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

[6-text p 679]

Tercia pars penitencie est Satisfaccio

[1029]

THe thredde partye of penytence is Satisfaccioūn / & that stant most generally in almesse & in bodyly peyne. [1030] ¶ Now be there thre manere of alle manere of almesse / contricioun of herte Wheere a man offeryth hym self / to god / a-nothir is to haue pete / of defaute of hise neigheboris / And the thredde is / in ȝeuynge of good conseyl gostely & bodily where men haue nede & namely sustenaunce of mannys fode. [1031] And take that a man haue nede of these thyngis generally. he hath nede of fode / he hath nede of clothynge. and herberwe he hath nede of charitable conseyl. & visitynge in prisoun / & in maladie / & sepulture of his dede bodi [1032] And if thow mayst not visite the nedeful with thyn persone visite hym bi thyn message & thynne ȝiftys [1033] these been general almessis or werkis of charyte of hem that hath temperel richessis or discrecioun in conseylynge ¶ Of these werkis schalt thow here at the day of dome /

[1034] These almessis schalt thow don of thynne owene propere thyngis and hastyly & priuyly if thow mayst [1035] . . . . [no gap in the MS.] nat don it pryuyly thow schat not forbere it to don allmesse thow men seen it so that it be nat don for thank of the world / but for the thank only of ihesu Crist. [1036] For as witnessith seynt Matthev .c^o. 5°. A cete may not been hid that is set on a greet mounteyn / ne men lyghte not a lanterne & [folio 442a] putte it vndir a buschel / but men sette it vp on a candel stikke to ȝeuyn lyght to the men in the hous / [1037] Right so schal ȝoure lygh lightyn by-fore men that th[e]y may seen ȝourere goode werkys & gloryfye ȝoure fadyr that is in heuene

[1038] Now as to spekyn of bodyly peyne it stant in preyeris in wakyngis in fastyngis / in vertyuous

[6-text p 680] techyngis of orisounnys [1039] ¶ And ye schal vndyrstonde that orisounnys or preyeris is for to seyne a pitous wil of herte that redresseth it in good / And expresseth it by wil outward to romounnyn harmys & to haue thyngis espirituel & durable & sumtyme temporel thyngis / Of whiche orisounnys / certis in the orisoun of the pater noster / hath ihesu crist enclosed / most thyngis. [1040] Certis it is pryuyleged / of thre thynges in his dignetee. for whych it is more digne / than ony othir preyere for that ihesu Crist hym self makede it [1041] & it is schort for it schulde be coud the moore lyghtely & for to with-holde it the more esyly in herte & helpyn hym self the moore oftere with the orysoun / [1042] & for a man schulde been the lasse werye to seyn it/ & for a man may not excuse hym to lerne it / it is so schort & so esy / & for it comprehendyth in it self alle goode preyeris / [1043] The expocicioun of this holy preyere that is so excellent & digne; I be-take to these maystris of Theologie / saue thus meche wele I seyn thāt whan thow preyest that god schulde for-ȝeuyn the thynne giltys as thow for-ȝeuyst hem that agyltyn to the / be ful weel war that thow ne be nat out of charyte / [1044] This holy orisoun amenuseth ek venyal synne / & therfore it apartenyth specially to penytence

[1045] ¶ This preyere muste been trewely seyd / & in verray feyth & that men preye to god / ¹ordinatly & dis|cretly & deuoutly & alwey a man schal putte his wil to be subiect to the wil of god¹ [[^1_1 'ordinatly—god;' repeated in MS.]] / [1046] this orysoun muste ek be seyd / with gret humblesse / & ful pure honestee / & not to the anoyaunce of ony man or woman It muste ek be contynued with thynne werkys of charitee [1047] It auaylyth ek a-geyn the vicis / of the soule / For as seyth seynt Ierome by fastynge been sauyd the vi [folio 442b] cys of the flesch / & be preyerys the vertu of the soule

[1048] Aftyr this thow schat vndyrstonde that bodyly preyere stant in wakynge / ffor Ihesu Crist seith / wakyth & preyeth that ȝe ne entre in wekkede

[6-text p 681] temptacioun / [1049] ȝe schulde vndyrstonde also that fast|ynge stant in thre thyngis / in forberynge of bodyly mete & drynk / & in forberynge of wordely iolytee / & in for|berynge of dedly synne this is to seyne that a man schal kepe hym from dedly synne with al his myght /

[1050] Thow schalt vndyrstonde ek that god ordeynede fastyngis / And to fastynge partenyth iiij thyngis. [1051] largenesse to poore folk. gladnesse of herte espirituel nat to be angry ne a-noyed / ne groche for he fastith. And also rosonable our for to ete be mesour that is for to seyne / a man schal nat ete in on tyme / ne sitte the lengere at his table for he fastyth /

[1052] ¶ Thanne schalt thow vndyrstonde that bodyly peyne stant in disciplyne or techynge be word / or by wrytynge / or in exsaumple / also in werynge of heyrys or of stamyn or of habyrgeouns on here nakede flesch for crystis sake And sweche manere panauncis. [1053] but ware the wel that sweche manere penauncis on thyn flesch ne make the nat ouyr angery or a-noyed of thyn self / for betere is to caste a-wey thyn heyre / than to caste a-wey thyn sekyr|nesse of Ihesu crist [1054] And therfore seyth seynt Poule / clothith ȝow as they that been chosyn of god / in herte of myserycorde / debonayrete / sufferaunce & swich manere of clothynge / of whiche ihesu Crist is more a-payed / than of heyrys / or haubergeouns or hauberkys

[1055] ¶ Thanne is disciplyne ek in knokkynge of thyn brest / in scorgynge with ȝerdys / in knelyngis in tribulaciouns / [1056] in sufferynge paciently wrongis that been doon to the / & ek in pacient sufferaunce of maledyis or lesynge of wordely catel / or of wif or of child / or othere frendys

[1057] ¶ Thanne schalt thow vndyrstonde whiche thyngis disturben penaunce / & this is in .iiij. manerys / That is dreede. schame. hope & wanhope that is desperacioun [1058] ¶ And for to speke ferst of drede [folio 443a] for wheche he

[6-text p 682] wenyth that he may suffere no penaunce [1059] There ageyns is remedye for to thynke that bodyly penau[n]ce is but schort & lytil / at regrard of the peyne of helle. that is so crewel & so long that it lastyth with-outyn ende

[1060] ¶ Now a-geyns the schame that a man hath to schryue hym / & namely these ypocritis / that woldyn been holdyn so parfite / that they han non neede to schryue hem[1061]// A-gayns that schame schulde a man thynke / that be weye of resoun that he that hath not been aschamyd / to doon foule thyngis; certis hym oughte not to been aschamyd to doon fayre thyngis / . . . . .[1062] . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] & alle hese werkys to hym may no thyng been hid / ne couered / [1063] Men schulde ek remembre hem / of the schame that is to come at the day of dome / to hem that been nat penytent / & schryuyn in this present lyf / [1064] for alle the creatourys in erthe & in helle / schulyn seen aperly al that they hidyn in this world

[1065] ¶ Now for to speke of hem that been so necligent & slowe to schryue hem / that stant in two manerys / [1066] that on is for that he hopit to leue longe / & for to purche meche rychesse for his delyt & thanne he wolde schryue hym / And as he seyth hym self thanne tymely I-now / to come to schrifte / [1067] A-nothir is of surquiderye / .i. [[.i. = id est]] necligent hope that he hath in cristis mercy. [1068] A-gayns the ferste vice / he schal thynke that oure lyf is in no sekyrnesse And ek that alle the rychessis in this world / been in auenture & passyn as a schadewe on the wal. [1069] & as seyth seynt Gregorye that it apertenith to the greete ryght-wisnesse of god that neuere schal the peyne stynte of hem that neuere wolde withdrawe hem / from synne here thankis / but ay contynewe in synne / for thilke . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] perpetuel peyne.

[1070] ¶ Wanhope is in two maneris / the fyrste wan|hope is in the mercy of crist / that othyr is / that they

[6-text p 683] thynke that they myghte nat longe perseuere in good|nesse // [1071] The ferste wanhope comyth of that he demyth that he hath synnyd so gretly & so ofte & so longe leyn in synne that he schal not been sauyd / [1072] Certis a-geyn that cursede wanhope / schulde he thynke that the passioun [folio 443b] of Ihesu Crist is more strong for to onbynde; than synne is strong for to bynde. [1073] ¶ Ageyns the secunde wanhope / he schal thynke that as ofte as he fallyth he may ary[s]e a-geyn by penytence & thow he neuere so longe haue leyn in synne / the mercy of Crist is euere more redy to resceyue hym to mercy. [1074] ¶ A-geyns the wanhope that he demyth / that he schulde nat longe perseuere in goodnesse / he schal thynke that the febilnesse of the deuyl may no thyng don but if men wele suffere hym [1075] And ek he schal han strenthe of the helpe of ihesu crist & of al holy chyrche / & of the protexioun of angelis ȝif hym leste //

[1076] Thanne schal man vndyrstonde what is the meryt [[meryt corrected]] of penaunce / & aftyr the word of ihesu Cryst it is the endeles blysse / of heuene / [1077] theere Ioye hat non ende no contrarite of woo / ne greuaunce / there alle harmys been passid of this present lyf / theere as is the sekyrnesse from the peyne of helle / theere as is the blysful cumpany that reioysyn hem euere moo euereyche of otherisIoye/[1078] theere as the body of man that wilhom was foul & derk; is moore cler than is the sunne / there as the body that whylom was sik frel & febele & mortal; is inmortal / & so strong & so hol that theere may no man apeyre it / [1079] there as ne is neythyr hungir thrust ne cold but euery soule replenyschid / with the syghte of the parfite knowynge of god [1080] ¶ This blysful regne / may men purchase by pouerte espirituel / & the glorye by lou|nesse / the plente of Ioye with hungir & thurst & the reste; by trauayle / & the lyf be deth & mortificacioun of synne /