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

De confessione

[958] NOw for as moche as for the secounde partye of peni|tence stant in confession of mouth . as I began in the second chapitre I sey seint Augustyn seith / [959] synne is euery word/ & euery dede / And alle that men coueiten agayn the law of Ihesu criste / & this is for to synne in herte / in mowth / & in dede / by thi v. wittys / that ben sight . huryng . smellynge tastynge . or sauorynge and felynge // [960] Now is it good to vndirstonde the circumstaunces that aggreggen muchel euery synne//[961] Thow shalte considere . what thow art that doist synne . whether thow be male or female . yonge or/ olde gentell/ or thralle . free / or seruaunt . hole / or syke / wedded/ or sengle / ordred or vnordred . wis or fool . clerke / or seculer / [962] if she be of thy [Christ Church MS folio 274b] kynrede bodely or gostely / or noon / if any of thy kynrede haue synne[d] with hire or noon //

[963] Another circumstaunce is this / whether it be [done] in fornicacioun . or in avoutrie . or Incest or noon / Mayden or noon . in manere of homycyde or noon . orrible grete synnes . or smale . and how longe thow haste contynued in synne // [964] The thridde circumstaunce / is the place / where thow haste doon synne / whether in other

[6-text p 673] mennes hous / or in thyn owne . in felde or in chirche . or in chirche hawe / in chirche dedicat or noon / [965] For if the chirche be halewed . and man or woman spilde his kynde inwith that place by wey of synn[e] or by wikked temptacion; the chirche is entredited . til it be reconsiled by the bysshope / [966] and the preest sholde be entredited that dide swiche a vilenye to terme of alle his lyfe he sholde nomore synge masse / & if he dide; he sholde doon deedly synne . at euery tyme that he songe masse // [967] The ferthe circumstaunce is be whiche mediat|ours . as by messageris . or for enticement . or for consentement to bere compaignye . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] wole goo the deuel of helle [968] for they that egge[n] or con|senten to the synne; ben prisoners to the synne . & of the damnacion of the synnere //

[969] The fyfthe is how many tymes that he ha[th] synned if it be in his mynde . & how ofte that he hath falle . [970] For he that ofte falleȝ in synne; he despised the mercy of god . & encresseth his synne & is vnkynde to criste / & he wexeth the more febl[e] to withstonde synne . & synneth the more lightly . [971] & the latter aryseth . & is the more eschewe for to schryue hym . and namely to hym that hath ben his con|fessour / [972] For whiche that folke whan that they fallen agayn in hire olde folyes . other they leten hire olde confessours al outrely . or they departen hire shryfte in dyuers places / but soothly swiche departed shrifte deserueth no mercy of god of his synnes // [973] The sixte circum|staunce is . why that a man synneth . a[s] by whiche tempta|cion . & if hym selfe procure thilke temptacioun or by the ex|citynge of other folke / or if he synne with a woman [b]y force / or by hire owne assente . [974] or if the woman maugre hire hed[e] hath be aforced or noon this shalle she telle / for couetise / or for pouerte / & if it was hire procurynge or noon / & swiche maner

[6-text p 674] harneys // [975] The seuenthe circumstaunce is in what maner he h[ath] doon his synne / & how that she hath suffred that folke han [doon] to hire / [976] The same shalle the man tellen pleynly with alle [cir]cumstaunces . & whether he hath synned with comoun borde[l] women or noon / [977] or doon his synne in holy tymes or noon / or by forn his shrifte / or after his lattere shryfte / [978] & hath parauenture broken therfore his penaunce enyoyned / by whoos helpe & whoos counseile . bi sorcerie or crafte al moste be tolde / [979] Alle these thynges after that they ben grete or smale . engreggen the conscience of man . & eke the preest . that is thy Iuge may the better ben auysed of hise Iugement . in yeuynge of thy penaunce . and [Christ Church MS folio 275a] [t]hat is after thy contricioun / [980] For vnderstonde wele that after tyme that a man hath defouled his bapteme by synne . if he wole come to sauacioun . ther is noon other wey . but be penitence and shrifte & be satisfaccioun / [981] & namely by the twoo // If ther be a confessour to whiche he may shryue hym / And the Thridde if he haue lyfe to performe it /

[982] Thanne shalle men loke & considere if he wole make a trewe & profitable confessioun; ther moste ben iiij. condiciouns // [983] Firste it mote ben in sorwefull bitternesse of herte / As seide te kynge Ezechiel to god / I wole remembre me alle the yeres of my lyfe in bitternesse of myn herte / [984] This condicion of bitter|nesse hath .v. signes // The firste is that confession moste be shamefaste nat for to kouere ne hide his synne / but for he hath agilte his god & defouled his soule / [985] And here of seith seint Augustyn / The herte trauailleth for shame of his synne / And for he hath grete shame-fastnesse / he is digne to haue grete mercy of god / [986] Swiche was y^e confessioun of the publican . that wolde nat heue vp his eyen to heuen . For he hadde offended god of heuen / For whiche shamefastnesse; he had a noon the mercy of god / [987] And therfore seyth

[6-text p 675] seint Augustyn that swiche shamefaste folke ben nexte foryefnesse & remission // [988] Another signe is humylite of Confession / Of which seith seint Petir: humbleth yow vnder the myght of god / the hond of god is myghty in confession; For therby god foryeueth the synnes For he allone hath the power / [989] And this humylyte shall ben in hert & in signe outwarde / For right as he hath humylyte to god in hert; right so sholde he humble his body outwarde to the preest thatte sitte in goddis place / [990] For whiche in no maner sith that criste ys souereyn & the preest mene & mediatour bi|twixe criste & the synnere / & the synner is the laste by wey of reson / [991] thanne sholde nat the synner sitte as hye as his confessours. but knele byforn hym. or at his feet. but if maladye distorbed it / For he shalle nat take kepe who sitte there. but in whoos place that he sitteth // [992] A man that hath trespased to a lorde / & cometh for to axe mercy & maken his acorde & sette hym doun by the lorde; men wolde holden hym outrageous & nat worthy so sone for to haue remission ne mercy [993] The thridde signe is. that thy shrifte sholde be full of teeris. if men may. & if he may nat wepe with his bodely eyen; late hym wepe in his herte / [994] swiche was the confession of seint Petir / For after that he hadde forsake ihesu criste; he wente oute & weepe bitterly [995] The ferthe signe is / that he ne lette nat for his shame to shewe his confession / [996] Swiche was the confession of the Mawdeleyne that ne spared for no shame of hem that weren atte feste for to goo to oure lorde ihesu criste & byknowe to hym hir synne // [997] The fifte signe is that a man or woman be obeissaunt to receyue the penaunz that hym is enyoyned / For certes Ihesu criste for the giltes of o man [Christ Church MS folio 275b] was obedient to his deeth /

[998] The seconde condicion of verrey confession is that it be hastely don / For certes if a man hadde a dedly wounde. euer the lenger that he tarieth to warisse

[6-text p 676] hym selfe the more wolde it corrupte & haste hym to his deeth / and eke y^e wounde woude be the werse for to hele / [999] And right so farith synne. that longe tyme is in a man vnshewid / [1000] Certe a man ough[t] hastely shewyn his synnes For many causes. as for drede of deth that ofte sodeynly. And in no certeyne what tyme it shal be ne in what place / & eke the drecchyng of o synne draweth in a noth[er] [1001] And eke the lenger he tarieth; the forther he is fro criste. And if he abide vnto his laste day; scarsly may he shryue hym or re|membre hym of his synnes. or repente for the greuous malad[ye] of his deeth. [1002] And for as myche as he hath nat in his lyfe herkened Ihesu criste . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] at his laste day & scarsly wole he herkene hym [1003] And vndirstonde that this condicion moste haue .iiij. thynges // // Thy shrifte moste be purueyd by-forn and auysed / For wikked haste dooth noo profite. And that a man konne shryue hym of his synnes. be it of pride or enuye. & so forth. with the spices & circumstaunces / [1004] and that he haue comprehended in his mynde the nombre & the grettenes of his synnes and how longe that he hath leyn in synne [1005] & eke that he be contryte of hise synnes and in stedefaste purpos by the grace of god neuer eft to falle in synne // And eke that he drede. & countrewaite hym selfe & that he flee the occasions of synne to whiche he is enclyned // [1006] Also that thow shalte shryue the of alle thy synnes to oo man // And nat a parce[l] to oo man. & nat a parcel to a nother. that is to vndirstonde in entent to departe thy confessioun as for shame or drede / For it nys butte stranglynge of thy soule / [1007] For certis Ihesu criste is intierly al good & in hym is noon inperfeccion / And therfore outher he foryeueth alle parfitly. or elles neuer a dele. [1008] I sey nat that if thow be assigned to the penitauncer for certeyn synne / that thow arte bounde too shewe hym alle the remenaunt of thy synnes of whiche

[6-text p 677] thow haste be shreuen of thy curate / but if it lyke the of thyn humylite this is noo departynge of thy shrifte. [1009] Ne I ne sey nat ther as I speke of dyuiysioun of confes|sion. that if thow haue licence for to shryue the to a discreet & an honest preest where thee lyketh / & eke by the licence of thy curat that thow ne maiste wele shryue the to hym of alle thy synnes / [1010] but late noo blot byhynde / ne late noo synne vntoolde. Asfer as thow hastee remem|braunce / [1011] And whan thow shalte be shryue to thy curat. telle hym alle thy synne that thow haste doon / sith thowe were laste y-shryuen / Al this is no wikked intente of dyuysion of shrifte //

[1012] Also the verrey shrifte axeth certeyne con|dicions [Christ Church MS folio 276a] [F]yrste that thow shryue the by thy free wille nat constrayned. ne for shame of folke. ne for maladie or swiche thynges / For it is reson that he that trespaseth by his free wille; he mote be his free wille confesse his trespace / [1013] Noon other man shalle tellen his synne but he hym selfe / Ne he shal nat naite or denye his synne. ne wrath hym agayn the preest for hise amonestynge to lete synne // [1014] The secound condicion is / that thy shryfte be laweful. that is to seyn that thow that shryuest the & eke the preste that hureth thy confession be verrely in the feith of holy chirche [1015] And that a man ne be nat despeired of the mercye of Ihesu criste as kaym or Iudas / [1016] And eke a man mote accuse hym selfe of his owne trespace / & nat a nother / but he shalle blame .and. wite hym selfe & his owne malice of his synne & noon other / [1017] But natheles but if a nother man be occasion or enticere of his synne or that the estate of a persone be swiche. thurgh whiche his synne is agreggyd / or ellys that he may nat pleynly shryue hym hym but he telle the persone with whiche he hath synned; than may he telle it. [1018] so that his entente be nat to bakbite the .persone. but oonly to declaren his con|fession /

[6-text p 678]

[1019] Thow ne shalte natte eke make no lesynges in thy confessioun for humylite / parauenture to seyn that thow haste doon synnes. of whiche thow were neuer gilti // [1020] For seint Augustyn seith. yf thow be cause of humylite makest lesynges on thy selfe thogh that thow ne were nat in synne byforn; yet arte thow thanne in synne thurgh thy lesynges // [1021] Thow moste eke shewe thy synnes by thyn owne propre Mouth / but if thow be woxen dombe. & nat be no lettre // for thow haste doon the synne; thow shalte haue the shame // [1022] [T]how shalte nat eke peynte thy confession by faire subtile wordes [to] kouere the moore thy synne / For thanne bygyleste thow thy selfe [a]nd nat the preest / Thow most telle it platly. be it neuer so foule ne so horrible // [1023] Thow shalte eke shryue the to a preest / that is discrete to counseile the // And eke thow shalt nat shryue thee for veyn glorie. ne for ypocrisie. ne for no cause. but only for the doute of Ihesu criste & the hele of thy soule // [1024] Thow shalt nat eke renne to the preest sodeynly to telle hym lyghtly thy synne. as who so telleth a Iape / or a tale / but auysely & with grete deuocion / [1025] and generally shryue the ofte. if thow ofte falle; ofte thow aryse be confession / [1026] And though thow shryue the ofter thanne ones of synne of whiche thow haste be shryuen. it is the more meryte / And as seith seint Augustyn. thow shalt haue the more lightly relesyng & grace of god bothe of synne & of peyne / [1027] And certes oones in a yere atte leste weye it is lawefull / for to ben housled / for soothly onys a yere. alle thynges renouellen.

[1028] Now haue I tolde of verrey con[fes]sion that is the seconde partie of penitence