Diues [et] pauper

Caplm .xxiiij.

ALso the seconde maxime and grounde in whiche thou say∣ste that god punysshed Eue harder than Adam may resonably be denyed. For in punysshynge of Adam god gaf his curse and sayd. Cursed be the erthe in thy werke & in thy syn¦ne He sayd not cursed be the erthe in thy werke of Eue / ne he sayd not / cur¦sed be the erthe in your werke / as for comon synne of them bothe / but he sayd only to Adam. Cursed be y^• erth in thy werke. In punysshynge also of the serpent he gaf his curse & sayd Thou shalt be cursed amonges alle thynge lyuynge vpon erthe. Also god cursed Caym whan he punysshed hȳ for sleynge of his brother Abell. But whan god punysshed woman / he ga∣ue not his curse. And we rede not that euer god gaue his curse to ony wo∣man openly in specyaall. Ne god re∣preued not Eue so moche as he dyde Adam. And so the grete repreue & bla¦mynge & the curse y^t god gaue in pu∣nysshyng of Adam more than he dyd in punysshyng of Eue / shewyng well y^t the synne of Adam was more gre∣uous than was the synne of Eue / & y^t there was more ob••tynacy in Adam than was in Eue. For cursyng is not gyuen of god ne of holy chirche / but for obstynacy. As I sayd fyrst Adam answered full obstynatly. God bla∣med Adam prȳcypaly for brekyng of his cōmaundement & sayd to hym y^t brekynge of his cōmaūdement was cause of his nakednesse & of his so∣dayne myscheef / and notwithstange the techynge and the styrynge of god he wolde not be aknowen of his syn∣ne / but put his synne on god / and ex∣cused hym by Eue / and soo put synne to synne in excusacyon of his synne. Whan god punysshed Adam he cur∣sed the erthe for his synne / whiche cur¦se tourned to woo & trauayle of hym & of all mankynde whiche we maye not flee. And therfore ha sayd to A∣dam / thou shalt ete of the erth in tra¦uayle and sorowe all the dayes of thy lyfe. I shall brynge the forth brerys & thornes / & thou shalt ete herbes of the

erthe. Also in punysshynge of Adam god gaf the sentence of deth vpon hȳ & all mankynde for his synne. And therfor god sayd to Adam / y^u shalt ete thy brede in swynke & swete of thy fa¦ce tyll y^u tourne ayen in to the erthe. For erthe y^u art / & in to erthe ayen thou shalt wende. Sythen than god for the synne of Adam gaf so greuously his curse / and blamed so harde Adam of his synne / and for his synne damp¦ned hym and all mankynde / and pu∣nysshed all erthely creatures for his synne & dampned hym and all man kynde to perpetuel trauayle whan he sayd. Thou shalt ete thy mete with trauayle & sorowe al the dayes of thy lyfe. And also for the synne of Adam he gaf sentence of deth to hym and to all mankynde that is moost of all paynes / it foloweth that god punys∣shed harder Adam for his synne / than he dyde Eue for hyr synne. For why in punysshynge of Eue god repreued hyr not so moche as he dyde Adam. & he gaf than no curse ne payne per¦petuell saue subieccyon. I shall sayd god multeplye thy myscheues & thy conceyuynges / & in sorowe y^u shalt be∣re thy childern / and y^u shalt be vnder power of man & he shall be thy lor∣de. God sayd not to woman. I shall multeplye thy myscheues all dayes of thy lyfe. For she may kepe hyr cha¦ste yf she wyll and flee myscheef and payne of childern byrthe. And that god made woman suget to man for the synne of Eue / it was noo newe thynge to woman. For as saynt Au∣sten sayth su{per} Gen̄.li.xi.ca.xiiij. Wo∣man was suget to man byfore by or∣dre of kynde / but that subieccōn was only by loue and charyte / but for hyr synne she was made suget / not only by loue / but also by nede & bondage of honeste seruyle werkes to obeye to man and be vnder his gouernaunce. Byfore hyr synne she was sugette to man only by loue / but after hyr syn∣ne she was made suget to man / not only by loue but by drede & by nede. For she muste drede man & she hath nede of his helpe. For y^t was the pry∣de of Adam & of Eue / that they desy¦red to haue noo souerayne ne gouer∣nour but god allone as clerkes saye. And therfore y^e fende in gyle behyght them y^t they desyred saynge to Eue yf ye ete of y^e tree y^t god hath forbode you ye shall be as goddes knowynge go∣de & euyll / that is to saye / ye shall ne∣de noo souerayne ne gouernour to te∣che you ne to gouerne you but god / & for that they desyred it lyghtely they byleued it. For as the mayster of sto∣ryes sayth. A thynge that is desyred / lyghtly it is byleued. And therfor god ryghtfull Iuge punysshed them bo∣the in subieccyon of drede and of ne∣de / and of harde seruage. He made woman suget to man / and afterwar∣de he made man suget and thrall to man for the synne of Adam as sayth saynt Austen su{per} Gen̄.v.sup. More than euer he made woman suget to man. For the synne of Eue as sayth saynt Austen su{per} Gen̄.v.s. For thou∣ghe woman be in thraldome to tem¦porell lordes as be men / y^t is not for y^e synne of Eue / but pryncypaly for the

synne of Adam. The subieccōn y^t wo¦man is put in for y^• synne of Eue / is the subieccōn y^t the wyfe ought to hyr husbonde. And all the soueraynte and lordshyp that ony man hath here in this worlde / eyther ouer man or wo∣man / it is medled with moche woo & grete sorowe & care. For euery soue∣rayne in this worlde muste care for his sugettes yf he be wyse. And in hy¦gher degree that he be of lordshyp & of dygnyte / in the hygher degre is he of peryll / of drede / of sorowe / & care in punysshyng of Adams synne. And so both lordshyp in this worlde & sub¦iecco n be punysshed of Adams synne And yf sugettes can haue pacyence with theyr degre / they be in more sy∣kernes both of bodye & of soule / & in more gladnes of herte than be the so¦uerayns And so punysshed god Adam as moche in maner / in that he made hym lorde & gouernour of woman as he punysshed Eue whan he made hyr suget to Adam. For in that god bon¦de man to haue cure of woman in hyr myscheef to saue hyr and to kepe hyr that was by comon so faynte / so feble & freell / and so myschyuous by cause of hyr synne.