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

Incipit secunda pars. eiusdem.

[316] The secunde parte of penitence; is confession þat is signe of contricione; [317] Now scholne ȝe vnder-stande; what is confessioun; And [folio 236a] [MS. repeats ^1_2 And—none] And wheþer it ouhte nedes to be or none;² And whiche þinges bene couenable; to verrey confession;

[318] ¶ ffirst schalt þou vnderstonde þat confessioun is verreye scheweinge of sinnes to þe preste; [319] þis is to seye verraly; þat he mote confessen him of all þe condicions þat be-longen to his sinne as ferforþ as he can; [320] Al mote be saide & noþinge excused; ne hidde ne awrapped And nouht auaunt him of his goode werkes [321] ¶ And forþere ouere it is necessarie to vnder|stande whense þat sinnes springen; and howe þei encresen; And whiche þere biene

[322] of springeinge of sinnes; As seiþe seint Poule on þis wise ¶ Þat rihte as be a man sinne entred first in to þis werlde & þoruht þat sinne deyede; Riht so þilke deþe entreþ in to al men þat sinneden; [323] And þis man was Adam be whome þat sinne entred into þis werlde whan þat he brakke þe commandement of god [324] ¶ And þere fore he þat first was so myhti þat he scholde not haue deied be-cam suche one þat him must nedes deie; wheþer he wolde or none; & al his progenie þat is in þis werlde þat in þilke manere synnen [325] ¶ Loke þat in þe state of innocence whan Adam & Eue

[6-text p 613] nakede weren in paradise; And noþinge schame ne hadden of here nakednesse. [326] How þat þe serpent þat was most wyly of al oþere bestes þat god had maked seide to þe womman ¶ Commaunded god to ȝowe ȝe schold nouȝt of euery tre in paradise [327] The womman anseward; Of þe fruyte quod sche of þe trees in paradyse we feden vs bot soþely of þe fruyte of þe tre þat is in þe myddel of paradise; God for-bede vs for ete ne for to touche it lest parauentour we schold deyen; [328] þ^e serpent seid to þe womman Nay nay; ȝe schol nouȝt deye of deþe; for soþe god wote þat what daie ȝe eten þereof ȝoure eyȝen schal open And ȝe scholne bue as goddes knowynge goode & harme; [329] The womman sawhe þat þ^e tre was good to fedeinge & faire to þe yȝe & delitable to þe sihte Sche toke of þ^e fruyte of þe tree & ete of it; And ȝaf it to hir husbonde & he ete; And anone þe eyȝen of hem boþe opened; [330] And when þat þei knewe þat þei weren naked; þe sowde of fige leues in manere of breches to hiden hir membres; [331] ¶ Here maye ȝe see þat dedely sinne haþ furst suggestion of þe fende; As scheweþ here be Hadder; And afterward þe delite of þ^e flesche as scheweþe here by Eua; And after þat þe consentinge of þe resoun as scheweþ be adam; [332] For. trusteþ wele þouhe so were þat þe fende tempted one; þat is to saie þe flesshe And þe flesshe hadde delite in þe beaute of þe fruyte defended; ȝite certes til þat resoun; þat is to seie; Adam consen|tynge to þe eteynge of þe fruyte þat stode hihe in þ^e state of Innocence [333] ¶ Of þilke Adam toke we þilke sinne of originale for of him flesshely discended bu we all; and engenderd of vile & corrupte matier; [334] And whan þe soule is put in oure bodye riht anone is con|tracte originale sinne; And þat was erst bot onely peyne of concupiscence is afterewarde boþe peyne & sinne; [335] And þerefor be we al yborne sonnes of

[6-text p 614] wraþ^e; And of dampnacion perdurable; if it nere Baptisme þat we receyuen; which be-nymmeþ vs þe culpe; Bot for soþe þe peyne duelleþ with vs as þe tempta [folio 236b] cione; Whiche peine hiht concupiscence [336] And þis concupiscence whan it is wrongfully disposed. or ordeinte in man; it makeþ him coueyten þe couetise of flesshly sinne be siht of his eyȝen; As to erþely þinges ¶ And eke couetise of hihenesse Be pride of hert;/

[337] Now as for to speke of þe firste couetise þat is concupiscence after þe lawe of owre membres þat weren lawfulli maked and be rihtful Iugge|ment of god [338] .I. saie for alsomuche þat man is nouhte obeissant to god þat is lorde ¶ þare for is flesshe to him disobeisant þoruhe concupiscence; . . . . .[339] . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] It is impossible bot he be distempered sum time and noyde in his flesshe to sinne [340] And þis þinge maie nouht faile; as longe as þat leueþ; It maie wele wex feble & feile be vertu of Baptime & be þe grace of god þoruhe penitence; [341] Bot fully schal it neuere quenche; þat he ne schal som time be meued in himself; Bot he were al refreyned be sekenesse or be malafice of sorcerye or colde drinkes; [342] ¶ For whatte seiþ seinte poule; The flesshe couetiþe aȝeine þe spirite; And þe spirite aȝeine þe flesche. þei bien so contrarie; & so striuen þat a man mai nouȝt done alwei as he wolde; [343] The same seiþe seinte Poule; After his grete penance in water & in land; In water be nyht & be daye in grete perile And in grete peine in lande; & in famyne & in þurst; in colde & in cloþes want|ynge; And ones stormed almoste to þe deþe; [344] ȝitte seid he Alas .I. keytif man who schal deliuer me fro þe prison; of my caitif body; [345] ¶ And seint Ierom whan he longe time had woned in deserte; Where as he hadd no compaignie bot bestes; Where as he hadde

[6-text p 615] no mete bot erbes; & water to his drink; ne no bedde bot þe naked erþe; For whiche his flesshe was blac as an Ethiopen for hete & nyhe destruyed for colde; [346] ȝete seyde he þe birneynge of lycheri boyled in al his body [347] ¶ Where-for .I. wote wele sekurly þat þei bu desceyuede þat seine þat þei ne bien nouȝt tempted in her body; [348] wittenesse of seint Iame þe Appostle þat seiþe þat euery whihte is tempted in his owen con|cupiscence; þat is to seye þat eueryche of vs haþe matier & occasion to be tempted of þe norissheinge of sinne þat is in his bodye [349] ¶ And þerfore seiþ seinte Iohn in þe euaungeliste; If þat we seine þat we be wiþ outen sinne we deceyuen oureself & treuþe is nouht in vs;

[350] ¶ Nowe scholn ȝe vnderstonde in what manere sinne waxeþ & encreseþ in man; The first þinge is þilke norischeinge of sinne of whiche .I. spak be forne þilke concupiscence; [351] And after þat commeþ þ^e suggestione of þe deuel; þis is to seie þe deueles belye þe whiche he bloweþ in man þe fire of concupiscence [352] ¶ And after þat a man be|þinkeþ him wheþere he wil do or none þilk þinge to whiche he is tempted; [353] And þan if þat a man wiþ-stande and weife þe firste entiseinge of his flesshe and of oþe fende; þan is it no sinne; And if so be þat he do not so þan feleþ he anone a flamme of delite; [354] and þan it is goode to be ware & to kepe him wele; or elles he wil fall anone in to consentynge of sinne; And [folio 237a] þan wil he do it if he maye haue time & space; [355] And of þis matier seiþ Moyses be þe deuel in þis manere; The fende fende seiþe .I. wil chace & pursewe þe man be wikked suggestiones; and .I. wil hente him be moveinge or stereinge of sinne ¶ And .I. will departe my prise or my preye be de|liberacion & my lust schal bue complised in delice; I. wil drawe my swerde in consentinge; [356] ¶ For certes riht as as a swerde departeþ a þinge in two peces; Riht

[6-text p 616] so consentinge departeþ god fro man. … And þan wil .I. sle him with myne honde in deþe of sinne; þus seiþe þe fende. [357] For certes þan is a man al dede in soule; And þus is sinne complised by tempt|acion be delite & be consentynge; And þan is sinne cleped; a [[auū for actu]] uūiel;

[358] ¶ For soþe sinne is in two maners; eyþere it is veniale sinne or dedely sinne Soþe whan men loveþ any creature more þan ihesu criste oure creatour þan is it dedely sinne; And venial sinne is if man loue ihesu crist lesse þan him ouht; [359] The dede for soþe of þis venial sinne is ful perilous. For it amenuseþ þe loue þat men schold haue to god more & more; [360] ¶ And þerfor if a man charge more him self wiþ suche mony venial sinnes certes bot if it so be þat he sum tym discharge him be schrift; þei maie ful lihtly amenuse in him al þe loue þat he haþ to ihesu criste; [361] And in þis scippeþe venial in to dedely sinne ¶ For certes þe more þat a man chargeþ his soule wiþ venial sinnes; þe more is he enclined to fal in dedely sinne; [362] And þerfore lat vs not be necligent to discharge vs of veniale sinnes; ffor þe prouerbe seiþe; þat mony a smale makeþ a grete; [363] An herken þis ensample; A grete wawe of þe see commeþ sum time wiþ so grete a violence; þat it drencheþ þe schippe ¶ And þe same harme done som tim þe smale dropes [¶ Exemplum] of water; þat entreþ þoruhe a luytel creuyse in to þe þurroke & in to þe bothom of þe schippe if men bu so necligent; þat men ne discharge hem nouht be time; [364] And þerfore al þouhe þere bue difference betuex þes tuo causes of drencheinge; Algate þe schipe is dreinte; [365] Riht so fareþ it somtyme of dedely sinne; & of anoyous venials sinnes whan þei multiplie in a man so gretely; þat þilke werldly þinges þat þoruhe whiche He sinneþ venyaly; ys as grete in his herte as þe loue of god or more [366]

[6-text p 617] ¹And þere-for þe loue of euery þinge þat is not be-sette in gode; ne done principale for goddes sake; Al þouhe a man loue it lasse þan god; ȝit is it venial sinne; [367] And dedely sinne whan þe loue of any þinge weyeþe in þe hert of a man as muche as þe loue of god ore¹ [[^1_1 repeated in MS. at ¶]] more [368] ¶ more dedely sinne As seiþ seinte Austine; is whan man turneþ his herte fro god whiche þat is verrey souereyne bounte þat mai nouht chaunge; & ȝiveþ [folio 237b] his herte to a þinge þat mai chaunge & flitte; [369] And certes þat is euery þinge saue onely god of heuene; For soþe is if þat a man ȝiueþ his loue whiche þat he oweþe al to god. with al his herte vnto a creature; Certes as muche of loue as he ȝeueth to whiche creature so muche bereueþ fro god; [370] And þer for doþe he sinne; For he þat is dettour to god ne ȝeldeþ nouȝ al his dette to god þat his to seye al þe loue of his herte

[371] ¶ Nowe seþ þat a man vnderstandeþ generaly. Whyche is venyale sinne Than is it couenable to tellen of special sinnes whiche þat a man peraduenture ne demeþ hem nouht sinnes ne schriueþ hem nouht of þe same þinges And ȝit naþeles þei bue sinnes; [372] ¶ As clerkes writen soþly þis is to seye þat euery time þat a man eteþ or drinkeþ more þan sufficeþ to þe sustinance of his body; in certeine he doþe sinn [373] And eke whane he spekeþ more þan it nede; it is sinne; Eke whan he herkeneþ nouht mekely þe compleinte of þe pore; [374] eke whan he is in hele of body & wol nouht fast whan oþere men fast wiþ outen cause resonable; Eke whenne he slepeþ more þan him nedeþ; or whan he commeþ be þilk encheson late to cherche or to oþere werkes of charite; [375] Eke whan he vseþ his wif wiþ oute souereine desire of engendrure to þe honour of god; or for þentent to ȝelde to his wif þe dette of his body; [376] Eke whan he wil not vesete þe seke; or prisoners whan he maie;

[6-text p 618] eke if he loue wif or childe or any werldly þinge more þan reson requireþ; Eke if he flater or blandische more þan him ouht for any necessite; [377] Eke if he amenuseþ or wiþdraweþ þe almos of þe pore; Eke if he appareleþ his mete mor deliciouly þan nede is or ete it to hastely be lykurus|nesse; [378] eke if he tel vanitees att þe cherche or in goddes seruise; or þat he be a talker of ydel wordes of Folye or of velanye; ffor he schal ȝelde acomptes of it att þe daie of dome; [379] Eke whan he beheteþ or assureþ to done þinges þat he may not performe; Eke whan þat be lyhtenesse of foly mysvseþ or scorneþ his neyhboure [380] Eke whan he haþe any suspecione of þinge þere he ne wote of it no soþe|fastnesse; [381] Thes þinge & mo wiþ owten nombre buen sinnes as seiþ seinte Austine

[382] ¶ Now scholȝe vnderstonde þat albeit so þat none erþely man maye eschewe al veniale sinnes; ȝit maie he refreyne him be þe birneinge loue þat he haþe to oure lorde ihesu criste; And be preyers & be confession & oþere good werkes; so þat it schal bot litel greue; [383] ffor as seiþe seint austyne; If a man lof god in suche manere þat al þat euere he doþe is in þe loue of god or for þe loue of god verreyly; for he birneþ in þe loue of god; [384] Loke howe muche þat a drope of water falleþ in a fornayce & fol of fire anoyeþ or greueþe; so muche a venial sinne is vnto a man þat is parfite in þe loue of ihesu crist; [385] ¶ Men maye also refreine venial sinne; be þe receyueinge of þe preciouse body of ihesu crist; [386] be receyueinge eke of holy water; be almusdede/ be general confession of þe confiteor att þe masse; Att complyne; & be blissinge of bysschopes & be prestes & by oþer good werkes;