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

[Of Pride, and its Twigs.]

[390] ¶ And thogh so be that no man can telle vtterli the nombre of the twigges & of the branchis that cometh of pride. yet woll I schewe a partie of hem as ye schullen vndirstondyn. [391] ¶ Ther is. inobedience. Auauntyng. Iprocrisie. Dispite. Arregaunce. Impudence. Swellyng of herte. Insolence. Elacion. Inpacience. Strif. Contumacie. Presumpcion. Irreuerence. Pertynacie. Veynglorie. And manye another twigge that I can noȝt declare. [392] Ino|bedience is he that disobeieth for dispite to the comaunde|ment of god & to his souereynes & to his gostly ffadir. [393] ¶ Auauntour is he; that bosteth of the harme or of the bounte that he hath done. [394] Ipocrisie is he that hideth hym to schewe hym suche as he is & schewith hym suche as he is not. [395] ¶ Dispitous is he that hath disdeyn of his neighboris. that is to seyn of his euyn cristen or hath dispite to do that he ought to do. [396] ¶ Arrogaunt is he. that thenketh that he hath thilke bountees in hym that he hath not. Or

[6-text p 620] weneth that he schulde haue hem be his desertis. Or ellis that he demeth that he be þat he is not. [397] ¶ Im|pudent is he that for his pride hath no schame for his synne. [398] ¶ Swellyng of herte is he that when a man reioiseth hym of harme that he hath doon. [399] ¶ Inso|lent is he that dispiseth in his Iugement alle other folk as to regarde of his value & of his connyng & of his spekyng & of his beryng. [400] Elacion is when that he ne may neither suffre to haue maistrie ne felawe. [401] ¶ Inpacient is he that woll noght ben taught ne vndir|nome of his vices. ¶ And be strife werreieth trouthe wetyngly & defendeth his folye. [402] ¶ Contymax is he that thorogh his indignacion is a-yens eueryche auctorite or power of hem that ben his souereyns. [403] ¶ Pre|sumpcion is he that when a man taketh an emprise that hym ought noght to do. Or ellis he may it noght do. & that is called Surquedrie. ¶ Inreuerence is when men don noght honour ther as hem ought to doon & waiteth to be reuerencid; [404] ¶ Pertynacie is whan a man defendith his folye. & trusteth to mechill to his owne witte. [405] ¶ Veynglorie is / for to haue [[Harl. 1758 extract ends]] ] [Camb. MS.] [folio 413a] pompe & delit in his temperel heynesse / & gloryfye hym in wordely estatis [406] ¶ Iangelyng is / whan man spekith to meche be-fore folk / & clappyn as a melle And take no kep what they seye /

[407] And ȝit is there a preue spice / of pryde that wayth fyrst for to be saluyd; er than he wele salue / al be he lesse worthi than that othir is / parauenture / And ek he waitith or desyrith to sitte / or ellis goon a-boue hym in the weye / or kisse pax / or been ensensed / or goon to offerynge by-fore his neighebore / [408] & sweche semblable thyngis / a-geyns his deute parauenture / but that he hath his herte / & his entent in swich a proud desir to be magnyfied & honoured / by-forn the peple.

[409] ¶ Now be there two manere of pride that on of hem is with inne the herte of a man And that

[6-text p 621] othir is with oute / [410] of whiche sothtly these for|seyde thyngis & mo than I haue seyd / apertenyn to pryde / that is in the herte of man / And that othere spicis of pryde. been with-oute / [411] but neuere the les that on of these spicis / of pride; is sygne of that othir riȝt as the gay ¶ Leuesel at the tauerne; is signe of the wyn / that is in the seler / [412] & this is in manye thyngis / as in speche & cuntenaunce / & in outrageous aray / of clothynge / [413] For certis ȝif there hadde be no synne in clothynge; Crist wolde not so soone haue notid / & spokyn of the clothynge of the riche man in the gospel [414] & as seyth seynt Gregory / that precious clothynge is cou|pable / for the derthe of it / & for his softenesse / & for his strangenesse & degisynesse / & for the super|fluyte or for the inordinat skarsenesse of it [415] ¶ Allas may man nat seen as in oure dayis the synful costelewe aray of clothynge / & namely in to meche superfleuyte / or ellis in disordenat skarsenesse

[416] ¶ As to the ferste synne in superfluyte of clothynge / whiche that makith it so deere to harm of the peple / [417] nat only the cost of the enbroudynge / the degyse endentynge / or barrynge / owndynge . palynge / wyndynge or bendynge [folio 413b] & semblable wast/ of clothynge in vanyte / [418] But there is also the costelewe furrynge in hire gounnys / so meche pounsounnynge / of chesellis to make holys / so meche daggynge of scheris / [419] forth-with / the superfluite in lenthe / of the forseide gounys / trayl|ynge in the dunge / & in the myre / on horse & ek on foote as weel of man as of woman / that al thilke traylyng is verrayly as in effect wastid consumyd thred|bare & rotyn with donge / rathere than it is ȝeue to the poore / to greet damage of the forseyde poore / folk [420] & that in sundery wise / this is to seyne / that the more the cloth is wastid; the more mote it coste / to the peple for the skarsenesse [421] And ferthere ouyr ȝif so be that they wolde ȝeue swiche pounsonede / &

[6-text p 622] daggede clothynge to þ^e pore peple / it is not conuenyent to were for here estat ne sufficient to be to here necescite / to kepe hem from the distemperaunce of the firmament. [422] ‖ Vp-on that othir syde / to speke of the disord|ynat skarsenesse / of clothynge as been these cuttede sloppis or haunseleynys / that thorw here schortnesse keuere not the schameful membris / of man to wekede eentent / [423] Allas some of hem schewyn the boce of here schap / & the horyble swollyne membris / that semyth lyk the maladie of hirnya in the wrappynge of here hosyn / [424] And ek the buttokis of hem / farn as thow it were the h[y]ndere part of a sche Ape in the fulle of the moone [425] And moore ouyr the wrechede swollene membris / that they schewe thorw disgisyng in departynge of here hosyn / in whit & red / semyth that half here schame|ful preue menbris were flayn / [426] & ȝif so be that they departyn here hosyn in othere colouris / as is whit & blew / or with whit & blak / or blak & reed and so forth / [427] thanne semyth it as be variauns of colourys that half here preue membris been corupt by the fier of seynt Antonye / or by cankre [folio 414a] or othir swich myschaunce [428] ¶ Of the hyndere part of here buttokys it is ful horryble for to se / for certis in that partye of here body / there as they porgyn here stynkynge ordure / [429] that foule partie schewe they to the peple / proudely in dispit / of honeste / which honeste that Ihesu crist & hise frendis obserued to schewyn in here lyue [430] ¶ Now as of the outrageous aray of wemen / god wot that thogh the visage of some of hem seme ful chast & debonayre / ȝit notyfie they in here aray or atyr / likerousnesse & pride / [431] I sey not that honeste in clothynge of man or woman is oncon|able / But certis the superfluite / or disordenat skantite of clothynge / is repreuable / [432] Also the synne of ornement or of apparayle / is in thyngis that apperteignyn to rydynge / As in to manye delicate horsis that been holdyn

[6-text p 623] for delit that been so fayre fatte & costlewe / [433] & also in manye a vicious knaue / that is susteynyd by cause of hem. In to coryous harneys / as in sadelis croperis / peitrelis / & brydelys kouered with precious clothynge & riche barris & platis of gold / and of syluyr [434] ¶ For whiche god seith be ȝacharie the prophete. I wel confounde / the rideris of sweche hors / [435] These folk take liytil reward of the rydynge of goddis sone / of heuene / & of his harneis whan he rod / vp-on the asse / And ne hadde non othir harneys but the poore clothis of hise disciplis / ne we ne reede not that euere he rod / on othir beste [436] I speke this for the synne of superfluyte / & not for resonable honeste whan resoun it requyreth [437] ¶ And ferthere ouyr/certis pryde is gretly notified/in holdynge of greet meyne/ whan they been of lytil profit or of ryȝt no profit / [438] & namely whan that meyne is felonous / & damage|ous to the peple / by hardynesse of greet lordschepe / or by weye of offys [439] ¶ For certis sweche lordis / selle thanne here lordschepe / to the deuyil of helle / whan they susteyne the wikkedenesse of here meyne [440] ¶ Or ellis whanne these folk of lowede degre / as thilke that holdyn ostelryis / suste [folio 414b] ne the theffte of here hostelleris / & that is in manye manere / of disseytis / [441] thilke manere of folk been the flyis / that folwyn the hony or ellis the houndis that folwyn the carayn / sweche manere of folk folwyn strangelyn spiritually here lordschepis / [442] for whiche thus seyth dauyd the prophete ¶ Wikkede deth mote come to sweche lordschepis / And god ȝeue that they mote discendyn in to helle al doun / for in herere housis been inyquiteis / & schrewedenessis / & noght god of heuene / [443] & certys til dey doon a-mende|ment / ryght as god ȝaf his benysoun to Pharao / bi the seruyse of Iacob / & to laban bithe the seruyse of Ioseph; so god wele ȝeue his malysoun to sweche lordschepis that sustene the wikkedenesse of here seruauntis / but they

[6-text p 624] come to a-mendement [444] ¶ Pryde of the table apperyth ek ful ofte / For certis riche men been clepid to festis / & poore folk been put a-wey & rebukid [445] And also in exces of diuerse metis & drynkis & namely sweche manere bake metis / & dischemetis brynynge with wildefeer / peynted & castellid with paper / & semblable wast / so that it is abisioun for to thynke / [446] & ek in to gret preciousnesse of vessel & coryouste of menstralsie by whiche a man is sterid the moore to delycis / of lecherye / [447] ȝif it so be that he sette the lesse his herte vp-on oure lord Ihesu crist / certeynly it is a synne. & certeynly the deuyllis myght is so greet in this cas / that a man myghte lighteli by hem falle in to a dedly synne. [448] The especes that souredyn of pryde / sothly whan they sourdyn of maleis ymagyned auysed & forcast or ellis of vsage by dedly synne / it is no doute / [449] & whanne they souredyn bi frelte on|auysed / sodeynly / & sodeynly withdrawen a-geyn alle been they greuous / synnys / I gesse that they been nat dedly [450] ¶ Now myghte men aske wherof Pride souredith & spryngit / And I seye that it spryngith sumtyme of the goodis of nature / And sumtyme of the goodis of fortune / And sumtyme of the goodis of grace / [451] Certis the goodis of nature [folio 415a] stondyn outirly in goodis of body or goodis of soule [452] Certis goodis of body; been hele of body / strenthe delyuyrnesse / Beute genterye / Fraunchise / [453] Goodis of nature of the soule; been good wit / scharp vndirstondynge / subtyl engyn / uertu naturel / good memorye / [454] Goodis of fortune been rychessis hei degreis of lordschepes / preysynge of the peple / [455] Goodis of grace been science / power to suffere spirituel trauayle / benygnetee verteuous contemplacioun / withstondynge of temptacioun / & semblable thyngis / [456] of whiche forseide goodis / certis it is a ful greet folye / a man to prydyn hym in onye of hem / alle [457]

[6-text p 625] ¶ Now as for to spekyn of goodis of nature god wot that sumtyme we han hem in nature / as meche to oure damage as to oure prophit / [458] As for to spekyn of hele of body; certis it passith ful lyghtely / & ek it is ful oftyn enchesyn of the seknesse of oure soule / ffor god wot that the flesch is a wel greet enemy to the soule / And therfore the more that the body is hol the moore be we in peril to falle [459] ¶ Ek for to pride hym in his strenthe / of body; it is an high folye ffor certis the flesch / coueythith a-geyns the spirit And ay the moore strong that the flesch is / the soryere may the soule be [460] And ouyral this strenthe of body / & wordily hardynesse / causeth ful ofte manye a man to peril & myschaunce [461] ¶ Ek for to pryde hym of his genterye / is wol greet folye for ofte tyme the gentrye of the body / benymyth the gentrie of the soule / And ek we been alle of oon / fadyr / & of on modir / & alle we been of on mater rotyn & corupt/ bothe riche & poore / [462] Forsothe on manere genterye is for to preyse / that aparaylyth manys corage / with vertuys & moraliteis / & makith hym cristis child / [463] ffor truste weel that ovir what man that synne hath maystrye he is a verray cherl to synne

[464] ¶ Now been there general signys of gentilessis / as eschuynge of vicis / and ribaudye & seruage of synne in word [folio 415b] in werk & contenaunce [465] & vsinge vertu curtaysie & clennesse & to be liberel / that is to seyne large be mesur for thilke that passith mesur; is folye & synne / [466] A nothir is to remembre hym of bounte / that he of othere folk hath resseyued / [467] A nothir is to be buxsome to hese sogettis / wherof seith Senec/ there is no thyng moore conabele to a man of hey estat / than debonayrete & pete / [468] And therfore these flyes that men clepe beis / Whan they make here kyng; they chese on that hath no prikke wherwith he may stynge // [469]

[6-text p 626] A nothir is a man to haue a noble herte / & a diligent to atteyne to here vertuuous thyngis [470] ¶ Now certis a man to pride hym in the goodis of grace / is ek an outragious folye for thilke ȝiftis of grace / that schulde a turnyd hym to goodnesse / And to medicyne turnyth hym to venym and to confusioun as seith seynt gregory // [471] Certis also ho so prydith hym in the goodis of ffortune; he is a ful greet fol / for sumtime is a man a ryȝt greet lord be the morwyn / that is a caytif & a wreche er it be euyn [472] And sumtyme the richesse of a man; is cause of his deth Sumtyme the delicis of a man; is cause of the greuous seknesse thour whiche he deyeth / [473] Certis the comendacioun of the peple / is sum|tyme ful fals & ful brethil for to triste / this day they preise / to morwe they blame. [474] god wot desir to haue commendacioun of the peple hath caused deth to manye a besi man [475] ¶ Now sithe that so is / that ȝe han vndirstonde what is pride / & whiche been the spicis of it / And whens pride sordith & spryngith /