body ther as they purgen hir stynkynge ordure,/ 
that foule partie shewe they to the peple proudly in despit of honestetee, which
honestetee that Iesu Crist and hise frendes obseruede to shewen in his lyue.
(430) Now as of the outrageous array of wommen,.god woot that thogh the
visages of somme of hem seme ful chaste and debonaire, yet notifie theyin hire
array of atyr likerousnesse and pride./ I seye nat that honestetee in clothynge of
man or womman is vncouenable, but certes the superfluitee or the desordinat
skantitee of clothynge is reprouable./ 
  Also the synne of aornement or of apparaille as in thynges that apertenen
to ridynge as in to manye delicat horses that ben holden for delit that they ben
so faire, fatte and costlewe,/ and also many a vicious knaue mayntened by cause
of hem, and in to curious harneys as in sadeles, in croupers, peytrels, and
brydles couered with precious clothyng and riche barres and plates ofgold and
of siluer./ For which god seith by Zakarie the prophete: I wol confounde the
ryderes of swiche horses. (435) Thise folk taken litel reward of the ridynge of
goddes sone of heuene and of his harneys whan he rood vpon an asse and ne
hadde noon oother harneys but the pouere clothes of hise disciples. Ne we ne
rede nat that euere he rood on oother beest./ I speke this for the synne of
superfluitee and nat for resonable honestetee whan resoun it requereth./ 



|p618


  And fortherouer certes prideis gretly notifed in holdynge of gret meynee
whan they ben of litel profit or of right no profit,/ and namely whan that
meynee is felonous and damageous to the peple by hardynesse of hey lordshipe
or by wey of offices./ For certes swiche lordes sellen thanne hir lordship to the
deuel of helle whan they sustenen the wikkednesse of hir meynee. (440) Or ellis
whan thise folk of lowe degree as thilke that holden hostelries sustenen the
thefte of hir hostelers, and that is in many manere of deceites./ Thilke manere
of folk ben the flyes that folwen the hony or ellis the houndes that folwen the
careyne. Swich forseide folk stranglen spiritually hir lordshipes./ For which thus
[f.247v] seith Dauid the prophete: Wikked deth mote come vpon thilke lord_shipes 
and god yeue that they mote descende into helle adown, adown, for in
hire houses been iniquitees and shrewednesses and nat god of heuene./ And
certes but if they doon amendement right so as god yaf his benysoun to Laban
by the seruyce of Iacob and to Pharao by the seruyce of Ioseph right so god
wol yeue his malisoun to swiche lordshipes as sustenen the wikkednesse of hir
seruantz but they come to amendement. / 
  Pride of the table apeereyee(th) ful ofte, for certes riche men ben clepid to
festes and pouere folk ben put awey and rebuked. (445) Also in exces of diuerse
metes and drynkes and namely swiche manere bakemetes and disshmetes
brennynge of wilde fyr and peynted and castelled with papir and semblable
wast so that it is abusioun for to thynke./ And eek in to gret preciousnesse of
vessel and curiositee of mynstralcie by
whiche a man is stired the moore to
delices of luxure./ If so be that he sette his herte the lasse vpon oure lord
Iesu Crist, certeyn it is a synne and certeynly the delices myghte ben so grete
in the cas that man myghte lightly fallen by hem into dedly synne./ 
  The especes that sourden of pride soothly whan they sourden of malice
ymagyned and auysed and forncast or ellis of vsage ben dedly synnes it is no
doute./ And whan they sourde by freletee vnauysed sodeynly and sodeynly
withdrawe agayn al be they greuouse synnes, I gesse that they ne be nat dedly.
(450) Now myghte men axe wherof that pryde sourdeth and spryngeth. And



|p619


I seye somtyme it spryngeth of the goodes of nature and somtyme of the
goodes of fortune and somtyme of the goodes of grace./ Certes the goodes of
nature stonden outher in goodes of body or goodes of soule./ Certes goodes of
body been heele of body strengthe, delyuernesse, beautee, genterie, franchise./ 
Goodes of nature of the soule ben good wit, sharp vnderstondynge, subtil
engyn, vertu naturel, good memorie./ Goodes of fortune ben richesses, hey
degrees of lordshipes, preisynges ofthe peple. (455) Goodes of grace ben science,
power to suffre spiritual trauaille, benygnytee, vertuous contemplacioun, with_stondynge 
of temptacion and semblable thynges./ Of whiche forseyde goodes
certes it is a ful gret folie a man to pryden hym in any of hem alle./ Now as
for to speke of goodes of nature, god woot that somtyme we han hem in nature
as muche to oure damage as to oure profit./ As for to speke of heele of [f.248]
body certes it passeth ful lightly and eek it is ful ofte enchesoun of the siknesse
of the soule, for god woot the flessh is a ful greet enemy to the soule; and therfore
the moore that the body is hool the moore be we in peril to falle./ Eke for to
pryde hym in hys strengthe of body it is an heigh folye, for certes the flessh
coueiteth agayn the spirit - and ay the moore strong that the flessh is the
sorier may the soule be. (460) And ouer al this strengthe of body and worldly
hardynesse causeth ful ofte many man to peril and meschaunce./ Eke for to
pryde hym of his genterye is ful gret folie, for ofte tyme the genterie of the
body bynymeth the genterie of the soule and eek we ben alle of o fader and of
o moder and alle we ben of o nature roten and corrupt bothe riche and pouere./ 
For sothe o manere gentilrye is for to preise that apparayleth mannes corage
with vertues and moralitees and maketh hym Cristes child./ For truste wel
that ouer what man that synne hath maistrye he is verray cherl to synne./ 
  Now ben ther general signes of gentilesse as eschewynge of vice or rybaudye
and seruage of synne in word, in werk and contenaunce, (465) and vsynge
vertu, curteisye and clennesse and to be liberal, that is to seyn large by mesure
for thilke that passeth mesure is folye and synne./ Another is to remembre hym
of bounte that he of oother folk hath receyued./ Another is to ben benygne
to hise goode subgetz. Wherfore as seith Senek: Ther is nothyng moore
couenable to a man of heigh estat than debonairetee and pitee./ And therfore
thise flyes that men clepe bees whan they maken hire kyng they chesen oon
that hath no prikke wherwith he may stynge./ Another is a man to haue a
noble herte and a diligent to attayne to hye vertuouse thynges. (470) Certes
also who that prydeth hym in the goodes of fortune he is a ful gret fool, for
somtyme is a man a gret lord by the morwe that is a kaytif and a wrecche er
it be nyght./ And somtyme the richesse ofa man is cause of his deeth. Somtyme
the delices of a man ben cause of the greuous maladie thurgh which he dyeth./ 
Certes the commendacioun of the peple is somtyme ful fals and ful brotil for



|p620


to triste: this day they preise, tomorwe they blame./ God woot desir to haue the
commendacioun eek of peple hath caused deth to many a bisy man./ Now certes
a man to pride hym in the goodes of grace is eek an outrageous folye for thilke
yiftes of grace that sholde haue turned hym to goodnesse [f.248v] and to
medicine turneth hym to venym and to confusioun, as seyth seint Gregorie.
  (475) Now sith that so is that ye han vnderstonde what is pryde and
whiche ben the speces of it and whennes pryde sourdeth and spryngeth,/ now
shul ye vnderstonde which is the remedie agayns pride and that is humylitee
or mekenesse/ that is a vertu thurgh which a man hath verray knoweleche of
hymself and holdeth of hymself no pris ne deyntee as in regard of hise desertes
considerynge euere his freletee./ Now ben ther iij maneres of humylitee,
as humylitee in herte, another humylitee is in mouth, the thridde in hise
werkes./ The humylitee in herte is in iiij maneres. That oon is whan a man
holdeth hymself as naught worth biforn god of heuene. Another is whan he ne
despiseth noon other man. (480) The thridde is whan he ne rekketh nat thogh
men holde hym noght worth. The ferthe is whan he nys nat sory of his
humyliacioun./ Also the humylitee of mouth is in iiij thynges: in atempree
speche and in humblesse of speche, and whan he biknoweth with his owene
mouth that he is swich as hym thynketh that he is in his herte. Another is
whan he preiseth the bountee of another man and nothyng therof amenuseth. / 
Humylitee eek in werk is in iiij maneres. The firste is whan he putteth othere
men biforn hym. The seconde is to chese the loweste place oueral. The thridde
is gladly to assente to good conseil./ The ferthe is gladly to stonde to the award
of his souereyn or of hym that is hyer in degree. Certeyn this is a gret werk of
humylitee./ 

Inuidia
After pryde wol I speke of the foule synne of enuye which that is, as by the
word ofthe philosophre, sorwe of oother mannes prosperitee, and after the word
of seint Augustyn it is sorwe of oother mennes wele and ioye of oother mennes
harm. (485) This foule synne is platly agayns the holy goost; al be it so that
euery synne is agayn the holy goost, yet nathelees for as muche as bountee
aperteneth proprely to the holy goost and enuye cometh proprely of malice
therfore is proprely agayns the bountee of the.holy goost./ Now hath malice ij
speces, that is to seyn hardnesse of hertein wikkednesse or ellis the flessh of a
manis so blynd [f.24g] that he considereth nat that he is in synne or rekketh
nat that he is in synne which is the hardnesse of the deuel./ That other spece
of enuye is whan that a man werreyeth trouthe whan he woot that it is trouthe
and eek whan he werreyeth the grace that god hath yeue to his neighebore,
and al this is by enuye./ Certes thanne is enuye the worste synne that is, for
soothly alle othere synnes ben somtyme agayns o special vertu./ But certes



|p621


enuye is agayns alle vertues and agayns alle goodnesses for it is sory of alle the
bountees of his neighebore, and in this manere it is dyuers from alle othere
synnes. (490) For wel vnnethe is ther any synne that it ne hath som delit in
hymself saue oonly enuye that euere hath in hymself angwissh and sorwe./ 
  The speces of enuye ben thise. Ther is first sorwe of oother mennes good_nesse 
and of hir prosperitee; and prosperitee is kyndely matere of ioye, thanne
is enuve a synne agayns kynde./ The seconde spece of enuye is ioye of oother
mannes harm, and that is proprely lyk to the deuel that euere reioyseth hym of
mannes harm./ Of thise ij speces comth bakbitynge and this synne of
bakbitynge or detraccion hath certeyn speces as thus. Som man preiseth his
neighebore by a wikked entente,/ for he maketh alwey a wikked -knotte atte
laste ende. Alwey he maketh a but at the laste ende that is digne of moore blame
than worth is al the preisynge. (495) The seconde spece is that if a man be good
and dooth or seith a thyng to good entente, the bakbiter wol turne al thilke
goodnesse vp-so-down to his shrewede entente./ The thridde is to amenuse the
bountee of his neighebore./ The ferthe spece of bakbitynge is this that if men
speke goodnesse of a man, thanne wol the bakbitere seyn: Parfey swich a man
is yet bet than he in despreisynge of hym that men preise./ The fifthe spece
is for to consente gladly and herkne gladly the harm that men speke of oother
folk. This synne is ful greet and ay encreseth after the wikked entente of the
bakbitere./ 
  After bakbitynge comth grucchynge or murmuracioun and somtyme it
spryngeth of inpacience agayns god and somtyme agayns man. (500) Agayns
god is it whan a man gruccheth agayn the pyne of helle or agayns pouerte
or los of catel or agayn reyn or tempest, or ellis gruccheth that shrewes han
prosperitee or ellis for that goode men han aduersitee./ And alle thise thynges
sholde men suffre paciently for they comen by the rightful iugement and
ordinaunce [f.249v] ofgod./ Somtyme cometh grucchynge of auarice, as Iudas
grucched agayns the Magdeleyne whan she enoynte the heued of oure lord
Iesu Crist with hire precious oynement./ This manere of murmure is swich
as whan men grucchen of goodnesses that hemselue doon or that othere folk
doon of hir owene catel./ Somtyme comth murmur of pryde, as whan Symon
the pharisee grucched agayn the Magdeleyne whan she approched to Iesu
Crist and weep at his feet for hir synnes. (505) And somtyme it sourdeth of
enuye whan men discoueren a mannes harm that was pryuee or bereth hym
on hand thyng that is fals./ Murmur eek is ofte amonges seruantz that grucchen
whan hir souereyns bidden hem to doon leueful thynges,/ and for as muche as
they dar nat openly withseye the comandementz of hir souereyns yet wol they
seyn harm and grucche and murmure pryuely for verray despit./ Whyche



|p622


wordes men clepe the deueles Pater Noster, though so be that the deuel ne
hadde neuere Pater Noster but that lewed folk yeuen it swich a name./ 
Somtyme it comth of ire or pryuee hate that norisseth rancour in herte as after_ward 
I shal declare. (510) Thanne comth eek bitternesse of herte thurgh which
bitternesse euery good dede of his neighebore semeth to hym bitter bitter and
vnsauoury./ Thanne comth discord that vnbyndeth alle manere of frendshipe.
Thanne comth scornynge of his neighebore al do he neuer so wel./ Thanne
comth accusynge as whan man seketh occasioun to anoyen his neighebore,
which that is lyk the craft of the deuel that wayteth bothe nyght and day to
accusen vs alle./ Thanne comth malignitee thurgh which a man anoyeth his
neighebore pryuely if he may./ And if he nat ne may algate his wikked wil
ne shal nat wante as for to brennen his hous pryuely or enpoysone or sleen hise
bestes and semblable thynges.
  (515) Now wol I speken of the remedye agayns this foule synne of enuye.
First is the loue of god principal and louynge of his neighebore as hymself
for soothly that oon ne may nat ben withouthen that oother./ And truste wel
that in the name of thy neighebore thow shalt vnderstonde the name of thy
brother, for certes alle we haue o fader flesshly and o moder, that is to seyn
Adam and Eue, and eek o fader spirituel, that is god of heuene./ Thy neighebore
artow holden for to loue and wilne hym alle goodnesse, and therfore seith god:
Loue thy neighebore as thyself: that is to seyn to sauacion bothe of lyf and
soule./ And moore[f.250]ouer thow-, shalt loue hym in word and benygne
amonestynge and chastisynge and conforte hym in hise anoves and preye for
hym with al thyn herte./ And in dede thow shalt loue hym in swich wise that
thow shalt doon to hym in charitee as thow woldest that were doon to thyn
owene persone. (520) And therfore thow ne shalt doon hym no damage in
wikked word ne harm in his body ne in his catel ne in his soule by entisynge
of wikked ensample./ Thow shalt nat eek desiren his wyf ne none of hyse
thynges. Vnderstoond eek that in the name of neighebore is comprehended
his enemy./ Certes man shal loue his enemy for the comandement of god and
soothly thy freend shaltow loue in god./ I seye thyn enemy shaltow loue for
goddes sake by his comandement, for if it were resoun that man sholde hate
his enemy for sothe god nolde nat receyuen vs to his loue that ben hise enemys./ 
Agayns iij manere of wronges that his enemy dooth to hym he shal doon iij
thynges as thus. (525) Agayns hate and rancour of herte he shal loue hym in
herte. Agayns chidynge and wikked wordes he shal preve for his enemy agayns
the wikked dede of his enemy he shal doon hym bountee./ For Crist seith:
Loueth youre enemys and preieth for hem that speke yow harm and eek for
hem that yow chacen and pursuen and dooth bountee to hem that yow haten.
Lo thus comandeth vs oure lord Iesu Crist to do to oure enemys./ For soothly



|p623


nature dryueth vs to louen oure frendes, and parfey oure enemys han moore
nede to loue than oure frendes; and they that moore nede haue, certes to hem
shal men doon goodnesse./ And certes in thilke dede haue we remembraunce
of the loue of Iesu Crist that deyde for hise enemys./ And in as muche as thilke
loue is the moore greuous to parfourne so muche is the moore gret the merite,
and therfore the louynge of oure enemy hath confounded the venym of the
deuel. (530) For right as the deuel is desconfited by humylitee, right so is he
wownded to the deth by the loue of oure enemy./ Certes thanne is loue the
medicyne that chaceth out the venym of enuye fro mannes herte./ The speces
of this pas shullen ben moore largely declared in hir chapitres folwynge./ 

Ira
After enuye wol I discryuen the synne ofire, for soothly who so that hath enuye
vpon his neighebore [f.250v] anon he wole communely fynde hym matere of
wraththe in word or in dede agayns hym to whom he hath enuye./ And as
wel comth ire of pride as of enuye, for soothly he that is proud or enuyous
is lightly wroth.
  (535) This synne of ire, after the discryuyng of seint Augustyn, is wikked wil
to ben auenged by word or by dede./ Ire after the philosophre is the feruent
blood of man yquyked in his herte thurgh which he wole harm to hym that he
hateth./ For certes the herte of man by eschawfynge and moeuynge of his blood
wexeth so trouble that he is out of alle iugement of resoun./ But ye shal
vnderstonde that ire is in two maneres: that oon of hem is good and that other
is wikke./ The goode ire is by ialowsie of goodnesse thurgh which a man is
wrooth with wikkednesse and agayns wikkednesse and therfore seith a wys man
that ire is bet than pley. (540) This ire is with debonairetee and it is wroth
withoute bitternesse; nat wroth agayns the man, but wroth with the mysdede
of the man as seith the prophete Dauid: Irascimini et nolite peccare./ 
  Now vnderstondeth that wikked ire is in ij maneres, that is to seyn sodeyn
ire or hastif ire withoute auysement and consentynge ofhis reson./ The menyng
and the sens of this is that the reson of a man ne consente nat to thilke sodeyn
ire and thanne is it venyal./ Another ire is ful wikked that comth of felonye
of herte auysed and cast bifore with wikked wil to do vengeaunce and therto
his resoun consenteth; and soothly this is dedly synne./ This ire is so displesant
to god that it troubleth his hous and chaceth the holy goost out of mannes
soule and wasteth and destroyeth the liknesse of god, that is to seyn the vertu
that is in mannes soule, (545) and put in hym the liknesse of the deuel and



|p624


bynymeth the man fro god that is his rightful lord./ This ire is a ful gret
plesaunce to the deuel for it is the deueles forneys that is eschawfed with the
fyr of helle./ For certes right so as fyr is moore myghty to destroye erthely
thynges than another element, right so ire is myghty to destroye alle spirituel
thynges./ Looke how that fyr of smale gleedes that ben almoost dede vnder the
asshen wolen quyke agayn whan they ben touched with brymston: Right so
ire wole eueremo quyke agayn whan it is touched by the pryde that is couered
in mannes herte./ For certes fyr ne may nat come out of nothyng but if it
were first in the same thyng naturelly as fyr is drawen out of flyntes with steel.
(550) And right so as pryde is ofte tyme matere of ire, right, so is rancour
norice and kepere of ire./ Ther is a manere tree as seith seint Ysidre [El f.222]
that whan men maken fir of thilke tree and couere the coles of it with asshen,
soothly the fir of it wol lasten al a yeer or moore./ And right so fareth it of
rancour: whan it is ones conceyued in the hertes of som men, certein it wol
lasten parauenture from oon Estreday vnto another Estreday and moore./ But
certes thilke man is ful fer fro the mercy of godin thilke while./ 
  In this forseyde deueles fourneys ther forgen iij shrewes: pride that ay bloweth
and encreesseth the fir by chidvnge and wikked wordes; (555) thanne stant
enuye and holdeth the hoote iren vpon the herte of man with a peire of longe
toonges of long rancour;/ and thanne stant the synne of contumelie or strif
and cheeste and batereth and forgeth by vileyns repreuynges./ Certes this
cursed synne anoyeth [f.222v] bothe to the man hymself and eek to his
neighebore, for soothly almoost al the harm that any man dooth to his
neighebore comth of wratthe./ For certes outrageous wratthe dooth al that
euere the deuel hym comaundeth, for he ne spareth neither Crist ne his sweete
mooder./ And in his outrageous anger and ire, allas, allas ful many oon at
that tyme feeleth in his herte ful wikkedly bothe of Crist and of alle hise halwes.
(560) Is nat this a cursed vice? Yis certes. Allas it bynymeth from man his
wit and his resoun and al his debonaire lif espiritueel that sholde kepen his
soule./ Certes it bynymeth eek goddes due lordshipe and that is mannes soule
and the loue of hise neighebores. It stryueth eek alday agayn trouthe; it reueth
hym the quiete of his herte and subuerteth his soule./ 
  Of ire comen thise stynkynge engendrures: first hate, that is oold wratthe;
discord thurgh which a man forsaketh his olde freend that he hath loued ful



|p625


longe;/ and thanne cometh werre and euery manere of wrong that man dooth
to his neighebore in body or in catel./ Of this cursed synne of ire cometh eek
manslaughtre. And vnderstonde wel that homycide, that is manslaughtre, is in
diuerse wise. Som manere of homycide is spiritueel and som is bodily. (565)
Spiritueel manslaughtre is in iij thynges. First by hate as seint Iohn seith: He
that hateth his brother is homycide./ Homycide is eek by bakbitynge, of whiche
bakbiteres seith Salomon that they han two swerdes with whiche they sleen hir
neighebores. For soothly as wikke is to bynyme his good name as his lyf./
Homycide is eek in yeuynge of wikked conseil by fraude, as for to yeuen conseil
to areysen wrongful custumes and taillages./ Of whiche seith Salomon: Leon
rorynge and bere hongry been like to the crueel lordshipes in withholdynge or
abreggynge of the shepe or the hyre or of the wages of seruauntz or elles in
vsures or in withdrawynge of the almesse of poure folk./ For which the wise man
seith: Fedeth hym that almoost dyeth for honger, for soothly but if thow feede
hym thou sleest hym. And alle thise been deedly synnes. (570) Bodily
manslaughtre is whan thow sleest him with thy tonge in oother manere, as
whan thou comandest to sleen a man or elles yeuest hym conseil to sleen a man./
Manslaughtre in dede is in iiij maneres. That oon is by lawe, right as a
iustice dampneth hym that is coupable to the deeth. But lat the iustice be war
that he do it rightfully and that he do it nat for delit to spille blood but for
kepynge of rightwisnesse./ Another homycide is that is doon for necessitee
as whan o man sleeth another in his defendaunt and that he ne may noon oother_wise 
escape from his owene deeth./ But certeinly if he may escape withouten
manslaughtre of his aduersarie and sleeth hym, he dooth synne and he shal
bere penance as for deedly synne./ Eek if a man by caas or auenture shete an
arwe or caste a stoon with which he sleeth a man, he is homycide. (575) Eek
if a womman by necligence ouerlyeth hir child in hir slepyng, it is homycide
and deedly synne./ Eek whan man destourbeth concepcioun of a child and
maketh a womman outher bareyne by drynkynge venenouse herbes thurgh
which she may nat conceyue or sleeth a child by drynkes wilfully or elles
putteth certeine material thynges in hir secree places to slee the child,/ or elles
dootth vnkyndely synne by which man or womman shedeth hir nature in



|p626


manere or in place ther as a child may nat be concei[f.223]ued or elles if a
woman haue conceyued and hurt hir child and sleeth the child, yet it is
homycide./ What seye we eek of wommen that mordren hir children for drede
of worldly shame? Certes an horrible homicide!/ Homycide is eek if a man
approcheth to a womman by desir of lecherie thurØ which the child is perissed
or elles smyteth a womman wityngly thurgh which she leseth hir child. Alle
thise been homycides and horrible deedly synnes.
  (580) Yet comen ther of ire manye mo synnes as wel in word as in thoght
and in dede, as he that arretteth vpon god or blameth god of thyng of which
he is hymself gilty or despiseth god and alle hise halwes, as doon thise cursede
hasardours in diuerse contrees./ This cursed synne doon they whan they feelen
in hir hertes ful wikkedly of god and of hise halwes./ Also whan they treten
vnreuerently the sacrement of the auter, thilke synne is so greet that vnnethe
may it been releessed but that the mercy of god passeth alle hise werkes; it is
so greet and he so benigne./ Thanne comth of ire attry angre. Whan a man is
sharply amonested in his shrifte to forleten his synne,/ thanne wole he be angry
and answeren hokerly and angrily and deffenden or excusen his synne by
vnstedefastnesse of his flessh; or elles he dide it for to holde compaignye with
hise felawes; or elles he seith the feend enticed hym; (585) or elles he dide it
for his youthe; or elles his conpleccioun is so corageous that he may nat forbere;
or elles it is his destinee, as he seith. vnto a certein age; or elles he seith it
cometh hym of gentillesse of hise auncestres; and semblable thynges./ Alle this
manere of folk so wrappen hem in hir synnes that they ne wol nat deliuere
hemself. For soothly no wight that excuseth hym wilfully of his synne may nat
been deliuered of his synne til that he mekely biknoweth his synne./
  After this thanne cometh sweryng that is expres agayn the comandement of
god, and this bifalleth ofte of anger and of ire./ God seith: Thow shalt nat take
the name of thy lord god in veyn or in ydel. Also oure lord Iesu Crist seith
by the word of seint Mathew:/ Ne wol ye nat swere in alle manere, neither
by heuene for it is goddes trone, ne by erthe for it is the bench of his feet,
ne by Ierusalem for it is the citee of a greet kyng, ne by thyn heed for thou
mayst nat make an heer whit ne blak. (590) But seyeth by youre word `Ye, ye'



|p627


and `Nay nay', and what that is moore it is of yuel, thus seith Crist./ For
Cristes sake ne swereth nat so synfully in dismembrynge of Crist by soule, herte,
bones and body. For certes it semeth that ye thynke that the cursede Iewes ne
dismembred nat ynough the preciouse persone of Crist but ye dismembre hym
moore./ And if so be that the lawe compelle yow to swere, thanne rule yow
after the lawe of god in youre sweryng, as seith Ieremye 4ų cų: Thou shalt
kepe iij condicions: thou shalt swere in trouthe, in doom and in rightwisnesse./
This is to seyn thou shalt swere sooth, for euery lesynge is agayns Crist, for
Crist is verray trouthe. And thynk wel this that euery greet swerere nat
compelled lawefully to swere, the wounde shal nat departe from his hous whil
he vseth swich vnleueful sweryng./ Thou shalt sweren eek in doom whan thou
art constreyned by thy domesman to witnessen the trouthe. (595) Eek [f223v]
thow shalt nat swere for enuye ne for fauour ne for meede, but for rightwisnesse
and for declaracioun of it to the worship of god and helpyng of thyne
euenecristene./ And therfore euery man that taketh godes name in ydel or
falsly swereth with his mouth or elles taketh on hym the name of Crist to be
called a cristene man and lyueth agayns Cristes lyuynge and his techynge,
alle they taken goddes name in ydel./ Looke eek what seint Peter seith Actų 4ų:
Non est aliud nomen sub celo etc.: Ther nys noon oother name (seith seint Peter)
vnder heuene yeuen to men in which they mowe be saued, that is to seyn
but the name of Iesu Crist./ Take kepe eek how that in the precious name of
Crist, as seith seint Paul ad Philipenses 2ų: In nomine Iesu etc.: That in the name
of Iesu euery knee of heuenely creatures or erthely or of helle sholden bowe,
for it is so heigh and so worshipful that the cursede feend in helle sholde
tremblen to heeren it ynempned./ Thanne semeth it that men that sweren so
horriblely by his blessed name that they despise hym moore booldely than dide
the cursede Iewes or elles the deuel that trembleth whan he heereth his name.
  (600) Now certes sith that sweryng, but if it be lawefully doon, is so heighly
deffended, muche worse is forsweryng falsly and yet nedelees./ What seye we
eek of hem that deliten hemin sweryng and holden it a gentrie or a manly dede
to swere grete othes? And what of hem that of verray vsage ne cesse nat to
swere grete othes al be the cause nat worth a straw? Certes it is horrible synne./
Swerynge sodeynly withoute auysement is eek a synne./ But lat vs go now to
thilke horrible sweryng of adiuracioun and coniuracioun as doon thise false



|p628


enchauntours or nigromanciens in bacyns ful of water or in a bright swerd in a
cercle or in a fir or in a shulderboon of a sheep./ I kan nat seye but that they
doon cursedly and dampnablely agayns Crist and al the feith of hooly chirche.
  (605) What seye we ofhem that bileeuen in diuynailes as by flight or by noyse
of briddes or of beestes or by sort, by geomancie, by dremes, by chirkynge of
dores, or crakkynge of houses, by gnawynge of rattes and swich manere
wrecchednesse?/ Certes al this thyng is deffended by god and by al hooly
chirche. For which they been acursed til they come to amendement that on
swich filthe setten hir bileeue./ Charmes for woundes or maladie of men or of
beestes, if they taken any effect it be parauenture that god suffreth it
for folk sholden yeue the moore feith and reuerence to his name./
  Now wol I speken of lesynges which generally is fals signyficacion of word in
entente to deceyuen his euenecristene./ Som lesynge is of which ther comth
noon auantage to no wight, and som lesynge turneth to the ese and profit of
o man and to disese and damage of another man. (610) Another lesynge, for
to sauen his lyf or his catel, comth of delit for to lye in which delit they wol
forge a long tale and peynten it with alle circumstaunces where al the ground of
the tale is fals./ Som lesynge [f.224] comth for he wole sustene his word, and
som lesynge comth of reccheleesnesse withouten auisement and semblable
thynges./
  Lat vs now touche the vice of flaterynge, which ne comth nat gladly but for
drede or for coueitise./ Flaterye is generally wrongful preisynge. Flatereres been
the deueles norices that norissen hise children with milk of losengerie./ For sothe
Salomon seith that flaterie is wors than detraccioun. For somtyme detraccion
maketh an hauteyn man be the moore humble for he dredeth detraccion; but
certes flaterye that maketh a man to enhauncen his herte and his contenaunce.
(615) Flatereres been the deueles enchauntours, for they make a man to wene
of hymself be lyk that he nys nat lyk./ They been lyk to Iudas that bitraysed
a man to sellen hym to hise enemy, that is to the deuel./ Flatereres been the



|p629


deueles chapelleyns that syngen euere placebo./ I rekene flaterie in the vices
of ire, for ofte tyme if o man be wrooth with another, thanne wole he flatere
som wight to sustene hym in his querele./
  Speke we now of swich cursynge as comth of irous herte. Malisoun generally
may be seyd euery maner power or harm. Swich cursynge bireueth man fro
the regne of god, as seith seint Paul. (620) And ofte tyme swich cursynge
wrongfully retorneth agayn to hym that curseth as a bryd that retorneth agayn
to his owene nest./ And ouer alle thyng men oghten eschewe to cursen hir
children and yeuen to the deuel hir engendrure as ferforth as in hem is. Certes
it is greet peril and greet synne./
  Lat vs thanne speken of chidynge and reproche whiche been ful grete
woundes in mannes herte, for they vnsowen the semes of freendshipe in mannes
herte./ For certes vnnethes may a man plevnly been accorded with hym that
hath hym openly reuyled and repreued in disclaundre. This is a ful grisly synne
as Crist seith in the gospel./ And taak kepe now that he that repreueth his
neighebor outher he repreueth hym by som harm of peyne that he hath on
his body as `mesel', `croked harlot', or by som synne that he dooth. (625)
Now if he repreue hym by harm of peyne thanne turneth the repreue to Iesu
Crist for peyne is sent by the rightwys sonde of god and by his suffrance, be
it meselrie or maheym or maladie./ And if he repreue hym vncharitably of
synne as `thou dronkelewe harlot' and so forth, thanne aperteneth that to the
reioysynge of the deuel that euere hath ioye that men doon synne./ And certes
chidynge may nat come but out of a vileyns herte. For after the habundance
of the herte speketh the mouth ful ofte./ And ye shul vnderstonde that looke by
any wey whan any man shal chastise another that he be war from chidynge
and repreuynge. For trewely but he be war he may ful lightly quyken the
fir of angre and of wratthe which that he sholde quenche, and parauenture
sleeth hym which that he myghte chastise with benignitee./ For as seith
Salomon: The amyable tonge is the tree of lyf, that is to seyn of lyf espiritueel.
And soothly a deslauee tonge sleeth the spirites of hym that repreueth and eek
ofhym that is repreued. (630) Loo what seith seint Augustyn: Ther is nothyng
so lyk the deueles child as he that ofte chideth. Seint [f.224v] Paul seith eek:
I, seruant of god, bihoueth nat to chide./ And how that chidynge be a vileyns
thyng bitwixe alle manere folk, yet is it certes moost vncouenable bitwixe a man



|p630


and his wyf, for there is neuere reste. And therfore seith Salomon: An hous
that is vncouered and droppynge and a chidynge wyf been lyke./ A man that
is in a droppynge hous in manye places though he eschewe the droppynge in
o place, it droppeth on hym in another place. So fareth it by a chydynge wyf
but she chide hym in o place, she wol chide hym in anočer./ And therfore
bettre is a morsel of breed with ioye than an hous ful of delices with chidynge,
seith Salomon./ Seint Paul seith: O ye wommen, be ye subgetes to youre
housbondes, and ye men loueth youre wyues. Ad Colonisenses 3ų
  (635) Afterward speke we of scornynge which is a wikked synne and namely
whan he scorneth a man for hise goode werkes./ For certes swiche scorneres
faren lyk the foule tode that may nat endure to smelle the soote sauour of the
vyne whanne it florissheth./ Thise scorneres been partyng felawes with the
deuel, for they han ioye whan the deuel wynneth and sorwe whan he leseth./
They been aduersaries of Iesu Crist for they haten that he loueth, that is to
seyn saluacioun of soule./
  Speke we now of wikked conseil, for he that wikked conseil yeueth is a
traytour. He deceyueth hym that trusteth in hym vt Achitofel ad Absolonem. But
nathelees yet is his wikked conseil first agayn hymself.(640) For as seith the
wise man: Euery fals lyuynge hath his propertee in hymself that he that wole
anoye another man he anoyeth first hymself/ And men shul vnderstonde that
man shal nat taken his conseil of fals folk nor of angry folk or greuous folk
that louen specially to muchel hir owene profit ne to muche worldly folk,
namely in conseilynge of soules./
  Now comth the synne of hem that sowen and maken discord amonges folk,
which is a synne that Crist hateth outrely. And no wonder is for he deyde for to
make concord./ And moore shame do they to Crist than dide they that hym
crucifiede, for god loueth bettre that freendshipe be amonges folk than he dide
his owene body the which that he yaf for vnitee. Therfore been they likned to
the deuel that euere been aboute to maken discord./
  Now comth the synne of double-tonge swiche as speken faire byforn folk and
wikkedly bihynde. Or elles they maken semblant as though they speeke of good
entencioun or elles in game and pley, and yet they speke of wikked entente.
  (645) Now comth biwreying of conseil thurgh which a man is defamed;
certes vnnethe may he restoore the damage./



|p631


  Now comth manace that is an open folye, for he that ofte manaceth he
threteth moore than he may parfourne ful ofte tyme./
  Now cometh ydel wordes that is withouten profit of hym that speketh tho
wordes and eek of hym that herkneth tho wordes. Or elles ydel wordes been
tho that been nedelees or withouten entente of natureel profit./ And al be it
that ydel wordes been somtyme venial synne, yet sholde men douten hem for
we shul yeue rekenynge of hem bifore god./
  Now comth ianglynge that may nat been withoute synne. And as seith
Salomon: It is a synne of apert folye. (650) And therfore a philosophre seyde
whan men axed hym how [f.225] that men sholde plese the peple and he
answerde: Do manye goode werkes and spek fewe iangles./
  After this comth the synne of iaperes that been the deueles apes, for they
maken folk to laughe at hir iaperie as folk doon at the gawdes of an ape.
Swiche iaperes deffendeth seint Paul./ Looke how that vertuouse wordes and
hooly wordes conforten hem that trauaillen in the seruice of Crist, right so
conforten the vileyns wordes and knakkes of iaperis hem that trauaillen in the
seruice of the deuel./ Thise been the synnes that comen of the tonge that comen
of ire and of othere synnes mo./

Sequitur remedium contra peccatum ire
  The remedie agayns ire is a vertu that men clepen mansuetude, that is
debonairetee, and eek another vertu that men callen pacience or suffrance.
  (655) Debonairetee withdraweth and refreyneth the stirynges and the
moeuynges of mannes corage in his herte in swich manere that they ne skippe
nat out by angre ne by ire./ Suffrance suffreth swetely alle the anoyaunces
and če wronges that men doon to man outward./ Seint Ierome seith thus of
debonairetee that it dooth noon harm to no wight ne seith, ne for noon harm
that men doon or seyn he ne eschawfeth nat agayns his resoun./ This vertu
somtyme comth of nature, for as seith the philosophre: A man is a quyk thyng
by nature debonaire and tretable to goodnesse, but whan debonairetee is
enformed of grace thanne is it the moore worth./
  Pacience that is another remedie agayns ire; it is a vertu that suffreth swetely
euery mannes goodnesse and is nat wrooth for noon harm that is doon to hym.
(660) The philosophre seith that pacience is thilke vertu that suffreth
debonairely alle the outrages of aduersitee and euery wikked word./ This vertu
maketh a man lyk to god and maketh hym goddes owene deere child as seith



|p632


Crist. This vertu disconfiteth thyn enemy  And therfore seith the wise man:
If thow woit venquysse thyn enemy lerne to suffre./ And thou shalt vnderstonde
that man suffreth iiij manere of greuances in outward thynges, agayns the
whiche iiij he moot haue iiij manere of paciences./
  The firste greuance is of wikkede wordes. Thilke suffrede Iesu Crist
withouten grucchyng ful paciently whan the Iewes despised and repreued hym
ful ofte./ Suffre thou therfore paciently for the wise man seith: If thou stryue
with a fool, though the fool be wrooth or though he laughe, algate thou shalt
haue no reste. (665) That oother greuance outward is to haue damage of thy
catel. Theragayns suffred Crist ful paciently whan he was despoyled of al that
he hadde in this lyf and that nas but hise clothes./ The thridde greuance is a
man to haue harm in his body. That suffred Crist ful paciently in al his
passioun./ The fourthe greuance is in outrageous labour in werkes. Wherfore
I seye that folk that maken hir seruantz to trauaillen to greuously or out of
tyme, as on haly dayes, soothly they do greet synne./ Heeragayns suffred
Crist ful paciently and taughte vs pacience whan he baar [f.225v]ž vpon his
blissed shulder the croys vpon which he sholde suffren despitous deeth./ Heere
may men lerne to be pacient for certes noght oonly cristen men been pacient
for loue of Iesu Crist and for gerdoun of the blisful lyf that is pardurable, but
certes the olde payens that neuere were cristene commendeden and vseden the
vertu of pacience.
  (670) A philosophre vpon a tyme that wolde haue beten his disciple for his
grete trespas for which he was greetly amoeued and broghte a yerde to scoure
with the child./ And whan this child saugh the yerde he seyde to his maister:
`What thenke ye do?'
  `I wol bete thee,' quod the maister, `for thy correccioun.'/
  `For sothe,' quod the child, `ye oghten first correcte youreself that han lost
al youre pacience for the gilt of a child.'/
  `For sothe,' quod the maister al wepynge, `thow seyst sooth. Haue thow the
yerde, my deere sone, and correcte me for myn inpacience.'/
  Of pacience comth obedience, thurgh which a man is obedient to Crist and
to alle hem to whiche he oghte to been obedient in Crist. (675) And vnderstond
wel that obedience is parfit whan that a man dooth gladly and hastily with
good herte entierly al that he sholde do./ Obedience generally is to parfourne
the doctrine of god and of his souereyns to whiche hym oghte to ben obeisaunt
in alle rightwisnesse./

Sequitur de accidia
  After the synne of enuye and of ire now wol I speken of the synne of accidie.



|p633


For enuye blyndeth the herte of man and ire troubleth a man and accidie
maketh hym heuy, thoghtful and wrawful./ Enuye and ire maken bitternesse in
herte, which bitternesse is mooder of accidie and bynymeth hym the loue of
alle goodnesse. Thanne is accidie the angwissh of troubled herte. And seint
Augustyn seith: It is anoy of goodnesse and ioye of harm./ Certes this is a
dampnable synne for it dooth wrong to Iesu Crist in as muche as it bynymeth
the seruice that men oghte doon to Crist with alle diligence, as seith Salomon.
(680) But accidie dooth no swich diligence. He dooth alle thyng with anoy
and with wrawnesse, slaknesse and excusacioun and with ydelnesse and vnlust.
For which the book seith: Acursed be he that dooth the seruice of god
necligently./ Thanne is accidie enemy to euerich estaat of man, for certes the
estaat of man is in iij maneres./ Outher it is th'estaat of innocence as was
th'estaat of Adam biforn that he fil into synne, in which estaat he was holden
to wirche as in heriynge and adowrynge of god./ Another estaat is estaat of
synful men, in which estaat men been holden to laboure in preiynge to god
for amendement of hir synnes and that he wole graunte hem to arysen out of
hir synnes./ Another estaat is th'estaat of grace in which estaat he is holden
to werkes of penitence. And certes to alle thise thynges is accidie enemy and
contrarie for he loueth no bisynesse at al. (685) Now certes this foule swyn
accidie is eek a ful greet enemy to the liflode of the body for it ne hath no
purueaunce agayn temporeel necessitee for it forsleweth and forsluggeth and
destroyeth alle goodes temporeles by [f.226] reccheleesnesse./
  The fourthe thyng is that accidie is lyk to hem that been in the peyne of
helle by cause of hir slouthe and of hir heuynesse, for they that been dampned
been so bounde that they ne may neither wel do ne wel thynke./ Of accidie
comth first that a man is anoyed and encombred for to doon any goodnesse,
and maketh that god hath abhomynacion of swich accidie./
  Now comth slouthe that wol nat suffre noon hardnesse ne no penaunce,
for soothly slouthe is so tendre and so delicaat, as seith Salomon, that he wol
nat suffre noon hardnesse ne penaunce and therfore he shendeth al that he
dooth./ Agayns this rotenherted synne of accidie and slouthe sholde men
excercise hemself to doon goode werkes, and manly and vertuously cacchen
corage wel to doon, thynkynge that oure lord Iesu Crist quiteth euery good
dede be it neuer so lite. (690) Vsage of labour is a greet thyng for it maketh,
as seith seint Bernard, the laborer to haue stronge armes and harde synwes,



|p634


and slouthe maketh hem feble and tendre./ Thanne comth drede to bigynne
to werke anye goode werkes, for certes he that is enclyned to synne hym
thynketh it is so greet an emprise for to vndertake to doon werkes of godnesse/
and casteth in his herte that the circumstaunces of goodnesse been so greuouse
and so chargeaunt for to suffre that he dar nat vndertake to do werkes of
goodnesse, as seith seint Gregorie./
  Now comth wanhope that is despeir of the mercy of god that comth somtyme
of to muche outrageous sorwe and somtyme of to muche drede, ymaginynge
that he hath doon so muche synne that it wol nat auaillen hym though he
wolde repenten hym and forsake synne./ Thurgh which despeir or drede he
abaundoneth al his herte to euery maner synne, as seith seint Augustin. (695)
Which dampnable synne, if that it continue vnto his ende, it is cleped synnyng
in the hooly goost./ This horrible synne is so perilous that he that is despeired
ther nys no felonye ne no synne that he douteth for to do, as sheweth wel by
Iudas./ Certes abouen alle synnes thanne is this synne moost displesant to Crist
and moost aduersarie./ Soothly he that despeireth hym is lyk the coward
champioun recreant that seith `creant' withoute nede. Allas, allas nedelees is he
recreant and nedelees despeired./ Certes the mercy of god is euere redy to
euery penitent and is abouen alle hise werkes. (700) Allas kan a man nat
bithynke hym on the gospel of seint Luc 15 where as Crist seith that as wel
shal ther be ioye in heuene vpon a synful man that dooth penitence than vpon
90 and 9 rightful men that neden no penitence?/ Looke forther in the same
gospel the ioye and the feeste of the goode man that hadde lost his sone whan
his sone with repentaunce was retourned to his fader./ Kan they nat remembren
hem eek, that as seith seint Luc 23, how that the theef that was hanged bisyde
Iesu Crist seyde: `Lord, remembre of me whan thow comest into thy regne'?/
  `For sothe,' seyde Crist, `I seye to thee: Today shaltow been with me in
paradys.'/
  Certes ther is noon so horrible synne of man that it ne may in his lyf be
destroyed by penitence thurgh vertu of the passion and of the deeth of Crist.
(705) Allas what nedeth man thanne to been despeired sith that his mercy so
redy is and large? Axe and haue./



|p635


  Thanne cometh sompnolence that is sloggy slombrynge which maketh a man
be [f.266v] heuy and dul in body and in soule; and this synne comth of
slouthe./ And certes the tyme that by wey of resoun men sholde nat slepe,
that is by the morwe, but if ther were cause resonable./ For soothly the morwe_tyde 
is moost couenable a man to seye hise preyeres and for to thynken on god
and for to honoure god and to yeuen almesse to the poure that first cometh in
the name of Crist./ Lo what seith Salomon: Whoso wolde by the morwe awaken
and seke me, he shal fynde. (710) Thanne cometh necligence or recchelees_nesse 
that rekketh of nothyng. And how that ignoraunce be mooder of alle
harm, certes necligence is the norice./ Necligence ne dooth no fors whan he shal
doon a thyng wheither he do it weel or baddely./
  Of the remedie of thise two synnes as seith the wise man that he that dredeth
god he spareth nat to doon that him oghte doon./ And he that loueth god,
he wol doon diligence to plese god by hise werkes and abaundone hymself with
al his myght wel for to doon./
  Thanne comth ydelnesse that is the yate of alle harmes. An ydel man is lyk
to a place that hath no walles: the deueles may entre on euery syde and sheten
at hym at discouert by temptacion on euery syde. (715) This ydelnesse is the
thurrok of alle wikked and vileyns thoghtes and of alle iangles, trufles and of
alle ordure./ Certes the heuene is yeuen to hem that wol labouren and nat to
ydel folk. Eek Dauid seith that they ne been nat in the labour of men ne they
shul nat been whipped with men; that is to seyn in purgatorie./ Certes thanne
semeth it they shul be tormented with the deuel in helle but if they doon
penitence./
  Thanne comth the synne that men clepen tarditas, as whan a man is to
laterede or tariynge er he wole turne to god; and certes that is a greet folie.
He is lyk to hym that falleth in the dych and wol nat arise./ And this vice
comth of a fals hope that he thynketh that he shal lyue longe; but that hope
faileč ful ofte.
  (720) Thanne comth lachesse, that is he that whan he biginneth any good
werk anon he shal forleten it and stynten, as doon they that han any wight
to gouerne and ne taken of hym namoore kepe anon as they fynden any
contrarie or any anoy./ Thise been the newe sheepherdes that leten hir sheep



|p636


wityngly go renne to the wolf that is in the breres, or do no fors of hir owene
gouernaunce./ Of this comth pouerte and destruccioun bothe of spiritueel and
temporeel thynges. Thanne comth a manere cooldnesse that freseth al the herte
of a man./ Thanne comth vndeuocioun thurgh which a man is blent, as seith
seint Bernard, and hath swich langour in soule that he may neither rede ne
singe in hooly chirche ne heere ne thynke of no deuocioun ne travaille with
hise handes in no good werk that it nys hym vnsauory and al apalled./ Thanne
wexeth he slough and slombry, and soone wol be wrooth and soone is enclyned
to hate and to enuye. (725) Thanne comth the synne of worldly sorwe which
as is cleped tristicia that sleeth man, as seint Paul seith./ For certes swich sorwe
werketh to the deeth of the soule and of the body also, for therof comth that a
man is anoyed of his owene lif/ Wherfore swich sorwe shorteth ful ofte the lif
of man er that his tyme be come by wey of kynde./ [f.227]

Remedium contra peccatum accidie
Agayns this horrible synne of accidie and the branches of the same ther is a
vertu that is called fortitudo or strengthe, that is an affeccioun thurgh which a
man despiseth anoyouse thinges./ This vertu is so myghty and so vigerous that
it dar withstonde myghtily, and wisely kepen hymself fro perils that been
wikked, and wrastle agayn the assautes of the deuel. (730) For it enhaunceth
and enforceth the soule right as accidie abateth it and maketh it fieble. For
this fortitudo may endure by long suffraunce the trauailles that been couenable./
  This vertu hath manye speces, and the firste is cleped magnanimitee, that
is to seyn greet corage. For certes ther bihoueth greet corage agains accidie
lest that it ne swolwe the soule by the synne of sorwe or destroye it by wanhope./
This vertu maketh folk to vndertake harde thynges and greuouse thynges by
hir owene wil wesely and resonably./ And for as muchel as the deuel fighteth
agayns a man moore by queyntise and by sleighte than by strengthe, therfore
men shal withstonden hym by wit and by resoun and by discrecioun./ Thanne
arn ther the vertues of feith and hope in god and in hise seintes to acheue and
acomplice the goode werkes in the whiche he purposeth fermely to continue.
(735) Thanne comth seuretee or sikernesse and that is whan a man ne douteth
no trauaille in tyme comynge of the goode werkes that a man hath bigonne./
Thanne comth magnificence, that is to seyn whan a man dooth and par_fourneth 
grete werkes of goodnesse, and that is the ende why that men sholde



|p637


do goode werkes for in the acomplissynge of grete goode werkes lith the grete
gerdoun./ Thanne is ther constaunce that is stablenesse of corage, and this
sholde been in herte by stedefast feith and in mouth and in berynge and in
chiere and in dede./ Eke ther been mo speciale remedies agains accidie in
diuerse werkes and in consideracioun of the peynes of helle and of the ioyes
of heuene and in trust of the grace of the holy goost that wole yeue hym myght
to parfourne his goode entente./

Sequitur de auaricia
After accidie wol I speke of auarice and of coueitise of which synne seith seint
Paul that the roote of alle harmes is coueitise, Ad Thimotheum 6ų (740)
For soothly whan the herte of a man is confounded in itself and troubled and that
the soule hath lost the confort of god, thanne seketh he an ydel solas of
worldly thynges./
  Auarice, after the descripcion of seint Augustyn, is likerousnesse in herte to
haue erthely thynges./ Som oother folk seyn that auarice is for to purchacen
manye erthely thynges and nothyng yeue to hem that han nede./ And vnder_stoond 
that auarice ne stant nat oonly in lond ne catel, but somtyme in science
and in glorie; and in euery manere of outrageous thyng is auarice and coueitise./
And the difference bitwixe auarice and coueitise is this. Coueitise is for to
coueite swiche thynges as thou hast nat, and auarice is for to withholde and
kepe swiche thynges as thou hast withoute rightful nede. (745) Soothly [f.227v]
this auarice is a synne that is ful dampnable for al hooly writ curseth it and
speketh agayns that vice, for it dooth wrong to Iesu Crist./ For it bireueth
hym the loue that men to hym owen and turneth it bakward agayns alle
resoun/ and maketh that the auaricious man hath moore hope in his catel
than in Iesu Crist, and dooth moore obseruance in kepynge of his tresor than he
dooth to seruice of Iesu Crist./ And therfore seith seint Paul ad Ephesios 5ų that
an auaricious man is the thraldom of ydolatrie./
  What difference is bitwixe an ydolastre and an auaricious man but that an
ydolastre parauenture ne hath but o mawmet or two and the auaricious man
hath manye? For certes euery floryn in his cofre is his mawmet. (750) And
certes the synne of mawmettrie is the firste thyng that god deffended in the
ten comaundementz as bereth witnesse in Exodi cų 20ų:/ Thou shalt
haue no false goddes bifore me ne thou shalt make to thee no graue thyng.
Thus is an auaricious man that loueth his tresor biforn god an ydolastre/ thurgh
this cursed synne of auarice.



|p638


  Of coueitise comen thise harde lordshipes thurgh whiche men been
distreyned by taylages, custumes and cariages moore than hir duetee or resoun
is. And eek they taken of hir bonde-men amercimentz whiche myghten moore
resonably ben cleped extorcions than amercimentz./ Of whiche amercimentz
and raunsonynge ofboonde-men somme lordes stywardes seyn that it is rightful
for as muche as a cherl hath no temporeel thyng that it ne is his lordes, as
they seyn./ But certes thise lordshipes doon wrong that bireuen hir bonde-folk
thynges that they neuere yaue hem, Augustinus de ciuitate lių 19ų. (755) Sooth
is that the condicioun of thraldom and the firste cause of thraldom is for synne,
Genesis 9ų./
  Thus may ye seen that the gilt disserueth thraldom but nat nature./ Wherfore
thise lordes ne sholde nat muche glorifien hem in hir lordshipes sith that by
natureel condicion they been nat lordes of thralles, but that thraldom comth
first by the desert of synne./ And fortherouer ther as the lawe seith that
temporeel goodes of boonde-folk been the goodes of hir lordshipes, ye that
is for to vnderstonde the goodes of the emperour, to deffenden hem in hir right
but nat for to robben hem ne reuen hem./ And therfore seith Seneca: Thy
prudence sholde lyue benignely with thy thralles. (760) Thilke that thou clepest
thy thralles been goddes peple, for humble folk been Cristes freendes: they
been contubernyal with the lord./
  Thynk eek that of swich seed as cherles spryngeth, of swich seed spryngen
lordes. As wel may the cherl be saued as the lord./ The same deeth that takeč
the cherl swich deeth taketh the lord. Wherfore I rede do right so with thy
cherl as thou woldest that thy lord dide with thee if thou were in his plit./
Euery synful man is a cherl to synne. I rede thee certes that thou lord werke
in swich wise with thy cherles that they rather loue thee than drede./ I woot
wel ther is degree aboue degree as reson is, and skile it is that men do hir
deuoir ther as it is due. But certes extorcions and [f.228v] despit of youre
vnderlynges is dampnable.
  (765) And fortherouer vnderstoond wel that thise conquerours or tirauntz
maken ful ofte thralles of hem that been born of as roial blood as been they
that hem conqueren./ This name of thraldom was neuere erst kowth til that



|p639


Noe seyde that his sone Canaan sholde be thral to hise bretheren for his synne./
What seye we thanne of hem that pilen and doon extorcions in hooly chirche?
Certes the swerd that men yeuen first to a knyght whan he is newe dubbed
signifieth that he sholde deffenden hooly chirche and nat robben it ne pilen it -
and whoso dooth is traitour to Crist./ And as seith seint Augustyn: They been
the deueles wolues that stranglen the sheep of Iesu Crist; and doon worse than
wolues,/ for soothly whan the wolf hath ful his wombe he stynteth to strangle
sheep. But soothly the pilours and destroyours of goddes hooly chirche ne do
nat so for they ne stynte neuere to pile. (770) Now as I haue seyd sith so is that
synne was first cause of thraldom thanne is it thus that thilke tyme that al this
world was in synne thanne was al this world in thraldom and subieccioun./
But certes sith the time of grace cam, god ordeyned that som folk sholde be
moore heigh in estaat and in degree and som folk moore lough and that euerich
sholde be serued in his estaat./ And therfore in somme contrees ther they byen
thralles, whan they han turned hem to the feith they maken hir thralles free
out of thraldom. And therfore certes the lord oweth to his man that the man
oweth to his lord:/ the pope calleth hymself seruant of the seruauntz of god.
But for as muche as the estaat of hooly chirche ne myghte nat han be ne the
commune profit myghte nat han be kept ne pees and reste in erthe but if god
hadde ordeyned that som men hadde hyer degree and som men lower,/ therfore
was souereyntee ordeyned to kepe and mayntene and deffenden hir vnder_lynges 
or hir subgetz in resoun as ferforth as it lith in hir power and nat to
destroyen hem ne confounde. (775) Wherfore I seye that thilke lordes that been
lyk wolues that deuouren the possessiouns or the catel of poure folk wrongfully
withouten mercy or mesure,/ they shul receyuen, by the same mesure that they
han mesured to poure folk, the mercy of Iesu Crist but if it be amended./
  Now comth deceite bitwixe marchaunt and marchant. And thow shalt
vnderstonde that marchandise is in manye maneres. That oon is bodily and
that oother is goostly; that oon is honeste and leueful and that oother is
deshoneste and vnleueful./ Of thilke bodily marchandise that is leueful and
honeste is this: that there as god hath ordeyned that a regne or a contree is
suffisaunt to hymself, thanne is it honeste and leueful that of habundaunce
of this contree that men helpe another contree that is moore nedy./ And
therfore ther moote been marchantz to bryngen fro that o contree to that oother
hir marchandises. (780) That oother marchandise that men haunten with
fraude and trecherie and deceite, with lesynges and false othes is cursed and
dampnable./ Espiritueel marchandise is proprely symonye, that is ententif desir
to byen thyng espiritueel that is thyng that aperteneth to the seintuarie of god



|p640


and to cure of the soule./ This desir if so be that a man do his diligence to
parfournen it al be it that his desir ne take noon [f.229v] effect, yet is it to
hym a deedly synne, and if he be ordred he is irreguleer./ Certes symonye is
cleped of Simon Magus that wolde han boght for temporeel catel the yifte
that god hadde yeuen by the hooly goost to seint Peter and to the apostles./
And therfore vnderstoond that bothe he that selleth and he that beyeth thynges
espirituels been cleped symonyals, be it by catel, be it by procurynge or by
flesshly preyere of hise freendes, flesshly freendes or espiritueel freendes. (785)
Flesshly in two maneres as by kynrede or othere freendes. Soothly if they praye
for hym that is nat worthy and able, it is symonye if he take the benefice,
and if he be worthy and able, ther nys noon./ That oother manere is whan a
man or womman preyen for folk to auauncen hem oonly for wikked flesshly
affeccioun that they han vnto the persone; and that is foul symonye./ But
certes in seruice for which men yeuen thynges espirituels vnto hir seruantz, it
moot been vnderstonde that the seruice moot been honeste, and elles nat; and
eek that it be withouten bargaynynge and that the persone be able./ For as
seith seint Damasie: Alle the synnes of the world at regard of this synne arn
as thyng of noght. For it is the gretteste synne that may be after the synne of
Lucifer and Antecrist./ For by this synne god forleseth the chirche and the soule
that he boghte with his precious blood by hem that yeuen chirches to hem
that been nat digne. (790) For they putten in theues that stelen the soules of
Iesu Crist and destroyen his patrimoyne./ By swiche vndigne preestes and
curates han lewed men the lasse reuerence of the sacrement of hooly chirche,
and swiche yeueres ofchirches putten out the children of Crist and putten into
the chirche the deueles owene sone./ They sellen the soules that lambes sholde
kepen to the wolf that strangleth hem. And therfore shul they neuere han part
of the pasture of lambes, that is the blisse of heuene./
  Now comth hasardrie with hise apurtenaunces as tables and rafles, of which
comth deceite, false othes, chidynges, and alle rauynes, blasphemynge and
reneiynge of god, and hate of hise neighebores, wast of goodes, mysspendynge



|p641


of tyme, and somtyme manslaughtre./ Certes hasardours ne mowe nat been
withouten greet synne whiles they haunte that craft.
  (795) Of auarice comen eek lesynges, thefte, fals witnesse, and false othes.
And ye shul vnderstonde that thise been grete synnes and expres agayn the
comaundementz of god, as I haue seyd./ Fals witnesse is in word and eek in
dede. In word as for to bireue thy neighebores goode name by thy fals
witnessyng or bireuen hym his catel or his heritage by thy fals witnessyng,
whan thou for ire or for meede or for enuye berest fals witnesse or accusest
hym or excusest hym by thy fals witnesse or elles excusest thyself falsly./ Ware
yow questemongeres and notaries. Certes for fals witnessyng was Susanna in
ful gret sorwe and peyne and many another mo./ The synne of thefte is eek
expres agayns goddes heeste and in two maneres, corporeel or espiritueel./
Corporeel as for to take thy neighebores catel agayn his wyl, be it by force
or by sleighte, be it by met or by mesure; (800) by stelyng eek of false
enditementz vpon hym and in borwynge of thy neighebores catel in entente
neuere to payen it agayn, [f.229v] and semblable thynges./ Espiritueel thefte is
sacrilege, that is to seyn hurtynge of hooly thynges or of thynges sacred to
Crist in two maneres: by reson of the hooly place as chirches or chirche-hawes/
for which euery vileyns synne that men doon in swiche places may be cleped
sacrilege or euery violence in the semblable places; also they that withdrawen
falsly the rightes that longen to hooly chirche./ And pleynly and generally
sacrilege is to reuen hooly thyng fro hooly place or vnhooly thyng out of hooly
place or hooly thyng out of vnhooly place./

Releuacio contra auarice
Now shul ye vnderstonde that the releeuynge of auarice is misericorde and
pitee largely taken. And men myghten axe why that misericorde and pitee is
releeuynge of auarice. (805) Certes the auaricious man sheweth no pitee ne
misericorde to the nedeful man for he deliteth hym in the kepynge of his
tresor and nat in the rescowynge ne releeuynge of his euenecristene. And



|p642


therfore speke I first of misericorde./ Thanne is misericorde, as seith the
philosophre, a vertu by which the corage of a man is stired by the mysese of
hym that is mysesed./ Vpon which misericorde folweth pitee in parfournynge
of charitable werkes of misericorde./ And certes thise thynges moeuen a man
to misericorde of Iesu Crist, that he yaf hymself for oure gilt and suffred deeth
for misericorde and forgaf vs oure originale synnes/ and therby relessed vs fro
the peynes of helle and amenused the peynes of purgatorie by penitence and
yeueth grace wel to do and atte laste the blisse of heuene. (810) The speces
of misericorde been as for to lene and for to yeue, and to foryeuen and relesse,
and for to han pitee in herte and compassioun of the meschief of his
euenecristene, and eek to chastise there as nede is./ Another manere of remedie
agayns auarice is resonable largesse. But soothly heere bihoueth the con_sideracioun 
of the grace of Iesu Crist and of hise temporeel goodes and eek of
the goodes pardurables that Crist yaf to vs,/ and to han remembrance of the
deeth that he shal receyue he noot whanne, where ne how; and eek that he shal
forgon al that he hath saue oonly that he hath despended in goode werkes./
  But for as muche as som folk been vnmesurable, men oghten eschue fool_largesse 
that men clepen wast./ Certes he that is fool-large ne yeueth nat his
catel, but he leseth his catel. Soothly what thyng that he yeueth
for veyne
glorie as to mynstrals and to folk for to beren his renoun in the world he hath
synne therof and noon almesse. (815) Certes he leseth foule his good that ne
seketh with the yifte of his good nothyng but synne./ He is lyk to an hors that
seketh rather to drynken drouy or trouble water than for to drynken water of
the clere welle./ And for as muchel as they yeuen ther as they sholde nat yeuen,
to hem aperteneth thilke malisoun that Crist shal yeuen at the day of doome
to hem that shullen been dampned./ [f.229v]

Sequitur de gula
  After auarice comth glotonye which is expres eek agayn the comandement
of god. Glotonye is vnmesurable appetit to ete or to drynke, or elles to doon
ynogh to the vnmesurable appetit and desordeynee coueitise to eten or to
drynke./ This synne corrumped al this world as is wel shewed in the synne of
Adam and of Eue. Looke eek what seith seint Paul of glotonye: (820) Manye
(seith saint Paul) goon, of whiche I haue ofte seyd to yow and now I seye it
wepynge, that been the enemys of the croys of Crist, of whiche the ende is
deeth and of whiche hir wombe is hir god and hir glorie in confusioun of
hem that so deuouren erthely thynges./ He that is vsaunt to this synne of
glotonye, he ne may no synne withstonde. He moot been in seruage of alle
vices, for it is the deueles hoord ther he hideth hym and resteth./



|p643


  This synne hath manye speces. The firste is dronkenesse that is the horrible
sepulture of mannes resoun, and therfore whan a man is dronken he hath lost
his resoun - and this is deedly synne./ But soothly whan that a man is nat wont
to strong drynke and parauenture ne knoweth nat the strengthe of the
drynke or hath feblesse in his heed or hath trauailed thurgh which he drynketh
the moore, al be he sodeynly caught with drynke, it is no deedly synne but
venyal./ The seconde spece of glotonye is that the spirit of a man wexeth al
trouble, for dronkenesse bireueth hym the discrecioun of his wit. (825) The
thridde spece of glotonye is whan a man deuoureth his mete and hath no
rightful manere of etynge./ The fourthe is whan, thurgh the grete habundaunce
of his mete, the humours in his body been destempred./ The fifthe is foryetel_nesse 
by to muchel drynkynge, for which somtyme a man foryeteth er the
morwe what he dide at euen or on the nyght biforn./
  In oother manere been distinct the speces of glotonye after seint Gregorie.
The firste is for to ete biforn tyme to ete. The seconde is whan a man get hym
to delicaat mete or drynke./ The thridde is whan men taken to muche ouer
mesure. The fourthe is curiositee with greet entente to maken and apparaillen
his mete. The fifthe is for to eten to gredily. (830) Thise been the fyue fyngres
of the deueles hand by whiche he draweth folk to synne./

Remedium contra peccatum gule
Agayns glotonye is the remedie abstinence as seith Galien, but that holde I
nat meritorie if he do it oonly for the heele of his body. Seint Augustyn wole
that abstinence be doon for vertu and with pacience./ Abstinence (he seith)
is litel worth but if a man haue good wil therto and but it be enforced by
pacience and by charitee and that men doon it for godes sake and in hope
to haue the blisse of heuene./
  The felawes of abstinence been attemperaunce that holdeth the meene in
alle thynges; eek shame that eschueth alle deshonestee; suffisance that seketh no
riche metes ne drynkes ne dooth no fors of to outrageous apparai[f.230]lynge
of mete;/ mesure also that restreyneth by resoun the deslauee appetit of etynge;
sobrenesse also that restreyneth the outrage of drynke; (835) sparynge also that
restreyneth the delicaat ese to sitte longe at his mete and softely, wherfore
som folk stonden of hir owene wyl to eten at the lasse leyser./



|p644


Sequitur de luxuria
After glotonye thanne comth lecherie for thise two synnes been so ny cosyns
that ofte tyme they wol nat departe./ God woot this synne is ful displesaunt
thyng to god, for he seyde hymself: Do no lecherie. And therfore he putte grete
peynes agayns this synne in the olde lawe:/ if womman-thral were taken in
this synne she sholde be beten with staues to the deeth; and if she were a gentil
womman she sholde be slayn with stones; and if she were a bisshopes doghter
she sholde been brent by goddes comandement./ Fortherouer by the synne of
lecherie god dreynte al the world at the diluge. And after that he brente v
citees with thonder-leyt and sank hem into helle.
  (840) Now lat vs speke thanne of thilke stynkynge synne of lecherie that
men clepe auowtrie of wedded folk, that is to seyn if that oon of hem be wedded
or elles bothe./ Seint Iohn seith that auowtiers shullen been in helle in a stank
brennyngž of fyr and of brymston for the stynk of hir ordure./ Certes the
brekynge of this sacrement is an horrible thyng. It was maked of god hymself
in paradys and confermed by Iesu Crist as witnesseth seint Mathew in the
gospel: A man shal lete fader and mooder and taken hym to his wif and they
shullen be two in o flessh./ This sacrement bitokneth the knyttynge togidre of
Crist and of hooly chirche./ And nat oonly that god forbad auowtrie in dede,
but eek he comanded that thou sholdest nat coueite thy neighebores wyf (845)
In this heeste (seith seint Augustyn) is forboden alle manere coueitise to doon
lecherie. Lo what seith seint Mathew in the gospel, that whoso seeth a womman
to coueitise of his lust he hath doon lecherie with hir in his herte./ Heere may
ye seen that nat oonly the dede of this synne is forboden but eek the desir
to doon that synne./ This cursed synne anoyeth greuousliche hem that it
haunten. And first to hir soule, for he obligeth it to synne and to peyne of deeth
that is pardurable./ Vnto the body anoyeth it greuously also for it dreyeth hym
and wasteth and shent hym, and of his blood he maketh sacrifice to the feend
of helle. It wasteth his catel and his substaunce./ And certes if it be a foul
thyng a man to waste his catel on wommen, yet is it a fouler thyng whan
that for swich ordure wommen dispenden vpon men hir catel and substaunce.
(850) This synne, as seith the prophete, bireueth man and womman hir goode
fame and al hir honour, and it is ful plesaunt to the deuel for therby wynneth
he the mooste partie of this world./ And right as marchant deliteth hym
moost in [f.230v] chaffare that he hath moost auantage of, right so deliteth
the feend in this ordure./



|p645


  This is that oother hand of the deuel with v fyngres to cacche the peple
to his vileynye./ The firste fynger is the fool lookynge of the fool womman and
of the fool man that sleeth right as the basilicok sleeth folk by the venym of
his sighte; for the coueitise of eyen folweth the coueitise of the herte./ The
seconde fynger is the vileyns touchynge in wikkede manere. And therfore seith
Salomon that whoso toucheth and handleth a womman, he fareth lyk hym that
handleth the scorpioun that styngeth and sodeynly sleeth thurgh his
enuenymynge; as whoso toucheth warm pych it shent hise fyngres. (855) The
thridde is foule wordes that fareth lyk fyr that right-anon brenneth the herte./
The fourthe fynger is the kissynge; and trewely he were a greet fool that wolde
kisse the mouth of a brennynge ouene or of a fourneys./ And moore fooles been
they that kissen in vileynye, for that mouth is the mouth of helle, and namely
thise oldes dotardes holours: yet wol the kisse though they may nat do, and
smatre hem./ Certes they been lyk to houndes, for an hound whan he comth by
the roser or by othere heautees, though he may nat pisse yet wole he heue vp
his leg and make a contenaunce to pisse./ And for that many man weneth that
he may nat synne for no likerousnesse that he dooth with his wyf, certes that
opinion is fals. God woot a man may sleen hymself with his owene knyf and
make hymseluen dronken of his owene tonne. (860) Certes be it wyf, be it child
or any worldly thyng that he loueth biforn god, it is his mawmet and he is an
ydolastre./ Man sholde louen hys wyf bydiscrecioun paciently and atemprely,
and thanne is she as though it were his suster./ The fifthe fynger of the deueles
hand is the stynkynge dede of leccherie./ Certes the v fyngres of glotonie the
feend put in the wombe of a man and with hise v fyngres of lecherie he gripeth
hym by the reynes for to threwen hym into the fourneys of helle,/ ther as they
shul han the fyr and the wormes that euere shul lasten, and wepynge and
wailynge, sharp hunger and thurst, and grymnesse of deueles that shullen al
totrede hem withouten respit and withouten ende.
  (865) Of leccherie, as I seyde, sourden diuerse speces as fornicacioun that is
bitwixe man and womman that been nat maried - and this is deedly synne
and agayns nature./ Al that is enemy and destruccioun to nature is agayns
nature./ Parfay the resoun of a man telleth eek hym wel that it is deedly
synne for as muche as god forbad leccherie. And seint Paul yeueč hem the regne
that nys dewe to no wight but to hem that doon deedly synne./ Another synne
of leccherie is to bireue a mavden of hir maydenhede, for he that so dooth



|p646


certes he casteth a mayden out of the hyeste degree that is in this present lif/
and bireueč hir thilke precious fruyt that the book clepeth the hundred fruyt.
I ne kan seye it noon ootherweyes in Englissh, but in Latyn it highte centesimus
fructus. (870) Certes he that so dooth is cause of manye damages and vileynyes
mo than any man kan rekene, right as he somtyme is cause of alle damages
that beestes don in the feeld that breketh the hegge or the closure, thurgh
which he [f.231] destroyeth that may nat been restoored./ For certes namoore
may maydenhede be restoored than an arm that is smyten fro the body may
retourne agayn to wexe./ She may haue mercy this woot I wel, if she do
penitence, but neuere shal it be that she nas corrupt./
  Al be it so that I haue spoken somwhat of auowtrie, it is good to shewen
mo perils that longen to auowtrie for to eschue that foule synne./ Auowtrie
in Latyn is for to seyn approchynge of oother mannes bed, thurgh which tho
that whilom weren o flessh abawndone hir bodyes to othere persones. (875)
Of this synne, as seith the wise man, folwen manye harmes. First brekynge of
feith - and certes in feith is the keye of cristendom./ And whan that feith is
broken and lorn, soothly cristendom stant veyn and withouten fruyt./ This
synne is eek a thefte, for thefte generally is for to reue a wight his thyng agayns
his wille./ Certes this is the fouleste thefte that may be whan a womman steleth
hir body from hir housbonde and yeueth it to hire holour to defoulen hir, and
steleth hir soule fro Crist and yeueth it to the deuel./ This is a fouler thefte
than for to breke a chirche and stele the chalice, for thise auowtiers breken
the temple of god spiritually and stelen the vessel of grace, that is the body
and the soule, for which Crist shal destroyen hem as seith seint Paul. (880)
Soothly of this thefte douted gretly Ioseph whan that his lordes wyf preyed
hym of vileynye whan he seyde: `Lo my lady, how my lord hath take to me
vnder my warde al that he hath in this world, ne nothyng of hise thynges is
out of my power but oonly ye that been his wyf/ And how sholde I thanne
do this wikkednesse and synne so horrible agayns god and agayns my lord?
God it forbeede.' Allas al to litel is swich trouthe now yfounde./ The thridde
harm is the filthe thurgh which they breken the comandement of god and
defoulen the auctour of matrimoyne that is Crist./ For certes in so muche as the
sacrement of mariage is so noble and so digne, so muche is it gretter synne for
to breken it, for god made mariage in paradys in the estaat of innocence to
multiplye mankynde to the seruice of god./ And therfore is the brekynge moore



|p647


greuous, of which brekynge comen false heires ofte tyme that wrongfully
ocupien folkes heritages. And therfore wol Crist putte hem out of the regne
of heuene that is heritage to goode folk. (885) Of this brekynge comth eek
ofte tyme that folk vnwar wedden or synnen with hir owene kynrede, and
namely thilke harlotes that haunten bordels of thise fool wommen that mowe
be likned to a commune gonge where as men purgen hir ordure./ What seye
we eek of putours that lyuen by the horrible synne of putrie and constreyne
wommen to yelden to hem a certeyn rente of hir bodily puterie, ye somtyme of
his owene wyf or his child as doon this bawdes? Certes thise been cursede
synnes./ Vnderstoond eek that auowtrie is set gladly in the ten comandementz
bitwixe thefte and manslaughtre, for it is the gretteste thefte that may be, for
it is thefte of body and of soule./ And it is lvk to homycide for it kerueth atwo
and breketh atwo hem that first were maked o flessh. And therfore by the
olde lawe of god they sholde be slayn./ But nathelees by the lawe of Iesu Crist
that is lawe of pitee whan he sevde to the [f.231v] womman that was founden
in auowtrie and sholde han been slayn with stones after the wyl of the Iewes
as was hir lawe: Go (quod Iesu Crist) and haue namoore wyl to synne, or wille
namoore to do synne. (890) Soothly the vengeaunce of auowtrie is awarded
to the peynes of helle but if so be that it be destourbed by penitence./ Yet
been ther mo speces of this cursed synne as whan that oon of hem is religious
or elles bothe, or of folk that been entred into ordre as subdekne or preest or
hospitaliers. And euere the hyer that he is in ordre the gretter is the synne./
The thynges that gretly agreggen hir synne is the brekynge of hir auow of
chastitee whan they receyued the ordre./ And fortherouer sooth is that hooly
ordre is chief of al the tresorie ofgod and his especial signe and mark of chastitee
to shewe that they been ioyned to chastitee which that is moost precious lyf
that is./ And thise ordred folk been specially titled to god and of the special
meignee of god, for which whan they doon deedly synne they been the
special traytours of god and of his peple; for they lyuen of the peple, to preye
for the peple, and while they ben suche traitours here preyer auaileth nat to
the peple. (895) Preestes been aungeles as by the dignitee of hir mysterye, but



|p648


for sothe seint Paul seith that Sathanas transformeth hym in an aungel oflight./
Soothly the preest that haunteth deedly synne he may be likned to the aungel
of derknesse transformed in the aungel of light. He semeth aungel of light,
but for sothe he is aungel of derknesse./ Swiche preestes been the sones of Helie
as sheweth in the Book of Kynges that they weren the sones of Belial that is
the deuel./ Belial is to seyn withouten iuge, and so faren they. Hem thynketh they
been free and han no iuge namoore than hath a free bole that taketh which
cow that hym liketh in the town./ So faren they by wommen. For right as a
free bole is ynough for al a toun, right so is a wikked preest corrupcioun ynough
for al a parisshe or for al a contree. (900) Thise preestes, as seith the book,
ne konne nat the mysterie of preesthode to the peple ne god ne knowe they
nat. They ne holde hem nat apayd, as seith the book, of soden flessh that was
to hem offred, but they tooke by force the flessh that is rawe./ Certes so thise
shrewes ne holden hem nat apayed of roosted flessh and sode flessh with which
the peple fedden hem in greet reuerence, but they wole haue raw flessh of
folkes wyues and hir doghtres./ And certes thise wommen that consenten to hir
harlotrie doon greet wrong to Crist and to hooly chirche and alle halwes and
to alle soules, for they bireuen alle thise hym that sholde worshipe Crist and
hooly chirche and preye for cristene soules./ And therfore han swiche preestes
and hir lemmanes eek that consenten to hir leccherie the malisoun of al the
court cristiene til they come to amendement./
  The thridde spece of auowtrie is somtyme bitwixe a man and his wyf and
that is whan they take no reward in hir assemblynge but oonly to hire flesshly
delit, as seith seint Ierome, (905) and ne rekken of nothyng but that they been
assembled; by cause that they been maried al is good ynough as thynketh to
hem./ But in swich folk hath the deuel power, as seyde the aungel Raphael
to Thobie, for in hir assemblynge they putten Iesu Crist out of hir herte and
yeuen hemself to alle ordure./
  The fourthe spece is the assemblee of hem that been [f.232] of hir kynrede
or of hem that been of oon affynytee or elles with hem with whiche hir fadres
or hir kynrede han deled in the synne of lecherie. This synne maketh hem lyk
to houndes that taken no kepe to kynrede./ And certes parentele is in two
maneres outher goostly or flesshly; goostly as for to deelen with hise godsibbes./
For right so as he that engendreth a child is his flesshly fader, right so is his
godfader his fader espiritueel for which a womman may in no lasse synne
assemblen with hir godsib than with hir owene flesshly brother.



|p649


  (910) The fifthe spece is thilke abhomynable synne of which that no man
vnnethe oghte speke ne write, nathelees it is openly reherced in holy writ./
This cursednesse doon men and wommen in diuerse entente and in diuerse
manere. But though that hooly writ speke of horrible synne, certes hooly writ
may nat been defouled namoore than the sonne that shyneth on the mixne./
  Another synne aperteneth to leccherie that comčž in slepynge and this synne
cometh ofte to hem that been maydenes and eek to hem that been corrupt.
And this synne men clepen polucioun that comth in iiij maneres: somtyme
of langwissynge of body for the humours been to ranke and habundaunt in
the body of man; somtyme of infermetee for the fieblesse of the vertu retentif,
as phisik maketh mencion; somtyme for surfeet of mete and drynke;/ and
somtyme of vileyns thoghtes that been enclosed in mannes mynde whan he
gooth to slepe which may nat been withoute synne, for which men moste kepen
hem wisely or elles may men synnen ful greuously./

Remedium contra peccatum luxurie
(915) Now comth the remedie agayns leccherie and that is generally chastitee
and continence that restreyneth alle the desordeynee moeuynges that comen of
flesshly talentes./ And euere the gretter merite shal he han that moost
restreyneth the wikkede eschawfynges of the ordure of this synne. And this is
in two maneres, that is to seyn chastitee in mariage and chastitee of widwehode./
Now shaltow vnderstonde that matrimoyne is leefful assemblynge of man and
of womman that receyuen by vertu of the sacrement the boond thurgh which
they may nat be departed in al hir lyf that is to seyn whil that they lyuen
bothe./ This, as seith the book, is a ful greet sacrement. God maked it, as I
haue seyd, in paradys and wolde hymself be born in mariage./ And for to
halwen mariage he was at a weddynge where as he turned water into wyn
which was the firste miracle that he wroghte in erthe biforn hise disciples. (920)
Trewe effect of mariage clenseth fornicacioun and replenysseth hooly chirche
of good lynage, for that is the ende of mariage. And it chaungeth deedly
synne into venial synne bitwixe hem that been ywedded and maketh the hertes
al oon of hem that been ywedded as wel as the bodies./
  This is verray mariage that was establissed by god er that synne bigan whan
natureel lawe was in his right poynt in paradys and it was ordeyned that o
man sholde haue but o womman and o womman but o man, as seith seint



|p650


Augustyn by manye resouns./ First for mariage is figured bitwixe Crist and
holy chirche. And that oother is [f.232v] for a man is heued of a womman,
algate by ordinaunce it sholde be so./ For if a womman hadde mo men than
oon, thanne sholde she haue moo heuedes than oon and that were an horrible
thyng biforn god. And eek a womman ne myghte nat plese to many folk at
oones. And also ther ne sholde neuere be pees ne reste amonges hem, for
euerich wolde axen his owene thyng./ And fortherouer no man ne sholde
knowe his owene engendrure ne who sholde haue his heritage, and the
womman sholde been the lasse biloued fro the tyme that she were conioynt
to many men.
  (925) Now comth how that a man sholde bere hym with his wif and namely
in two thynges, that is to seyn in suffraunce and reuerence as shewed Crist
whan he made first womman./ For he ne made hir nat of the heued of Adam
for she sholde nat clayme to greet lordshipe./ For ther as the womman hath
the maistrie she maketh to muche desray. Ther neden none ensamples of this,
the experience of day by day oghte suffise./ Also certes god ne made nat
womman of the foot of Adam for she ne sholde nat been holden to lowe, for
she kan nat paciently suffre. But god made womman of the ryb of Adam for
womman sholde be felawe vnto man./ Man sholde bere hym to his wyf in
feith, in trouthe and in loue, as seith seint Paul, that a man sholde louen
his wyf as Crist loued hooly chirche, that loued it so wel that he deyde
for it. So sholde a man for his wyf if it were nede.
  (930) Now how that a womman sholde be subget to hir housbonde, that
telleth seint Peter. First in obedience./ And eek as seith the decree a womman
that is wyf as longe as she is a wyf she hath noon auctoritee to swere ne
bere witnesse withoute leue of hir housbonde that is hir lord, algate he sholde
be so by resoun./ She sholde eek seruen hym in alle honestee and been
attempree of hir array. I woot wel that they sholde setten hir entente to plesen
hir housbondes, but nat by hir queyntise of array./ Seint Ierome seith that
wyues that been apparailled in silk and in precious purpre ne mowe nat clothen
hem in Iesu Crist. What seith seint Iohn eek in thys matere?/ Seint Gregorie
eek seith that no wight seketh precious array but oonly for veyne glorie to



|p651


been honoured the moore biforn the peple. (935) It is a greet folye a womman
to haue a fair array outward and in hirself foul inward./ A wyf sholde eek
be mesurable in lookynge and in berynge and in lawghynge and discreet in
alle hir wordes and hir dedes./ And abouen alle worldly thyng she sholde
louen hir housbonde with al hir herte and to hym be trewe of hir body./ So
sholde an housbonde eek be to his wyf For sith that al the body is the
housbondes, so sholde hir herte been or elles ther is bitwixe hem two as in that
no parfit mariage./ Thanne shal men vnderstonde that for thre thynges a
man and his wyf flesshly mowen assemble. The firste is in entente of engendrure
of children to the seruice ofgod, for certes that is the cause final of matrimoyne.
(940) Another cause is to yelden euerich of hem to oother the dette of hir
bodies, for neither of hem hath power ouer his owene body. The thridde is
for to eschewe leccherye and vileynye. The ferthe is for sothe deedly synne./
As to the [f.233] firste it is meritorie; the seconde also, for as seith the decree
that she hath merite of chastitee that yeldeth to hir housbonde the dette of
hir body, ye though it be agayn hir likynge and the lust of hir herte./ The
thridde manere is venyal synne and trewely scarsly may ther any thise be
withoute venial synne for the corrupcion and for the delit./ The fourthe manere
is for to vnderstonde if they assemble oonly for amorous loue and for noon of
the forseyde causes but for to accomplice thilke brennynge delit, they rekke
neuere how ofte, soothly it is deedly synne, and yet with sorwe somme folk
wol peynen hem moore to doon than to hir appetit suffiseth./
  The seconde manere of chastitee is for to been a clene wydewe and eschue
the embracynges of man and desiren the embracynge of Iesu Crist. (945)
Thise been tho that han been wyues and han forgoon hir housbondes and
eek wommen that han doon leccherie and been releeued by penitence./ And
certes if that a wyf koude kepen hir al chaast by licence of hir housbonde so
that she yeue neuere noon occasion that he agilte, it were to hir a greet merite./
Thise manere wommen that obseruen chastitee in clothynge and in conten_aunce, 
and been abstinent in etynge and drynkynge, in spekynge and in dede,
they been the vessel or the boyste of the blissed Magdalene that fulfilleth hooly
chirche of good odour./ The thridde manere of chastitee is virginitee and it
bihoueth that she be hooly in herte and clene of body. Thanne is she spouse
to Iesu Crist and she is the lyf of angeles./ She is the preisynge of this world
and she is as thise martirs in egalitee. She hath in hir that tonge may nat telle



|p652


ne herte thynke. (950) Virginitee baar oure lord Iesu Crist and virgine was
hymselue./
  Another remedie agayns leccherie is specially to withdrawen swiche thynges
as yeue occasion to thilke vileynye, as ese, etynge and drynkynge. For certes
whan the pot boyleth strongly, the beste remedie is to withdrawe the fyr./
Slepynge longe in greet quiete is eek a greet norice to leccherie./
  Another remedie agayns leccherie is that a man or a womman eschue the
compaignye of hem by whiche he douteth to be tempted. For al be it so that
the dede is withstonden, yet is ther greet temptacioun./ Soothly a whit wal
although it ne brenne noght fully by stikynge of a candele, yet is the wal blak
of the leyt. (955) Ful ofte tyme I rede that no man truste in his owene par_eccioun 
but he be stronger than Sampson and hoolier than Danyel and wiser
that Salomon./
  Now after that I haue declared yow as I kan the seuene deedly synnes and
somme of hir braunches and hir remedies, soothly if I koude I wolde telle
yow the ten comandementz./ But so heigh a doctrine I lete to diuines. Nathelees
I hope to god they been touched in this tretice euerich of hem alle./

Sequitur secunda pars penitencie
Now for as muche as the seconde partie of penitence stant in confessioun of
mouth as I bigan in the firste chapitre, I seye seint Augustyn seith:/ Synne
is euery word and euery dede and al that men coueiten agayn the lawe of
Iesu Crist and this is for to synne in herte, in mouth and in dede by thy fyue
wittes that been sighte, herynge, smellynge, tastynge or sauourynge, and
feelynge. (960) Now is it good to vnderstonde that that agreggeth muchel
[f.233v] euery synne./ Thow shalt considere what thow art that doost the synne,
wheither thou be male or female, yong or oold, gentil or thral, free or seruant,
hool or syk, wedded or sengle, ordred or vnordred, wys or fool, clerk or
seculeer;/ if she be of thy kynrede, bodily or goostly or noon; if any of thy
kynrede haue synned with hir or noon; and manye mo thinges./
  Another circumstaunce is this wheither it be doon in fornicacioun or in
auowtrie or noon; incest or noon; mayden or noon; in manere of homicide
or noon; horrible grete synnes or smale; and how longe thou hast continued
in synne./ The thridde circumstaunce is the place ther thou hast do synne,
wheither in oother mennes hous or in thyn owene; in feeld or in chirche or in
chirchehawe; in chirche dedicaat or noon. (965) For if the chirche be halwed
and man or womman spille his kynde inwith that place by wey of synne or by
wikked temptacioun the chirche is entredited/ and the preest that dide swich a



|p653


vileynye. To terme of al his lif he sholde namoore synge masse, and if he dide
he sholde doon deedly synne at euery tyme that he so songe masse./ The fourthe
circumstaunce is by whiche mediatours or by whiche messagers as for
enticement or for consentement to bere compaignye with felaweshipe, for many
a wrecche for to bere compaignye shal go to the deuel of helle./ Wherfore
they that eggen or consenten to the synne been parteners of the synne and of
the temptacioun of the synner./
  The fifthe circumstaunce is how manye tymes that he hath synned if it be
in his mynde and how ofte that he hath falle. (970) For he that ofte falleth
in synne he despiseth the mercy of god and encreesseth hys synne and is
vnkynde to Crist, and he wexeth the moore fieble to withstonde synne and
synneth the moore lightly,/ and the latter ariseth and is the moore eschew for
to shryuen hym namely to hym that is his confessour./ For which that folk
whan they falle agayn in hir olde folies outher they forleten hir olde confessours
al outrely or elles they departen hir shrift in diuerse places. But soothly swich
departed shrift deserueth no mercy of god of hise synnes./ The sixte circum_staunce 
is why that a man synneth, as by temptacioun and if hymself procure
thilke temptacioun, or by the excitynge of oother folk; or if he synne with a
womman by force or by hir owene assent;/ or if the womman maugree hir
hed hath been afforced or noon: this shal she telle; for coueitise or for pouerte
and if it was hir procurynge or noon; and swich manere harneys. (975) The
seuenthe circumstaunce is in what manere he hath doon his synne or how
that she hath suffred that folk han doon to hir./ And the same shal the man
telle pleynly with alle circumstaunces, and wheither he hath synned with
comune bordel wommen or noon;/ or doon his synne in hooly tymes or noon;
in fastyng tymes or noon; or biforn his shrifte or after his latter shrifte;/ and
hath parauenture broken therfore his penance enioyned; by whos help and
whos conseil; by sorcerie or craft; al moste be toold./ Alle thise thynges after
that they been grete or smale engreggen the conscience of man. And eek the
preest that is thy iuge may the bettre been auysed of his iuggement in yeuynge
of thy penaunce and that is after thy contricioun. (980) For vnderstond wel
that after tyme that a man hath defouled his baptesme by synne, if he wole
come to [f.234] saluacioun ther is noon oother wey but by penitence and shrifte
and satisfaccioun:/ and namely by the two if ther be a confessour to which
he may shriuen hym, and the thridde if he haue lyf to parfournen it./
  Thanne shal man looke and considere that if he wole maken a trewe and
a profitable confessioun ther moste be iiij condiciouns./ First it moot been in



|p654


sorweful bitternesse of herte, as seyde the kyng Ezechias to god: I wol remembre
me alle the yeres of my lif in bitternesse of myn herte./ This condicioun of
bitternesse hath fyue signes. The firste is that confessioun moste be shamefast
nat for to couere ne hyden his synne for he hath agilt his god and defouled
his soule. (985) And therof seith seint Augustyn: The herte trauailleth for shame
of his synne, and for he hath greet shamefastnesse he is digne to haue greet
mercy of god./ Swich was the confessioun of the puplican that wolde nat heuen
vp hise eyen to heuene for he hadde offended god of heuene. For which shame_fastnesse 
he hadde anon the mercy of god./ And therof seith seint Augustyn
that swich shamefast folk been next foryeuenesse and remissioun./ Another
signe is humylitee in confession, of which seith seint Peter: Humbleth yow vnder
the myght of god. The hond of god is myghty in confessioun for therby god
foryeueth thee thy synnes for he allone hath the power./ And this humylitee
shal been in herte and in signe outward, for right as he hath humylitee to god
in his herte right so sholde he humble his body outward to the preest that sit
in goddes place. (990) For which in no manere sith that Crist is souereyn and
the preest meene and mediatour bitwixe Crist and the synner and the synnere
is the laste by wey of resoun,/ thanne sholde nat the synner sitte as heighe as
his confessour but knele biforn hym or at his feet but if maladie destourbe it.
For he shal nat taken kepe who sit there but in whos place that he sitteth./
A man that hath trespased to a lord and comth for to axe mercy and maken
his accord and set him doun anon by the lord, men wolde holden hym out_rageous 
and nat worthy so soone for to haue remissioun ne mercy./ The thridde
signe is how that thy shrift sholde be ful of teeris if man may, and if man may
nat wepe with hise bodily eyen lat hym wepe in herte./ Swich was the confession
of seint Peter for after that he hadde forsake Iesu Crist he wente out and weep
ful bitterly. (995) The fourthe signe is that he ne lette nat for shame to shewen
his confessioun./ Swich was the confessioun of the Magdalene that ne spared
for no shame of hem that weren atte feeste for to go to oure lord Iesu Crist
and biknowe to hym hir synnes./ The fifthe signe is that a man or a womman
be obeisant to receyuen the penaunce that hym is enioyned for hise synnes,
for certes Iesu Crist for the giltes of a man was obedient to the deeth./
  The seconde condicioun of verray confession is that it be hastily doon. For
certes if a man hadde a deedly wounde, euere the lenger that he taried to



|p655


warisshe hymself the moore wolde it corrupte and haste hym to his deeth;
and eek the wounde wolde be the wors for to heele./ And right so fareth synne
that longe tyme is in a man vnshewed. (1000) Certes a man oghte hastily
shewen hise synnes for manye causes, as for drede of deeth that cometh ofte
sodeynly and no certeyn what tyme it shal be ne in what place; and eek the
drecchynge of o synne draweč in another;/ and eek the lenger that he tarieth,
the ferther he is fro Crist. [f.234v] And if he abide to his laste day scarsly may
he shryuen hym or remembre hym of hise synnes or repenten hym for the
greuous maladie of his deeth./ And for as muche as he ne hath nat in his lyf
herkned Iesu Crist whanne he hath spoken, he shal crie to Iesu Crist at his
laste day and scarsly wol he herkne hym./ And vnderstond that this condicioun
moste han foure thynges. Thi shrift moste be purueyed bifore and auysed, for
wikked haste dooth no profit; and that a man konne shryue hym of hise synnes
be it of pride or of enuye and so forth of the speces and circumstances;/ and
that he haue comprehended in hys mynde the nombre and the greetnesse of
hise synnes and how longe that he hath leyn in synne; (1005) and eek that he
be contrit of hise synnes and in stidefast purpos by the grace of god neuere
eft to falle in synne; and eek that he drede and countrewaite hymself that he
fle the occasiouns of synne to whiche he is enclyned./ Also thou shalt shryue
thee of alle thy synnes to o man and nat a parcel to o man and a parcel to
another; that is to vnderstonde in entente to departe thy confessioun as for
shame or drede, for it nys but stranglynge of thy soule./ For certes Iesu Crist
is entierly al good: in hym nys noon inparfeccioun, and therfore outher he
foryeueth al parfitly or neuer-a-deel./ I seye nat that if thow be assigned to
the penitauncer for certein synne that thow art bounde to shewen hym al the
remenaunt of thy synnes, of whiche thow hast be shryuen to thy curaat, but if
it like to thee of thyn humylitee; this is no departynge of shrifte./ Ne I seye
nat ther as I speke of diuisioun of confessioun that if thou haue licence for
to shryue thee to a discreet and an honeste preest where thee liketh and by
licence of thy curaat that thow ne mayst wel shryue thee to him of alle thy
synnes. (1010) But lat no blotte be bihynde; lat no synne been vntoold as fer
as thow hast remembraunce./ And whan thou shalt be shryuen to thy curaat
telle hym eek alle the synnes that thow hast doon syn thou were last yshryuen -
this is no wikked entente of diuisioun of shrifte./
  Also the verray shrifte axeth certeine condiciouns. First that thow shryue
thee by thy free wil, noght constreyened ne for shame of folk ne for maladie
ne swiche thynges. For it is resoun that he that traspaseth by his free wyl that



|p656


by his free wyl he confesse his trespas;/ and that noon oother man telle his synne
but he hymself; ne he shal nat nayte ne denye his synne, ne wratthe hym agayn
the preest for his amonestynge to leue synne./ The seconde condicioun is that
thy shrift be laweful, that is to seyn that thow that shryuest thee and eek the
preest that hereth thy confessioun been verraily in the feith of hooly chirche;
(1115) and that a man ne be nat despeired of the mercy of Iesu Crist as Caym
or Iudas./ And eek a man moot accusen hymself of his owene trespas and nat
another, but he shal blame and wyten hymself and his owene malice of his
synne and noon oother./ But nathelees if that another man be occasioun or
enticer of his synne or the estaat of a persone be swich thurgh which his synne
is agregged or elles that he may nat pleynly shryuen hym but he telle the
persone with which he hath synned, thanne may he telle/ so that his entente
ne be nat to bakbite the persone but oonly to declaren his confessioun./
  Thou ne shalt nat eek make no lesynges in thy confessioun for humylitee,
parauenture to seyn that thou hast doon synnes of whiche that thow were
neuere gilty. (1020) For seint Augustyn seith: If thou [f.235] by cause of thyn
humylitee makest lesynges on thyself though thow ne were nat in synne biforn,
yet artow thanne in synne thurgh thy lesynges./ Thou most eek shewe thy synne
by thyn owene propre mouth but thow be woxe dowmb and nat by no lettre,
for thow that hast doon the synne thou shalt haue the shame therfore./ Thow
shalt nat eek peynte thy confessioun by faire, subtile wordes to couere the moore
thy synne, for thanne bigilestow thyself and nat the preest. Thow most tellen
it pleynly be it neuer so foul ne so horrible./ Thow shalt eek shryue thee to
a preest that is discreet to conseille thee, and eek thou shalt nat shryue thee
for veyne glorie ne for ypocriesye ne for no cause but oonly for the doute of
Iesu Crist and the heele of thy soule./ Thow shalt nat eek renne to the preest
sodeynly to tellen hym lightly thy synne as whoso telleth a iape or a tale, but
auysely and with greet deuocioun. (1025) And generally shryue thee ofte. If
thou ofte falle, ofte thou arise by confessioun./ And though thou shryue thee
ofter than ones of synne of which thou hast be shryuen, it is the moore merite.
And as seith seint Augustyn thow shalt haue the moore lightly relessyng and
grace of god bothe of synne and of peyne./ And certes oones a yeere atte leeste
wey it is laweful for to been housled, for certes oones a yeere alle thynges
renouellen./
  Now haue I toold yow of verray confessioun that is the seconde partie of
penitence./



|p657


Explicit secunda pars penitencie. Et sequitur tercia pars eiudem.
The thridde partie of penitence is satisfaccioun and that stant moost generally
in almesse and in bodily peyne. (1030) Now been ther thre manere of almesses:
contricion of herte where a man offreth hymself to god; another is to han pitee
of defaute of hise neighebores; and the thridde is in yeuynge of good conseil
goostly and bodily where men han nede and namely in sustenaunce of mannes
foode./ And tak kep that a man hath nede of thise thinges generally: he hath
nede of foode, he hath nede of clothyng and herberwe, he hath nede of
charitable conseil and visitynge in prisone and in maladie, and sepulture of his
dede body./ And if thow mayst nat visite the nedeful with thy persone, visite
hym by thy message and by thy yiftes./ Thise been generally almesses or werkes
of charitee of hem that han temporeel richesses or discrecioun in conseilynge.
Of thise werkes shaltow heren at the day of doome./
  Thise almesses shaltow doon of thyne owene propre thynges and hastily and
priuely if thow mayst. (1035) But nathelees if thow mayst nat doon it priuely
thow shalt nat forbere to doon almesse though men seen it so that it be nat
doon for thank of the world but oonly for thank of Iesu Crist./ For as witnesseth
seint Mathew caų 5ų: A citee may nat been hyd that is set on a montayne, ne
men lighte nat a lanterne and put it vnder a busshel but men sette it on a
candel-stikke to yeue light to the men in the hous./ Right so shal youre light
lighten bifore men that they may seen youre goode werkes and glorifie youre
fader that is in heuene./
  Now as to speken of bodily peyne it stant in preyeres, in [f.235v] wakynges,
in fastynges, in vertuouse techynges of orisons./ And ye shul vnderstonde that
orisouns or preyeres is for to seyn a pitous wyl of herte that redresseth it in god
and expresseth it by word outward to remoeuen harmes and to han thynges
espiritueel and durable and somtyme temporele thynges; of whiche orisouns
certes in the orison of the Pater Noster hath Iesu Crist enclosed moost thynges.
(1040) Certes it is priuyleged of thre thynges in his dignytee for which it is
moore digne than any oother preyere, for that Iesu Crist hymself maked it,/
and it is short for it sholde be koud the moore lightly and for to withholden
it the moore esily in herte and helpen hymself the ofter with the orisoun;/
and for a man sholde be the lasse wery to seyen it and for a man may nat
excusen hym to lerne it, it is so short and so esy; and for it comprehendeth in
itself alle goode preyeres./ The exposicioun of this hooly preyere that is so



|p658


excellent and digne I bitake to thise maistres of theologie, saue thus muchel
wol I seyn: that whan thow prayest that god sholde foryeue thee thy giltes as
thow foryeuest hem that agilten to thee, be ful wel war that thow ne be nat
out of charitee./ This hooly orison amenuseth eek venyal synne and therfore it
aperteneth specially to penitence.
  (1045) This preyere moste be trewely seyd and in verray feith and that men
preye to god ordinatly and discreetly and deuoutly; and alwey a man shal
putten his wyl to be subget to the wille of god./ This orisoun moste eek been
seyd with greet humblesse and ful pure honestly, and nat to the anoyaunce of
any man or womman. It moste eek been continued with the werkes of charitee./
It auayleth eek agayn the vices of the soule, for as seith seint Ierome: By fastynge
been saued the vices of the flessh and by preyere the vertues of the soule./
  After this thou shalt vnderstonde that bodily peyne stant in wakynge, for
Iesu Crist seith: Waketh and preyeth that ye ne entre in wikked temptacioun./
Ye shul vnderstanden also that fastynge stant in thre thynges: in forberynge of
bodily mete and drynke and in forberynge of worldly iolitee and in forberynge
of deedly synne, this is to seyn that a man shal kepen hym fro deedly synne with
al his myght.
  (1050) And thou shalt vnderstanden eek that god ordeyned fastynge, and to
fastynge apertenen iiij thinges:/ largenesse to poure folk; gladnesse of herte
espiritueel, nat to been angry ne anoyed ne grucche for he fasteth; and also
resonable houre for to ete by mesure; that is for to seyn a man shal nat ete
in vntyme ne sitte the lenger at his table to ete for he fasteth./
  Thanne shaltow vnderstonde that bodily peyne stant in disciplyne or
techynge by word and by writynge or in ensample; also in werynge of heyres
or of stamyn or of haubergeons on hir naked flessh for Cristes sake and swiche
manere penances./ But war thee wel that swiche manere penaunces on thy
flessh ne make thee nat or angry or anoyed of thyself, for bettre is to caste
awey thyn heyre than for to caste awey the sikernesse of Iesu Crist./ And therfore
seith seint Paul: Clothe yow, as they that been chosen of god, in herte of miseri_corde, 
debonairetee, suffraunce and swich manere of clothynge; of which Iesu
Crist is moore apayed than of heyres or haubergeouns or hauberkes. [f.236]
  (1055) Thanne is discipline eek in knokkynge of thy brest, in scourgynge
with yerdes, in knelynges, in tribulacions,/ in suffrynge paciently wronges that



|p659


been doon to thee and eek in pacient suffraunce of maladies or lesynge of
worldly catel or of wyf or of child or othere freendes./
  Thanne shaltow vnderstonde whiche thynges destourben penaunce, and this
is in iiij maneres, that is drede, shame, hope and wanhope, that is desperacion./
And for to speke first of drede, for which he demeth that he may suffre no
penaunce./ Theragayns is remedie for to thynke that bodily penaunce is but
short and litel at regard of the peynes of helle, that is so crueel and so long
that it lasteth withouten ende.
  (1060) Now again the shame that a man hath to shryuen hym and namely
thise ypocrites that wolden been holden so parfite that they han no nede to
shryuen hem,/ agayns that shame sholde a man thynke that by wey of resoun
that he that hath nat been shamed to doon foule thinges certes hym oghte nat
been ashamed to do faire thynges, and that is confessiouns./ A man sholde eek
thynke that god seeth and woot alle hise thoghtes and alle hise werkes; to hym
may nothyng been hyd ne couered./ Men sholden eek remembren hem of the
shame that is to come at the day of doome to hem that been nat penitent
and shryuen in this present lyf/ For alle the creatures in erthe and in helle
shullen seen apertly al that they hyden in this world.
  (1065) Now for to speken of hope of hem that been necligent and slowe
to shryuen hem, that stant in two maneres./ That oon is that he hopeth for
to lyue longe and for to purchacen muche richesse for his delit and thanne he
wol shryuen hym; and as he seith hym semeth thanne tymely ynough to come
to shrifte./ Another is surquidrie that he hath in Cristes mercy./ Agayns the
firste vice he shal thynke that oure lif is in no sikernesse and eek that alle the
richesses in this world ben in auenture and passen as a shadwe on the wal./
And as seith seint Gregorie that it aperteneth to the grete rightwisnesse of god
that neuere shal the peyne stynte of hem that neuere wolde withdrawen hem
fro synne hir thankes but ay continue in synne. For thilke perpetueel wil to do
synne shul they han perpetueel peyne.
  (1070) Wanhope is in two maneres: the firste wanhope is in the mercy of
Crist; that oother is that they thynken that they ne myghte nat longe perseuere
in goodnesse./ The firste wanhope comth of that he demeth that he hath synned
so greetly and so ofte and so longe leyn in synne that he shal nat be saued./
Certes agayns that cursed wanhope sholde he thynke that the passion of Iesu
Crist is moore strong for to vnbynde than synne is strong for to bynde./ Agayns
the seconde wanhope he shal thynke that as ofte as he falleth he may arise
agayn by penitence. And though he neuer so longe haue leyn in synne the mercy
of Crist is alwey redy to receiuen hym to mercy./ Agayns the wanhope that he
demeth that he sholde nat longe perseuere in goodnesse, he shal thynke that
the feblesse of the deuel may nothyng doon but if men wol suffren hym. (1075)



|p660


And eek he shal han strengthe of the help of god and of al hooly chirche and
of the proteccioun of aungels if hym list./
  Thanne shal men vnder[f.236v]stonde what is the fruyt of penaunce, and
after the word of Iesu Crist it is the endelees blisse of heuene/ ther ioye hath
no contrarioustee of wo ne greuaunce; ther alle harmes been passed of this
present lyf; ther as is the sikernesse fro the peyne of helle; ther as is the blisful
compaignye that reioysen hem eueremo, euerich of otheres ioye;/ ther as the
body of man that whilom was foul and derk is moore cleer than the sonne;
ther as the body that whilom was syk, freele and fieble and mortal is inmortal,
and so strong and so hool that ther may nothyng apeyren it;/ ther as ne is neither
hunger, thurst ne coold, but euery soule replenyssed with the sighte of the
parfit knowynge of god (1080) This blisful regne may men purchace by pouerte
espiritueel and the glorie by lowenesse, the plentee of ioye by hunger and thurst,
and the reste by trauaille, and the lyf by mortificacion of synne./