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

Sequitur iij^a. [iij^a and] pars Penitencie ³Decem mandata³ [^3_3 corrected.]

[958]

NOw for as meche as the secunde partye of penytence stant in confessioun of mechil as I be-gan in the ferste chapitere I seye seynt Augustyn seyth / [959] Synne is euery word / & euery dede & al that men coueyte ageyn the lawe of Ihesu crist And this is for to seyne. in herte in mouth & in dede by the fyue wittys / that is by herynge syghte smellynge tastynge or sauourynge and felynge [960] ¶ Now is it good to vndyrstondyn ¶ That þat aggreggith mechil euery syne / [961] Thow schat considere what that thow art that dost that synne / Whedyr thow be male or femele / ȝong. or old/ gentil. or thral / fre. or seruaunt. hol or sek / weddit or sengele / ordered. or onordered / wis. or fol. Clerk. or Seculer / [962] yf sche be of thyn kynrede. bodyly or gostely or noon / ȝif ony of thyn kenrede haue synned with hire or non And manye mo thyngis

[963] ¶ A nothir circumstaunce is this / Whethir it be doon in fornycacioun or in auouterye / or non. . . . . [no gap in the MS.] in manere of homycide or non / horrible greete synnys. or smale & how longe thow hast contynued in synne [964] ¶ The thredde circumstaunce is the place there thow hast do synne. Whethyr in othere

[6-text p 673] menys hovs or in thyn owene. In feeld or in cherche or in cherche hawe. in cherche dedicat or non / [965] ffor if the cherche be halwyd. And man or woman spylle his kynd withinne that place be woye of synne / or be wekede temptacioun / the cherche is entretydede . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] [966] And the prest that dede swiche. the terme of al his lyf he schulde not synge no masse. & ȝif he dede he schulde do dedly synne. at euery tyme that he schulde so synge [folio 439a] messe. [967] ¶ The fourte circumstaunce is by sweche medya|tourys or be sweche messangerys / as for entysement or for consentement to bere compaygnye with fals schepe. for manye a wreche for to bere compaignye wele go to the deuyl of helle [968] wherfore they that eggyn or con|sentyn / to the synne been partenerys of the synne / And of the temptacyoun of the synnere

[969] ¶ The fifte circumstaunce is / how manye tymys that he hath synnyd / ȝif it be in his mynde / & how ofte that he hath falle / [970] for he that hath ofte falle in synne / he dispiseth the mercy of god / and encresith his synne And is vnkynde to cryst / And he wexeth the moore feble to withstonde synne / & synnyth the moore lyghtely / [971] & the lattere aryseth / & is the moore eschew for to schryue hym / an namely to hym that is his con|fessour. [972] For whiche that folk whan they falle a-geyn in there olde folyis othir they for-ȝete here olde confessouris al outrely or ellys they departyn here schrifte in dyuers placcis But sothly sweche departede schrifte deseruyth no mercy of god / of hise synnys [973] The sexte Circum|staunce is why that a man synnyth as by temptacyoun / & ȝif hym selue procure the ilke temptacyoun or by the ex|cytynge of othere folk. or if he synne with a woman by force or by hire owene assent [974] orr ȝif the woman maugre hire heed / hath been aforced or non / this schal sche telle. for coueytyse or for pouerte / & ȝif it was hire procurynge or non & swiche manere

[6-text p 674] harneyes [975] ¶ The Seuynte circumstance / is in what manere he hath doon his synne / or how that sche haue sufferede that folk han don to hire [976] & the same schal the man telle with alle circumstauncys And whedyr he hath synnyd with comoun bordel wemen or noon / [977] or don his synne in holy tymys or non In fast|ynge tyme or non / or by forn his schrifte / or aftyr his laste schrifte / [978] and hath parauenture brokyn therfore his penaunce enioyned be whos helpe & whos conseyl / by sorcerye / or craft al must ben told [979] ¶ Alle these thyngis aftyr that they been greete [folio 439b] or smale engreggyn the concyence of man & ek of the prest that is thyn Iuge may the betere been auysed of his Iugement in ȝeuynge of thyn penance & that is aftyr thyn contrycyoun [980] ¶ ffor vndyrstonde wel that aftyr that tyme that a man hath defouled his bapteme by synne if he wele come to saluacioun / there is non othir weye but be penytence & schryfte and satisfaccioun / [981] & namely by the two / if there be a confessour to whiche he may schryue hym / And the threde If he haue lyf to parforne it

[982] ¶ Thanne schal men loke and consydere that ȝif he wele make a trewe & a profitable confessioun there muste been .iiij. condisciounnys / [983] ffyrst it moote been in sorweful . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] bittyrnesse of myn herte / [984] this condicioun of bittyr|nesse hath .v. signys The ferste is that confessioun mote been schamefast not for to couere ne hyde his synne / for he hath a-gilt his god & defouled his soule ./ [985] And herof seyth seynt Augustyn / the herte trauaylyth for schame of his synne & for he hath greet schamefastnesse he is digne to haue greet mercy of god [986] ¶ Swych was the confessioun of the Publican that wolde not heue vp hise eyen to heuene for he hadde offendit god of heuene / for whiche schamefastnesse he hadde a-non the mercy of god / [987] And therof seith

[6-text p 675] seyn Augustyn that sweche schameful folk been next forȝeuenesse & remyssioun [988] ¶ A nothir sygne is humylite in confessioun of whiche seyth seynt Petyr / Humblith ȝow vndyr the mygh of god / the hond of god is myghty in confessioun / for therebi god forȝeuyth the thynne synys / for he alone hath the power / [989] & this humylite schal been in herte / & in signe outward / for rygh as he hath humylite to god in his herte / rygh so schulde he humble his body outward / to the prest that sittyth in godis place / [990] For which in no maner seth that Crist is Souereyn & the prest meene & Mediatour be|twethe Crist & the synnere. And the synnere is the laste be weye of resoun / [991] thanne schulde not the synnere sitte as heye as the Confessour; but knele [folio 440a] by-forn hym or at hise feet / but if maledye disturbe it / for he schal not take kep who sit there; but in whois place that he sittyth. [992] A man that hath trespased to a lord / & comyth for to axe mercy / & makyn his acord / & sette hym doun a-non by the lord / men wolde holde hym outrageous & not worthy so sone to haue remyssioun ne mercy. [993] The thredde signe is how that thyn schrifte schulde ben ful of teerys if man may / & ȝif he may not wepyn with his bodily eyen. let hym wepe in herte / [994] swich was the confessioun of seynt petir / for aftyr that he hadde forsake ihesu Crist he wente out & wepte ful bittyrly [995] ¶ The ferthe signe is that he ne lette not for schame to schewyn his confessioun [996] Swich was the confessioun of marye Maudelyn that ne sparede for no shame of hem that weryn at the feste for to go to oure lord ihesu Crist & beknowe to hym here synnys // [997] ¶ The fifte signe is that a man or a woman be obeysaunt to resceyue the penaunce that hem is enioynyd / ffor certis Ihesu Crist for the giltis of man was obeysaunt to the deth

[998] ¶ The secunde condicyoun of verray confessyoun is that it be hastyly don / For certis if a man hadde a dedly wounde. euere the lengere that he taryede to wariche

[6-text p 676] hym self / the more wolde it corupte & haste hym to his deth / & ek the wounde wolde be the werse to hele. [999] And rygh so faryth synne that long tyme is in a man o-nschewid / [1000] Certis a man oughte hastyly schewyn hise synnys for manye causys as for dred of deth that comyth off the sodeynly / & no serteyn what tyme it schal be ne in what plase / And ek the drechynge of on synne drawyth in a-nothir / [1001] & ek the lengere that he taryeth / the ferthere he is from crist / And ȝif he a-byde to his laste day / skarsely may he schryue hym or re|membre hym of hise synnys or repente for the greuous maledye of his deth [1002] And for as meche / as he ne hath not in his lyf herkenyd Ihesu Crist . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] at his laste day & skarsely whil he herkenyth hym [1003] And vndyrstonde that this condycioun / muste haue .iiij. [folio 440b] thyngis ¶ Thyn schryfte muste been purueyed by-forn & a-vysed / for wekede haste doth no profit / And that a man can schryue hym of hise synnys be it of pryde or of enuye & so forth with the spechis & circumstauncis [1004] & that he haue comprehendit in his mynde the noumbre & the gretnesse of hise synnys / & how longe that he hath leyn in synne / [1005] & ek that he be contrit of hise synnys & in stedefast purpos with the grace of god neuere eft to falle in synne. And ek that he dreede & countrewayte hym self that he fle the occasiounnys of synne / to wheche he is enchynyd / [1006] Also thow schalt schryue the of alle synnys to on man / & not a parcel to oo man / & a parcel to a nothir man ¶ That is to vndyrstonde / en entent to departen thyn confessioun / as for schame or dreed for it is but strangelynge of thyn soule / [1007] For certis ihesu crist is entyerely al good / in hym nys non imperfeccioun And therfore othir he forȝeuyth al parfitly or neuere a del. [1008] I sey not if thow be assygnit to the pentauncer for certeyn synne / that thow art bounde to schewyn hym alle the remenaunt of thynne synnys / of wheche

[6-text p 677] thow hast be schreuyn of to thyn curat but if it lyke to the / of thyn humylite / this is no departynge of schrifte [1009] ¶ Ne I seye not there is a spice of dyuysioun of confes|sioun / that if thow haue lycence for to schryue the to a dis|creet & to an onest prest / wheere the lykyth & by lycence of thyn curat that thow ne mayst wel schryue the to hym of alle thynne synnys / [1010] but lat no blot been by-hyndyn ¶ Lat non synne been on-told as fer as thow hast remem|braunce / [1011] And whan thow schat be schreuyn to thyn curat telle hym ek alle the synnys that thow hast doon syn thow were last Ischreue / this is no wekede entent / of dyuysioun of schrifte

[1012] Also the verray schrifte axeth certeyn con|dyciounnys / fyrst that thow schryue te by thyn fre wil. noght constreynyd / ne for schame of folk / ne for maledye ne sweche thyngis / for it is resoun that he that trespasith by his fre wil; that by his [folio 441a] fre wil confesse his synne / [1013] & that noon othir man telle his synne but hym self / ne he ne schal not nayte ne denye his synne / ne wrathe hym agay[n] the prest/ for his amonestynge to leue synne [1014] ¶ The secunde condicioun is that thyn schrifte be be lauweful. that is to seyne that thow schryuyst the & ek the prest/ that heryth thyn confessioun / been verrayly in the feith of holy cherche / [1015] & that a man ne be not despeyred / of the mercy of Ihu Cryst / As caym or iudas / [1016] And ek a man mote acuse hym selue of his owene trespase / & not a-nothir but he schal blame & wyte hym self / & his owene malyce / of his synne / & noon othir. [1017] but natheles / if that a-nothir man be occasioun / or entysynge of his synne or the estat of a persone / be swich thour his synne / that it is aggreggit or ellis that he may not pleynly schryue hym but he telle the persone with whiche he hath synnyd / thanne may he telle [1018] so that his entente be not to bakbyte the persone / but only to declare his con|fessioun

[6-text p 678]

[1019] ¶ Thow ne schalt not ek / make none lesyngis / in thyn confessioun for humilite parauenture to seyn that thow hast doon synnys of whiche thow were neuere gilty in [1020] for seynt augustyn seyth / if that thow be cause of thyn humilite makyst lesyngis on thyn self / thow ne were not in synne be-forn / ȝit art thow thanne in synne thour thyn speche [1021] ¶ Thow muste ek schewe thyn synne by thyn owene propere mouth but thow be wexe doumb. & nat by no lettere / for thow that hast don the synne; thow schalt haue the schame therfore [1022] ¶ Thow schalt nat ek peyntyn tyn confessioun / by fayre subtyle wordis / to couere the more thyn synne / ffor thanne begilyst thow thyn self / & nat the prest/ thow muste telle it platly be it neuere so foul ne so horrible / [1023] Thow schalt ek schryue the to a prest that is discreet to conseyle the / & ek thow schat not schryue thee for veynglorye / ne for ypocrise / ne for non cause but only for the doubte of ihesu Crist / & the heele of thyn soule / [1024] thow schat nat ek renne sodeynly to the prest to telle hym thyn synne lyghtly [folio 441b] as ho so tellit a iape or a tale / but auysely & with gret deuocioun [1025] And generally schryue the ofte if thow ofte falle & a-ryse by confescioun / [1026] And thow thow schryue the oftere than onys of synne of whiche thow hast be schryuen it is the moore meryt / And as seyth seynt augustyn / thow schalt haue more lyghtely relesynge & grace of god / bothe of synne & of peyne [1027] And certis onys a ȝeer at the leste weye it is laueful for to been houseled / for certys onys a ȝer alle thynge renouelyn

[1028] ¶ Now haue I told of verray confessioun that is the secunde party of penytence.