Þou shalt not slee/ neiþir in malice wiþ prisounyng/ neiþir in [folio 92a] worde wiþ bakbiting. neiþir wiþ dede. in vnlawful sched- -yng out of blood/
Of þe firste spekiþ seint Ion & seiþ. I. Icn. iiio. 'Qui odit fratrem suum homicida est' [Vulg. 1 Joh. iii. 15.] / He þat hatiþ his broþer.̉ is a manslear [W. V. 'Ech man that haatith his brother is a manqueller.' 1388, 'Ech man that hatith his brother, is a man sleere.'] ‖ Summe haten synne in man.̉ & þis is a perfite hate/ Ps. cxviii. 'Perfecto odio oderam illos &c' [Vulg. Ps. cxxxviii. 22.] ‖ Summe haten vertu in man.̉ & þey ben mensleers/ for who þat seiþ he loueþ his God.̉ & hatiþ þus his broþir/ he is a lieer.̉ & þer is no trouþe in him ‖
Of þe secounde spekiþ þe prophete & seiþ. Ps. xiii. 'Quorum os maledictione &c' [Vulg. Ps. xiii. 3.] ‖ Þe mouþe of bakbiters.̉ is ful of cursidnes & bittirnes/ & her feet ben swift.̉ to scheed out blood [W. V. 'Whos mouth of cursing and bitterness is ful; swifte the feet of hem to sheden out blod.' 1388, 'Whos mouth is ful of cursyng and bittirnesse; her feet ben swift to schede out blood.'] / for seint Bernard seiþ. Þe bakbiter & þe wilful heerer.̉ eiþir of hem [MS. of he.] beriþ þe deuel in her tung/ And þis bakbiter sleeþ þre at a strok. þat is to seie. his owene soule. his wilful heerar.̉ & him þat þei falsli sclaundren ‖
Of þe þridde it is writen. Ge. iiiio. [Vulg. Gen. iv. 8-12.] Hou þat cursid Caym. slouȝ his innocent broþir Abel.̉ & hou his blood cried to God from þe erþe/ for seint Ion seiþ. Apoc. vio. 'Vidi subtus altare [folio 92b] animas interfectorum propter verbum dei & propter testimonium quod habebant. Et clamabant voce magna dicentes/ vsquequo domine sanctus & verus non iudicas & vindicas sanguinem nostrum de hijs qui habitant in terra' [Vulg. Apoc. vi. 9.] / Seynt Ion seiþ. I sawȝ vndir þe auter þe soules of hem þat weren slayn for þe word of God.̉ & witnesse þat þei hadden/ & þei crieden wiþ a greet vois seiyng/ holi Lord & trewe.̉ til whanne schalt þou abide/ or þou wilt iugge and venge oure blod on hem þat dwellen in erþe/ And it is seide vnto hem.̉ þat þei schulden be stille/ ȝit a litil while.̉ til her felowis be comen/ & her briþeren þat ben to be slayn.̉ as þei ben hem silf [W. V. 'I siȝe undir an auter the soules of men sleyn for the word of God, and for witnessing that thei hadden. And thei crieden with greet voys, seiynge, Hou longe, Lord, holy and trewe, demyst thou not, and vengist our blood of thes that dwellen in erthe? and it is seid to hem, that thei shulden reste ȝit a litil tyme, til the euen seruauntes of hem be fulfilled, and the britheren of hem, that ben to be slayn, as and thei.' 1388, 'Y say undur the auter the soulis of men slayn for the word of God, and for the witnessing that thei hadden. And thei crieden with a greet vois, and seiden, How long thou, Lord, that art hooli and trewe, demest not, and vengest not oure blood of these that dwellen in the erthe? and it was seide to hem, that thei schulden reste ȝit a litil tyme, til the noumbre of her felowis and of her britheren ben fulfillid, that ben to be slayn as also thei.'] ‖ vndirstonde þat God forfendiþ.̉ al vnlawful