University of Virginia Library

Of the synne of Lechery.

The .vii. synne is Lechery last of all.
Of it somwhat aske I shall
Haste thou synned in Lechery
Tell me sonne hardely.
And as sure as god made Peter & Poule
I haue auctoryte to saue thy soule.
Whether it were with wyfe or maye.
With kynne or alyaunce that thou by laye
And yf she were kynne to the.
Howe nye kynne thou must tell me
Or whether she were ancres or honne
Wedowe or wyfe tell yf thou conne
Or ony that vowed chastyte.
Or comon woman yf she be
Or whether thou dydest by strengthe lo
Or by the assente of her also
Haste thou ony tyme wrought or do
And styred thy flesshe the more therto
As clyppynge or kyssynge these they byth.
That thy body hath be tempted therwith.
Haste thou be tempted with ony woman.
And moche and ofte thought theran
And woldest fayne in thy thought
That synfull dede with her haue wrought
Then thou dydest synne in Lechery
As god hymselfe saythe verely
Without gylte or flesshely dede
Chastyte from the Iustely may slede.
Haste thou wowed ony wyght
And tempted her ouer myght
Haste thou made the gaye therfore
That she sholde the loue the more
Haste thou had lust to here
Songes that of Lechery were.
Haste thou counsayled or done socoure
By ony waye vnto a lechoure
Or haste kepte company by day or nyght,
Of suche persones that were lyght
He that wyll no synne do
Must do nothynge longynge therto.
And yf thou be a woman.
Tell me doughter yf thou can
Of what degre this man was
That synned with the in that case
Kynne or syngle or on spouse
Or what degre of relygyous.
Whether it were for couetys
Of golde or syluer or ought of his.
Then the synne doubled it were
And nedeth penaunce moche the more
Whether bytwene a man & his wyfe ony synne be.
Loke well these verses and thou shalte se
These they ben I rede of no mo
Tempore mente loco condicione modo
Bethynke ye nowe in euery degre.
What more in thought cometh to the.
For that thou doost hyde frome me.
The deuyll truely wyll shewe the
At the Iugement before echon.
Unto thy shame and confusyon.
And that thou shewest in confessyon me before
Of it thou shalte neuer here more
But for thy good wyll and obedyence.
Thou shalte be had in to our sauyours presence.
And there to be in Ioye and blysse
With blessyd company and not to mys
(Et magis gaudium in celo there is
More Ioye of a synner that hathe done amys
And forsaketh synne or synne forsake hym
ye and more made of heuen within
Then of many one that neuer synne knewe.
These be the wordes of our sauyoure full trewe
Thus of the .vii. dredly synnes I make an ende
All thynges amysse god maye amende
I beseche the swete Ihesu so it maye be
Amen amen/of charyte