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

¶ De Peccato. Inuidie. [¶ De inuidia;/ /]

[484]

Aftere pride wil I speke of þe foule synne of envie which þat is as by þe word of þe philisophre sorow of oþere mannys prosperite And aftere þe word of seynt Austyne. it is sorowe of oþer mennes wele and Ioie of oþer mennys harme [485] ¶ This foule synne is platly aȝeinst þe holy goost. al be it so þat euery synne be aȝeinst þe holy goost. ȝit for as moche as bounte apperteneþ proprely to þe holy goost. and envie commeþ proprely of malice þer|fore is proprely aȝenist þe bounte of þe holy goost [486] ¶ Now haþ malice ij. spices. þat is to sayn hardnes of herte. And wikkednesse or ellis þe flessh of a man is so blynde þat he [folio 285b] considereþ not þat he is in synne . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] which is þe hardnesse of þe deuell [487] ¶ That oþere spice of envie is whan þat a man / werreþ trouþe whan þat he wote þat it is trouþe. And eke whan þat he werreieþ þe grace of þat god haþ ȝeue to his

[6-text p 628] neiȝboure. and al þis is by envie [488] Certes þan is envie þe worst synne þat is. ffor soþly al oþer synnes bene somtyme aȝein oo special vertue [489] But certes envie is aȝeinst alle vertues and of alle goodnesses for it is sory of alle bountes of neighbour. and in þis manere it is dyuers from alle maner synnes. [490] ffor wel vnneþes is þer eny synne þat it ne haþ somme delite in hym self sauf only envie þat euer haþ in [hym]self anguyssh and sorowe [491] ¶ The spices of envie bene þise. þer is furst sorowe of oþer mennys goodnesse and of her pros|perite . . . [no gap in the MS.] is kyndely matere of Ioye. þan is enuye a synne aȝeinst kinde. [492] ¶ The seconnde spice of envie is Ioie of oþer mennys harme. . . . . [no gap in the MS.] [493] Of þis seconnde spice commeþ bakbitynge . . [no gap in the MS.] or detraccion and þat haþ ij. spices as thus; ¶ Somme man preiseþ his neiȝbour by a wikked entent. [494] for he makeþ alway a wikked knotte at the last ende. alwey he makeþ a but at þe last ende. þat is digne and more blame than worþe is al the plesinge [495] ¶ The seconnde spice is þat if a man be good and doþ and saiþ a þinge to good entent þe bakbiter wil turne al þe goodnesse vp so doun to his schrewde entent [496] ¶ The iij. is to amenuse þe bounte of his neigh|boure [497] ¶ þe .4. spice of bakbityng is þis. þat if men speke goodnesse of a man wil þe bakkbyter sayn parfay such a man ȝit is bette þan he in dispreysinge of hym that men preise [498] ¶ The .v. spice is forto consent gladly harken þe harme þat men speken of oþer folk. þis synne is ful grete and ay encreseþ after þe wikked entent of þe bakbiter [499] ¶ aftere bakbitynge commeþ grucchynge or murmuraunce and somtyme it springeþ of inpacience aȝeinst god and somtyme aȝeinst man

[6-text p 629] [500] Aȝeinst god it is whan a man gruccheth aȝeinst þe peyn of helle or aȝeinst pouert or losse of catell or aȝeinst reyne or tempest or ellis gruccheþ þat shrewes han prosperite. or ellis good men han ad|uersite. [501] and alle thise þingges shuld men suffre paciently. for þei commen by the riȝtful Iuggement and ordinaunce of god [502] ¶ Somtyme [folio 286a] commeþ grucchinge of auarice as Iudas grucched aȝeinst þe Mawdelene whan she ennoynted þe hede of oure lorde Ihesu crist wiþ her precious oynement [503] This maner of murmur is such as whan men grucchen of goodnesse and þat men selue done er þat oþer folk doon of her owne Catell [504] ¶ Somtyme commeþ murmur of pride / as whan symon þe phiryse grucched aȝeinst Maudeleyn. whan she approched to Ihesu crist and wepte at his fete for her synnes. [505] And somtyme it sourdeþ to envie whan man diskeuereþ a mannys harme þat was pryvey or bereþ hym / on honde þinge þat is fals [506] ¶ Murmur eke is oft amonges seruauntes þat grucchen whan her souereynes bidden / hem to doon leeful þingges. [507] and for as moche as þei dure not openly say nay. ne wiþ|saye the comaundementz of her souereyn. ȝit wil þei saye harme and grucche and murmure priuely for verrey despite. [508] which wordes men clepe þe deuels Pater noster. Thouȝe so be þat þe deuel had neuere Pater noster. but þat folk ȝeuen it such a name. [509] Somtyme it commeþ of Ire or of prive hate þat norssheth rancour in hert as afterward I shal declare. [510] þan commeþ eke bitternesse of hert þorgh which bitternesse euery good dede of his neiȝbour semeþ to hym bitter and vnsauery [511] Than commeþ discord þat ynbyndeþ al maner of frendship Than commeþ scornynge of . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] his neiȝ|bour al doo he neuer so wel [512] ¶ Than commeþ accusinge as whan a man sekeþ occasion to annoyen his

[6-text p 630] neighbour which þat is like þe craft of þe deuel þat waiteþ boþ nyȝt and day to accusen vs alle [513] ¶ Than commeth malignite þorgh which a man annoyeþ his neighbour prively if he may [514] And if he noȝt ne may algate his wikked wille ne shal not wante. as forto brenne his hous prively. or enpoysen or scleen / his beestes and semblable þingges