The Harleian ms. 7334 of Chaucer's Canterbury tales. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall.

[6-text p 679]

¶ De tercia parte penitencie

[1029]

The þridde partye of penitence is Satisfaccioun and þat stondith generally in almes dede and bodily peyne [1030] ¶ Now ben þer [. . . .] of almes dede ¶ Contricioun of herte where a man offereþ himself to god ¶ The secounde is. to haue pite of þe defaute of his neighebor ¶ The þridde is. in good counseil and comfort gostly and bodily where men han neede and namely in sustenaunce of mennes foode. [1031] and take keep þat a man haþ neede of . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] cloþing and herberwe. he haþ [. . . . .] charitable counseil and visityng in prisoun and malady. and sepulture of his dede body [1032] ¶ And if þou may not visite þe needeful wiþ þy persone; visite by þy message and by þy ȝiftes. [1033] þese ben general almesses or werkes of charite of hem þat han temporal riches or discrecioun in counselynge. Of þese werkes schalt þou hieren at þe day of doom

[1034] þis almes schalt þou doon of þin oughne propur þinges and hastily and priuely if þou maist. [1035] But naþeles if þou maist not do priuely; þou schalt nouȝt forbere to do almes þough men se it / so þat it be nouȝt don for þank of þe world but oonly for þonk of ihū crist [1036] ¶ For as witnessith seint Mathewe .v^to. ¶ A cite may not ben hid þat is set on a mountayn ne non light not a lanterne and put it vnder a buisschel but men sette it on a candel stikke to lighte þe men in þe hous. [1037] Right so schal ȝoure light lighten biforn men þat men may se ȝoure goode werkes and glorifien ȝoure fader þat is in heuen

[1038] ¶ Now as to speke of bodily peyne. it is in prayere in wakinges in fastynges. in vertuous

[6-text p 680] techinges of orisouns. [1039] ȝe schul vnderstonde þat orisouns or prayeres is for to seyn a pitous wil of herte þat redresseþ in god and expressith it by word outward to remembre harmes and to haue þinges espirituel & [folio 284b] durable and som tyme temporel þinges of whiche orisouns of þe orisoun of þe pater noster haþ oure lord ihū crist enclosed most þinges [1040] ¶ Certis it is priuileged of þre þinges in his dignite . . . . . [no gap] þan any oþer prayer. For ihū crist himself maked it. [1041] and it is schort for it schulde be coud þe more lightly. and forto wiþholde it þe more esily in herte and helpe himselfe þe oftere with þe orisoun [1042] and for a man schulde be þe lasse wery to say it. and for a man may not excuse him to lerne it. it is so schort and so easy and for it comprehendith in it self alle goode prayeres [1043] ¶ The exposicioun of þis holy praier þat is so excellent and so digne. I bitake to þese maystres of theology. saue þus moche wol I sayn whan þou prayest/ þat god schulde forȝiue þe þy gultes as þou forȝiuest hem þat þey gulten to þe; be ful wel war. þat þou be not out of charite. [1044] þis holy orisoun amenisith eek venial synne. and þerfore it appendith specially to penitence.

[1045] þis praier moste be trewely sayd and in verray faith. and þat men pray to god ordinatly and dis|cretly & deuoutly and alway a man schulde putte his wille to be subiect/ to þe wille of god [1046] ¶ þis orisoun moste eek be sayd wiþ greet humblesse and ful pure honestly and nouȝt to þe annoyaunce of eny man or womman ¶ It most eek be continued with þe werkis of charite. [1047] hit auaylith agayns þe vices of þe soule / as seiþ seint Ierom ¶ By fastyng ben saued þe vices of þe soule.

[1048] ¶ After þis þou schalt vnderstonde þat bodily peyne stant in wakyng. for ihū crist saith ¶ wakith and prayeth þat ȝe ne entre not/ in to

[6-text p 681] temptacioun. [1049] ȝe schul vnderstonde þat fast|ynge stont in þre þinges ¶ In forbering of bodily mete and drink. and in forberyng of worldly iolite. and in for|bering of worldly synne. þis is to sayn þat a man schal kepe him fro dedly synne in al þat he may

[1050] ¶ And þou schalt vnderstonde eek þat god ordeyned fastyng. and to fastyng appurteynen foure þinges [1051] ¶ largesce to pouer folk. gladnes of hert espirituel. not to ben angry ne annoyed ne grucche for he fastith. and also resonable hour for to ete. ete by mesure þat is to sayn a man schulde not ete in vntyme ne sitte þe lenger at his mete for he fastith

[1052] ¶ Thanne schal þou vnderstonde þat bodily peyne stant in discipline or teching by word or by writyng or by ensample. Also in heires weryng or of stamyn or of habeiouns on her naked fleisch for cristes sake and suche maner penaunce [1053] ¶ But ware þe wel þat such maner penaunce [folio 285a] of þyn fleissh make nouȝt þin herte bitter or angry or anoyed of þiself. for better is to cast away þin hayre þan for to caste away þe swet|nes of ihū crist. [1054] and þerfor seiþ seint poule ¶ Clothe ȝow as þay þat ben chosen of god in herte of misericorde debonairete. sufferaunce and such maner of cloþing. of þe which ihū crist is more appayed þan of haires or of hauberkis

[1055] ¶ þan is eek in knokkyng on þe brest. in scourgyng wiþ ȝerdes. in knelynges. in tribulaciouns [1056] in suffring paciently wronges þat ben doon to him/ and eek in pacient sufferaunce of maledies or lesyng of worldly catel or of wif. or of child or of oþir frendes

[1057] ¶ Thanne schalt þou vnderstonde whiche þinges destourben penaunce / and þis is in foure þinges. þat is. drede. schame. hope. and wanhope. þat is desperacioun [1058] ¶ And for to speke first/ of drede for which he

[6-text p 682] weneth þat he may suffre no penaunce. [1059] þer agayns is remedye for to þinke þat bodily penaunce is but schort and litel at þe regard of þe peyne of helle þat is cruel and so long þat it/ lastith wiþouten ende

[1060] ¶ Now agains þe schame þat a man haþ to schryue him and namely þese ypocrites þat wolde be holde so parfyt þat þay haue no meede to schriue hem. [1061] agayns þat schame schulde a man þinke þat by way of resoun þat he hath not ben aschamed to do foule þinges. Certis him oughte not ben aschamed to doon faire þinges & goode þinges and þat is confessioun [1062] ¶ And man scholde eek þinke þat god seeth alle þy þoughtes and þy werkes to him may no þing be hyd ne couered [1063] men schulde eek remembre hem of þe schame þat is to come at/ þe day of doom to hem þat ben nought penitent and schriuen in þis present lif. [1064] For alle þe creatures in heuen ne in erthe and in helle schuln seen apertly al þat he hydith in þis world

[1065] ¶ Now for to speke of hem þat ben so negligent and slowe to schryue hem stant in tuo maneres [1066] ¶ þat oon is. þat he hopith for to lyue longe and for to purchace moche riches for his delyt. and þanne he wol schriue him. and as he saith he may as him semith tymely ynough come to schrifte [1067] ¶ Another is of þe Surquidie þat he haþ in cristes mercy [1068] ¶ Agains þe firste vice he schal þinke þat oure lif is in no sikernesse. and eek þat al þe riches in þis world ben in aduenture and passen as a schadowe on þe wal [1069] and as saith seint Gregory þat it apperteyneth to þe grete rightwisnes of god þat neuer schal þe [folio 285b] peyne stynte of hem þat neuer wolde wiþdrawe hem fro synne her þankes. but ay continue in synne for þilke perpetuel wille to doon synne. schul þay haue perpetuel peyne

[1070] ¶ wanhope in tuo maneres is. þe firste wan|hope is in þe mercy of crist ¶ That oþer is þat þay

[6-text p 683] þinke þay mighte nought longe perseuer in good|nesse [1071] ¶ The firste wanhope comeþ of þat he demyth þat he synned so highly and so ofte and so longe layn in synne þat he schal not be saued [1072] ¶ Certis aȝens þat cursed wanhope schulde he þenke þat þe passioun of Ihū crist is more strong for to vnbynde þan synne is strong for to bynde [1073] ¶ Agains þe secounde wanhope he schal þinke þat als ofte as he fallith; he may arise agayn by penitence / And þough he neuer so longe haue leyn in synne; þe mercy of crist is alway redy to resceyue him to mercy [1074] ¶ Agains þe wanhope þat he demeth þat he þinkith he schulde not longe perseuere in goodnesse. he schal þinke þat þe febles of þe deuel may no þing doon but men wol suffre him. [1075] And eek he schal haue strengþe of þe help of god and of al holy chirche and of þe proteccioun of aungels if him list

[1076] ¶ Thanne schal men vnderstonde what is þe fruyt of penaunce And after þe word of ihū crist ¶ hit is þe endeles blisse of heuen [1077] þer ioye haþ no contrariete of wo ne of penaunce ne greuaunce. þer alle harmes ben passed of þis present lif. ther as is þe sikernesse fro þe peyne of helle. . . . .[1078] . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] þere as is þe body of man þat whilom was seek. frel and feble and is immortal. and so strong and so hool þat þer may no þing empeire it. [1079] þer nys neyþer honger þurst ne colde. but euery soule replenisched wiþ þe sight and þe parfyt knowyng of god [1080] ¶ This blisful regne may men purchace by pouerte espirituel and þe glorie by lowe|nes. þe plente of ioye by hunger and þurst and reste by trauaile and þe lif by deth and mortificacioun of synne. [[Small break in the MS.]]