Thus endeth the doctrinal of sapyence the whyche is ryght vtile and prouffytable to alle crysten men, whyche is translated out of Frenshe in to englysshe by wyllyam Caxton at westmestter [sic] fynysshed the. vij. day of may the yere of our lord, M,cccc lxxx ix Caxton me fieri fecit

¶ Howe one ought to confesse hym self / ••Ca lxx••ij (Book 82)

YF thou wylt well confesse thy self. thow oughtest fyrste wel thynke in thy▪ conscyence as he that wyl yelde. and rendre a rekenyng to god Thou oughtest to saye all thy synnes that thou canst remembre / that thou hast doon & woldest glad∣ly haue doon / and all thy thoughtes whyche tornen to synne / And beware that thou reteygne nothyng ne the colour ne the sauour of thy synnes / how wel th••u confessest them and repen ty••••▪ for he that reteyneth the colour of hys synnes. thaugh he hath confessyd them and repented / neuertheles he reteyneth the euyll maners that he had to fore. as in spekyng▪ in beholdyng in folowyng ylle compaynyes / and thoccasions by whyche one myght falle in synne▪ he reteyneth the sauour of synne that well confessyd hym and is repentaunt. but gladly he hereth to speke the••••f. and ofte thynketh on hys synnes & hath a delyte in hys euyl thought and playseth hym wel. how wel he wyl not doo them. Aboue alle thīge beware that thou leue not to saye to thy wetynge somme dedely synne of whyche thou remēbrest for to saye to another preste / or for shame. for thy confessyon is no¦thyng worth thenne. and yf thou be houseled in suche estate thou synnest dedely. and yf thou sholdest so deye thou sholdest be dam¦pned perpetuelly. for one ought to saye alle hys synnes of whi¦che he remembreth to one preste▪ & not to saye one parte to one and another parte to an other. for suche confessyon is nothynge worth But whan thou art wel confessyd to thy power▪ yf thou be aduysed after ony synne. of whyche thou were not remem∣bryd whan thou were confessyd to fore. yf thou thenne confesse that to an other it shal auaylle the. And thy confessyon is not departed / And excuse not thy self in confessyng the as som doo And saye not also that thy synne is gretter than it is / for then ne thou sholdestlye. Many confesse them in grete and sayen. I confesse me of the synne of pryde. of enuye of leche••e▪ and also in other wythout to declare theyr synnes. That confessyon suf∣fyseth not. but it behoueth to thy power thou saye & declare wel

all thy sinnes pureli in the manere lyke as thou hast doon them and as ofte as thou hast sinned yf thou can remembre: It suffi¦seth not to saye I haue taken other memys thynges / but it by houeth that thou saye what & how moche / and in what place For it is a greter synne to take thyng sacred than other. & to ta¦ke out of an holi place than out of an other▪ It suffyseth not one¦li to saye I haue synned in the synne of lecherie / but it muste be sayd thestate of the persone. that is to were yf it be a womā ma¦ryed or wedowe or of religyon: thy moder. or thy suster or thy gossph or goddoughter or symple wymen. or yf thou hast ••••fou¦led a virgyne / For after the estate of the psone the synne is mo∣re grete or lasse▪ yf thou hast wyth a comyn woman For that is a grete synne & grete perill▪ For they spare neyther fader ne so ne Cosyn ne other. & thou must saye how ofte thou hast synned yf thou canst remēbre▪ & in what place / yf it be in chirche chyrche yerd or in holi place / For it is gretter synne. in holi place than in other. And thou oughtest to saye on what daye. yf it be a f••ste ful day or day. conmanded to faste / For after the day the synne is grete or lasse or yf thou hast synned wyth ony man or dred to god / as subdeken / deken▪ preest or of religyon but kepe the wel that thou name not the persone by his name wyth whome that▪ hast synned For that shold be grete peryll & thou oughtest to saye yf thou enforcest they self to synne: or yf thou woldest haue synned▪ or for to doo thy synne thou hast made an other persone thy messagyer▪ or yf thou hast synned wyth other whyche had no wylle to synue wyth the. For thy synne shold thēne double. And thou sholdest be holden to admoneste hym or hyr to come to repentaunce. Item yf by thy synne is comen euyl ensample. or yf for cause of thy counseyll consentyng or ay de ony other haue synued. For eueri tyme thou shalt be of god greuously pugnysshed. Item thou oughtest to saye yf thou hast longe abyden in thy synne / and alle other thynges that haue ••••nsed the to synne the more / thou oughtest to saye and declare.

to thy power. For lyke as á good physycyen may not gyuē a good medecyne. yf he knowe not well the maladye right so the prest may not gyue the good counceyl / yf the synner declare not wel the maner of his sinne. yf thou declare not wel thy synnes the prest ought to make the to declare them well / & of other syn∣nes in whyche he thynketh that thou myghtest haue fallen / or that thou woldest haue doon. be ought to aduyse & demāde dys¦cretly without tofore the. and of sinnes not cōmysed he ought to demande the couuertly and fro ferre and he ought to she we t•••• maner of thy synnes / & to gyue to the good counceyll and suffy sauut remedye / and in the ende of thy confessyon / yf thou repen¦te the wyth good h••r••e. and thou haue ••nt••ncōn to absteyne the fro dedely synne. and to amēde the. and whan he assoilleth the of thy synnes it is right good that he saye▪ goo forth and synne nomore / leste werse happe to the▪ for so sayd our lord to hym that he assoilled as the gospel sayth / whan thou wylt com to cō¦fessyon. thou oughtest to thynk on all the places wher thou hast be sythe thou hadest vnderstondyng. and say in thy self in suche a thyng. and in suche a place suche: for thys is a thyng by whi¦che one shal remembre the better the synne c•• tyme passed / for by cause that many tarye to confesse them / they forgete many of theyr synnes. but the deuyl forgeteth them not. Example: we [Exā] rede of a woman that was supposed that she had be the best w¦oman of the toun wherin she duellyd / for she dyde most goode dedes / It apped that whan she was dede and born to the chyr∣che an holy hermyte was present whyche sawe a deuyl holdīg her ench••yned abo••t the necke wyth a grete chayne of y••••n / he prayed to god that he wold she we to hym wherfore it was / & a wys cam anon to hym whyche sayd that she had doon a dede¦ly synne in hyr yongthe of whyche she durste neuer confesse her and for that onely she was dāpned perdurably. many other ex¦amples haue we whiche I now leue for cause of briefte / vnder¦stonde wel thys toke fro the brgynnyng vnto the ende. & veryly

thou shalt fide the by wrapped in many synnes of whyche thou aduysest not thy self. & therfore aduyse the & confesse the the beste wyse thou maiste. for whan thou art best aduysed I coūseill the to be confessyd pure & clene and thou shal fynd thy self the better byloued of god / and saye in thende of thy confessyon. that god hath deliuered the oftymes fro many grete perils by confession & penaūce / but by vnkendenes I haue agayn oftimes āgred him by dyuerse synnes of whyche I am not wel remēbred of whyche and of all them that I haue said & confessid I repēte me & purpose and thynke to absteyne wyth all my power from now forthon & amende me. & requyre absolucion of god. and of [Exā] you penaunce. Example we rede that a grete maistre in dyuy¦nyte and a right good clerke & prechour whan he shold deye he saw the deuyl in a corner of hys chambre & he damāded of him what thyng greued him moste. the deuyl sayd to hym that no¦thyng g••••ued hym more ne lessed more theyr strongthe & might than dide confession & said to him that whan a persone is in de¦dely synne all his mēbres be so boūden that he may doo no good werkes for hys saluacōn / but assone as he is confessed. he is de¦liuered fro the grinne of the deuyl & may doo all goode werkes for his saluacōn.