WAne man after hys crystendom*. [Wane, MS. Ane, with what seems to be a small runic w before it, intended for the rubricator.]

Heþ auȝt ido wyþ wronge,

Penaunce hyt hys, a sacrement

Þat men scholde fonge,*. [men scholde, MS. scholde men, with the mark // before and after scholde.]

And mote. Page  31

Penaunce heþ maneres þre,

Þorȝ sorȝe, schryfte, and edbote.

¶ Þy sorwe for þyne senne, man,

Mot be ine gode wylle,

Þat hy ne be nauȝt ine wanhope,

Þat made Iudas to spylle;

Ac crye

Mercy to swete ihesu cryst,

Mid wyl to lete folye.

¶ And ȝet þy wylle mot be so gret, [Wright page 32]

And ine so gode faye,

Þat þou wenst þou noldest seneȝi eft,

Þer-fore þeȝ þou scholdest deye

Ine wytte;

For ȝef þou woldest for deaþ hyt do,

Þy sorȝe hys al to lyte.

¶ Þeȝ sorȝe hele man a-non

Of velþ of sennes slyme,

Ȝet þanne were hyt nauȝt inouȝ

Þe for [t]e sorwy on tyme,*. [for te = for to.]

Ac euere,

Ase longe ase, man, þy lyf ylest,

Elles senne may keuere.

¶ For so, man, senne greueþ in þe,*. [greueþ, grows; cp. kneuþ, p. 29, l. 813; fleuþ, p. 97, l. 343. It is difficult to decide whether the MS. has greueþ or groueþ, and in l. 871 grewen or growen.]

And eke in alle þyne,

Ase wed schel growen ouer þe corn,*. [Ase, MS. þat.]

Wyþ-oute medicyne

Of sorȝe.

Nou her-on þenche, man, day and nyȝt, [folio 164b]

An euen and a morwe. Page  32

¶ Þench, þourȝ þy senne þou hest ilore

Þy blys of heuene ryche,*. [þy, read þe?]

And hest iwreþed þane kyng*. [hest, MS. heþ.]

Þat non hys yliche;*. [Read—þat non hys hys (or hym) yliche?]

And here

Þou hest of-serued dygnelyche

Þe pyne of helle vere.

¶ Draȝ into mende þet hydous siȝt*. [hydous, the final s altered from some other letter, probably r.—siȝt added by a later hand.] [Wright page 33]

Of deade men a bere,

Þat nadde neuer deade ibe,

Ȝef senne of adam nere;

Bye drytte,*. [drytte, MS. drytteȝ.]

Ȝet þou aȝtest habbe more hydour

Of þyne oȝene vn-ryȝte.

¶ Myd sucher sorȝe schryfte, man,*. [schryfte = schryf þe.]

Wel stylle, and no þyng loude;

For repentaunce ondeþ þe hel,

And schreft hyt mot out-croude*. [croude, suggested by Stratmann; MS. treude.]

Al clene:

For ȝef aȝt lefþ þat croude myȝt,*. [croude, suggested by Stratmann; MS. treude.]

God so þou schelt ywenne.*. [MS. guod (or goud), u written over o; in the margin uo in a later hand.]

¶ Ne non ne may hym schryue aryȝt,

Bote ȝef he hym by-þoȝte

Of sennes þat he heþ ydo,*. [heþ, MS. beþ.]

And hys lyf al þorȝ-soȝte

To kenne; Page  33

Ac manie desper to þe prest*. [manie, i-stroke wanting in MS.—desper (Wr. dosper), the first e looking very much like o.]

Al one by seȝe of senne.*. [MS. Al hou (underdotted) one. See note.]

¶ And vnderstand þat al ihol

Mot be þy schryfte, broþer;

Naȝt þar-of a kantel to a prest,

And a kantel to an-oþer;

And þanne

Tele, ȝef þou myȝt by-þenche þe, [folio 163a]

Wet, hou, and wer, And wanne.*. [Dots in MS. after Wet, hou, and wer.]

¶ And ȝef þou wylt, man, þorȝ þy schryft [Wright page 34]

Lat þy senne al a-drouȝe,

Ne wynd þou naut þy senne ine selke,

Ac telle out al þat rouȝe*. [Ac, MS. At.]

Tys laȝe;*. [Tys = To hys.]

Ȝef þou wenst deie, and nast no prest,*. [deie, the initial d not quite distinct, resembling s.]

Schryf þe to anoþer felawe.

¶ Ac þat ne schalt þou neuere do,

Bote þe wantrokye of lyue;

And ȝef þou comste to lyue aȝen,

Eft þrof þou most þe scryue

To preste,

Þat heþ power to assoyly þe,

Þorȝ power of þe greste.

¶ Þaȝ man on tyme ihealde be*. [þaȝ, MS. ȝaȝ.]

To schryue hym a ȝere,

To schryue hym wanne he seneȝed heþ,

Wel syker þyng hyt were,*. [syker, read sykerer?]

And mete,

Wald ȝef he sodeynlyche deiþ,*. [nota [later]]

And wald he hyt for-ȝete. Page  34

¶ For wanne man sodeynleche deiþ,

Hys þoȝt þe sorȝe troubleþ;*. [troubleþ, MS. tumbleþ.]

And senne ony-schryue wanne he uor-ȝet,

Hys senne þer-be doubleþ*. [þer-be = þer-by.]

To nusy;

For mytter senne þat he dede

Þe sleuþe hine wyle acusy.

¶ Man, schryf þe, and wonde none schame, [Wright page 35]

For-wy hyt hys to donne;

A lytel schame hys betere her,

Þane ouer-moche eft-sone

To crefte

By-uore god a domesday, [folio 163b]

Amang al godes schefte.

¶ For þaȝ man moȝe isauued be

Þorȝ bare repentaunce,

Wanne he ne may to schryfte come,

Ȝef hym valleþ þat chaunce

So holde,

Ȝet ne may he nauȝt y-sauued be,

Be he hym schriue wolde.*. [Be, read Bote ( = but)? Cf. however Zupitza's note to l. 7853 of the Romance of Guy of Warw., 15th cent. version.]

¶ Þer-fore þy schryfte, man, schel be

Wyþ-oute stoneynge,

Myd herte loȝ, and, ȝef þou myȝt,

Myd þyn eȝene wepynge;*. [nota [later]]

In treuþe,

Þet þer be non ypocrysye,

Bote repentaunce and reuþe.

¶ And ȝyf þat þou to schryfte comst*. [comst, MS. comff.]

Ine þyse manere to fa[y]re, Page  35

Þe schryft-uader þat uarþ aryȝt

Schal be wel de-bonayre

And loȝe;

He schel wystlyche þy senne hele,

Bet þane he wolde hys owe.

¶ Ȝef he þe schel anoye aȝt, [Wright page 36]

Hyt wyle of-þenche hym sore;

And oþer-wyl anoye he mot,

Wanne he scheweþ þe lore

Of helþe,

Ase mot þe leche ine uoule sores,

Wanne he royneþ þe felþe.

¶ Þer-fore ȝe mote þolyen hyt

Wyþ-oute alle manere tole,

And do þer-by ententyflyche,

Ȝyf ȝe wolleþ be hole

To liue;

And to a betere be leaue goþ, [folio 164a]

Ȝef ȝoure prest can nauȝt schryue.

¶ Te [þe] mo prestes þat þart ischryue*. [Te [þe] = To [þe].]

Myd alle y-hole schryfte,

Þe clenner þert a-ȝens god,

And of þe more þryfte;

Nauȝt nyce,

Ȝef hyt ne be nauȝt to þy prest

Malice ne preiudice.

¶ Wanne man hys repentaunt ischriue,

He scholde don ed-bote;

And þe ferste hys, þat he by-fle

Chypeans, of sennes rote;*. [Chypeans, or Chypeaus, is the reading of the MS., which is evidently corrupt. So is also by-flek in l. 993. For a possible emendation of the whole passage, see note.]

Ase quances, Page  36

He þat by-flek wel lecherye

Bi-ulekþ foule continaunce.

¶ Edbote hys dede after god conseyl [Wright page 37]

Of gosslich medicine,*. [gosslich, MS. gofflich = gostlich.]

Wanne senne sor y-clensed hys,

To þolye a lytel pyne

Þet frete,

Þat he ne be þer-uore iwrete*. [iwrete for iurete, ifrete.]

In purgatoryes hete.

¶ Þre maner peyne man a-fangeþ*. [a-fangeþ, a dotted out in MS.]

For hys senne nede;

Bene hys þat on, þat oþer fastyng,*. [Bene, MS. Senne.—þat oþer, MS. þ ^t oþer]

Þe þrydde hys almesdede;

Ac woste,

Bene hys and edbote yset*. [Bene, MS. Sene.—and, read ase?]

For senne do ine goste.

¶ For senne in flesch

vestyng heþ þe flesch loþe;*. [heþ might be read beþ in MS.; see note.]

Ac elmesdede senne bet

Of gost and flesche boþe;

For þencheþ

Þet almesdede senne quenkeþ, [folio 164b]

Ase water þat fer a-quencheþ.

¶ To byddyng contemplacion*. [In MS. there are dots after byddyng, contempl., wryte, predic. and won.]

Longeþ rede and wryte,*. [In MS. there are dots after byddyng, contempl., wryte, predic. and won.]

To here predicacioun won,*. [In MS. there are dots after byddyng, contempl., wryte, predic. and won.]

Lore, and herte smyte,

And werche*. [werche, MS. wreche.]Page  37

Dedes to ȝyue deuocioun

To men ine holy cherche.

¶ Knewelyng, trauayl, baruot go, [Wright page 38]

Wolle-ward and wakynge,*. [Wolle, o very much like e in MS.]

Discipline and lyte mete,

Þes longeþ to vestynge;

And here,

Pelgrymage and beddyng hard,

Flesch fram lykynge te arere.

¶ Ȝeue, and lene, and conseil,

Cloþyng, herberȝ, and fede,*. [Dots in MS. after Cloþyng and syke.]

Vysyty syke and prysones,*. [Dots in MS. after Cloþyng and syke.]

And helpe pouere at nede,*. [nota [later]]

Muknesse

For to uor-ȝeuene trespas,

Tak dedes of elmesse.

¶ And seue ȝer þou scholdest, man,

O dea[d]lyche senne pyny;*. [pyny, MS. peyny.]

Þer-uore al þat þe prest þe hat*. [hat, MS. hast.]

To done schalt þou nauȝt fyny,*. [fyny in a later hand. Immediately after fyny, there follow in the MS. the concluding lines of the next stanza—For ȝyf þou to lyte peyne hest, and so on. The wanting portion of this, and the beginning of the following stanza are written at the bottom of the next page, and are marked with an .a. and bb. Corresponding letters after fyny show where the lines are to be inserted.]

Ac more,

For onneaþe hys þer eny prest*. [onneaþe, MS. onmeaþe (for onnicaþe?).]

Þat peyne set so sore.

¶ For hy habbeþ uisyk of men, [foot folio 165]

Hy more sette þe lesse;*. [more, read moȝe? or mote?]Page  38

And betere hys forte apeched be*. [for, MS. ffor.—te on erasure.]

Of more forȝefnesse

Þane wreche;

For ȝyf þou to lyte peyne hest, [foot folio 164b]

Purgatorye hyt schal eche.

¶ And ȝet þer hys anoþer cas [Wright page 39]

Þat prestes ȝyuet so lyte

Penaunce: þaȝ me telle ham

Ryȝt moche of sennes wyte,

Ine mone,

Me mot ham legge lytel on, [folio 165a]

Oþer hy nolde do none.

¶ Beter hys þat hy a lyte do*. [Beter, MS. Seter.]

Her ine obedience,

And foluelle þat remenaunt

Ine purgatoryes tense

Eft-sone;

Nys nauȝt god to uor-lete a man

Þat eny-þing hys wyl bone.*. [eny-þing, MS. eny ying.—wyl bone? See note.]

¶ Þe bydde ich, broþer, be nauȝt loþ*. [loþ, þ on erasure.]

To do penaunce here;

For ȝet þer hys here som reles,

So nys nauȝt ine þe uere

Areyned,

Ne þorȝ þe ryȝt-uolnesse of god

Nys no sen onipeynid.*. [onipeynid, ouipeynid MS.]

¶ Man, wane þou seneȝyst, þre þou dest,

Þou wreþest god almyȝty,

To holy cherche on-bouxam þart,

Makest þy selue on-ryȝty:

Þos mote*. [MS. þos ȝe mote, ȝe in a later hand above the line.]Page  39

Make þy pes wyþ alle þre

Sorwe, schryfte, and edbote.

¶ Man[y] takeþ þys sacrement, [Wright page 40]

And geþ a-wey on-digne,

For he ne schryfþ nauȝt of þet þyng,

Bote of þe bare signe

To wynne.

Þe signe hys þat hys boute ydo, [folio 165b]

Þat þynge hys grace bynne.

¶ Two þynges her-wyþ-ynne beþ,

For-ȝefþe, and repentynge;

Ac repentaunce hys signe also

Of sennys for-ȝeuyng:*. [for-ȝeuyng, MS. forheuyng.]

Certayne,

For so may man repenti hym,

Þat þer uolȝeþ no peyne.

¶ Þat was iked wel inne þe þef

Ope caluaryes felde,

Þo he escusede ihesu cryst,

And hym gelty gan ȝelde

Mid sourwe;

He deide and come to paradys,

Na-bod he nauȝt fort a morwe.