The Ellesmere ms of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall.

¶ Sequitur de Luxuria .

[836]

After Glotonye / thanne comth lecherie. for thise two synnes / been so ny cosyns. that ofte tyme / they wol nat departe. [837] god woot this synne is ful displesant thyng to god. ffor he seyde hym self/ do no lecherie. and therfore / he putte grete peynes agayns this synne / in the olde lawe [838] ¶ If wom|man [¶ Of diuerse Iuyses / to diuerse wommen of estaat/ for the synne of lecherye] 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 bisshoppes doghter/ she sholde been brent by goddes comandement [839] ¶ fforther ouer/ by the [¶ How for the synne of lecherie al the world was dreynt/ And .v. Citees brent & sonken] synne of lecherie / god dreynte al the world / at the

[6-text p 661] diluge. And after that he brente .v. Citees with thonder leyt and sank hem in to helle

[840] Now lat vs speke thanne / of thilke stynkynge [¶ Of the synne of Auowtrie] synne of lecherie that men clepe Auowtrie. of wedded folk /. that is to seyn. if that oon of hem be wedded. or elles bothe [841] ¶ Seint Iohn seith that Auowtiers [¶ Nota secun|dum Iohannem] shullen been in helle / in a stank brennynge of fyr and of Brymston . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] for the stynk of hire ordure /. [842] Certes / the brekynge of this sacrement is an horrible thyng/. it was maked of god hym self in paradys and confermed by Ihesu crist as witnesseth seint Mathew in the gospel. A man shal lete [¶ Mathei. 19^o.] fader and mooder/ and taken hym to his wif/ And they shullen be two in o flessh [843] ¶ This sacrement bitok|neth the knyttynge togidre / of Crist and of hooly chirche. [844] 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 [¶ Sanctus Augustinus] lecherie ¶ Lo what seith seint Mathew in the gospel. that [¶ Mathei .v.^to] who so seeth a womman to coueitise of his lust /. he hath doon lecherie / with hire in his herte. [846] Heere may ye seen / that nat oonly. the dede of this synne is forboden. but eek the desir / to doon that synne / [847] This cursed synne anoyeth greuousliche hem that it haunten ¶ And first to hire soule. for he obligeth it to synne and to peyne of deeth that is perdurable ‖. [848] vn-to 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 substance. [849] And certes if it be a foul thyng / a man to waste [¶ Nota] his catel on wommen. yet is it a fouler thyng/. whan that for swich ordure. wommen dispenden vp-on men hir catel and substance [850] ¶ This synne as seith the prophete [¶ propheta] bireueth man and womman hir goode fame. and al hire honour. and it is ful plesant to the deuel. for ther-by

[6-text p 662] wynneth he. the mooste partie of this world ‖. [851] And right as a Marchant/ deliteth hym moost in [folio 230b] chaffare / that he hath moost auantage of // right so deliteth the fend in this ordure.

[852] this is that oother hand of the deuel / with .v. [¶ Of .v. fyngres of the deueles hande] fyngres to cacche the peple to his vileynye [853] ¶ The firste fynger / is the fool lookynge of the fool womman. [¶ The firste fyngre] 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 [854] ¶ The seconde fynger / is the vileyns touchynge in wikkede [¶ The .ij.^de fynger] manere. And ther-fore seith Salomon. / That who so [¶ Salomon] toucheth and handleth a womman. he fareth lyk hym that handleth the Scorpion þat styngeth and sodeynly sleeth / thurgh his enuenymynge. as who so toucheth warm pych. it shent hise fyngres [855] ¶ The thridde. is [¶ The .iij.^de fynger] foule wordes. that fareth lyk fyr. that right anon / brenneth the herte [856] ¶ The fourthe fynger / is the [¶ The .iiij.^e fynger] kissynge. and trewely / he were a greet fool that wolde kisse the mouth of a brennynge Ouene / or of a fourneys. [857] And moore fooles been they that kissen in vileynye. for that mouth / is the mouth of helle. and namely thise olde dotardes holours. yet wol they kisse / though [¶ How thise olde lecchours / been likned to houndes] they may nat do and smatre hem [858] Certes / they been lyk to houndes. for an hound / whan he comth by the Roser / or by othere beautees. though he may nat pisse. yet wole he heue vp his leg / and make a con|tenance to pisse [859] And for that many man weneth. [¶ Nota] 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 hym self/ with his owene knyf / and make hym seluen 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 [861] ¶ Man sholde louen his wyf/ by discrecion [¶ How a man sholde louen his wyf] paciently and atemprely. and thanne is she. as though it

[6-text p 663] were his suster [862] ¶ The fifthe fynger of the deueles [¶ The v^e fynger of the deueles hande] hand is the stynkynge dede of leccherie [863] ¶ 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 throwen hym in to the fourneys of helle. [864] ther as they shul han the fyr and the wormes that euere shul lasten. and wepynge and wailynge / sharpe hunger and thurst. and grymnesse of deueles / that shullen al to-trede hem with-outen respit and with|outen ende [865] ¶ Of leccherie / as I seyde / sourden [¶ Of diuerse speces of leccherie] diuerse speces ¶ As ffornicacion / that is bitwixe man and womman / that been nat maried. and this is deedly synne and agayns nature. [866] Al that is enemy and destruccion to nature. is agayns nature [867] Parfay / the reson of a man / telleth eek hym wel / that it is deedly synne. for as muche. as god forbad leccherie. And seint Paul yeueþ hem the regne that nys dewe to no wight. but to hem that doon deedly synne [868] ANother synne [¶ Of the synne. to bireue. a mayden / of hir maydenhede] of leccherie. is to bireue a mayden of hir maydenhede. for he that so dooth. / certes / he casteth a mayden / out of the hyeste degree that is in this present lif. [869] and bireueþ hire thilke precious fruyt that the book clepeth the hundred fruyt I ne kan seye it noon oother weyes 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 som tyme is cause of alle damages that beestes don in the feeld. that breketh the hegge or the closure. thurgh which he [folio 231a] destroyeth. that may nat been restoored. [871] ¶ ffor certes / namoore may maydenhede be re|stoored. than an Arm that is smyten fro the body may retourne agayn to wexe. / [872] She may haue mercy this woot I wel. if she do penitence. but neuere shal it be / that she nas corrupt [873] ¶ And 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

[6-text p 664] synne [874] Auowtrie in latyn is for to seyn. Approchynge [¶ What Auowtrie is / . And of diuerse perils þat longen to Auowtrie] 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 ¶ ffirst brekynge of feith. and certes. in feith is the keye of Cristendom. [876] and whan that feith is broken and lorn. soothly Cristendom stant veyn and with-outen fruyt [877] ¶ This synne is eek a [¶ How in Auowtrie is com|prehended thefte] thefte. for thefte generally is for to reue a wight his thyng agayns his wille [878] ¶ 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 hire ./ and steleth hir soule fro Crist / and yeueth it to the deuel. [879] 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 [¶ Sanctus Paulus] of this thefte douted gretly Ioseph. whan that his lordes [¶ Nota de Iosepho] 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 no thyng of hise thynges is out of my power/ but oonly / ye that been his wyf. [881] 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 y-founde [882] ¶ The thridde harm. is the filthe / thurgh which they breken the comandement of god. and defoulen the Actour of matrimoyne þat is Crist/. [883] ffor 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 man kynde to the seruice of god. [884] and therfore. is the brekynge moore greuous. of which brekynge comen false heires ofte tyme that wrongfully ocupien folkes heritages. And therfore / wol Crist putte

[6-text p 665] 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 hire owene kynrede. and namely / thilke harlottes that haunten bordels of thise fool wommen. that mowe be likned to a commune gonge where as men purgen hire ordure [886] ¶ What seye we eek of Putours þat lyuen by the horrible synne of putrie. [¶ Of putours that lyuen / by the puterye of wommen] and constreyne wommen to yelden to hem a certeyn rente of hire bodily puterie. ye somtyme of his owene wyf/ or his child. as doon this bawdes / certes / thise been cursede synnes [887] ¶ Vnderstoond eek / that Auowtrie is set gladly in the ten comandementz bitwixe thefte and man|slaughtre. for it is / the gretteste thefte that may be. for it is thefte of body and of soule. [888] and it is lyk 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. [889] but nathelees by the lawe of Ihesu crist that is lawe of pitee. whan he seyde to the [folio 231b] 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 Ihesu crist and haue na|moore wyl to synne. or wille namoore to do synne ‖ [890] Soothly / the vengeance of Auowtrie is awarded to the peynes of helle but if so be / that it be destourbed by penitence [891] Yet been ther mo speces of this cursed synne. as whan that oon of hem is religious. or elles bothe. [¶ Of Religious and ordred folk/ that vsen leccherye] or of folk / that been entred in-to ordre. as subdekne or preest or hospitaliers. and euere the hyer that he is in ordre. the gretter is the synne [892] ¶ The thynges that gretly agreggen hire synne. is the brekynge of hire Auow of chastitee. whan they receyued the ordre ‖. [893] And forther ouer sooth is that hooly ordre. is chief of al the tresorie of god. and his especial signe and mark of chastitee. to shewe that they been ioyned to chastitee which that is moost precious lyf that is /. [894] And thise ordred folk been specially titled to god / and of the

[6-text p 666] 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 ‖. . . . . [no gap in the MS.] [895] Preestes been Aungeles. as by the dignitee of hir mysterye /. but for sothe / seint Paul [¶ Sanctus Paulus] seith /. that Sathanas transformeth hym in an Aungel of light. / [896] 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 [897] ¶ swiche preestes been the sones of [[first Belie]] Helie. as sheweth in the book of Kynges. that they weren the [¶ In libro Regum] sones of Belial. that is the deuel ‖. [898] Belial is to seyn / with-outen 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. [899] so faren they by wommen. / ffor right as a free bole. is ynough for al a toun. right so is a wikked preest corrupcion 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 [901] ¶ 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. / [902] And certes / thise [¶ Notate & cauete] wommen that consenten to hire 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 ‖. [903] And therfore han swiche preestes and hire lemmanes eek that consenten to hir leccherie the malison of al the court cristiene. til they come to amendement

[6-text p 667] [904] The thridde spece of Auowtrie / is som tyme bitwixe [¶ Of Auowtrie / bitwixe a man and his wyf/] a man and his wyf and that is whan they take no reward in hire assemblynge. but oonly to hire flesshly delit /. as seith seint Ierome. [905] And ne rekken of no thyng but [¶ Ieronimus] that they been assembled. by cause that they been maried al is good ynough as thynketh to hem. [906] but in swich folk hath the deuel power / as seyde the Aungel Raphael [¶ Angelus Raphael ad Thobiam] to Thobie. for in hire assemblynge / they putten Ihesu crist out of hire herte. and yeuen hem self to alle ordure [907] The fourthe spece is. the assemblee of hem that been [¶ Of the assem|blee of hem/ that/ been of o kynrede] [folio 232a] of hire 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 [¶ Of kynrede in two maneres / outher goostly / or flesshely] [908] ¶ And certes parentele is in two maneres / outher goostly or flesshly /. goostly / as for to deelen with hise godsibbes. [909] 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 hire godsib / than with hire owene flesshly brother [910] The fifthe spece. is thilke abhomynable [¶ The .v^e. speche of leccherie] synne. of which / that no man vnnethe oghte speke ne write. nathelees / it is openly reherced in holy writ ‖ [911] 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 [912] Another synne aperteneth to leccherie that [¶ Of the synne of Polucioun] comþ in slepynge. and this synne cometh ofte / to hem that been maydenes / and eek/ to hem that been corrupt. and this synne men clepen Polucion that comth in .iij. maneres ‖. [913] 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 ¶ som tyme for surfeet of mete and drynke [914] ¶ And somtyme / of

[6-text p 668] vileyns thoghtes. that been enclosed in mannes mynde / whan he gooth to slepe. which may nat been with-oute synne. for which men moste kepen hem wisely. or elles / may men synnen ful greously