Robert of Brunne's "Handlyng synne".

Roberd of Brunne's "Handlyng Synne."

[Harl. MS. 1701; Bodl. 415.] [The Readings in the English notes are from Bodl. 415 (generally named O.) except when markt Harl. for Harl. 1701, or D. for Dulwich 24.]

Here bygynneþ þe boke þat men clepyn yn frenshe Manuele pecche, þe whych boke made yn frenshe, Roberd Gros-test, Bysshop of Lyncolne.

[Bodl. 415 has this too. The Dulwich MS. 24 has only 'Manuel de Pecche,' and at top in a later hand, 'God be þe fyndere,' and the first four lines of the text repeated.] [THE PROLOG.] [Bodl. 415 has this too. The Dulwich MS. 24 has only 'Manuel de Pecche,' and at top in a later hand, 'God be þe fyndere,' and the first four lines of the text repeated.]

FADYR, and Sone, & holy goste, Þat art o god of myȝtës moste, [is oo god . and myȝt haþ most D.] At þy [his . . . we schul D.] wurschyp [worshepe [o inserted] O.] shul we bygynne, To shame þe fende & shew [shewe O, schoue D.] oure synne; Line 4 Synne to shewë, [shewe O, shew Harl.] vs to frame, [eschewe vs þer D.] God to wurschyp, [worshepe [o inserted] O.] þe fende to shame. Shameful synne ys gode to lete, Al þat men do, boþe smale & grete: [Alle þo þat men don smale or D.] Line 8 Þe grete, withoutyn pryuyte, That ben [beyn O, is D.] commune to me & the, Of hem wyl [wyle O.] y telle ȝow nede [þerof telle I wil and not hyde D.] As y haue herde & red [rede O.] yn dede. [red. herd and sayde . D.] Line 12

Of þyse þan ys my [of þe ferste þan is oure D.] sawe, þe commaundementys of the oldë lawe, Þysë ten were fyrst vs [Þo ten . . vs be D.] ȝeuyn,

And fyrst we wylyn [welyn O.] of hem [of hem we schuld D.] be shreuyn, Yn what [qwhatt D.] poyntys þat we falle Line 17 Yn opon synne aȝen [a-ȝens D.] hem alle.

And syþen of þe seuene synnes, [synnys OD.] In what [qwaht D.] þyng [þynge D.] þe fende vs wynnes; [wynnys OD.] Line 20 And syþen of synne of sacrylege, [sacrilage O, and þe s. of sacrylege D.] Þat ys to holy chyrche outrage; And of þe sacramentys seuene Þat techyn vs [teche ȝow D.] to þe blys [blysse O, blisse D.] of heuene; Line 24

Syþyn of þe tweluë poyntes of shryfte, And of þe twelue gracys of here [And þe . . . goddis D.] ȝyfte; Al þat toucheþ dedly synne, In any spyce [ony speche D.] þat we falle ynne, Line 28 þat ys oponly seen or [opynly in dede D.] wrouȝt.

Of pryuytes [pryuytees O. See line 83 of French.] speke y ryȝt [ryȝt D, om. HO.] nouȝt; Þe pryuytes [pryuytees O. See line 83 of French.] wyl [wyle O.] y nat name For none [noun, or none O.] þareforë shulde me [bere D.] blame; Line 32 Leuer ys me þat þey be hydde, þan for me were oponly kydde. [oponly were kydde O, þorwh me opynly were kyd D.] Noþeles þey mote be shreuyn [but ȝit be-hovyth vs þer-of be schreue D, shreuyen O.] ȝyf ȝyfte of gracë shal be ȝeuyn. [ȝeue D.] Line 36

Of þys clerkys [See line 91, etc. of the French.] wyl [wyle O.] y nouȝt seye; To greuë [greuyn D.] hem y haue grete eye, For þey wote þat ys to wetyn, [þei knowe wel þat is to wete D.] [folio 1a:2] And se hyt wel before hem wrytyn. [& sen it ofte b. h. wrete D.] Line 40

Þat may be weyl on englyssh tolde, To telle ȝow þat, y may be bolde; [ȝow I am be-hold D (part of the leaf is torn off).] For lewdë [lewede O, lewyd D. See l. 113 of the French.] men y vndyr-toke

On englyssh tunge to make þys boke. Line 44 For many ben [beyn O, a[rn] D.] of swyche manere, Þat talys and rymys wyl [wyle O, rymys woldyn here D. See ll. 79-80 of the French.] bleþly here; Yn gamys, & [yn O.] festys, & at þe ale, Loue men to lestene trotëuale: [trotouale O, to telle trotyuale D.] Line 48 Þat may falle ofte to vylanye, [velanye O.] To dedly synne, or oþer folye; [& oþer folyȝe D.] For swyche men haue y made þis [þys O.] ryme Þat þey [Þey O, om. Harl.] may weyl dyspende here tyme, And þere-yn sumwhat for to here, Line 53 To leue al swychë foul manere, And for to kunnë [kun O.] knowe þerynne Þat þey wene no synne be ynne. Line 56

To alle crystyn men vndir sunne, And to godë men of Brunne, And specïali, alle be name, Þe felaushepe of Symprynghame, Line 60 Roberd of Brunnë [Robert of brunne D, leaf 1, back.] greteþ ȝow In al godenesse [alle godenes O, al goodness D.] þat may to prow. [be prow D.]

Of Brunnëwakë [Brunne wake D, brymwake HO.] yn Kesteuene, Syxe myle be-syde [fro D.] Sympryngham euene, Y dwelled [duellyde O.] yn þe [þat D.] pryorye Line 65 Fyftenë ȝere yn cumpanye, [compayne O, good cumpany D.] In þe tyme of gode dane Ione [Daun Ioh D.] Of Camelton, þat now ys gone: Line 68 In hys tyme was y þere ten ȝeres, And knewe [knew O.] and herd of hys [his goode D.] maneres; Syþyn with dane [dan O, dan Joh Ioh Clatton D.] Ione of Clyntone, Fyue wyntyr [ȝeer D.] wyþ hym gan y wone; Line 72 Dane Felyp [Philipp D.] was maystér þat tyme Þat y began [be ganne O.] þys englyssh ryme. Þe ȝeres [ȝers O, ȝeer D.] of grace fyl þan to be

A þousynd & þre hundred & þre. Line 76

In þat tymë turnede [tournede O, turned D.] y þys [folio 1b] On englyssh [In to ynglysch t. o. of frensch D.] tunge out of frankys, Of a boke as y fonde ynne; [Out of . . . . þer inne D.] Men clepyn þe bokë "handlyng [callyd þe book handlyng of D.] synne."

In [of D.] frenshë þer a clerk hyt sees, Line 81 He clepyþ hyt "manuel de pecches." [pecchees O, callyd it . . pecches D.] 'Manuel' ys 'handlyng [handlynge O.] with honde;' 'Pecches' [pecchees O, callyd it . . pecches D.] ys 'synne,' y [to O.] vndyrstonde. [arn synnys to vnderstond D.] Line 84 Þese twey wurdys [wrdys O.] þat beyn otwynne, [to . . . arn a twynne D.] Do [put D.] hem to gedyr, ys "handlyng [handlynge O.] synne." And weyl ys clepyd, for þys skyle; [callyd . . skele D.] And as y wote, ȝow shew [shewe O.] y wyle. [fond schewyn I wele D.] Line 88

We handel synnë euery day; [euer dayly D.] In wurde [wrde O.] and dedë, al [al þat O.] we may, [or dede with oþer foly D.] Lytyl or mochel, [mechil D.] synne we do, Þe fend and oure flesh tysyn [þe flesch techith D.] vs þerto; Line 92 ffór þys skyle hyt may [may wel D.] be seyde 'Handlyng [handlynge O.] synne' for oure mysbreyde; ffor euery day & euery [day . many an D (rest of leaf torn).] oure We synne þat shal we bye ful [we a beyȝe D.] soure. Line 96

Anoþer [A nouþyr O, and ofte handlyng it D (part of leaf gone).] handlyng [handlynge O.] þer shuld be, Wyþ shryfte of mouþe to clensë þe. Handyl þy synnë yn þy þouȝt, [þoghte O.] Lytyl & mochel, what þou hast wroght; Handyl þy [remembre þo D.] synne to hauë drede; Line 101 Noþyng [Noþynge O.] but peyn [peyne O.] ys þarfore mede. Handyl þy synnes, & weyl hem gesse, How þey fordo [fordoun O.] al þy godenesse. Line 104 Handyl þy synnes, ³¹& weyl hem euene,³¹ [31_31 alle weyl and euene O.] Ellës forbarre þey [how þei f. D.] þe blys [blysse O.] of heuene.

Handyl hem at onys euerychone, Noght onë by hym self alone. Line 108 Handyl so to ryse from alle, Þat nonë makë þe eft [oft to O.] falle, With shryfte of mouþe, & wyl of herte, And a party, with penaunce smerte; Line 112 Þys ys a skyl [skyle O.] þat hyt may [shyl & may D (leaf 2).] be tolde Handlyng [Handlynge.] synnë many a folde. [in many fold D.]

Handlyng [Handlynge.] yn spechë [þe handlyng in spycys D.] ys as weyl [folio 1b:2] As handlyng [Handlynge.] yn dedë euery deyl. Line 116 On þys manere handyl þy dedys, And lestene and lerne whan any hem [qwat I þe D.] redys. Þou darst neuer recche where þou bygynne, [he þar not rekke wher he gynne D.] For euery-whare ys bygynnyng [begynnynge O, þer þe begynnyng is D.] of synne; whedyr [whedyr outys O, qwhere he be-gynnyth to opene his book D.] þou wylt opon [opone O.] þe boke, Line 121 Þou shalt fynde begynnyng [begynnynge O, þer þe begynnyng is D.] oueral [on O, haþ a begynnyng on D.] to loke: Oueral ys bygynnyng, [begynnynge O, þer þe begynnyng is D.] oueral [& oueral D.] ys ende; Hou þat þou wylt turne [turne hyt O, how so euere it turne D.] or wende, Line 124 Many þyngys [See l. 73, etc. of French, and 79 for l. 127 English.] mayst þou þeryn [þer yn mayst þou O, maybe þerinne D.] here; With oft [oft Harl., oftyn O.] redyng, [redynge O.] mayst þou [men may it D.] lere; Þou mayst nat, [nouȝt O, He may not D.] with onys redyng, [redynge O.] knowe þe soþe of euery þyng. [þynge O.] Line 128 Handyl, hyt behoueþ, oft [þe ofte O.] syþys, To many maner synnes hyt wryþys. [handle it ofte for to wete D, for many synnys here-in be wrete. D.]

Talys shalt þou [schal he D.] fynde þerynne, And chauncys þat haþ happed for [haue happyde O, for þat han falle for dyuers D.] synne; Meruelys, some as y fonde wrytyn, [fynde wrete D.] Line 133

Line 133 And oþer [ouþyr O.] þat haue be seyn [seye O.] & wetyn; [han be seyn ȝe noun wete D.] None ben þare-yn, [be þer ynne O, Now am þerin. D.] more ne lesse, But þat y founde wryte, [fonde wrete O, þan I fond wreten D.] or had [hadde O, & haue D.] wytnesse. Þarefore may hyt, [it may D.] & gode skyl [skyle O, skele qwhy D.] why, Line 137 'Handlyng [Handlynge O, handlyng of D.] synne' be [be O, be callyd D, ys H; still, is is a root, and in the Northern dialect we find I is, they is, etc. Phil. Soc. Proc. ii. 150-1.] clepyd oponly; For hyt toucheþ no priuite, But opyn [opon O.] synne þat called may be. Line 140

Begynne we þan to telle yn hast, [haste O, þanne now yn hast D.] with fadyr and sone and holy gost, [hely gaste O.] And yn wurschyp [wrshepe O, In þe wurschepe D.] of oure [our O.] lady, And al [alle O, alle seyntis þat ben hir by D.] þe halewys þat beyn hem by: Line 144 Þey ȝeue [ȝyue O.] vs grace ryȝt [ryþ O, om. D.] so to deme, Vs to profyt, [proffyte O, note D.] and god to queme.