The Lansdowne ms of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall.

De Auaricia. [de avaricia]

[739]

Affter Accidie wil .I. speke of avarice; & of Couetyse // Off whiche sinne seiþ seint Paule; þat þe rote of al sinnes is couetise; Ad Thimotheum 6^o. [740] ¶ For soþely whan þe herte of a man is confounded in hit selfe & trouble & þat þe soule haþe loste þe comforte of god; þan sikeþ he ane ydel solace of werldely þinges;

[741] ¶ Auarice after þe scripcione of seint Austyne; is a lykerousnes in hert to haue erþely þinges; [742] Somme oþere folk seyne þat Auarice is for to purchase mony erþely þinges; & no þinge ȝiue to hem þat haue nede [743] ¶ And vnderstand þou wele; þat auarice nys nouht onelye in lande ne in catell; bot sum time in science and in glorye And in euery manere of outrageous þinges is aueryce; & couetyse; [744] ¶ And þe difference be-tuex Auarice & couetise is þis; Couetise is for to coueyte suche þinges as þou haste nouht; = And Auarice is to wiþ-holde & kepe suche þinges as þou hast wiþ outen rihtful nede [745] ¶ Soþely þis Auarice is a sinne þat is ful dampnable; ffor al holy writte curseþ it; & spekeþ aȝeines it; ffor it doþe wronge to ihesu criste; [746] for it be-reueþ him þe loue þat men to him owen. And turneþ it bakwarde aȝeines al reson; [747] & makeþ þat þe Auaricious man haþe more hope in his catel þan in ihesu criste; And . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] [748] þerefor seiþe

[6-text p 652] seinte poule. Ephecios 5^o. þat Auarous man is þral to ydolatrie;

[749] What difference is betuex an ydolastre & an Auarous man; Bot þat an ydolatre & an Auaricious man par|aduentur ne haþe bot one maumet; or tuo; And þe Auaricious man haþ monye; For certes euery floreine in his copher is a mawmet; [750] And certes þe sinne of Maumatrie is þat god in þe ten commandementes; As bereþ [folio 246a] wittenesse in exodi .capitulo .20. [751] þou schalt haue none fals goddes beforne me; Ne þou schalt make to þe no graue þinge; þus þan is an Avaricious man þat loueþ his tresor a-forne god; And ydolatre [752] þoruhe his sinne of Auarice & of couetise; be whiche commen þis harde lordeschipes þoruhe whiche mene bien streyned be talyage costomes & Cariages More þan here dewte or reson is And elles take þei of her bonde|men amerciament; whiche myht more resonable be cleped extorcions þan mercymentes; [753] Of whiche mercimentes And raunsons of bonde men somme lorde stewardes sein þat it is rihtful; for also muche as a cherle haþe no temporele þinge þat ne is þe lordes as þei seine. [754] Bot certes þis lordeschipes done wronge þat bereueþ hir bondefolke þinges; þat þei ne ȝafe hem; Augustinus de Ciuitate dei .li^o .9. [755] Soþe is þat þe condicion of þraldome & þe first cause of þraldom is for sinne. Genesis .5.

[756] þus maye ȝe seene þat þe gilt deserueþ þraldome Bot note nature; [757] Where-fore þes lordes schold nouȝt much glorifie hem in here lordeschipe seþþen þat bu naturel condicion þei bien lordes ouer her þralles; Bot for þat þat þraldom cam firste be desert of sinne; = [758] And ferþere ouer; þere as þe lawe seiþe; þat temporel goodes of bonde folke bien þe goodes of here lordeschipes: ȝe þat is for to vnderstande þe goodes of þe Emperour To defende hem in here riht; bot not to Robbe hem ne to Reue hem; [759] And þerfore

[6-text p 653] seiþe Senec þi prudence schold leue benyngly with þi þrall ¶ [760] þilke þat þou clepest þi þrall bien cristes peple; For humble folke bien criste frendes; þei bien contuberniale with þe lorde

[761] ¶ þenke eke þat suche sede as cherles springen; of suche seede springen lordes; as wele may þe cherle be saued as þe lorde; [762] þe same deþe þat takeþ þe cherle; þe same deþ takeþe þe lorde; wherfore I rede do riht so wiþ þi cherle as þou woldest þi lorde dide with þe if þou were in his plite. [763] ¶ Euery sinful man is a cherle to sinne; ¶ I rede þe certes þat þou lorde þou wirche in suche wise; þat þine cherles raþer loue þe þan drede þe [764] ¶ I. wote wele þer is degre aboue degre as reson is; And scyll is þat men don here deuere þere as it is diewe; Bot certes extorcions & dispites of ȝoure vnderlinges is dampnable;

[765] ¶ And forþere ouere vnderstond wele; þat conquerours or tirantes maken ful often; þralles of hem þat bien borne of as Roial blode as ben þei þat hem conqueren; [766] This name of þraldom was neuere knowe erst til þat Noe seide of his sonne Canaan scholde be þrale to his breþerne for his sinne; [767] what sey we þan of hem þat pilen And done extorcions to holy chirche ¶ Certes þe swerde þat men ȝeuen first to a knyhte whan he is newe dubbid; signifieþ þat he scholde defende holy chirche; & nouht rob it; And who so doþe is a traitour to criste [768] as seiþ seinte Austine; þei buen deuels wolues þat stranglen þe schepe of ihesu criste; & done wers þan wolues; [769] ¶ ffor soþely whan þe wolfe haþ ful his wombe He stinteþ to strangel schepe; Bot soþely þe piloures & distrey|ours of goodes of holy chirche done not so; for þe stint neuer to pilen; [770] ¶ Now as .I. [folio 246b] haue seide; Seþen so is þat sinn was first cause of þraldome; þan it is

[6-text p 654] þus þat þilke time þat al þe werld was in sinne; þan was al þis werlde in þraldome And in subiectione; = [771] Bot certes Sethins þe time of grace Cam; god ordeynde þat somme folke scholde be more hihe in Estate; & hihe degree; And somme folke more lowe; & þat eueryche schold be serued in his estate & in his degre; [772] And þerfore in somme contrees þere þei be þrales; whan þei haue turned hem to þe feiþe; þei maken here þralles fre oute of þraldome; And þerfore certes þ^e lorde oweþ to his manne þat þe man oweþ to his lorde ¶ [773] þe Pope clepeþ him self seruant of þe seruantes of god ¶ Bot for as muche as þ^e state of holy chirche ne myht nouht haue be kepped; Ne þe commune profit miȝt haue be kepped; ne pese & rest in erþe; bot if god hadde ordeynde þat sommen haue hier degre & som men lowere; [774] þerfore was souereygnte ordeyned to kepe & mayntene; & de|fende here vnderlinges or her soubiectes in reson; as fer|forþ as it liþe in hir pouere; And nouht to destreye hem ne as ferforþe confounden; [775] Wher for .I. saye þat þilke lordes þat bien þilke wolves; þat deuoure þe possessions or þe catel of pore folke wrongefully wiþ outen Mercye or Mesore; [776] þei schollen receyuen bue þ^e same mesure þat þei haue mesured to pore folke þe mercy of ihesu criste bot it bue amended; [777] ¶ Nowe commeþ disceite b[e]tuex Marchant & marchant; ¶ And þou schalt vnder|stant þat Marchandise is in mony maners; þat one is bodely; & þ^e toþere is gostlye ¶ þat one is lefful & þ^e toþere is dishoneste & vnleful; [778] Of þilke bodely marchandise þat is leful & honest is þis; þat þere as god haþ ordeigned þat a regne or a contre is sufficeant him selfe þan is it honeste & lefull þat of þe abundance of þis contree; þat men helpe a noþere contree þat is more nedye; [779] And þere fore þere mote be marchantz to bringen fro þe to cuntre to þe toþere her march|andise;

[6-text p 655] [780] þe toþere Merchandise þat men haunte wiþ fraude; & trecherye & disceyte wiþe lesinges & fals oþes; is cursed & dampnable [781] ¶ Espyrituel marchandise is properely Symony; þat is ententif desire to by þinge espirituele; þat is þinge þat apparteneþ to þe seintuarye of god; & to cure of þe soule; [782] This desire if so be þat a man do his diligence to performe it al be it þat his desire ne take none effecte ȝit is it to him dedely sinne; And if he be ordrede he is Irregulere; [783] ¶ Certes Symonye; is clepid of Simon Magus þat wolde haue bouht with þe temporele catell þe ȝeft þat god had ȝouen by þe holy goste to seinte Peter; & to þe Apostoles; [784] And þerfore vnderstandeþ; þat boþ he þat selleþ & he þat byeþ þinges espirituels bien cleped Symonyals ¶ be it Catel; be it be procureinge; Ore be fleschely preyere of his frendes or of spirituel frendes [785] ¶ Flesschely; in tuo maners; as by kinred; or as by oþere frendes or of spirituel frendes. ¶ Soþely if þei prey for him þat is not able & worþi; it is Symonye; If he take þ^e benefice; & if he be worþi & able; he nys none; [786] ¶ þe toþere maner is whan a man or a womman preyeþe; preye for folke to auaunce hem only for wikked fleschely affeccione; þat þei haue vn to þe persones; & þat is in foule Symony; [787] Bot certes in seruices for whiche men ȝeuen þinges espirituels vnto her seruantes; It mote bien vnderstonde þat þe seruice most be honeste & elles note; And eke þat it be wiþ outen Barganynge & þat þe persone be able; [788] ffor as seiþe seinte Damasye; Al þe sinnes [folio 247a] of þe worlde att þe regarde of þis sinne biene as a þinge of nouht; For it is þe grestest sinne þat may be; after; þe sinne of lucifer & of antecriste; [789] ffor be þis sinne gor for-leseþ þe chirche & þe soule þat he bouhte wiþ his precious blode; by hem þat ȝeue cherches to hem þat biene nouht digne; [790] For þei putten inn þeues þat

[6-text p 656] stelen þe soule of ihesu criste & destruyeþ his patri|moigne [791] ¶ Be. suche vndigne prestes; & Curates haue men þe lasse Reuerence of þe sacramentz of holychirche; ¶ And suche ȝeuers of chirches putten oute þe childerne of criste; & putten in to þe cherche þe deueles owen sone [792] þei sellen þe soules; þe lombe þei kepen to þe wolf þat strangelleþ hem; And þerefore schol þei neuer houe parte of þe pasture of þe lombes þat is in þe blisse of heuen; [793] ¶ Nowe commeþ hasardy with his apur|tenance as tables & rawfles of whiche commeþ deceyte & fals oþes chideinge; & al rauynges; blasphemyinge & reniinge of god & hate of his neybours; wasteinges of goodes myspendinge of time; And sumtyme man|slawhter [794] ¶ Certes hasardours nemaye nouht be wiþ oute grete sinne whiles þei haunte þat crafte [795] ¶ Of Auarice commeþe eke leseinges þeft & false wittenesse; Fals oþes; And ȝe schall vnderstonde; þat þes bien grete sinnes & expresse aȝeines þe commandementes of god as .I. haue seide; [796] ¶ Fals wittnesse is in worde & eke in dede. In worde as for to be-reve þi neyhbours good name By þine fals witnesinge. Or be-reue him his Catell; or his heritage be þine fals wyttenesinge; ¶ whan þou for Ire or for meede or for envy berest fals wittenesse or accusest him or excusest him by þine fals witnesse; or elles ex|cusest þi self falsly [797] ¶ Ware ȝoue qwestmongers & notories ¶ Certes for false witnesseinge was Susanna in grete sorwe; & peyne; & mony anoþer mo [798] ¶ The sinne of þeft is eke expresse aȝeines godes heste; & þat in tuo maners Corporele & spirituele [799] [Corporele] as for to take þine neyhbours Catel aȝeines his will be it be force or be sleyht; be it be mette; or be mesure; [800] By steleinge eke of fals enditementes vpon him; And in borwein of þin neyhbours Catell; in entent neuere to paye; & semblable þinges [801] ¶ Es|pirituel þeft is sacrilege þat is to seye vrt|ynge

[6-text p 657] of holy þinges; or of þinges sacred to criste in tue maners by reson. of þe holy place as chirches or chirche hawes; [802] ffor euery. violence sinne þat men done in suche place may bue cleped Sacrilege; Or euery violence in þe semblable place; Also þei þat wiþ-drawen falsly þe rihtes þat longen to holy cherche; [803] And pleynely & generaly sacrilege is to ȝeue holy þinge fro holy place; or vnholy þinge oute of holy place; or holy þinge oute of vn|holy place;