Enuye foloweÞ pryde comenlye. [Inuidia]
Whan men faren welle, he is sorye;
Whan men faren yuel, he ioyeþ wiþ ynne;
He laweþ neu[e]r, but at synne.
Wraþe vn to þise two ys knytte; [Ira]
To take vengeaunce ys alle hys wytte,
To slee, to smyȝte, to procure woo,
To wary folke, to sclaunder also.
The couetouse man knoweþ no skylle, [Auaricia]
Alle þis world maye not hym fylle;
The worldes welþe he wylleþ ay
Wiþ ryȝte or wronge gete, wheþer he may.
Glotenye haþ grete appetyte [Gula]
To eete erly and late hys delyȝte.
He loueþ no mesure of etynge,
And aye he wold be drynkynge.
The sixte synne ys lecherye, [folio 306] [Luxuria]
To many a soule yt worcheþ noye.
But men yt leue and hem amende,
In fyre of helle þ[e]i schulle be breende.
Slownesse ys a cursed þinge, [Accidia]
For yt ys ay wery of wylle doynge.
Good werke hym loþeþ to bygynne,
And lytyl þere of wolle he blynne.
Þese ben þe synnes seuene
Þat reuen a man þe blysse of heuene.
C. Ms. Arundel 20 (Papier, 15. saec.).
Die Zehn Gebote finden sich auf fol. 43-56 b, die Sieben Todsünden von fol. 57-70 b; beides sind lang ausgeführte und mit Narrationes durchsetzte Traktate. Als Probe möge die erste Strophe von beiden genügen.
The fyrst commandment off all þe lawe
Ys: þou xalt haue no mo goddes but on,
Hym only to worshypp, loue and awe
With hart and thouȝt, as sure as stone,
The maker off man — other god ys þer non —
In whom 3 persones be closyd and knytt,
Gyffyng to man all wysdom and wytt.
