Robert of Brunne's "Handlyng synne".

About this Item

Title
Robert of Brunne's "Handlyng synne".
Author
Mannyng, Robert, fl. 1288-1338.
Publication
London :: Pub. for the Early English text society, by K. Paul, Trench, Trübner & co., ltd.,
1901-[03].
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Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/AHA2735.0001.001
Cite this Item
"Robert of Brunne's "Handlyng synne"." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/AHA2735.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 22, 2025.

Pages

Page 386

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That þou falle nat yn wanhope.
Haue no wanhope, for no maner of kas; Be nat lyke Kaym ne Iudas. Þe werst þarfore, y wylle fyrst grope, Þat man kalle 'wanhope:' Line 12292 Al tymes ys God more ['more' omitted.] wroþer with þys Þan with any oþer þyng [synne.] þat ys; Þyr ys no synne þat men of rede, Só moche withseyþ þe godhede; Line 12296 For wanhope wenyþ þat þe foly Be more þan [þan ys.] Goddës mercy; And ȝyf þou wene þat synne be more, Þou wenest þat þe godhede, so moche ne wore, Line 12300 Ne had so mochë myȝt hym ynne, Þat hyt myȝt fórȝyue alle þy synne.
Se how wanhope, man wyl shende Aȝens þe godhede with-outyn ende! Line 12304 Hyt ys no wundyr, þogh he be wroþe; Hyt aȝenseyþ hys myȝt & hys ['hys' omitted.] mercy boþe.
Swych shryfte madë wreched Kaym, whan he hadde hys broþer slayn; Line 12308 'Of God,' he seyd, 'he was nat wurþy, For hys grete synne, to haue mercy.' For hys wanhope, þat foule glotoun, God ȝaue hym hys malysun; Line 12312 And alle þo, þat trowe synne may be Morë þan Goddës pyte. [folio 82a]
And swych shryftë, made Iudas; He shrouë hym of hys trespas, Line 12316 He hadde grete sorowe and contrycyun Þat he ded hys lorde tresun; Þer-of he repented hym so gretly, Line 12319 he ȝede and hyng hym self ful hy; He shroue hym with grete répentaunce,

Page 387

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But of Goddys mercy he hadde none affy|aunce. Line 12322
Here mowe ȝe se, þat shryfte and sorowe Alle only may no man borowe, But he haue gode hope, whan he ys shryue, Þat hys synne shal be forȝyue: Þys shal ȝe beleue, with-outë nay, Þat, God wyl forȝyue, and may. Line 12328
An holy man þys samë spelleþ Þat of Iudas wanhope telleþ, 'For hys wanhope, God wroþer was, Þan for hys tresun or ouþer trespas; Hys wanhope toke he more to grefe, Þan hys takyng, as a þefe.' Line 12334
Ihesu, ful of mercy mylde, Fro wanhope vs allë shylde, And graunte vs alle swych 1hope & sted|fast1 [[1_1 overline: leave out stedfast]] trouþe þat þy mercy on vs haue rouþe! Line 12338
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