The Petworth ms. of Chaucer's Canterbury tales. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall.

¶ De auaricia.

[739]

Aftere Accidie wil I speke of avarice and of coueytise of which synne seiþ seint Poule þat þe Roote of all synne is coueitise ¶ And Thimothei 2^o Capitulo. [740] ffor trewly . whan þat þe hert of a man is confounded in it self and trouble and þat þe saule haþ lost þe comforte of god þan sekeþ he an ydel solace of worldly þingges

[741] ¶ Auarice aftere þe scripcion of seynt Austyne is a likerousnesse in herte to haue erþely þingges. [742] Som [folio 294b] oþer folk seyn þat auarice is forto purchace mony erþely þingges and no þinge ȝeue to hem þat han nede . [743] And vnderstonde þow wel þat auarice nys not oonly in land ne catell but som|tyme in science and in glorie and in euery manere of outrageous þingges is auarice and coueitise [744] And þe difference ytwix Auarice and couetise is þis Coueitise is forto coueite suche þingges as þow hast not And auarice is forto wiþholde and kepe suche þingges as þou hast wiþ-out riȝtful nede [745] Soþly þis Auarice is a synne þat is ful dampnable for al holy writte curseþ it and spekeþ aȝeinst it ffor it doþ wronge to Ihesu crist [746] for it byreueþ hym þe loue þat men to hym owen and turneþ it bakward aȝeinst all reson [747] and makeþ þat þe auaricious man haþ more hope in his catel þan in Ihesu crist And . . . . . [748] þerfore seiþ

[6-text p 652] seyn Paule Ephesios .5^o. That auerous man / haþ more hope in his þraldome of ydolatrie

[749] ¶ What difference is ytwix an ydolastre and an auarous man but þat an ydolastre and an auarous man ne haþ but a mawmet or twoo; and þe auaricious man haþ monye ffor certes euery floreyn in his Coffre is his mawmet [750] And certes þe synne of Maumetrie is þat god in þe ten / comaundmentes as bereþ witnesse in Exodi capitulo .xx^o. [751] Thou / shalt haue no fals goddes byforn me. Ne þou shalt make to þe no grauen þinge. Thus as is an Auaricious man . . . ¶ And ydolastre [752] þorgh his synne of Auarice and of coueitise commen þise hard lordshippes þorgh which men ben strayned by taliages. custumes and cariages more þan / her duete or reson is ¶ And ellis take þei of her bonde men amercementz which myghten more resonably be cleped extorcions þan amercymentz. [753] Of which amercymentes and raunsonynge of boond men some lordes Stuardes seyn þat it is riȝhtfull for as moche as a cherle haþ no temporell þinge. þat it ne is his lordes as þei sayne. [754] But certes þise lordshippes doon wronge þat byreuen her bonde folk þingges þat þei neuere ne ȝaf hem./ Augustinus de Civitate libro ix^o. [755] ¶ Sooþ is þat þe condicion of þraldome and þe furst cause of þraldome is for synne. G[e]nesis v^to.

[756] Thus may ȝe seen þat þe gilt deserueth thraldom [folio 295a] But not nature [757] Wherfor þise lordes ne shuld not moche glorifie hem in her lordship siþens þat by naturell condicions þei bene [not] lordes ouer her þralles . but for þat þraldom come furst by desert of synne. [758] And ferþer ouer þer as þe lawe seiþ þat temporell goodes of bonde folk bene þe goodes of her lordshippes ȝe þat is forto vnderstonde þe goodes of þe Emperour to defende hem in her riȝt but not to robbe hem ne to reue hem. [759] ¶ And þerfore

[6-text p 653] seiþ Senec. Thy prudence shuld lyue benignely wiþ þine þrall. [760] Thilk þat þou clepest þine þrall bene goddys puple. ffor humble folk bene cristes frendes þei bene contubernial wiþ þe lord

[761] ¶ Thenk eke þat suche sede as churles ¶ springen; of suche seed springgen lordes. as wel may þe cherle be saued as þe lorde. [762] þe same deþ þat takeþ þe cherle. þe same deeþ takeþ þe lorde. wherfore I rede do riȝht so wiþ þi cherle as þou woldest þi lorde did wiþ þe if þou were in his plite [763] Euery synful man is a cherle to synne ¶ I rede þe Certes þat þou lorde worche in suche wise þat þi cherles raþer loue þe than drede þe [764] ¶ I woote wel þer is degree aboue degre as reson is and skill is þat men / done her devoyre þer as it is dwe But certes extorcions and despites of ȝoure vnderlyngges is dampnable.

[765] And forther ouer vnderstonde well þat conquerours or tyrauntz maken ful often þralles of hem þat bene born of as Royal blood as bene þei þat hem conqueren. [766] This name of thraldome was neuere knowe erst til þat Noe seid þat his sone Canaan shuld be þrall to his breþeren for his synne. [767] ¶ What say we þan of hem þat pillen and done extorcions to holy churche ¶ Certes þe swerd þat me ȝeuen furst to a knyght whan he is newe dubbed signifieþ þat he shuld defende holy church and nouȝt robbe it and who so dooþ is a traitour to crist. [768] as seiþ seynt Austyne ¶ They bene deuels wolfes þat stranglen þe shepe of Ihesu criste and bene wors þan wolfes. [769] ffor soþly whan þe wolf haþ ful his wombe. He stynteth to strangle shepe. But soþly þe pylours and distroy|ours of good of holy church ne doon not so for þei ne stynte neuere to pillen. [770] Now as I haue seide so siþens so is [folio 295b] þat synne was furst cause of thraldome Than it is

[6-text p 654] þus þat þilk tyme þat al þis world was in synne þan was al þis worlde in þraldome and in subiection./ [771] But certes siþen þe tyme of grace cam god ordeyned þat some folk shuld be more highe in estate and hie degree. and some folk more lowe and þat eueryche shulde be serued in his estaat/ and in degre. [772] And þerfore in some contrey þer þei bene þralles whan þei / han turned hem to þe feiþ þei maken her þralles free out of þraldome And þerfor certes þe lorde oweþ to his man þat þe man oweþ to his lorde [773] ¶ þe pope clepeþ hym self seruaunte of Seruauntes of god. But for as moche as þe state of holy church ne myȝt not han bee ne þe comon profite ne myȝt han be kept ne pees and rest in erþe but if god had ordeyned þat som men han hier degre and somme men lowere [774] ¶ þerfor was souereynte ordeyned to kepe and mayntene and de|fende her vnderlyngges or her subiectes in reson as fer|forþe as it liþe in her power and not to distroye hem ne as ferforþ confounde. [775] wherfore I say þat þilk lordes þat bene þilk wolfes þat deuouren þe possessions or þe catel of poor folk wrongfully wiþ-outen mercy or mesure [776] þer shullen resceyue by þe same mesure þat þei han mesured to poor folk þe mercy of Ihesu crist but it be amended [777] ¶ Now commeþ despite bytwix Marchaunt and marchaunt. And þou shalt vnder|stonde þat Marchaundise is in mony maners. þat oon is bodyly & þat oþer is goostly. þat oon is leeful and þat oþer is dishonest and vnlieful [778] ¶ of þilk bodily marchaundyse þat is leeful and honest is þis þat þer as god hath ordeyned þat a regne or a contre is sufficient him self þan is it honest and lieful þat of þe habundaunce of þis cuntre þat men helpe anoþer cuntre þat is more nedye [779] and þerfore þei mote be Marchauntz to bringe from þat oon cuntre to þat oþer her march|aundise.

[6-text p 655] ./ [780] ¶ That oþere marchaundise þat men haunte wiþ fraude trecherye and disceyte wiþ lesyngges and fals oþes is cursed and dampnable. [781] ¶ Espirituel Marchaundise [folio 296a] is proprely Symonye þat is ententif desire to by þenk espirituel that is þing þat apperteyneþ to þe sentuary of god and to cure of þe soule. [782] This desire if so be þat a man do hys diligence to perfourme it al be it þat his desire ne take noon effecte ȝit is it to hym a dedly synne and if he be ordred he is aregulere [783] ¶ Certes Symony is cleped of Symon magus þat wolde haue bouȝt þe temporel Catell./ þe ȝift þat god had ȝeuen / by þe holy goost to seint Peter and to þe apostels./ [784] And þerfore vnderstondeþ þat boþ he þat selleþ and he þat byeth þingges espiritull bene cleped Symonyals be it catel be it procurynge or by flesshly preier of his frendes or of spirituel frendes [785] . . . . . Soþly if þei prey for hym þat is not able ne worþi. it is Symonye. If he take þe benefice and if he be worþi and able he nys noon. [786] ¶ That oþer maner is if a man or a womman preyeþ for folk to auaunsen hem / only for wikked flesshly affection þat þei han vnto þe persones and þat is in foule Symonye. [787] But certes in seruice for which men ȝeuen þingges espirituels vnto her seruauntes It most be vnderstonde þat þe seruise most be honest and ellis not. and eke þat hit be wiþ out barganynge and þat þe persone be able. [788] ffor as seiþ seint Damasie ¶ Alle þe synnes of þe world at þe regarde of this synne bene as a þinge of nouȝt. ffor it is þe grettest synne þat may be aftere ²þe synne of lucifer² and of antecrist [789] for by þis synne god forleseþ þe churche and þe soule þat he bouȝt wiþ his precious blood by hem þat ȝeuen chirches to hem þat bene not digne. [790] ffor þei putten in þeues þat

[6-text p 656] stelen þe soules of Ihesu crist and distroyeþ his patry|moyne [791] by suche vndigne preestes and curates han men þe lasse reuerence of þe sacramentes of holy churche. And suche ȝeuers of churches putten out þe children of crist. and putten in þe churche þe deuels owne sone. [792] þei sellen þe soules þe lombes shulden kepen to þe wolf þat strangleþ hem and þerfore shul þei neuere haue parte of þe pasture of lambes þat is þe blisse of heuene. [793] ¶ Now commeþ hasardy with his a [folio 296b] pur|tynaunces as tables and Rafuls of which commeþ disceite fals oþes chidyngges and all ravanys blasphemynge and reneiynge of god and hate of his neghbours waast of good in spendyng of tyme and somtyme mannys sclaughter [794] Certes hasardours ne may not be wiþ-out grete synne þe whiles þei haunte þat craft [795] Of Auarice commeþ eke lesingges. þeeft and fals witnesse. and fals oþes and ȝe shal vnderstonde þat þise bene grete synnes and expresse aȝeinst þe comaundementz of god as I haue said [796] ¶ ffals witnesse is in worde and eke in dede In worde as forto byreue þine neiȝbours good name by þi fals witnessinge or byreue hym his Catell or his heritage by þi fals witnessinge. whan þou for Ire or for mede or for envie berest fals witnesse or accusest hym. or excusest hym by þi fals witnesse. or ellis ex|cusest þine self falsly. [797] ware ȝou questmongers and notaries. Certes for fals witnessyng was Susanna in grete sorowe & peyn and mony anoþer moo [798] ¶ The synne of þeft is eke expres aȝeinst goddes heest and þat in two maners corporell and spirituell [799] [Corporell] as for to take þine neighbours catell aȝeinst his wille. be it by force or by scleight by it by mette or by mesure. [800] By stelynge eke of fals enditementz vpon hym and in borowinge of þine neighbours Catell in entent neuer to pay. And semplable þingges [801] es|pirituell þeft is sacrilege þat is to seyn hurt|ynge

[6-text p 657] of holy þingges or of þingges sacred to crist in two maners by reson of þe holy place as churches or chirch hawes. [802] for euery vyleyns synne þat men doon in suche places may be cleped Sacrilegge or euery violence in þe semblable places./ ¶ Also þei þat wiþdrawen falsly þe riȝtes þat longen to holy church. [803] And pleynly and generally sacrilege is to ȝeue holy þinge fro holy place. or vnholy þinge out of holy place. or holy þing out of vn|holy place

Notes

• ¶ De Auaricia
• ¶ Paulus
• ¶ Timothei secundo.
• ¶ Augustinus
• no gap in the MS.
• ¶ Ephesianos 5^o capitulo
• ¶ Exodi xx^o. capitulo./
• no gap in the MS.
• ¶ Augustinus de civitate. libro. ix^o
• ¶ Genesis .5^to/
• ¶ Seneca
• ¶ De Noe
• ¶ Augustinus
• no gap in the MS.
• ¶ Damasius
• [^2_2 repeated in MS.]
• Of Hasardry
• ¶ De falso testi|monio
• ¶ De ffurto