Robert of Brunne's "Handlyng synne".

That þou excuse nat þy synne.

Ȝyt þer ys an vnþryfte Þat doþ moche skaþe yn shryfte; Line 12340 Þat þou defendest þe fro plyȝt, And puttest þy synne on God almyȝt. So dyd oure fadyr Adam, whan God of heuene to hym cam, Line 12344 And seyd, "Adam, why art þou yn synne?" "lorde," he seyd, "my wyfe made me bygynne; Þat ychë wyfe þat þou me wroȝt, She synned fyrst, and y noȝt." Line 12348 Seeþ how Adam bygan to lye,

And put on God hys owne folye! For, God forbede þat [hym þat.] tre, [folio 82a:2] Þat he ne shulde ete þer-of, ne she: Line 12352 Seeþ how he ded, þat God forbede, And dyd aftyr hys wyuës rede; He wulde haue excused hys fame, As who seyþ 'God was to blame;' Line 12356 Þese lewed men sey, and erre ful ylle, And seye 'hyt was alle Goddys wylle.'

Ȝyf þat hyt Goddys wyl shulde be, why forbede he hym þat tre? Line 12360 Hyt may nat be, for no nede, Þat God wulde be do, he shulde forbede; Syn he forbed, hyt shulde be noȝt, Line 12363 Aȝens hys byddyng, Adam hyt wroȝt; Þan hyt semeþ, hyt was but suffraunce, Nat hys wyl, nat [ne.] hys ordynaunce, But lete hym [hym O, om. A.] haue alle hys fre wyl, Hym self for to saue or spyl. Line 12368

Nay, nay! Adam, alle mys ȝede, On God to put alle hys mysdede, As who seyþ 'he shulde nat be shent, But Eue brak þe commaundëment, Line 12372 For she ȝaue hym þe appul here lete, And God was gylty þat he hyt ete.' He myȝt a [haue.] fórsake, and seyd nay, But whan he toke hyt, he brake þe lay.

Ȝyf a man me now forbede Line 12377 þyng þat y ne shulde haue of dede, y were to blame ȝyf y hyt toke; Bettyr were fyrst þat y hyt forsoke; Line 12380 So myȝt Adam haue hyt forsake, For God for-bede þat ['þat' omitted.] none shuld be take. Syn he dyd þus aȝens hys forbode, Ho dar sey hyt was þe wyl of God? Line 12384

Ȝyt þyr are many þat þus seye, Þat alle here wyte on God wul leye,

And tellë men þus apertly Þey mow nat holdë [holde hem.] fro foly, Line 12388 And sey þey mowe nat lyuë chaste, [folio 82b] But nedly hym [hem.] behoueþ do waste.

Y seye, as þe holy man seys, He lyeþ apertely on alle weys; Line 12392 For ȝyf þat he wulde do now folye wyþ a womman yn lecherye, And ȝyf a-noþer, hyt myȝt se, At þat tyme he wulde late be; Line 12396 He ne letteþ for Goddes comaundement, [Harl. omits these two lines.] But for hym þat þere ys present. [Harl. omits these two lines.]

Alle þo þat sey 'hem byhoueþ nedely,' Þey acoupe God of here folye. Line 12400 why shulde he þat [þan.] þyng forbede, Þat nedely moste be do yn dede? hyt were foly, comaunde a þyng Þat myȝt nat ȝyue no warantyng. Line 12404

yn twey þynges, wykkedly þey sey, Þat on God here blame alle leye; Lyers algate þey are strong; Line 12407 A-noþer, þey hepe on God here wrong; wykkedly þey synne on þese maners, Þey make hym wers þan ben [be.] here peres.