[6-text p 638] blessed name þat þay despise it more bodyly þan dede þe cursed Iewes or elles þe deuel þat tremblith whan he heerith his name
[600] ¶ Now certis sith þat swering but it be lawfully doon is so heihly defendid; moche wors is forswering falsly and ȝit needeles
[601] what say we eek of hem þat deliten hem in swering and holden it a gentery or manly dede / to swere grete othis. and what of hem þat of verray vsage / ne cessen nouȝt to swere grete oþis al be not þe cause worþ a strawe; certes þis is horrible synne [602] ¶ Sweryng sodeynly wiþout auysement is eek a synne [603] ¶ But let vs now go to þilke horrible sweryng of adiuracioun and coniuraciouns as [folio 269b] doon þese false en|chauntours or nigromanciens in bacines ful or in a bright swerd in a churche or in a fuyr or in þe schulder bon of a scheep [604] ¶ I can not sayn but þat þay doon cursedly and dampnably agains þe faith of holy chirche
[605] what say we of hem þat bilieuen on diuinailes as by flight or by nois of briddes or of bestes or by sort by geomancie. by dremes. by chirkyng of dores or crakking of howses. by gnawyng of rattis and such maner wrecchidnes [606] ¶ Certes al þis þing is defended by god and holy chirche for whiche þay ben accursed til þay come to amendement þat on such filthe bisetten here bileeue. [607] Charmes for woundes or malady of men or of bestes if þay take eny effect. it may be paraduenture þat god suffreþ hit for folk schulde ȝeue þe more faiþ and reuerence to his name
[608] ¶ Now wol I speke of lesynge whiche gener|ally is fals signifiaunce of word in entent to desceyuen his euencristen [609] Som lesyng is of whiche þer cometh noon auauntage to noon wight and som lesyng torneþ to þe ease or profit of som man.
