The Cambridge ms (University library, Gg. 4.27) of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall.

¶ De Auaricia /

[739]

Aftir Accidie woll I speke of Auarice & of Couetise. Of whiche synne seith seynt Poule [¶ Paulus./] that the rote of alle synnes is Couetise. & Thymoth. 6^o. [740] ffor sothli when that the herte of man is confoundid in hit self & trouble & that the soule hath lost the counfort of god. þen seketh he an ydell solace of worldli thynges.

[741] ¶ Auarice aftir the scripcion of seynt Austyn. [¶ Augustinus./] is a licorousness in herte to haue ertheli thynges. [742] Som other folk seyn. that Auarice is for to purchace manye ertheli thynges. & no thyng yeue to hem that han nede. [743] ¶ & vndirstonde thou well that Auarice is noght onli in lond ne Catell but som|tyme in science & in glorie & in euery maner of outragious thynges is Auarice & Couetise [744] ¶ And the difference be-twixe Auarice & Couetise is this. [¶ The difference betwixe Auarice & Couetise./] Couetise is for to coueite suche thynges as thou hast not. And Auarice is for to withholde & kepe suche thyngis as thou hast with-outen rightfull nede. [745] ¶ Sothli this Auarice is a synne that is full dampnable. ffor all holi writ cursith it & spekith a-yens hit. ffor it doth wrong to ihesu crist. [746] ffor it bireuyth [Harl. 1758 folio 221b] hym the Loue that men to hym owyn & turnyth hit bakwarde a-yen all reson [747] & makith that the Auaricious man hath more hope in his Catell. than in ihesu crist. ¶ And . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] [748] therfore seith

[6-text p 652] seynt Poule Ephesios .5^o. That an Auaricious man haþ more [¶ Paulus ./] his hope in thraldom of Ydolatrie.

[749] what difference is bitwixe an ydolastre & [¶ Difference be|twixe an Ydol|atre & an Auar|ous man ./] an Auaricious man. But þat an ydolastre & an Auaricious man perauenture ne hath but a mawmet or two & the Auaricious man hath manye. ffor certis euerye ffloreyn in his cofre is his a mawmet [750] & certis the synne of mawmetrie is . . . . [no gap in MS.] that god in þe ten comaunde|mentis. As berith witnes in Exodi. capitulo .20. [751] Thou schalt haue no fals goddis bi-forn me. Ne þou schalt make to the no grauyn thyng. thus is an Auaricious man that loueth his tresour a-forn god An ydolastre [752] thorogh his synne of Auarice & of couetise comen this hard lordschipes thorogh whiche men ben streyned bi tailages customes & cariages more then her dewte or reson is. ¶ And ellis take thei of her bonde men amercementis whiche myghten more resonabli be clepid extorcions then amercementis. [753] Of whiche amercementis & raunsonyng of bonde men som lordis stiwardis seyn that it is rightfull. ffor as meche as a cheerll hath no temperall thyng that it ne is his lordis as they seyn. [754] ¶ But certis thes lordes don wrong that bireuyn her bonde folke thynges. that thei neuyr ne yaf hem. Augustinus. de. civitate. libro .9^o. [755] [¶ Augustinus ./] ¶ Soth is that the condicion of thraldom. & the first cause of thraldom is for synne. Genesis .5^o. [¶ Genesis .5^o.]

[756] ¶ Thus may ye seen that the gilte deseruyth thraldom. but not nature. [757] Wherfore these lordis ne schulden not meche glorifie hem in her lordschip. sethyn that bi naturall condicion. thei ben lordis ouyr her thrallis. but for that thrall-dom cam first by deserte of synne [758] ¶ And further ouyr there as the lawe seith. that temperall godis of bonde folke ben the godis of her lordschipes. Ye that is for to vndirstonde. the godis of the Emperour to defende hem in her right. but not to robbe hem ne to reue hem. / [759] ¶ And therfore

[6-text p 653] seith Seneca. Thi prudence schulde lyue benyngli with [¶ Seneca ./] thyn thrallis. [760] thilke that thou clepist thyn thrall. ben goddis peple ffor humble folke ben cristes frendis. thei ben contubernyall with the lorde.

[761] ¶ Thenke eke that suche seed as cherlis spryngen. of suche seed spryngen lordis. As well may the cherle be sauyd. as the lord. [762] The same deth that taketh the cherle. the same deth takith the lorde. ¶ Wherfore I rede do right so with thi cherle as thou woldist thi chirle did with the. if thou were in his plite. [763] Euery synfull man is a cherle to synne. I rede the certis that thou lord thou wirche in suche wise that thi cherlis rather loue the than drede the. [764] I wote well there is degre a-boue degre as reson is & skill is that men don her deuyr ther as it is dewe. But certis extorcions & dispites of your vndirlynges is dampnable.

[765] ¶ And further ouyr vndirstonde well that Conquerours or tirauntis make full often thrallis of hem that ben born of as roiall blood. as ben thei that hem conqueryn. [766] ¶ This name of thraldom was [¶ Genesis .10. Maledictus Canaan seruus seruorum erit fratribus / suis /] neuyr knowe erste. till that Noe seide that his sone Canaan schulde be thrall to his bretheryn for his [Harl. 1758 folio 222a] synne [767] ¶ What seie we than of hem that pilen & don extorcions to holi chirche ¶ Certis the swerde that men yeuyn first to a knyȝt when he is newe dobbid. [¶ How knyght|hode schulde defende holi chirche ./] signyfieth that he schulde defende holy chirche & noght robbe hit. And who so doth is a traitour to crist. [768] As seith seynt Austyn. Thei ben [¶ Augutinus ./] deuyls wolfis that stranglen the scheep of ihesu crist & don wers than wolfis. [769] ¶ ffor sothli when the wolfe haþ full his wombe; he stynteth to strangle scheep. But sothli the pilours & distroi|ers [¶ Of pilours & distroiers of holi chirche goodis ./] of godis of holi chirche ne do not so for thei ne stynte neuyr to pilen. [770] ¶ Now as I haue seide sethyns so is that synne was first cause of thraldom. then it is

[6-text p 654] thus that thilke tyme that all the worlde was in synne. then was all this worlde in thraldom & in subieccion. [771] But certis sethyns the tyme of grace cam. God ordeyned that som folk schulde be more hye in estate & hye degree & som folke more lowe & that eueriche schulde be seruyd in his estate & in degre. [772] And therfore in some contrees ther thei ben thrallis when thei han turned hem to the feith. thei maken her thrallis fre out of thraldom. And therfore certis the lord owith to his man. that the man owith to his lorde. [773] ¶ The Pope clepith hym self seruaunt of seruauntis of god. But for as meche as the state of holi chirche ne myght not han be. ne the comune profite myght han be kept in pees & reste in erthe. But if god had ordeyned that some men han heyer degre & som men lowir [774] ¶ Ther-fore was souereyne ordeyned to kepe & maynten & de|fende her vndirlynges or her sogettis in reson as fer forth as it lith in her power & noght to distroie hem ne as ferforth confounde. [775] ¶ Wherfore I seie that thilke lordis that ben thilke wolfis that de [[Harl. MS. 1758 extract ends.]] ] [Camb. MS.] [folio 430a] vouryn the possessiouns or the catel of pouere men wrongfully with-oute mercy or meseur. [776] They schul receyue by the same meseur that they han mesured to poore folk the meseur of Ihesu crist but it be amendid [777] ¶ Now comyth deceyt be-twixe Marchaunt and Marchaund ¶ And thow schat vndir|stonde that marchaundise is in manye maneris / that on is bodyly & that othir is gostely; that on is honest & lefful; & that othir is dishonest & onleful. [778] Of thilke bodyly marchaunddyse that is lefful & honest is this there that god hath ordeyned / that a rem or a cuntre is suffisaunt to hym-self; thanne is it honest & lefful that of haboundaunce of this cuntre that men helpe a nothir Cuntre that is more nedy. [779] And therfore there mote been marchauntis to brynge from that oon cuntre to that othir hire march|aundyse

[6-text p 655] / [780] That othyr marchaundyse that men hauntyn / with fraude & trecherye And deceyt with lesyngis & falso othis is cursed & dampnable [781] ¶ Espirituele marchaundyse is propirly symonye that is ententyf desyr / to beyen thyng espirituel that is thyng that aparteneth to the seyntewarye of god / & to cure of the soule [782] ¶ This desir ȝif so be that a man do his dilygence to parforne it / al be it that his desir take noon effect. ȝit is it to hem a dedly syne. & ȝif he be ordered. he is irregulere / [783] Certis Symonye is clepid of Symon magus / that wolde a bouȝt for temperel catel / the ȝifte that god hadde ȝouyn by the holy gost to seynt Petyr. & to the apostellis / [784] And therfore vndyrstond that by that he that sellyth & he that beyeth thyngis espirituel been clepid Symonyalys / be it be catel be it be procurynge / or by fleschely preyere of hise frendis. fleschely frendis or spyrituel frendis / [785] Fleschely in two manerys as by kenreede or othere frendis sothly ȝif they preye for hym that is not worthi & able it is Symonye ȝif he take the benefice / and ȝif he be worthi & able; theere is non. [786] ¶ That othir maner is / whan men or women preyen for [folio 430b] folk to auauncyn hem only for wekede fleschely affeccioun that they han vn-to the persone & that is foul symonye / [787] But certis in ceruyce for whiche men ȝeuyn thyngis espirituel on to here seruauntis / it mote been vndirstande that the seruyce mote been honest & ellis nat / And ek that it be with-outyn bargaynynge & that the parsone be able / [788] ffor as seith Seine Damasye / Alle the synnys of the world at regard of this synne arn as thyng of nough / for it is the gretteste synne that may ben aftyr the synne of lucyfer & of antecryst / [789] ffor by this syne god forlesyth the cherche & the soule that he bouȝte with his precyous blood / By hem that ȝeuyn cherchis / to hem that been not digne [790] for they putte in theuys handis / that

[6-text p 656] stelyn the soulis of Ihesu cryst And distroyen the patry|monye [791] Be sweche indigne prestis & curatis / han lewede men lesse reuerence of the sacrementis of holy cherche. And swe[che] ȝeueris of cherchis; putte the ȝeueris of cryst out / & puttyn in the cherche the deuyllis owene sone / [792] they sleen the soulys that lambis schulde kepe / to the wolf that that strangelyth hem And therfore schul they neuere han part of the pasture of lambis that is the blysse of heuene. [793] Now comyth hasardrye with hise apor|tenancis. as tablis. & rafles / of sweche comyth deceit false othis chydyngis / And alle rauynesse. blasphemynge And renayinge of god / And hate of hise neghebourys. wast of goodis. Mis spendynge of tyme. & sumtyme man|slauȝtere. [794] Certis hasardourys ne mow not been with-oute greet synne / . . . [no gap in the MS.] [795] Of Auaryce comyn ek lesyngis. thefte. fals witnesse. & false othis ¶ And )e that vndirstonde that these been greete synnys & expres a-geyn the comandementis / of god as I haue seyd / [796] ffals wytnesse; is in word & ek in deede By word as for to reue thyn neighebour his goode name bi thyn false witnessynge / or by-reuen hym his catel or his herytage / by thyn false witnessyng [folio 431a] whan thow for yre or for mede or for envie berist fals witnesse or accusist hym. or excusest hym by thyn false witnesse. Or ellis ex|cusist thyn self falsely / [797] ware ȝow ȝe quest mongeris / & Notarijs Certis for fals witnessenge was Susanne in ful greet sorwe & peyne & manye a nothir mo. [798] ¶ The synne of thefte is ek expres. a-geyns goddis heste / & in two maneris corporel or spirituel / [799] [Corporel] As for to take thyn neigheborys catel a-geyns his wil / be it be forse or be sleyghte / be it be met or be meseur [800] by stelynge ek of false endytementis vp-on hym / & in borwynge of thyn neghebouris catel / in entente neuere to paye it a-geyn / & semblable thyngis / [801] Es|pirituel thefte is sacrilege that is to seyne / hurt|ynge

[6-text p 657] of holy thyngis sacrede to crist / in two maneris / be resoun of the holy place As cherchis or cherche hawys / [802] ffor whiche euery vileyns synne that men doon in swich placis / May ben clepid sacrilege / or euery violence in the semblable placis / ¶ Also they that withdrawyn falsely the rightis that longyn to holy cherche [803] and plesynge / and generally Sacrylege is to reuyn holy thyng out of holy place or onholy thyng out of holy place / or holy thyng out of on|holy place