The Canterbury tales

Group 10

The Parson's Prologue

By that the maunciple hadde his tale al ended, Line 1 The sonne fro the south lyne was descended Line 2 So lowe that he nas nat, to my sighte, Line 3 Degrees nyne and twenty as in highte. Line 4 Foure of the clokke it was tho, as I gesse, Line 5 For ellevene foot, or litel moore or lesse, Line 6 My shadwe was at thilke tyme, as there, Line 7 Of swiche feet as my lengthe parted were Line 8 In sixe feet equal of proporcioun. Line 9 Therwith the moones exaltacioun, Line 10 I meene libra, alwey gan ascende, Line 11 As we were entryng at a thropes ende; Line 12 For which oure hoost, as he was wont to gye, Line 13 As in this caas, oure joly compaignye, Line 14 Seyde in this wise: lordynges everichoon, Line 15 Now lakketh us no tales mo than oon. Line 16 Fulfilled is my sentence and my decree; Line 17 I trowe that we han herd of ech degree; Line 18 Almoost fulfild is al myn ordinaunce. Line 19 I pray to god, so yeve hym right good chaunce, Line 20 That telleth this tale to us lustily. Line 21 Sire preest, quod he, artow a vicary? Line 22 Or arte a person? sey sooth, by the fey! Line 23 Be what thou be, ne breke thou nat oure pley; Line 24 For every man, save thou, hath toold his tale. Line 25 Unbokele, and shewe us what is in thy male; Line 26 For, trewely, me thynketh by thy cheere Line 27 Thou sholdest knytte up wel a greet mateere. Line 28 Telle us a fable anon, for cokkes bones! Line 29 This persoun answerde, al atones, Line 30 Thou getest fable noon ytoold for me; Line 31 For paul, that writeth unto thymothee, Line 32 Repreveth hem that weyven soothfastnesse, Line 33 And tellen fables and swich wrecchednesse. Line 34 Why sholde I sowen draf out of my fest, Line 35 Whan I may sowen whete, if that me lest? Line 36 For which I seye, if that yow list to heere Line 37 Moralitee and vertuous mateere, Line 38 And thanne that ye wol yeve me audience, Line 39 I wol ful fayn, at cristes reverence, Line 40 Do yow plesaunce leefful, as I kan. Line 41 But trusteth wel, I am a southren man, Line 42 I kan nat geeste -- rum, ram, ruf, -- by lettre, Line 43 Ne, God woot, ryn holde I but litel bettre; Line 44 And therfore, if yow list -- I wol nat glose -- Line 45 I wol yow telle a myrie tale in prose Line 46 To knytte up al this feeste, and make an ende. Line 47 And jhesu, for his grace, wit me sende Line 48 To shewe yow the wey, in this viage, Line 49 Of thilke parfit glorious pilgrymage Line 50 That highte jerusalem celestial. Line 51 And if ye vouche sauf, anon I shal Line 52 Bigynne upon my tale, for which I preye Line 53 Telle youre avys, I kan no bettre seye. Line 54 But nathelees, this meditacioun Line 55 I putte it ay under correccioun Line 56 Of clerkes, for I am nat textueel; Line 57 I take but the sentence, trusteth weel. Line 58 Therfore I make protestacioun Line 59 That I wol stonde to correccioun. Line 60 Upon this word we han assented soone, Line 61 For, as it seemed, it was for to doone, Line 62 To enden in som vertuous sentence, Line 63 And for to yeve hym space and audience; Line 64 And bade oure hoost he sholde to hym seye Line 65 That alle we to telle his tale hym preye. Line 66 Oure hoost hadde the wordes for us alle: Line 67 Sire preest, quod he, now faire yow bifalle! Line 68 Telleth, quod he, youre meditacioun. Line 69 But hasteth yow, the sonne wole adoun; Line 70 Beth fructuous, and that in litel space, Line 71 And to do wel God sende yow his grace! Line 72 Sey what yow list, and we wol gladly heere. Line 73 And with that word he seyde in this manere. Line 74

The Parson's Tale

Part I

Oure sweete lord God of hevene, that no Line 75 Man wole perisse, but wole that we comen alle Line 75 Yo yhr knoweleche of hym, and to the blisful Line 75 lif that is perdurable,/ amonesteth us Line 76 By the prophete jeremie, that seith in thys Line 76 Wyse:/ stondeth upon the weyes, and seeth Line 77 And axeth of olde pathes (that is to seyn, of olde Line 77 Sentences) which is the goode wey./ And wald Line 78 Eth in that wey, and ye shal fynde refresshynge Line 78 For youre soules, etc./ Manye been the weyes Line 79 Espirituels that leden fold to oure lord jhesu Line 79 Crist, and to the regne of glorie./ Of whiche Line 80 Weyes, ther is a ful noble wey and ful covenable, Line 80 which may nat fayle to man ne to womman Line 80 that thurgh synne hath mysgoon fro Line 80 The righte wey of jerusalem celestial;/ and Line 81 This wey is cleped penitence, of which man Line 81 Sholde gladly herknen and enquere with Line 81 His herte,/ to wyten what is penitence, and Line 82 Wheenes it is cleped penitence, and in how Line 82 Manye maners been the acciouns or werkynges Line 82 of penitence,/ and how manye speces Line 83 Ther been of penitence, and whiche thynges Line 83 Apertenen and bihoven to penitence, and Line 83 Whiche thynges destourben penitence./ Line 84 Seint ambrose seith that penitence is the Line 84 Pleynynge of man for the gilt that he hath Line 84 Doon, and namoore to do any thyng for which Line 84 Hym oghte to pleyne./ And som doctour seith. Line 85 Penitence is the waymentynge of man that Line 85 Sorweth for his synne, and pyneth hymself Line 85 for he hath mysdoon./ Penitence, Line 86 With certeyne circumstances, is varray repentance Line 86 of a man that halt hymself in sorwe Line 86 And oother peyne for his giltes. / and for he Line 87 Shal be verray penitent, he shal first biwaylen Line 87 The synnes that he hath doon, and stidefastly Line 87 Purposen in his herte to have shrift of mouthe, Line 87 And to doon satisfaccioun, / and nevere to doon Line 88 Thyng for which hym oghte moore to biwayle Line 88 Or to compleyne, and to continue in goode Line 88 Werkes, or elles his repentance may nat availle. / Line 89 For, as seith seint ysidre, he is a japere and Line 89 A gabbere, and no verray repentant, that eftsoone Line 89 dooth thyng for which hym oghte repente./ Line 89 wepynge, and nat for to stynte to Line 90 Do synne, may nat avayle./ But nathelees, Line 91 Men shal hope that every tyme that man Line 91 Falleth, be it never so ofte, that he may arise Line 91 Thurgh penitence, if he have grace; but certeinly Line 91 it is greet doute./ For, as seith seint Line 92 Gregorie, unnethe ariseth he out of his synne, Line 92 That is charged with the charge of yvel usage./ Line 93 And therfore repentant folk, that stynte for to Line 93 Synne, and forlete synne er that synne forlete Line 93 Hem, hooly chirche holdeth hem siker of hir Line 93 Savacioun. / and he that synneth and verraily Line 94 Repenteth hym in his laste, hooly chirche yet Line 94 Hopeth his savacioun, by the grete mercy of Line 94 Oure lord jhesu crist, for his repentaunce; but Line 94 Taak the siker wey./ Line 95 And now, sith I have declared yow what Line 95 Thyng is penitence, now shul ye understonde Line 95 That ther been three acciouns of penitence./ Line 95 the firste is that if a man be baptized Line 96 after that he hath synned,/ seint augustyn Line 97 seith, but he be penytent for his olde Line 97 Synful lyf, he may nat bigynne the newe clene Line 97 Lif./ For, certes, if he be baptized withouten Line 98 Penitence of his olde gilt, he receyveth the mark Line 98 Of baptesme, but nat the grace ne the remission Line 98 Of his synnes, til he have repentance verray./ Line 99 Another defaute is this, that men doon deedly Line 99 Synne after that they han receyved baptesme./ Line 100 The thridde defaute is that men fallen in Line 100 Venial synnes after hir baptesme, fro day Line 100 To day./ Therof seith seint augustyn that Line 101 Penitence of goode and humble folk is the Line 101 Penitence of every day./ Line 102 The speces of penitence been three. That Line 102 Oon of hem is solempne, another is commune, Line 102 And the thridde is privee./ Thilke penance that Line 103 Is solempne is in two maneres; as to be put out Line 103 Of hooly chirche in-lente, for slaughtre of children Line 103 and swich maner thyng./ Another is, Line 104 Whan a man hath synned openly, of which Line 104 Synne the fame is openly spoken in the contree, Line 104 and thanne hooly chirche by juggement Line 104 Destreyneth hym for to do open penaunce./ Line 105 Commune penaunce is that preestes enjoynen Line 105 Men communly in certeyn caas, as for to goon Line 105 Peraventure naked in pilgrimages, or barefoot./ Line 105

Line 105 Prevee penaunce is thilke that men Line 106 Doon alday for privee synnes, of whiche we Line 106 Shryve us prively and receyve privee penaunce./ Line 107 Now shaltow understande what is bihovely Line 107 And necessarie to verray perfit penitence. And Line 107 This stant on three thynges:/ contricioun of Line 108 Herte, confessioun of mouth, and satisfaction. Line 108 / for which seith seint crisostomz Line 109 Penitence destreyneth a man to accepte benygnely Line 109 every peyne that hym is enjoyned, Line 109 With contricioun of herte, and shrift of mouth, Line 109 With satisfaccioun; and in werkynge of alle Line 109 Manere humylitee./ And this is fruytful penitence Line 110 agayn three thinges in which we Line 110 Wratthe oure lord jhesu crist:/ this is to Line 111 Seyn, by delit in thynkynge, by reccheleesnesse Line 111 in spekynge, and by wikked synful werknyge./ Line 111 and agayns thise wikkede giltes is penitence, Line 112 that may be likned unto a tree./ Line 113 The roote of this tree is contricioun, that Line 113 Hideth hym in the herte of hym that is verray Line 113 Repentaunt, right as the roote of a tree gydeth Line 113 Hym in the erthe./ Of the roote of contricioun Line 114 Spryngeth a stalke that bereth braunches and Line 114 Leves of confessioun, and fruyt of satisfaccioun./ Line 114 for which crist seith in his gospel: Line 115 Dooth digne fruyt of penitence; for by this Line 115 Fruyt may men knowe this tree, and nat by the Line 115 Roote that is hyd in the herte of man, ne by the Line 115 Braunches, ne by the leves of confessioun./ Line 115 and therfore oure lord jhesu Line 116 Crist seith thus: by the fruyt of hem shul Line 116 Ye knowen hem./ Of this roote eek spryngeth Line 117 A seed of grace, the which seed is mooder of Line 117 Sikernesse, and this seed is egre and hoot./ The Line 118 Grace of this seed spryngeth of God thurgh remembrance Line 118 of the day of doom and on the Line 118 Peynes of helle./ Of this matere seith salomon Line 119 that in the drede of God man forleteth his Line 119 Synne./ The heete of this seed is the love of Line 120 God, and the desiryng of the joye perdurable./ Line 120 this heete draweth the herte Line 121 Of a man to god, and dooth hym haten his Line 121 Synne./ For soothly ther is nothyng that savoureth Line 122 so wel to a child as the milk of his Line 122 Norice, ne nothyng is to hym moore abhomnyable Line 122 than thilke milk whan it is medled with Line 122 Oother mete./ Right so the synful man that Line 123 Loveth his synne, hym semeth that it is to him Line 123 Moost sweete of any thyng;/ but fro that tyme Line 124 That he loveth sadly oure lord jhesu crist, and Line 124 Desireth the lif perdurable, ther nys to him no Line 124 Thyng moore abhomynable./ For soothly the Line 125 Lawe of God is the love of god; for which Line 125 David the prophete seith: I have loved thy Line 125 Lawe, and hated wikkednesse and hate; he Line 125 That loveth God kepeth his lawe and his Line 125 Word./ This tree saugh the prophete Line 126 Daniel in spirit, upon the avysioun of the Line 126 Kyng nabugodonosor, whan he conseiled hym Line 126 To do penitence./ Penaunce is the tree of lyf Line 127 To hem that is receyven, and he that holdeth Line 127 Hym in verray penitence is blessed, after the Line 127 Sentence of solomon./ Line 128 In this penitence or contricioun man shal Line 128 Understonde foure thynges; that is to seyn, what Line 128 Is contricioun, and whiche been the causes that Line 128 Moeven a man to contricioun, and how he Line 128 Sholde be contrit, and what contricioun availleth Line 128 to the soule./ Thanne is it thus: that contricioun Line 129 is the verray sorwe that a man receyveth Line 129 in his herte for his synnes, with sad purpos Line 129 To shryve hum, and to do penaunce, and neveremoore Line 129 to do synne./ And this sorwe shal Line 130 Been in this manere, as seith seint bernard: it Line 130 Shal been hevy and grevous, and ful sharp Line 130 And poynaunt in herte./ First, for man Line 131 Hath agilt his lord and his creatour; and Line 131 Moore sharp and poynaunt, for he hath agilt hys Line 131 Fader celestial;/ and yet moore sharp and Line 132 Poynaunt, for he hath wrathed and agilt hym Line 132 That boghte hym, that with his precious blood Line 132 Hath delivered us fro the bondes of synne, and Line 132 Fro the crueltee of the deve, and fro the peynes Line 132 Of helle./ Line 133 The causes that oghte moeve a man to contricioun Line 133 been sixe. First a man shal remembre Line 133 Hym of his synnes;/ but looke he that thilke Line 134 Remembraunce ne be to hym no delit by no Line 134 Qwy, but greet shame and sorwe for his gilt. Line 134 For job seith, synful men doon werkes worthy Line 134 Of confusioun./ And therfore seith ezechie, Line 135 I wol remembre me alle the yeres of my Line 135 Lyf in bitternesse of myn herte./ And Line 136 God seith in the apocalipse, remembreth Line 136 Yow fro whennes that ye been falle; for biforn Line 136 That tyme that ye synned, ye were the children Line 136 Of god, and lymes of the regne of god;/ but for Line 137 Youre synne ye been woxen thral, and foul, and Line 137 Membres of the feend, hate of aungels, sclaundre Line 137 of hooly chirche, and foode of the false Line 137 Serpent; prepetueel matere of the fir of helle:/ Line 138 And yet moore foul and abhomynable, for ye Line 138 Trespassen so ofte tyme as dooth the hound that Line 138 Retourneth to eten his spewyng./ And yet be Line 139 Ye fouler for youre longe continuyng in synne Line 139 And youre synful usage, for which ye be roten Line 139 In yore synne, as a beest in the dong./ Swiche Line 140

Line 140 Manere of thoghtes maken a man to have shame Line 140 Of his synne, and no delit, as God seith by Line 140 The prophete ezechiel:/ ye shal remembre Line 141 yow of youre weyes, and they shuln Line 141 Displese yow. Soothly synnes been the weyes Line 141 That leden folk of helle./ Line 142 The seconde cause that oghte make a man Line 142 To have desdeyn of synne is this: that, as seith Line 142 Seint peter, whoso that dooth synne is thral Line 142 Of synne; and synne put a man in greet thraldom./ Line 142 and therfore seith the prophete ezechiel: Line 143 I wente sorweful in desdayn of mysekf. Line 143 Certes, wel oghte a man have desdayn of synne, Line 143 And withdrawe hym from that thraldom and Line 143 Vileynye./ And lo, what seith seneca in this Line 144 Matere? he seith thus: though I wiste that Line 144 Neither God ne man ne sholde nevere knowe Line 144 It, yet wolde I have desdayn for to do synne./ Line 145 And the same seneca also seith: I am born to Line 145 Gretter thynges that to be thral to my body, Line 145 Or than for to maken of my body a thral./ Line 146 Ne a fouler thral may no man ne womman Line 146 Maken of his body that for to yeven his body Line 146 To synne./ Al were it the fouleste cherl or the Line 147 Fouleste womman that lyveth, and leest of Line 147 ~alue, yet is he thanne moore foul and moore Line 147 In servitute./ Evere fro the hyer degree that Line 148 Man falleth, the moore is he thral, and moore Line 148 To God and to the world vile and abhomynable./ Line 148 o goode god, wel oghte man have desdayn Line 149 of synne, sith that thurgh synne, ther he Line 149 Was free, now is he maked bonde./ And therfore Line 150 seyth seint augustyn: if thou hast desdayn Line 150 of thy servant, if he agilte or synne, have Line 150 Thou thanne desdayn that thou thyself Line 150 Sholdest do synne./ Tak reward of thy Line 151 Value, that thou ne be foul to thyself./ Line 152 Allas! wel oghten they thanne have desdayn to Line 152 Been servauntz and thralles to synne, and soore Line 152 Been ashamed of hemself,/ that God of his Line 153 Endelees goodnesse hath set hem in heigh estaat, Line 153 or yeven hem wit, strenghte of body, Line 153 Heele, beautee, prosperitee,/ and boghte hem Line 154 Fro the deeth with his herte-blood. That they Line 154 So unkyndely, agayns his gentilesse, quiten hym Line 154 So vileynsly to slaughtre of hir owene soules./ Line 155 O goode god, ye wommen that been of so greet Line 155 Beautee, remembreth yow of the proverbe Line 155 Of salomon. He seith:/ likneth a fair Line 156 Womman that is a fool of hire body lyk to Line 156 A ryng of gold that were in the groyn of a Line 156 Soughe./ For right as a soughe wrotheth in Line 157 Everich ordure, so wroteth she hire beautee in Line 157 The stynkynge ordure of synne./ Line 158 The thridde cause that oghte moeve a man Line 158 To contricioun is drede of the day of doom and Line 158 Of the horrible peynes of helle./ For, as seint Line 159 Jerome seith, at every tyme that me remembreth Line 159 of the day of doom I quake;/ for whan Line 160 I ete or drynke, or what so that I do, evere Line 160 Semeth me that the trompe sowneth in Line 160 Myn ere:/ -- riseth up, ye that been dede, Line 161 And cometh to the juggement. -- / o goode Line 162 God, muchel oghte a man to drede wich a Line 162 Juggement, ther as we shullen been alle, as Line 162 Seint poul seith, biforn the seete of oure lord Line 162 Jhesu crist;/ whereas he shal make a general Line 163 Congregacioun, whereas no man may been absent./ Line 163 for certes there availleth noon essoyne Line 164 Ne excusacioun./ And nat oonly that oure defautes Line 165 shullen be jugged, but eek that alle Line 165 Oure werkes shullen openly be knowe./ Line 166 And as seith seint bernard, ther ne shal Line 166 No pledynge availle, ne no sleighte; we shullen Line 166 Yeven rekenynge of everich ydel word./ Ther Line 167 Shul we han a juge that may nat been deceyved Line 167 ne corrput. And why? for, certes, alle Line 167 Oure thoghtes been discovered as to hym; ne Line 167 For preyere ne for meede he shal nat been corrupt./ Line 167 and therfore seith salomon, the Line 168 Wratthe of God ne wol nat spare no wight, for Line 168 Prevere ne for yifte; and therfore, at the day Line 168 Of doom, ther nys noon hope to escape./ Wherfore, Line 169 as seith seint anselm, ful greet angwyssh Line 169 shul the synful folk have at that tyme;/ Line 170 Ther shal the stierne and wrothe juge sitte Line 170 Above, and under hym the horrible pit of helle Line 170 Open to destroyen hym that moot biknowen his Line 170 Synnes, whiche synnes openly been shewed Line 170 Biforn God and biforn every creature;/ Line 171 And in the left syde mo develes that herte Line 171 May bithynke, for the harye and drawe the synful Line 171 soules to the peyne of helle;/ and withinne Line 172 The hertes of folk shall be bitynge conscience, Line 172 and withoute forth shal be the orld Line 172 Al brennynge./ Whider shall thanne the Line 173 Wrecched synful man flee th hiden hym? Line 173 Certes, he may nat hyden hym; he moste come Line 173 Forth and shewen hym./ For certes, as seith Line 174 Seint jerome, the erthe shal casten hym out Line 174 Of hym, and the see also, and the eyr also, that Line 174 Shal be ful of thonder-clappes and lightnynges./ Line 174 now soothly, whoso wel remembreth Line 175 Hym of thise thynges, I gesse that his synne Line 175 Shal nat turne hym into delit, but to greet Line 175 Sorwe, for drede of the peyne of helle./ Line 176 And therfore seith job to god: suffre, Line 176 Lord, that I may a while biwaille and wepe. Line 176

Line 176 Er I go withoute returnyng to the derke lord, Line 176 Covered with the derknesse of deeth;/ to the Line 177 Lond of mysese and of derknesse, whereas is the Line 177 Shadwe of deeth; whereas ther is noon ordre or Line 177 Ordinaunce, but grisly drede that evere shal Line 177 Laste./ Loo, heere may ye seen that job Line 178 Preyde repit a while, to biwepe and waille his Line 178 Trespas; for soothly oo day of respit is bettre Line 178 Than al the tresor of this world./ And forasmuche Line 179 as a man may acquiten hymself biforn Line 179 God by penitence in this world, and nat by Line 179 Tresor, therfore sholde he preye to God to yeve Line 179 Hymrespit a while to biwepe and biwaillen Line 179 His trespas./ For certes, al the sorwe that a Line 180 Man myghte make fro the bigynnyng of the Line 180 World nys but a litel thyng at regard of the Line 180 Sorwe of helle./ The cause why that job Line 181 Clepeth helle the lond of derknesse;/ understondeth Line 182 that he clepeth it lond or erthe, Line 182 For it is stable, and nevere shal faille; derk, Line 182 For he that is in helle hath defaute of light material./ Line 182 for certes, the derke light that shal Line 183 Come out of the fyr that evere shal brenne, shal Line 183 Furne hym al to peyne that is in helle; for it Line 183 Sheweth him to the horrible develes that hym Line 183 Tormenten./ Covered with the derknesse of Line 184 Deeth, that is to seyn, that he that is in helle Line 184 Shal have defaute of the sighte of god; for Line 184 Certes, the sighte of God is the lyf perdurable./ Line 185 The derknesse of deeth been the synnes that Line 185 The wrecched man hath doon, whiche that destourben Line 185 hym to see the face of god, right as Line 185 Dooth a derk clowde bitwixe us and the Line 185 Sonne./ Lond of misese, by cause that Line 186 Ther been three maneres of defautes, agayn Line 186 Three thynges that folk of this world han in this Line 186 Present lyf, that is to seyn, honours, delices, and Line 186 Richesses./ Agayns honour, have they in helle Line 187 Shame and confusioun./ For wel ye woot that Line 188 Men clepen honour the reverence that man Line 188 Doth to man; but in helle is noon honour ne Line 188 Reverence. For certes, namoore reverence shal Line 188 Be doon there to a kyng than to a knave./ For Line 189 Which God seith by the prophete jeremye, Line 189 Thilke folk that me despisen shul been in Line 189 Despit./ Honour is eek cleped greet lordshipe; Line 190 Ther shal no wight serven other, but of harm Line 190 And torment. Honour is eek cleped greet dignytee Line 190 and heighnesse, but in helle shul Line 190 They been al fortroden of develes./ And Line 191 God seith, the horrible develes shulle Line 191 Goon and comen upon the hevedes of the Line 191 Dampned folk. And this is for as muche as the Line 191 Hyer that they were in this present lyf, the Line 191 Moore shulle they been abated and defouled Line 191 In helle./ Agayns the richesse of this world Line 192 Shul they han mysese of poverte, and this poverte Line 192 shal been in foure thynges:/ in defaute of Line 193 Tresor, of which that david seith, the riche Line 193 Folk, that embraceden and oneden al hire herte Line 193 To tresor of this world, shul slepe in the slepynge Line 193 of deeth; and nothyng ne shal they fynden Line 193 In hir handes of al hir tresor./ And moore-over Line 194 the myseyse of helle shal been in defaute Line 194 Of mete and rinke./ For God seith thus by Line 195 Moyses: they shul been wasted with hunger, Line 195 And the briddes of helle shul devouren hem Line 195 With bitter deeth, and the galle of the dragon Line 195 Shal been hire drynke, and the venym of Line 195 The dragon hire morsels./ And forther Line 196 Over, hire myseyse shal been in defaute of Line 196 Clothyng; for they shulle be naked in body as Line 196 Of clothyng, save the fyr in which they bree Line 196 And othere filthes;/ and naked shul they been Line 197 Of soule, as of alle manere vertues, which that Line 197 Is the clothyng of the soule. Where been Line 197 Thannne the gaye robes, and the softe shetes, Line 197 And the smale shertes?/ loo, what seith god Line 198 Of hem by the prophete ysaye: that under hem Line 198 Shul been strawed motthes, and hire covertures Line 198 Shulle been of womres of helle./ And forther Line 199 Over, hir myseyse shal been in defaute of Line 199 Freendes. For he nys nat povre that hath goode Line 199 Freendes; but there is no frend,/ for neither Line 200 God ne no creature shal been freend to hem, Line 200 And everich of hem shal haten oother Line 200 With deedly hat./ The sones and the Line 201 Doghtren shullen rebellen agayns fader Line 201 And mooder, and kynrede agauns kynrede, and Line 201 Chiden and despisen everich of hem oother Line 201 Bothe day nad nyght, as God seith by the Line 201 Prophete michias./ And the lovynge children, Line 202 That whilom loveden so flesshly everich oother, Line 202 Wolden everich of hem eten oother if they Line 202 Myghte./ For how sholden they love hem togidre Line 203 in the peyne of helle, whan they hated Line 203 Everich of hem oother in the progenitee of this Line 203 Lyr?/ for truste wel, hir flesshly love was Line 204 Deedly hate, as seith the prophete david: Line 204 Whoso that loveth wikkednesse, he hateth his Line 204 Soule./ And whoso hateth his owene soule, Line 205 Certes, he may love noon oother wight in Line 205 No manere./ And therfore, in helle is no Line 206 Solas ne no freendshipe, but evere the Line 206 Moore flesshly kynredes that been in helle, the Line 206 Moore cursynges, the more chidynges, and the Line 206 Moore deedly hate ther is among hem./ And Line 207 Forther over, they shul have defaute of alle Line 207

Line 207 Manere delices. For certes, delices been after Line 207 The appetites of the fyve wittes, as sighte, herynge, Line 207 smellynge, savorynge, and touchynge./ Line 208 But in helle hir sighte shal be ful of derknesse Line 208 And of smoke, and therfore ful of teeres; and Line 208 Hir herynge ful of waymentynge and of grynt Line 208 Ynge of teeth, as seith jhesu crist./ Hir nose- Line 209 Thirles shullen be ful of stynkynge stynk; and Line 209 As seith ysaye the prophete, hir savoryng shal Line 209 Be ful of bitter galle;/ and touchynge of al hir Line 210 Body ycovered with fir that nevere shal Line 210 Quenche, and with wormes that nevere shul Line 210 Dyen, as God seith by the mouth of Line 210 Ysaye./ And for as muche as they shul Line 211 Nat wene that they may dyen for peyne, Line 211 And by hir deeth flee fro peyne, that may they Line 211 Understonden by the word of job, that seith, Line 211 Ther as is the shadwe of deeth./ Certes, a Line 212 Shadwe hath the liknesse of the thyng of which Line 212 It is shadwe, but shadwe is nat the same thyng Line 212 Of which it is shadwe./ Right so fareth the Line 213 Peune of helle; it is lyk deeth for the horrible Line 213 Angwissh, and why? for it peyneth hem evere, Line 213 As though they sholde dye anon; but certes, Line 213 They shal nat dye./ For, as seith seint gregorie, Line 214 to wrecche caytyves shal be deeth Line 214 Withoute deeth, adn end withouten ende, and Line 214 Defaute withoute failynge./ For hir deeth shal Line 215 Alwey lyven, and hir ende shal everemo bigynne, Line 215 and hir defaute shal nat faille./ Line 216 And therfore seith seint john the evaungelist: Line 216 they shullen folwe deeth, and they shul Line 216 Nat fynde hym; and they shul desiren to dye, Line 216 And deeth shal flee fro hem./ And eek job Line 217 Seith that in helle is noon ordre of rule./ And Line 218 Al be it so that God hath creat alle thynges Line 218 In right ordre, and no thyng withouten ordre, Line 218 But alle thynges been ordeyned and nombred; Line 218 yet, nathelees, they that been dampned Line 218 Been nothyng in ordre, ne holden noon ordre./ Line 219 For the erthe ne shal bere hem no fruyt./ For Line 220 As the prophete david seith, God shal destroie Line 220 The fruyt of the erthe as fro hem; ne water ne Line 220 Shal yeve hem no moisture, ne the eyr no Line 220 Refresshyng, ne fyr no light./ For, as Line 221 Seith seint basilie, the brennynge of the Line 221 Fyr of this world shal God yeven in helle to hem Line 221 That been dampned,/ but the light and the cleernesse Line 222 shal be yeven in hevene to this childre; Line 222 Right as the goode man yeveth flessh to his Line 222 Children and bones to his houndes./ And for Line 223 They shullen have noon hope to escape, seith Line 223 Seint job atte laste that ther shal horrour and Line 223 Grisly drede dwellen withouten ende./ Horrour Line 224 is alwey drede of harm that is to come, Line 224 And this drede shal evere dwelle in the hertes Line 224 Of hem that been dampned. And therfore han Line 224 They lorn al hire hope, for sevene causes./ Line 225 First, for god, that is hir juge, shal be withouten Line 225 mercy to hem; and they may nat plese Line 225 Hym ne noon of his halwes; ne they ne Line 225 May yeve no thyng for hir raunsoun;/ ne Line 226 They have no voys to speke to hym; ne Line 226 They may nat fle fro peyne; ne they have no Line 226 Goodnesse in hem, that they mowe shewe to Line 226 Delivere hem fro peyne./ And therfore seith Line 227 Salomon: the wikked man dyeth, and whan Line 227 He is deed, he shal have noon hope to escape Line 227 Fro peyne./ Whoso thanne wolde wel understande Line 228 thise peynes, and bithynke hym weel Line 228 That he hath deserved thilke peynes for his Line 228 Synnes, errtes, he sholde have moore talent to Line 228 Siken and to wepe, than for to syngen and to Line 228 Pleye./ For, as that seith salomon, whoso Line 229 That hadde the science to knowe the peynes Line 229 That been establissed and ordeyned for synne, Line 229 He wolde make sorwe./ Thilke science, as Line 230 Seith seint augustyn, maketh a man to Line 230 Waymenten in his herte./ Line 231 The fourthe point that oghte maken a Line 231 Man to have contricion is the sorweful remembraunce Line 231 of the good that he hath left to Line 231 Doon heere in erthe, and eek the good that he Line 231 Hath lorn./ Soothly, the goode werkes that he Line 232 Hath lost, outher they been the goode werkes Line 232 That he wroghte er he fel into deedly synne, or Line 232 Elles the goode werkes that he wroghte while Line 232 He lay in synne./ Soothly, the goode werkes Line 233 That he dide biforn that he fil in synne been al Line 233 Mortefied and astoned and dulled by the ofte Line 233 Synnyng./ The othere goode werkes, that he Line 234 Wroghte whil he lay in deedly synne, thei been Line 234 Outrely dede, as to the lyf perdurable in hevene./ Line 234 thanne thikle goode werkes that been Line 235 Mortefied by ofte synnyng, whiche goode Line 235 Werkes he dide whil he was in charitee, ne Line 235 Mowe nevere quyken agayn withouten verray Line 235 penitence./ And therof seith God by Line 236 The mouth of ezechiel, that if the rightful Line 236 Man returne agayn from his rightwisnesse and Line 236 Werke wikkednesse, shal he lyve?/ nay, for Line 237 Alle the goode werkes that he hath wroght ne Line 237 Shul nevere been in remembraunce, for he shal Line 237 Dyen in this synne./ And upon thilke chapitre Line 238 Seith seint gregorie thus: that we shulle understonde Line 238 this principally;/ that whan we doon Line 239 Deedly synne, it is for noght thanne to rehercen Line 239 Or drawen into memorie the goode werkes that Line 239

Line 239 We han wroght biforn. / for certes, in the Line 240 Werkynge of the deedly synne, ther is no trust Line 240 To no good werk that we can doon biforn; that Line 240 Is to seyn, as for to have therby the lyf Line 240 Perdurable in hevene./ But nathelees, the Line 241 Goode werkes quyken agayn, and comen Line 241 Agayn, and helpen, and availlen to have the Line 241 Lyf perdurable in hevene, whan we han contricioun./ Line 241 but soothly, the goode werkes that Line 242 Men doon whil they been in deedly synne, for Line 242 As muche as they were doon in deedly synne, Line 242 They may nevere quyke agayn./ For certes Line 243 Thyng that nevere hadde lyf may nevere quykene; Line 243 and nathelees, al be it that they ne availle Line 243 Noght to han the lyf perdurable, yet availlen Line 243 They to abregge of the peyne of helle, or elles Line 243 To geten temporal richesse,/ or elles that god Line 244 Wole the rather enlumyne and lightne the herte Line 244 Of the synful man to have repentaunce;/ and Line 245 Eek they availlen for to usen a man to doon Line 245 Goode werkes, that the feend have the Line 245 Lasse power of his soule./ And thus the Line 246 Curteis lord jhesu crist ne wole that no Line 246 Good werk be lost; for in somwhat it shal Line 246 Availle./ But, for as muche as the goode werkes Line 247 That men doon whil they been in good lyf been Line 247 Al mortefied by synne folwynge, and eek sith Line 247 That alle the goode werkes that men doon whil Line 247 They been in deedly synne been outrely dede as Line 247 For to have the lyf perdurable;/ wel may that Line 248 Man that no good werk ne dooth synge thilke Line 248 Newe frenshe song, jay tout perdu mon temps Line 248 Et mon labour./ For certes, synne bireveth a Line 249 Man bothe goodnesse of nature and eek the Line 249 Goodnesse of grace./ For soothly, the grace of Line 250 The hooly goost fareth lyk fyr, that may nat Line 250 Been ydel; for fyr fayleth anoon as it forleteth Line 250 His wirkynge, and right so grace fayleth Line 250 Anoon as it forleteth his werkynge./ Then Line 251 Leseth the synful man the goodnesse of Line 251 Glorie, that oonly is bihight to goode men that Line 251 Labouren and werken./ Wel may he be sory Line 252 Thanne, that oweth al his lif to God as longe Line 252 As he hath lyved, and eek as longe as he shal Line 252 Lyve, that no goodnesse ne hath to paye with Line 252 His dette to God to whom he oweth al his lyf./ Line 253 For trust wel, he shal yeven acountes, as seith Line 253 Seint bernard, of alle the goodes that han be Line 253 Yeven hym in this present lyf, and how he hath Line 253 Hem despended;/ in so muche that ther shal Line 254 Nat perisse an heer of his heed, ne a moment Line 254 Of an houre ne shal nat perisse of his tyme, that Line 254 He ne shal yeve of it a rekenyng./ Line 255 The fifthe thyng that oghte moeve a man to Line 255 Contricioun is remembrance of the passioun Line 255 That oure lord jhesu crist suffred for oure Line 255 Synnes./ For, as seith seint bernard, Line 256 Whil that I lyve I shal have remembrance Line 256 of the travailles that oure lord crist Line 256 Suffred in prechyng;/ his werynesse in travaillyng, Line 257 his temptaciouns whan he fasted, his longe Line 257 Wakynges whan he preyde, hise teeres whan Line 257 That he weep for pitee of good peple;/ the Line 258 Wo and the shame and the filthe that men Line 258 Seyden to hym; of the foule spittyng that men Line 258 Spitte in his face, of the buffettes that men Line 258 Yaven hym, of the foule mowes, and of the repreves Line 258 that men to hym seyden;/ of the nayles Line 259 With whiche he was nayled to the croys, and Line 259 Of al the remenant of his passioun that he suffred Line 259 for my synnes, and no thyng for his gilt./ Line 260 And ye shul understonde that in mannes synne Line 260 Is every manere of ordre or ordinaunce Line 260 Turned up-so-doun./ For it is sooth that Line 261 God, and resoun, and sensualitee, and the Line 261 Body of man been so ordeyned that everich of Line 261 Thise foure thynges sholde have lordshipe over Line 261 That oother;/ as thus: God sholde have lordshipe Line 262 over resoun, and resoun over sensualitee, Line 262 And sensualitee over the body of man./ But Line 263 Soothly, whan man synneth, al this ordre or Line 263 Ordinaunce is turned up-so-doun./ And therfore, Line 264 thanne, for as muche as the resoun of man Line 264 Ne wol nat be subget ne obeisant to god, that Line 264 Is his lord by right, therfore leseth it the lordshipe Line 264 that it sholde have over sensualitee, and Line 264 Eek over the body of man./ And why? for Line 265 Sensualitee rebelleth thanne agayns resoun, Line 265 And by that way leseth resoun the lordshipe Line 265 over sensualitee and over the body./ Line 266 For right as resoun is rebel to god, right so Line 266 Is bothe sensualitee rebel to resoun and the Line 266 Body also./ And certes this disordinaunce and Line 267 This rebellioun oure lord jhesu crist aboghte Line 267 Upon his precious body ful deere, and herkneth Line 267 In which wise./ For as muche thanne as resoun Line 268 is rebel to god, therfore is man worthy Line 268 To have sorwe and to be deed./ This suffred Line 269 Oure lord jhesu crist for man, after that he Line 269 Hadde be bitraysed of his disciple, and distreyned Line 269 and bounde, so that his blood brast Line 269 Out at every nayl of his handes, as seith seint Line 269 Augustyn./ And forther over, for as muchel Line 270

Line 270 As resoun of man ne wol nat daunte sensualitee Line 270 whan it may, therfore is man worthy to have Line 270 Shame; and this suffred oure lord jhesu Line 270 Crist for man, whan they spetten in his Line 270 Visage./ And forther over, for as muchel Line 271 Thanne as the caytyf body of man is rebel Line 271 Bothe to resoun and to sensualitee, therfore is Line 271 It worthy the deeth./ And this suffred oure Line 272 Lord jhesu crist for man upon the croys Line 272 Where as ther was no part of his body free Line 272 Withouten greet peyne and bitter passioun. / Line 273 And al this suffred jhesu crist, that nevere Line 273 Forfeted. And therfore resonably may be seyd Line 273 Jhesu in this manere: to muchel am I Line 273 Peyned for the thynges that I nevere deserved, Line 273 And to muche defouled for shendshipe that Line 273 Man is worthy to have./ And therfore may Line 274 The synful man wel seye, as seith seint bernard, Line 274 Acursed be the bitternesse of my synne, for Line 274 Which ther moste be suffred so muchel bitternesse./ Line 274 for certes, after the diverse disordinaunces Line 275 of oure wikkednesses was the passioun Line 275 of jhesu crist ordeyned in diverse Line 275 Thynges,/ as thus. Certes, synful mannes Line 276 Soule is bitraysed of the devel by coveitise Line 276 Of temporeel prosperitee, and scorned by deceite Line 276 whan he cheseth flesshly delices; and yet Line 276 Is it tormented by inpacience of adversitee, Line 276 And bispet by servage and subjeccioun of Line 276 Synne; and atte laste it is slayn fynally./ For Line 277 This disordinaunce of synful man was jhesu Line 277 Crist first bitraysed, and after that was he Line 277 Bounde, that cam for to unbynden us of synne Line 277 And peyne./ Thanne was he byscorned, that Line 278 Oonly sholde han been honoured in alle thynges Line 278 And of alle thynges./ Thanne was his visage, Line 279 That oghte be desired to be seyn of al mankynde, Line 279 in which visage aungels desiren to looke, Line 279 Vileynsly bispet./ Thanne was he scourged, Line 280 That no thyng hadde agilt; and finally, Line 280 Thanne was he crucified and slayn./ Line 281 Thanne was acompliced the word of ysaye, Line 281 He was wounded for oure mysdedes and defouled Line 281 for oure felonies./ Now sith that jhesu Line 282 Crist took upon hymself the peyne of alle oure Line 282 Wikkednesses, muchel oghte synful man wepen Line 282 And biwayle, that for his synnes goddes sone Line 282 Of hevene sholde al this peyne endure./ Line 283 The sixte thyng that oghte moeve a man to Line 283 Contricioun is the hope of three thynges; that Line 283 Is to seyn, foryifnesse of synne, and the yifte to Line 283 Grace wel for to do, and the glorie of hevene, Line 283 With which God shal gerdone man for his Line 283 Goode dedes./ And for as muche as jhesu Line 284 Crist yeveth us thise yiftes of his largesse and Line 284 Of his sovereyn bountee, therfore is he cleped Line 284 Jhesus nazarenus rex judeorum./ Jhesus is to Line 285 Seyn saveour or salvacioun, on whom men Line 285 Shul hope to have foryifnesse of synnes, Line 285 Which that is proprely salvacioun of Line 285 Synnes./ And terfore seyde the aungel Line 286 To joseph, thou shalt clepen his name Line 286 Jhesus, that shal saven his peple of hir synnes./ Line 287 And heerof seith seint peter: ther is noon Line 287 Oother name under hevene that is yeve to any Line 287 Man, by which a man may be saved, but oonly Line 287 Jhesus./ Nazarenus is as muche for to seye as Line 288 Florisshynge, in which a man shal hope that Line 288 He that yeveth hym remissioun of synnes shal Line 288 Yeve hym eek grace wel for to do. For in the Line 288 Flour is hope of fruyt in tyme comynge, and in Line 288 Foryifnesse of synnes hope of grace wel for to Line 288 Do./ I was atte dore of thyn herte, seith Line 289 Jhesus, and cleped for to entre. He that openeth Line 289 to me shal have foryifnesse of synne./ I Line 290 Wol entre into hym by my grace, and soupe Line 290 With hym, by the goode werkes that he shal Line 290 Doon, whiche werkes been the foode of god; Line 290 And he shal soupe with me, by the grete Line 290 Joye that I shal yeven hym./ Thus shal Line 291 Man hope, for his werkes of penaunce, Line 291 That God shal yeven hym his regne, as he bihooteth Line 291 hym in the gospel./ Line 292 Now shal a man understonde in which manere Line 292 shal been his contricioun. I seye that it Line 292 Shal been universal and total. This is to seyn, Line 292 A man shal be verray repentaunt for alle his Line 292 Synnes that he hath doon in delit of his thoght; Line 292 For delit is ful perilous./ For ther been two Line 293 Manere of consentynges: that oon of hem is Line 293 Cleped consentynge of affeccioun, whan a man Line 293 Is moeved to do synne, and deliteth hym longe Line 293 For to thynke on that synne;/ and his reson Line 294 Aperceyveth it wel that it is synne agayns the Line 294 Lawe of god, and yet his resoun refreyneth nat Line 294 His foul delit or talent, though he se wel apertly Line 294 That it is agayns the reverence of god. Although Line 294 his resoun ne consente noght to doon Line 294 That synne in dede,/ yet seyn somme doctours Line 295 That swich delit that dwelleth longe, it is Line 295 Ful perilous, al be it nevere so lite./ And Line 296 Also a man sholde sorwe namely for al that Line 296 Evere he hath desired agayn the lawe of god Line 296 With perfit consentynge of his resoun; for therof Line 296 Is no doute, that it is deedly synne in consentynge./ Line 296 for certes, ther is no deedly synne, that Line 297 It nas first in mannes thought, and after that Line 297 In his delit, and so forth into consentynge and Line 297 Into dede./ Wherfore I seye that many men Line 298 Ne repenten hem nevere of swiche thoghtes and Line 298 Delites, ne nevere shryven hem of it, but oonly Line 298 Of the dede of grete synnes outward./ Wherfore Line 299 I seye that swiche wikked delites and wikked Line 299

Line 299 thoghtes been subtile bigileres of hem that Line 299 Shullen be dampned./ Mooreover man oghte Line 300 To sorwe for his wikkede wordes as wel as for Line 300 His wikkede dedes. For certes, the repentaunce Line 300 Of a synguler synne, and nat repente of alle his Line 300 Ohter synnes, or elles repenten hym of alle his Line 300 Othere synnes, and nat of a synguler synne, Line 300 May nat availle./ For certes, God almyghty Line 301 is al good; and therfore he foryeveth Line 301 al, or elles right noght./ And heerof Line 302 Seith seint augustyn:/ I wot certeynly that Line 303 God is enemy to everich synnere; and how Line 303 Thanne, he that observeth o synne, shal he have Line 303 Foryifnesse of the remenaunt of his othere Line 303 Synnes? nay./ And forther over, contrcioun Line 304 Sholde be wonder sorweful and angwissous; Line 304 And therfore yeveth hym God pleynly his Line 304 Mercy; and therfore, whan my soule was angwissous Line 304 withinne me, I hadde remembrance Line 304 Of God that my preyere myghte come to hym./ Line 305 Forther over, contricioun moste be continueel, Line 305 And that man have stedefast purpos to shriven Line 305 Hum, and for to amenden hym of his Line 305 Lyf./ For soothly, whil contricioun lasteth, Line 306 Man may evere have hope of foryifnesse; Line 306 And of this comth hate of synne, that destroyeth Line 306 synne, bothe in himself, and eek in oother Line 306 Folk, at his power./ For which seith david: Line 307 Ye that loven god, hateth wikkednesse. For Line 307 Trusteth wel, to love God is for to love that he Line 307 Loveth, and hate that he hateth./ Line 308 The laste thyng that men shal understonde Line 308 In contricioun is this: wherof avayleth contricioun. Line 308 I seye that somtyme contricioun delivereth Line 308 a man fro synne;/ of which that david Line 309 Seith, I seye, quod david (that is to seyn, Line 309 I purposed fermely) to shryve me, and thow, Line 309 Lord, relessedest my synne./ And right so as Line 310 Contricion availleth noght withouten sad purpos Line 310 of shrifte, if man have oportunitee, right Line 310 So litel worth is shrifte or satisfaccioun Line 310 Withouten contricioun./ And mooreover Line 311 Contricion destroyeth the prisoun of helle, Line 311 And maketh wayk and fieble alle the strengthes Line 311 Of the develes, and restoreth the yiftes of the Line 311 Hooly goost and of alle goode vertues;/ and Line 312 It clenseth the soule of synne, and delivereth Line 312 The soule fro the peyne of helle, and fro the Line 312 Compaignye of the devel, and fro the servage Line 312 Of synne, and restoreth it to alle goodes espirituels, Line 312 and to the compaignye and communyoun Line 312 Of hooly chirche./ And forther over, it maketh Line 313 Hym that whilom was sone of ire to be sone Line 313 Of grace; and alle thise thynges been preved Line 313 By hooly writ./ And therfore, he that wolde Line 314 Sette his entente to thise thynges, he were ful Line 314 Wys; for soothly he ne sholde nat thanne in al Line 314 His lyf have corage to synne, but yeven his body Line 314 And al his herte to the service of jhesu crist, Line 314 And therof doon hym hommage./ For soothly Line 315 Oure sweete lord jhesu crist hath spared us Line 315 So debonairly in oure folies, that if he ne hadde Line 315 Pitee of mannes soule, a sory song we Line 315 Myghten alle synge./ Line 316

Part II

The seconde partie of penitence is confressioun, Line 316 that is signe of contricioun./ Now shul Line 317 Ye understonde what is confessioun, and Line 317 Wheither it oghte nedes be doon or noon, and Line 317 Whiche thynges been covenable to verray confessioun./ Line 317 First shaltow understonde that confessioun Line 318 Is verray shewynge of synnes to the preest./ Line 319 This is to seyn verray, for he moste confessen Line 319 Hym of alle the condiciouns that bilongen to his Line 319 Synne, as ferforth as he kan./ Al moot be seyd, Line 320 And no thyng excused ne hyd ne forwrapped, Line 320 And noght avaunte thee of thy goode Line 320 Werkes./ And forther over, it is necessarie Line 321 to understonde whennes that synnes Line 321 Spryngen, and how they encreessen and whiche Line 321 They been./ Line 322 Of the spryngynge of synnes seith seint paul Line 322 In this wise: that right as by a man synne entred Line 322 first into this world, and thurgh that synne Line 322 Deeth, right so thilke deeth entred into alle Line 322 Men that synneden./ And this man was adam, Line 323 By whom synne entred into this world, whan Line 323 He brak the comaundementz of god./ And Line 324 Therfore, he that first was so myghty that he Line 324 Sholde nat have dyed, bicam swich oon that he Line 324 Moste nedes dye, wheither he wolde or noon, Line 324 And al his progenye in this world, that in thilke Line 324 Man synneden./ Looke that in th' estaat of innocence, Line 325 whan adam and eve naked weren Line 325 In paradys, and nothyng ne hadden shame Line 325 Of hir nakednesse,/ how that the serpent, Line 326 That was moost wily of alle othere beestes Line 326 That God hadde maked, seyde to the womman: Line 326 Why comaunded God to yow ye sholde nat Line 326 Eten of every tree in paradys?/ the womman Line 327

Line 327 Answerde: of the fruyt, quod she, of the trees Line 327 In paradys we feden us, but soothly, of the Line 327 Fruyt of the tree that is in the myddel of paradys, Line 327 god forbad us for to ete, ne nat touchen Line 327 It, lest per aventure we sholde dyen./ The Line 328 Serpent seyde to the womman: nay, nay, ye Line 328 Shul nat dyen of deeth; for sothe, God woot Line 328 That what day that ye eten therof, youre eyen Line 328 Shul opene, and ye shul been as goddes, knowynge Line 328 good and harm./ The womman thanne Line 329 Saugh that the tree was good to feedyng, and Line 329 Fair to the eyen, and delitable to the sighte. Line 329 She took of the fruyt of the tree, and eet it, Line 329 And yaf to hire housbonde, and he eet, and Line 329 Anoon the eyen of hem bothe openeden./ And Line 330 Whan that they knewe that they were naked, Line 330 They sowed of fige leves a maner of Line 330 Breches to hiden hire membres./ There Line 331 May ye seen that deedly synne hath, first, Line 331 Suggestion of the feend, as sheweth heere by Line 331 The naddre; and afterward, teh delit of the Line 331 Flessh, as sheweth heere by eve; and after that, Line 331 The consentynge of resoun, as sheweth heere Line 331 By adam./ For trust wel, though so were that Line 332 The feend tempted eve, that is to seyn, the Line 332 Flessh, and the flessh hadde delit in the beautee Line 332 Of the fruyt defended, yet certes, til that resoun, Line 332 That is to seyn, adam, consented to the etynge Line 332 Of the fruyt, yet stood he in th' estaat of innocence./ Line 332 of thilke adam tooke we thilke wynne Line 333 Original; for of hym flesshly descended be we Line 333 Alle, and engendred of vile and corrupt mateere./ Line 333 and whan the soule is put in oure body, Line 334 Right anon is contract original synne; and that Line 334 That was erst but oonly peyne of concupiscence, Line 334 is afterward bothe peyne and synne./ Line 335 And therfore be we alle born sones of wratthe Line 335 And of dampnacioun perdurable, if it nere baptesme Line 335 that we receyven, which bynymeth us Line 335 The culpe. But for sothe, the peyne dwelleth Line 335 With us, as to temptacioun, which peyne Line 335 Highte concupiscence./ And this concupiscence, Line 336 whan it is wrongfully disposed Line 336 Or ordeyned in man, it maketh hym coveite, Line 336 By coveitise of flessh, flesshly synne, by sighte Line 336 Of his eyen as to erthely thynges, and eek Line 336 Coveitise of hynesse by pride of herte./ Line 337 Now, as for to speken of the firste coveitise, Line 337 That is concupiscence, after the lawe of oure Line 337 Membres, that weren lawefulliche ymaked and Line 337 By rightful juggement of god;/ I seye, forasmuche Line 338 as man is nat obeisaunt to god, that is Line 338 His lord, therfore is the flessh to hym disobeisaunt Line 338 thurgh concupiscence, whigh yet is Line 338 Cleped norrissynge, of synne and occasioun Line 338 Of synne./ Therfore, al the while that a Line 339 Man hath in hym the peyne of concupiscence, Line 339 it is impossible but he be tempted Line 339 Somtime and moeved in his flessh to synne./ Line 340 And this thyng may nat faille as longe Line 340 As he lyveth; it may wel wexe fieble and faille Line 340 By vertu of baptesme, and by the grace of Line 340 God thurgh penitence;/ but fully ne shal Line 341 It nevere quenche, that he ne shal som Line 341 Tyme be moeved in hymself, but if he were al Line 341 Refreyded by siknesse, or by malefice of sorcerie, Line 341 Or colde drynkes./ For lo, what seith seint Line 342 Paul: the flessh coveiteth agayn the spirit, and Line 342 The spirit agayn the flessh; they been so contrarie Line 342 and so stryven that a man may nat alway Line 342 doon as he wolde./ The same seint paul, Line 343 After his grete penaunce in water and in lond, Line 343 -- in water by nyght and by day in greet peril Line 343 And in greet peyne; in lond, in famyne and Line 343 Thurst, in coold and cloothelees, and ones stoned Line 343 Almoost to the deeth,/-- yet seyde he, allas, Line 344 I caytyf man! who sahl delivere me fro the Line 344 Prisoun of my caytyf body?/ and seint jerome, Line 345 whan he longe tyme hadde woned in Line 345 Desert, where as he hadde no compaignye but Line 345 Of wilde beestes, where as he ne hadde no mete Line 345 But herbes, and water to his drynke, ne no bed Line 345 But the naked erthe, for which his flessh was Line 345 Blak as an ethiopeen for heete, and ny destroyed Line 345 for coold,/ yet seyde he that the Line 346 Brennynge of lecherie boyled in al his Line 346 Body./ Wherfore I woot wel sykerly that they Line 347 Been deceyved that seyn that they ne be nat Line 347 Empted in hir body./ Witnesse on seint jame Line 348 The apostel, that seith that every wight is Line 348 Tempted in his owene concupiscence; that is Line 348 To seyn, that everich of us hath matere and Line 348 Occasioun to be tempted of the norissynge of Line 348 Synne that is in his body./ And therfore seith Line 349 Seint john the evaungelist: if that we seyn Line 349 That we be withoute synne, we deceyve us Line 349 Selve, and trouthe is nat in us./ Line 350 Now hal ye understonde in what manere Line 350 That synne wexeth or encreesseth in man. The Line 350 Firste thyng is thilke norissynge of synne of Line 350 Which I spak biforn, thilke flesshly concupiscence./ Line 350 and after that comth the Line 351 Subjeccioun of the devel, this is to seyn, Line 351 The develes bely, with which he bloweth in man Line 351 The fir of flesshly concupiscence./ And after Line 352 That, a man bithynketh hym wheither he wol Line 352 Doon, or no, thilke thing to which he is Line 352 Tempted./ And thanne, if that a man withstonde Line 353

Line 353 and weyve the firste entisynge of his Line 353 Flessh and of the feend, thanne is it no synne; Line 353 And if it so be that he do nat so, thanne feeleth Line 353 he anoon a flambe of delit./ And thanne Line 354 Is it good to be war, and kepen hym wel, or Line 354 Elles he wol falle anon into consentynge of Line 354 Synne; and thanne wol he do it, if he may have Line 354 Tyme and place./ And of this matere seith Line 355 Moyses by the devel in this manere: the Line 355 Feend seith, -- I wole chace and pursue the man Line 355 By wikked suggestioun, and I wole hente hym Line 355 By moevynge or stirynge of synne. And I wol Line 355 Departe my prise or my praye by deliberacioun, Line 355 And my lust shal been acompliced in delit. Line 355 I wol drawe my swerd in consentynge -- / Line 356 For certes, right as a swerd departeth a Line 356 Thyng in two peces, right so consentynge departeth Line 356 god fro man -- and thanne wol I Line 356 Sleen hym with myn hand in dede of synne; Line 356 Thus seith the feend./ For certes, thanne is Line 357 A man al deed in soule. And thus is synne Line 357 Acompliced by temptacioun, by delit, and by Line 357 Consentynge; and thanne is the synne cleped Line 357 Actueel./ Line 358 For sothe, synne is in two maneres; outher Line 358 It is venial, or deedly synne. Soothly, whan Line 358 Man loveth any creature moore than jhesu Line 358 Crist oure creatour, thanne is it deedly synne. Line 358 And venial synne is it, if man love jhesu crist Line 358 Lasse than hym oghte./ For sothe, the dede Line 359 Of this venial synne is ful perilous; for it Line 359 Amenuseth the love that men sholde han to Line 359 God moore and moore./ And therfore, it a Line 360 Man charge hymself with manye swiche venial Line 360 Synnes, certes, but if so be that he somtyme Line 360 Descharge hym of hem by shrifte, they mowe Line 360 Ful lightly amenuse in hym al the love that Line 360 He hath to jhesu crist;/ and in this wise Line 361 Skippeth venial into deedly synne. For Line 361 Certes, the moore that a man chargeth his Line 361 Soule with venial synnes, the moore is he enclyned Line 361 to fallen into deedly synne./ And therfore Line 362 lat us nat be necligent to deschargen us Line 362 Of venial synnes. For the proverbe seith that Line 362 Manye smale maken a greet./ And herkne Line 363 This ensample. A greet wawe of the see comth Line 363 Som tyme with so greet a violence that it Line 363 Drencheth the ship. And the same harm doon Line 363 Som tyme the smale dropes of water, that entren Line 363 thurgh a litel crevace into the thurrok, Line 363 And in the botme of the ship, if men be so Line 363 Necligent that they ne descharge hem nat by Line 363 Tyme./ And therfore, although ther be a difference Line 364 bitwixe thise two causes of drenchynge, Line 364 Algates the ship is dreynt./ Right so fareth it Line 365 Somtyme of deedly synne, and of anoyouse Line 365 Veniale synnes, whan they multiplie in a man Line 365 So greetly that the love of thilke worldly Line 365 Thynges that he loveth, thurgh whiche he synneth Line 365 venyally, is as greet in his herte as Line 365 The love of god, or moore./ And therfore, Line 366 the love of every thyng that is nat Line 366 Biset in god, ne doon principally for goddes Line 366 Sake, although that a man love it lasse than Line 366 God, yet is it venial synne;/ and deedly synne Line 367 Whan the love of any thyng weyeth in the Line 367 Herte of man as muchel as the love of god, or Line 367 Moore./ Deedly synne, as seith seint augustyn, Line 368 is whan a man turneth his herte fro Line 368 God, which that is verray sovereyn bountee, Line 368 That may nat chaunge, and yeveth his herte Line 368 To thyng that may chaunge and flitte./ And Line 369 Certes, that is every thyng save God of hevene. Line 369 For sooth is that if a man yeve his love, the Line 369 Which that he oweth al to God with al his Line 369 Herte, unto a creature, certes, as muche of his Line 369 Love as he yeveth to thilke creature, so muche Line 369 He bireveth fro god;/ and therfore dooth he Line 370 Synne. For he that is dettour to God ne yeldeth Line 370 nat to God al his dette, that is to seyn, Line 370 Al the love of his herte./ Line 371 Now sith man understondeth generally Line 371 Which is venial synne, thanne is it covenable Line 371 To tellen specially of synnes whiche that many Line 371 A man peraventure ne demeth hem nat synnes, Line 371 And ne shryveth him nat of the same thynges, Line 371 And yet natheless they been synnes;/ soothly, as Line 372 Thise clerkes writen, this is to seyn, that at every Line 372 Tyme that a man eteth or drynketh moore than Line 372 Suffiseth to the sustenaunce of his body, in certein Line 372 he dooth synne./ And eek whan he speketh Line 373 moore than it nedeth, it is synne. Eke Line 373 Whan he herkneth nat benignely the compleint Line 373 Of the povre;/ eke whan he is in heele of body, Line 374 And wol nat faste whan other folk faste, withouten Line 374 cause resonable; eke whan he slepeth Line 374 Moore than nedeth, or whan he comth by thilke Line 374 Enchesoun to late to chirche, or to othere werkes Line 374 Of charite;/ eke whan he useth his wyf, withouten Line 375 sovereyn desir of engendrure to the honour Line 375 of god, or for the entente to yelde to Line 375 His wyf the dette of his body;/ eke whan Line 376 He wol nat visite the sike and the prisoner, Line 376 If he may; eke if he love wyf or child, or oother Line 376 Worldly thyng, moore than resoun requireth; Line 376 Eke if he flatere or blandise moore than hym Line 376 Oghte for any necessitee;/ eke if he amenuse Line 377 Or withdrawe the almesse of the povre; eke if Line 377

Line 377 He apparailleth his mete moore deliciously than Line 377 Nede is, or ete it to hastily by likerousnesse;/ Line 378 Eke if he tale vanytees at chirche or at goddes Line 378 Service, or that he be a talker of ydel wordes of Line 378 Folye or of vileynye, for he shal yelden acountes Line 378 Of it at the day of doom;/ eke whan he biheteth Line 379 or assureth to do thynges that he may nat Line 379 Perfourne; eke whan that he by lightnesse or Line 379 Folie mysseyeth or scorneth his neighebor;/ Line 380 Eke whan he hath any wikked suspecioun Line 380 Of thyng ther he ne woot of it no soothfastnesse:/ Line 380 thise thynges, and no withoute Line 381 nombre, been synnes, as seith seint Line 381 Augustyn./ Line 382 Now shal men understonde that, al be it so Line 382 That noon erthely man may eschue alle venial Line 382 Synnes, yet may be refreyne hym by the brennynge Line 382 love that he hath to oure lord jhesu Line 382 Christ, and by preyeres and confessioun and Line 382 Othere goode werkes, so that it shal but litel Line 382 Greve./ For, as seith seint augustyn, if a man Line 383 Love God in swich manere that al that evere he Line 383 Dooth is in the love of god, and for the love of Line 383 God, verraily, for he brenneth in the love of Line 383 God,/ looke, how muche that a drope of water Line 384 that falleth in a fourneys ful of fyr anoyeth Line 384 Or greveth, so muche anoyeth a venial synne Line 384 Unto a man that is perfit in the love of jhesu Line 384 Crist./ Men may also refreyne venial synne Line 385 By receyvynge worthily of the precious Line 385 Body of jhesu crist;/ by receyvynge eek Line 386 Of booly water; by almesdede; by general Line 386 Confessioun of confiteor at masse and at complyn; Line 386 and by blessynge of bisshopes and of Line 386 Preestes, and by oothere goode werkes./ Line 387

Part III

Now is it bihovely thyng to telle whiche Line 387 Been the sevene deedly synnes, this is to seyn, Line 387 Chiefaynes of synnes. Alle they renne in o Line 387 Lees, but in diverse manneres. Now been they Line 387 Cleped chieftaynes, for as muche as they been Line 387 Chief and spryng of alle othere synnes./ Of Line 388 The roote of thise sevene synnes, thanne, is Line 388 Pride the general roote of alle harmes. For of Line 388 This roote spryngen certein braunches, as ire, Line 388 Envye, accidie or slewthe, avarice or coveitise Line 388 (to commune understondynge), glotonye, and Line 388 Lecherye./ And everich of thise chief synnes Line 389 Hath his braunches and his twigges, as shal be Line 389 Declared in hire chapitres folwynge./ Line 390 And thogh so be that no man kan outerly Line 390 Telle the nombre of the twigges and of the Line 390 Harmes that cometh of pride, yet wol I shewe Line 390 A partie of hem, as ye shul understonde./ Line 390 ther is inobedience, avauntynge, Line 391 ypocrisie, despit, arrogance, inpudence, Line 391 swellynge of herte, insolence, elacioun, Line 391 Inpacience, strif, contumacie, presumpcioun, Line 391 Irreverence, pertinacie, veyne glorie, and many Line 391 Another twig that I kan nat declare./ Inobedient Line 392 is he that disobeyeth for despit to the comandementz Line 392 of god, and to his sovereyns, and Line 392 To his goostly fader./ Avauntour is he that Line 393 Bosteth of the harm or of the bountee that he Line 393 Hath doon./ Ypocrite is he that hideth to Line 394 Shewe hym swich as he is, and sheweth hym Line 394 Swich as he noght is./ Despitous is he that Line 395 Hath desdeyn of his neighebor, that is to seyn, of Line 395 His evene-cristene, or hath despit to doon Line 395 That hym oghte to do./ Arrogant is he Line 396 That thynketh that he hath thilke bountees Line 396 In hym that he hath noght, or weneth that he Line 396 Sholde have hem by his desertes, or elles he Line 396 Demeth that he be that he nys nat./ Inpudent Line 397 Is he that for his pride hath no shame of his Line 397 Synnes./ Swellynge of herte is whan a man rejoyseth Line 398 hym of harm that he hath doon./ Insolent Line 399 is he that despiseth in his juggement alle Line 399 Othere folk, as to regatd of his value, and of his Line 399 Konnyng, and of his spekyng, and of his beryng./ Line 399 elacioun is whan he ne may neither Line 400 Suffre to have maister ne felawe./ Inpacient Line 401 is he that wol nat been ytaught ne Line 401 Undernome of his vice, and by strif werreieth Line 401 Troughe wityngly, and deffendeth his folye./ Line 402 Contumax is he that thurgh his indignacioun Line 402 Is agayns everich auctoritee or power of hem Line 402 That been his sovereyns./ Presumpcioun is whan Line 403 A man undertaketh an emprise that hym oghte Line 403

Line 403 Nat do, or elles that he may nat do; and this Line 403 Is called surquidrie. Irreverence is whan men Line 403 Do nat honour there as hem oghte to doon, Line 403 And waiten to be reverenced./ Pertinacie is Line 404 Whan man deffendeth his folie, and truseth to Line 404 Muchel to his owene wit./ Veyneglorie is for Line 405 To have pompe and delit in his temporeel Line 405 Hynesse, and glorifie hym in this worldly Line 405 Estaat./ Janglynge is whan a man speketh Line 406 To muche biforn folk, and clappeth as a Line 406 Mille, and taketh no keep what he seith./ Line 407 And yet is ther a privee spece of pride, that Line 407 Waiteth first to be salewed er he wole salewe, Line 407 Al be be lasse worth than that oother is peraventure; Line 407 and eek he waiteth or desireth to Line 407 Sitte, or elles to goon above hym in the wey, Line 407 Or kisse pax, or been encensed, or goon to Line 407 Offryng biforn his neighebor,/ and swiche sem0 Line 408 Blable thynges, agayns his duetee, peraventure, Line 408 But that he hath his herte and his entente in Line 408 Swich a proud desir to be magnified and honoured Line 408 biforn the peple./ Line 409 Now been ther two maneres of pride: that Line 409 Oon of hem is withinne the herte of man, and Line 409 That oother is withoute./ Of whiche, soothly, Line 410 Thise forseyde thynges, and no that I have Line 410 Seyd, apertenen to pride that is in the herte Line 410 Of man; and that othere speces of pride Line 410 Been withoute./ But natheles that oon Line 411 Of thise speces of pride is signe of that Line 411 Oother, right as the gaye leefsel atte taverne Line 411 Is signe of the wyn that is in the celer./ And Line 412 This is in manye thynges: as in speche and contenaunce, Line 412 and in outrageous array of clothyng./ Line 412 for certes, if ther ne hadde be no synne Line 413 In clothyng, crist wolde nat so soone have Line 413 Noted and spoken of the clothyng of thilke Line 413 Riche man in the gospel./ And as seith seint Line 414 Gregorie, that cprecious clothyng is cowpable Line 414 For the derthe of it, and for his softenesse, and Line 414 For his strangenesse and degisynesse, and for Line 414 The superfluitee, or for the inordinat scantnesse Line 414 Of it./ Allas! may man nat seen, as in oure Line 415 Dayes, the synful costlewe array of clothynge, Line 415 And namely in to muche superfluite, or Line 415 Elles in to desordinat scantnesse?/ Line 416 As to the first synne, that is in superfluitee Line 416 of clothynge, which that maketh it so deere, Line 416 To harm of the peple;/ nat oonly the cost of Line 417 Embrowdynge, the degise endentynge or barrynge, Line 417 owndynge, palynge, wyndynge or bendynge, Line 417 and semblable wast of clooth in vanitee;/ Line 418 But ther is also costlewe furrynge in hir gownes, Line 418 So muche pownsonynge of chisels to maken Line 418 Holes, so muche daggynge of sheres;/ forthwith Line 419 the superfluitee in lengthe of the forseide Line 419 Gowens, trailynge in the dong and in the mire, Line 419 On horse and eek on foote, as wel of man as Line 419 Of womman, that al thilke trailyng is verraily Line 419 As in effect wasted, consumed, thredbare, and Line 419 Roten with donge, rather than it is yeven to the Line 419 Povre, to greet damage of the forseyde povre Line 419 Folk./ And that in sondry wise; this is to seyn Line 420 That the moore that clooth is wasted, the moore Line 420 Moot it coste to the peple for the scarsnesse./ Line 420 and forther over, if so be that Line 421 They wolde yeven swich pownsoned and Line 421 Dagged clothyng to the povre folk, it is Line 421 Nat convenient to were for hire estaat, ne suffisant Line 421 to beete hire necessitee, to kepe hem fro Line 421 The distemperance of the firmament./ Upon Line 422 That oother side, to speken of the horrible disordiant Line 422 scantnesse of clothyng, as been thise Line 422 Kutted sloppes, or haynselyns, that thurgh hire Line 422 Shortnesse ne covere nat the shameful membres Line 422 of man, to wikked entente./ Allas! somme Line 423 Of hem shewen the boce or hir shap, and the Line 423 Horrible swollen membres, that semeth lik the Line 423 Maladie of hirnia, in the wrappynge of hir Line 423 Hoses;/ and eek the buttokes of hem faren as Line 424 It were the hyndre part of a she-ape in the fulle Line 424 Of the moone./ And mooreover, the wrecched Line 425 Swollen membres that they shewe thurgh disgisynge, Line 425 in departynge of hire hoses in whit and Line 425 Reed, semeth that half hir shameful privee Line 425 Membres weren flayne./ And if so be that Line 426 They departen hire hoses in othere colours, Line 426 As is whit and blak, or whit and blew, or blak Line 426 And reed, and so forth,/ thanne semeth it, as Line 427 By variaunce of colour, that half the partie of Line 427 Hire privee membres were corrupt by the fir Line 427 Of seint antony, or by cancre, or by oother Line 427 Swich meschaunce./ Of the hyndre part of hir Line 428 Buttokes, it is ful horrible for to see. For certes, Line 428 In that partie of hir body ther as they purgen Line 428 Hir stynkynge ordure,/ that foule partie shewe Line 429 They to the peple prowdly in despit of honestitee, Line 429 which honestitee that jhesu crist and Line 429 His freendes observede to shewen in hir lyve./ Line 430 Now, as of the outrageous array of wommen, Line 430 God woot that though the visages of somme of Line 430 Hem seme ful chaast and debonaire, yet notifie Line 430 They in hire array of atyr likerousnesse and Line 430 Pride./ I sey nat that honestitee in clothynge Line 431 of man or womman is uncovenable, Line 431 But certes the superfluitee or disordinat scantitee Line 431 of clothynge is reprevable./ Also the synne Line 432 Of aornement or of apparaille is in thynges that Line 432

Line 432 Apertenen to ridynge, as in to manye delicat Line 432 Horses that been hoolden for dlit, that been so Line 432 Faire, fatte, and costlewe;/ and also in many a Line 433 Vicious knave that is sustened by cause of hem, Line 433 And in to curious harneys, as in sadeles, in Line 433 Crouperes, peytrels, and bridles coverd Line 433 Precious clothyng, and riche barres and plates Line 433 Of gold and of silver./ For which God seith Line 434 By zakarie the prophete, I wol confounde the Line 434 Rideres of swiche horses./ This folk taken litel Line 435 Reward of the ridynge of goddes sone of hevene, Line 435 and of his harneys whan he rood upon Line 435 The asse, and ne hadde noon oother harneys Line 435 But the povre clother of his disciples; ne we ne Line 435 Rede nat that evere he rood on oother Line 435 Beest./ I speke this for the synne of superfluitee, Line 436 and nat for resonable honestitee, Line 436 Whan reson it requireth./ And forther over, Line 437 Certes, pride is greetly notified in holdynge of Line 437 Greet meynee, whan they be of litel profit or Line 437 Of right no profit;/ and namely whan that Line 438 Meynee is felonous and damageous to the peple Line 438 By hardynesse of heigh lordshipe or by wey of Line 438 Offices./ For certes, swiche lordes sellen thanne Line 439 Hir lordshipe to the devel of helle, whanne they Line 439 Sustenen the wikkednesse of hir meynee./ Or Line 440 Elles, whan this folk of lowe degree, as thilke Line 440 That holden hostelries, sustenen the thefte of Line 440 Hire hostilers, and that is in many manere Line 440 Of deceites./ Thilke manere of folk been Line 441 The flyes that folwen the hony, or elles the Line 441 Houndes that folwen the careyne. Swich forseyde Line 441 folk stranglen spiritually hir lordshipes;/ Line 442 For which thus seith david the prophete: wikked Line 442 deeth moote come upon thilke lordshipes, Line 442 And God yeve that they moote descenden into Line 442 Helle al doun; for in hire houses been iniquitees Line 442 And shrewednesses, and nat God of hevene./ Line 443 And certes, but if they doon amendement, Line 443 Right as God yaf his benysoun to (laban) by Line 443 The service of jacob, and to (pharao) by the Line 443 Service of joseph, right so God wol yeve his Line 443 Malisoun to swiche lordshipes as sustenen the Line 443 Wikkednesse of hir servauntz, but they come to Line 443 Amendement./ Pride of the table appeereth Line 444 Eek ful ofte; for certes, riche men been cleped Line 444 To festes, and povre folk been put awey and rebuked./ Line 444 also in excesse of diverse metes and Line 445 Drynkes, and namely swich manere bake-metes Line 445 And dissh-metes, brennynge of wilde fir and Line 445 Peynted and castelled with papir, and semblable Line 445 wast, so that it is abusioun for to Line 445 Thynke./ And eek in to greet preciousnesse Line 446 of vessel and curiositee of mynstralcie, Line 446 by whiche a man is stired the moore to delices Line 446 of luxurie,/ if so be that he sette his herte Line 447 The lasse upon oure lord jhesu crist, certeyn it Line 447 Is a synne; and certeinly the delices myghte Line 447 Been so grete in this caas that man myghte Line 447 Lightly falle by hem into deedly synne. / the Line 448 Especes that sourden of pride, soothly whan Line 448 They sourden of malice ymagined, avised, and Line 448 Forncast, or elles of usage, been deedly synnes, Line 448 It is no doute. / and whan they sourden by Line 449 Freletee unavysed, and sodeynly withdrawen Line 449 Ayeyn, al been they grevouse synnes, I gesse Line 449 That they ne been nat deedly. / now myghte Line 450 Men axe wherof that pride sourdeth and Line 450 Spryngeth, and I seye, somtyme it spryngeth Line 450 Of the goodes of nature, and somtyme of the Line 450 Goodes of fortune, and somtyme of the Line 450 Goodes of grace./ Certes, the goodes of Line 451 Nature stonden outher in goodes of body Line 451 Or in goodes of soule./ Certes, goodes of body Line 452 Been heele of body, strengthe, delivernesse, Line 452 Beautee, gentrice, franchise./ Goodes of nature Line 453 of the soule been good wit, sharp understondynge, Line 453 subtil engyn, vertu natureel, good Line 453 Memorie./ Goodes of fortune been richesse, Line 454 Hyghe degrees of lordshipes, preisynges of the Line 454 Peple./ Goodes of grace been science, power Line 455 To suffre spiritueel travaille, benignitee, vertuous Line 455 contemplacioun, withstondynge of Line 455 Temptacioun, and semblable thynges./ Of Line 456 Whiche forseyde goodes, certes it is a ful Line 456 Greet folye a man to priden hym in any of hem Line 456 Alle./ Now as for to speken of goodes of nature, Line 457 God woot that somtyme we han hem in nature Line 457 As muche to oure damage as to oure profit./ Line 458 As for to speken of heele of body, certes it Line 458 Passeth ful lightly, and eek it is ful ofte enchesoun Line 458 of the siknesse of oure soule. For, god Line 458 Woot, the flessh is a ful greet enemy to the Line 458 Soule; and therfore, the moore that the body Line 458 Is hool, the moore be we in peril to falle./ Eke Line 459 For to pride hym in his strengthe of body, it Line 459 Is an heigh folye. For certes, the flessh coveiteth Line 459 agayn the spirit; and ay the moore strong Line 459 That the flessh is, the sorier may the soule be./ Line 460 And over al this, strengthe of body and worldly Line 460 Hardynesse causeth ful ofte many a man to Line 460 Peril and meschaunce./ Eek for to pride Line 461 Hym of his gentrie is ful greet folie; for Line 461 Ofte tyme the gentrie of the body binymeth Line 461 The gentrie of the soule; and eek we ben alle Line 461 Of o fader and of o mooder; and alle we been Line 461 Of o nature, roten and corrupt, bothe riche and Line 461 Povre./ For sothe, o manere gentrie is for to Line 462

Line 462 Preise, that apparailleth mannes corage with Line 462 Vertues and moralitees, and maketh hym cristes Line 462 Child./ For truste wel that over what man that Line 463 Synne hath maistrie, he is a verray cherl to Line 463 Synne./ Line 464 Now been ther generale signes of gentillesse, Line 464 As eschewynge of vice and ribaudye and servage Line 464 Of synne, in word, in werk, and contenaunce;/ Line 465 And usynge vertu, curteisye, and clennesse, and Line 465 To be liberal, that is to seyn, large by mesure; Line 465 For thilke that passeth mesure is folie and Line 465 Synne./ Another is to remembre hym of Line 466 Bountee, that he of oother folk hath receyved./ Line 466 another is to be benigne to his goode Line 467 Subetis; wherfore seith senek, ther is no Line 467 Thing moore covenable to a man of heigh estaat Line 467 than debonairetee and pitee./ And therfore Line 468 thise flyes that men clepen bees, whan Line 468 They maken hir kyng, they chesen oon that Line 468 Hath no prikke wherwith he may stynge./ Another Line 469 is, a man to have a noble herte and Line 469 A diligent, to attayne to heighe vertuouse Line 469 Thynges./ Now certes, a man to pride hym in Line 470 The goodes of grace is eek an outrageous folie; Line 470 For thilke yifte of grace that sholde have turned Line 470 Hym to goodnesse and to medicine, turneth Line 470 Hym to venym and to confusioun, as seith Line 470 Seint gregorie./ Certes also, whoso prideth Line 471 hym in the goodes of fortune, he is a Line 471 Ful greet fool; for somtyme is a man a greet Line 471 Lord by the morwe, that is a caytyf and a Line 471 Wrecche er it be nyght;/ and somtyme the Line 472 Richesse of a man is cause of his deth; somtyme Line 472 the delices of a man ben cause of the Line 472 Grevous maladye thurgh which he dyeth./ Line 473 Certes, the commendacioun of the peple is Line 473 Somtyme ful fals and ful brotel for to triste; Line 473 This day they preyse, tomorwe they blame./ Line 474 God woot, desir to have commendacioun eek Line 474 Of the peple hath caused deeth to many a bisy Line 474 Man./ Line 475 Now sith that so is that ye han understonde Line 475 What is pride, and whiche been the speces of it, Line 475 And whennes pride sourdeth and spryngeth,/ Line 475 now shul ye understonde which is Line 476 The remedie agayns the synne of pride; Line 476 And that is hymylitee, or mekenesse./ That is Line 477 A vertu thurgh which a man hath verray Line 477 Knoweleche of hymself, and holdeth of hymself Line 477 no pris ne deyntee, as in regard of his Line 477 Desertes, considerynge evere his freletee./ Now Line 478 Been ther three maneres of hymylitee: as humylitee Line 478 in herte; another hymylitee is in his Line 478 Mouth; the thridde in his werkes./ The humilitee Line 479 in herte is in foure maneres. That oon is Line 479 Whan a man holdeth hymself as noght worth Line 479 Biforn God of hevene. Another is whan he ne Line 479 Despiseth noon oother man./ The thridde is Line 480 Whan he rekketh nat, though men holde hym Line 480 Noght worth. The ferthe is whan he nys Line 480 Nat sory of his humiliacioun./ Also the Line 481 Humilitee of mouth is in foure thynges: in Line 481 Attempree speche, and in humblesse of speche, Line 481 And whan he biknoweth with his owene mouth Line 481 That he is swich as hym thynketh that he is in Line 481 His herte. Another is whan he preiseth the Line 481 Bountee of another man, and nothyng therof Line 481 Amenuseth./ Humilitee eek in werkes is in Line 482 Foure maneres. The firste is whan he putteth Line 482 Othere men biforn hym. The seconde is to Line 482 Chese the loweste place over al. The thridde Line 482 Is gladly to assente to good conseil./ The Line 483 Ferthe is to stonde gladly to the award of his Line 483 Sovereyns, or of hym that is in hyer degree. Line 483 Certein, this is a greet werk of hymylitee./ Line 484 After pride wol I speken of the foule synne Line 484 Of envye, which that is, as by the word of the philosophre, Line 484 sorwe of oother mannes prosperitee; Line 484 And after the word of seint augustyn, it is sorwe Line 484 Of oother mennes wele, and joye of othere Line 484 Mennes harm./ This foule synne is platly Line 485 Agayns the hooly goost. Al be it so that every Line 485 Synne is agayns the hooly goost, yet nathelees, Line 485 For as muche as bountee aperteneth proprely to Line 485 The hooly goost, and envye comth proprely Line 485 Of malice, therfore it is proprely agayn the Line 485 Bountee of the hooly goost./ Now hath Line 486 Malice two speces; that is to seyn, ahrdnesse Line 486 of herte in wikkednesse, or elles the flessh Line 486 Of man is so blynd that he considereth nat that Line 486 He is in synne, or rekketh nat that he is in synne, Line 486 Which is the hardnesse of the devel./ That Line 487 Oother spece of malice is whan a man werreyeth Line 487 trouthe, whan he woot that it is trouthe; Line 487 And eek whan he werreyeth the grace that god Line 487 Hath yeve to his neighebor; and al this is by Line 487 Envye./ Certes, thanne is envye the worste Line 488 Synne that is. For soothly, alle othere synnes Line 488 Been somtyme oonly agayns o special vertu;/ Line 489 But certes, envye is agayns alle vertues and Line 489 Agayns alle goodnesses. For it is sory of alle Line 489

Line 489 The bountees of his neighebor, and in this manere Line 489 it is divers from alle othere synnes./ For Line 490 Wel unnethe is ther any synne that it ne hath Line 490 Som delit in itself, save oonly envye, that Line 490 Evere hath in itself angwissh and sorwe./ Line 491 The speces of envye been thise. Ther is Line 491 First, sorwe of oother mannes goodnesse and Line 491 Of his prosperitee; and prosperitee is kyndely Line 491 Matere of joye; thanne is envye a synne agayns Line 491 Kynde./ The seconde spece of envye is joye Line 492 Of oother mannes harm; and that is proprely Line 492 Lyk to the devel, that evere rejoyseth hym of Line 492 Mannes harm./ Of thise two speces comth bakbityng; Line 493 and this synne of bakbityng or detraccion Line 493 hath certeine speces, as thus. Som man Line 493 Preiseth his neighebor by a wikked entente;/ Line 494 For he maketh alwey a wikked knotte atte laste Line 494 Ende. Alwey he maketh a but atte laste ende, Line 494 That is digne of moore blame, than worth is al Line 494 The preisynge./ The seconde spece is that if a Line 495 Man be good, and dooth or seith a thing to Line 495 Good entente, the bakbitere wol turne al thilke Line 495 Goodnesse up-so-doun to his shrewed entente./ Line 495 the thridde is to amenuse the Line 496 Bountee of his neighebor./ The fourthe Line 497 Spece of bakbityng is this, that if men speke Line 497 Goodnesse of a man, thanne wol the bakbitere Line 497 Seyn, parfey, swich a man is yet bet than he; Line 497 In dispreisynge of hym that men preise./ The Line 498 Fifte spece is this, for to consente gladly and Line 498 Herkne gladly to the harm that men speke of Line 498 Oother folk. This synne is ful greet, and ay Line 498 Encreesseth after the wikked entente of the Line 498 /bakbitere./ After bakbityng cometh gruchchyng Line 500 or murmuracioun; and somtyme it Line 500 Spryngeth of inpacience agayns god, and som-tyme Line 500 agayns man./ Agayn God it is, whan Line 501 A man gruccheth agayn the peyne of helle, or Line 501 Agayns poverte, or los of catel, or agayn reyn Line 501 Or tempest; or elles gruccheth that shrewes Line 501 Han prosperitee, or elles for the goode Line 501 Men han adversitee./ And alle thise Line 502 Thynges sholde man suffre paciently, for Line 502 They comen by the rightful juggement and Line 502 Ordinaunce of god./ Somtyme comth grucching Line 503 of avarice; as judas grucched agayns the Line 503 Magdaleyne, whan she enoynted the heved of Line 503 Oure lord jhesu crist with hir precious oynement./ Line 503 this manere murmure is swich as whan Line 504 Man gruccheth of goodnesse that hymself Line 504 Dooth, or that oother folk doon of hir owene Line 504 Catel./ Somtyme comth murmure of pride; as Line 505 Whan simon the pharisse gruchched agayn the Line 505 Magdaleyne, whan she approched to jhesu Line 505 Crist, and weep at his feet for hire synnes./ Line 506 And somtyme grucchyng sourdeth of envye; Line 506 Whan men discovereth a mannes harm that Line 506 Was pryvee, or bereth hym on hond Line 506 Thyng that is fals./ Murmure eek is ofte Line 507 Amonges servauntz that grucceh whan hir Line 507 Sovereyns bidden hem doon leveful thynges; / Line 508 And forasmuche as they dar nat openly withseye Line 508 the comaundementz of hir sovereyns, yet Line 508 Wol they seyn harm, and grucche, and murmure Line 508 prively for verray despit;/ whiche wordes Line 509 Men clepen the develes pater noster, though Line 509 So be that the devel ne hadde nevere pater Line 509 Noster, but that lewed folk yeven it swich a Line 509 Name./ Somtyme it comth of ire or pive hate, Line 510 That norisseth rancour in herte, as afterward I Line 510 Shal declare./ Thanne cometh eek bitternesse Line 511 Of herte, thurgh which bitternesse every good Line 511 Dede of his neighebor semeth to hym bitter Line 511 and unsavory./ Thanne cometh discord, Line 512 that unbyndeth alle manere of Line 512 Freendshipe. Thanne comth scornynge of his Line 512 Neighebor, al do he never so weel./ Thanne Line 513 Comth accusynge, as whan man seketh occasioun Line 513 to anoyen his neighebor, which that is Line 513 Lyk the craft of the devel, that waiteth bothe Line 513 Nyght and day to accusen us alle./ Thanne Line 514 Comth malignitee, thurgh which a man anoyeth Line 514 his neighebor prively, if he may;/ and if Line 515 He noght may, algate his wikked wil ne shal Line 515 Nat wante, as for to brennen his hous pryvely, Line 515 Or empoysone or sleen his beestes, and semblable Line 515 thynges./ Line 516 Now wol I speke of remedie agayns this Line 516 Foule synne of envye. First is the love of god Line 516 Principal, and lovyng of his neighebor as hymself; Line 516 for soothly, that oon ne may nat been Line 516 Withoute that oother./ And truste wel that Line 517 In the name of thy neighebor thou shalt Line 517 Understonde the name of thy brother; for certes Line 517 Alle we have o fader flesshly, and o mooder, Line 517 That is to seyn, adam and eve; and eek o fader Line 517 Espiritueel, and that is God of hevene./ Thy Line 518 Neighebor artow holden for to love, and wilne Line 518 Hym alle goodnesse; and therfore seith god, Line 518 Love thy neighebor as thyselve, that is to Line 518 Seyn, to salvacioun bothe of lyf and of soule./ Line 519 And mooreover thou shalt love hym in word, Line 519 And in benigne amonestynge and chastisynge, Line 519 And conforten hym in his anoyes, and preye for Line 519 Hym with al thyn herte./ And in dede thou Line 520

Line 520 Shalt love hym in swich wise that thou shalt Line 520 Doon to hym in charitee as thou woldest that Line 520 It were doon to thyn owene persone./ And Line 521 Therfore thou ne shalt doon hym no damage Line 521 In wikked word, ne harm in his body, ne in Line 521 His catel, ne in his soule, by entissyng of Line 521 Wikked ensample./ Thou shalt nat desiren Line 522 His wyf, ne none of his thynges. Understoond Line 522 eek that in the name of neighebor is Line 522 Comprehended his enemy./ Certes, man shal Line 523 Loven his enemy, by the comandement of god, Line 523 And soothyly thy freend shaltow love in god./ Line 524 I seye, thyn enemy shaltow love for goddes Line 524 Sake, by his comandement. For if it were reson Line 524 That man sholde haten his enemy, for so he Line 524 God nolde nat receyven us to his love that been Line 524 His enemys./ Agayns three manere of wronges Line 525 That his enemy dooth to hym, he shal doon Line 525 Three thynges, as thus./ Agayns hate and rancour Line 526 of herte, he shal love hym in herte. Line 526 Agayns chidyng and wikkede wordes, he shal Line 526 Preye for his enemy. Agayns the wikked dede Line 526 Of his enemy, he shal doon hym bountee./ Line 526 for crist seith: loveth youre enemys, Line 527 and preyeth for hem that speke yow Line 527 Harm, and eek for hem that yow chacen and Line 527 Pursewen, and dooth bountee to hem that yow Line 527 Haten. Loo, thus comaundeth us oure lord Line 527 Jhesu crist to do to oure enemys./ For smoothly, Line 528 Nature dryveyh us to loven oure freends, and Line 528 Parfey, oure enemys han moore nede to love Line 528 That oure freendes; and they that moore nede Line 528 Have, certes to hem shal men doon goodnesse;/ Line 529 And certes, in thilke dede have we remembraunce Line 529 of the love of jhesu crist that deyde Line 529 For his enemys./ And in as muche as thilke Line 530 Love is the moore grevous to perfourne, so Line 530 Muche is the moore gret the merite; and therfore Line 530 the lovynge of oure enemy hath confounded Line 530 the venym of the devel./ For right Line 531 As the devel is disconfited by humylitee, right Line 531 So is he wounded to the deeth by love of Line 531 Oure enemy./ Certes, thanne is love the Line 532 Medicine that casteth out the venym of Line 532 Envye fro mannes herte./ The speces of this Line 533 Paas shullen be moore largely declared in hir Line 533 Chapitres folwynge./ Line 534 And envye wol I discryven the synne Line 534 Ire. For soothly, whoso hath envye upon his Line 534 Neighebor, anon he wole comunly fynde hym Line 534 A matere of wratthe, in word or in dede, agayns Line 534 Hym to whom he hath envye./ And as wel Line 535 Comth ire of pride, as of envye; for soothly, Line 535 He that is proud or envyous is lightly wrooth./ Line 536 This synne of ire, after the discryvyng of Line 536 Seint augustyn, is wikked wil to been Line 536 Avenged by word, or by dede./ Ire, after Line 537 The philosophre, is the fervent blood of Line 537 Man yquyked in his herte, thurgh which he Line 537 Wole harm to hym that he hateth./ For certes, Line 538 The herte of man, by eschawfynge and moevynge Line 538 of his blood, wexeth so trouble that he is Line 538 Out of alle juggement of resoun./ But ye shal Line 539 Understonde that ire is in two maneres; that Line 539 Oon of hem is good, and that oother is wikked./ Line 539 the goode ire is by jalousie of goodnesse, Line 540 thurgh which a man is wrooth with wikkednesse Line 540 and agayns wikkednesse; and therfore Line 540 seith a wys man that ire is bet than pley./ Line 541 This ire is with debonairetee, and it is wrooth Line 541 Withouten bitternesse; nat wrooth agayns the Line 541 Man, but wrooth with the mysdede of the man, Line 541 As seith the prophete david, irasciminI Line 541 Et nolite peccare./ Now understondeth Line 542 That wikked ire is in two maneres; that is Line 542 To seyn, sodeyn ire or hastif ire, withouten Line 542 Avisement and consentynge of resoun./ The Line 543 Menyng and the sens of this is, that the resoun Line 543 Of a man ne consente nat to thilke sodeyn ire; Line 543 And thanne is it venial./ Another ire is ful Line 544 Wikked, that comth of felonie of herte avysed Line 544 And cast biforn, with wikked wil to do vengeance, Line 544 and therto his resoun consenteth; and Line 544 Soothly this is deedly synne./ This ire is so Line 545 Displesant to God that it troubleth his hous, Line 545 And chaceth the hooly goost out of mannes Line 545 Soule, and wasteth and destroyeth the liknesse Line 545 Of god, that is to seyn, the vertu that is in Line 545 Mannes soule,/ and put in hym the liknesse Line 546 Of the devel, and bynymeth the man fro Line 546 God, that is his rightful lord./ This ire Line 547 Is a ful greet plesaunce to the devel; for Line 547 It is the develes fourneys, that is eschawfed Line 547 With the fir of helle./ For certes, right so as Line 548 Fir is moore mighty to destroyen erthely thynges Line 548 Than any oother element, right so ire is myghty Line 548 To destroyen alle spiritueel thynges./ Looke how Line 549 That fir of smale gleedes, that been almost dede Line 549 Under asshen, wollen quike agayn whan they Line 549 Been touched with brymstoon; right so ire wol Line 549 Everemo quyken agayn, whan it is touched by Line 549 The pride that is covered in mannes herte./ Line 550 For certes, fir ne may nat comen out of no Line 550 Thyng, but if it were first in the same thyng Line 550 Natureely, as fir is drawen out of flyntes with Line 550

Line 550 Steel./ And right so as pride is ofte tyme matere Line 551 of ire, right so is rancour norice and Line 551 Kepere of ire./ Ther is a maner tree, as Line 552 Seith seint ysidre, that whan men maken Line 552 Fir of thilke tree, and covere the coles of Line 552 With asshen, soothly the fir of it wol lasten Line 552 A yeer or moore./ And right so fareth it Line 553 Rancour; whan it is ones conceyved in the Line 553 Hertes of som men, certein, it wol lasten peraventure Line 553 from oon estre day unto another Line 553 Estre day, and moore./ But certes, thilke man Line 554 Is ful fer fro the mercy of God al thilke while./ Line 555 In this forseyde develes fourneys ther forgen Line 555 Three shrewes: pride, that ay bloweth and encreesseth Line 555 the fir by chidynge and wikked Line 555 Wordes;/ thanne stant envye, the holdeth the Line 556 Hoote iren upon the herte of man with a Line 556 Peire of longe toonges of long rancour;/ Line 557 And thanne stant the synne of contumelie, Line 557 Or strif and cheeste, and batereth and forgeth Line 557 By vileyns reprevynges./ Certes, this cursed Line 558 Synne annoyeth bothe to the man hymself and Line 558 Eek to his neighebor. For soothly, almoost al Line 558 The harm that any man dooth to his neighebor Line 558 Comth of wratthe./ For certes, outrageous Line 559 Wratthe dooth al that evere the devel hym Line 559 Comaundeth; for he ne spareth neigher crist ne Line 559 His sweete mooder./ And in his outrageous anger Line 560 and ire, allas! allas! ful many oon at that Line 560 Tyme feeleth in his herte ful wikkedly, bothe Line 560 Of crist and eek of alle his halwes./ Is nat this Line 561 A cursed vice? yis, certes. Allas! it bynymeth Line 561 From man his wit and his resoun, and al his debonaire Line 561 lif espiritueel that sholde kepen his Line 561 Soule./ Certes, it bynymeth eek goddes Line 562 Due lordshipe, and that is mannes soule, Line 562 And the love of his neighebores. It stryveth Line 562 Eek alday agayn trouthe. It reveth hym the Line 562 Quiete of his herte, and subverteth his soule./ Line 563 Of ire comen thise stynkynge engendrures: Line 563 First, hate, that is oold wratthe; discord, thurgh Line 563 Which a man forsaketh his olde freend that he Line 563 Hath loved ful longe;/ and thanne cometh Line 564 Werre, and every manere of wrong that man Line 564 Dooth to his neighebor, in body or in catel./ Line 565 Of this cursed synne of ire cometh eek manslaughtre. Line 565 and understonde wel that homycide, Line 565 That is manslaughtre, is in diverse wise. Som Line 565 Manere of homycide is spiritueel, and som is Line 565 Bodily./ Spiritueel manslaughtre is in sixe Line 566 Thynges. First by hate, as seith seint john: Line 566 He that hateth his brother is an homycide./ Line 566 homycide is eek by babkbitynge, Line 567 Of whiche bakbiteres seith salomon that Line 567 They han two swerdes with whiche they sleen Line 567 Hire neighebores. For soothly, as wikke is to Line 567 Bynyme his good name as his lyf./ Homycide is Line 568 Eek in yevynge of wikked conseil by fraude; Line 568 As for to yeven conseil to areysen wrongful Line 568 Custumes and taillages./ Of whiche seith salomon: Line 569 leon rorynge and bere hongry been like Line 569 To the crueel lordshipes in witholdynge or Line 569 Abreggynge of the shepe (or the hyre), or of Line 569 The wages of sevauntz, or elles in usure, or Line 569 In withdrawynge of the almesse of povre folk./ Line 570 For which the wise man seith, fedeth hym that Line 570 Almoost dyeth for honger; for soothly, but if Line 570 Thow feede hym, thou sleest hym; and alle thise Line 570 Been deedly synnes./ Bodily manslaughtre is, Line 571 Whan thow sleest him with thy tonge in oother Line 571 Manere; as whan thou comandest to sleen a Line 571 Man, or elles yevest hym conseil to sleen Line 571 A man./ Manslaughtre in dede is in foure Line 572 Maneres. That oon is by lawe, right as a Line 572 Justice dampneth hym that is coupable to the Line 572 Deeth. But lat the justice be war that he do Line 572 It rightfully, and that he do it nat for delit to Line 572 Spille blood, but for kepynge of rightwisnesse./ Line 573 Another homycide is that is doon for necessitee, Line 573 As whan o man sleeth another is his defendaunt, Line 573 and that he ne may noon ootherwise escape Line 573 from his owene deeth./ But certeinly if Line 574 He may escape withouten slaughtre of his adversarie, Line 574 and sleeth hym, he dooth synne and Line 574 He shal bere penance as for deedly synne./ Line 575 Eek if a man, by caas or aventure, shete an arwe, Line 575 Or caste a stoon, with which he sleeth a man, Line 575 He is homycide./ Eek if a womman by necligence Line 576 overlyeth hire child in hir slepyng, Line 576 It is homycide and deedly synne./ Eek Line 577 Whan man destourbeth concepcioun of a Line 577 Child, and maketh a womman outher bareyne Line 577 By drynkynge venenouse herbes thurgh which Line 577 She may nat conceyve, or sleeth a child by Line 577 Drynkes wilfully, or elles putteth certeine material Line 577 thynges in hire secree places to slee the Line 577 Child,/ or elles dooth unkyndely synne, by Line 578 Which man or womman shedeth hire nature Line 578 In manere or in place ther as a child may nat Line 578 Be conceived, or elles if a woman have conceyved, Line 578 and hurt hirself and sleeth the child, Line 578 Yet is it homycide./ What seye we eek of Line 579 Wommen that mordren hir children for drede Line 579 Of worldly shame? certes, an horrible homicide./ Line 579 homycide is eek if a man approcheth Line 580 To a womman by desir of lecherie, thurgh which Line 580 The child is perissed, or elles smyteth a womman Line 580 Wityngly, thurgh which she leseth hir child. Line 580

Line 580 Alle thise been homycides and horrible deedly Line 580 Synnes./ Yet comen ther of ire manye mo Line 581 Synnes, as wel in word as in thoght and in Line 581 Dede; as he that arretteth upon god, or blameth Line 581 god of thyng of which he is hymself Line 581 Gilty, or despiseth God and alle his halwes, as Line 581 Doon thise cursede hasardours in diverse Line 581 Contrees./ This cursed synne doon they, Line 582 Whan they feelen in hir herte ful wikkedly Line 582 Of God and of his halwes./ Also whan they Line 583 Treten unreverently the sacrement of the auter, Line 583 Thilke synne is so greet that unnethe may it Line 583 Been releessed, but that the mercy of god Line 583 Passeth alle his werkes; it is so greet, and he Line 583 So benigne./ Thanne comth of ire attry angre. Line 584 Whan a man is sharply amonested in his shrifte Line 584 To forleten his synne,/ thanne wole he be anfry, Line 585 and answeren hokerly and angrily, and Line 585 Deffended or excusen his synne by unstedefastnesse Line 585 of his flessh; or elles he dide it for Line 585 To holde compaignye with his felawes; or elles, Line 585 He seith, the feend enticed hym;/ or elles he Line 586 Dide it for his youthe; or elles his compleccioun Line 586 is so corageous that he may nat forbere; Line 586 Or elles it is his destinee, as he seith, unto a Line 586 Certein age; or eles, he seith, it cometh hym Line 586 Of gentillesse of his auncestres; and semblable Line 586 thynges./ Alle thise manere of folk Line 587 So wrappen hem in hir synnes that they ne Line 587 Wol nat delivere hemself. For soothly, no wight Line 587 That excuseth hym wilfully of his synne may Line 587 Nat been delivered of his synne, til that he Line 587 Mekely biknoweth his synne./ After this, Line 588 Thanne cometh sweryng, that is expres agayn Line 588 The comandement of god; and this bifalleth Line 588 Ofte of anger and of ire./ God seith: thow Line 589 Shalt nat take the name of thy lord God in Line 589 Veyn or in ydel. Also oure lord jhesu crist Line 589 Weith, by the word of seint mathew,/ ne wol Line 590 Ye nat swere in alle manere; neither by hevene, Line 590 for it is goddes trone; ne by erthe, for Line 590 It is the bench of his feet; ne by jerusalem, Line 590 For it is the citee of a greet kyng; ne by thyn Line 590 Heed, for thou mayst nat make an heer whit Line 590 Ne blak./ But seyeth by youre word -- ye, he, -- Line 591 And -- nay, nay -- ; and what that is moore, it Line 591 Is of yvel, -- thus seith crist./ For cristes Line 592 Sake, ne swereth nat so synfully in dismembrynge Line 592 of crist by soule, herte, bones, and Line 592 Body. For certes, it semeth that ye thynke that Line 592 The cursede jewes ne dismembred nat ynough Line 592 The preciouse persone of crist, but ye dismembre Line 592 hym moore./ And if so be that the lawe Line 593 Compelle yow to swere, thanne rule yow after Line 593 The lawe of God in youre sweriyng, as seith Line 593 Jeremye, quarto capitulo: thou shalt kepe Line 593 Three condicions: thou shalt swere in trouthe, Line 593 In doom, and in rightwisnesse./ This is to Line 594 Seyn, thou shalt swere sooth; for every lesynge Line 594 Is agayns crist. For crist is verray trouthe. Line 594 And thynk wel this, that every greet swerere Line 594 Nat compedded lawefully to swere, the wounde Line 594 Shal nat departe from his hous whil he useth Line 594 Swich unleveful swerying./ Thou shalt sweren Line 595 Eek in doom, whan thou art constreyned by thy Line 595 Domesman to witnessen the trouthe./ Eek thow Line 596 Shalt nat swere for envye, ne for favour, ne for Line 596 Meede, but for rightwisnesse, for declaracioun Line 596 Of it, to the worshipe of God and helpyng Line 596 Of thyne evene-cristene./ And therefore Line 597 Every man that taketh goodes name in Line 597 Ydel, or falsly swereth with his mouth, or elles Line 597 Taketh on hym the name of crist, to be called Line 597 A cristen man, and lyveth agayns cristed lyvynge Line 597 and his techynge, alle they taken goddes Line 597 Name in ydel./ Looke eek what seint peter Line 598 Seith, actuum, quarto, non est aliud nomen sub Line 598 Celo, etc., ther nys noon oother name, seith Line 598 Seint peter, under hevene yeven to men, in Line 598 Which they mowe be saved; that is to seyn, Line 598 But the name of jhesu crist./ Take kep eek Line 599 How precious is the name of crist, as seith Line 599 Seint paul, ad philipenses, secundo, in nomine Line 599 Jhesu, etc., that in the name of jhesu every Line 599 Knee of hevenely creatures, or erthely, or of helle Line 599 Sholde bowe; for it is so heigh and so worshipful Line 599 that the cursede feend in helle sholde tremblen Line 599 to heeren it ynempned./ Thanne semeth Line 600 It that men that sweren so horribly by his Line 600 Blessed name, that they despise it moore Line 600 Booldely that dide the cursede jewes, or elles Line 600 The devel, that trembleth whan he heereth his Line 600 Name./ Line 601 Now certes, sith that sweryng, but if it Line 601 Be lawefully doon, is so heighly deffended, Line 601 Muche worse is forsweryng falsly, and yet Line 601 Nedelees./ Line 602 What seye we eek of hem that deliten Line 602 Hem in sweryng, and holden it a gentrie or a Line 602 Manly dede to swere grete others? and what Line 602 Of hem that of verray usage ne cesse nat to Line 602 Swere grete othes, al be the cause nat worth Line 602 A straw? certes, this is horrible synne./ Swerynge Line 603 sodeynly withoute avysement is eek a Line 603 Synne./ But lat us go now to thilke horrible Line 604 Sweryng of adjuracioun and conjuracioun, as Line 604 Doon thise false enchauntours or nigromanciens Line 604 in bacyns ful of water, or in a bright Line 604

Line 604 Swerd, in a cercle, or in a fir, or in a shulderboon Line 604 of a sheep./ I kan nat seye but that they Line 605 Doon cursedly and dampnably agayns crist and Line 605 Al the feith of hooly chirche./ Line 606 What seye we of hem that bileeven on divynailes, Line 606 as by flight or by noyse of briddes, or Line 606 Of beestes, or by sort, by nigromancie, by dremes, Line 606 By chirkynge of dores, or crakkynge of houses, Line 606 By gnawynge of rattes, and swich manere Line 606 Wrecchednesse?/ certes, al this thyng is Line 607 Deffended by God and by hooly chirche. Line 607 For which they been acursed, til they come Line 607 To amendement, that on swich filthe setten hire Line 607 Bileeve./ Charmes for woundes or maladie of Line 608 Men or of beestes, if they taken any effect, it Line 608 May be peraventure that God suffreth it, for Line 608 Folk sholden yeve the moore feith and reverence Line 608 to his name./ Line 609 Now wol I speken of lesynges, which generally Line 609 is fals signyficaunce of word, in entente to Line 609 Deceyven his evene-cristene./ Som lesynge is Line 610 Of which ther comth noon avantage to no wight; Line 610 And som lesynge turneth to the ese and profit Line 610 Of o man, and to disese and damage of another Line 610 Man./ Another lesynge is for to saven his lyf Line 611 Of his catel. Another lesynge comth of delit Line 611 For to lye, in which delit they wol forge a Line 611 Long tale, and peynten it with alle circumstaunces, Line 611 where al the ground of the tale Line 611 Is fals./ Som lesynge comth, for he wole Line 612 Sustene his word; and som lesynge comth Line 612 Of reccheleesnesse withouten avisement; and Line 612 Semblable thynges./ Line 613 Lat us now touche the vice of flaterynge, Line 613 Which ne comth nat gladly but for drede or Line 613 For coveitise./ Flaterye is generally wrongful Line 614 Preisynge. Flatereres been the develes norices, Line 614 That norissen his children with milk losengerie./ Line 614 for sothe, salomon seith that flaterie Line 615 Is wors than detraccioun. For somtyme detraccion Line 615 maketh an hauteyn man be the moore Line 615 Humble, for he dredeth detraccion; but certes Line 615 Flaterye, that maketh a man to enhauncen his Line 615 Herte and his contenance./ Flatereres been Line 616 The develes enchauntours; for they make a Line 616 Man to wene of hymself be lyk that he nys Line 616 Nat lyk./ They been lyk to judas that bitraysen Line 617 a man to sellen hym to his enemy, Line 617 That is to the devel./ Flatereres been the develes Line 618 chapelleyns, that syngen evere placebb./ Line 619 I rekene flaterie in the vices of ire; for ofte Line 619 Tyme, if o man be wrooth with another, thanne Line 619 Wole he flatere som wight to sustene hym in his Line 619 Querele./ Line 620 Speke we now of swich cursynge as comth Line 620 Of irous herte. Malisoun generally may be Line 620 Seyd every maner power of harm. Swich cursynge Line 620 bireveth man fro the regne of god, as Line 620 Seith seint paul. / and ofte tyme swiche cursynge Line 621 wrongfully retorneth agayn to hym that Line 621 Curseth, as a bryd that retorneth agayn to Line 621 His owene nest./ And over alle thyng men Line 622 Oghten eschewe to cursen hir children, Line 622 And yeven to the devel hire engendrure, as Line 622 Ferforth as in hem is. Certes, it is greet peril Line 622 And greet synne./ Line 623 Lat us thanne speken of chidynge and reproche, Line 623 whiche been ful grete woundes in Line 623 Mannes herte, for they unsowen the semes of Line 623 Freendshipe in mannes herte./ For certes, unnethes Line 624 may a man pleynly been accorded with Line 624 Hym that hath hym openly revyled and repreved Line 624 and disclaundred. This ia a ful grisly Line 624 Synne, as crist seith in the gospel./ And taak Line 625 Kep now, that he that repreveth his neighebor, Line 625 Outher he repreveth hym by som harm of peyne Line 625 That he hath on his body, as mesel, croked Line 625 Harlot, or by som synne that he dooth./ Now Line 626 If he repreve hym by harm of peyne, thanne Line 626 Turneth the repreve to jhesu crist, for peyne Line 626 Is sent by the rightwys sonde of god, and Line 626 By his suffrance, be it meselrie, or maheym, Line 626 or maladie./ And if he repreve hym Line 627 Uncharitably of synne, as thou holour, Line 627 Thou dronkelewe harlot, and so forth, thanne Line 627 Aperteneth that to the rejoysynge of the devel, Line 627 That evere hath joyde that men doon synne./ Line 628 And certes, chidynge may nat come but out Line 628 Of a vileyns herte. For after the habundance Line 628 Of the herte speketh the mouth ful ofte./ And Line 629 Ye shul understonde that looke, by the wey, Line 629 Whan any man shal chastise another, that he Line 629 Be war from chidynge or reprevynge. For Line 629 Trewely, but he be war, he may ful lightly Line 629 Quyken the fir of angre and of wratthe, which Line 629 That he sholde quenche, and peraventure sleeth Line 629 Hym, which that he myghte chastise with benignitee./ Line 629 for as seith salomon, the amyable Line 630 Tonge is the tree of lyf, that is to seyn, of lyf Line 630 Espiritueel; and soothly, a deslavee tonge sleeth Line 630 Spirites of hym that repreveth and eek of Line 630 Hym that is repreved./ Loo, what seith seint Line 631 Augustyn: ther is nothyng so lyk the develes Line 631 Child as he that ofte chideth. Seint paul seith Line 631 Eek, the servant of God bihoveth nat to Line 631 Chide./ And how that chidynge be a Line 632 Vileyns thyng bitwixe alle manere folk, Line 632 Yet is it certes moost uncovenable bitwixe a Line 632

Line 632 Man and his wyf; for there is nevere reste. And Line 632 Wherfore seith salomon, an hous that is uncovered Line 632 and droppynge, and a chidynge wyf, Line 632 Been lyke./ A man that is in a droppynge Line 633 Hous in manye places, though he eschewe the Line 633 Droppynge in a place, it droppeth on hym in Line 633 Another place. So fareth it by a chydynge wyf; Line 633 But shc chide hym in o place, she wol chide Line 633 Hym in another./ And therfore, bettre is a Line 634 Morsel of breed with joye than an hous ful of Line 634 Delices with chidynge, seith salomon./ Seint Line 635 Paul seith: oye wommen, be ye subgetes to Line 635 Youre housbondes as bihoveth in god, and ye Line 635 Men loveth youre wyves. Add colossenses, Line 635 Tertio./ Line 636 Afterward speke we of scornynge, which is Line 636 A wikked synne, and namely whan he Line 636 Scorneth a man for his goode werkes./ Line 637 For certes, swiche scorneres faren lyk the Line 637 Foule tode, that may nat endure to smelle the Line 637 Soote savour of the vyne whanne it florissheth./ Line 638 Thise scorneres been partyng felawes with the Line 638 Devel; for they han joye whan the devel wynneth, Line 638 and sorwe whan he leseth./ They been Line 639 Adversaries of jhesu crist, for they haten that Line 639 He loveth, that is to seyn, salvacioun of soule./ Line 640 Speke we now of wikked conseil; for he that Line 640 Wikked conseil yeveth is a traytour. For he deceyveth Line 640 hym that trusteth in hym, ut achitofel Line 640 Ad absolonem. But nathelees, yet is his wikked Line 640 Conseil first agayn hymself/ for, as seith the Line 641 Wise man, every fals lyvynge hath this propertee Line 641 in hymself, that he that wole anoye Line 641 Another man, he anoyeth first hymself./ Line 642 And men shul understonde that man shal Line 642 Nat taker his conseil of fals folk, ne of angry Line 642 Folk, or grevous folk, ne of folk that lovern Line 642 Specially to muchel hir owene profit, ne to Line 642 Muche worldly folk, namely in conseilynge of Line 642 Soules./ Line 643 Now comth the synne of hem that sowen Line 643 And maken discord amounges folk, which is a Line 643 Synne that crist hateth outrely. And no wonder Line 643 is; for he deyde for to make concord./ And Line 644 Moore shame do they to crist, than dide they Line 644 That hym crucifiede; for God loveth bettre that Line 644 Freendshipe be amonges folk, than he dide his Line 644 Owene body, the which that he yaf for unitee. Line 644 Therfore been they likned to the devel, that Line 644 Evere is aboute to maken discord./ Line 645 Now comth the synne of double tonge; Line 645 Swiche as speken faire byforn folk, and wikkedly Line 645 bihynde; or elles they maken semblant Line 645 As though they speeke of good entencioun, or Line 645 Elles in game and pley, and yet they speke of Line 645 Wikked entente./ Line 646 Now comth biwreying of conseil, thurgh Line 646 Which a man is defamed; certes, unnethe Line 646 May be restoore the damage./ Line 647 Now comth manace, that is an open Line 647 Folye; for he that ofte manaceth, he threteth Line 647 Moore than he may perfourne ful ofte tyme./ Line 648 Now cometh ydel wordes, that is withouten Line 648 Profit of hym that speketh tho wordes, and eek Line 648 Of hym that herkneth tho wordes. Or elles ydel Line 648 Wordes been tho that been nedelees, or withouten Line 648 entente of natureel profit./ And al be it Line 649 That ydel wordes been somtyme venial synne, Line 649 Yet sholde men douten hem, for we shul yeve Line 649 Rekenynge of hem bifore god./ Line 650 Now comth janglynge, that may nat been Line 650 Withoute synne. And, as seith salomon, it is Line 650 A sygne a apert folye./ And therfore a phI Line 651 Losophre seyde, whan men axed hym how that Line 651 Men sholde plese the peple, and he answerde Line 651 Do manye goode werkes, and spek fewe Line 651 Jangles./ Line 652 After this comth the synne of japeres, Line 652 That been the develes apes; for they maken Line 652 Folk to laughe at hire japerie as folk doon at Line 652 The gawdes of an ape. Swiche japes deffendeth Line 652 seint paul./ Looke how that vertuouse Line 653 Wordes and hooly conforten hem that travaillen Line 653 In the service of crist, right so conforten the Line 653 Vileyns wordes and knakkes of japeris hem that Line 653 Travaillen in the service of the devel./ Thise Line 654 Been the synnes that comen of the tonge that Line 654 Comen of ire and of ohtere synnes mo./ Line 655 The remedie agayns ire is a vertu that men Line 655 Clepen mansuetude, that is debonairette; and Line 655 Eek another vertu, that men callen pacience or Line 655 Suffrance./ Line 656 Debonairetee withdraweth and refreyneth the Line 656 Stirynges and the moevynges of mannes corage Line 656 In his herte, in swich manere that they ne Line 656 Skippe nat out by angre ne by ire./ Suffrance Line 657 suffreth swetely alle the anoyaunces Line 657 And the wronges that men doon to man outward./ Line 657 seint jerome seith thus of debonairetee, Line 658 That it dooth noon harm to no wight ne seith; Line 658 Ne for noon harm that men doon or seyn, he Line 658 Ne eschawfeth nat agayns his resoun./ This Line 659 Vertu somtyme comth of nature; for, as seith Line 659 The philosophre, a man is a quyk thyng, by Line 659

Line 659 Nature debonaire and tretable to goodnesse; Line 659 But whan debonairetee is enformed of grace, Line 659 Thanne is it the moore worth./ Line 660 Pacience, that is another remedie agayns iro, Line 660 Is a vertu that suffreth swetely every mannes Line 660 Goodnesse, and is nat wrooth for noon harm Line 660 That is doon to hym./ The philosophre seith Line 661 That pacience is thilke vertu that suffreth Line 661 Debonairely alle the outrages of adversitee Line 661 And every wikked word./ This vertu maketh Line 662 a man lyk to god, and maketh hym Line 662 Goddes owene deere child, as seith grist. This Line 662 Vertu disconfiteth thyn enemy. And therfore Line 662 Seith the wise man. If thow wolt venquysse Line 662 Thyn enemy, lerne to suffre./ And thou shalt Line 663 Understonde that man suffreth foure manere of Line 663 Grevances in outward thynges, agayns the Line 663 Whiche foure he moot have foure manere of Line 663 Paciences./ Line 664 The firste grevance is of wikkede wordes. Line 664 Thilke suffrede jhesu crist withouten grucchyng, Line 664 ful paciently, whan the jewes despised Line 664 And repreved hym ful ofte./ Suffre thou therfore Line 665 paciently; for the wise man seith, if thou Line 665 Stryve with a fool, though the fool be wrooth Line 665 Or though he laughe, algate thou shalt have no Line 665 Reste./ That oother grevance outward is to Line 666 Have damage of thy catel. Theragayns suffred Line 666 crist ful paciently, whan he was despoyled Line 666 Of al that he hadde in this lyf, and that nas Line 666 But his clothes./ The thridde grevance is a Line 667 Man to have harm in his body. That suffred Line 667 crist ful paciently in al his passioun./ The Line 668 Fourthe grevance is in outrageous labour in Line 668 Werkes. Wherfore I seye that folk that maken Line 668 Hir servantz to travaillen to grevously, or out Line 668 Of tyme, as on haly dayes, soothly they do greet Line 668 Synne./ Heer-agayns suffred crist ful paciently Line 669 And taughte us pacience, whan he baar upon Line 669 His blissed shulder the croys upon which e Line 669 Sholde suffren despitous deeth./ Heere man Line 670 Men lerne to be pacient; for certes noght oonly Line 670 Cristen men been pacient, for love of jhesu Line 670 Crist, and for gerdoun of the blisful lyf that Line 670 Is perdurable, but certes, the olde payens that Line 670 Nevere were cristene, commendeden and useden Line 670 the vertu of pacience./ Line 671 A philosophre upon a tyme, that wolde have Line 671 Beten his disciple for his grete trespas, for Line 671 Which he was greetly amoeved, broghte Line 671 A yerde to scoure with the child;/ and Line 672 Whan this child saugh the yerde, he seyde Line 672 To his maister, what thenke ye do?? I wol Line 672 Bete thee, quod the maister, for thy correccioun./ Line 672 for sothe, quod the child, ye Line 673 Oghten first correcte youreself, that han lost Line 673 Al youre pacience for the gilt of a child./ Line 674 For sothe, quod the maister al wepynge, Line 674 Thow seyst sooth. Have thow the yerde, my Line 674 Deere sone, and correcte me for myn impacience./ Line 674 of pacience comth obedience, thurgh Line 675 Which a man is obedient to crist and to alle Line 675 Hem to whiche he oghte to been obedient in Line 675 Crist./ And understond wel that obedience is Line 676 Perfit, whan that a man dooth gladly and Line 676 Hastily, with good herte entierly, al that Line 676 He sholde do./ Obedience generally is to Line 677 Perfourne the doctrine of God and of his Line 677 Sovereyns, to whiche hym oghte to ben obeisaunt Line 677 in alle rightwisnesse./ Line 678 After the synne of envye and of ire, now Line 678 Wol I speken of the synne of accidie. For Line 678 Envye blyndeth the herte of a man, and ire Line 678 Troubleth a man, and accidie maketh hym Line 678 Hevy, thoghtful, and wraw./ Envye and ire Line 679 Maker bitternesse in herte, which bitternesse Line 679 Is mooder of accidie, and bynymeth hym the Line 679 Love of alle goodnesse. Thanne is accidie the Line 679 Angwissh of troubled herte; and seint augustyn Line 679 Seith, it is anoy of goodnesse and ioye of Line 679 Harm./ Certes, this is a dampnable synne; Line 680 For it dooth worng to jhesu crist, in as muche Line 680 As it bynymeth the service that men oghte doon Line 680 To crist with alle diligence, as seith salomon./ Line 681 But accidie dooth no swich diligence. He Line 681 Dooth alle thyng with anoy, and with wrawnesse, Line 681 slaknesse, and excusacioun, and with Line 681 Ydelnesse, and unlust; for which the book seith, Line 681 Acursed be he that dooth the service of Line 681 God necligently. / thanne is accidie enemy Line 682 to everich estaat of man; for certes, Line 682 The estaat of man is in three maneres. / outher Line 683 It is th,estaat of innocence, as was th,estaat of Line 683 Adam biforn that he fil into synne;in which Line 683 Estaat he was holden to wirche as in heriynge Line 683 And adowrynge of god. / another estaat is the Line 684 Estaat of synful men, in which estaat men been Line 684 Holden to laboure in preiynge to God for Line 684 Amendement of hire synnes, and that he wole Line 684 Graunte hem to arysen out of hir symmes. / another Line 685 estaat is th,estaat of grace; in which estaat Line 685 He is holden to werkes of penitence. And certes, Line 685 To alle thise thynges is accidie enemy and contrarie, Line 685 for he lovethno bisynesse at al. / now Line 686 Certes, this foule synne, accidie, is eek a ful Line 686

Line 686 Greet enemy to the liflode of the body; for it Line 686 Ne hath no purveaunce agayn temporeel necessitee; Line 686 For it forsleweth and forsluggeth and Line 686 Destroyeth alle goodes temporeles by Line 686 Reccheleesnesse. / Line 687 the fourthe thyng is that accidie is lyk Line 687 Hem that been in the peyne of helle, by cause Line 687 Of hir slouthe and of hire hevynesse; for they Line 687 That been dampned been so bounde that they Line 687 Ne may neither wel do ne wel thynke./ Of Line 688 Accidie comth first, that a man is anoyed and Line 688 Encombred for to doon any goodnesse, and Line 688 Maketh that God hath abhomynacion of swich Line 688 Accidie, as seith seint john. / Line 689 now comth slouthe, that wol nat suffre Line 689 Noon hardnesse ne no penaunce. For soothly, Line 689 Slouthe is so tendre and so delicaat, as seith Line 689 Salomon, that he wol nat suffre noon hardnesse Line 689 Ne penaunce, and therfore he shendeth al that Line 689 He dooth. / agayns this roten-herted synne of Line 690 Accidie and slouthe sholde men exercise hemself Line 690 To doon goode werkes, and manly and vertuously Line 690 Cacchen corage wel to doon, thynkynge Line 690 That oure lord jhesu crist quiteth every good Line 690 Dede, be it never so lite. / usage of labour is Line 691 A greet thyng, for it maketh, as seith seint bernard, Line 691 The laborer to have stronge armes and Line 691 Harde synwes; and slouthe maketh hem Line 691 Feble and tendre. / thanne comth drede Line 692 To bigynne to werke anye goode werkes. Line 692 For certes, he that is enclyned to synne, hym Line 692 Thynketh it is so greet an emprise for to undertake Line 692 To doon werkes of goodnesse, / and Line 693 Casteth in his herte that the circumstances of Line 693 Goodnesse been so grevouse and so chargeaunt Line 693 For to suffre, that he dar nat undertake to do Line 693 Werkes of goodnesse, as seith seint gregorie. / Line 694 now comth wanhope, that is despeir of the Line 694 Mercy of god, that comth somtyme of to muche Line 694 Outrageous sorwe, and somtyme of to muche Line 694 Drede, ymaginynge that he hath doon so muche Line 694 Synne that it wol nat availlen hym, though Line 694 He wolde repenten hym and forsake synne; / Line 695 Thurgh which despeir or drede he abaundoneth Line 695 Al his herte to every maner synne, as seith Line 695 Seint augustin. / which dampnable synne, if Line 696 That it continue unto his ende, it is cleped Line 696 Synnyng in the hooly goost. / this horrible Line 697 Synne is so perilous that he that is Line 697 Despeired, ther nys no felonye ne no synne that Line 697 He douteth for to do; as shewed wel by judas. / Line 698 Certes, aboven alle synnes thanne is this synne Line 698 Moost displesant to crist, and moost adversarie. / Line 699 Soothly, he that despeireth hym is lyk Line 699 The coward champious recreant, that seith, Line 699 Creant withoute nede, allas! akkas! bedekes us Line 699 He recreant and nedelees despeired. / certes, Line 700 The mercy of God is evere redy to the penitent, Line 700 And is aboven alle his werkes. / allas! kan a Line 701 Man nat bithynke hym on the gospel of seint Line 701 Luc, 15, where as crist seith that as wel shal Line 701 Ther be joye in hevene upon a synful man that Line 701 Dooth penitence, as upon nynty and nyne Line 701 Rightful men that neden no penitence. / Line 702 Looke forther, in the same gospel, the joye Line 702 And the feeste of the goode man that hadde Line 702 Lost his sone, whan his sone with repentaunce Line 702 Was retourned to his fader. / kan they nat remembren Line 703 Hem eek that, as seith seint luc, 23, Line 703 How that the theef that was hanged bisyde Line 703 Jhesu crist, seyde -- lord, remembre of me, Line 703 Whan thow comest into thy regne? / for Line 704 Sothe, seyde crist, I seye to thee, to-day Line 704 Shaltow been with me in paradys. / certes, Line 705 Ther is noon so horrible synne of man that it Line 705 Ne may in his lyf be destroyed by penitence, Line 705 Thurgh vertu of the passion and of the deeth Line 705 Of crist. / allas! what nedeth man thanne to Line 706 Been despeired, sith that his mercy so redy Line 706 Is and large? axe and have. / thanne cometh Line 707 Sompnolence, that is, sloggy slombrynge, Line 707 Which maketh a man be hevy and dul Line 707 In body and in soule; and this synne comth Line 707 Of slouthe. / and certes, the tyme that, by eey Line 708 Of resoun, men sholde nat slepe, that is by the Line 708 Morwe, but if ther were cause resonable. / for Line 709 Soothly, the morwe tyde is moost covenable a Line 709 Man to seye his preyeres, and for to thynken on Line 709 God, and for to honoure god, and to yeven Line 709 Almesse to the povre that first cometh in the Line 709 Name of crist. / lo, what seith salomon -- Line 710 Whoso wolde by the morwe awaken and Line 710 Seke me, he shal fynde. / thanne cometh necligence, Line 711 Or reccheleesnesse, that rekketh of Line 711 No thyng. And how that ignoraunce be Line 711 Mooder of alle harm, certes, necligence Line 711 Is the norice. / necligence ne dooth no Line 712 Fors, whan he shal doon a thyng, wheither Line 712 He do it weel or baddely / Line 713 of the remedie of thise two synnes, as seith Line 713 The wise man, that he that dredeth god, he Line 713 Spareth nat to doon that him oghte doon. / Line 714 And he that loveth god, he wol doon diligence Line 714 To plese God by his werkes, and abaundone Line 714 Hymself, with al his myght, wel for to doon. / Line 715 Thanne comth ydelnesse, that is the yate of alle Line 715 Harmes. An ydel man is lyk to a place that hath Line 715 No walles; the develes may entre on every syde, Line 715

Line 715 Or sheten at hym at discovert, by temptacion Line 715 On every syde. / this ydelnesse is the thurrok Line 716 Of alle wikked and vileyns thoghtes, and of Line 716 Alle jangles, trufles, and of alle ordure. / Line 717 Certes, the hevene is yeven to hem that Line 717 Wol labourn, and nat to ydel folk. Eek david Line 717 Seith that they ne been nat in the labour of Line 717 Men, ne they shul nat been whipped with men, Line 717 That is to seyn, in purgatorie. / certes, thanne Line 718 Semeth it, they shul be tormented with the Line 718 Devel in helle, but if they doon penitence. / Line 719 thanne comth the synne that men clepen Line 719 Tarditas, as whan a man is to laterede or tariynge, Line 719 Er he wole turne to god; and certes, that Line 719 Is a greet folie. He is lyk to hym that falleth in Line 719 The dych, and wol nat arise. / and this vice Line 720 Comth of a fals hope, that he thynketh that he Line 720 Shal lyve longe; but that hope faileth ful ofte. / Line 721 thanne comth lachesse; that is he, that Line 721 Whan he biginneth any good werk, anon he Line 721 Shal forleten it and stynten; as doon they that Line 721 Han any wight to governe, and ne taken of Line 721 Hym namoore kep, anon as they fynden Line 721 Any contrarie or any anoy. / thise been Line 722 The newe sheepherdes that leten hir sheep Line 722 Wityngly go renne to the wolf that is in the Line 722 Breres, or do no fors of hir owene governaunce. / Line 723 Of this comth poverte and destruccioun, bothe Line 723 Of spiritueel and temporeel thynges. Thanne Line 723 Comth a manere cooldnesse, that freseth al th Line 723 Herte of a man. / thanne comth devoccioun, Line 724 Thurgh which a man is so blent, as seith seint Line 724 Bernard, and hath swich languour in soule that Line 724 He may neither rede ne singe in hooly chirche, Line 724 Ne heere ne thynke of no devoioun, ne travaille Line 724 With his handes in no good werk, that it nys Line 724 Hym unsavory and al apalled. / thanne wexeth Line 725 He slough and slombry, and soone wol be Line 725 Wrooth, and soone is enclyned to hate and to Line 725 Envye. / thanne comth the synne of worldly Line 726 Sorwe, swich as is cleped tristicia, that Line 726 Sleeth man, as seith seint paul. / for Line 727 Certes, swich sorwe werketh to the deeth Line 727 Of the soule and of the body also; for therof Line 727 Comth that a man is anoyed of his owene lif. / Line 728 Wherfore swich sorwe shorteth ful ofte the lif Line 728 Of man, er that his tyme be come by wey of Line 728 Kynde. / Line 729 agayns this horrible synne of accidie, an Line 729 The branches of the same, ther is a vertu that Line 729 Is called fortitudo or strentthe, that is an affeccioun Line 729 Thurgh which a man despiseth anoyouse Line 729 Thinges. / this vertu is so myghty and so vigerous Line 730 That it dar withstonde myghtily and wisely Line 730 Kepen hymself fro perils that been wikked, and Line 730 Wrastle agayn the assautes of the devel. / for Line 731 It enhaunceth and enforceth the soule, right as Line 731 Accidie abateth it and maketh it fieble. For this Line 731 Fortitudo may endure by long suffraunce Line 731 The travailles that been covenable. / Line 732 this vertu hath manye speces; and the Line 732 Firste is cleped magnanimitee, that is to seyn, Line 732 Greet corage. For certes, ther bihoveth greet Line 732 Corage agains accidie, lest that it ne swolwe Line 732 The soule by the synne of sorwe, or destroye it Line 732 By wanhope. / this vertu maketh folk to undertake Line 733 Harde thynges and grevouse thynges, Line 733 By hir owene wil, wisely and resonably. / and Line 734 For as muchel as the devel fighteth agayns a Line 734 Man moore by queyntise and by sleighte than Line 734 By strengthe, therfore men shal withstonden Line 734 Hym by wit and by resoun and by discrecioun. / Line 735 Thanne arn ther the vertues of feith and hope Line 735 In God and in his seintes, to acheve and acomplice Line 735 The goode werkes in the whiche he purposeth Line 735 Fermely to continue. / thanne comth Line 736 Seuretee or sikernesse; and that is whan a man Line 736 Ne douteth no travaille in tyme comynge of Line 736 The goode werkes that a man hath bigonne. / Line 737 Thanne comth magnificence, that Line 737 Is to seyn, whan a man dooth and perfourneth Line 737 Grete werkes of goodnesse; and that Line 737 Is the ende why that men sholde do goode Line 737 Werkes, for in the acomplissynge of grete goode Line 737 Werkes lith the grete gerdoun. / thanne is ther Line 738 Constaunce, that is, stablenesse of corage; and Line 738 This sholde been in herte by stedefast feith, Line 738 And in mouth, and in berynge, and in chiere, Line 738 And in dede. / eke ther been mo speciale remedies Line 739 Against accidie in diverse werkes, and Line 739 In consideracioun of the peynes of helle and Line 739 Of the joyes of hevene, and in the trust of the Line 739 Grace of the holy goost, that wole yeve hym Line 739 Myght to perfourne his goode entente. / Line 740 after accidie wol I speke of avarice and of Line 740 Coveitise, of which synne seith seint paul that Line 740 The roote of alle harmes is coveitise. Ad Line 740 Thimotheum sexto. / for soothly, whan the Line 741 Herte of a man is confounded in itself and Line 741 Troubled, and that the soule hath lost the confort Line 741 Of god, thanne seketh he an ydel solas Line 741 Of worldly thynges. / Line 742

Line 742 avarice, after the descripcioun of seint Line 742 Augustyn, is a likerousnesse in herte to have Line 742 Erthely thynges. / som oother folk seyn that Line 743 Avarice is for to purchacen manye erthely Line 743 Thynges, and no thyng yeve to hem that han Line 743 Nede. / and understoond that avarice ne stant Line 744 Nat oonly in lond ne catel, but somtyme in Line 744 Science and in glorie, and in every manere Line 744 Of outrageous thyng is avarice and coveitise. / Line 745 And the difference bitwixe avarice and coveitise Line 745 Is this -- coveitise is for to coveite swiche Line 745 Thynges as thou hast nat; and avarice is for Line 745 To withholde and kepe swiche thynges as thou Line 745 Hast, withoute rightful nede. / soothly, this Line 746 Avarice is a synne that is ful dampnable; Line 746 For al hooly writ curseth it, and speketh agayns Line 746 That vice; for it dooth wrong to jhesu Line 746 Crist. / for it bireveth hym the love that Line 747 Men to hym owen, and turneth it bakward Line 747 Agayns alle resoun, / and maketh that the avaricious Line 748 Man hath moore hope in his catel than Line 748 In jhesu crist, and dooth moore observance in Line 748 Kepynge of his tresor than he dooth to the Line 748 Service of jhesu crist. / and therfore seith Line 749 Seint paul ad ephesios, quinto, that an avaricious Line 749 Man is in the thraldom of ydolatrie. / Line 750 what difference is bitwixe an ydolastre and Line 750 An avaricious man, but that an ydolastre, per Line 750 Aventure, ne hath but o mawmet or two, and Line 750 The avaricious man hath manye? for certes, Line 750 Every floryn in his cofre is his mawmet. / and Line 751 Certes, the synne of mawmettrie is the firste Line 751 Thyng that God deffended in the ten comaundementz Line 751 As bereth witnesse in exodi capitulo Line 751 Vicesimo. / thou shalt have no false Line 752 Goddes bifore me, ne thou shalt make to Line 752 Thee no grave thyng. Thus is an avaricious Line 752 Man, that loveth his tresor biforn god, an Line 752 Ydolastre, / thurgh this cursed synne of avarice. Line 753 Of coveitise comen thise harde lordshipes, Line 753 Thurgh whiche men been distreyned by taylages, Line 753 Custumes, and cariages, moore than hire Line 753 Duetee or resoun is. And eek taken they of Line 753 Hire bonde-men amercimentz, whiche myghten Line 753 Moore resonably ben cleped extorcions than Line 753 Amercimentz. / of whiche amercimentz and Line 754 Raunsonynge of boonde-men somme hordes stywards Line 754 Seyn that it is ryghtful, for as muche as Line 754 A cherl hath no temporeel thyng that it ne is his Line 754 Lordes, as they seyn. / but certes, thise lordshipes Line 755 Doon wrong that bireven hire bondefolk Line 755 Thynges that they nevere yave hem. Augustinus, Line 755 De civitate, libro nono. / sooth is Line 756 That the condicioun of thraldom and the firste Line 756 Cause of thraldom is for synne. Genesis, Line 756 Nono. / Line 757 thus may ye seen that the gilt disserveth Line 757 Thraldom, but nat nature./ Wherfore thise Line 758 Lordes ne sholde nat muche glorifien hem in Line 758 Hir lordshipes, sith that by natureel condicion Line 758 They been nat lordes over thralles, but that Line 758 Thraldom comth first by the desert of synne. / Line 759 And forther over, ther as the lawe seith that Line 759 Temporeel goodes of boonde-folk been the Line 759 Goodes of hir lordeshipes, ye, that is for to understonde, Line 759 The goodes of the emperour, to deffenden Line 759 Hem in hir right, but nat for to robben Line 759 Hem ne reven hem. / and therfore seith Line 760 Seneca, thy prudence sholde lyve benignely Line 760 With thy thralles. / thilke that thou clepest Line 761 Thy thralles been goddes peple; for humble Line 761 Folk been cristes freendes; they been contubernyal Line 761 With the lord. / Line 762 thynk eek that of swich seed as cherles Line 762 Spryngen, of swich seed spryngen lordes. As Line 762 Wel may the cherl be saved as the lord. / the Line 763 Same deeth that taketh the cherl, swich deeth Line 763 Taketh the lord. Wherfore I rede, do right so Line 763 With the cherl, as thou woldest that thy lord Line 763 Dide with thee, if thou were in his plit. / every Line 764 Synful man is a cherl to synne. I rede thee, Line 764 Certes, that thou, lord, werke in swich wise Line 764 With thy cherles that they rather love thee than Line 764 Drede. / I woot wel ther is degree above degree, Line 765 As reson is; and skile is that men do hir devoir Line 765 Ther as it is due; but certes, extorcions and Line 765 Despit of youre underlynges is dampnable. / Line 766 and forther over, understoond wel that thise Line 766 Conquerours or tirauntz maken ful ofte thralles Line 766 Of hem that been born of as roial blood as Line 766 Been they that hem conqueren. / this Line 767 Name of thraldom was nevere erst kowth, Line 767 Til that noe seyde that his sone canaan sholde Line 767 Be thral to his bretheren for his synne. / what Line 768 Seye we thanne of hem that pilen and doon Line 768 Extorcions to hooly chirche? certes, the swerd Line 768 That men yeven first to a knyght, whan he is Line 768 Newe dubbed, signifieth that he sholde deffenden Line 768 Hooly chirche, and nat robben it ne Line 768 Pilen it; and whoso dooth is traitour to crist. / Line 769 And, as seith seint augustyn, they been the Line 769 Develes wolves that stranglen the sheep of Line 769 Jhesu crist; and doon worse than wolves. / Line 770 For soothly, whan the wolf hath ful his wombe, Line 770 He styntheth to strangle sheep. But soothly, the Line 770 Pilours and destroyours of the godes of hooly Line 770 Chirche no do nat so, for they ne stynte nevere Line 770 To pile. / now as I have seyd, sith so is that Line 771

Line 771 Synne was first cause of thraldom, thanne is it Line 771 Thus, that thilke tyme that al this world was Line 771 In synne, thanne was al this world in thraldom Line 771 And subjeccioun. / but certes, sith the Line 772 Time of grace cam, God ordeyned that som Line 772 Folk sholde be moore heigh in estaat and in Line 772 Degree, and som folk moore lough, and that Line 772 Everich sholde be served in his estaat and in Line 772 His degree. / and therfore in somme contrees, Line 773 Ther they byen thralles, whan they han turned Line 773 Hem to the feith, they maken hire thralles free Line 773 Out of thraldom. And therfore, certes, the lord Line 773 Oweth to his man that the man oweth to his Line 773 Lord. / the pope calleth hymself servant of the Line 774 Servantz of god; but for as muche as the estaat Line 774 Of hooly chirche ne myghte nat han be, Line 774 Ne the commune profit myghte nat han be kept, Line 774 Ne pees and rest in erthe, but if God hadde Line 774 Ordeyned that som men hadde hyer degree and Line 774 Som men lower, / therfore was sovereyntee ordeyned, Line 775 To kepe and mayntene and deffenden Line 775 Hire underlynges or hire subgetz in resoun, as Line 775 Ferforth as it lith in hire power, and nat to destroyen Line 775 Hem ne confounde. / wherfore I seye Line 776 That thilke lordes that been lyk wolves, that Line 776 Devouren the possessiouns or the catel of povre Line 776 Folk wrongfully, withouten mercy or mesure, / Line 777 They shul receyven, by the same Line 777 Mesure that they han mesured to povre Line 777 Folk, the mercy of jhesu crist, but if it be Line 777 Amended. / now comth deciete bitwixe marchaunt Line 778 And marchant. And thow shalt understonde Line 778 That marchandise is in manye maneres; Line 778 That oon is bodily, and that oother is goostly; Line 778 That oon is honest and leveful, and that oother Line 778 Is deshonest and unleveful. / of thilke bodily Line 779 Marchandise that is leveful and honest is this -- Line 779 That, there as God hath ordeyned that a regne Line 779 Or a contree is suffisaunt to hymself, thanne is Line 779 It honest and leveful that of habundaunce of Line 779 This contree, that men helpe another contree Line 779 That is moore needy. / and therfore ther moote Line 780 Been marchantz to bryngen fro that o contree Line 780 To that oother hire marchandises. / that oother Line 781 Marchandise, that men haunten with fraude and Line 781 Trecherie and deceite, with lesynges and Line 781 False othes, is cursed and dampnable. / espiritueel Line 782 Marchandise is proprely symonue, Line 782 That is, ententif desir to byen thyng espiritueel, Line 782 That is, thyng that aperteneth to the seintuarie Line 782 Of God and to cure of the soule. / this desir, Line 783 If so be that a man do his diligence to parfournen Line 783 It, al be it that his desir ne take noon Line 783 Effect, yet is it to hym a deedly synne; and if Line 783 He be ordred, he is irreguler. / certes symonye Line 784 Is cleped of simon magus, that wolde han Line 784 Boght for temporeel catel the yifte that god Line 784 Hadde yeven, by the hooly goost, to seint Line 784 Peter and to the apostles. / and therfore understoond Line 785 That bothe he that selleth and he that Line 785 Beyeth thynges espirituels been cleped symonyals, Line 785 Be it by catel, be it by procurynge, or Line 785 By flesshly preyere of his freendes, flesshly Line 785 Freendes, or espiritueel freendes. / flesshly in Line 786 Two maneres; as by kynrede, or othere freendes. Line 786 Soothly, if they praye for hym that is nat Line 786 Worthy and able, it is symonye, if he take the Line 786 Benefice; and if he be worthy and able, Line 786 Ther nys noon. / that oother manere is Line 787 Whan men or wommen preyen for folk to Line 787 Avauncen hem, oonly for wikked flesshly affeccioun Line 787 That they han unto the persone; and Line 787 That is foul symonye. / but certes, in service, Line 788 For which men yeven thynges espirituels unto Line 788 Hir servauntz, it moot been understonde that the Line 788 Service moot been honest, and elles nat; and Line 788 Eek that it be withouten bargaynynge, and that Line 788 The persone be able. / for, as seith seint damasie, Line 789 Alle the synnes of the world, at regard Line 789 Of this synne, arn as thyng of noght. For it Line 789 Is the gretteste synne that may be, after the Line 789 Synne of lucifer and antecrist. / for by this Line 790 Synne God forleseth the chirche and the soule Line 790 That he boghte with his precious blood, by hem Line 790 That yeven chirches to hem that been nat Line 790 Digne. / for they putten in theves that stelen Line 791 The soules of jhesu crist and destroyen his Line 791 Patrimoyne. / by swiche undigne preestes Line 792 And curates han lewed men the lasse reverence Line 792 Of the sacramentz of hooly chirche; and Line 792 Swiche yeveres of chirches putten out the children Line 792 Of crist, and putten into the chirche the Line 792 Develes owene sone. / they sellen the soules Line 793 That lambes sholde kepen to the wolf that strangleth Line 793 Hem. And therfore shul they nevere han Line 793 Part of the pasture of lambes, that is the blisse Line 793 Of hevene. / now comth hasardrie with his Line 794 Apurtenaunces, as tables and rafles, of which Line 794 Comth deceite, false othes, chidynges, and alle Line 794 Ravynes, blasphemynge and reneiynge of god, Line 794 And hate of his neighebores, wast of goodes, Line 794 Mysspendynge of tyme, and somtyme manslaughtre. / Line 795 Certes, hasardours ne mowe nat Line 795 Been withouten greet synne whiles they haunte Line 795 That craft. / of avarice comen eek lesynges, Line 796 Thefte, fals witnesse, and false othes. And ye Line 796 Shul understonde that thise been grete synnes, Line 796 And expres agayn the comaundementz of Line 796

Line 796 God, as I have seyd. / fals witnesse is in Line 797 Word and eek in dede. In word, as for to Line 797 Bireve thy neighebores goode name by thy fals Line 797 Witnessyng, or bireven hym his catel or his Line 797 Heritage by thy fals witnessyng, whan thou for Line 797 Ire, or for meede, or for envye, berest fals Line 797 Witnesse, or accusest hym or excusest hym by Line 797 Thy fals witnesse, or elles excusest thyself Line 797 Falsly. / ware yow, questemongeres and notaries! Line 798 Certes, for fals witnessyng was susanna Line 798 In ful gret sorwe and peyne, and many another Line 798 Mo. / the synne of thefte is eek expres agayns Line 799 Goddes heeste, and that in two maneres, corporeel Line 799 Or spiritueel. / corporeel, as for to take Line 800 Thy neighebores catel agayn his wyl, be it by Line 800 Force or by sleighte, be it by met or by mesure; / Line 801 By stelyng eek of false enditementz upon Line 801 Hym, and in borwynge of thy neighebores catel, Line 801 In entente nevere to payen it agayn, and Line 801 Semblable thynges. / espiritueel thefte is Line 802 Sacrilege, that is to seyn, hurtynge of hooly Line 802 Thynges, or of thynges sacred to crist, in two Line 802 Maneres -- by reson of the hooly place, as Line 802 Chirches or chirche-hawes, / for which every Line 803 Vileyns synne that men doon in swiche places Line 803 May be cleped sacrilege, or every violence in Line 803 The semblable places; also, they that withdrawen Line 803 Falsly the rightes that longen to hooly Line 803 Chirche. / and pleynly and generally, sacrilege Line 804 Is to reven hooly thyng fro hooly place, or unhooly Line 804 Thyng out of hooly place, or hooly thing Line 804 Out of unhooly place. / Line 805 niw shul ye understonde that the releevynge Line 805 Of avarice is misericorde, and pitee largely Line 805 Taken. And men myghten axe why that misericorde Line 805 And pitee is releevynge of avarice. / Line 806 Certes, the avricious man sheweth no pitee ne Line 806 Misericorde to the nedeful man, for he deliteth Line 806 Hym in the kepynge of his tresor, and nat Line 806 In the rescowynge ne releevynge of his evene-cristen. Line 806 And therfore speke I first of misericorde. / Line 807 Thanne is misericorde, as seith Line 807 The philosophre, a vertu by which the corage Line 807 Of a man is stired by the mysese of hym Line 807 That is mysesed. / upon which misericorde Line 808 Folweth pitee in parfournynge of charitable Line 808 Werkes of misericorde. / and certes, thise Line 809 Thynges moeven a man to the misericorde of Line 809 Jhesu crist, that he yaf hymself for oure gilt, Line 809 And suffred deeth for misericorde, and forgay Line 809 Us oure originale synnes, / and therby relessed Line 810 Us fro the peynes of helle, and amenused the Line 810 Peynes of purgatorie by penitence, and yeveth Line 810 Grace wel to do, and atte laste the blisse of Line 810 Hevene. / the speces of misericorde been, as Line 811 For to lene and for to yeve, and to foryeven Line 811 And relesse, and for to han pitee in herte Line 811 And compassioun of the meschief of his evene-cristene, Line 811 And eek to chastise, there as nede Line 811 Is. /another manere of remedie agayns Line 812 Avarice is resonable largesse; but soothly, Line 812 Heere bihoveth the consideracioun of the grace Line 812 Of jhesu crist, and of his temporeel goodes, Line 812 And eek of the goodes perdurables, that crist Line 812 Yaf to us; / and to han remembrance of the Line 813 Deeth that he shal receyve, he noot whanne, Line 813 Where, ne how; and eek that he shal forgon al Line 813 That he hath, save oonly that he hath despended Line 813 In goode werkes. / Line 814 but for as muche as som folk been unmesurable, Line 814 Men oghten eschue fool-largesse, that Line 814 Men clepen wast. / certes, he that is fool-large Line 815 Ne yeveth nat his catel, but he leseth iis catel. Line 815 Soothly, what thyng that he yeveth for veyne Line 815 Glorie, as to mynstrals and to folk, for to beren Line 815 His renoun in the world, he hath synne therof, Line 815 And noon almesse. / certes, he leseth foule his Line 816 Good, that ne seketh with the yifte of his Line 816 Good nothyng but synne. / he is lyk to an Line 817 Hors that seketh rather to drynken drovy Line 817 Or trouble water than for to drynken water of Line 817 The clere welle. / and for as muchel as they Line 818 Yeven ther as they sholde nat yeven, to hem Line 818 Aperteneth thilke malisoun that crist shal Line 818 Yeven at the day of doom to hem that shullen Line 818 Been dampned. / Line 819 after avarice comth glotonye, which is expres Line 819 Eek agayn the comandement of god. Glotonye Line 819 Is unmesurable appetit toete or to drynke, Line 819 Or elles to doon ynogh to the unmesurable appetit Line 819 And desordeynee coveitise to eten or to Line 819 Drynke. / this synne corrumped al this world, Line 820 As is wel shewed in the synne of adam and of Line 820 Eve. Looke eek what seith saint paul, of glotonye -- / Line 821 Manye, seith seint paul, goon, of Line 821 Whiche I have ofte seyd to yow, and now I Line 821 Seye it wepynge, that been the enemys of the Line 821 Croys of crist; of whiche the ende is deeth, and Line 821 Of whiche hire wombe is hire god, and hire Line 821 Glorie in confusioun of hem that so savouren Line 821 Erthely thynges. / he that is Line 822 Usaunt to this synne of glotonye, he ne Line 822

Line 822 May no synne withstonde. He moot been in Line 822 Servage of alle vices, for it is the develes hoord Line 822 Ther he hideth hym and resteth. / this synne Line 823 Hath manye speces. The firste is dronkenesse, Line 823 That is the horrible sepulture of mannes resoun; Line 823 And therfore, whan a man is dronken, he hath Line 823 Lost his resoun; and this is deedly synne. / but Line 824 Soothly, whan that a man is nat wont to strong Line 824 Drynke, and peraventure ne knoweth nat the Line 824 Strengthe of the drynke, or hath feblesse in his Line 824 Heed, or hath travailed, thurgh which he drynketh Line 824 The moore, al be he sodeynly caught with Line 824 Drynke, it is no deedly synne, but venyal. / the Line 825 Seconde spece of glotonye is that the spirit Line 825 Of a man wexeth al trouble, for dronkenesse Line 825 Bireveth hym the discrecioun of his wit. / the Line 826 Thridde spece of glotonye is whan a man devoureth Line 826 His mete, and hath no rightful Line 826 Manere of etynge. / the fourthe is whan, Line 827 Thurgh the grete habundaunce of his mete, Line 827 The humours in his body been distempred. / the Line 828 Fifthe is foryetelnesse by to muchel drynkynge; Line 828 For which somtymee a man foryeteth er the Line 828 Morwe what he dide at even, or on the nyght Line 828 Biforn. / Line 829 in oother manere been distinct the speces of Line 829 Glotonye, after seint gregorie. The firste is Line 829 For to ete biforn tyme to ete. The seconde is Line 829 Whan a man get hym to delicaat mete or Line 829 Drynke. / the thridde is whan men taken to Line 830 Muche over mesure. The fourthe is curiositee, Line 830 With greet entente to maken and apparaillen Line 830 His mete. The fifthe is for to eten to gredily. / Line 831 Thise been the fyve fyngres of the develes Line 831 Hand, by whiche he draweth folk to Line 831 Synne. / Line 832 agayns glotonye is the remedie abstinence, Line 832 As seith galien; but that holde I nat meritorie, Line 832 If he do it oonly for the heele of his body. Line 832 Seint augustyn wole that abstinence be doon Line 832 For vertu and with pacience. / abstinence, Line 833 He seith, is litel worth, but if a man have good Line 833 Wil therto, and but it be enforced by pacience Line 833 And by charitee, and that men doon it for Line 833 Godes sake, and in hope to have the blisse of Line 833 Hevene./ Line 834 The felawes of abstinence been attemperaunce, Line 834 that holdeth the meene in alle thynges; Line 834 Eek shame, that aschueth alle deshonestee; surfisance, Line 834 that seketh no riche metes ne drynkes, Line 834 Ne dooth no fors of to outrageous appariailynge Line 834 of mete;/ mesure also, that restreyneth Line 835 By resoun the deslavee appetit of etynge; sobrenesse Line 835 also, that restreyneth the outrage of Line 835 Drynke;/ sparynge also, that restreyneth the Line 836 Delacaat ese to sitte longe at his mete and Line 836 Softely, wherfore some folk stonden of Line 836 Hir owene wyl to eten at the lasse leyser./ Line 837 After glotonye thanne comth lecherie, for Line 837 Thise two synnes been so ny cosyns that ofte Line 837 Tyme they wol nat departe./ God woot, this Line 838 Synne is ful displesaunt thyng to god; for he Line 838 Seyde hymself, do no lecherie. And therfore Line 838 he putte grete peynes agayns this synne Line 838 In the olde lawe./ If waomman thral were taken Line 839 In this synne, she sholde be beten with staves Line 839 To the deeth; and if she were a gentil womman, Line 839 She sholde be slayn with stones; and if she Line 839 Were a bisshoppes doghter, she sholde been Line 839 Brent, by goddes comandement./ Forther Line 840 Over, by the synne of lecherie God dreynte Line 840 Al the world at the diluge. And after that he Line 840 Brente fyve citees with thonder-leyt, and sak Line 840 Hem into helle./ Line 841 Now lat us speke thanne of thilke stynkynge Line 841 Synne of lecherie that men clepe avowtrie of Line 841 Wedded folk, that is to seyn, if that oon of Line 841 Hem be wedded, or elles bothe./ Seint john Line 842 Seith that avowtiers shullen been in helle, Line 842 In a stank brennynge of fyr and of brymston; Line 842 In fyr, for hire lecherye; in brymston, for the Line 842 Stynk of hire ordure./ Certes, the brekynge of Line 843 This sacrement is an horrible thyng. It was Line 843 Maked of God hymself in paradys, and confermed Line 843 by jhesu crist, as witnesseth seint Line 843 Mathew in the gospel: a man shal lete fader Line 843 And mooder, and taken hym to his wif, and Line 843 They shullen be two in o flesh./ This sacrement Line 844 bitokneth the knyttynge togidre of crist Line 844 And of hooly chirche./ And nat oonly that god Line 845 Forbad avowtrie in dede, but eek he comanded Line 845 That thou sholdest nat coveite thy neighebores Line 845 Wyf./ In this heeste, seith seint augustyn, Line 846 Is forboden alle manere coveitise to doon lecherie. Line 846 lo, what seith seint mathew in the gospel, Line 846 that whose seeth a womman to coveitise Line 846 Of his lust, he hath doon lecherie with hire Line 846 In his herte./ Heere may ye seen that Line 847 Nat oonly the dede of this synne is forboden, Line 847 but eek the desire to doon that synne./ Line 848 This cursed synne anoyeth grevousliche hem Line 848 That it haunten. And first to hire soule, for he Line 848

Line 848 Obligeth it to synne and to peyne of deeth that Line 848 Is perdurable./ Unto the body anoyeth it grevously Line 849 also, for it dreyeth hym, and wasteth him, Line 849 And shent hym, and of his blood he maketh sacrifice Line 849 to the feend of helle. It wasteth eek his Line 849 Catel and his substaunce./ And certes, if it be Line 850 A foul thyng a man to waste his catel on wommen, Line 850 yet is it a fouler thyng whan that, for Line 850 Swich ordure, wommen dispenden upon men Line 850 Hir catel and substaunce./ This synne, as seith Line 851 The prophete, bireveth man and womman hir Line 851 Goode fame and al hire honour; and it is ful Line 851 Plesaunt to the devel, for therby wynneth Line 851 He the mooste partie of this world./ And Line 852 Right as a marchant deliteth hym moost in Line 852 Chaffare that he hath moost avantage of, right Line 852 So deliteth the fend in this ordure./ Line 853 This is that oother hand of the devel with Line 853 Fyve fyngres to cacche the peple to his vileynye./ Line 853 the firste fynger is the fool lookynge Line 854 Of the fool womman and of the fool man, that Line 854 Sleeth, right as the basilicok sleeth folk by the Line 854 Venym of his sighte; for the coveitise of eyen Line 854 Folweth the coveitise of the herte./ The seconde Line 855 fynger is the vileyns touchynge in wikkede Line 855 manere. And therfore seith salomon that Line 855 Whoso toucheth and handleth a womman, he Line 855 Fareth lyk hym that handleth the scorpioun that Line 855 Styngeth and sodeynly sleeth thurgh his envenymynge; Line 855 as whoso toucheth warm pych, Line 855 It shent his fyngres./ The thridde is foule Line 856 Wordes, that fareth lyk fyr, that right anon Line 856 Brenneth the herte./ The fourthe fynger Line 857 Is the kissynge; and trewely he were a Line 857 Greet fool that wolde kisse the mouth of a Line 857 Brennynge oven or of a fourneys./ And moore Line 858 Fooles been they that kissen in vileynye, for Line 858 That mouth is the mouth of helle; and namely Line 858 Thise olde dotardes holours, yet wol they kisse, Line 858 Though they may nat do, and smatre hem./ Line 859 Certes, they been lyk to houndes; for an hound, Line 859 Whan he comth by the roser or by othere Line 859 (bushes), though he may nat pisse, yet wole Line 859 He heve up his leg and make a contenaunce Line 859 To pisse./ And for that many man weneth that Line 860 He may nat synne, for no likerousnesse that Line 860 He dooth with his wyf, certes, that opinion is Line 860 Fals. God woot, a man may sleen hymself with Line 860 His owene knyf, and make hymselve dronken Line 860 Of his owene tonne./ Certes, be it wyf, be it Line 861 Child, or any worldly thyng that he loveth biforn Line 861 god, it is his mawmet, and he is an Line 861 Ydolastre./ Man sholde loven hys wyf by Line 862 Discrecioun, paciently and atemprely; and Line 862 Thanne is she as though it were his suster./ The Line 863 Fifthe fynger of the develes hand is the stynkynge Line 863 dede of leccherie./ Certes, the fyve fyngres Line 864 of glotonie the feend put in the wombe Line 864 Of a man, and with his fyve fingres of lecherie Line 864 he gripeth hym by the reynes, for to Line 864 Throwen hym into the fourneys of helle./ Ther Line 865 As they shul han the fyr and the wormes that Line 865 Evere shul lasten, and wepynge and wailynge Line 865 Sharp hunger and thurst, and grymnesse of Line 865 Develes, that shullen al totrede hem without Line 865 Repit and withouten ende./ Of leccherie, as Line 866 I seyde, sourden diverse speces, as fornicacioun, Line 866 That is bitwixe man and womman that been Line 866 Nat maried; and this is deedly synne, and Line 866 Agayns nature./ Al that is enemy and destruccioun Line 867 to nature is agayns nature./ Line 868 Parfay, the resoun of a man telleth eek hym Line 868 Wel that is is deedly synne, for as muche as Line 868 God forbad leccherie. And seint paul yeveth Line 868 Hem the regne that nys dewe to no wight but Line 868 To hem that doon deedly synne./ Another Line 869 Synne of leccherie is to bireve a mayden of Line 869 Hir maydenhede, for he that so dooth, certes, Line 869 He casteth a mayden out of the hyeste degree Line 869 That is in this present lif,/ and bireveth hir Line 870 Thilke percious fruyt that the book clepeth the Line 870 Hundred fruyt. I ne kan seye it noon oother-wewyes Line 870 in englissh, but in latyn it highte centesimus Line 870 fructus./ Certes, he that so dooth is Line 871 Cause of manye damages and vileynyes, mo Line 871 Than any man kan rekene; right as he somtyme Line 871 Is cause of alle damages that beestes don in Line 871 The feeld, that breketh the hegge or the closure, Line 871 Thurgh which he destroyeth that may nat Line 871 Been restoored./ For certes, namoore may Line 872 Maydenhede be restoored than a arm that Line 872 Is smyten fro the body may retourne agany to Line 872 Wexe./ She may have mercy, this woot I wel, Line 873 If she do penitence; but nevere shal it be that Line 873 She nas corrupt./ And al be it so that I have Line 874 Spoken somwhat of avowtrie, it is good to Line 874 Shewen mo perils that longen to avowtrie, for Line 874 To eschue that foule synne./ Avowtrie in latyn Line 875 Is for to seyn, approchynge of oother mannes Line 875 Bed, thurgh which tho that whilom weren a Line 875 Flessh abowndone hir bodyes to othere persones./ Line 875 of this synne, as seith the wise man, Line 876 Folwen manye harmes. First, brekynge of feith; Line 876 And certes, in feith is the keye of cristendom./ Line 876 and whan that feith is broken Line 877 And lorn, soothly cristendom stant veyn Line 877 And withouten fruyt./ This synne is eek a Line 878 Thefte; for thefte generally is for to reve a Line 878

Line 878 Wight his thyng agayns his wille./ Certes, this Line 879 Is the fouleste thefte that may be, whan a Line 879 Womman steleth hir body from hir housbonde, Line 879 And yeveth it to hire holour to defoulen hire; Line 879 And steleth hir soule fro crist, and yeveth it to Line 879 The devel./ This is a fouler thefte than for to Line 880 Breke a chirche and stele the chalice; for thise Line 880 Avowtiers breken the temple of God spiritually Line 880 And stelen the vessel of grace, that is the body Line 880 And the soule, for which crist shal destroyen Line 880 Hem, as seith seint paul./ Soothly, of this Line 881 Thefte douted gretly joseph, whan that his Line 881 Lordes wyf preyed hym of vileynye, whan he Line 881 Seyde, lo, my lady, how my lord hath take Line 881 To me under my warde al that he hath in this Line 881 World, ne no thyng of his thynges is out of Line 881 My power, but oonly ye, that been his Line 881 Wyf./ And how sholde I thanne do this Line 882 Wikkednesse, and synne so horribly agayns Line 882 God and agayns my lord? God it forbeede! Line 882 Allas! al to litel is swich trouthe now yfounde./ Line 883 The thridde harm is the filthe thurgh which Line 883 They breken the comandement of god, and defoulen Line 883 the auctour of matrimoyne, that is Line 883 Crist./ For certes, in so muche as the sacrement Line 884 of mariage is so noble and so digne, so Line 884 Muche is it gretter synne for to breken it; for Line 884 God made mariage in paradys, in the estaat of Line 884 Innocence, to multiplye mankynde to the service Line 884 of god./ And therfore is the brekynge Line 885 Therof the moore grevous; of which brekynge Line 885 Comen false heires ofte tyme, that wrongfully Line 885 Ocupien folkes heritages. And therfore wol Line 885 Crist putte hem out of the regne of hevene, that Line 885 Is heritage to goode folk./ Of this brekynge Line 886 Comth eek ofte tyme that folk unwar wedden Line 886 Or synnen with hire owene kynrede, and Line 886 Namely thilke harlotes that haunten bordels Line 886 Of thise fool wommen, that mowe be likned to Line 886 A commune gong, where as men purgen Line 886 Hire ordure./ What seve we eek of putours Line 887 that lyven by the horrible synne of Line 887 Putrie, and constreyne wommen to yelden hem Line 887 A certeyn rente of hire bodily puterie, ye, Line 887 Somtyme of his owene wyf or his child, as Line 887 Doon thise bawdes? certes, thise been cursede Line 887 Synnes./ Understoond eek that avowtrie is set Line 888 Gladly in the ten comandementz bitwixe thefte Line 888 And manslaughtre; for it is the gretteste thefte Line 888 That may be, for it is thefte of body and of Line 888 Soule. / and it is lyk to homycide, for it herveth Line 889 atwo and breketh atwo hem that first were Line 889 Maked o flessh. And therfore, by the olde lawe Line 889 Of god, they sholde by slayn./ But nathelees, Line 890 By the lawe of jhesu crist, that is lawe of pitee, Line 890 Whan he seyde to the womman that was Line 890 Founden in avowtrie, and sholde han been slayn Line 890 With stones, after the wyl of the jewes, as was Line 890 Hir lawe, go, quod jhesu crist, and have Line 890 Namoore wyl to synne, or, wille namoore Line 890 To do synne./ Soothly the vengeaunce of Line 891 Avowtrie is awarded to the peynes of helle, Line 891 But if so be that it be destourbed by penitence./ Line 891 yet been ther mo speces of this Line 892 Cursed synne; as whan that oon of hem Line 892 Is religious, or elles bothe; or of folk that been Line 892 Entred into ordre, as subdekne, or dekne, or Line 892 Preest, or hospitaliers. And evere the hyer that Line 892 He is in ordre, the gretter is the synne./ The Line 893 Thynges that gretly agreggen hire synne is the Line 893 Brekynge of hire avow of chastitee, whan they Line 893 Receyved the ordre./ And forther over, sooth Line 894 Is that hooly ordre is chief of al the tresorie of Line 894 Good, and his especial signe and mark of chastitee, Line 894 to shewe that they been joyned to chastitee, Line 894 which that is the moost precious lyf that Line 894 Is./ And thise ordred folk been specially titled Line 895 To god, and of the special meignee of god, Line 895 For which, whan they doon deedly synne, they Line 895 Been the special traytours of God and of his Line 895 Peple; for they lyven of the peple, to preye for Line 895 .,/the peple, and whike they been suche traitours, Line 896 Here preyer avayleth nat to the peple. Line 896 Preestes been aungels, as by the dignitee of hir Line 896 Mysterye; but for sothe, seint paul seith that Line 896 Sathanas transformeth hym in an aungel Line 896 Of light./ Soothly, the preest that haunteth Line 897 deedly synne, he may be likned to the Line 897 Aungel of derknesse transformed in the aungel Line 897 Of light. He semeth aungel of light, but for Line 897 Sothe he is aungel of derknesse./ Swiche Line 898 Preestes been the sones of helie, as sweweth Line 898 In the book of kynges, that they weren the Line 898 Sones of belial, that is, the devel./ Belial is to Line 899 Seyn, withouten juge; and so faren they; hem Line 899 Thynketh they been free, and han no juge, namoore Line 899 than hath a free bole that taketh which Line 899 Cow that hym liketh in the town./ So faren Line 900 They by wommen. For right as a free bole is Line 900 Ynough for al a toun, right so is a wikked preest Line 900 Corrupcioun ynough for al a parisshe, or for al Line 900 A contree./ Thise preestes, as seith the book, Line 901 Ne konne nat the mysterie of preesthod to the peple, Line 901 ne God ne knowe they nat. They ne helde Line 901 Hem nat apayd, as seith the book, os soden Line 901 Flessh that was to hem offred, but they Line 901 Tooke by force the flessh that is rawe./ Line 902 Certes, so thise shrewes ne holden hem nat Line 902

Line 902 Apayed of roosted flessh and sode flessh, with Line 902 Which the peple feden hem in greet reverence, Line 902 But they wole have raw flessh of folkes wyves Line 902 And hir doghtres./ And certes, thise wommen Line 903 That consenten to hire harlotrie doon greet Line 903 Wrong to crist, and to hooly chirche, and alle Line 903 Halwes, and to alle soules; for they bireven alle Line 903 Thise hym that sholde worshipe crist and hooly Line 903 Chirche, and preye for cristene soules./ And Line 904 Therfore han swiche preestes, and hire lemmanes Line 904 eek that consenten to hir leccherie, the Line 904 Malisoun of al the court cristien, til they come Line 904 To amendement./ The thridde spece of avowtrie Line 905 is somtyme bitwixe a man and his wyf, and Line 905 That is whan they take no reward in hire assemblynge Line 905 but oonly to hire flesshly delit, as Line 905 Seith seint jerome,/ and ne rekken of nothyng Line 906 but that they been assembled; by cause Line 906 That they been maried, al is good ynough, Line 906 As thynketh to hem./ But in swich folk Line 907 Hath the devel power, as seyde the aungel Line 907 Raphael to thobie, for in hire assemblynge Line 907 They putten jhesu crist out of hire herte, and Line 907 Yeven hemself to alle ordure./ The fourthe Line 908 Spece is the assemblee of hem that been of Line 908 Hire kynrede, or of hem that been of oon affynytee, Line 908 or elles with hem with whiche hir fadres Line 908 Or hir kynrede han deled in the synne of lecherie. Line 908 this synne maketh hem lyk to houndes, Line 908 That taken no kep to kynrede./ And certes, parentele Line 909 is in two maneres, outher goostly or Line 909 Flesshly; goostly, as for to deelen with his god-sibbes./ Line 909 for right so as he that engendreth a Line 910 Child is his flesshly fader, right so in his god-fader Line 910 his fader espiritueel. For which a womman Line 910 may in no lasse synne assemblen with Line 910 Hire godsib than with hire owene flesshly Line 910 Brother./ The fifthe spece is thilke abhomynable Line 911 synne, of which that no man unnethe Line 911 Oghte speke ne write; nathelees it is Line 911 Openly reherced ib holy writ./ This cursednesse Line 912 doon men and wommen in Line 912 Diverse entente and in diverse manere; but Line 912 Though that hooly writ speke of horrible synne, Line 912 Certes hooly writ may nat been defouled, namoore Line 912 than the sonne that shyneth on the Line 912 Mixne./ Another synne aperteneth to leccherie, Line 913 That comth in slepynge, and this synne cometh Line 913 Ofte to hem that been maydenes, and eek to hem Line 913 That been corrupt; and this synne men clepen Line 913 Polucioun, that comth in foure maneres./ Somtyme Line 914 of langwissynge of body, for the humours Line 914 Been to ranke and to habundaunt in the body Line 914 Of man; somtyme of infermetee, for the fieblesse Line 914 Of the vertu retentif, as phisik maketh mencion; Line 914 Somtyme for surfeet of mete and drynke;/ and Line 915 Somtyme of vileyns thoghtes that been enclosed Line 915 In mannes mynde whan he gooth to slepe, Line 915 Which may nat been withoute synne; for which Line 915 Men moste kepen hem wisely, or elles may men Line 915 Synnen ful grevously./ Line 916 Now comth the remedie agayns leccherie, Line 916 And that is generally chastitee and continence, Line 916 that restreyneth alle the desordeynee Line 916 Moevynges that comen of flesshly talentes./ Line 916 and evere the gretter merite shal Line 917 He han, that moost restreyneth the wikkede Line 917 eschawfynges of the ardour of this synne. Line 917 And this is in two maneres, that is to seyn, Line 917 Chastitee in mariage, and chastitee of widwehod./ Line 917 now shaltow understonde that matrimoyne Line 918 is leefful assemblynge of man and of Line 918 Womman that receyven by vertu of the sacrement Line 918 the boond thurgh which they may nat Line 918 Be departed in al hir lyf, that is to seyn, whil Line 918 That they lyven bothe./ This, as seith the book, Line 919 Is a ful greet sacrement. God maked it, as I Line 919 Have seyd, in paradys, and wolde hymself be Line 919 Born in mariage./ And for to halwen mariage Line 920 He was at a weddynge, where as he turned water Line 920 into wyn; which was the firste miracle that Line 920 He wroghte in erthe biforn his disciples./ Line 921 Trewe effect of mariage clenseth fornicacioun Line 921 And replenysseth hooly chirche of good lynage; Line 921 For that is the ende of mariage; and it chaungeth Line 921 deedly synne into venial synne bitwixe hem Line 921 That been ywedded, and maketh the hertes al Line 921 Oon of hem that been ywedded, as wel as Line 921 The bodies./ This is verray mariage, that Line 922 Was establissed by god, er that synne bigan, Line 922 whan natureel lawe was in his right poynt Line 922 In paradys; and it was ordeyned that o man sholde Line 922 Have but o womman, and o womman but o man, Line 922 As seith seint augustyn, by manye resouns./ Line 923 First, for mariage is figured bitwixe crist Line 923 And holy chirche. And that oother is for a Line 923 Man is heved of a womman; algate, by ordinaunce Line 923 it sholde be so./ For if a womman Line 924 Hadde mo men that oon, thanne sholde she Line 924 Have moo hevedes than oon, and that were an Line 924 Horrible thyng biforn god; and eek a womman Line 924 Ne myghte nat plese to many folk at oones. Line 924 And also ther ne sholde nevere be pees ne Line 924 Reste amonges hem; for everich wolde axen his Line 924 Owene thyng./ And forther over, no man ne Line 925

Line 925 Sholde knowe his owene engendrure, ne who Line 925 Sholde have his heritage; and the womman Line 925 Sholde been the lasse biloved fro the tyme that Line 925 She were conjoynt to many men./ Line 926 Now comth how that a man sholde bere Line 926 Hym with his wif, and namely in two Line 926 Thynges, that is to seyn, in suffraunce and Line 926 Reverence, as shewed crist whan he made Line 926 First womman./ For he ne made hire nat Line 927 Of the heved of adam, for she sholde nat Line 927 Clayme to greet lordshipe./ For ther as the Line 928 Womman hath the maistrie, she maketh to Line 928 Muche desray. Ther neden none ensamples of Line 928 This; the experience of day by day oghte suffise./ Line 928 also, certes, God ne made nat womman Line 929 Of the foot of adam, for she ne sholde nat Line 929 Been holden to lowe; for she kan nat paciently Line 929 Suffre. But God made womman of the ryb of Line 929 Adam, for womman sholde be felawe unto Line 929 Man./ Man sholde bere hym to his wyf in Line 930 Feith, in trouthe, and in love, as seith seint Line 930 Paul, that a man sholde loven his wyf as crist Line 930 Loved hooly chirche, that loved it so wel Line 930 That he deyde for it. So sholde a man for his Line 930 Wyf, if it were nede./ Line 931 Now how that a womman sholde be subget Line 931 to hire housbonde, that telleth seint Line 931 Peter. First, in obedience./ And eek as Line 932 Seith the decree, a womman that is wyf, Line 932 As longe as she is a wyf, she hath noon auctoritee Line 932 to swere ne to bere witnesse withoute leve Line 932 Of hir housbonde, that is hire lord; algate, he Line 932 Sholde be so by resoun./ She sholde eek serven Line 933 Hym in alle honestee, and been attempree of Line 933 Hire array. I woot wel that they sholde setten Line 933 Hire entente to plesen hir housbondes, but nat Line 933 By hire queyntise of array./ Seint jerome Line 934 Seith that wyves that been apparailled in silk Line 934 And in precious purpre ne mowe nat clothen Line 934 Hem in jhesu crist. Loke what seith seint Line 934 John eek in thys matere?/ seint gregorie eek Line 935 Seith that no wight seketh precious array but Line 935 Oonly for veyne glorie, to been honoured the Line 935 Moore biforn the peple./ It is a greet folye, Line 936 A womman to have a fair array outward Line 936 And in hirself be foul inward./ A wyf Line 937 Sholde eek be mesurable in lookynge and Line 937 In berynge and in lawghynge, and discreet Line 937 In alle hire wordes and hire dedes./ And Line 938 Aboven alle worldy thyng she sholde loven hire Line 938 Houbonde with al hire herte, and to hym be Line 938 Trewe of hir body./ So sholde an housbonde Line 939 Eek be to his wyf. For sith that al the body Line 939 Is the housbondes, so sholde hire herte been, Line 939 Or elles ther is bitwixe hem two, as in that, Line 939 No parfit mariage./ Thanne shal men understonde Line 940 that for thre thynges a man and his wyf Line 940 Flesshly mowen assemble. The firste is in entente Line 940 of engendrure of children to the service Line 940 Of god; for certes that is the cause final of Line 940 Matrimoyne./ Another cause is to yelden everich Line 941 of hem to oother the dette of hire bodies; Line 941 For neither of hem hath power of his owene Line 941 Body. The thridde is for to eschewe leccherye Line 941 and vileynye. The ferthe is for sothe Line 941 Deedly synne./ As to the firste, it is mertorie; Line 942 the seconde also, for, as seith the Line 942 Decree, that she hath merite of chastitee that Line 942 Yeldeth to hire housbonde the dette of hir body, Line 942 Ye, though it be agayn hir likynge and the lust Line 942 Of hire herte./ The thridde manere is venyal Line 943 Synne; and, trewely, scarsly may ther any of Line 943 Thise be withoute venial synne, for the corrupcion Line 943 and for the delit./ The fourthe manere Line 944 Is for to understonde, as if they assemble oonly Line 944 For amorous love and for noon of the foreseyde Line 944 Causes, but for to accomplice thilke brennynge Line 944 Delit, they rekke nevere how ofte. Soothly it Line 944 Is deedly synne; and yet, with sorwe, somme Line 944 Folk wol peynen hem moore to doon than to Line 944 Hire appetit suffiseth./ Line 945 The seconde manere of chastitee is for to Line 945 Been a clene wydewe, and eschue the embracynges Line 945 of man, and desiren the embracynge of Line 945 Jhesu crist./ Thise been tho that han been Line 946 Wyves and han forgoon hire housbondes, and Line 946 Eek wommen that han doon leccherie and Line 946 Been releeved by penitence./ And certes, Line 947 If that a wyf koude kepen hire al chaast Line 947 By licence of hir housbonde, so that she yeve Line 947 Nevere noon occasion that he agilte, it were Line 947 To hire a greet merite./ Thise manere wommen Line 948 that observen chastitee moste be clene Line 948 In herte as wel as in body and in though, and Line 948 Mesurable in clothynge and in contenaunce; Line 948 And been abstinent in etynge and drynkynge, Line 948 In spekynge, and in dede. They been the vessel Line 948 or the boyste of the blissed magdelene, that Line 948 Fulfilleth hooly chirche of good odour./ The Line 949 Thridde manere of chastitee is virginitee, and Line 949 It bihoveth that she be hooly in herte and clene Line 949 Of body. Thanne is she spouse to jhesu crist, Line 949 And she is the lyf of angeles./ She is the preisynge Line 950 of this world, and she is as thise martirs Line 950 In egalitee; she hath in hire that tonge may Line 950 Nat telle ne herte thynke./ Virginitee baar Line 951 Oure lord jhesu crist, and virgine was Line 951 Hymselve./ Line 952

Line 952 another remedie agayns leccherie is specially Line 952 to withdrawen swiche thynges as yeve Line 952 Occasion to thilke vileynye, as ese, etynge, and Line 952 Drynkynge. For certes, whan the pot boyleth Line 952 Strongly, the beste remedie is to withdrawe the Line 952 Fyr. / slepynge longe in greet quiete is eek Line 953 A greet norice to leccherie. / Line 954 Another remedie agayns leccherie is that a Line 954 Man or a womman eschue the compaignye of Line 954 Hem by whiche he douteth to be tempted; for Line 954 Al be it so that the dede be withstonden, yet Line 954 Is ther greet temptacioun./ Soothly, a whit Line 955 Wal, although it ne brenne noght fully by Line 955 Stikynge of a candele, yet is the wal blak of Line 955 The leyt./ Ful ofte tyme I rede that no man Line 956 Truste in his owene perfeccioun, but he be Line 956 Stronger than sampson, and hoolier than Line 956 David, and wiser than salomon./ Line 957 Now after that I have declared yow, as Line 957 I kan, the sevene deedly synnes, and somme Line 957 Of hire braunches and hire remedies, soothly, Line 957 If I koude, I wolde telle yow the ten comandementz./ Line 957 but so heigh a doctrine I lete to divines. Line 958 nathelees, I hope to god, they been Line 958 Touched in this tretice, everich of hem alle./ Line 959 Now for as muche as the seconde partie of Line 959 Penitence stant in confessioun of mouth, as I Line 959 Bigan in the firste chapitre, I seye, seint augustyn Line 959 seith:/ synne is every word and every Line 960 Dede, and al that men coveiten, agayn the lawe Line 960 Of jhesu crist; and this is for to synne in herte, Line 960 In mouth, and in dede, by thy fyve wittes, that Line 960 Been sighte, herynge, smellynge, tastynge or Line 960 Savourynge, and feelynge./ Now is it good Line 961 To understonde the circumstances that Line 961 Agreggen muchel every synne./ Thou Line 962 Shalt considere what thow art that doost Line 962 The synne, wheither thou be male or femele, Line 962 Yong or oold, gentil or thral, free or servant, Line 962 Hool or syk, wedded or sengle, ordred or unordred, Line 962 wys or fool, clerk or seculeer;/ if she Line 963 Be of thy kynrded, bodily of goostly, or noon; Line 963 If any of thy kynrede have synned with hire, Line 963 Or noon; and manye mo thinges./ Line 964 Another circumstaunce is this: wheither it Line 964 Be doon in fornicacioun or in avowtrie or noon; Line 964 Incest or noon; mayden or noon; in manere of Line 964 Homicide or noon; horrible grete synnes or Line 964 Smale; and how longe thou hast continued in Line 964 Synne./ The thridde circumstaunce is the Line 965 Place ther thou hast do synne; wheither in Line 965 Oother mennes hous or in thyn owene; in feeld Line 965 Or in chirche or in chirchehawe; in chirche Line 965 Dedicaat or noon./ For if the chirche be Line 966 Halwed, and man or womman spille his kynde Line 966 Inwith that place, by wey or synne or by wikked Line 966 temptacioun, the chirche is entredited Line 966 Til it be reconsiled by the bysshop./ And Line 967 The preest sholde be enterdited that dide Line 967 Swich a vileynye; to terme of al his lif he sholde Line 967 Namoore synge masse, and if he dide, he sholde Line 967 Doon deedly synne at every time that he so Line 967 Songe masse./ The fourthe circumstaunce is Line 968 By whiche mediatours, or by whiche messagers, Line 968 as for enticement, or for consentement to Line 968 Bere compaignye with felaweshipe; for many Line 968 A swecche, for to bere compaignye, wol go to Line 968 The devel of helle./ Wherfore they that eggen Line 969 Or consenten to the synne been parteners of Line 969 The synne, and of the dampnacioun of the synnere./ Line 969 The fifthe circumstaunce is how manye Line 970 Tymes that he hath synne, if it be in his mynde, Line 970 And how ofte that he hath falle./ For he that Line 971 Ofte talleth in synne, he despiseth the mercy Line 971 Of god, and encreesseth hys synne, and is unkynde Line 971 to crist; and he wexeth the moore Line 971 Fieble to withstonde synne, and synneth Line 971 The moore lightly,/ and the latter ariseth, Line 972 And is the moore eschew for to shryven Line 972 Hym, and namely, to hym that is his confessour./ Line 973 For which that folk, whan they falle agayn in Line 973 Hir olde folies, outher they forleten hir olde Line 973 Confessours ol outrely, or eles they departen Line 973 Hir shrift in diverse places; but soothly, swich Line 973 Departed shrift deserveth no mercy of God of Line 973 His synnes./ The sixte sircumstaunce is why Line 974 That a man synneth, as by which temptacioun; Line 974 And if hymself procure thilke temptacioun, or by Line 974 The excitynge of oother folk; or if he synne Line 974 With a womman by force, or by hire owene Line 974 Assent;/ of if the womman, maugree hir hed, Line 975 Hath been afforced, or noon. This shal she Line 975 Telle: for coveitise, or for poverte, and if it was Line 975 Hire procurynge, or noon; and swich manere Line 975 Harneys./ The seventhe circumstaunce is in Line 976 What manere he hath doon his synne, or how Line 976 That she hath suffred that folk han doon Line 976 To hire./ And the same shal the man telle Line 977 Pleynly with alle circumstaunces; and Line 977 Wheither he hath synned with comune bordel Line 977 Wommen, or noon;/ or doon his synne in hooly Line 978 Tymes, or noon; in fastyng tymes, or noon; or Line 978 Biforn his shrifte, or after his latter shrifte;/ Line 979 And hath peraventure broken therfore his penance Line 979

Line 979 enjoyned; by whos help and whos conseil; Line 979 By sorcerie or craft; al moste be toold./ Alle Line 980 Thise thynges, after that they been grete or Line 980 Smale, engreggen the conscience of man. And Line 980 Eek the preest, that is thy juge, may the bettre Line 980 Been avysed of his juggement in yevynge of Line 980 Thy penaunce, and that is after thy contricioun./ Line 980 for understond wel that after tyme Line 981 That a man hath defouled his baptesme by Line 981 Synne, if he wole come to salvaciou, ther is Line 981 Noon other wey but by penitence and Line 981 Shrifte and satisfaccioun;/ and namely by Line 982 The two, if ther be a confessour to which Line 982 He may shriven hym, and the thridde, if he Line 982 Have lyf to parfournen it./ Line 983 Thanne shal man looke and considere that Line 983 If he wole maken a trewe and a profitable confessioun, Line 983 ther moste be foure condiciouns./ Line 984 First, it moot been in sorweful bitternesse of Line 984 Herte, as seyde the kyng ezechias to god: I Line 984 Wol remembre me alle the yeres of my lif in Line 984 Bitternesse of myn herte./ This condicioun of Line 985 Bitternesse hath fyve signes. The firste is that Line 985 Confessioun moste be shamefast, nat for to coyere Line 985 ne hyden his synne, for he hath agilt his Line 985 God and defouled his soule./ And herof seith Line 986 Seint augustyn: the herte tavailleth for Line 986 Shame of his synne; and for he hath greet Line 986 Shamefastnesse, he is digne to have greet Line 986 Mercy of god./ Swich was the confessioun Line 987 of the publican that wolde nat heven Line 987 Up his eyen to hevene, for he hadde offended Line 987 God of hevene; for which shamefastnesse he Line 987 Hadde anon the mercy of god./ And therof Line 988 Seith seint augustyn that swich shamefast folk Line 988 Been next foryevenesse and remissioun./ Another Line 989 signe is humylitee in confessioun; of Line 989 Which seith seint peter,~humbleth yow under Line 989 The myght of god. The hond of God is Line 989 Myghty in confessiou, for therby God foryeveth Line 989 thee thy synnes, for he allone hath the Line 989 Power./ And this humylitee shal been in herte, Line 990 And in signe outward; for right as he hath humylitee Line 990 to God in his herte, right so sholde he Line 990 Humble his body outward to the preest, that Line 990 Sit in goddes place./ For which in no manere, Line 991 sith that crist is sovereyn, and the preest Line 991 Meene and mediatour bitwixe crist and the Line 991 Synnere, and the synnere is the laste by Line 991 Wey of resoun,/ thanne sholde nat the Line 992 Synnere sitte as heighe as his confessour, Line 992 But knele biforn hym or at his feet, but if maladie Line 992 destourbe it. For he shal nat taken kep Line 992 Who sit there, but in whos place that he sitteth./ Line 992 a man that hath trespased to a lord, Line 993 And comth for to axe mercy and maken his accord, Line 993 and set him doun anon by the lord, men Line 993 Wolde holden hym outrageous, and nat worthy Line 993 So soone for to have remissioun ne mercy./ The Line 994 Thridde signe is how that thy shrift sholde Line 994 Be ful of teeris, if man may, and if man may Line 994 Nat wepe with his bodily eyen, lat hym wepe Line 994 In herte./ Swich was the confession of seint Line 995 Peter, for after that he hadde forsake jhesu Line 995 Crist, he wente out and weep ful bitterly./ Line 996 The fourthe signe is that he ne lette nat Line 996 For shame to shewen his confessioun./ Line 997 Swich was the confessioun of the magdalene, Line 997 that ne spared, for no shame of hem Line 997 That weren atte feeste, for to go to oure lord Line 997 Jhesu crist and biknowe to hym hire synne./ Line 998 The fifthe signe is that a man or a womman Line 998 Be obeisant to receyven the penaunce that hym Line 998 Is enjoyned ofr his synnes, for certes, jhesu Line 998 Crist, for the giltes of o man, was obedient to Line 998 The deeth./ Line 999 The seconde condicion of verray confession Line 999 Is that it be hastily doon. For certes, if a man Line 999 Hadde a deedly wounde, evere the lenger that Line 999 He taried to warisshe hymself, the moore wolde Line 999 It corrupte and haste hym to his deeth; and Line 999 Eek the wounde wolde be the wors for to Line 999 Heele./ And right so fareth synne that longe Line 1000 Tyme is in a man unshewed./ Certes, a man Line 1001 Oghte hastily shewen his synnes for manye Line 1001 Causes; as for drede of deeth, that cometh ofte Line 1001 Sodeynly, and no certeyn what tyme it shal be, Line 1001 Ne in what place; and eek the drecchynge Line 1001 of o synne draweth in another;/ and Line 1002 Eek the lenger that he tarieth, the ferther Line 1002 He is fro crist. And if he abide to his laste day, Line 1002 Scarsly may he shryven hym or remembre hym Line 1002 Of his synnes or repenten hym, for the grevous Line 1002 Maladie of his deeth./ And for as muche as he Line 1003 Ne hath nat in his lyf herkned jhesu crist Line 1003 Whanne he hath spoken, he shal crie to jhesu Line 1003 Crist at his laste day, and scarsly wol he Line 1003 Herkne hym./ And understond that this condicioun Line 1004 moste han foure thunges. Thi shrift Line 1004 Moste be purveyed bifore and avysed; for Line 1004 Wikked haste dooth no profit; and that a man Line 1004 Konne shryve hym of his synnes, be it of pride, Line 1004 Or of envye, and so forth with the speces and Line 1004 Circumstances;/ and that he have comprehended Line 1005 in hys mynde the nombre and the Line 1005 Greetnesse of his synnes, and how longe that Line 1005 He hath leyn in synne;/ and eek that he be Line 1006 Contrit of his synnes, and in stidefast purpos, Line 1006

Line 1006 By the grace of god, nevere eft to falle in Line 1006 Synne; and eek that he drede and countrewaite Line 1006 Hymself, that he fle the occasiouns of Line 1006 Synne to whiche he is enclyned./ Also Line 1007 Thou shalt shryve thee of alle thy synnes Line 1007 To o man, and nat a parcel to o man and a parcel Line 1007 to another; that is to understonde, in entente Line 1007 To departe thy confessioun, as for shame of Line 1007 Drede; for it nys but stranglynge of thy soule./ Line 1008 For certes jhesu crist is entierly al good; in Line 1008 Hym nys noon imperfeccioun; and therfore Line 1008 Outher he foryeveth al parfitly or never a deel./ Line 1009 I seye nat that if thow be assigned to the penitauncer Line 1009 for certein synne, that thow art bounde Line 1009 To shewen hym al the remenaunt fo thy synnes, Line 1009 Of whiche thow hast be shryven of thy curaal, Line 1009 But if it like to thee of thyn humylitee; this is Line 1009 No departynge of shrifte./ Ne I seye nat, ther Line 1010 As I speke of divisioun of confessioun, that Line 1010 If thou have licence for to shryve thee to a discreet Line 1010 and an honest preest, where thee liketh, Line 1010 And by licence of thy curaat, that thow ne Line 1010 Mayst wel shryve thee to him al alle thy Line 1010 Synnes./ But lat no blotte be bihynde; lat no Line 1011 Synne been untoold, as fer as thow hast Line 1011 Remembraunce./ And whan thou shalt be Line 1012 Shryven to thy curaat, telle hym eek alle Line 1012 The synnes that thow hast doon syn thou were Line 1012 Last yshryven; this is no wikked entente of divisioun Line 1012 of shrifte./ Line 1013 Also the verray shrifte axeth certeine condiciouns. Line 1013 first, that thow shryve thee by thy Line 1013 Free wil, noght constreyned, ne for shame of Line 1013 Folk, ne for maladie, ne swich thynges. For Line 1013 It is resoun that he that trespaseth by his free Line 1013 Wyl, that by his free wyl he confesse his trespas;/ Line 1013 and that noon oother man telle his synne Line 1014 But he hymself; ne he shal nat nayte ne denye Line 1014 His synne, ne wratthe hym agayn the preest Line 1014 For his amonestynge to lete synne./ The seconde Line 1015 condicioun is that thy shrift be laweful, Line 1015 That is to seyn, that thow that shryvest thee, Line 1015 And eek the preest that hereth thy confessioun, Line 1015 Been verraily in the feith of hooly chirche;/ Line 1016 And that a man ne be nat despeired of the Line 1016 Mercy of jhesu crist, as caym or judas./ Line 1017 And eek a man moot accusen hymself of Line 1017 His owene trespas, and nat another; but he Line 1017 Shal blame and wyten hymself and his owene Line 1017 Malice of his synne, and noon oother./ But Line 1018 Nathelees, if that another man be occasioun or Line 1018 Enticere of his synne, or the estaat of a persone Line 1018 be swich thurgh which his synne is Line 1018 Agregged, or elles that he may nat pleynly Line 1018 Shryven hym but he telle the persone with Line 1018 Which he hath synned, thanne may he telle it,/ Line 1019 So that his entente ne be nat to bakbite the Line 1019 Persone, but oonly to declaren his confessioun./ Line 1019 Thou ne shalt nat eek make no lesynges in Line 1020 Thy confessioun, for humylitee, peraventure, to Line 1020 Seyn that thou hast doon synnes of whiche Line 1020 Thow were nevere gilty./ For seint augustyn Line 1021 Seith, if thou, by cause of thyn hymylitee, Line 1021 Makest lesynges on thyself, though thow ne Line 1021 Were nat in synne biforn, yet artow thanne Line 1021 In synne thurgh thy lesynges./ Thou Line 1022 Most eek shewe thy synne by thyn owene Line 1022 Propre mouth, but thow be woxe dowmb, and Line 1022 Nat by no lettre; for thow that hast doon the Line 1022 Synne, thou shalt have the shame therfore./ Line 1023 Thow shalt nat eek peynte thy confessioun by Line 1023 Faire subtile wordes, to covere the moore thy Line 1023 Synne; for thanne bigilestow thyself, and nat Line 1023 The preest. Thow most tellen it platly, be it Line 1023 Nevere so foul ne so horrible./ Thow shalt Line 1024 Eek shryve thee to a preest that is discreet to Line 1024 Conseille thee; and eek thou shalt nat shryve Line 1024 Thee for veyne glorie, ne for ypocrisye, ne for no Line 1024 Cause but oonly for the doute of jhesu crist and Line 1024 The heele of thy soule./ Thow shalt nat eek Line 1025 Renne to the preest sodeynly to tellen hym Line 1025 Lightly thy synne, as whoso telleth a jape or Line 1025 A tale, but avysely and with greet devocioun./ Line 1026 And generally, shryve thee ofte. If thou Line 1026 Ofte falle, ofte thou arise by confessioun./ Line 1027 And though thou shryve thee ofter than Line 1027 Ones of synne of which thou hast be shryven, Line 1027 It is the moore merite. And, as seith seint Line 1027 Augustyn, thow shalt have the moore lightly Line 1027 Relessyng and grace fo god, bothe of synne and Line 1027 Of peyne./ And certes, oones a yeere atte leeste Line 1028 Wey it is laweful for to been housled; for certes, Line 1028 Oones a yeere alle thynges renovellen./ Line 1029 Now have I toold yow of verray confessioun, Line 1029 that is the seconde partie of penitence./ Line 1030 The thridde partie of penitence is satisfaccioun, Line 1030 and that stant moost generally in almesse Line 1030 and in bodily peyne./ Now been ther thre Line 1031 Manere of almesse: contricion of herte, where Line 1031 A man offreth hymself to god; another is to Line 1031 Han pitee of defaute of his neighebores; and the Line 1031 Thridde is in yevynge of good conseil and comfort, Line 1031 goostly and bodily, where men han nede, Line 1031

Line 1031 And namely in sustenaunce of mannes Line 1031 Foode./ And tak kep that a man hath Line 1032 Nede of thise thinges generally: he hath Line 1032 Nede of foode, he hath nede of clothyng Line 1032 and herberwe, he hath nede of charitable Line 1032 conseil and visitynge in prisone and Line 1032 In maladie, and sepulture of his dede body./ Line 1033 And if thow mayst nat visite the nedeful Line 1033 with thy persone, visite hym by thy Line 1033 Message and by thy yiftes./ Thise been general Line 1034 almesses or werkes of chritee of hem that Line 1034 Han temporeel richesses or discrecioun in conseilynge. Line 1034 of thise werkes shaltow heren at the Line 1034 Day of doom./ Line 1035 Thise almesses shaltow doon of thyne owene Line 1035 Propre thynges, and hastily and prively, if Line 1035 Thow mayst./ But nathelees, if thow mayst Line 1036 Ant doon it prively, thow shalt nat forbere to Line 1036 Doon almesse though men seen it, so that it Line 1036 Be nat doon for thank of the world, but Line 1036 Oonly for thank of jhesu crist./ For, as Line 1037 Witnesseth seint mathew, capitulo quinto, Line 1037 A citee may nat been hyd that is set on a Line 1037 Montayne, ne men lighte nat a lanterne and Line 1037 Put it under a busshel, but men sette it on a Line 1037 Candle-stikke to yeve light to the men in the Line 1037 Hous./ Right so shal youre light lighten bifore Line 1038 Men, that they may seen youre goode werkes, Line 1038 And glorifie youre fader that is in hevene./ Line 1039 Now as to speken of bodily peyne, it stant Line 1039 In preyeres, in wakynges, in fastynges, in vertuouse Line 1039 techynges of orisouns./ And ye shul Line 1040 Understonde that orisouns or preyeres is for to Line 1040 Seyn a pitous wyl of herte, that redresseth it Line 1040 In God and expresseth it by word outward, to Line 1040 Remoeven harmes and to han thynges espiritueel Line 1040 and durable, and somtyme temporele Line 1040 Thynges; of whiche orisouns, certes, in the Line 1040 Orison of the pater noster hath jhesu crist enclosed Line 1040 moost thynges./ Certes, it is privyleged Line 1041 of thre thynges in his dignytee, for Line 1041 Which it is moore digne than any oother Line 1041 Preyere; for that jhesu crist hymself Line 1041 Maked it;/ and it is short, for it sholde Line 1042 Be koud the moore lightly, and for to Line 1042 Withholden it the moore esily in herte, and Line 1042 Helpen hymself the ofter with the orisoun,/ Line 1043 And for a man sholde be the lasse wery to Line 1043 Seyen it, and for a man may nat excusen hym Line 1043 To lerne it, it is so short and so esy; and for it Line 1043 Comprehendeth in it self alle goode preyeres./ Line 1044 The exposicioun of this hooly preyere, that is Line 1044 So excellent and digne, I bitake to thise maistres Line 1044 of theologie, save thus muchel wol I seyn; Line 1044 That whan thow prayest that God sholde for Line 1044 Yeve thee thy giltes as thou foryevest hem that Line 1044 Agilten to thee, be ful wel war that thow ne Line 1044 Be nat out of charitee./ This hooly orison Line 1045 Amenuseth eek venyal synne, and therfore it Line 1045 Aperteneth specially to penitence./ Line 1046 This preyere moste be trewely seyd, and in Line 1046 Verray feith, and that men preye to God ordinatly Line 1046 and discreetly and devoutly; and alwey Line 1046 A man shal putten his wyl to be subget to Line 1046 The wille of god./ This orisoun moste eek Line 1047 Been seyd with greet humblesse and ful Line 1047 Pure; honestly, and nat to the anoyaunce of Line 1047 Any man or womman. It moste eek been continued Line 1047 with the werkes of chritee./ It avayleth Line 1048 eek agayn the vices of the soule; for, as Line 1048 Seith seint jerome, by fastynge been saved the Line 1048 Vices of the flessh, and by preyere the vices of Line 1048 The soule./ Line 1049 After this, thou shalt understonde that bodily Line 1049 peyne stant in wakynge; for jhesu crist Line 1049 Seith, waketh and preyeth, that ye ne entre Line 1049 In wikked temptacioun./ Ye shul understanden Line 1050 also that fastynge stant in thre thynges: Line 1050 In forberynge of bodily mete and drynke, and Line 1050 In forberynge of worldly jolitee, and in forberynge Line 1050 of deedly synne; this is to seyn, that a Line 1050 Man shal kepen hym fro deedly synne with al Line 1050 His might. / Line 1051 And thou shalt understanden eek that god Line 1051 Ordeyned fastynge, and to fastynge appertenen Line 1051 foure thinges:/ largenesse to Line 1052 Povre folk; gladnesse of herte espiritueel, Line 1052 Nat to been angry ne anoyed, ne grucche for Line 1052 He fasteth; and also resonable houre for to ete; Line 1052 Ete by mesure; that is for to seyn, a man shal Line 1052 Nat ete in untyme, ne sitte the lenger at his Line 1052 Table to ete for he fasteth./ Line 1053 Thanne shaltow understonde that bodily Line 1053 Peyne stant in disciplyne or techynge, by word, Line 1053 Or by writynge, or in ensample; also in werynge Line 1053 of heyres, or of stamyn, or of haubergeons Line 1053 on hire naked flessh, for cristes sake, Line 1053 And swiche manere penances./ But war thee Line 1054 Wel that swiche manere penaunces on thy Line 1054 Flessh ne make nat thyn herte bitter or angry Line 1054 Or anoyed of thyself; for bettre is to caste awey Line 1054 Thyn heytre, that for to caste awey the swetenesse Line 1054 of jhesu crist./ And therfore seith seint Line 1055 Paul, clothe yow, as they that been chosen Line 1055 Of god, in herte of misericorde, debonairetee, Line 1055 Suffraunce, and swich manere of clothynge; Line 1055 Of whiche jhesu crist is moore apayed than Line 1055 Of heyres, or haubergeouns, or hauberkes./ Line 1056

Line 1056 Thanne is discipline eek in knokkynge of Line 1056 Thy brest, in scourgynge with yerdes, in Line 1056 Knelynges, in tribulaciouns,/ in suffrynge Line 1057 Paciently wronges that been doon to thee, Line 1057 And eek in pacient suffraunce of maladies, or Line 1057 Lesynge of worldly catel, or of wyf, or of child, Line 1057 Or othere freendes./ Line 1058 Thanne shaltow understonde whiche thynges Line 1058 Destourben penaunce; and this is in foure Line 1058 Maneres, that is, drede, shame, hope, and wanhope, Line 1058 that is, desperacion./ And for to speke Line 1059 First of drede; for which he weneth that he Line 1059 May suffre no penaunce;/ ther-agayns is remedie Line 1060 for to thynke that bodily penaunce is but Line 1060 Short and litel at regard of the peyne of helle, Line 1060 That is so crueel and so long that it lasteth Line 1060 Withouten ende./ Line 1061 Now again the shame that a man hath to Line 1061 Shryven hym, and namely thise ypocrites that Line 1061 Wolden been holden so parfite that they Line 1061 Han no nede to shryven hem;/ agayns that Line 1062 Shame sholde a man thynke that, by wey Line 1062 Of resoun, that he that hath nat been shamed Line 1062 To doon foule thinges, certes hym oghte nat Line 1062 Been ashamed to do faire thynges, and that is Line 1062 Confessiouns./ A man sholde eek thynke that Line 1063 God seeth and woot alle his thoghtes and alle Line 1063 His werkes; to hym may no thyng been hyd Line 1063 Ne covered./ Men sholden eek remembren Line 1064 Hem of the shame that is to come at the day Line 1064 Of doom to hem that been nat penitent and Line 1064 Shryven in this present lyf./ For alle the Line 1065 Creatures in hevene, in erthe, and in helle Line 1065 Shullen seen apertly al that they hyden in this Line 1065 World./ Line 1066 Now for to speken of the hope of hem that Line 1066 Been necligent and slowe to shryven Line 1066 Hem, that stant in two maneres./ That Line 1067 Oon is that he hopeth for to lyve longe Line 1067 And for to purchacen muche richesse for his Line 1067 Delit, and thanne he wol shryven hym; and Line 1067 As he seith, hym semeth thanne tymely Line 1067 Ynough to come to shrifte./ Another is of Line 1068 Surquidrie that he hath in cristes mercy./ Line 1069 Agayns the firste vice, he shal thynke that oure Line 1069 Life is in no sikernesse, and eek that alle the Line 1069 Richesses in this world ben in aventure, and Line 1069 Passen as a shadwe on the wal;/ and , as seith Line 1070 Seint gregorie, that it aperteneth to the grete Line 1070 Righwisnesse of God that nevere shal the peyne Line 1070 Stynte of hem that nevere wolde withdrawen Line 1070 Hem fro synne, hir thankes, but ay continue Line 1070 In synne; for thilke perpetueel wil to do synne Line 1070 Shul they han perpetueel peyne./ Line 1071 Wanhope is in two maneres; the firste wanhope Line 1071 is in the mercy of crist; that oother is Line 1071 That they thynken that they ne myghte Line 1071 That longe persevere in goodnesse./ The Line 1072 Firste wanhope comth of that he demeth Line 1072 That he hath synned so greetly and so ofte, Line 1072 And so longe leyn in synne, that he shal Line 1072 Nat be saved./ Certes, agayns that cursed wanhope Line 1073 sholde he thynke that the passion of jhesu Line 1073 Crist is moore strong for to bynde than Line 1073 Synne is strong for to bynde. / agayns the Line 1074 Seconde wanhope he shal thynke that as ofte Line 1074 As he falleth he may arise agayn by penitence. Line 1074 And though he never so longe have leyn in Line 1074 Synne, the mercy of crist is alwey redy to receiven Line 1074 hym to mercy./ Agayns the wanhope Line 1075 That he demeth that he sholde nat longe persevere Line 1075 in goodnesse, he shal thynke that the Line 1075 Feblesse of the devel may nothyng doon, but Line 1075 If men wol suffren hym;/ and eek he shal han Line 1076 Strengthe of the help of god, and of al hooly Line 1076 Chirche, and of the proteccioun of aungels, Line 1076 if hym list./ Line 1077 Thanne shal men understonde what is Line 1077 The fruyt of penaunce; and, after the word of Line 1077 Jhesu crist, it is the endelees blisse of hevene,/ Line 1077 ther joye hath no contrarioustee of wo Line 1078 Ne grevaunce; ther alle harmes been passed Line 1078 Of this present lyf; ther as is the sikernesse fro Line 1078 The peyne of helle; ther as is the blisful compaignye Line 1078 that rejoysen hem everemo, everich of Line 1078 Otheres joye;/ ther as the body of man, that Line 1079 Whilom was foul and derk, is moore cleer than Line 1079 The sonne; ther as the body, that whilom was Line 1079 Syk, freele, and fieble, and mortal, is inmortal, Line 1079 And so strong and so hool that ther may no Line 1079 Thyng apeyren it;/ ther as ne is neither hunger, Line 1080 thurst, ne coold, but every soule replenyssed Line 1080 with the sighte of the parfit knowynge Line 1080 Of god./ This blisful regne may men purchace Line 1081 by poverte espiritueel, and the glorie by Line 1081 Lowenesse, the plentee of joye by hunger and Line 1081 Thurst, and the reste by travaille, and the Line 1081 Lyf by deeth and mortificacion of synne./ Line 1082

Retraction

Now preye I to hem alle that herkne this Line 1082 Litel tretys or rede, that if ther be any thynge Line 1082 In it that liketh hem, that therof they thanken Line 1082 Oure lord jhesu crist, of whom procedeth al Line 1082 Wit and al goodnesse./ And if ther be any Line 1083 Thyng that displese hem, I preye hem also that Line 1083 They arrette it to the defaute of myn unkonnynge, Line 1083 and nat to my wyl, that wolde ful fayn Line 1083 Have seyd bettre if I hadde had konnynge./ Line 1084 For oure book seith, al that is writen is writen Line 1084 For our doctrine, and that is myn entente./ Line 1085 Wherfore I biseke yow mekely, for the mercy Line 1085 Of go, that ye preye for me that crist have Line 1085 Mercy on me and foryeve me my giltes;/ and Line 1086 Namely of my translacions and enditynges of Line 1086 Worldly vanitees, the whiche I revoke in Line 1086 My retracciouns:/ as is the book of troilus; Line 1087 the book also of fame; the book of Line 1087 The xxv. Ladies; the book of the duchesse; Line 1087 The book of seint valentynes day of the parlemen Line 1087 of briddes; the tales of counterbury, Line 1087 Thilke that sownen into synne;/ the book of the Line 1088 Leoun; and many another book. If they were Line 1088 In my remembrance, and many a song and Line 1088 Many a leccherous lay; that crist for his grete Line 1088 Mercy foryeve me the synne./ But of the translacion Line 1089 of boece de consolacione, and othere Line 1089 Bookes of legendes of seintes, and omelies and Line 1089 Moralitee, and devocioun./ That thanke I oure Line 1090 Lord jhesu crist and his blisful mooder, and Line 1090 Alle the seintes of hevene,/ bisekynge hem that Line 1091 They from hennes forth unto my lyves ende Line 1091 Sende me grace to biwayle my giltes, and to Line 1091 Studie to the salvacioun of my soule, and Line 1091 Graunte me grace of verray penitence, confessioun Line 1091 and satisfaccioun to doon in this Line 1091 Present lyf,/ thurgh the benigne grace of Line 1092 Hym that is kyng of kynges and preest Line 1092 Over alle preestes, that boghte us with the Line 1092 Precious blood of his herte;/ so that is may Line 1093 Been oon of hem at the day of doom that shulle Line 1093 Be saved. Qui cum patre et spiritu sancto vivit Line 1093 Et regnat deus per omnia secula. Amen. Line 1093