The Canterbury tales and Faerie queene &c., &c., &c., ed. for popular perusal with current illustrations and explanatory notes, by D. Laing Purves.

I96 THE CANTERBURY TALES.
of men, deceivers of their equals in business, ous, if he do it only for the health of his body.
simoniacs, gamblers, liars, thieves, false swear- Saint Augustine will that abstinence be done
ers, blasphemers, murderers, and sacrilegious. for virtue, and with patience. Abstinence,
Its remedy lies in compassion and pity largely saith he, is little worth, but 12 if a man have
exercised, and in reasonable liberality-for good will thereto, and but it be enforced by
those who spend on " fool-largesse," or ostenta- patience and by charity, and that men do it for
tion of worldly estate and luxury, shall receive God's sake, and in hope to have the bliss in
the malison that Christ shall give at the day of heaven. The fellows of abstihence be temperdoom to them that shall be damned: (6.) Glut- ance, that holdeth the mean in all things; also
tony; —of which the Parson treats so briefly that shame, that escheweth all dishonesty; 13 suffthe chapter may be given in full:-] ciency; that seeketh no rich meats nor drinks,
After Avarice cometh Gluttony, which is nor dothno force of 14 no outrageous apparelling
express against the commandment of God. of meat; measure also, that restraineth by
Gluttony is unmeasurable appetite to eat or reason the unmeasurable appetite of eating;
to drink; or else to do in aught to the un- soberness also, that restraineth the outrage of
measurable appetite and disordered covetous- drink; sparing also, that restraineth the deliness1 to eat or drink. This sin corrupted all cate ease to sit long at meat, wherefore some
this world, as is well shewed in the sin of folk stand of their own will to eat, because
Adam and of Eve. Look also what saith Saint they will eat at less leisure.
Paul of gluttony: " Many," saith he, "go, of [At great length the Parson then points out
which I have oft'said to you, and now I say it the many varieties of the sin of (7.) Lechery, and
weeping, that they be enemies of the cross of its remedy in chastity and continence, alike in
Christ, of which the end is death, and of which marriage and in widowhood; also in the abstaintheir womb is their God and their glory;" in ing from all such indulgences of eating, drinkconfusion of them that so savour2 earthly ing, and sleeping as inflame the passions, and
things. He that is usant3 to this sin of glut- from the company of all who may tempt to the
tony, he may no sin withstand, he must be in sin. Minute guidance is given as to the duty
servage4 of all vices, for it is the devil's hoard,5 of confessing fully and faithfully the circumwhere he hideth him in and resteth. This sin stances that attend and may aggravate this sin;
hath many species. The first is drunkenness, and the Treatise then passes to the considerathat is the horrible sepulture of man's reason: tion of the conditions that are essential to a
and therefore when a man is drunken, he hath true and profitable confession of sin in general.
lost his reason; and this is deadly sin. But First, it must be in sorrowful bitterness of
soothly, when that a man is not wont to spirit; a condition that has five signs-shamestrong drink, and peradventure knoweth not fastness, humility in heart and outward sign,
the strength of the drink, or hath feebleness weeping with the bodily eyes or in the heart,
in his head, or hath travailed,6 through which disregard of the shame that might curtail or
he drinketh the more, all7 be he suddenly garble confession, and obedience to the'penance
caught with drink, it is no deadly sin, but enjoined. Secondly, true confession must be
venial. The second species of gluttony is, that promptly made, for dread of death, of increase'the spirit of a man waxeth all troubled for of sinfulness, of forgetfulness of what should
drunkenness, and bereaveth a man the discre- be confessed, of Christ's refusal to hear if it be
tion of his wit. The third species of gluttony put off to the last day of life; and this condiis, when a man devoureth his meat, and hath tion has four terms; that confession be well
no rightful manner of eating. The fourth is, pondered beforehand, that the man confessing
when, through the great abundance of his have comprehended in his mind the number
meat, the humours of his body be distempered. and greatness of his sins and how long he has
The fifth is, forgetfulness by too much drink- lain in sin, that he be contrite for and eschew
ing, for which a man sometimes forgetteth by his sins, and that he fear and flee the occasions
the morrow what he did at eve. In other for that sin to which he is inclined.-What
manner be distinct the species of gluttony, follows under this head is of some interest for
after Saint Gregory. The first is, for to eat the light which it throws on the rigorous governor drink before time. The second is, when a ment wielded by the Romish Church in those
man getteth him too delicate meat or drink. days:-]
The third is, when men take too much over Also thou shalt shrive thee of all thy sins to
measure.8 The fourth is, curiosity 9 with great one man, and not a parcel 16 to one man, and a
intent 1 to make and apparel 1 his meat. The parcel to another; that is to understand, in infifth is, for to eat too greedily. These be the tent' to departl7 thy confession for shame or
five fingers of the devil's hand, by which he dread; for it is but strangling of thy soul.
draweth folk to the sin. For certes Jesus Christ is entirely all good,
Against gluttony the remedy is abstinence, in him is none imperfection, and therefore
as saith Galen; but that I hold not meritori- either he forgiveth all perfectly, or else never
1 Craving. 2 Take delight in. 9 Nicety. o1 Application, pains.
3 Accustomed, addicted. 4 Bondage. 11 Prepare. 12 Unless.
5 Lair, lurking-place. 6 Laboured. 13 Indecency, impropriety. 14 Sets no value on.
7 Although. 8Immpoderately. 15 Moderation. 16 Portion. 17 Divide.