Dan Michel's Ayenbite of Inwyt : or, Remorse of conscience : Richard Morris's transcription now newly collated with the unique manuscript British Museum MS. Arundel 57, volume 1, text / by Pamela Gradon.

ÞE ZEUENDE HEAUED OF ÞE BESTE.

Þe zeuende heaued / of þe kueade beste: zuo is / þe zenne of þe mouþe. and þeruore / þet þe mouþ / heþ tuo offices. huerof / þe on belongeþ / to þe zuelȝ / ase to þe mete / an to þe drinke. Þe oþer / zuo is in speche. Þeruore / him to-delþ / þe ilke zenne : in tuo deles / principalliche. Þet is to wytene: in zenne of glotounye / þet is ine mete / and in drinke. and ine zenne / of kueade tonge. þet is / ine fole spekinge. And uerst / zigge we / of þe zenne / of glotounye. þet is a vice / þet þe dyeuel / is moche myde ypayd. and moche / onpayþ god. Be zuych zenne / heþ þe dyeuel / wel grat miȝte / in manne. Huer-of / we redeþ ine þe [typographic Fol. 14. b.] godspelle / þet god / yaf yleaue þe dyeulen / to guo in to þe zuyn. and þo hi weren / ine ham: hise adreynten / ine tokninge: þet þe glotouns / ledeþ lif / of zuyn. and þe dyeuel heþ yleaue / to guo in ham: and hise adrenche / ine þe ze / of helle. and ham / to do ete zuo moche: þet hi to-cleue. an zuo moche drinke : þet hy ham adrencheþ.

Huanne þe kempe / heþ his uelaȝe / yueld / and him halt / be þe þrote / wel onneaþe / he arist. Alsuo hit is of þan / þet þe dyeuel halt / be þa zenne. and þeruore bleþeliche / he yernþ / to þe þrote: ase þe wolf / to þe ssepe / him uor to astrangli / ase he dede to euen / and to Adam / in paradys terestre. Þet is þe vissere / of helle / þet nymþ þane viss / bi þe þrote / and by þe chinne. Þis zenne / moche mis-payþ god. Vor þe glotoun / makeþ to grat ssame / huanne he makeþ / his god: of ane zeche / uol of dong / þet is of his wombe / þet he loueþ more / þanne god. and ine him ylefth / and him serueþ. God him hat ueste: þe wombe zayþ / 'þou ne sselt / ac et longe / and a-trayt.'

God him hat be þe morȝen arise: þe wombe zayþ / 'þo ne sselt / ich am to uol / me behoueþ to slepe / þe cherche nys non hare / hy abyt me wel.' And huanne he arist: he begynþ his matyns / and his benes / and his oreysones. and zayþ. 'a / god / huet ssolle we/ ete to day. huader me ssolle / eny þing uynde / þet by worþ?' Efter þise matynes: comeþ þe laudes. and he zayþ. 'A. god / huet we hedde / guod wyn yesteneuen / and guode metes.' And efterþan / he bewepþ his zennes: and zayþ. 'Allas he zayþ / ich habbe y-by nyeȝ dyad to niȝt. to strang / wes þet wyn / teue. Þet heaued / me akþ. ich ne ssel by an eyse: al-huet ich habbe / ydronke.' Þous to þe kueade zayþ. Þis zenne / let man to ssame. Vor alþeruerst / he becomþ tauernyer. þanne he playþ ate des. þanne he zelþ his oȝen. þanne he becomþ ribaud. holyer. and þyef. and þanne me hine anhongeþ. Þis is þet scot: þet me ofte payþ.

Þis zenne him to-delþ / ase be saynt gregorye. ine vif boȝes. Vor ine vif maneres / me zeneȝeþ / be mete / and be drinke. Oþer uor þet / þet me eth / and dryngþ: to-uore time. oþer / to lostuolliche. oþer / out of mesure. oþer / to ardontliche. Oþer / to plentyuous. liche. Þe uerste boȝ þanne / of þise zenne : is to ete / beuore time. and to uoul þing hit is / of man / þet heþ age: huanne he / ne may abyde / time / to etene. and of grat lecherie / of þrote / hit comþ. þet man / þet is strang / and hol of bodye. wyþ-oute ancheysoun sceluol. to-uore riȝte houre / yernþ to þe mete / ase deþ a best doumb. And uele zennes comeþ / of þo ilke wone. Þanne hit comþ / þet zuych a man zayþ. þet he ne may ueste. ne do penonce. Vor he heþ þet yzed. 'ich habbe / a to kuead heaued.' And he zayþ zoþ. uor he heþ hit zuych ymad. and kuead herte alzuo / þet heþ ymad þet kuead. and him heþ y-do breke [MS. broke] / þe uestinges / þet is grat zenne. and yef he him damnede / be him zelue : þer-of no strengþe. Ac

he wyle habbe uelaȝes / þet doþ ase he deþ. huiche he draȝþ / uram wel to done and let his mid him / in-to helle. Vor he deþ ham / breke hare uestinges. and do [typographic Fol. 15. a.] hare glotounyes. huer-of hi ham / wolden loki: yef þer nere / kueade uelaȝes. Vor þe drinkere / and þe hor- ling / amang þe oþre kueades / þet hi doþ: propreliche one zenne / þet is þe dyeules / huanne hi wyþ-draȝeþ to do wel. Hy ziggeþ / þet hi ne moȝe naȝt ueste. ac hy lyeȝeþ. Vor litel loue of god: ham heþ þet / y do zigge. Vor yef hi loueden zuo moche / þe zoþe ioye of heuene. ase hy doþ / þe ydele blisse / of þis wordle: ase hy uesteþ / uor þe timliche nyedes / al-huet niȝt: ase wel /hi miȝten ueste / huet non / uor god: yef hi him / zuo moche louede. Ac hy byeþ / ase is þet child. þet wyle alneway / habbe þet bread / ine his hand. And þe sselt conne / þet ase me zeneȝeþ / ine to raþe arizinge / uor to ethene: and alsuo me zeneȝeþ: late to soupi. þanne þet uolk / þet late louieþ to soupi / and to waki be niȝte. and wasteþ þane time / ine ydelnesse. and late guoþ to bedde / and ariseþ late: zeneȝeþ / ine uele maneres. Verst : ine þet hi wasteþ / þane time. and hine miswendeþ / huanne hi makeþ / of þe nyȝt: day. and of þe daye / niȝt Zuych uolk / god acorseþ / be þe prophete. Vor me ssel be daye: wel / do. and be niȝte / herie god / and bidde. ac huo þet lyþ a bedde / huanne he ssolde arise. slepe he mot: huanne he ssolde bidde. and his seruise yhere / and god herie. and þos he / lyest al his time / and þe niȝt: and þane day. Efterward / ine zuyche wakinges: me deþ manye kueades. ase playe ate ches. oþer ate tables. and me zayþ / manye bisemers. and folyes. and þus wasteþ / þe wreche his time / and his wyttes / and his guodes. and wreþeþ god. and harmeþ his bodi / and more þe zaule.

Þe oþer boȝ : is of mete / and of drinke / be to moche / and wiþ-oute mesure. Þe ilke byeþ / propreliche glotounes / þet al uorzuelȝeþ / ase deþ þe kete of

his sperringe. Hit is grat wyt / to loki mesure / ine mete / and ine drinke / and grat helþe. uor moche uolk sterueþ. and ofte þer comeþ / greate ziknesses. Ac huo þet wyle þise mesure lyerny: he ssel ywyte / and onderstonde / þet þer byeþ / uele maneres to libbe / ine þe wordle. Þe uerste libbeþ / be þe ulesse. Þe oþer be / his ioliueté. Þe þridde / be his fisike. Þe uerþe / be his onesteté. Þe vifte / be þan þet hare zennes acseþ. Þe zixte be þe goste / and be þe loue of god.

Þo þet libbeþ be þe ulesse / ase zayþ zaynte paul / hi slaȝeþ hire zaulen. uor hi makeþ / of hare wombe: hare god. Þe ilke / ne hyealdeþ scele / ne mesure. and þeruore / hi ssolle habbe / ine þe oþre wordle / pine wyþ-oute mesure.

Þe ilke þet libbeþ be hare iolyneté: wylleþ hyealde / hire fole uelaȝredes: zuo þet hi ne conne / ne hi ne moȝe / healde mesure.

Þo þet libbeþ be ypocrisye / þet byeþ / þe dyeules martires. hi habbeþ / tuo mesures. uor þe tuaye dyeulen / þet tormenteþ þane ypocrite: byeþ moche ayder / ayens oþren. Þe on him zayþ. 'eth ynoȝ / al-huet / þou art uayr / and uet.' þe oþer him zayþ: 'þou ne sselt ac þou sselt ueste / al huet þou art / bleche and lhene.' Nou behoueþ / to habbe / tuo mesures / ane little / and ane scarse. þet he useþ / touore þe uolke. And anoþre guode and large. þet he useþ / þet non ne y-zyȝþ. þes ne [typographic Fol. 15. b.] halt naȝt / þe riȝte mesure. Þe ilke / þet couaytyse ledeþ / habbeþ zuyche mesure: ase þe pors wyle. þet is lheuedi / and hotestre / of þe house. þanne ssolle we betuene þe porse / and þe wombe / of þe glotoune: habbe a uayr strif. Þe wombe zayþ. 'ich wylle by uol.' Þe purs zayþ / 'ich wylle by uol.' Þe wombe zayþ / 'ich wylle þet þou ete. and drinke / and þet þou despendi.' And þe purs zayþ : 'þou ne sselt naȝt. ich wille þet þou loki / and wyþdraȝe.' Allas / huet ssel he do / þes wreche / þet is þrel / to zuyche tuaye kueade lhordes. Tuo mesures /

makeþ be wyȝte ymad. þe mesure of wombe / in oþremanne house guode/ and large. And þe mesure of þe purse / of his. þet is zorȝuol and scarse.

Þo þet libbeþ be fisike: hy healdeþ þe mesure / of ypocras / þet is lite / an strait. and hit iualþ ofte. þet þe ilke / þet be fisike leueþ : be fizike sterfþ.

Þo þet libbeþ be hyre onestete : þe ilke hyealdeþ / þe mesure of scele. and libbeþ worssipliche / to þe wordle / þet eteþ ine time / and ine oure. and nimeþ mid guode wylle : þet hi habbeþ / and cortaysliche / an gledliche.

Þo þet libbeþ be þan / þet hare zennes okseþ. hyealdeþ zuiche manere / and mesure / ase me ham chargeþ / ine penonce.

Þo þet libbeþ / be þe goste. byeþ þo / þet ine þe loue of god wonyeþ. to huam þe holy gost tekþ / to hyealde ordre / an sckele / and mesure. Þo þet habbeþ þe lhordssip / ope þe bodyes / þet is zuo y-taȝt / þet he ne acseþ / none outtrage. and deþ / þet þe gost hat / wyþ-oute grochinge / and wiþ-oute wiþzigginge.

Nou miȝt þou ysi / uor þet we habbeþ hyer yzed / þet uele ginnes / heþ þe dyeuel / uor to nime þet uolk / be þe þrote. uor uerst / he sseaweþ ham / þe wynes / and þe metes / þet byeþ uayre / and likerouses / ase he dede / to euen þane eppel. And þet / yef hit him ne is naȝt worþ: he him zayþ. 'eth / an drink ase þe ilke / and þe ilke. uelaȝrede þe behoueþ hyealde. yef þe wylt / þet me ne scorne þe naȝt. and þet me þe / ne hyalde uor papelard.' oþer he him zayþ. 'þe helþe of þine bodye / þou sselt loki. uor huo þet ne heþ helþe: he ne heþ naȝt. Ne by naȝt manslaȝþe / of þe selue. þou sselt to þine bodye : þe sostinonce.' Oþer he him zayþ. 'Nim yeme / of þe guodes / þet þou dest / oþer miȝt do. þou ne est / naȝt uor þe lost / of þyne bodye: ac to serui god. þou sselt / þine strengþe loki to god. ase zayþ dauiþ.' þise sceles / byeþ zuo cleuiinde / þet þe wyseste / and þe holyiste man : byeþ oþerhuyl / becaȝt.

Þe þridde boȝ of þise zenne is / to uerliche yerne / to þe mete / ase deþ þe hond: to þe hes. and þe more / þet is / þe ilke uerlichhede : þe more / is þe zenne. Vor ase hit ne is / no zenne / uor to habbe richesses. Ac his / to moche louye. Alsuo / hit ne is no zenne / uor to ethe / þe guode metes : ak ethe his / to uerliche / oþer disordeneliche. Ethe metes / byeþ guode / to guode. and to ham: þet be scele / and be mesure / his vseþ. and hise nimeþ / mid þe sause / of þe drede / of oure lhorde. Vor me ssel / euremo habbe drede: þet [typographic Fol. 16. a.] me / ne mys-nyme / be ouerdede. and me ssel herye god. and yelde hym þonkes / of his yefþes. And be þe zuetnesse / of þe mete / þet wyþ-oute / ne may by: me ssel þenche / godes zuetnesse. and to þe ilke mete : þet uelþ þe herte. Þeruore me ret / ine hous of religion / ate mete : uor þet / huanne þet bodi / nymþ his mete / of one half: þet þe herte / nyme his of oþer half.

Þe uerþe boȝ / of þise zenne / of þan þet / to nobleliche wylleþ libbe. þet despendeþ / and wasteþ / uor to uelle hare glotonye / hwer-of an hondred poure / miȝten libbe / and ynoȝliche by ueld. Zuich uolk zeneȝeþ ine uele maneres. Verst: in greate despenses / þet hi makeþ. efterward / ine þan / þet hi / hit vseþ / ine to grat hete / and ine to grat lost. And efterward / ine þe ydele blisse / þet hi habbeþ. Vor hit ne is naȝt / onlepiliche lecherie / of zuelȝ : ac hit is / wel ofte uor bost / þet hi zecheþ / zuo riche metes / and makeþ / zuo uele mes. huer-of / ofte / comeþ / uele kueades.

Þe vifte boȝ is / þe bysihede / of glotuns / þet ne zecheþ / bote to þe delit / of hare zuelȝ. þise byeþ propreliche / lechurs / þet ne zecheþ / bote þet lost / of hare zuelȝ. Ine þri þinges / nameliche / liþ þe zenne / of zuyche uolke. Verst / ine þe greate bysihede / þet hy habbeþ / to porchaci / and to agraiþi. Efterward / mid grat lost / þet hy habbeþ / ine þe us. Efterward / ine þe blisse / þet hi habbeþ / ine þe recordinge. And huo

þet miȝte telle / huyche bysinesse hi doþ / to þan / þet hare metes / by wel agrayþed. and ech to his oȝene smac. and hou hy moȝe maki / of one mete / uele mes desgysed / uor hare uoule lost. And huanne þe mes / byeþ y-come / on / efter þe oþer: þanne byeþ þe burdes / and þe trufles / uor entremes. and ine þise manere / geþ þe tyme. þe wreche him uoryet. þe scele slepþ. þe maȝe gret / and zayþ. 'Dame Zuelȝ / þo me ssast. ich am zuo uol: þet ich to-cleue.' Ac þe tonge þe lyckestre / him ansuereþ: and zayþ. 'þaȝ þou ssoldest to-cleue: ich nelle naȝt lete askapie / þis mes.' Efter þe lecherie / þet is ine etinge: comþ þe blisse / þet is ine þe recorder. Efterward / hi wesseþ þet hi hedden / nykken of crane. and wombe of cou. uor þet þe mosseles / blefte lenger / ine þe þrote. and more miȝten uorzuelȝe.

Nou þou hest y-hyerd / þe zennes / þet comeþ of glotounye / and [MS. adn] of lecherie. and þeruore / þet zuyche zennes / arizeþ communliche / ine tauerne : þet is welle of zenne. Þeruore / ich wylle a lite take / of þe zennes / þet byeþ y-do / ine þe tauerne. Þe tauerne / ys þe scole of þe dyeule / huere / his deciples studieþ. and his oȝene chapele / þer / huer me deþ /his seruese. and þer huer he makeþ / his miracles / zuiche ase behoueþ [MS. bohoueþ] to þe dyeule. At cherche / kan god / his uirtues sseawy. and do his miracles. þe blynde: to liȝte. þe crokede: to riȝte. yelde þe wyttes of þe wode. þe speche: to þe dombe. þe hierþe: to þe dyaue. Ac þe dyeuel deþ al [typographic Fol. 16. b.] ayenward / ine þe tauerne. Vor huanne þe glotoun geþ in to þe tauerne / ha geþ opriȝt. huanne he comþ a-yen: he ne heþ uot þet him moȝe sostyeni ne bere. Huanne he þerin geþ: he y-zycþ / and y-herþ / and specþ wel / and onderstant. huan he comþ ayen: he heþ al þis uorlore / ase þe ilke þet ne heþ wyt / ne scele / ne onderstondinge. Zuyche byeþ þe miracles þet þe dyeuel makeþ. And huet lessouns þer he ret. alle uelþe he tekþ þer. glotounye. lecherie. zuerie. uorzuerie. lyeȝe.

miszigge. reneye god. euele telle. contacky. and to uele oþre manyeres of zennes. Þer ariseþ þe cheastes. þe strifs. þe manslaȝþes. þer me tekþ to stele: and to hongi. Þe tauerne is a dich to þieues. and þe dyeules castel uor to werri god / an his halȝen. and þo þet þe tauernes sustyeneþ : byeþ uelaȝes of alle þe zennen þet byeþ y-do ine hare tauernes. and uor zoþe yef me ham zede / oþer dede / asemoche ssame to hire uader / oþer to hare moder. oþer to hare gromes. ase me deþ to hire uader of heuene. and to oure lheuedy. and to þe halȝen of paradis. mochel hi wolden ham wreþi. and oþer red hi wolden do þer to þanne hi doþ.