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

Releuacio contra peccatum Auaricie.

[804]

NOw schul ȝe vndirstonde that the releuynge of auarice is mysericorde & pete largely takyn / ¶ And men myghtyn axen why that mysericorde & pete is releuynge of Auaryce [805] ¶ Certis the Auaricious man / Schewith no pete ne myseri|corde to the nedful man / for he delitith hym in the kepynge of hes tresor & not in the rescowynge or in the releuynge of his euene cristene & therfore speke I ferst of myserycorde [806] thanne is Miserycorde as seith the philisophere a vertu be whiche the corage of a man is sterid bi the . . . [no gap in the MS.] mysesed [807] ¶ vp-on which mysericorde / folwith pete / in parfornynge of charytable werkis of myse [folio 431b] ricorde [808] And certis these thyngis meuyn a man to myserycorde of Ihesu crist that he ȝaf hym self for oure gilt And sufferede deth for mysericorde / And forgaf oure original syne [809] And therby releseth vs from the peynys of helle & amenuseth the peynys of purgatorye by penytence / & ȝeuyth grace weel to do and at the laste the blysse of heuene [810] ¶ The specis of myserycorde been as for to lene & for to ȝeue And to forȝeuyn & to relesyn and for to han pete in herte / & compassioun of the myschif of his

[6-text p 658] euene cristene and ek to chastise there as is neede [811] A nothir maneere of remedye ageyns auaryce; is resonable largesse But sothly heere be-howith the con|sideracioun of the grace of Ihesu crist & of his temperel goodis And ek of the goodis perdurable that crist ȝaf to vs [812] & to han remembraunce of the deth that he schal resceyue he not whanne wheere ne how and ek that he schal forgoon al that he hath / saue only that he hath spendid in goode werkis /

[813] But for asmeche as some folk been onmesur|able / men oughte to eschewe fol largesse that men clepyn wast. [814] ¶ Certis he that is fol large / he ȝevith not his catel but he lesith his catel Sothli wat thyng that he ȝeuyth for veynglorye as to menstrallis & to folk to beryn his renoun in the world he hath synne therof & non almesse [815] Certis he lesyth foule his good / that he ne sekyth with the ȝifte of his good no thyng but synne. [816] he is lyk to an hors that that sekyth rathere to drynkyn drouy or trouble watyr than for to drynke watyr of the cleere welle. / [817] ¶ And for as meche as they . . . . [no gap in MS.] schulde not ȝeuyn to hem apartenyth thilke malicioun that Crist schal ȝeuyn at the day of dome to hem that schuln be dampned