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

Incipit secunda / pars eiusdem./

[316]

¶ THe seconde parte of penitence is confession þat is signe of contricion [317] ¶ Now shul ȝe vnderstonde what is confession. and whedere it ouȝt nedes to be or noon. and which þingges bene conable to verrey confession

[318] ¶ ffirst shalt þou vnderstonde þat confession is verrey shewinge of synnes to þe preest [319] þis is to sey verrey. ffor he mot confessen hym of al þe condicions þat bylongen to his synne as ferforþ as he can. [320] al mote be seide and no þing excused ne hid ne forwrapped. and nouȝt auaunte him of his good werkes. [321] ¶ And forþer ouer. It is necessary to vnder|stonde whennes þat synne springeþ and how þei encresen. And which þer bene

[322] in spryngynge of synnes. as seiþ seint poule in þis wise. / ¶ That riȝt as by a man. synne entred furst into þe ¶ worlde. and þorghe þat synne deide. Riȝt so þilk deeþ entreþ into al men þat synden. [323] And þis man was // Adam by whom þat synne entred into þis world whan he brak þe comaundement of god. [324] and þerfore he þat first was so myghty þat he shuld not haue deyde. bycame suche oon þat he most nedys dye whedere he ¶ [folio 280a] wolde or noon. and al his progeny þat is in þis world þat in þilk manere synne dyen. [325] Loke þat in þe astate of Innocentys ¶ whan A[dam a]nd Eue

[6-text p 613] naked weren in paradise. and no þing shame ne hadden of her nakednesse. [326] How þat serpent þat was most wily of all oþer beestes þat god haþ maked seide to þe womman ¶ Comaunded god to ȝou ȝe shuld not eten of euery tree in paradys [327] ¶ The womman answerd of þe fruyte quod she of þe trees in paradise we feden vs. But soþly of þe froyte of þe tree þat is in þe myddel of paradys god for-bede vs forto ete ne not touche it. lest parauenture we shuld dyen [328] ¶ The serpent saide to þe womman. nay. nay. ȝe shullen deye of dethe. ffor soþ god woote þat what day þat ȝe eten þerof. ȝour eien shullen open. and ȝe shullen ben as goddys knowynge good [and] harme [329] ¶ The womman seie þat þe tree was good to fedynge and faire to þe eyen and delitable to þe siȝt she toke of þe fruyte of þe tree and ete of hit./ and ȝaf it to her husbonde and he eete. and anoon þe eyen of hem boþ opned / [330] and whan þat þei knewe þat þei were naked þe[i] sewed of fige leeues in manere of breche to hiden her membres [331] ¶ Here may ȝe see þat dedly synne haþ furst suggestion of þe feende as scheweþ here by the naddere. And afterward þe delit of þe flessh as scheweþ here by Eua. And after þat þe consenting of þe reson as scheweþ by. adam [332] ¶ ffor trust wel þoȝe so were þat þe fende tempted oon þat is to saie þe flessh. And / þe flessh had delite in þe bewte and þe froyte deffended ȝit certes til þat reson þat is to sayn Adam con|sented. to þe etinge of þe fruyte þat stood hiȝe in astate of Innocence. [333] þilk Adam toke · þilk synne of Originall. ffor of hem flesshly descended. bene we all and engendred. of vile and corrupte matere. [334] And whan þe soule is putt in our body. riȝt anoon is con|tracte origynal synne. and þat was eerst but only peyne of concupiscens; is afterward boþ peyne and synne. [335] And þerfore be we all yborn sones of

[6-text p 614] wreth and of dampnacion perdurable if it nere baptisme þat we receyuen which bynymeþ vs þe Culpe. But for|soþ þe peyne dwelleþ wiþ vs as þe [folio 280b] temptacion which peyne hiȝt concupissens. [336] And þis concupissence whan it is wrongfully disposed or ordeyned in man it makeþ hym to coueite coueitise of flessh flesshly synne by siȝt of his eyen as to erþly þingges and eke couetise of hynes of pride of hert

[337] ¶ Now as to speke of þe furst Coueitise þat is concupiscence After þe lawe of our membres þat weren lawfully maked and by rightful Iugge|ment of god. [338] I say for as moche as man is not obeysaunt to god þat is his lord þerfo is his fleissh to hym disobeisaunt þorghe concupiscens . . . . . [339] . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] it is impossible but if he be tempred. somtyme in his flessh and anoyed to synne [340] And þis þing may not faille as longe as þat he lyueþ. it may wel wexe feble and faile. by vertue of bapteme and by þe grace of god. þourghe penitence. [341] but fully shal it neuere quenche þat he ne shal som|tyme be neued in hym self. but he were all refreyned by siknes or by malefice of sorcerie or cold drinkes [342] ffor what seiþ seint Poule. þe flessh coueiten [¶ Paulus;/] aȝeint þe ¶ spirit. and þe sprit aȝeinst þe flessh þei bene so contrarie and so striuen þat a man may not allway as he wolde [343] ¶ The same seint paule aftere his grete penaunce in water and in lond in water by nyght. and in day by grete perile and in grete peyne in londe and enfamyne and thrust in colde and cloþes. & onys scorned almost to þe deþe. [344] ȝit seid he allas I catiff man. who shal deliuere me from þe prison of my catif body [345] And seint Ierom whan he [¶ Ierominus] longe tym had wōnned in deserte where as he had no company. but beestes. wher as he had

[6-text p 615] no mete but herbes. and watere to his drink. ne no bed / but þe naked erþe. for whiche his flessh was blak as an / Ethiopen for hete and neighe destroied for colde [346] ȝit seide he. þe brennynge of lecherie boiled in al his body. [347] Wherfore I woote wel sikerly þat þci bene desceyued þat saien þat þei ne bene not tempted in her body. [348] Witnesse of seynt Iame þe apostel. [¶ Iacobus;/] þat seiþ þat euery wiȝt is tempted in his owne con|cupiscence. þat is to say þat euerich of vs haþ matere and occasion to be tempted of þe norsshinge of synne þat is in his body. [349] And þerfor seiþ seint Iohn [¶ Iohannes Euaungelista./] þe Euaungelist ¶ ȝif þat we seyne þat we be wiþ-outen synne we disceyuen our self. and trouþe is not in vs.

[350] Now [folio 281a] shullen ȝee vnderstonde in what manere þat synne wexeþ and encreseþ in man. The furst þing is þilk norshyng of synne of which I spak byforn þilk concupiscens [351] and after þat commeþ þe subieccion of the deuel. þis is to saye the deueles bely þi which he bloweþ in man þe fire of concupiscence. [352] ¶ And aftere þat a man by|þenkeþ hym whedere he wil doo or noon þilk þinge to which he is tempted [353] and þan if þat a man wiþstonde and waye Off þe furst entisinge of his flessh and of þe feende þan is it no synne And if it so be þat he do not soo þan feleþ he anōn a flaumbe of delite [354] and þan it is good to be ware and to kepe hym wel. Or ellis he wil falle anon into consentyng of synne and þan wil he do it if he mowe haue tyme and space. [355] And / of þis matere seiþ Moyses by [¶ Moyses;/] þe deuel in þis manere. The fende seiþ I wil chace and pursue þe man by wicked suggestions and I wil hent hym by mouyng or stiringe of synne And I wil departe my prise or my prey by de|liberacioun. and my lust shal be accomplised by delite ¶ I wil drawe my swerde in consentynge. [356] ffor certes riȝt as a sweerde departeþ a þinge in twoo peces Riȝt

[6-text p 616] so consenting departeþ god fro man and than wil I sclee hym wiþ myn honde in dethe / of synne. þus seiþ þe feende [357] ffor certes þan is a man al dede in saule and þus is synne conplised by tempt|acion by delite and by consentinge and þan is synne cleped [[ū for ct or cc]] aūuiel //

[358] ffor soþe synne is in two maners / eiþer it is venial synne or dedly synne. ¶ Soþly whan man loueþ eny creature more þan Ihesu crist our creature þan is it dedly synne And venial synne it is if man loue Ihesu crist lasse þan hym ouȝte. [359] for soþ þe dede of þis venial synne is ful perilous. ffor it amenuseþ þe loue þat man shuld haue to god more and more [360] And þerfor if a man charge more hym self wiþ mony such venyal synnes. certes but if it so be þat he som|tyme discharge hym of hem by shrift þei may ful liȝthly amenuse in hym al þe loue þat he haþ to Ihesu crist [361] and þis scipped venial into dedly synne. ffor certes þe more þat a man chargeþ his saule wiþ venial synnes. þe more is he enclyned to falle in dedly synne [362] And þerfor lat vs nat be negligent to discharge vs of venyal synnes. ffor þe prouerbe seiþ þat mony smale makeþ a grete. [363] And harken þis ensample A grete wawe of the See commeþ somtyme wiþ so grete a violence þat it drencheþ þe shippe and þe same harme doon somtyme þe smale dropes of water þat entreþ þorgh a litel creues into þe thorrok and into þe botme of þe shipp. if men be so necligent þat men ne [folio 281b] discharge hem not by tyme [364] And þerfore al þouȝe þere be difference bytwixe þise twoo causes of drenching. algates þe ship is dreint [365] ¶ Riȝt so fareþ it somtyme of dedly synne and of annoyous / venyal synnes whan þei multiplie in a man so gretly þat þilk worldly þingges þat he loueþ þorgh which he synneþ venyally is as grete in his hert as þe loue of god or more [366]

[6-text p 617] And þerfor þe loue of euery þinge þat is not bysette in god ne doon principaly for goddes sake al þof a man loue it lasse þan god. ȝit is it venyal synne. [367] And dedly synne whan þe loue of eny þinge. weieþ in þe hert of a man as moch as þe loue of god. or more [368] more dedly synne as seiþ seint Austyn. [¶ Augustinus] is whan man turneþ his hert fro god which þat is verrey souereyne bounte þat may nat chaunge. and ȝeueþ his hert to a þinge þat may change and flitte. [369] and certes þat is every þinge sauf god only of heuene. ffor soþ is ȝif þat a man ȝif his loue þe which þat he oweþ al to god wiþ al his hert vnto a creature. certes as moche of loue as he ȝeueth to whiche creature so moche [he] byreueþ fro god [370] and þer|fore dooþ he synne. ffor he þat is dettour to god ne ȝeldeþ not al his dette to god þat is to sayn al þe loue of his hert

[371] ¶ Now siþens a man vnderstondeþ generally which is venyal synne. þan is it conable to tellen of special synnes which þat mony a man parauenture ne demeþ hem not synnes ne schryuen hem nat of þe same þingges and ȝit naþelees þei bene synnes [372] and soþly as clerkes writen þis is to say þat euery tyme þat a man eteþ or drinkeþ more þan suffiseth to þe sustinaunce of his body in certeyn he doþ synne [373] ¶ And eke whan he spekeþ more þan it nedeþ. it is synne. eke whan he harkeneþ not mekely þe complaynt of þe poore. [374] eke whan he is in hele of body and wil not fast whan oþere men fast withouten cause resonable. Eke whan he sclepeþ more þan nedeth or whan he commeþ by þilk encheson late to church or to oþere workys of charite. [375] Eke whan he vseþ his wiff wiþ-outen souereyne desire of engendrure to honure of god. Or for þe entent to ȝeelde to his wiff þe dette of his body. [376] Eke whan he wil not visite þe seke or þe prisoners when he maye.

[6-text p 618] Eke if he loue wiff or child or eny worldely þing more þan reson requireþ. Eke if he flatere or blaundissh more þan hym ouȝt for eny necessite./ [377] ¶ Eke if he amenuse or wiþdrawe þe almesse of þe poor./ [folio 282a] ¶ Eke if he apparailleþ his mete more deliciously þan nede is. or ete it to hastely by licourous|nesse [378] ¶ Eke if he tale vanytees at þe churche or at goddes seruise. or þat he be a talker of ydel wordys of foly or of vilanye. for he shal ȝeelde accountes of it at þe day of dome [379] ¶ Eke whan he bihoteþ or assureþ to done þingges þat he may not perfourme ¶ Eke whan þat by liȝtnesse of foly [he] mysseieþ or scorneþ his neighbour [380] ¶ Eke whan he haþ eny wikked suspeciōn of þinge þer he ne wote of it no soþ|fastnesse [381] ¶ Thise / þinges and moo wiþ-out nombre bene synnes as seiþ seynt Austyne [¶ Augustinus.]

[382] ¶ Now shul men vnderstonde þat al be it soo þat noon / erþely man may eschwe all venial synnes. ȝit may he refreyn hym by þe brennyng loue þat he haþ to our lord Ihesu crist and by preiers and confessioun and oþer good werkes so þat it shal but litel greue. [383] ffor as seiþ seynt Austyne. If a man loue god [¶ Idem./] in such manere þat al þat euere he dooþ is in þe loue of god / or for þe loue of god verreyly. for he brenneþ in þe loue of god. [384] ¶ loke howe moche þat a drope of watere þat falleþ in a fournays ful of fuyre annoyeþ or greueþ so moche annoyeþ a venyal synne vnto a man þat is parfit in þe loue of Ihesu crist [385] ¶ Men may also refreyne venyal synne by þe receyuynge of þe precious body of Ihesu crist [386] By receyuyng eke of holy watere. by almes dede. by general confession of confiteor at þe mas. at complyne. and by blessing of bisshoppys and of preestes and by other good werkes.