Three prose versions of the Secreta Secretorum / edited with an introduction and notes by Robert Steele and a glossary by T. Henderson

Of the comendacioun and of the werk of matrimony. Capitulum xxxvijm.

HIt ys to wit that matremony ys to be commendid for many caussis, and in exspeciall at this tym for ve; fruste for the auctorite of almyghty god, ordyner of matremony; [folio 48L] And for honor of the place that hit was maked In; ffor thereas Seint benet ordeyned the monken rull, and Seinte Austeyn chanoun Rull in erth, allmyȝty god that may not erre maked the Sacrement of matremony in paradis. Therfor yef he trespassith that breketh the rull of Seint benet, moche more hugely he tresspassith that matremony whiche god makyd breketh. The ije caus is that matremony ys to be comend is the oldennysse of hit, ffor this ordir ys not nyowely maket, but of oldennys hit passith all manner of orderis in erth, ffor hit was maked afor that euer man synnyt: the therd caus is ffor that god at Noes flod, whan all the world was dront, only he sawid the ordir of matremoney. In Noes ship he and his wif, har thre sonys and har wiffis sawid were, but all the lechurreris and concubynes were drond. The iiij^e caus is for criste Ihesus and his modir Seint Mari and his dessiplis by thare bodies presence —as Seint Iohn In his gospell telith —wirsshuppeden at the feste of wedlok, and there ettyn and dranken; but lechurris & concubyns may not sayn that euer criste or Seint mary his modir etten and dranken in enny of thar houssys, But rather the deuyll, of whom thay maked Sacrefiz of thare bodies. The ve caus is for that our lord Ihesus wold be born of oure lady Seint Mari in matremony. Morouer hit is to wit that the work of matremony may be ussit and don, as sarteyn tretis of wertius tellith, without anny [folio 48bL] Syn and meritori in thre cassis; ffrust whan hit is don ffor caus of cheldryn to ben concewid, and to the wirship of god to be broȝt fforth, with othir due sircumstancis accordyng to Reysoun: This is the principall caus and office of the werk of matrimony. The ije caus is whan that the work is don for remedy, that is to wit to enchu fornicasion. The iije caus is whan det is payed to the asker; vppon the which matier Seint Austeyn saith thus:

"Redde debitum coniugale nullus est criminis. In hoc causu mouet Iusticia." That is to sey, "To pay wedlak dette hit is of no syn, rightfulnis meuyth in this caus the." The iiij^e [MS. iije.] case Is whan a man asketh that worke to mak his wif, that she fal not in sin; as whan a man knowing his wif shamfaste and neuer to ask that dette, and he dredith of hir fallyng in Syn, he asketh that dette. In this casse pite meuyth. But sothely yef a man use that work to fulfill his concupiscens ther is sin, othir while venyall syn and othir whill dedely syn; hit is veniall sine whan concupiscence is so ferforth subiecte to Reissoun, that he wold not know hir but yef she wer his wif; hit is dedly syn whan that concupiscens Is so vnmessurable that he wold knov hir thegh she wer not his wif. Also hit is to wit that a worthy clerk, Iohn of Burghe, in a bok which he maked, that is calit in latteyn "pupilla occuli Sacerdotum," tellith that a man is note bound to pay his wif the dette of wedlak in an holy place, ffor so as sum men saith the place myght be [folio 49L] Polut. But yef a man and his vif were long tym in that place vyolenly enclossid, hit wer laffull to tham to do that ded. Also in hey festis & solempne dayys, in tymys of fasting and processiones a man and his wif shold not neghe togedir, for in such solempne tymys specyaly honnoure is to be don to god, And therfor Is to abstene fro leuefull thingys, that thyng which is asked may be getten the mor lyghtelier. Natheles, who so is askede, he owith hit to pay, but yef he may defer hit viesly and without pereill, but he shall not aske hit in the forsaiden tymmys. Therfor whoso asketh that ded in tho tymmys he syneth not, but whoso asketh I-styrryd with con[cu]piscens, but noȝt for contempe of the tym othir holi churche consaill, Senneth venialy. And also in tym that a woman is with child, ȝef without pereill of the chill hit shall mowe be don, that ded I-asked owith to be payed, And also hit may be asked without dedly Syn; natheles yef hit shold torn to pereill of the child, nethir shold hit ben asked ne yewen. In which cas beste is that a man haue his wif lik his Suster, And do nat that charnell worke.

offe the foure cardinall wertues, by the which a man gidith hym rightfully in the wey of gode maners, ware that

many pepill gon out of the wey into this tym I hau tretid; Now will I retourn to that place theras I left of the bok of gouernance of kingys and princys in this sam maner suante.