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[The Tale of the Priest who was enabled to see Folk's sins in their Faces.]
A parysshe prest was yn a tounne,
A man of ful grete dyscrecyounne;—
Dyscrecyun, a ryȝt wyt ys,
On boþe partys ryȝtly to ges;—
Of hys parysshenes he vndyrstode,
whyche were yl, and whych were gode;
Tweyn he haddë for to gete,
Þat neuer wuldë synnë lete.
A man of ful grete dyscrecyounne;—
Dyscrecyun, a ryȝt wyt ys,
On boþe partys ryȝtly to ges;—
Of hys parysshenes he vndyrstode,
whyche were yl, and whych were gode;
Tweyn he haddë for to gete,
Þat neuer wuldë synnë lete.
And fyl hyt at an esterne,
Þat a prest shul none ouþer werne
But ȝyf hyt be þe gretter synne,
As yn cursyng, or yn vnbuxyme.
Þys prest was yn gretë þoȝt
wheþer he shulde housel hem or noȝt;
he preyd God, of heuene kyng,
Þat he wulde sende hym sum tokenyng
wheþer hé shulde hem forbede;
To housel hem, he þoȝt grete drede.
Þat a prest shul none ouþer werne
But ȝyf hyt be þe gretter synne,
As yn cursyng, or yn vnbuxyme.
Þys prest was yn gretë þoȝt
wheþer he shulde housel hem or noȝt;
he preyd God, of heuene kyng,
Þat he wulde sende hym sum tokenyng
wheþer hé shulde hem forbede;
To housel hem, he þoȝt grete drede.
Fro God he had þys answere:
‘Þat echone shuld hys owne charge bere,
And þat he shulde warne hyt none,
But ȝyue hyt furþe to euerychone;’
“Do þou as Ihesu dyd yn dede,
And þou shalt no man hyt forbede,
Ne morë þan he ded Iudas,
Þat haddë do ful grete trespas.”
‘Þat echone shuld hys owne charge bere,
And þat he shulde warne hyt none,
But ȝyue hyt furþe to euerychone;’
“Do þou as Ihesu dyd yn dede,
And þou shalt no man hyt forbede,
Ne morë þan he ded Iudas,
Þat haddë do ful grete trespas.”
he ȝaue hyt to alle with myldë mode
whan brede was turned to flessh & blode.
For some þat hyt takeþ, hyt shal hem saue,
And some þarforë peyne shal haue;
Aftyr þey are of synnë clene,
So shal hyt on hem be sene.”
whan brede was turned to flessh & blode.
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And some þarforë peyne shal haue;
Aftyr þey are of synnë clene,
So shal hyt on hem be sene.”
Ȝyt preyde he God of morë grace,
Þat he myȝt knowë hem by face,
Þe whyche receyued hyt wurþyly,
And whyche to have hyt were wurþy.
And God graunted hym hys wyl,
To knowe þe godë fro þe yl.
Þat he myȝt knowë hem by face,
Þe whyche receyued hyt wurþyly,
And whyche to have hyt were wurþy.
And God graunted hym hys wyl,
To knowe þe godë fro þe yl.
Þe folk þat to þe prestë went
For to receyue þe sacrament,
Of some þe faces were as bryȝt
As þe sunne ys, ón days lyȝt;
And some, here vysages al blake,
Þat no þyng myȝt hem blaker make;
And somë were as rede as blode,
Staryng ryȝt as þey had be wode;
And sum were swolle, þe vyseges stout,
As þoȝ here yȝen shulde burble out;
And sum gnapped here fete & handes,
As doggës doun þat gnawe here bandes;
And sum hadde vysages of meselrye;
And some were lyke foule maumetrye:
Many wundrys were on hem sene,
Mo þan he myȝt se at þat tyme.
For to receyue þe sacrament,
Of some þe faces were as bryȝt
As þe sunne ys, ón days lyȝt;
And some, here vysages al blake,
Þat no þyng myȝt hem blaker make;
And somë were as rede as blode,
Staryng ryȝt as þey had be wode;
And sum were swolle, þe vyseges stout,
As þoȝ here yȝen shulde burble out;
And sum gnapped here fete & handes,
As doggës doun þat gnawe here bandes;
And sum hadde vysages of meselrye;
And some were lyke foule maumetrye:
Many wundrys were on hem sene,
Mo þan he myȝt se at þat tyme.
Þe prest, whan he say alle þys,
Of þat syȝt he gan hym grys;
For þat syȝt was hydous,
And dreful, and perylous.
Of þat syȝt he gan hym grys;
For þat syȝt was hydous,
And dreful, and perylous.
Ȝyt preyd he God, with gode entent,
Þat he myȝt wyte, what al þat ment;
And God almyȝty loued hym weyl,
And wuldë shewe hym euerydeyl;
“Þo men þat are so bryȝt
As þe sun, on day[e]s lyȝt,
Þo men are ȝyt yn charyte,
And clene of synne, & wurschepeþ me;
Þo men þat were so blake,
Þat no þyng myȝt hem blaker make,
Þey are lecchours foule with-ynne,
And haue no wyl to leue here synne;
Þo men þat werë rede as blode,
Þey are Irus, and wykked of mode,
here euene crystyn for to slo
with deþ, or, with pyne do wo;
Þo þat þou sagh with swolle vysage,
Þey are enuyous ouer outrage;
And þo þat gnapped here finger endes,
Are bakbyters betwyxë frendys;
Þo þat þou sagh, meselles be syȝt,
Þey loue more gode þan God almyȝt;
Þo þat þou sagh lyke maumetrye,
On worldly þyng þey most affye;
More loue þey gode þat hé haþ sent
þan þey do hym þat alle haþ lent;
þese maner men are ȝyt yn wyl,
yn here synne to lyuë stylle;
And þarfore shal þe sacrament
On hem aske hardë Iugëment,
Þat þey haue receyue hyt vnwurþyly,
And serued þe fende, hys enemy.
Þat he myȝt wyte, what al þat ment;
And God almyȝty loued hym weyl,
And wuldë shewe hym euerydeyl;
“Þo men þat are so bryȝt
As þe sun, on day[e]s lyȝt,
Þo men are ȝyt yn charyte,
And clene of synne, & wurschepeþ me;
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Þat no þyng myȝt hem blaker make,
Þey are lecchours foule with-ynne,
And haue no wyl to leue here synne;
Þo men þat werë rede as blode,
Þey are Irus, and wykked of mode,
here euene crystyn for to slo
with deþ, or, with pyne do wo;
Þo þat þou sagh with swolle vysage,
Þey are enuyous ouer outrage;
And þo þat gnapped here finger endes,
Are bakbyters betwyxë frendys;
Þo þat þou sagh, meselles be syȝt,
Þey loue more gode þan God almyȝt;
Þo þat þou sagh lyke maumetrye,
On worldly þyng þey most affye;
More loue þey gode þat hé haþ sent
þan þey do hym þat alle haþ lent;
þese maner men are ȝyt yn wyl,
yn here synne to lyuë stylle;
And þarfore shal þe sacrament
On hem aske hardë Iugëment,
Þat þey haue receyue hyt vnwurþyly,
And serued þe fende, hys enemy.
Þys tale y tolde for loue of þo
Þat yn synne to housel go,
Or beþ yn wylle to turne aȝeyn;
For alle here trauayle þey do yn veyn.
Þat yn synne to housel go,
Or beþ yn wylle to turne aȝeyn;
For alle here trauayle þey do yn veyn.
Ȝyf þou, whan þy housel shalt take,
Be yn wylle þy synne to forsake
For euermore yn stedfaste herte,
Þogh þou synne sone aftyr, and smert,
Ȝyt God takeþ hyt nat to so grete grym
As ȝyf þou yn tresoun receyuedest hym.
Be yn wylle þy synne to forsake
For euermore yn stedfaste herte,
Þogh þou synne sone aftyr, and smert,
Ȝyt God takeþ hyt nat to so grete grym
As ȝyf þou yn tresoun receyuedest hym.
yn no þyng wote y more tresun,
Þan brynge þy lorde to hys felun;
And ȝyt men sey here synne ys grefe,
Þat bryngeþ a trew man on a þefe;
And ȝyf þou do þus, þy wytande,
þan chargë men hyt most yn hande;
þarfore loke þat þou wyte noȝt,
No synne hyde yn herte ne þoȝt,
Ne wyl nat wyte for neuer more
whan þou receyuest God ryȝt þore.
Þan brynge þy lorde to hys felun;
And ȝyt men sey here synne ys grefe,
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And ȝyf þou do þus, þy wytande,
þan chargë men hyt most yn hande;
þarfore loke þat þou wyte noȝt,
No synne hyde yn herte ne þoȝt,
Ne wyl nat wyte for neuer more
whan þou receyuest God ryȝt þore.
Also þe clerk þat haunteþ synne,
But he leue, and þer-of blynne,
He shal nat serue at þe auter,
Noþer halewed þyng to comë ner.
But he leue, and þer-of blynne,
He shal nat serue at þe auter,
Noþer halewed þyng to comë ner.
Y touched langer of þys outrage
whan y spake of sacrylage,
Þat þe holy gost shewed hym noȝt
For þe dekene synned yn þoȝt,
Yn þe tale of Ion Crysostomus;
Þys tale ys tolde for ȝow and vs.
whan y spake of sacrylage,
Þat þe holy gost shewed hym noȝt
For þe dekene synned yn þoȝt,
Yn þe tale of Ion Crysostomus;
Þys tale ys tolde for ȝow and vs.
Also he ys wurþy to be shent,
Þat, sone aftyr þe sacrament,
To foly and to synne hym draweþ:
lytyl of Goddes veniaunce hym aweþ.
Þat, sone aftyr þe sacrament,
To foly and to synne hym draweþ:
lytyl of Goddes veniaunce hym aweþ.
Ȝyf þou forgete or ouersyttes
Tyme of housel, þat þou weyl wytes,
lytel fors of hym þou ȝyues,
Þou louest hym nat þat þou by lyues,
And ouer alle þyng he loueþ þe beste,
And þou ne wylt, a nyȝtys geste,
lete hym herber yn hys hous;
Þou art vnkynde ryȝt merueylous,
Þat alle þe ȝere þou latest hym weyue,
And with wurschyþ þou wylt nat hyt receyue.
God manaceþ swyche, for swyche enchesun,
And ryȝt hyt wyl, and gode resun;
For swychë men are holde vntrewe
Yn þe olde lawe, and eke yn þe newe.
Comaundement yn þe olde lawe was,
‘Ones yn þe ȝere to shewe þy trespas;’
þe newe law ys of more onour
‘Ones to receyue þy creatoure,’
Ones yn þe ȝerë, to knowleche,
Þy lorde to pes, for drede of wreche.
Tyme of housel, þat þou weyl wytes,
lytel fors of hym þou ȝyues,
Þou louest hym nat þat þou by lyues,
And ouer alle þyng he loueþ þe beste,
And þou ne wylt, a nyȝtys geste,
lete hym herber yn hys hous;
Þou art vnkynde ryȝt merueylous,
Þat alle þe ȝere þou latest hym weyue,
And with wurschyþ þou wylt nat hyt receyue.
God manaceþ swyche, for swyche enchesun,
And ryȝt hyt wyl, and gode resun;
For swychë men are holde vntrewe
Yn þe olde lawe, and eke yn þe newe.
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‘Ones yn þe ȝere to shewe þy trespas;’
þe newe law ys of more onour
‘Ones to receyue þy creatoure,’
Ones yn þe ȝerë, to knowleche,
Þy lorde to pes, for drede of wreche.
Þat prest, y blame ouer alle þyng,
Þat with-oute skylle lettyþ to synge;
For many a soulë myȝt be saued
with þe messe þat he haþ leued;
For al[lë] þat yn peynë ys,
Abydeþ þe socoure of þe messe;
For euery messe makeþ memórye
Of soules þat are yn purgatórye;
Mochë þanke shal þat prest haue,
Þat helpeþ, hem for to saue;
For no þyng may hem so moche auayle
Of here peyne and here trauayle,
As þe sacrament of þe autere,
Ne makeþ hem of peyne so clere.
Þat with-oute skylle lettyþ to synge;
For many a soulë myȝt be saued
with þe messe þat he haþ leued;
For al[lë] þat yn peynë ys,
Abydeþ þe socoure of þe messe;
For euery messe makeþ memórye
Of soules þat are yn purgatórye;
Mochë þanke shal þat prest haue,
Þat helpeþ, hem for to saue;
For no þyng may hem so moche auayle
Of here peyne and here trauayle,
As þe sacrament of þe autere,
Ne makeþ hem of peyne so clere.
And þat may y shewe apertly
By a tale of seint Gregorye;
Seynt Gregory telleþ for þe same,
By a tale of seint Gregorye;
Seynt Gregory telleþ for þe same,
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