KnT.4. |
Fragment II (Group B1). |
d120. |
d121. |
Pride. |
Envy. |
Rage. |
Sloth. |
Avarice. |
Gluttony. |
Lechery. |
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I. |
II. |
BOOK III. |
BOOK IV. |
BOOK V. |
1 The Proem. |
2. The Story. |
3. |
II. |
III. |
IV. |
V. |
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III. |
IV. |
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46. |
Fragment A. |
Fragment B. |
Fragment C. |
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THE PARSON'S PROLOGUE
Heere folweth the Prologe of the Persouns Tale.
The sonne fro the south lyne was descended
So lowe that he nas nat, to my sighte,
Degrees nyne and twenty as in highte.
Foure of the clokke it was tho, as I gesse,
For ellevene foot, or litel moore or lesse,
My shadwe was at thilke tyme, as there
Of swiche feet as my lengthe parted were
In sixe feet equal of proporcioun.
Therwith the moones exaltacioun—
I meene Libra—alwey gan ascende
As we were entryng at a thropes ende;
For which oure Hoost, as he was wont to gye,
As in this caas, oure joly compaignye,
Seyde in this wise: "Lordynges everichoon,
Now lakketh us no tales mo than oon.
Fulfilled is my sentence and my decree;
I trowe that we han herd of ech degree;
Almoost fulfild is al myn ordinaunce.
I pray to God, so yeve hym right good chaunce,
That telleth this tale to us lustily.
Or arte a person? Sey sooth, by thy fey!
Be what thou be, ne breke thou nat oure pley;
For every man, save thou, hath toold his tale.
Unbolkele and shewe us what is in thy male;
For trewely, me thynketh by thy cheere
Thou sholdest knytte up wel a greet mateere.
Telle us a fable anon, for cokkes bones!"
"Thou getest fable noon ytoold for me,
For Paul, that writeth unto Thymothee,
Repreveth hem that weyven soothfastnesse
And tellen fables and swich wrecchednesse.
Why sholde I sowen draf out of my fest,
Whan I may sowen whete, if that me lest?
For which I seye, if that yow list to heere
Moralitee and vertuous mateere,
And thanne that ye wol yeve me audience,
I wol ful fayn, at Cristes reverence,
Do yow plesaunce leefful, as I kan.
But trusteth wel, I am a Southren man;
I kan nat geeste "rum, ram, ruf," by lettre,
Ne, God woot, rym holde I but litel bettre;
And therfore, if yow list—I wol nat glose—
I wol yow telle a myrie tale in prose
To knytte up al this feeste and make an ende.
And Jhesu, for his grace, wit me sende
To shewe yow the wey, in this viage,
Of thilke parfit glorious pilgrymage
That highte Jerusalem celestial.
And if ye vouche sauf, anon I shal
Bigynne upon my tale, for which I preye
Telle youre avys; I kan no bettre seye.
I putte it ay under correccioun
Of clerkes, for I am nat textueel;
I take but the sentence, trusteth weel.
Therfore I make protestacioun
That I wol stonde to correccioun."
For, as it seemed, it was for to doone—
To enden in som vertuous sentence,
And for to yeve hym space and audience,
And bade oure Hoost he sholde to hym seye
That alle we to telle his tale hym preye.
"Sire preest," quod he, "now faire yow bifalle!
But hasteth yow; the sonne wole adoun;
Beth fructuous, and that in litel space,
And to do wel God sende yow his grace!
Sey what yow list, and we wol gladly heere."
And with that word he seyde in this manere.
THE PARSON'S TALE
Heere bigynneth the Persouns Tale.
State super vias, et videte, et interrogate de viis antiquis que sit via bona, et ambulate in ea; et invenietis refrigerium animabus vestris, etc.
Oure sweete Lord God of hevene, that no man wole
perisse but wole that we comen alle to the knoweleche of hym and
to the blisful lif that is perdurable,
amonesteth us by the
prophete Jeremie, that seith in thys wyse:
"Stondeth upon
the weyes, and seeth and axeth of olde pathes (that is to seyn,
of olde sentences) which is the goode wey,
and walketh in
that wey, and ye shal fynde refresshynge for youre soules,
etc."
Manye been the weyes espirituels that leden folk
to oure Lord Jhesu Crist and to the regne of glorie.
Of whiche weyes ther is a ful noble wey and a ful
covenable, which may nat fayle to man ne to womman that thurgh
synne hath mysgoon fro the righte wey of Jerusalem celestial;
and this wey is cleped Penitence, of which man sholde gladly
herknen and enquere with al his herte to wyten what is Penitence,
and whennes it is cleped Penitence, and in how manye maneres been
the acciouns or werkynges of Penitence,
and how manye speces
ther been of Penitence, and whiche thynges apertenen and bihoven
to Penitence, and whiche thynges destourben Penitence.
Seint Ambrose seith that Penitence is the pleynynge of man
for the gilt that he hath doon, and namoore to do any thyng for
which hym oghte to pleyne.
And som doctour seith,
"Penitence is the waymentynge of man that sorweth for his
synne and pyneth hymself for he hath mysdoon."
Penitence,
with certeyne circumstances, is verray repentance of a man that
halt hymself in sorwe and oother peyne for his giltes.
And
for he shal be verray penitent, he shal first biwaylen the synnes
that he hath doon, and stidefastly purposen in his herte to have
shrift of mouthe, and to doon satisfaccioun,
and nevere to
doon thyng for which hym oghte moore to biwayle or to compleyne,
and to continue in goode werkes, or elles his repentance may nat
availle.
For, as seith Seint Ysidre, "He is a japere and
a gabbere and no verray repentant that eftsoone dooth thyng for
which hym oghte repente."
Wepynge, and nat for to
stynte to do synne, may nat avayle.
But nathelees, men shal
hope that every tyme that man falleth, be it never so ofte, that
he may arise thurgh Penitence, if he have grace; but certeinly
it is greet doute.
For, as seith Seint Gregorie, "Unnethe
ariseth he out of his synne, that is charged with the charge of
yvel usage."
And therfore repentant folk, that stynte for
to synne and forlete synne er that synne forlete hem, hooly
chirche holdeth hem siker of hire savacioun.
And he that
synneth and verraily repenteth hym in his laste, hooly chirche
yet hopeth his savacioun, by the grete mercy of oure Lord Jhesu
Crist, for his repentaunce; but taak the siker wey.
And now, sith I have declared yow what thyng is Penitence, now shul ye understonde
The firste is that if a man be baptized after that he hath synned.
Seint Augustyn seith, "But he be penytent for his olde synful lyf, he may nat bigynne the newe clene lif."
For, certes, if he be baptized withouten penitence of his olde gilt, he receyveth the mark of baptesme but nat the grace ne the remission of his synnes, til he have repentance verray.
Another defaute is this: that men doon deedly synne after that they han receyved baptesme.
The thridde defaute is that men fallen in venial synnes after hir baptesme fro day to day.
Therof seith Seint Augustyn that penitence of goode and humble folk is the penitence of every day.
The speces of Penitence been three. That oon of hem is
solempne, another is commune, and the thridde is privee.
Thilke penance that is solempne is in two maneres; as to be
put out of hooly chirche in Lente for slaughtre of children, and
swich maner thyng.
Another is, whan a man hath synned openly,
of which synne the fame is openly spoken in the contree, and
thanne hooly chirche by juggement destreyneth hym for to do open
penaunce.
Commune penaunce is that preestes enjoynen
men communly in certeyn caas, as for to goon peraventure naked
in pilgrimages, or barefoot.
Pryvee penaunce is thilke that
men doon alday for privee synnes, of whiche we shryve us prively
and receyve privee penaunce.
Now shaltow understande what is bihovely and necessarie
to verray parfit Penitence. And this stant on three thynges:
Contricioun of Herte, Confessioun of Mouth, and
Satisfaccioun.
For which seith Seint John Crisostom,
"Penitence destreyneth a man to accepte benygnely every peyne
that hym is enjoyned, with contricioun of herte, and shrift of
mouth, with satisfaccioun, and in werkynge of alle manere
humylitee."
And this is fruytful penitence agayn
three thynges in which we wratthe oure Lord Jhesu Crist;
this
is to seyn, by delit in thynkynge, by reccheleesnesse in
spekynge, and by wikked synful werkynge.
And agayns thise
wikkede giltes is Penitence, that may be likned unto a tree.
The roote of this tree is Contricioun, that hideth hym in
the herte of hym that is verray repentaunt, right as the roote
of a tree hydeth hym in the erthe.
Of the roote of
Contricioun spryngeth a stalke that bereth braunches and leves
of Confessioun, and fruyt of Satisfaccioun.
For which
Crist seith in his gospel, "Dooth digne fruyt of
Penitence"; for by this fruyt may men knowe this tree, and
nat by the roote that is hyd in the herte of man, ne by the
braunches, ne by the leves of Confessioun.
And therfore oure
Lord Jhesu Crist seith thus: "By the fruyt of hem shul ye
knowen hem."
Of this roote eek spryngeth a seed of grace,
the which seed is mooder of sikernesse, and this seed is egre and
hoot.
The grace of this seed spryngeth of God thurgh
remembrance of the day of doom and on the peynes of helle.
Of
this matere seith Salomon that in the drede of God man forleteth
his synne.
The heete of this seed is the love of God
and the desiryng of the joye perdurable.
This heete draweth
the herte of a man to God and dooth hym haten his synne.
For
soothly ther is nothyng that savoureth so wel to a child as the
milk of his norice, ne nothyng is to hym moore abhomynable than
thilke milk whan it is medled with oother mete.
Right so the
synful man that loveth his synne, hym semeth that it is to him
moost sweete of any thyng;
but fro that tyme that he loveth
sadly oure Lord Jhesu Crist, and desireth the lif perdurable,
ther nys to him no thyng moore abhomynable.
For
soothly the lawe of God is the love of God; for which David the
prophete seith: "I have loved thy lawe and hated wikkednesse
and hate"; he that loveth God kepeth his lawe and his word.
This tree saugh the prophete Daniel in spirit, upon the
avysioun of the kyng Nabugodonosor, whan he conseiled hym to do
penitence.
Penaunce is the tree of lyf to hem that it
receyven, and he that holdeth hym in verray penitence is blessed,
after the sentence of Salomon.
In this Penitence or Contricioun man shal understonde
foure thynges; that is to seyn, what is Contricioun, and whiche
been the causes that moeven a man to Contricioun, and how he
Thanne is it thus: that Contricioun is the verray sorwe that a man receyveth in his herte for his synnes, with sad purpos to shryve hym, and to do penaunce, and neveremoore to do synne.
And this sorwe shal been in this manere, as seith Seint Bernard: "It shal been hevy and grevous, and ful sharp and poynaunt in herte."
First, for man hath agilt his Lord and his Creatour; and moore sharp and poynaunt for he hath agilt hys Fader celestial;
and yet moore sharp and poynaunt for he hath wrathed and agilt hym that boghte hym, that with his precious blood hath delivered us fro the bondes of synne, and fro the crueltee of the devel, and fro the peynes of helle.
The causes that oghte moeve a man to Contricioun been
sixe. First a man shal remembre hym of his synnes;
but looke
he that thilke remembraunce ne be to hym no delit by no wey, but
greet shame and sorwe for his gilt. For Job seith, "Synful
men doon werkes worthy of confusioun."
And
therfore seith Ezechie, "I wol remembre me alle the yeres of
my lyf in bitternesse of myn herte."
And God seith in the
Apocalipse, "Remembreth yow fro whennes that ye been
falle"; for biforn that tyme that ye synned, ye were the
children of God and lymes of the regne of God;
but for youre
synne ye been woxen thral, and foul, and membres of the feend,
hate of aungels, sclaundre of hooly chirche, and foode of the
false serpent, perpetueel matere of the fir of helle;
and yet
moore foul and abhomynable, for ye trespassen so ofte tyme as
dooth the hound that retourneth to eten his spewyng.
And yet
be ye fouler for youre longe continuyng in synne and youre synful
usage, for which ye be roten in youre synne, as a beest in his
dong.
Swiche manere of thoghtes maken a man to have
shame of his synne, and no delit, as God seith by the prophete
Ezechiel,
"Ye shal remembre yow of youre weyes, and they
shuln displese yow." Soothly synnes been the weyes that leden
folk to helle.
The seconde cause that oghte make a man to have desdeyn
of synne is this: that, as seith Seint Peter, "whoso that
dooth synne is thral of synne"; and synne put a man in greet
thraldom.
And therfore seith the prophete Ezechiel: "I
wente sorweful in desdayn of myself." Certes, wel oghte a man
have desdayn of synne and withdrawe hym from that thraldom and
vileynye.
And lo, what seith Seneca in this matere? He seith
thus: "Though I wiste that neither God ne man ne sholde
nevere knowe it, yet wolde I have desdayn for to do synne."
And the same Seneca also seith, "I am born to
gretter thynges than to be thral to my body, or than for to maken
of my body a thral."
Ne a fouler thral may no man ne
womman maken of his body than for to yeven his body to synne.
Al were it the fouleste cherl or the fouleste womman that
lyveth, and leest of value, yet is he thanne moore foul and moore
in servitute.
Evere fro the hyer degree that man falleth, the
moore is he thral, and moore to God and to the world vile and
abhomynable.
O goode God, wel oghte man have desdayn of
synne, sith that thurgh synne ther he was free now is he maked
bonde.
And therfore seyth Seint Augustyn: "If
thou hast desdayn of thy servant, if he agilte or synne, have
thou thanne desdayn that thou thyself sholdest do synne."
Tak reward of thy value, that thou ne be to foul to thyself.
Allas, wel oghten they thanne have desdayn to been servauntz
and thralles to synne, and soore been ashamed of hemself
that
God of his endelees goodnesse hath set hem in heigh estaat, or
yeven hem wit, strengthe of body, heele, beautee, prosperitee,
and boghte hem fro the deeth with his herte-blood, that they
so unkyndely, agayns his gentilesse, quiten hym so vileynsly to
slaughtre of hir owene soules.
O goode God, ye wommen
that been of so greet beautee, remembreth yow of the proverbe of
Salomon. He seith,
"Likneth a fair womman that is a fool
of hire body lyk to a ryng of gold that were in the groyn of a
soughe."
For right as a soughe wroteth in everich ordure,
so wroteth she hire beautee in the stynkynge ordure of synne.
The thridde cause that oghte moeve a man to Contricioun
is drede of the day of doom and of the horrible peynes of helle.
For as Seint
for whan I ete or drynke, or what so that I do, evere semeth me that the trompe sowneth in myn ere:
"Riseth up, ye that been dede, and cometh to the juggement.""
O goode God, muchel oghte a man to drede swich a juggement, "ther as we shullen been alle," as Seint Poul seith, "biforn the seete of oure Lord Jhesu Crist";
whereas he shal make a general congregacioun, whereas no man may been absent.
For certes there availleth noon essoyne ne excusacioun.
And nat oonly that oure defautes shullen be jugged, but eek that alle oure werkes shullen openly be knowe.
And, as seith Seint Bernard, "Ther ne shal no pledynge availle, ne no sleighte; we shullen yeven rekenynge of everich ydel word."
Ther shul we han a juge that may nat been deceyved ne corrupt. And why? For, certes, alle oure thoghtes been discovered as to hym, ne for preyere ne for meede he shal nat been corrupt.
And therfore seith Salomon, "The wratthe of God ne wol nat spare no wight, for preyere ne for yifte"; and therfore, at the day of doom ther nys noon hope to escape.
Wherfore, as seith Seint Anselm, "Ful greet angwyssh shul the synful folk have at that tyme;"
ther shal the stierne and wrothe juge sitte above, and under hym the horrible pit of helle open to destroyen hym that moot biknowen his synnes, whiche synnes openly been shewed biforn God and biforn every creature;
and in the left syde mo develes than herte may bithynke, for to harye and drawe the synful soules to the peyne of helle;
and withinne the hertes of folk shal be the bitynge conscience, and withouteforth shal be the world al brennynge.
Whider shal thanne the wrecched synful man flee to hiden hym? Certes, he may nat hyden hym; he moste come forth and shewen hym."
For certes, as seith Seint Jerome, "the erthe shal casten hym out of hym, and the see also, and the eyr also, that shal be ful of thonder-clappes and lightnynges."
Now soothly, whoso wel remembreth hym of thise thynges, I gesse that his synne shal nat turne hym into delit, but to greet sorwe for drede of the peyne of helle.
And therfore seith Job to God, "Sufrre, Lord, that I may a while biwaille and wepe, er I go withoute returnyng to the derke lond, covered with the derknesse of deeth,
to the lond of mysese and of derknesse, whereas is the shadwe of deeth, whereas ther is noon ordre or ordinaunce but grisly drede that evere shal laste."
Loo, heere may ye seen that Job preyde respit a while to biwepe and waille his trespas, for soothly oo day of respit is bettre than al the tresor of this world.
And forasmuche as a man may acquiten hymself biforn God by penitence in this world, and nat by tresor, therfore sholde he preye to God to yeve hym respit a while to biwepe and biwaillen his trespas.
For certes, al the sorwe that a man myghte make fro the bigynnyng of the world nys but a litel thyng at regard of the sorwe of helle.
The cause why that Job clepeth helle the "lond of derknesse":
understondeth that he clepeth it "lond" or erthe, for it is stable and nevere shal faille; "derk," for he that is in helle hath defaute of light material.
For certes, the derke light that shal come out of the fyr that evere shal brenne shal turne hym al to peyne that is in helle for it sheweth him to the horrible develes that hym tormenten.
"Covered with the derknesse of deeth"—that is to seyn, that he that is in helle shal have defaute of the sighte of God, for certes the sighte of God is the lyf perdurable.
"The derknesse of deeth" been the synnes that the wrecched man hath doon, whiche that destourben hym to see the face of God, right as dooth a derk clowde bitwixe us and the sonne.
"Lond of misese," by cause that ther been three maneres of defautes, agayn three thynges that folk of this world han in this present lyf, that is to seyn, honours, delices, and richesses.
Agayns honour, have they in helle shame and confusioun.
For wel ye woot that men clepen honour the reverence that man doth to man, but in helle is noon honour ne reverence. For certes, namoore reverence shal be doon there to a kyng than to a knave.
For which God seith by the prophete Jeremye, "Thilke folk that me despisen shul been in despit."
Honour is eek cleped greet lordshipe; ther shal no wight serven other, but of harm and torment. Honour is eek cleped greet dignytee and heighnesse, but in helle shul they been al fortroden of develes.
And
Agayns the richesse of this world shul they han mysese of poverte, and this poverte shal been in foure thynges:
In defaute of tresor, of which that David seith, "The riche folk, that embraceden and oneden al hire herte to tresor of this world, shul slepe in the slepynge of deeth; and nothyng ne shal they fynden in hir handes of al hir tresor."
And mooreover the myseyse of helle shal been in defaute of mete and drinke.
For God seith thus by Moyses: "They shul been wasted with hunger, and the briddes of helle shul devouren hem with bitter deeth, and the galle of the dragon shal been hire drynke, and the venym of the dragon hire morsels."
And forther over, hire myseyse shal been in defaute of clothyng, for they shulle be naked in body as of clothyng, save the fyr in which they brenne, and othere filthes;
and naked shul they been of soule, as of alle manere vertues, which that is the clothyng of the soule. Where been thanne the gaye robes, and the softe shetes, and the smale shertes?
Loo, what seith God of hem by the prophete Ysaye: that "under hem shul been strawed motthes, and hire covertures shulle been of wormes of helle."
And fortherover, hir myseyse shal been in defaute of freendes. For he nys nat povre that hath goode freendes; but there is no frend,
for neither God ne no creature shal been freend to hem, and everich of hem shal haten oother with deedly hate.
"The sones and the doghtren shullen rebellen agayns fader and mooder, and kynrede agayns kynrede, and chiden and despisen everich of hem oother bothe day and nyght," as God seith by the prophete Michias.
And the lovynge children, that whilom loveden so flesshly everich oother, wolden everich of hem eten oother if they myghte.
For how sholden they love hem togidre in the peyne of helle, whan they hated everich of hem oother in the prosperitee of this lyf?
For truste wel, hir flesshly love was deedly hate, as seith the prophete David: "Whoso that loveth wikkednesse, he hateth his soule."
And whoso hateth his owene soule, certes, he may love noon oother wight in no manere.
And therfore, in helle is no solas ne no freendshipe, but evere the moore flesshly kynredes that been in helle, the moore cursynges, the more chidynges, and the moore deedly hate ther is among hem.
And forther over, they shul have defaute of alle manere delices. For certes, delices been after the appetites of the fyve wittes, as sighte, herynge, smellynge, savorynge, and touchynge.
But in helle hir sighte shal be ful of derknesse and of smoke, and therfore ful of teeres; and hir herynge ful of waymentynge and of gryntynge of teeth, as seith Jhesu Crist.
Hir nosethirles shullen be ful of stynkynge stynk; and, as seith Ysaye the prophete, "hir savoryng shal be ful of bitter galle";
and touchynge of al hir body ycovered with "fir that nevere shal quenche and with wormes that nevere shul dyen," as God seith by the mouth of Ysaye.
And for as muche as they shul nat wene that they may dyen for peyne, and by hir deeth flee fro peyne, that may they understonden by the word of Job, that seith, "ther as is the shadwe of deeth."
Certes, a shadwe hath the liknesse of the thyng of which it is shadwe, but shadwe is nat the same thyng of which it is shadwe.
Right so fareth the peyne of helle; it is lyk deeth for the horrible angwissh, and why? For it peyneth hem evere, as though they sholde dye anon; but certes, they shal nat dye.
For, as seith Seint Gregorie, "To wrecche caytyves shal be deeth withoute deeth, and ende withouten ende, and defaute withoute failynge.
For hir deeth shal alwey lyven, and hir ende shal everemo bigynne, and hir defaute shal nat faille."
And therfore seith Seint John the Evaungelist, "They shullen folwe deeth, and they shul nat fynde hym; and they shul desiren to dye, and deeth shal flee fro hem."
And eek Job seith that in helle is noon ordre of rule.
And al be it so that God hath creat alle thynges in right ordre, and no thyng withouten ordre, but alle thynges been ordeyned and nombred; yet, nathelees, they that been dampned been nothyng in ordre, ne holden noon ordre,
for the erthe ne shal bere hem no fruyt.
For, as the prophete David seith, "God shal destroie the fruyt of the erthe as fro hem; ne water ne
For, as seith Seint Basilie, "The brennynge of the fyr of this world shal God yeven in helle to hem that been dampned,
but the light and the cleernesse shal be yeven in hevene to his children," right as the goode man yeveth flessh to his children and bones to his houndes.
And for they shullen have noon hope to escape, seith Seint Job atte laste that "ther shal horrour and grisly drede dwellen withouten ende."
Horrour is alwey drede of harm that is to come, and this drede shal evere dwelle in the hertes of hem that been dampned. And therfore han they lorn al hire hope, for sevene causes.
First, for God, that is hir juge, shal be withouten mercy to hem; and they may nat plese hym ne noon of his halwes; ne they ne may yeve no thyng for hir raunsoun;
ne they have no voys to speke to hym; ne they may nat fle fro peyne; ne they have no goodnesse in hem, that they mowe shewe to delivere hem fro peyne.
And therfore seith Salomon: "The wikked man dyeth, and whan he is deed, he shal have noon hope to escape fro peyne."
Whoso thanne wolde wel understande thise peynes and bithynke hym weel that he hath deserved thilke peynes for his synnes, certes, he sholde have moore talent to siken and to wepe than for to syngen and to pleye.
For, as that seith Salomon, "Whoso that hadde the science to knowe the peynes that been establissed and ordeyned for synne, he wolde make sorwe."
"Thilke science," as seith Seint Augustyn, "maketh a man to waymenten in his herte."
The fourthe point that oghte maken a man to have
contricion is the sorweful remembraunce of the good that he hath
left to doon heere in erthe, and eek the good that he hath lorn.
Soothly, the goode werkes that he hath lost, outher they been
the goode werkes that he wroghte er he fel into deedly synne or
elles the goode werkes that he wroghte while he lay in synne.
Soothly, the goode werkes that he dide biforn that he fil in
synne been al mortefied and astoned and dulled by the ofte
synnyng.
The othere goode werkes, that he wroghte whil he lay
in deedly synne, thei been outrely dede, as to the lyf perdurable
in hevene.
Thanne thilke goode werkes that been
mortefied by ofte synnyng, whiche goode werkes he dide whil he
was in charitee, ne mowe nevere quyken agayn withouten verray
penitence.
And therof seith God by the mouth of Ezechiel,
that "if the rightful man returne agayn from his
rightwisnesse and werke wikkednesse, shal he lyve?"
Nay,
for alle the goode werkes that he hath wroght ne shul nevere been
in remembraunce, for he shal dyen in his synne.
And upon
thilke chapitre seith Seint Gregorie thus: that "we shulle
understonde this principally;
that whan we doon deedly synne,
it is for noght thanne to rehercen or drawen into memorie the
goode werkes that we han wroght biforn."
For
certes, in the werkynge of the deedly synne, ther is no trust to
no good werk that we han doon biforn; that is to seyn, as for to
have therby the lyf perdurable in hevene.
But nathelees, the
goode werkes quyken agayn, and comen agayn, and helpen, and
availlen to have the lyf perdurable in hevene, whan we han
contricioun.
But soothly, the goode werkes that men doon whil
they been in deedly synne, for as muche as they were doon in
deedly synne, they may nevere quyke agayn.
For certes, thyng
that nevere hadde lyf may nevere quykene; and nathelees, al be
it that they ne availle noght to han the lyf perdurable, yet
availlen they to abregge of the peyne of helle, or elles to geten
temporal richesse,
or elles that God wole the rather enlumyne
and lightne the herte of the synful man to have repentaunce;
and eek they availlen for to usen a man to doon goode
werkes, that the feend have the lasse power of his soule.
And
thus the curteis Lord Jhesu Crist ne wole that no good werk be
lost, for in somwhat it shal availle.
But, for as muche as
the goode werkes that men doon whil they been in good lyf been
al mortefied by synne folwynge, and eek sith that alle the goode
werkes that men doon whil they been in deedly synne been outrely
dede as for to have the lyf perdurable,
wel may that man that
no good werk ne dooth synge thilke newe Frenshe song, "
Jay tout perdu mon temps et mon labour."
For certes, synne bireveth a man bothe goodnesse of nature
and eek the goodnesse of grace.
For soothly, the
grace of
Then leseth the synful man the goodnesse of glorie, that oonly is bihight to goode men that labouren and werken.
Wel may he be sory thanne, that oweth al his lif to God as longe as he hath lyved, and eek as longe as he shal lyve, that no goodnesse ne hath to paye with his dette to God to whom he oweth al his lyf.
For trust wel, "He shal yeven acountes," as seith Seint Bernard, "of alle the goodes that han be yeven hym in this present lyf, and how he hath hem despended,
[in] so muche that ther shal nat perisse an heer of his heed, ne a moment of an houre ne shal nat perisse of his tyme, that he ne shal yeve of it a rekenyng."
The fifthe thyng that oghte moeve a man to
contricioun is remembrance of the passioun that oure Lord Jhesu
Crist suffred for oure synnes.
For, as seith Seint Bernard,
"Whil that I lyve I shal have remembrance of the travailles
that oure Lord Crist suffred in prechyng:
his werynesse in
travaillyng, his temptaciouns whan he fasted, his longe wakynges
whan he preyde, hise teeres whan that he weep for pitee of good
peple,
the wo and the shame and the filthe that men seyden
to hym, of the foule spittyng that men spitte in his face, of the
buffettes that men yaven hym, of the foule mowes, and of the
repreves that men to hym seyden,
of the nayles with whiche
he was nayled to the croys, and of al the remenant of his
passioun that he suffred for my synnes, and no thyng for his
gilt."
And ye shul understonde that in mannes
synne is every manere of ordre or ordinaunce turned up-so-doun.
For it is sooth that God, and resoun, and sensualitee, and
the body of man been so ordeyned that everich of thise foure
thynges sholde have lordshipe over that oother,
as thus: God
sholde have lordshipe over resoun, and resoun over sensualitee,
and sensualitee over the body of man.
But soothly, whan man
synneth, al this ordre or ordinaunce is turned up-so-doun.
And therfore thanne, for as muche as the resoun of man ne wol
nat be subget ne obeisant to God, that is his lord by right,
therfore leseth it the lordshipe that it sholde have over
sensualitee, and eek over the body of man.
And why?
For sensualitee rebelleth thanne agayns resoun, and by that way
leseth resoun the lordshipe over sensualitee and over the body.
For right as resoun is rebel to God, right so is bothe
sensualitee rebel to resoun and the body also.
And certes
this disordinaunce and this rebellioun oure Lord Jhesu Crist
aboghte upon his precious body ful deere, and herkneth in which
wise.
For as muche thanne as resoun is rebel to God, therfore
is man worthy to have sorwe and to be deed.
This suffred oure
Lord Jhesu Crist for man, after that he hadde be bitraysed of his
disciple, and distreyned and bounde so that his blood brast out
at every nayl of his handes, as seith Seint Augustyn.
And forther over, for as muchel as resoun of man ne wol
nat daunte sensualitee whan it may, therfore is man worthy to
have shame; and this suffred oure Lord Jhesu Crist for man, whan
they spetten in his visage.
And forther over, for as muchel
thanne as the caytyf body of man is rebel bothe to resoun and to
sensualitee, therfore is it worthy the deeth.
And this
suffred oure Lord Jhesu Crist for man upon the croys, where as
ther was no part of his body free withouten greet peyne and
bitter passioun.
And al this suffred Jhesu Crist, that nevere
forfeted. And therfore resonably may be seyd of Jhesu in this
manere: "To muchel am I peyned for the thynges that I nevere
deserved, and to muche defouled for shendshipe that man is worthy
to have."
And therfore may the synful man wel seye, as
seith Seint Bernard, "Acursed be the bitternesse of my synne,
for which ther moste be suffred so muchel bitternesse."
For certes, after the diverse [disordinaunces] of oure
wikkednesses was the passioun of Jhesu Crist ordeyned in diverse
thynges.
As thus: Certes, synful mannes soule is bitraysed
of the devel by coveitise of temporeel prosperitee, and scorned
by deceite whan he cheseth flesshly delices; and yet is it
tormented by inpacience of adversitee and bispet by servage and
subjeccioun of synne; and atte laste it is slayn fynally.
For
Thanne was he byscorned, that oonly sholde han been honoured in alle thynges and of alle thynges.
Thanne was his visage, that oghte be desired to be seyn of al mankynde, in which visage aungels desiren to looke, vileynsly bispet.
Thanne was he scourged, that no thyng hadde agilt; and finally, thanne was he crucified and slayn.
Thanne was acompliced the word of Ysaye, "He was wounded for oure mysdedes and defouled for oure felonies."
Now sith that Jhesu Crist took upon hymself the peyne of alle oure wikkednesses, muchel oghte synful man wepen and biwayle, that for his synnes Goddes sone of hevene sholde al this peyne endure.
The sixte thyng that oghte moeve a man to contricioun is
the hope of three thynges; that is to seyn, foryifnesse of synne,
and the yifte of grace wel for to do, and the glorie of hevene,
with which God shal gerdone man for his goode dedes.
And for
as muche as Jhesu Crist yeveth us thise yiftes of his largesse
and of his sovereyn bountee, therfore is he cleped
Jhesus Nazarenus rex Judeorum.
Jhesus
is to seyn "saveour" or "salvacioun," on whom men
shul hope to have foryifnesse of synnes, which that is proprely
salvacioun of synnes.
And therfore seyde the aungel to
Joseph, "Thou shalt clepen his name Jhesus, that shal saven
his peple of hir synnes."
And heerof seith Seint Peter:
"Ther is noon oother name under hevene that is yeve to any
man, by which a man may be saved, but oonly Jhesus."
Nazarenus is as muche for to seye as
"florisshynge," in which a man shal hope that he that
yeveth hym remissioun of synnes shal yeve hym eek grace wel for
to do. For in the flour is hope of fruyt in tyme comynge, and in
foryifnesse of synnes hope of grace wel for to do.
"I was
atte dore of thyn herte," seith Jhesus, "and cleped for
to entre. He that openeth to me shal have foryifnesse of synne.
I wol entre into hym by my grace and soupe with
hym," by the goode werkes that he shal doon, whiche werkes
been the foode of God; "and he shal soupe with me" by the
grete joye that I shal yeven hym.
Thus shal man hope, for his
werkes of penaunce that God shal yeven hym his regne, as he
bihooteth hym in the gospel.
Now shal a man understonde in which manere shal been his
contricioun. I seye that it shal been universal and total. This
is to seyn, a man shal be verray repentaunt for alle his synnes
that he hath doon in delit of his thoght, for delit is ful
perilous.
For ther been two manere of consentynges: that oon
of hem is cleped consentynge of affeccioun, whan a man is moeved
to do synne, and deliteth hym longe for to thynke on that synne;
and his reson aperceyveth it wel that it is synne agayns the
lawe of God, and yet his resoun refreyneth nat his foul delit or
talent, though he se wel apertly that it is agayns the reverence
of God. Although his resoun ne consente noght to doon that synne
in dede,
yet seyn somme doctours that swich delit
that dwelleth longe, it is ful perilous, al be it nevere so lite.
And also a man sholde sorwe namely for al that evere he hath
desired agayn the lawe of God with parfit consentynge of his
resoun, for therof is no doute, that it is deedly synne in
consentynge.
For certes, ther is no deedly synne that it nas
first in mannes thought and after that in his delit, and so forth
into consentynge and into dede.
Wherfore I seye that many men
ne repenten hem nevere of swiche thoghtes and delites, ne nevere
shryven hem of it, but oonly of the dede of grete synnes outward.
Wherfore I seye that swiche wikked delites and wikked
thoghtes been subtile bigileres of hem that shullen be dampned.
Mooreover, man oghte to sorwe for his wikkede wordes
as wel as for his wikkede dedes. For certes, the repentaunce of
a synguler synne, and nat repente of alle his othere synnes, or
elles repenten hym of alle his othere synnes and nat of a
synguler synne, may nat availle.
For certes, God almyghty is
al good, and therfore he foryeveth al or elles right noght.
And heerof seith Seint Augustyn,
"I wot certeynly
that God is enemy to everich synnere." And how thanne? He
that observeth o synne, shal he have foryifnesse of the remenaunt
of his othere synnes? Nay.
And forther over, contricioun
Forther over, contricioun moste be continueel, and that man have stedefast purpos to shriven hym, and for to amenden hym of his lyf.
For soothly, whil contricioun lasteth, man may evere have hope of foryifnesse; and of this comth hate of synne, that destroyeth synne, bothe in himself and eek in oother folk at his power.
For which seith David: "Ye that loven God, hateth wikkednesse." For trusteth wel, to love God is for to love that he loveth, and hate that he hateth.
The laste thyng that men shal understonde in contricioun is this: wherof avayleth contricioun. I seye that somtyme contricioun delivereth a man fro synne;
of which that David seith, "I seye," quod David (that is to seyn, I purposed fermely) "to shryve me, and thow, Lord, relessedest my synne."
And right so as contricion availleth noght withouten sad purpos of shrifte, if man have oportunitee, right so litel worth is shrifte or satisfaccioun withouten contricioun.
And mooreover contricion destroyeth the prisoun of helle, and maketh wayk and fieble alle the strengthes of the develes, and restoreth the yiftes of the Hooly Goost and of alle goode vertues;
and it clenseth the soule of synne, and delivereth the soule fro the peyne of helle, and fro the compaignye of the devel, and fro the servage of synne, and restoreth it to alle goodes espirituels, and to the compaignye and communyoun of hooly chirche.
And forther over, it maketh hym that whilom was sone of ire to be sone of grace; and alle thise thynges been preved by hooly writ.
And therfore, he that wolde sette his entente to thise thynges, he were ful wys; for soothly he ne sholde nat thanne in al his lyf have corage to synne, but yeven his body and al his herte to the service of Jhesu Crist, and therof doon hym hommage.
For soothly oure sweete Lord Jhesu Crist hath spared us so debonairly in oure folies that if he ne hadde pitee of mannes soule, a sory song we myghten alle synge.
Et sequitur secunda pars eiusdem
The seconde partie of Penitence is Confessioun, that is
signe of contricioun.
Now shul ye understonde what is
Confessioun, and wheither it oghte nedes be doon or noon, and
whiche thynges been covenable to verray Confessioun.
First shaltow understonde that Confessioun is verray
shewynge of synnes to the preest.
This is to seyn
"verray," for he moste confessen hym of alle the
condiciouns that bilongen to his synne, as ferforth as he kan.
Al moot be seyd, and no thyng excused ne hyd ne
forwrapped, and noght avaunte thee of thy goode werkes.
And
forther over, it is necessarie to understonde whennes that synnes
spryngen, and how they encreessen, and whiche they been.
Of the spryngynge of synnes seith Seint Paul in this wise:
that "Right as by a man synne entred first into this world,
and thurgh that synne deeth, right so thilke deeth entred into
alle men that synneden."
And this man was Adam, by whom
synne entred into this world, whan he brak the comaundementz of
God.
And therfore, he that first was so myghty that he sholde
nat have dyed, bicam swich oon that he moste nedes dye, wheither
he wolde or noon, and al his progenye in this world, that in
thilke man synneden.
Looke that in th'estaat of
innocence, whan Adam and Eve naked weren in Paradys, and nothyng
ne hadden shame of hir nakednesse,
how that the serpent, that
was moost wily of alle othere beestes that God hadde maked, seyde
to the womman, "Why comaunded God to yow ye sholde nat eten
of every tree in Paradys?"
The womman answerde: "Of
the fruyt," quod she, "of the trees in Paradys we feden
us, but soothly, of the fruyt of the tree that is in the myddel
of Paradys, God forbad us for to ete, ne nat touchen it, lest per
aventure we sholde dyen."
The serpent seyde to the
womman, "Nay, nay, ye shul nat dyen of deeth; for sothe, God
woot that what day that ye eten therof, youre eyen shul opene and
ye shul been as goddes, knowynge good and harm."
The
womman thanne
And whan that they knewe that they were naked, they sowed of fige leves a maner of breches to hiden hire membres.
There may ye seen that deedly synne hath, first, suggestion of the feend, as sheweth heere by the naddre; and afterward, the delit of the flessh, as sheweth heere by Eve; and after that, the consentynge of resoun, as sheweth heere by Adam.
For trust wel, though so were that the feend tempted Eve—that is to seyn, the flessh—and the flessh hadde delit in the beautee of the fruyt defended, yet certes, til that resoun—that is to seyn, Adam—consented to the etynge of the fruyt, yet stood he in th'estaat of innocence.
Of thilke Adam tooke we thilke synne original, for of hym flesshly descended be we alle, and engendred of vile and corrupt mateere.
And whan the soule is put in oure body, right anon is contract original synne; and that that was erst but oonly peyne of concupiscence is afterward bothe peyne and synne.
And therfore be we alle born sones of wratthe and of dampnacioun perdurable, if it nere baptesme that we receyven, which bynymeth us the culpe. But for sothe, the peyne dwelleth with us, as to temptacioun, which peyne highte concupiscence.
And this concupiscence, whan it is wrongfully disposed or ordeyned in man, it maketh hym coveite, by coveitise of flessh, flesshly synne, by sighte of his eyen as to erthely thynges, and eek coveitise of hynesse by pride of herte.
Now, as for to speken of the firste coveitise, that is
concupiscence, after the lawe of oure membres that weren
lawefulliche ymaked and by rightful juggement of God,
I seye,
forasmuche as man is nat obeisaunt to God, that is his lord,
therfore is the flessh to hym disobeisaunt thurgh concupiscence,
which yet is cleped norrissynge of synne and occasioun of synne.
Therfore, al the while that a man hath in hym the peyne of
concupiscence, it is impossible but he be tempted somtime and
moeved in his flessh to synne.
And this thyng may nat
faille as longe as he lyveth; it may wel wexe fieble and faille
by vertu of baptesme and by the grace of God thurgh penitence,
but fully ne shal it nevere quenche, that he ne shal som tyme
be moeved in hymself, but if he were al refreyded by siknesse,
or by malefice of sorcerie, or colde drynkes.
For lo, what
seith Seint Paul: "The flessh coveiteth agayn the spirit, and
the spirit agayn the flessh; they been so contrarie and so
stryven that a man may nat alway doon as he wolde."
The
same Seint Paul, after his grete penaunce in water and in
lond—in water by nyght and by day in greet peril and in
greet peyne; in lond, in famyne and thurst, in coold and
cloothlees, and ones stoned almoost to the deeth
—yet
seyde he, "Allas, I caytyf man! who shal delivere me fro the
prisoun of my caytyf body?"
And Seint Jerome,
whan he longe tyme hadde woned in desert, where as he hadde no
compaignye but of wilde beestes, where as he ne hadde no mete but
herbes, and water to his drynke, ne no bed but the naked erthe,
for which his flessh was blak as an Ethiopeen for heete, and ny
destroyed for coold,
yet seyde he that "the brennynge of
lecherie boyled in al his body."
Wherfore I woot wel
sykerly that they been deceyved that seyn that they ne be nat
tempted in hir body.
Witnesse on Seint Jame the Apostel, that
seith that "every wight is tempted in his owene
concupiscence"; that is to seyn, that everich of us hath
matere and occasioun to be tempted of the norissynge of synne
that is in his body.
And therfore seith Seint John the
Evaungelist, "If that we seyn that we be withoute synne, we
deceyve us selve, and trouthe is nat in us."
Now shal ye understonde in what manere that synne
wexeth or encreesseth in man. The firste thyng is thilke
norissynge of synne of which I spak biforn, thilke flesshly
concupiscence.
And after that comth the subjeccioun of the
devel—this is to seyn, the develes bely, with which he
bloweth in man the fir of flesshly concupiscence.
And after
that, a man bithynketh hym wheither he wol doon or no thilke
thing to which he is tempted.
And thanne, if that a man
withstonde and weyve the firste entisynge of his flessh and of
the feend, thanne is it no synne;
And thanne is it good to be war and kepen hym wel, or elles he wol falle anon into consentynge of synne; and thanne wol he do it, if he may have tyme and place.
And of this matere seith Moyses by the devel in this manere: "The feend seith, "I wole chace and pursue the man by wikked suggestioun, and I wole hente hym by moevynge or stirynge of synne. And I wol departe my prise or my praye by deliberacioun, and my lust shal been acompliced in delit. I wol drawe my swerd in consentynge""—
for certes, right as a swerd departeth a thyng in two peces, right so consentynge departeth God fro man—""and thanne wol I sleen hym with myn hand in dede of synne"; thus seith the feend."
For certes, thanne is a man al deed in soule. And thus is synne acompliced by temptacioun, by delit, and by consentynge; and thanne is the synne cleped actueel.
For sothe, synne is in two maneres; outher it is venial
or deedly synne. Soothly, whan man loveth any creature moore than
Jhesu Crist oure Creatour, thanne is it deedly synne. And venial
synne is it, if man love Jhesu Crist lasse than hym oghte.
For sothe, the dede of this venial synne is ful perilous, for
it amenuseth the love that men sholde han to God moore and moore.
And therfore, if a man charge hymself with manye
swiche venial synnes, certes, but if so be that he somtyme
descharge hym of hem by shrifte, they mowe ful lightly amenuse
in hym al the love that he hath to Jhesu Crist;
and in this
wise skippeth venial into deedly synne. For certes, the moore
that a man chargeth his soule with venial synnes, the moore is
he enclyned to fallen into deedly synne.
And therfore lat us
nat be necligent to deschargen us of venial synnes. For the
proverbe seith that "Manye smale maken a greet."
And
herkne this ensample. A greet wawe of the see comth som tyme with
so greet a violence that it drencheth the ship. And the same harm
doon som tyme the smale dropes of water, that entren thurgh a
litel crevace into the thurrok, and in the botme of the ship, if
men be so necligent that they ne descharge hem nat by tyme.
And therfore, although ther be a difference bitwixe thise two
causes of drenchynge, algates the ship is dreynt.
Right so fareth it somtyme of deedly synne, and of
anoyouse veniale synnes, whan they multiplie in a man so greetly
that [the love of] thilke worldly thynges that he loveth, thurgh
whiche he synneth venyally, is as greet in his herte as the love
of God, or moore.
And therfore, the love of every thyng that
is nat biset in God, ne doon principally for Goddes sake,
although that a man love it lasse than God, yet is it venial
synne;
and deedly synne whan the love of any thyng weyeth in
the herte of man as muchel as the love of God, or moore.
"Deedly synne," as seith Seint Augustyn, "is whan
a man turneth his herte fro God, which that is verray sovereyn
bountee, that may nat chaunge, and yeveth his herte to thyng that
may chaunge and flitte."
And certes, that is every thyng
save God of hevene. For sooth is that if a man yeve his love, the
which that he oweth al to God with al his herte, unto a creature,
certes, as muche of his love as he yeveth to thilke creature, so
muche he bireveth fro God;
and therfore dooth he
synne. For he that is dettour to God ne yeldeth nat to God al his
dette; that is to seyn, al the love of his herte.
Now sith man understondeth generally which is venial
synne, thanne is it covenable to tellen specially of synnes
whiche that many a man peraventure ne demeth hem nat synnes, and
ne shryveth him nat of the same thynges, and yet natheless they
been synnes
soothly, as thise clerkes writen; this is to
seyn, that at every tyme that a man eteth or drynketh moore than
suffiseth to the sustenaunce of his body, in certein he dooth
synne.
And eek whan he speketh moore than it nedeth, it is
synne. Eke whan he herkneth nat benignely the compleint of the
povre;
eke whan he is in heele of body and wol nat faste whan
other folk faste, withouten cause resonable; eke whan he slepeth
moore than nedeth, or whan he comth by thilke enchesoun to late
to chirche, or to othere werkes of charite;
eke whan
he useth his wyf withouten sovereyn desir of engendrure to the
honour of God or for the entente to yelde to his wyf the dette
of his body;
eke whan he wol nat visite the sike and the
prisoner, if he may; eke if he love wyf or child, or oother
eke if he amenuse or withdrawe the almesse of the povre; eke if he apparailleth his mete moore deliciously than nede is, or ete it to hastily by likerousnesse;
eke if he tale vanytees at chirche or at Goddes service, or that he be a talker of ydel wordes of folye or of vileynye, for he shal yelden acountes of it at the day of doom;
eke whan he biheteth or assureth to do thynges that he may nat parfourne; eke whan that he by lightnesse or folie mysseyeth or scorneth his neighebor;
eke whan he hath any wikked suspecioun of thyng ther he ne woot of it no soothfastnesse:
thise thynges, and mo withoute nombre, been synnes, as seith Seint Augustyn.
Now shal men understonde that, al be it so that noon
erthely man may eschue alle venial synnes, yet may he refreyne
hym by the brennynge love that he hath to oure Lord Jhesu Crist,
and by preyeres and confessioun and othere goode werkes, so that
it shal but litel greve.
For, as seith Seint Augustyn,
"If a man love God in swich manere that al that evere he
dooth is in the love of God and for the love of God verraily, for
he brenneth in the love of God,
looke how muche that a drope
of water that falleth in a fourneys ful of fyr anoyeth or
greveth, so muche anoyeth a venial synne unto a man that is
parfit in the love of Jhesu Crist."
Men may also
refreyne venial synne by receyvynge worthily of the precious body
of Jhesu Crist;
by receyvynge eek of hooly water, by
almesdede, by general confessioun of Confiteor
at masse and at complyn, and by blessynge of bisshopes and of preestes,
and by oothere goode werkes.
Sequitur de septem peccatis mortalibus et eorum dependenciis, circumstanciis, et speciebus.
Now is it bihovely thyng to telle whiche been the sevene
deedly synnes, this is to seyn, chieftaynes of synnes. Alle they
renne in o lees, but in diverse manneres. Now been they cleped
chieftaynes, for as muche as they been chief and spryng of alle
othere synnes.
Of the roote of thise sevene synnes, thanne,
is Pride the general roote of alle harmes. For of this roote
spryngen certein braunches, as Ire, Envye, Accidie or Slewthe,
Avarice or Coveitise (to commune understondynge), Glotonye, and
Lecherye.
And everich of thise chief synnes hath his
braunches and his twigges, as shal be declared in hire chapitres
folwynge.
De Superbia.
And thogh so be that no man kan outrely telle the
nombre of the twigges and of the harmes that cometh of Pride, yet
wol I shewe a partie of hem, as ye shul understonde.
Ther is
inobedience, avauntynge, ypocrisie, despit, arrogance, inpudence,
swellynge of herte, insolence, elacioun, inpacience, strif,
contumacie, presumpcioun, irreverence, pertinacie, veyneglorie,
and many another twig that I kan nat declare.
Inobedient is
he that disobeyeth for despit to the comandementz of God, and to
his sovereyns, and to his goostly fader.
Avauntour is he that
bosteth of the harm or of the bountee that he hath doon.
Ypocrite is he that hideth to shewe hym swich as he is and
sheweth hym swich as he noght is.
Despitous is he
that hath desdeyn of his neighebor—that is to seyn, of his
evene-Cristene—or hath despit to doon that hym oghte to do.
Arrogant is he that thynketh that he hath thilke bountees in
hym that he hath noght, or weneth that he sholde have hem by his
desertes, or elles he demeth that he be that he nys nat.
Inpudent is he that for his pride hath no shame of his
Swellynge of herte is whan a man rejoyseth hym of harm that he hath doon.
Insolent is he that despiseth in his juggement alle othere folk, as to regard of his value, and of his konnyng, and of his spekyng, and of his beryng.
Elacioun is whan he ne may neither suffre to have maister ne felawe.
Inpacient is he that wol nat been ytaught ne undernome of his vice, and by strif werreieth trouthe wityngly, and deffendeth his folye.
Contumax is he that thurgh his indignacioun is agayns everich auctoritee or power of hem that been his sovereyns.
Presumpcioun is whan a man undertaketh an emprise that hym oghte nat do, or elles that he may nat do; and this is called surquidrie. Irreverence is whan men do nat honour there as hem oghte to doon, and waiten to be reverenced.
Pertinacie is whan man deffendeth his folie and trusteth to muchel to his owene wit.
Veyneglorie is for to have pompe and delit in his temporeel hynesse, and glorifie hym in this worldly estaat.
Janglynge is whan a man speketh to muche biforn folk, and clappeth as a mille, and taketh no keep what he seith.
And yet is ther a privee spece of Pride that waiteth first
to be salewed er he wole salewe, al be he lasse worth than that
oother is, peraventure; and eek he waiteth or desireth to sitte,
or elles to goon above hym in the wey, or kisse pax, or been
encensed, or goon to offryng biforn his neighebor,
and swiche
semblable thynges, agayns his duetee, peraventure, but that he
hath his herte and his entente in swich a proud desir to be
magnified and honoured biforn the peple.
Now been ther two maneres of Pride: that oon of hem is
withinne the herte of man, and that oother is withoute.
Of whiche, soothly, thise forseyde thynges, and mo than
I have seyd, apertenen to Pride that is in the herte of man; and
that othere speces of Pride been withoute.
But natheles that
oon of thise speces of Pride is signe of that oother, right as
the gaye leefsel atte taverne is signe of the wyn that is in the
celer.
And this is in manye thynges: as in speche and
contenaunce, and in outrageous array of clothyng.
For certes,
if ther ne hadde be no synne in clothyng, Crist wolde nat so
soone have noted and spoken of the clothyng of thilke riche man
in the gospel.
And, as seith Seint Gregorie, that
"precious clothyng is cowpable for the derthe of it, and for
his softenesse, and for his strangenesse and degisynesse, and for
the superfluitee, or for the inordinat scantnesse of it."
Allas, may man nat seen, as in oure dayes, the synful
costlewe array of clothynge, and namely in to muche superfluite,
or elles in to desordinat scantnesse?
As to the first synne, that is in superfluitee of
clothynge, which that maketh it so deere, to harm of the peple;
nat oonly the cost of embrowdynge, the degise endentynge or
barrynge, owndynge, palynge, wyndynge or bendynge, and semblable
wast of clooth in vanitee,
but ther is also costlewe furrynge
in hir gownes, so muche pownsonynge of chisels to maken holes,
so muche daggynge of sheres;
forthwith the superfluitee in
lengthe of the forseide gownes, trailynge in the dong and in the
mire, on horse and eek on foote, as wel of man as of womman, that
al thilke trailyng is verraily as in effect wasted, consumed,
thredbare, and roten with donge, rather than it is yeven to the
povre, to greet damage of the forseyde povre folk.
And that in sondry wise; this is to seyn that the moore
that clooth is wasted, the moore moot it coste to the peple for
the scarsnesse.
And forther over, if so be that they wolde
yeven swich pownsoned and dagged clothyng to the povre folk, it
is nat convenient to were for hire estaat, ne suffisant to beete
hire necessitee, to kepe hem fro the distemperance of the
firmament.
Upon that oother side, to speken of the horrible
disordinat scantnesse of clothyng, as been thise kutted sloppes,
or haynselyns, that thurgh hire shortnesse ne covere nat the
shameful
Allas, somme of hem shewen the boce of hir shap, and the horrible swollen membres, that semeth lik the maladie of hirnia, in the wrappynge of hir hoses;
and eek the buttokes of hem faren as it were the hyndre part of a she-ape in the fulle of the moone.
And mooreover, the wrecched swollen membres that they shewe thurgh disgisynge, in departynge of hire hoses in whit and reed, semeth that half hir shameful privee membres weren flayne.
And if so be that they departen hire hoses in othere colours, as is whit and blak, or whit and blew, or blak and reed, and so forth,
thanne semeth it, as by variaunce of colour, that half the partie of hire privee membres were corrupt by the fir of Seint Antony, or by cancre, or by oother swich meschaunce.
Of the hyndre part of hir buttokes, it is ful horrible for to see. For certes, in that partie of hir body ther as they purgen hir stynkynge ordure,
that foule partie shewe they to the peple prowdly in despit of honestitee, which honestitee that Jhesu Crist and his freendes observede to shewen in hir lyve.
Now, as of the outrageous array of wommen, God woot that though the visages of somme of hem seme ful chaast and debonaire, yet notifie they in hire array of atyr likerousnesse and pride.
I sey nat that honestitee in clothynge of man or womman is uncovenable, but certes the superfluitee or disordinat scantitee of clothynge is reprevable.
Also the synne of aornement or of apparaille is in thynges that apertenen to ridynge, as in to manye delicat horses that been hoolden for delit, that been so faire, fatte, and costlewe;
and also in many a vicious knave that is sustened by cause of hem; and in to curious harneys, as in sadeles, in crouperes, peytrels, and bridles covered with precious clothyng, and riche barres and plates of gold and of silver.
For which God seith by Zakarie the prophete, "I wol confounde the rideres of swiche horses."
This folk taken litel reward of the ridynge of Goddes sone of hevene, and of his harneys whan he rood upon the asse, and ne hadde noon oother harneys but the povre clothes of his disciples; ne we ne rede nat that evere he rood on oother beest.
I speke this for the synne of superfluitee, and nat for resonable honestitee, whan reson it requireth.
And forther over, certes, pride is greetly notified in holdynge of greet meynee, whan they be of litel profit or of right no profit,
and namely whan that meynee is felonous and damageous to the peple by hardynesse of heigh lordshipe or by wey of offices.
For certes, swiche lordes sellen thanne hir lordshipe to the devel of helle, whanne they sustenen the wikkednesse of hir meynee.
Or elles, whan this folk of lowe degree, as thilke that holden hostelries, sustenen the thefte of hire hostilers, and that is in many manere of deceites.
Thilke manere of folk been the flyes that folwen the hony, or elles the houndes that folwen the careyne. Swich forseyde folk stranglen spiritually hir lordshipes;
for which thus seith David the prophete: "Wikked deeth moote come upon thilke lordshipes, and God yeve that they moote descenden into helle al doun, for in hire houses been iniquitees and shrewednesses and nat God of hevene."
And certes, but if they doon amendement, right as God yaf his benysoun to [Laban] by the service of Jacob, and to [Pharao] by the service of Joseph, right so God wol yeve his malisoun to swiche lordshipes as sustenen the wikkednesse of hir servauntz, but they come to amendement.
Pride of the table appeereth eek ful ofte; for certes, riche men been cleped to festes, and povre folk been put awey and rebuked.
Also in excesse of diverse metes and drynkes, and namely swich manere bake-metes and dissh-metes, brennynge of wilde fir and peynted and castelled with papir, and semblable wast, so that it is abusioun for to thynke.
And eek in to greet preciousnesse of vessel and curiositee of mynstralcie, by whiche a man is stired the moore to delices of luxurie,
if so be that he sette his herte
The especes that sourden of Pride, soothly whan they sourden of malice ymagined, avised, and forncast, or elles of usage, been deedly synnes, it is no doute.
And whan they sourden by freletee unavysed, and sodeynly withdrawen ayeyn, al been they grevouse synnes, I gesse that they ne been nat deedly.
Now myghte men axe wherof that Pride sourdeth and
spryngeth, and I seye, somtyme it spryngeth of the goodes of
nature, and somtyme of the goodes of fortune, and somtyme of the
goodes of grace.
Certes, the goodes of nature stonden outher
in goodes of body or in goodes of soule.
Certes, goodes of
body been heele of body, strengthe, delivernesse, beautee,
gentrice, franchise.
Goodes of nature of the soule been good
wit, sharp understondynge, subtil engyn, vertu natureel, good
memorie.
Goodes of fortune been richesse, hyghe degrees of
lordshipes, preisynges of the peple.
Goodes of grace
been science, power to suffre spiritueel travaille, benignitee,
vertuous contemplacioun, withstondynge of temptacioun, and
semblable thynges.
Of whiche forseyde goodes, certes it is
a ful greet folye a man to priden hym in any of hem alle.
Now
as for to speken of goodes of nature, God woot that somtyme we
han hem in nature as muche to oure damage as to oure profit.
As for to speken of heele of body, certes it passeth ful
lightly, and eek it is ful ofte enchesoun of the siknesse of oure
soule. For, God woot, the flessh is a ful greet enemy to the
soule, and therfore, the moore that the body is hool, the moore
be we in peril to falle.
Eke for to pride hym in his
strengthe of body, it is an heigh folye. For certes, the flessh
coveiteth agayn the spirit, and ay the moore strong that the
flessh is, the sorier may the soule be.
And over al
this, strengthe of body and worldly hardynesse causeth ful ofte
many a man to peril and meschaunce.
Eek for to pride hym of
his gentrie is ful greet folie; for ofte tyme the gentrie of the
body binymeth the gentrie of the soule; and eek we ben alle of
o fader and of o mooder; and alle we been of o nature, roten and
corrupt, bothe riche and povre.
For sothe, o manere gentrie
is for to preise, that apparailleth mannes corage with vertues
and moralitees, and maketh hym Cristes child.
For truste wel
that over what man that synne hath maistrie, he is a verray cherl
to synne.
Now been ther generale signes of gentillesse, as
eschewynge of vice and ribaudye and servage of synne, in word,
in werk, and contenaunce,
and usynge vertu,
curteisye, and clennesse, and to be liberal—that is to seyn,
large by mesure, for thilke that passeth mesure is folie and
synne.
Another is to remembre hym of bountee that he of
oother folk hath receyved.
Another is to be benigne to his
goode subgetis; wherfore seith Senek, "Ther is no thing moore
covenable to a man of heigh estaat than debonairetee and pitee.
And therfore thise flyes that men clepen bees, whan they
maken hir kyng, they chesen oon that hath no prikke wherwith he
may stynge."
Another is, a man to have a noble herte and
a diligent to attayne to heighe vertuouse thynges.
Now certes, a man to pride hym in the goodes of grace is
eek an outrageous folie, for thilke yifte of grace that sholde
have turned hym to goodnesse and to medicine, turneth hym to
venym and to confusioun, as seith Seint Gregorie.
Certes
also, whoso prideth hym in the goodes of fortune, he is a ful
greet fool; for somtyme is a man a greet lord by the morwe, that
is a caytyf and a wrecche er it be nyght;
and somtyme the
richesse of a man is cause of his deth; somtyme the delices of
a man ben cause of the grevous maladye thurgh which he dyeth.
Certes, the commendacioun of the peple is somtyme ful fals
and ful brotel for to triste; this day they preyse, tomorwe they
blame.
God woot, desir to have commendacioun eek of the peple
hath caused deeth to many a bisy man.
Remedium contra peccatum Superbie.
Now sith that so is that ye han understonde what
is Pride, and whiche been the speces of it, and whennes Pride
sourdeth and spryngeth,
now shul ye understonde which is
That is a vertu thurgh which a man hath verray knoweleche of hymself, and holdeth of hymself no pris ne deyntee, as in regard of his desertes, considerynge evere his freletee.
Now been ther three maneres of humylitee: as humylitee in herte; another humylitee is in his mouth; the thridde in his werkes.
The humilitee in herte is in foure maneres. That oon is whan a man holdeth hymself as noght worth biforn God of hevene. Another is whan he ne despiseth noon oother man.
The thridde is whan he rekketh nat, though men holde hym noght worth. The ferthe is whan he nys nat sory of his humiliacioun.
Also the humilitee of mouth is in foure thynges: in attempree speche, and in humblesse of speche, and whan he biknoweth with his owene mouth that he is swich as hym thynketh that he is in his herte. Another is whan he preiseth the bountee of another man, and nothyng therof amenuseth.
Humilitee eek in werkes is in foure maneres. The firste is whan he putteth othere men biforn hym. The seconde is to chese the loweste place over al. The thridde is gladly to assente to good conseil.
The ferthe is to stonde gladly to the award of his sovereyns, or of hym that is in hyer degree. Certein, this is a greet werk of humylitee.
Sequitur de Invidia.
After Pride wol I speken of the foule synne of Envye,
which that is, as by the word of the Philosophre, "sorwe of
oother mannes prosperitee"; and after the word of Seint
Augustyn, it is "Sorwe of oother mennes wele, and joye of
othere mennes harm."
This foule synne is platly
agayns the Hooly Goost. Al be it so that every synne is agayns
the Hooly Goost, yet nathelees, for as muche as bountee
aperteneth proprely to the Hooly Goost, and Envye comth proprely
of malice, therfore it is proprely agayn the
bountee of the Hooly Goost.
Now hath malice two speces; that
is to seyn, hardnesse of herte in wikkednesse, or elles the
flessh of man is so blynd that he considereth nat that he is in
synne or rekketh nat that he is in synne, which is the hardnesse
of the devel.
That oother spece of malice is whan a man
werreyeth trouthe, whan he woot that it is trouthe; and eek whan
he werreyeth the grace that God hath yeve to his neighebor; and
al this is by Envye.
Certes, thanne is Envye the worste synne
that is. For soothly, alle othere synnes been somtyme oonly
agayns o special vertu,
but certes Envye is agayns alle
vertues and agayns alle goodnesses. For it is sory of alle the
bountees of his neighebor, and in this manere it is divers from
alle othere synnes.
For wel unnethe is ther any synne
that it ne hath som delit in itself, save oonly Envye, that evere
hath in itself angwissh and sorwe.
The speces of Envye been
thise. Ther is first, sorwe of oother mannes goodnesse and of his
prosperitee; and prosperitee is kyndely matere of joye; thanne
is Envye a synne agayns kynde.
The seconde spece of Envye is
joye of oother mannes harm, and that is proprely lyk to the
devel, that evere rejoyseth hym of mannes harm.
Of thise two
speces comth bakbityng; and this synne of bakbityng or detraccion
hath certeine speces, as thus: Som man preiseth his neighebor by
a wikked entente,
for he maketh alwey a wikked knotte atte
laste ende. Alwey he maketh a "but" atte laste ende, that
is digne of moore blame than worth is al the preisynge.
The seconde spece is that if a man be good and dooth or
seith a thing to good entente, the bakbitere wol turne al thilke
goodnesse up-so-doun to his shrewed entente.
The thridde is
to amenuse the bountee of his neighebor.
The fourthe spece
of bakbityng is this: that if men speke goodnesse of a man,
thanne wol the bakbitere seyn, "Parfey, swich a man is yet
bet than he," in dispreisynge of hym that men preise.
The
fifte spece is this: for to consente gladly and herkne gladly to
the harm that men speke of oother folk. This synne is ful greet
and ay encreesseth after the wikked entente of the bakbitere.
After bakbityng cometh gruchchyng or murmuracioun; and
somtyme it spryngeth of inpacience agayns God, and somtyme agayns
man.
Agayn God it is whan a man gruccheth agayn the
peyne of helle, or agayns poverte, or los of catel, or agayn reyn
or tempest; or elles gruccheth that shrewes han prosperitee, or
elles for that goode men han adversitee.
And alle thise
thynges sholde man suffre paciently, for they comen by the
rightful juggement and
Somtyme comth grucching of avarice; as Judas grucched agayns the Magdaleyne whan she enoynted the heved of oure Lord Jhesu Crist with hir precious oynement.
This manere murmure is swich as whan man gruccheth of goodnesse that hymself dooth, or that oother folk doon of hir owene catel.
Somtyme comth murmure of Pride, as whan Simon the Pharisee gruchched agayn the Magdaleyne whan she approched to Jhesu Crist and weep at his feet for hire synnes.
And somtyme grucchyng sourdeth of Envye, whan men discovereth a mannes harm that was pryvee or bereth hym on hond thyng that is fals.
Murmure eek is ofte amonges servauntz that grucchen whan hir sovereyns bidden hem doon leveful thynges;
and forasmuche as they dar nat openly withseye the comaundementz of hir sovereyns, yet wol they seyn harm, and grucche, and murmure prively for verray despit;
whiche wordes men clepen the develes Pater noster, though so be that the devel ne hadde nevere Pater noster, but that lewed folk yeven it swich a name.
Somtyme it comth of Ire or prive hate that norisseth rancour in herte, as afterward I shal declare.
Thanne cometh eek bitternesse of herte, thurgh which bitternesse every good dede of his neighebor semeth to hym bitter and unsavory.
Thanne cometh discord that unbyndeth alle manere of freendshipe. Thanne comth scornynge of his neighebor, al do he never so weel.
Thanne comth accusynge, as whan man seketh occasioun to anoyen his neighebor, which that is lyk the craft of the devel, that waiteth bothe nyght and day to accusen us alle.
Thanne comth malignitee, thurgh which a man anoyeth his neighebor prively, if he may;
and if he noght may, algate his wikked wil ne shal nat wante, as for to brennen his hous pryvely, or empoysone or sleen his beestes, and semblable thynges.
Remedium contra peccatum Invidie.
Now wol I speke of remedie agayns this foule synne
of Envye. First is the love of God principal and lovyng of his
neighebor as hymself, for soothly that oon ne may nat been
withoute that oother.
And truste wel that in the name of thy
neighebor thou shalt understonde the name of thy brother; for
certes alle we have o fader flesshly and o mooder—that is
to seyn, Adam and Eve—and eek o fader espiritueel, and that
is God of hevene.
Thy neighebor artow holden for to love and
wilne hym alle goodnesse; and therfore seith God, "Love thy
neighebor as thyselve"—that is to seyn, to salvacioun
bothe of lyf and of soule.
And mooreover thou shalt love hym
in word, and in benigne amonestynge and chastisynge, and
conforten hym in his anoyes, and preye for hym with al thyn
herte.
And in dede thou shalt love hym in swich wise that
thou shalt doon to hym in charitee as thou woldest that it were
doon to thyn owene persone.
And therfore thou ne
shalt doon hym no damage in wikked word, ne harm in his body, ne
in his catel, ne in his soule, by entissyng of wikked ensample.
Thou shalt nat desiren his wyf ne none of his thynges.
Understoond eek that in the name of neighebor is comprehended his
enemy.
Certes, man shal loven his enemy, by the comandement
of God; and soothly thy freend shaltow love in God.
I seye,
thyn enemy shaltow love for Goddes sake, by his commandement. For
if it were reson that man sholde haten his enemy, for sothe God
nolde nat receyven us to his love that been his enemys.
Agayns three manere of wronges that his enemy dooth to hym,
he shal doo three thynges, as thus:
Agayns hate and
rancour of herte, he shal love hym in herte. Agayns chidyng and
wikkede wordes, he shal preye for his enemy. Agayns the wikked
dede of his enemy, he shal doon hym bountee.
For Crist seith,
"Loveth youre enemys, and preyeth for hem that speke yow
harm, and eek for hem that yow chacen and pursewen, and dooth
bountee to hem that yow haten." Loo, thus comaundeth us oure
Lord Jhesu Crist to do to oure enemys.
For soothly, nature
dryveth us to loven oure freendes, and parfey, oure enemys han
moore nede to love than oure freendes; and they that moore nede
have, certes to hem shal men doon goodnesse;" and certes, in
thilke dede have we remembraunce of the love of Jhesu Crist that
deyde for his enemys.
And in as muche as thilke love is the
moore grevous to parfourne, so muche is the moore gret the
merite; and therfore
For right as the devel is disconfited by humylitee, right so is he wounded to the deeth by love of oure enemy.
Certes, thanne is love the medicine that casteth out the venym of Envye fro mannes herte.
The speces of this paas shullen be moore largely declared in hir chapitres folwynge.
Sequitur de Ira.
After Envye wol I discryven the synne of Ire. For soothly,
whoso hath envye upon his neighebor, anon he wole comunly fynde
hym a matere of wratthe, in word or in dede, agayns hym to whom
he hath envye.
And as wel comth Ire of Pride as of Envye, for
soothly he that is proud or envyous is lightly wrooth.
This synne of Ire, after the discryvyng of Seint
Augustyn, is wikked wil to been avenged by word or by dede.
Ire, after the Philosophre, is the fervent blood of man
yquyked in his herte, thurgh which he wole harm to hym that he
hateth.
For certes, the herte of man, by eschawfynge and
moevynge of his blood, wexeth so trouble that he is out of alle
juggement of resoun.
But ye shal understonde that Ire is in
two maneres; that oon of hem is good, and that oother is wikked.
The goode Ire is by jalousie of goodnesse, thurgh which a man
is wrooth with wikkednesse and agayns wikkednesse; and therfore
seith a wys man that Ire is bet than pley.
This Ire
is with debonairetee, and it is wrooth withouten bitternesse; nat
wrooth agayns the man, but wrooth with the mysdede of the man,
as seith the prophete David, "Irascimini et
nolite peccare."
Now understondeth that wikked Ire
is in two maneres; that is to seyn, sodeyn Ire or hastif Ire,
withouten avisement and consentynge of resoun.
The menyng and
the sens of this is that the resoun of a man ne consente nat to
thilke sodeyn Ire, and thanne is it venial.
Another Ire is
ful wikked, that comth of felonie of herte avysed and cast
biforn, with wikked wil to do vengeance, and therto his resoun
consenteth; and soothly this is deedly synne.
This Ire is so
displesant to God that it troubleth his hous and chaceth the
Hooly Goost out of mannes soule, and wasteth and destroyeth the
liknesse of God—that is to seyn, the vertu that is in mannes
soule—
and put in hym the liknesse of the devel,
and bynymeth the man fro God, that is his rightful lord.
This
Ire is a ful greet plesaunce to the devel, for it is the develes
fourneys, that is eschawfed with the fir of helle.
For
certes, right so as fir is moore mighty to destroyen erthely
thynges than any oother element, right so Ire is myghty to
destroyen alle spiritueel thynges.
Looke how that fir of
smale gleedes that been almost dede under asshen wollen quike
agayn whan they been touched with brymstoon; right so Ire wol
everemo quyken agayn whan it is touched by the pride that is
covered in mannes herte.
For certes, fir ne may nat comen out
of no thyng, but if it were first in the same thyng natureelly,
as fir is drawen out of flyntes with steel.
And right
so as pride is ofte tyme matere of Ire, right so is rancour
norice and kepere of Ire.
Ther is a maner tree, as seith
Seint Ysidre, that whan men maken fir of thilke tree and covere
the coles of it with asshen, soothly the fir of it wol lasten al
a yeer or moore.
And right so fareth it of rancour; whan it
is ones conceyved in the hertes of som men, certein, it wol
lasten peraventure from oon Estre day unto another Estre day, and
moore.
But certes, thilke man is ful fer fro the mercy of God
al thilke while.
In this forseyde develes fourneys ther
forgen three shrewes: Pride, that ay bloweth and encreesseth the
fir by chidynge and wikked wordes;
thanne stant Envye
and holdeth the hoote iren upon the herte of man with a peire of
longe toonges of long rancour;
and thanne stant the synne of
Contumelie, or strif and cheeste, and batereth and forgeth by
vileyns reprevynges.
Certes, this cursed synne anoyeth bothe
to the man hymself and eek to his neighebor. For soothly, almoost
al the harm that any man dooth to his neighebor comth of wratthe.
For certes, outrageous wratthe dooth al that evere the devel
hym comaundeth, for he ne spareth neither Crist ne
And in his outrageous anger and ire—allas, allas!—ful many oon at that tyme feeleth in his herte ful wikkedly, bothe of Crist and eek of alle his halwes.
Is nat this a cursed vice? Yis, certes. Allas! It bynymeth from man his wit and his resoun, and al his debonaire lif espiritueel that sholde kepen his soule.
Certes, it bynymeth eek Goddes due lordshipe, and that is mannes soule and the love of his neighebores. It stryveth eek alday agayn trouthe. It reveth hym the quiete of his herte and subverteth his soule.
Of Ire comen thise stynkynge engendrures: First, hate, that is oold wratthe; discord, thurgh which a man forsaketh his olde freend that he hath loved ful longe;
and thanne cometh werre and every manere of wrong that man dooth to his neighebor, in body or in catel.
Of this cursed synne of Ire cometh eek manslaughtre. And understonde wel that homycide, that is manslaughtre, is in diverse wise. Som manere of homycide is spiritueel, and som is bodily.
Spiritueel manslaughtre is in sixe thynges. First by hate, as seith Seint John: "He that hateth his brother is an homycide."
Homycide is eek by bakbitynge, of whiche bakbiteres seith Salomon that "they han two swerdes with whiche they sleen hire neighebores." For soothly, as wikke is to bynyme his good name as his lyf.
Homycide is eek in yevynge of wikked conseil by fraude, as for to yeven conseil to areysen wrongful custumes and taillages.
Of whiche seith Salomon, "Leon rorynge and bere hongry been like to the cruel lordshipes" in withholdynge or abreggynge of the shepe (or the hyre), or of the wages of servauntz, or elles in usure, or in withdrawynge of the almesse of povre folk.
For which the wise man seith, "Fedeth hym that almoost dyeth for honger"; for soothly, but if thow feede hym, thou sleest hym; and alle thise been deedly synnes.
Bodily manslaughtre is, whan thow sleest him with thy tonge in oother manere, as whan thou comandest to sleen a man or elles yevest hym conseil to sleen a man.
Manslaughtre in dede is in foure maneres. That oon is by lawe, right as a justice dampneth hym that is coupable to the deeth. But lat the justice be war that he do it rightfully, and that he do it nat for delit to spille blood but for kepynge of rightwisnesse. Another homycide is that is doon for necessitee, as whan o man sleeth another in his defendaunt and that he ne may noon ootherwise escape from his owene deeth.
But certeinly if he may escape withouten slaughtre of his adversarie, and sleeth hym, he dooth synne and he shal bere penance as for deedly synne.
Eek if a man, by caas or aventure, shete an arwe, or caste a stoon with which he sleeth a man, he is homycide.
Eek if a womman by necligence overlyeth hire child in hir slepyng, it is homycide and deedly synne.
Eek whan man destourbeth concepcioun of a child, and maketh a womman outher bareyne by drynkynge venenouse herbes thurgh which she may nat conceyve, or sleeth a child by drynkes wilfully, or elles putteth certeine material thynges in hire secree places to slee the child,
or elles dooth unkyndely synne, by which man or womman shedeth hire nature in manere or in place ther as a child may nat be conceived, or elles if a woman have conceyved, and hurt hirself and sleeth the child, yet is it homycide.
What seye we eek of wommen that mordren hir children for drede of worldly shame? Certes, an horrible homicide.
Homycide is eek if a man approcheth to a womman by desir of lecherie, thurgh which the child is perissed, or elles smyteth a womman wityngly, thurgh which she leseth hir child. Alle thise been homycides and horrible deedly synnes.
Yet comen ther of Ire manye mo synnes, as wel in word as in thoght and in dede; as he that arretteth upon God, or blameth God of thyng of which he is hymself gilty, or despiseth God and alle his halwes, as doon thise cursede hasardours in diverse contrees.
This cursed synne doon they, whan they feelen in hir herte ful wikkedly of God and of his halwes.
Also whan they treten unreverently the sacrement of the auter, thilke synne is so greet that unnethe may it been releessed, but that the mercy of God passeth alle his werkes; it is so greet, and he so benigne.
Thanne comth of Ire attry angre. Whan a man is sharply amonested in his shrifte to forleten his synne,
thanne wole he be angry, and answeren hokerly and angrily, and
or elles he dide it for his youthe; or elles his compleccioun is so corageous that he may nat forbere; or elles it is his destinee, as he seith, unto a certein age; or elles, he seith, it cometh hym of gentillesse of his auncestres; and semblable thynges.
Alle thise manere of folk so wrappen hem in hir synnes that they ne wol nat delivere hemself. For soothly, no wight that excuseth hym wilfully of his synne may nat been delivered of his synne til that he mekely biknoweth his synne.
After this, thanne cometh sweryng, that is expres agayn the comandement of God; and this bifalleth ofte of anger and of Ire.
God seith, "Thow shalt nat take the name of thy Lord God in veyn or in ydel." Also oure Lord Jhesu Crist seith, by the word of Seint Mathew,
"Ne wol ye nat swere in alle manere; neither by hevene, for it is Goddes trone; ne by erthe, for it is the bench of his feet; ne by Jerusalem, for it is the citee of a greet kyng; ne by thyn heed, for thou mayst nat make an heer whit ne blak.
But seyeth by youre word "ye, ye," and "nay, nay"; and what that is moore, it is of yvel"—thus seith Crist.
For Cristes sake, ne swereth nat so synfully in dismembrynge of Crist by soule, herte, bones, and body. For certes, it semeth that ye thynke that the cursede Jewes ne dismembred nat ynough the preciouse persone of Crist, but ye dismembre hym moore.
And if so be that the lawe compelle yow to swere, thanne rule yow after the lawe of God in youre swerying, as seith Jeremye, quarto capitulo: Thou shalt kepe three condicions: thou shalt swere "in trouthe, in doom, and in rightwisnesse."
This is to seyn, thou shalt swere sooth, for every lesynge is agayns Crist; for Crist is verray trouthe. And thynk wel this: that "every greet swerere, nat compelled lawefully to swere, the wounde shal nat departe from his hous" whil he useth swich unleveful swerying.
Thou shalt sweren eek in doom, whan thou art constreyned by thy domesman to witnessen the trouthe.
Eek thow shalt nat swere for envye, ne for favour, ne for meede, but for rightwisnesse, for declaracioun of it, to the worshipe of God and helpyng of thyne evene-Cristene.
And therfore every man that taketh Goddes name in ydel, or falsly swereth with his mouth, or elles taketh on hym the name of Crist, to be called a Cristen man and lyveth agayns Cristes lyvynge and his techynge, alle they taken Goddes name in ydel.
Looke eek what Seint Peter seith, Actuum quarto, Non est aliud nomen sub celo, etc., "Ther nys noon oother name," seith Seint Peter, "under hevene yeven to men, in which they mowe be saved"; that is to seyn, but the name of Jhesu Crist.
Take kep eek how precious is the name of Crist, as seith Seint Paul, ad Philipenses secundo, In nomine Jhesu, etc., "That in the name of Jhesu every knee of hevenely creatures, or erthely, or of helle sholde bowe," for it is so heigh and so worshipful that the cursede feend in helle sholde tremblen to heeren it ynempned.
Thanne semeth it that men that sweren so horribly by his blessed name, that they despise it moore booldely than dide the cursede Jewes or elles the devel, that trembleth whan he heereth his name.
Now certes, sith that sweryng, but if it be
lawefully doon, is so heighly deffended, muche worse is
forsweryng falsly, and yet nedelees.
What seye we eek of hem that deliten hem in sweryng, and
holden it a gentrie or a manly dede to swere grete othes? And
what of hem that of verray usage ne cesse nat to swere grete
othes, al be the cause nat worth a straw? Certes, this is
horrible synne.
Swerynge sodeynly withoute avysement is eek
a synne.
But lat us go now to thilke horrible sweryng of
adjuracioun and conjuracioun, as doon thise false enchauntours
or nigromanciens in bacyns ful of water, or in a bright swerd,
in a cercle, or in a fir, or in a shulderboon of a sheep.
I
kan nat seye but that they doon cursedly and dampnably agayns
Crist and al the feith of hooly chirche.
What seye we of hem that bileeven on divynailes,
as by flight or by noyse of briddes, or of beestes, or by sort,
by nigromancie, by dremes, by chirkynge of dores or crakkynge of
houses,
Certes, al this thyng is deffended by God and by hooly chirche. For which they been acursed, til they come to amendement, that on swich filthe setten hire bileeve.
Charmes for woundes or maladie of men or of beestes, if they taken any effect, it may be peraventure that God suffreth it, for folk sholden yeve the moore feith and reverence to his name.
Now wol I speken of lesynges, which generally is fals
signyficaunce of word, in entente to deceyven his evene-Cristene.
Som lesynge is of which ther comth noon avantage to no wight;
and som lesynge turneth to the ese and profit
of o man, and to disese and damage of another man.
Another lesynge is for to saven his lyf or his catel.
Another lesynge comth of delit for to lye, in which delit they
wol forge a long tale and peynten it with alle circumstaunces,
where al the ground of the tale is fals.
Som lesynge comth
for he wole sustene his word; and som lesynge comth of
reccheleesnesse withouten avisement; and semblable thynges.
Lat us now touche the vice of flaterynge, which ne comth
nat gladly but for drede or for coveitise.
Flaterye is
generally wrongful preisynge. Flatereres been the develes
norices, that norissen his children with milk of losengerie.
For sothe, Salomon seith that "Flaterie is wors than
detraccioun." For somtyme detraccion maketh an hauteyn man
be the moore humble, for he dredeth detraccion; but certes
flaterye, that maketh a man to enhauncen his herte and his
contenaunce.
Flatereres been
the develes enchauntours; for they make a man to wene of hymself
be lyk that he nys nat lyk.
They been lyk to Judas that
bitraysen a man to sellen hym to his enemy; that is to the devel.
Flatereres been the develes chapelleyns, that syngen evere
Placebo.
I rekene flaterie in the vices
of Ire, for ofte tyme if o man be wrooth with another, thanne
wole he flatere som wight to sustene hym in his querele.
Speke we now of swich cursynge as comth of irous herte.
Malisoun generally may be seyd every maner power of harm. Swich
cursynge bireveth man fro the regne of God, as seith Seint Paul.
And ofte tyme swich cursynge wrongfully retorneth
agayn to hym that curseth, as a bryd that retorneth agayn to
his owene nest.
And over alle thyng men oghten eschewe to
cursen hire children, and yeven to the devel hire engendrure, as
ferforth as in hem is. Certes, it is greet peril and greet synne.
Lat us thanne speken of chidynge and reproche, whiche been
ful grete woundes in mannes herte, for they unsowen the semes of
freendshipe in mannes herte.
For certes, unnethes may a man
pleynly been accorded with hym that hath hym openly revyled and
repreved and disclaundred. This is a ful grisly synne, as Crist
seith in the gospel.
And taak kep now, that he that repreveth
his neighebor, outher he repreveth hym by som harm of peyne that
he hath on his body, as "mesel," "croked harlot,"
or by som synne that he dooth.
Now if he repreve hym
by harm of peyne, thanne turneth the repreve to Jhesu Crist, for
peyne is sent by the rightwys sonde of God, and by his suffrance,
be it meselrie, or maheym, or maladie.
And if he repreve hym
uncharitably of synne, as "thou holour," "thou
dronkelewe harlot," and so forth, thanne aperteneth that to
the rejoysynge of the devel, that evere hath joye that men doon
synne.
And certes, chidynge may nat come but out of a vileyns
herte. For after the habundance of the herte speketh the mouth
ful ofte.
And ye shul understonde that looke, by any wey,
whan any man shal chastise another, that he be war from chidynge
or reprevynge. For trewely, but he be war, he may ful lightly
quyken the fir of angre and of wratthe, which that he sholde
quenche, and peraventure sleeth hym which that he myghte chastise
with benignitee.
For as seith Salomon, "The amyable tonge
is the tree of lyf"—that is to seyn, of lyf
espiritueel—and soothly, a deslavee tonge sleeth the
spirites of hym that repreveth and eek of hym that is repreved.
Loo, what seith Seint Augustyn: "Ther is nothyng
so lyk the develes child as he that ofte chideth." Seint Paul
seith eek, "The servant of God bihoveth nat to chide."
And how that chidynge be a vileyns thyng bitwixe alle manere
folk,
A man that is in a droppynge hous in manye places, though he eschewe the droppynge in o place, it droppeth on hym in another place. So fareth it by a chydynge wyf; but she chide hym in o place, she wol chide hym in another.
And therfore, "Bettre is a morsel of breed with joye than an hous ful of delices with chidynge," seith Salomon.
Seint Paul seith, "O ye wommen, be ye subgetes to youre housbondes as bihoveth in God, and ye men loveth youre wyves." Ad Colossenses tertio.
Afterward speke we of scornynge, which is a wikked
synne, and namely whan he scorneth a man for his goode werkes.
For certes, swiche scorneres faren lyk the foule tode, that
may nat endure to smelle the soote savour of the vyne whanne it
florissheth.
Thise scorneres been partyng felawes with the
devel; for they han joye whan the devel wynneth and sorwe whan
he leseth.
They been adversaries of Jhesu Crist, for they
haten that he loveth—that is to seyn, salvacioun of soule.
Speke we now of wikked conseil, for he that wikked conseil
yeveth is a traytour. For he deceyveth hym that trusteth in hym,
ut Achitofel ad Absolonem. But nathelees, yet
is his wikked conseil first agayn hymself.
For, as
seith the wise man, "Every fals lyvynge hath this propertee
in hymself, that he that wole anoye another man, he anoyeth first
hymself."
And men shul understonde that man shal nat
taken his conseil of fals folk, ne of angry folk, or grevous
folk, ne of folk that loven specially to muchel hir owene profit,
ne to muche worldly folk, namely in conseilynge of soules.
Now comth the synne of hem that sowen and maken discord
amonges folk, which is a synne that Crist hateth outrely. And no
wonder is, for he deyde for to make concord.
And moore shame
do they to Crist than dide they that hym crucifiede, for God
loveth bettre that freendshipe be amonges folk, than he dide his
owene body, the which that he yaf for unitee. Therfore been they
likned to the devel, that evere is aboute to maken discord.
Now comth the synne of double tonge, swiche as speken
faire byforn folk and wikkedly bihynde, or elles they maken
semblant as though they speeke of good entencioun, or elles in
game and pley, and yet they speke of wikked entente.
Now comth biwreying of conseil, thurgh which a man
is defamed; certes, unnethe may he restoore the damage.
Now comth manace, that is an open folye, for he that ofte
manaceth, he threteth moore than he may parfourne ful ofte tyme.
Now cometh ydel wordes, that is withouten profit of hym
that speketh tho wordes, and eek of hym that herkneth tho wordes.
Or elles ydel wordes been tho that been nedelees or withouten
entente of natureel profit.
And al be it that ydel wordes
been somtyme venial synne, yet sholde men douten hem, for we shul
yeve rekenynge of hem bifore God.
Now comth janglynge, that may nat been withoute synne.
And, as seith Salomon, "It is a sygne of apert folye."
And therfore a philosophre seyde, whan men axed hym
how that men sholde plese the peple, and he answerde, "Do
manye goode werkes, and spek fewe
jangles."
After this comth the synne of japeres, that been the
develes apes, for they maken folk to laughe at hire japerie as
folk doon at the gawdes of an ape. Swiche japeres deffendeth
Seint Paul.
Looke how that vertuouse wordes and hooly
conforten hem that travaillen in the service of Crist, right so
conforten the vileyns wordes and knakkes of japeris hem that
travaillen in the service of the devel.
Thise been the synnes
that comen of the tonge, that comen of Ire and of othere synnes
mo.
Sequitur remedium contra peccatum Ire.
The remedie agayns Ire is a vertu that men clepen
mansuetude, that is debonairetee; and
Debonairetee withdraweth and refreyneth the
stirynges and the moevynges of mannes corage in his herte, in
swich manere that they ne skippe nat out by angre ne by ire.
Suffrance suffreth swetely alle the anoyaunces and the
wronges that men doon to man outward.
Seint Jerome seith thus
of debonairetee, that "it dooth noon harm to no wight ne
seith; ne for noon harm that men doon or seyn, he ne eschawfeth
nat agayns his resoun."
This vertu somtyme comth of
nature, for, as seith the Philosophre, "A man is a quyk
thyng, by nature debonaire and tretable to goodnesse; but whan
debonairetee is enformed of grace, thanne is it the moore
worth."
Pacience, that is another remedie agayns Ire, is a vertu
that suffreth swetely every mannes goodnesse, and is nat wrooth
for noon harm that is doon to hym.
The Philosophre
seith that pacience is thilke vertu that suffreth debonairely
alle the outrages of adversitee and every wikked word.
This
vertu maketh a man lyk to God, and maketh hym Goddes owene deere
child, as seith Crist. This vertu disconfiteth thyn enemy. And
therfore seith the wise man, "If thow wolt venquysse thyn
enemy, lerne to suffre."
And thou shalt understonde that
man suffreth foure manere of grevances in outward thynges, agayns
the whiche foure he moot have foure manere of paciences.
The firste grevance is of wikkede wordes. Thilke suffrede
Jhesu Crist withouten grucchyng, ful paciently, whan the Jewes
despised and repreved hym ful ofte.
Suffre thou therfore
paciently; for the wise man seith, "If thou stryve with a
fool, though the fool be wrooth or though he laughe, algate thou
shalt have no reste."
That oother grevance
outward is to have damage of thy catel. Theragayns suffred Crist
ful paciently, whan he was despoyled of al that he hadde in this
lyf, and that nas but his clothes.
The thridde grevance is
a man to have harm in his body. That suffred Crist ful paciently
in al his passioun.
The fourthe grevance is in outrageous
labour in werkes. Wherfore I seye that folk that maken hir
servantz to travaillen to grevously or out of tyme, as on haly
dayes, soothly they do greet synne.
Heer-agayns suffred Crist
ful paciently and taughte us pacience, whan he baar upon his
blissed shulder the croys upon which he sholde suffren despitous
deeth.
Heere may men lerne to be pacient, for certes noght
oonly Cristen men been pacient for love of Jhesu Crist and for
gerdoun of the blisful lyf that is perdurable, but certes, the
olde payens that nevere were Cristene commendeden and useden the
vertu of pacience.
A philosophre upon a tyme, that wolde have beten
his disciple for his grete trespas, for which he was greetly
amoeved, and broghte a yerde to scoure with the child;
and
whan this child saugh the yerde, he seyde to his maister,
"What thenke ye do?" "I wol bete thee," quod the
maister, "for thy correccioun."
"For sothe,"
quod the child, "ye oghten first correcte youreself, that han
lost al youre pacience for the gilt of a child."
"For
sothe," quod the maister al wepynge, "thow seyst sooth.
Have thow the yerde, my deere sone, and correcte me for myn
inpacience."
Of pacience comth obedience, thurgh which
a man is obedient to Crist and to alle hem to whiche he oghte to
been obedient in Crist.
And understond wel that
obedience is parfit whan that a man dooth gladly and hastily,
with good herte entierly, al that he sholde do.
Obedience
generally is to parfourne the doctrine of God and of his
sovereyns, to whiche hym oghte to ben obeisaunt in alle
rightwisnesse.
Sequitur de Accidia.
After the synne of Envye and of Ire, now wol I speken of
the synne of Accidie. For Envye blyndeth the herte of a man, and
Ire troubleth a man, and Accidie maketh hym hevy, thoghtful, and
wraw.
Envye and Ire maken bitternesse in herte, which
bitternesse is mooder of Accidie, and bynymeth hym the love of
alle goodnesse. Thanne is Accidie the angwissh of troubled herte;
and Seint Augustyn seith, "It is anoy of goodnesse and joye
of harm."
Certes, this is a dampnable synne, for it dooth
wrong to Jhesu Crist, in as muche
But Accidie dooth no swich diligence. He dooth alle thyng with anoy, and with wrawnesse, slaknesse, and excusacioun, and with ydelnesse, and unlust; for which the book seith, "Acursed be he that dooth the service of God necligently."
Thanne is Accidie enemy to everich estaat of man, for certes the estaat of man is in three maneres.
Outher it is th'estaat of innocence, as was th'estaat of Adam biforn that he fil into synne, in which estaat he was holden to wirche as in heriynge and adowrynge of God.
Another estaat is the estaat of synful men, in which estaat men been holden to laboure in preiynge to God for amendement of hire synnes, and that he wole graunte hem to arysen out of hir synnes.
Another estaat is th'estaat of grace, in which estaat he is holden to werkes of penitence. And certes, to alle thise thynges is Accidie enemy and contrarie, for he loveth no bisynesse at al.
Now certes this foule synne Accidie is eek a ful greet enemy to the liflode of the body, for it ne hath no purveaunce agayn temporeel necessitee, for it forsleweth and forsluggeth and destroyeth alle goodes temporeles by reccheleesnesse.
The fourthe thyng is that Accidie is lyk hem that been in
the peyne of helle, by cause of hir slouthe and of hire
hevynesse, for they that been dampned been so bounde that they
ne may neither wel do ne wel thynke.
Of Accidie comth first
that a man is anoyed and encombred for to doon any goodnesse, and
maketh that God hath abhomynacion of swich Accidie, as seith
Seint John.
Now comth Slouthe, that wol nat suffre noon hardnesse ne
no penaunce. For soothly, Slouthe is so tendre and so delicaat,
as seith Salomon, that he wol nat suffre noon hardnesse ne
penaunce, and therfore he shendeth al that he dooth.
Agayns
this roten-herted synne of Accidie and Slouthe sholde men
exercise hemself to doon goode werkes, and manly and vertuously
cacchen corage wel to doon, thynkynge that oure Lord Jhesu Crist
quiteth every good dede, be it never so lite.
Usage
of labour is a greet thyng, for it maketh, as seith Seint
Bernard, the laborer to have stronge armes and harde synwes; and
slouthe maketh hem feble and tendre.
Thanne comth drede to
bigynne to werke anye goode werkes. For certes, he that is
enclyned to synne, hym thynketh it is so greet an emprise for to
undertake to doon werkes of goodnesse,
and casteth in his
herte that the circumstaunces of goodnesse been so grevouse and
so chargeaunt for to suffre, that he dar nat undertake to do
werkes of goodnesse, as seith Seint Gregorie.
Now comth wanhope, that is despeir of the mercy of God,
that comth somtyme of to muche outrageous sorwe, and somtyme of
to muche drede, ymaginynge that he hath doon so muche synne that
it wol nat availlen hym, though he wolde repenten hym and forsake
synne,
thurgh which despeir or drede he abaundoneth al his
herte to every maner synne, as seith Seint Augustin.
Which dampnable synne, if that it continue unto his ende,
it is cleped synnyng in the Hooly Goost.
This horrible synne
is so perilous that he that is despeired, ther nys no felonye ne
no synne that he douteth for to do, as shewed wel by Judas.
Certes, aboven alle synnes thanne is this synne moost
displesant to Crist, and moost adversarie.
Soothly, he that
despeireth hym is lyk the coward champioun recreant, that seith
"creant" withoute nede. Allas, allas, nedeles is he
recreant and nedelees despeired.
Certes,
the mercy of God is evere redy to the penitent, and is aboven
alle his werkes.
Allas, kan a man nat bithynke hym
on the gospel of Seint Luc, 15, where as Crist seith that "as
wel shal ther be joye in hevene upon a synful man that dooth
penitence, as upon nynty and nyne rightful men that neden no
penitence."
Looke forther, in the same gospel, the joye
and the feeste of the goode man that hadde lost his sone, whan
his sone with repentaunce was retourned to his fader.
Kan
they nat remembren hem eek that, as seith Seint Luc, 23, how that
the theef that was hanged bisyde Jhesu Crist seyde, "Lord,
remembre of me, whan thow comest into thy regne"?
"For sothe," seyde Crist, "I seye to thee, to-day
shaltow been with me in paradys."
Certes,
Allas, what nedeth man thanne to been despeired, sith that his mercy so redy is and large? Axe and have.
Thanne cometh sompnolence, that is sloggy slombrynge, which maketh a man be hevy and dul in body and in soule, and this synne comth of Slouthe.
And certes, the tyme that, by wey of resoun, men sholde nat slepe, that is by the morwe, but if ther were cause resonable.
For soothly, the morwe tyde is moost covenable a man to seye his preyeres, and for to thynken on God, and for to honoure God, and to yeven almesse to the povre that first cometh in the name of Crist.
Lo, what seith Salomon: "Whoso wolde by the morwe awaken and seke me, he shal fynde."
Thanne cometh necligence, or reccheleesnesse, that rekketh of no thyng. And how that ignoraunce be mooder of alle harm, certes, necligence is the norice.
Necligence ne dooth no fors, whan he shal doon a thyng, wheither he do it weel or baddely.
Of the remedie of thise two synnes, as seith the wise man,
that "He that dredeth God, he spareth nat to doon that him
oghte doon."
And he that loveth God, he wol doon
diligence to plese God by his werkes and abaundone hymself, with
al his myght, wel for to doon.
Thanne comth ydelnesse, that
is the yate of alle harmes. An ydel man is lyk to a place that
hath no walles; the develes may entre on every syde, or sheten
at hym at discovert, by temptacion on every syde.
This ydelnesse is the thurrok of alle wikked and vileyns
thoghtes, and of alle jangles, trufles, and of alle ordure.
Certes, the hevene is yeven to hem that wol labouren, and nat
to ydel folk. Eek David seith that "they ne been nat in the
labour of men, ne they shul nat been whipped with
men"—that is to seyn, in purgatorie.
Certes, thanne
semeth it they shul be tormented with the devel in helle, but if
they doon penitence.
Thanne comth the synne that men clepen tarditas,
as whan a man is to laterede or tariynge er he wole turne to God, and certes
that is a greet folie. He is lyk to hym that falleth in the dych and wol nat
arise.
And this vice comth of a fals hope, that he thynketh
that he shal lyve longe; but that hope faileth ful ofte.
Thanne comth lachesse; that is he that whan he
biginneth any good werk anon he shal forleten it and stynten, as
doon they that han any wight to governe and ne taken of hym
namoore kep anon as they fynden any contrarie or any anoy.
Thise been the newe sheepherdes that leten hir sheep wityngly
go renne to the wolf that is in the breres, or do no fors of hir
owene governaunce.
Of this comth poverte and destruccioun,
bothe of spiritueel and temporeel thynges. Thanne comth a manere
cooldnesse, that freseth al the herte of a man.
Thanne comth
undevocioun, thurgh which a man is so blent, as seith Seint
Bernard, and hath swich langour in soule that he may neither rede
ne singe in hooly chirche, ne heere ne thynke of no devocioun,
ne travaille with his handes in no good werk, that it nys hym
unsavory and al apalled.
Thanne wexeth he slough and slombry,
and soone wol be wrooth, and soone is enclyned to hate and to
envye.
Thanne comth the synne of worldly sorwe, swich
as is cleped tristicia, that sleeth man, as
seith Seint Paul.
For certes, swich sorwe werketh to the
deeth of the soule and of the body also; for therof comth that
a man is anoyed of his owene lif.
Wherfore swich sorwe
shorteth ful ofte the lif of man, er that his tyme be come by wey
of kynde.
Remedium contra peccatum Accidie.
Agayns this horrible synne of Accidie, and the branches
of the same, ther is a vertu that is called fortitudo
or strengthe, that is an affeccioun thurgh which a man despiseth anoyouse thinges.
This vertu is so myghty and so vigerous that it dar withstonde myghtily and
wisely kepen hymself fro perils that been wikked, and wrastle
agayn the assautes of the devel.
For it enhaunceth
and enforceth the soule, right as Accidie abateth it and maketh
it fieble. For this fortitudo may endure by
long suffraunce the travailles that been covenable.
This
vertu hath manye speces; and the firste is cleped magnanimitee,
that is to seyn,
This vertu maketh folk to undertake harde thynges and grevouse thynges, by hir owene wil, wisely and resonably.
And for as muchel as the devel fighteth agayns a man moore by queyntise and by sleighte than by strengthe, therfore men shal withstonden hym by wit and by resoun and by discrecioun.
Thanne arn ther the vertues of feith and hope in God and in his seintes to acheve and acomplice the goode werkes in the whiche he purposeth fermely to continue.
Thanne comth seuretee or sikernesse, and that is whan a man ne douteth no travaille in tyme comynge of the goode werkes that a man hath bigonne.
Thanne comth magnificence; that is to seyn, whan a man dooth and parfourneth grete werkes of goodnesse; and that is the ende why that men sholde do goode werkes, for in the acomplissynge of grete goode werkes lith the grete gerdoun.
Thanne is ther constaunce, that is stablenesse of corage, and this sholde been in herte by stedefast feith, and in mouth, and in berynge, and in chiere, and in dede.
Eke ther been mo speciale remedies against Accidie in diverse werkes, and in consideracioun of the peynes of helle and of the joyes of hevene, and in the trust of the grace of the Holy Goost, that wole yeve hym myght to parfourne his goode entente.
Sequitur de Avaricia.
After Accidie wol I speke of Avarice and of Coveitise, of
which synne seith Seint Paul that "the roote of alle harmes
is Coveitise." Ad Thimotheum Sexto.
For soothly, whan the herte of a man is confounded in
itself and troubled, and that the soule hath lost the confort of
God, thanne seketh he an ydel solas of worldly thynges.
Avarice, after the descripcioun of Seint Augustyn, is a
likerousnesse in herte to have erthely thynges.
Som oother
folk seyn that Avarice is for to purchacen manye erthely thynges
and no thyng yeve to hem that han nede.
And understoond that
Avarice ne stant nat oonly in lond ne catel, but somtyme in
science and in glorie, and in every manere of outrageous thyng
is Avarice and Coveitise.
And the difference bitwixe Avarice
and Coveitise is this: Coveitise is for to coveite swiche thynges
as thou hast nat; and Avarice is for to withholde and kepe swiche
thynges as thou hast, withoute rightful nede.
Soothly, this Avarice is a synne that is ful dampnable,
for al hooly writ curseth it and speketh agayns that vice, for
it dooth wrong to Jhesu Crist.
For it bireveth hym the love
that men to hym owen, and turneth it bakward agayns alle resoun,
and maketh that the avaricious man hath moore hope in his
catel than in Jhesu Crist, and dooth moore observance in kepynge
of his tresor than he dooth to the service of Jhesu Crist.
And therfore seith Seint Paul Ad Ephesios
quinto, that an avaricious man is the thraldom of ydolatrie.
What difference is bitwixe an ydolastre and an avaricious
man, but that an ydolastre, per aventure, ne hath but o mawmet
or two, and the avaricious man hath manye? For certes, every
floryn in his cofre is his mawmet.
And certes, the
synne of mawmettrie is the firste thyng that God deffended in the
ten comaundementz, as bereth witnesse in Exodi
capitulo vicesimo:
"Thou shalt have no false goddes
bifore me, ne thou shalt make to thee no grave thyng." Thus
is an avaricious man, that loveth his tresor biforn God, an
ydolastre,
thurgh this cursed synne of avarice. Of Coveitise
comen thise harde lordshipes, thurgh whiche men been distreyned
by taylages, custumes, and cariages, moore than hire
duetee or resoun is. And eek taken they of hire bonde-men
amercimentz, whiche myghten moore resonably ben cleped extorcions
than amercimentz.
Of whiche amercimentz and raunsonynge of
boonde-men somme lordes stywardes seyn that it is rightful, for
as muche as a cherl hath no temporeel thyng that it ne is his
lordes, as they seyn.
But certes, thise lordshipes doon wrong
that bireven hire bonde-folk thynges that they nevere yave hem.
Augustinus, De Civitate libro nono.
"Sooth is that the condicioun of thraldom and the
firste
Thus may ye seen that the gilt disserveth thraldom, but nat nature."
Wherfore thise lordes ne sholde nat muche glorifien hem in hir lordshipes, sith that by natureel condicion they been nat lordes over thralles, but that thraldom comth first by the desert of synne.
And forther over, ther as the lawe seith that temporeel goodes of boonde-folk been the goodes of hir lordshipes, ye, that is for to understonde, the goodes of the emperour, to deffenden hem in hir right, but nat for to robben hem ne reven hem.
And therfore seith Seneca, "Thy prudence sholde lyve benignely with thy thralles."
Thilke that thou clepest thy thralles been Goddes peple, for humble folk been Cristes freendes; they been contubernyal with the Lord.
Thynk eek that of swich seed as cherles spryngen, of swich
seed spryngen lordes. As wel may the cherl be saved as the lord.
The same deeth that taketh the cherl, swich deeth taketh the
lord. Wherfore I rede, do right so with thy cherl, as thou
woldest that thy lord dide with thee, if thou were in his plit.
Every synful man is a cherl to synne. I rede thee, certes,
that thou, lord, werke in swich wise with thy cherles that they
rather love thee than drede.
I woot wel ther is degree above
degree, as reson is, and skile is that men do hir devoir ther as
it is due, but certes, extorcions and despit of youre underlynges
is dampnable.
And forther over, understoond wel that thise
conquerours or tirauntz maken ful ofte thralles of hem that been
born of as roial blood as been they that hem conqueren.
This
name of thraldom was nevere erst kowth til that Noe seyde that
his sone Canaan sholde be thral to his bretheren for his synne.
What seye we thanne of hem that pilen and doon extorcions to
hooly chirche? Certes, the swerd that men yeven first to a
knyght, whan he is newe dubbed, signifieth that he sholde
deffenden hooly chirche, and nat robben it ne pilen it; and whoso
dooth is traitour to Crist.
And, as seith Seint Augustyn,
"They been the develes wolves that stranglen the sheep of
Jhesu Crist," and doon worse than wolves.
For soothly,
whan the wolf hath ful his wombe, he stynteth to strangle sheep.
But soothly, the pilours and destroyours of the godes of hooly
chirche ne do nat so, for they ne stynte nevere to pile.
Now as I have seyd, sith so is that synne was
first cause of thraldom, thanne is it thus: that thilke tyme that
al this world was in synne, thanne was al this world in thraldom
and subjeccioun.
But certes, sith the time of grace cam, God
ordeyned that som folk sholde be moore heigh in estaat and in
degree, and som folk moore lough, and that everich sholde be
served in his estaat and in his degree.
And therfore in somme
contrees, ther they byen thralles, whan they han turned hem to
the feith, they maken hire thralles free out of thraldom. And
therfore, certes, the lord oweth to his man that the man oweth
to his lord.
The Pope calleth hymself servant of the servantz
of God; but for as muche as the estaat of hooly chirche ne myghte
nat han be, ne the commune profit myghte nat han be kept, ne pees
and rest in erthe, but if God hadde ordeyned that som men hadde
hyer degree and som men lower,
therfore was sovereyntee
ordeyned, to kepe and mayntene and deffenden hire underlynges or
hire subgetz in resoun, as ferforth as it lith in hire power, and
nat to destroyen hem ne confounde.
Wherfore I seye
that thilke lordes that been lyk wolves, that devouren the
possessiouns or the catel of povre folk wrongfully, withouten
mercy or mesure,
they shul receyven by the same mesure that
they han mesured to povre folk the mercy of Jhesu Crist, but if
it be amended.
Now comth deceite bitwixe marchaunt and
marchant. And thow shalt understonde that marchandise is in manye
maneres; that oon is bodily, and that oother is goostly; that oon
is honest and leveful, and that oother is deshonest and
unleveful.
Of thilke bodily marchandise that is leveful and
honest is this: that, there as God hath ordeyned that a regne or
a contree is suffisaunt to hymself, thanne is it honest and
leveful that of habundaunce of this contree, that men helpe
another contree that is moore nedy.
And therfore ther moote
been marchantz to bryngen fro that o contree to that oother hire
marchandises.
That oother marchandise, that men
haunten with fraude and
Espiritueel marchandise is proprely symonye, that is ententif desir to byen thyng espiritueel; that is, thyng that aperteneth to the seintuarie of God and to cure of the soule.
This desir, if so be that a man do his diligence to parfournen it, al be it that his desir ne take noon effect, yet is it to hym a deedly synne; and if he be ordred, he is irreguleer.
Certes symonye is cleped of Simon Magus, that wolde han boght for temporeel catel the yifte that God hadde yeven by the Hooly Goost to Seint Peter and to the apostles.
And therfore understoond that bothe he that selleth and he that beyeth thynges espirituels been cleped symonyals, be it by catel, be it by procurynge, or by flesshly preyere of his freendes, flesshly freendes or espiritueel freendes:
Flesshly in two maneres; as by kynrede, or othere freendes. Soothly, if they praye for hym that is nat worthy and able, it is symonye, if he take the benefice; and if he be worthy and able, ther nys noon.
That oother manere is whan men or wommen preyen for folk to avauncen hem, oonly for wikked flesshly affeccioun that they han unto the persone, and that is foul symonye.
But certes, in service, for which men yeven thynges espirituels unto hir servantz, it moot been understonde that the service moot been honest and elles nat; and eek that it be withouten bargaynynge, and that the persone be able.
For, as seith Seint Damasie, "Alle the synnes of the world, at regard of this synne, arn as thyng of noght." For it is the gretteste synne that may be, after the synne of Lucifer and Antecrist.
For by this synne God forleseth the chirche and the soule that he boghte with his precious blood, by hem that yeven chirches to hem that been nat digne.
For they putten in theves that stelen the soules of Jhesu Crist and destroyen his patrimoyne.
By swiche undigne preestes and curates han lewed men the lasse reverence of the sacramentz of hooly chirche, and swiche yeveres of chirches putten out the children of Crist and putten into the chirche the develes owene sone.
They sellen the soules that lambes sholde kepen to the wolf that strangleth hem. And therfore shul they nevere han part of the pasture of lambes, that is the blisse of hevene.
Now comth hasardrie with his apurtenaunces, as tables and rafles, of which comth deceite, false othes, chidynges, and alle ravynes, blasphemynge and reneiynge of God, and hate of his neighebores, wast of goodes, mysspendynge of tyme, and somtyme manslaughtre.
Certes, hasardours ne mowe nat been withouten greet synne whiles they haunte that craft.
Of Avarice comen eek lesynges, thefte, fals witnesse, and false othes. And ye shul understonde that thise been grete synnes and expres agayn the comaundementz of God, as I have seyd.
Fals witnesse is in word and eek in dede. In word, as for to bireve thy neighebores goode name by thy fals witnessyng, or bireven hym his catel or his heritage by thy fals witnessyng, whan thou for ire, or for meede, or for envye, berest fals witnesse, or accusest hym or excusest hym by thy fals witnesse, or elles excusest thyself falsly.
Ware yow, questemongeres and notaries! Certes, for fals witnessyng was Susanna in ful gret sorwe and peyne, and many another mo.
The synne of thefte is eek expres agayns Goddes heeste, and that in two maneres, corporeel or spiritueel.
Corporeel, as for to take thy neighebores catel agayn his wyl, be it by force or by sleighte, be it by met or by mesure;
by stelyng eek of false enditementz upon hym, and in borwynge of thy neighebores catel, in entente nevere to payen it agayn, and semblable thynges.
Espiritueel thefte is sacrilege; that is to seyn, hurtynge of hooly thynges, or of thynges sacred to Crist, in two maneres: by reson of the hooly place, as chirches or chirche-hawes,
for which every vileyns synne that men doon in swiche places may be cleped sacrilege, or every violence in the semblable places; also, they that withdrawen falsly the rightes that longen to hooly chirche.
And pleynly and generally, sacrilege
Relevacio contra peccatum Avaricie.
Now shul ye understonde that the releevynge of Avarice is
misericorde, and pitee largely taken. And men myghten axe why
that misericorde and pitee is releevynge of Avarice.
Certes, the avricious man sheweth no pitee ne misericorde
to the nedeful man, for he deliteth hym in the kepynge of his
tresor, and nat in the rescowynge ne releevynge of his evene-Cristen.
And therfore speke I first of misericorde.
Thanne
is misericorde, as seith the Philosophre, a vertu by which the
corage of a man is stired by the mysese of hym that is mysesed.
Upon which misericorde folweth pitee in parfournynge of
charitable werkes of misericorde.
And certes, thise thynges
moeven a man to the misericorde of Jhesu Crist, that he yaf
hymself for oure gilt, and suffred deeth for misericorde, and
forgaf us oure originale synnes,
and therby relessed us fro
the peynes of helle, and amenused the peynes of purgatorie by
penitence, and yeveth grace wel to do, and atte laste the blisse
of hevene.
The speces of misericorde been, as for to
lene and for to yeve, and to foryeven and relesse, and for to han
pitee in herte and compassioun of the meschief of his evene-Cristene,
and eek to chastise, there as nede is.
Another
manere of remedie agayns avarice is resonable largesse; but
soothly, heere bihoveth the consideracioun of the grace of Jhesu
Crist, and of his temporeel goodes, and eek of the goodes
perdurables that Crist yaf to us;
and to han remembrance of
the deeth that he shal receyve, he noot whanne, where, ne how;
and eek that he shal forgon al that he hath, save oonly that he
hath despended in goode werkes.
But for as muche as som folk been unmesurable, men oghten
eschue fool-largesse, that men clepen wast.
Certes, he that
is fool-large ne yeveth nat his catel, but he leseth his catel.
Soothly, what thyng that he yeveth for veyne glorie, as to
mynstrals and to folk for to beren his renoun in the world, he
hath synne therof and noon almesse.
Certes, he leseth
foule his good that ne seketh with the yifte of his good nothyng
but synne.
He is lyk to an hors that seketh rather to drynken
drovy or trouble water than for to drynken water of the clere
welle.
And for as muchel as they yeven ther as they sholde
nat yeven, to hem aperteneth thilke malisoun that Crist shal
yeven at the day of doom to hem that shullen been dampned.
Sequitur de Gulâ.
After Avarice comth Glotonye, which is expres eek agayn
the comandement of God. Glotonye is unmesurable appetit to ete
or to drynke, or elles to doon ynogh to the unmesurable appetit
and desordeynee coveitise to eten or to drynke.
This synne
corrumped al this world, as is wel shewed in the synne of Adam
and of Eve. Looke eek what seith Seint Paul of Glotonye:
"Manye," seith Saint Paul, "goon, of whiche
I have ofte seyd to yow, and now I seye it wepynge, that been the
enemys of the croys of Crist; of whiche the ende is deeth, and
of whiche hire wombe is hire god, and hire glorie in confusioun
of hem that so savouren erthely thynges."
He that is
usaunt to this synne of glotonye, he ne may no synne withstonde.
He moot been in servage of alle vices, for it is the develes
hoord ther he hideth hym and resteth.
This synne hath manye
speces. The firste is dronkenesse, that is the horrible sepulture
of mannes resoun; and therfore, whan a man is dronken, he hath
lost his resoun; and this is deedly synne.
But soothly, whan
that a man is nat wont to strong drynke, and peraventure ne
knoweth nat the strengthe of the drynke, or hath feblesse in his
heed, or hath travailed, thurgh which he drynketh the moore, al
be he sodeynly caught with drynke, it is no deedly synne, but
venyal.
The seconde spece of glotonye is that the spirit of
a man wexeth al trouble, for dronkenesse bireveth hym the
discrecioun of his wit.
The thridde spece of glotonye
is whan a man devoureth his mete and hath no rightful manere of
etynge.
The fourthe is whan, thurgh the grete habundaunce of
his mete,
The fifthe is foryetelnesse by to muchel drynkynge, for which somtyme a man foryeteth er the morwe what he dide at even, or on the nyght biforn.
In oother manere been distinct the speces of Glotonye,
after Seint Gregorie. The firste is for to ete biforn tyme to
ete. The seconde is whan a man get hym to delicaat mete or
drynke.
The thridde is whan men taken to muche over mesure.
The fourthe is curiositee, with greet entente to maken and
apparaillen his mete. The fifthe is for to eten to gredily.
Thise been the fyve fyngres of the develes hand, by
whiche he draweth folk to synne.
Remedium contra peccatum Gule.
Agayns Glotonye is the remedie abstinence, as seith
Galien; but that holde I nat meritorie, if he do it oonly for the
heele of his body. Seint Augustyn wole that abstinence be doon
for vertu and with pacience.
"Abstinence," he seith,
"is litel worth but if a man have good wil therto, and but
it be enforced by pacience and by charitee, and that men doon it
for Godes sake, and in hope to have the blisse of hevene."
The felawes of abstinence been attemperaunce, that holdeth
the meene in alle thynges; eek shame, that eschueth alle
deshonestee; suffisance, that seketh no riche metes ne drynkes,
ne dooth no fors of to outrageous apparailynge of mete;
mesure also, that restreyneth by resoun the deslavee appetit
of etynge; sobrenesse also, that restreyneth the outrage of
drynke;
sparynge also, that restreyneth the delicaat
ese to sitte longe at his mete and softely, wherfore some folk
stonden of hir owene wyl to eten at the lasse leyser.
Sequitur de Luxuria.
After Glotonye thanne comth Lecherie, for thise two synnes
been so ny cosyns that ofte tyme they wol nat departe.
God
woot, this synne is ful displesaunt thyng to God, for he seyde
hymself, "Do no lecherie." And therfore he putte grete
peynes agayns this synne in the olde lawe.
If womman thral
were taken in this synne, she sholde be beten with staves to the
deeth; and if she were a gentil womman, she sholde be slayn with
stones; and if she were a bisshoppes doghter, she sholde been
brent, by Goddes commandement.
Forther over, by the synne of
lecherie God dreynte al the world at the diluge. And after that
he brente fyve citees with thonder-leyt, and sank hem into helle.
Now lat us speke thanne of thilke stynkynge synne
of Lecherie that men clepe avowtrie of wedded folk; that is to
seyn, if that oon of hem be wedded, or elles bothe.
Seint
John seith that avowtiers shullen been in helle, in a stank
brennynge of fyr and of brymston—in fyr for hire lecherye,
in brymston for the stynk of hire ordure.
Certes, the
brekynge of this sacrement is an horrible thyng. It was maked of
God hymself in paradys, and confermed by Jhesu Crist, as
witnesseth Seint Mathew in the gospel: "A man shal lete fader
and mooder and taken hym to his wif, and they shullen be two in
o flessh."
This sacrement bitokneth the knyttynge togidre
of Crist and of hooly chirche.
And nat oonly that God forbad
avowtrie in dede, but eek he comanded that thou sholdest nat
coveite thy neighebores wyf.
"In this
heeste," seith Seint Augustyn, "is forboden alle manere
coveitise to doon lecherie." Lo, what seith Seint Mathew in
the gospel, that "whoso seeth a womman to coveitise of his
lust, he hath doon lecherie with hire in his herte."
Heere may ye seen that nat oonly the dede of this synne is
forboden, but eek the desir to doon that synne.
This cursed
synne anoyeth grevousliche hem that it haunten. And first to hire
soule, for he obligeth it to synne and to peyne of deeth that is
perdurable.
Unto the body anoyeth it grevously also, for it
dreyeth hym, and wasteth him, and shent hym, and of his blood he
maketh sacrifice to the feend of helle. It wasteth eek his catel
and his substaunce.
And certes, if it be a foul thyng a man
to waste his catel on wommen, yet is it a fouler thyng whan that,
for
This synne, as seith the prophete, bireveth man and womman hir goode fame and al hire honour, and it is ful plesaunt to the devel, for therby wynneth he the mooste partie of this world.
And right as a marchant deliteth hym moost in chaffare that he hath moost avantage of, right so deliteth the fend in this ordure.
This is that oother hand of the devel with fyve fyngres
to cacche the peple to his vileynye.
The firste fynger is the
fool lookynge of the fool womman and of the fool man; that
sleeth, right as the basilicok sleeth folk by the venym of his
sighte, for the coveitise of eyen folweth the coveitise of the
herte.
The seconde fynger is the vileyns touchynge in wikkede
manere. And therfore seith Salomon that "whoso toucheth and
handleth a womman, he fareth lyk hym that handleth the scorpioun
that styngeth and sodeynly sleeth thurgh his envenymynge";
as whoso toucheth warm pych, it shent his fyngres.
The thridde is foule wordes, that fareth lyk fyr, that
right anon brenneth the herte.
The fourthe fynger is the
kissynge; and trewely he were a greet fool that wolde kisse the
mouth of a brennynge oven or of a fourneys.
And moore fooles
been they that kissen in vileynye, for that mouth is the mouth
of helle; and namely thise olde dotardes holours, yet wol they
kisse, though they may nat do, and smatre hem.
Certes, they
been lyk to houndes; for an hound, whan he comth by the roser or
by othere [bushes], though he may nat pisse, yet wole he heve up
his leg and make a contenaunce to pisse.
And for that many
man weneth that he may nat synne for no likerousnesse that he
dooth with his wyf, certes, that opinion is fals. God woot, a man
may sleen hymself with his owene knyf, and make hymselve dronken
of his owene tonne.
Certes, be it wyf, be it child,
or any worldly thyng that he loveth biforn God, it is his mawmet,
and he is an ydolastre.
Man sholde loven hys wyf by
discrecioun, paciently and atemprely, and thanne is she as though
it were his suster.
The fifthe fynger of the develes hand is
the stynkynge dede of Leccherie.
Certes, the fyve fyngres of
Glotonie the feend put in the wombe of a man, and with his fyve
fingres of Lecherie he gripeth hym by the reynes for to
throwen hym into the fourneys of helle,
ther as they shul han
the fyr and the wormes that evere shul lasten, and wepynge and
wailynge, sharp hunger and thurst, [and] grymnesse of develes,
that shullen al totrede hem withouten respit and withouten ende.
Of Leccherie, as I seyde, sourden diverse speces, as
fornicacioun, that is bitwixe man and womman that been nat
maried, and this is deedly synne and agayns nature.
Al that
is enemy and destuccioun to nature is agayns nature.
Parfay,
the resoun of a man telleth eek hym wel that it is deedly synne,
for as muche as God forbad leccherie. And Seint Paul yeveth hem
the regne that nys dewe to no wight but to hem that doon deedly
synne.
Another synne of Leccherie is to bireve a mayden of
hir maydenhede, for he that so dooth, certes, he casteth a mayden
out of the hyeste degree that is in this present lif
and
bireveth hire thilke precious fruyt that the book clepeth the
hundred fruyt. I ne kan seye it noon ootherweyes in Englissh, but
in Latyn it highte Centesimus fructus.
Certes, he that so dooth is cause of manye damages and
vileynyes, mo than any man kan rekene; right as he somtyme is
cause of alle damages that beestes don in the feeld, that breketh
the hegge or the closure, thurgh which he destroyeth that may nat
been restoored.
For certes, namoore may maydenhede be
restoored than an arm that is smyten fro the body may retourne
agayn to wexe.
She may have mercy, this woot I wel, if she
do penitence; but nevere shal it be that she nas corrupt.
And
al be it so that I have spoken somwhat of avowtrie, it is good
to shewen mo perils that longen to avowtrie, for to eschue that
foule synne.
Avowtrie in Latyn
is for to seyn approchynge of oother mannes bed, thurgh which tho
that whilom weren o flessh abawndone hir bodyes to othere
persones.
Of this synne, as seith the wise man,
folwen manye harmes. First, brekynge of feith,
And whan that feith is broken and lorn, soothly Cristendom stant veyn and withouten fruyt.
This synne is eek a thefte, for thefte generally is for to reve a wight his thyng agayns his wille.
Certes, this is the fouleste thefte that may be, whan a womman steleth hir body from hir housbonde and yeveth it to hire holour to defoulen hire, and steleth hir soule fro Crist and yeveth it to the devel.
This is a fouler thefte than for to breke a chirche and stele the chalice, for thise avowtiers breken the temple of God spiritually, and stelen the vessel of grace, that is the body and the soule, for which Crist shal destroyen hem, as seith Seint Paul.
Soothly, of this thefte douted gretly Joseph, whan that his lordes wyf preyed hym of vileynye, whan he seyde, "Lo, my lady, how my lord hath take to me under my warde al that he hath in this world, ne no thyng of his thynges is out of my power, but oonly ye, that been his wyf.
And how sholde I thanne do this wikkednesse, and synne so horribly agayns God and agayns my lord? God it forbeede!" Allas, al to litel is swich trouthe now yfounde.
The thridde harm is the filthe thurgh which they breken the comandement of God, and defoulen the auctour of matrimoyne, that is Crist.
For certes, in so muche as the sacrement of mariage is so noble and so digne, so muche is it gretter synne for to breken it, for God made mariage in paradys, in the estaat of innocence, to multiplye mankynde to the service of God.
And therfore is the brekynge therof the moore grevous; of which brekynge comen false heires ofte tyme, that wrongfully ocupien folkes heritages. And therfore wol Crist putte hem out of the regne of hevene, that is heritage to goode folk.
Of this brekynge comth eek ofte tyme that folk unwar wedden or synnen with hire owene kynrede, and namely thilke harlotes that haunten bordels of thise fool wommen, that mowe be likned to a commune gong, where as men purgen hire ordure.
What seye we eek of putours that lyven by the horrible synne of putrie, and constreyne wommen to yelden hem a certeyn rente of hire bodily puterie, ye, somtyme of his owene wyf or his child, as doon thise bawdes? Certes, thise been cursede synnes.
Understoond eek that Avowtrie is set gladly in the ten comandementz bitwixe thefte and manslaughtre; for it is the gretteste thefte that may be, for it is thefte of body and of soule.
And it is lyk to homycide, for it kerveth atwo and breketh atwo hem that first were maked o flessh. And therfore, by the olde lawe of God, they sholde be slayn.
But nathelees, by the lawe of Jhesu Crist, that is lawe of pitee, whan he seyde to the womman that was founden in avowtrie, and sholde han been slayn with stones, after the wyl of the Jewes, as was hir lawe, "Go," quod Jhesu Crist, "and have namoore wyl to synne," or, "wille namoore to do synne."
Soothly the vengeaunce of Avowtrie is awarded to the peynes of helle, but if so be that it be destourbed by penitence.
Yet been ther mo speces of this cursed synne; as whan that oon of hem is religious, or elles bothe; or of folk that been entred into ordre, as subdekne, or dekne, or preest, or hospitaliers. And evere the hyer that he is in ordre, the gretter is the synne.
The thynges that gretly agreggen hire synne is the brekynge of hire avow of chastitee, whan they receyved the ordre.
And forther over, sooth is that hooly ordre is chief of al the tresorie of God and his especial signe and mark of chastitee to shewe that they been joyned to chastitee, which that is the moost precious lyf that is.
And thise ordred folk been specially titled to God, and of the special meignee of God, for which, whan they doon deedly synne, they been the special traytours of God and of his peple; for they lyven of the peple, to preye for the peple, and while they ben suche traitours, here preyer avayleth nat to the peple.
Preestes been aungels, as by the dignitee of hir mysterye; but for sothe, Seint Paul seith that Sathanas transformeth hym in an aungel of light.
Soothly, the preest that haunteth deedly synne, he may be likned to the aungel of derknesse transformed in the aungel of light. He semeth aungel of light, but for sothe he is aungel of derknesse.
Swiche preestes been the sones of Helie, as sheweth
Belial is to seyn, "withouten juge." And so faren they; hem thynketh they been free and han no juge, namoore than hath a free bole that taketh which cow that hym liketh in the town.
So faren they by wommen. For right as a free bole is ynough for al a toun, right so is a wikked preest corrupcioun ynough for al a parisshe, or for al a contree.
Thise preestes, as seith the book, ne konne nat the mysterie of preesthod to the peple, ne God ne knowe they nat. They ne helde hem nat apayd, as seith the book, of soden flessh that was to hem offred, but they tooke by force the flessh that is rawe.
Certes, so thise shrewes ne holden hem nat apayed of roosted flessh and sode flessh, with which the peple feden hem in greet reverence, but they wole have raw flessh of folkes wyves and hir doghtres.
And certes, thise wommen that consenten to hire harlotrie doon greet wrong to Crist, and to hooly chirche, and alle halwes, and to alle soules; for they bireven alle thise hym that sholde worshipe Crist and hooly chirche and preye for Cristene soules.
And therfore han swiche preestes, and hire lemmanes eek that consenten to hir leccherie, the malisoun of al the court Cristien, til they come to amendement.
The thridde spece of avowtrie is somtyme bitwixe a man and his wyf, and that is whan they take no reward in hire assemblynge but oonly to hire flesshly delit, as seith Seint Jerome,
and ne rekken of nothyng but that they been assembled; by cause that they been maried, al is good ynough, as thynketh to hem.
But in swich folk hath the devel power, as seyde the aungel Raphael to Thobie, for in hire assemblynge they putten Jhesu Crist out of hire herte and yeven hemself to alle ordure.
The fourthe spece is the assemblee of hem that been of hire kynrede, or of hem that been of oon affynytee, or elles with hem with whiche hir fadres or hir kynrede han deled in the synne of lecherie. This synne maketh hem lyk to houndes, that taken no kep to kynrede.
And certes, parentele is in two maneres, outher goostly or flesshly; goostly, as for to deelen with his godsibbes.
For right so as he that engendreth a child is his flesshly fader, right so is his godfader his fader espiritueel. For which a womman may in no lasse synne assemblen with hire godsib than with hire owene flesshly brother.
The fifthe spece is thilke abhomynable synne, of which that no man unnethe oghte speke ne write; nathelees it is openly reherced in holy writ.
This cursednesse doon men and wommen in diverse entente and in diverse manere; but though that hooly writ speke of horrible synne, certes hooly writ may nat been defouled, namoore than the sonne that shyneth on the mixne.
Another synne aperteneth to leccherie, that comth in slepynge, and this synne cometh ofte to hem that been maydenes, and eek to hem that been corrupt; and this synne men clepen polucioun, that comth in foure maneres.
Somtyme of langwissynge of body, for the humours been to ranke and to habundaunt in the body of man; somtyme of infermetee, for the fieblesse of the vertu retentif, as phisik maketh mencion; somtyme for surfeet of mete and drynke;
and somtyme of vileyns thoghtes that been enclosed in mannes mynde whan he gooth to slepe, which may nat been withoute synne; for which men moste kepen hem wisely, or elles may men synnen ful grevously.
Remedium contra peccatum Luxurie.
Now comth the remedie agayns Leccherie, and that
is generally chastitee and continence, that restreyneth alle the
desordeynee moevynges that comen of flesshly talentes.
And
evere the gretter merite shal he han that moost restreyneth the
wikkede eschawfynges of the [ardour] of this synne. And this is
in two maneres—that is to seyn, chastitee in mariage, and
chastitee of widwehod.
Now shaltow understonde that
matrimoyne is leefful assemblynge of man and of womman that
receyven by vertu of the
sacrement
This, as seith the book, is a ful greet sacrement. God maked it, as I have seyd, in paradys, and wolde hymself be born in mariage.
And for to halwen mariage he was at a weddynge, where as he turned water into wyn, which was the firste miracle that he wroghte in erthe biforn his disciples.
Trewe effect of mariage clenseth fornicacioun and replenysseth hooly chirche of good lynage, for that is the ende of mariage; and it chaungeth deedly synne into venial synne bitwixe hem that been ywedded, and maketh the hertes al oon of hem that been ywedded, as wel as the bodies.
This is verray mariage, that was establissed by God, er that synne bigan, whan natureel lawe was in his right poynt in paradys; and it was ordeyned that o man sholde have but o womman, and o womman but o man, as seith Seint Augustyn, by manye resouns.
First, for mariage is figured bitwixe Crist and holy
chirche. And that oother is for a man is heved of a womman;
algate, by ordinaunce it sholde be so.
For if a womman hadde
mo men than oon, thanne sholde she have moo hevedes than oon, and
that were an horrible thyng biforn God; and eek a womman ne
myghte nat plese to many folk at oones. And also ther ne sholde
nevere be pees ne reste amonges hem, for everich wolde axen his
owene thyng.
And forther over, no man ne sholde knowe his
owene engendrure, ne who sholde have his heritage; and the womman
sholde been the lasse biloved fro the tyme that she were conjoynt
to many men.
Now comth how that a man sholde bere hym with his
wif, and namely in two thynges; that is to seyn, in suffraunce
and reverence, as shewed Crist whan he made first womman.
For
he ne made hire nat of the heved of Adam, for she sholde nat
clayme to greet lordshipe.
For ther as the womman hath the
maistrie, she maketh to muche desray. Ther neden none ensamples
of this; the experience of day by day oghte suffise.
Also,
certes, God ne made nat womman of the foot of Adam, for she ne
sholde nat been holden to lowe; for she kan nat paciently suffre.
But God made womman of the ryb of Adam, for womman sholde be
felawe unto man.
Man sholde bere hym to his wyf in feith, in
trouthe, and in love, as seith Seint Paul, that a man sholde
loven his wyf as Crist loved hooly chirche, that loved it so wel
that he deyde for it. So sholde a man for his wyf, if it were
nede.
Now how that a womman sholde be subget to hire
housbonde, that telleth Seint Peter. First, in obedience.
And
eek, as seith the decree, a womman that is wyf, as longe as she
is a wyf, she hath noon auctoritee to swere ne to bere witnesse
withoute leve of hir housbonde, that is hire lord; algate, he
sholde be so by resoun.
She sholde eek serven hym in alle
honestee, and been attempree of hire array. I woot wel that they
sholde setten hire entente to plesen hir housbondes, but nat by
hire queyntise of array.
Seint Jerome seith that "wyves
that been apparailled in silk and in precious purpre ne mowe nat
clothen hem in Jhesu Crist." Loke what seith Seint John eek
in thys matere?
Seint Gregorie eek seith that "No wight
seketh precious array but oonly for veyne glorie, to been
honoured the moore biforn the peple."
It is a
greet folye, a womman to have a fair array outward
and in hirself be foul inward.
A wyf sholde eek be mesurable
in lookynge and in berynge and in lawghynge, and discreet in alle
hire wordes and hire dedes.
And aboven alle worldly thyng she
sholde loven hire housbonde with al hire herte, and to hym be
trewe of hir body.
So sholde an housbonde eek be to his wyf.
For sith that al the body is the housbondes, so sholde hire herte
been, or elles ther is bitwixe hem two, as in that, no parfit
mariage.
Thanne shal men understonde that for thre thynges
a man and his wyf flesshly mowen assemble. The firste is in
entente of engendrure of children to the service of God, for
certes that is the cause final of matrimoyne.
Another
cause is to yelden everich of hem to oother the dette of hire
bodies, for neither of hem hath power of his owene body. The
thridde is for to eschewe leccherye and vileynye. The ferthe is
for sothe deedly synne.
As to the firste, it is
The thridde manere is venyal synne; and, trewely, scarsly may ther any of thise be withoute venial synne, for the corrupcion and for the delit.
The fourthe manere is for to understonde, as if they assemble oonly for amorous love and for noon of the foreseyde causes, but for to accomplice thilke brennynge delit, they rekke nevere how ofte. Soothly it is deedly synne; and yet, with sorwe, somme folk wol peynen hem moore to doon than to hire appetit suffiseth.
The seconde manere of chastitee is for to been a clene
wydewe, and eschue the embracynges of man, and desiren the
embracynge of Jhesu Crist.
Thise been tho that han
been wyves and han forgoon hire housbondes, and eek wommen that
han doon leccherie and been releeved by penitence.
And
certes, if that a wyf koude kepen hire al chaast by licence of
hir housbonde, so that she yeve nevere noon occasion that he
agilte, it were to hire a greet merite.
Thise manere wommen
that observen chastitee moste be clene in herte as wel as in body
and in thought, and mesurable in clothynge and in contenaunce,
and been abstinent in etynge and drynkynge, in spekynge, and in
dede. They been the vessel or the boyste of the blissed
Magdelene, that fulfilleth hooly chirche of good odour.
The
thridde manere of chastitee is virginitee, and it bihoveth that
she be hooly in herte and clene of body. Thanne is she spouse to
Jhesu Crist, and she is the lyf of angeles.
She is the
preisynge of this world, and she is as thise martirs in egalitee;
she hath in hire that tonge may nat telle ne herte thynke.
Virginitee baar oure Lord Jhesu Crist, and virgine was
hymselve.
Another remedie agayns Leccherie is specially to
withdrawen swiche thynges as yeve occasion to thilke vileynye,
as ese, etynge, and drynkynge. For certes, whan the pot boyleth
strongly, the beste remedie is to withdrawe the fyr.
Slepynge
longe in greet quiete is eek a greet norice to Leccherie.
Another remedie agayns Leccherie is that a man or a womman
eschue the compaignye of hem by whiche he douteth to be tempted,
for al be it so that the dede be withstonden, yet is ther greet
temptacioun.
Soothly, a whit wal, although it ne brenne noght
fully by stikynge of a candele, yet is the wal blak of the leyt.
Ful ofte tyme I rede that no man truste in his owene
perfeccioun, but he be stronger than Sampson, and hoolier than
David, and wiser than Salomon.
Now after that I have declared yow, as I kan, the sevene
deedly synnes, and somme of hire braunches and hire remedies,
soothly, if I koude, I wolde telle yow the ten comandementz.
But so heigh a doctrine I lete to divines. Nathelees, I hope
to God, they been touched in this tretice, everich of hem alle.
Sequitur secunda pars Penitencie.
Now for as muche as the seconde partie of Penitence stant
in confessioun of mouth, as I bigan in the firste chapitre, I
seye, Seint Augustyn seith,
"Synne is every word and
every dede, and al that men coveiten, agayn the lawe of Jhesu
Crist; and this is for to synne in herte, in mouth, and in dede,
by thy fyve wittes, that been sighte, herynge, smellynge,
tastynge or savourynge, and feelynge."
Now is it
good to understonde the circumstances that agreggen muchel every
synne.
Thou shalt considere what thow art that doost the
synne, wheither thou be male or femele, yong or oold, gentil or
thral, free or servant, hool or syk, wedded or sengle, ordred or
unordred, wys or fool, clerk or seculeer;
if she be of thy
kynrede, bodily or goostly, or noon; if any of thy kynrede have
synned with hire, or noon; and manye mo thinges.
Another circumstaunce is this: wheither it be doon in
fornicacioun or in avowtrie or noon, incest or noon, mayden or
noon, in manere of homicide or noon, horrible grete synnes or
smale, and how longe thou hast continued in synne.
The
thridde circumstaunce is the place ther thou hast do synne,
wheither in oother mennes hous or in thyn owene, in feeld or in
chirche or in chirchehawe, in chirche
For if the chirche be halwed, and man or womman spille his kynde inwith that place by wey of synne or by wikked temptacioun, the chirche is entredited til it be reconsiled by the bysshop.
And the preest sholde be enterdited that dide swich a vileynye; to terme of al his lif he sholde namoore synge masse, and if he dide, he sholde doon deedly synne at every time that he so songe masse.
The fourthe circumstaunce is by whiche mediatours, or by whiche messagers, as for enticement, or for consentement to bere compaignye with felaweshipe; for many a wrecche, for to bere compaignye, wol go to the devel of helle.
Wherfore they that eggen or consenten to the synne been parteners of the synne, and of the dampnacioun of the synnere.
The fifthe circumstaunce is how manye tymes that he hath
synned, if it be in his mynde, and how ofte that he hath falle.
For he that ofte falleth in synne, he despiseth the
mercy of God, and encreesseth hys synne, and is unkynde to Crist;
and he wexeth the moore fieble to withstonde synne, and synneth
the moore lightly,
and the latter ariseth, and is the moore
eschew for to shryven hym, and namely, to hym that is his
confessour.
For which that folk, whan they falle agayn in hir
olde folies, outher they forleten hir olde confessours al outrely
or elles they departen hir shrift in diverse places; but soothly,
swich departed shrift deserveth no mercy of God of his synnes.
The sixte circumstaunce is why that a man synneth, as by
which temptacioun, and if hymself procure thilke temptacioun, or
by the excitynge of oother folk; or if he synne with a womman by
force, or by hire owene assent;
or if the womman, maugree hir
hed, hath been afforced, or noon. This shal she telle: for
coveitise, or for poverte, and if it was hire procurynge, or
noon; and swich manere harneys.
The seventhe
circumstaunce is in what manere he hath doon his synne, or how
that she hath suffred that folk han doon to hire.
And the
same shal the man telle pleynly with alle circumstaunces; and
wheither he hath synned with comune bordel wommen or noon,
or
doon his synne in hooly tymes or noon, in fastyng tymes or noon,
or biforn his shrifte, or after his latter shrifte,
and hath
peraventure broken therfore his penance enjoyned, by whos help
and whos conseil, by sorcerie or craft; al moste be toold.
Alle thise thynges, after that they been grete or smale,
engreggen the conscience of man. And eek the preest, that is thy
juge, may the bettre been avysed of his juggement in yevynge of
thy penaunce, and that is after thy contricioun.
For
understond wel that after tyme that a man hath defouled his
baptesme by synne, if he wole come to salvacioun, ther is noon
other wey but by penitence and shrifte and satisfaccioun,
and
namely by the two, if ther be a confessour to which he may
shriven hym, and the thridde, if he have lyf to parfournen it.
Thanne shal man looke and considere that if he wole maken
a trewe and a profitable confessioun, ther moste be foure
condiciouns.
First, it moot been in sorweful bitternesse of
herte, as seyde the kyng Ezechias to God, "I wol remembre me
alle the yeres of my lif in bitternesse of myn herte."
This condicioun of bitternesse hath fyve signes. The firste
is that confessioun moste be shamefast, nat for to covere ne
hyden his synne, for he hath agilt his God and defouled his
soule.
And herof seith Seint Augustyn, "The herte
travailleth for shame of his synne"; and for he hath greet
shamefastnesse, he is digne to have greet mercy of God.
Swich
was the confessioun of the publican that wolde nat heven up his
eyen to hevene, for he hadde offended God of hevene; for which
shamefastnesse he hadde anon the mercy of God.
And therof
seith Seint Augustyn that swich shamefast folk been next
foryevenesse and remissioun.
Another signe is humylitee in
confessioun, of which seith Seint Peter, "Humbleth yow under
the myght of God." The hond of God is myghty in confessioun,
for therby God foryeveth thee thy synnes, for he allone hath the
power.
And this humylitee shal been in herte and in signe
outward, for right as he hath humylitee to God in his herte,
right so sholde he
For which in no manere, sith that Crist is sovereyn, and the preest meene and mediatour bitwixe Crist and the synnere, and the synnere is the laste by wey of resoun,
thanne sholde nat the synnere sitte as heighe as his confessour, but knele biforn hym or at his feet, but if maladie destourbe it. For he shal nat taken kep who sit there, but in whos place that he sitteth.
A man that hath trespased to a lord, and comth for to axe mercy and maken his accord, and set him doun anon by the lord, men wolde holden hym outrageous, and nat worthy so soone for to have remissioun ne mercy.
The thridde signe is how that thy shrift sholde be ful of teeris, if man may, and if man may nat wepe with his bodily eyen, lat hym wepe in herte.
Swich was the confession of Seint Peter, for after that he hadde forsake Jhesu Crist, he wente out and weep ful bitterly.
The fourthe signe is that he ne lette nat for shame to shewen his confessioun.
Swich was the confessioun of the Magdalene, that ne spared for no shame of hem that weren atte feeste, for to go to oure Lord Jhesu Crist and biknowe to hym hire synne.
The fifthe signe is that a man or a womman be obeisant to receyven the penaunce that hym is enjoyned for his synnes, for certes, Jhesu Crist, for the giltes of o man, was obedient to the deeth.
The seconde condicion of verray confession is that it be
hastily doon. For certes, if a man hadde a deedly wounde, evere
the lenger that he taried to warisshe hymself, the moore wolde
it corrupte and haste hym to his deeth, and eek the wounde wolde
be the wors for to heele.
And right so fareth synne that
longe tyme is in a man unshewed.
Certes, a man
oghte hastily shewen his synnes for manye causes; as for drede
of deeth, that cometh ofte sodeynly, and no certeyn what tyme it
shal be, ne in what place; and eek the drecchynge of o synne
draweth in another;
and eek the lenger that he tarieth, the
ferther he is fro Crist. And if he abide to his laste day,
scarsly may he shryven hym or remembre hym of his synnes or
repenten hym, for the grevous maladie of his deeth.
And for
as muche as he ne hath nat in his lyf herkned Jhesu Crist whanne
he hath spoken, he shal crie to Jhesu Crist at his laste day, and
scarsly wol he herkne hym.
And understond that this
condicioun moste han foure thynges. Thi shrift moste be purveyed
bifore and avysed; for wikked haste dooth no profit; and that a
man konne shryve hym of his synnes, be it of pride, or of envye,
and so forth with the speces and circumstances;
and that he
have comprehended in hys mynde the nombre and the greetnesse of
his synnes, and how longe that he hath leyn in synne;
and eek that he be contrit of his synnes, and in
stidefast purpos, by the grace of God, nevere eft to falle in
synne; and eek that he drede and countrewaite hymself, that he
fle the occasiouns of synne to whiche he is enclyned.
Also
thou shalt shryve thee of alle thy synnes to o man, and nat a
parcel to o man and a parcel to another; that is to understonde,
in entente to departe thy confessioun, as for shame or drede, for
it nys but stranglynge of thy soule.
For certes Jhesu Crist
is entierly al good; in hym nys noon imperfeccioun, and therfore
outher he foryeveth al parfitly or elles never a deel.
I seye
nat that if thow be assigned to the penitauncer for certein
synne, that thow art bounde to shewen hym al the remenaunt of thy
synnes, of whiche thow hast be shryven of thy curaat, but if it
like to thee of thyn humylitee; this is no departynge of shrifte.
Ne I seye nat, ther as I speke of divisioun of confessioun,
that if thou have licence for to shryve thee to a discreet and
an honest preest, where thee liketh, and by licence of thy
curaat, that thow ne mayst wel shryve thee to him of alle thy
synnes.
But lat no blotte be bihynde; lat no synne
been untoold, as fer as thow hast remembraunce.
And whan thou
shalt be shryven to thy curaat, telle hym eek alle the synnes
that thow hast doon syn thou were last yshryven; this is no
wikked entente of divisioun of shrifte.
Also the verray shrifte axeth certeine condiciouns. First,
that thow shryve thee by thy free wil, noght constreyned, ne for
shame of folk, ne for maladie, ne swiche thynges. For
and that noon oother man telle his synne but he hymself; ne he shal nat nayte ne denye his synne, ne wratthe hym agayn the preest for his amonestynge to lete synne.
The seconde condicioun is that thy shrift be laweful; that is to seyn, that thow that shryvest thee and eek the preest that hereth thy confessioun been verraily in the feith of hooly chirche,
and that a man ne be nat despeired of the mercy of Jhesu Crist, as Caym or Judas.
And eek a man moot accusen hymself of his owene trespas, and nat another; but he shal blame and wyten hymself and his owene malice of his synne, and noon oother.
But nathelees, if that another man be occasioun or enticere of his synne, or the estaat of a persone be swich thurgh which his synne is agregged, or elles that he may nat pleynly shryven hym but he telle the persone with which he hath synned, thanne may he telle it,
so that his entente ne be nat to bakbite the persone, but oonly to declaren his confessioun.
Thou ne shalt nat eek make no lesynges in thy confessioun,
for humylitee, peraventure, to seyn that thou hast doon synnes
of whiche thow were nevere gilty.
For Seint Augustyn
seith, "If thou, by cause of thyn humylitee, makest lesynges
on thyself, though thow ne were nat in synne biforn, yet artow
thanne in synne thurgh thy lesynges."
Thou most eek shewe
thy synne by thyn owene propre mouth, but thow be woxe dowmb, and
nat by no lettre; for thow that hast doon the synne, thou shalt
have the shame therfore.
Thow shalt nat eek peynte thy
confessioun by faire subtile wordes, to covere the moore thy
synne; for thanne bigilestow thyself, and nat the preest. Thow
most tellen it platly, be it nevere so foul ne so horrible.
Thow shalt eek shryve thee to a preest that is discreet to
conseille thee; and eek thou shalt nat shryve thee for veyne
glorie, ne for ypocrisye, ne for no cause but oonly for the doute
of Jhesu Crist and the heele of thy soule.
Thow shalt nat eek
renne to the preest sodeynly to tellen hym lightly thy synne, as
whoso telleth a jape or a tale, but avysely and with greet
devocioun.
And generally, shryve thee ofte. If thou
ofte falle, ofte thou arise by confessioun.
And though thou
shryve thee ofter than ones of synne of which thou hast be
shryven, it is the moore merite. And, as seith Seint Augustyn,
thow shalt have the moore lightly relessyng and grace of God,
bothe of synne and of peyne.
And certes, oones a yeere atte
leeste wey it is laweful for to been housled, for certes, oones
a yeere alle thynges renovellen.
Now have I toold yow of verray Confessioun, that is the
seconde partie of Penitence.
Explicit secunda pars Penitencie et sequitur tercia pars eiusdem.
The thridde partie of Penitence is Satisfaccioun, and that
stant moost generally in almesse and in bodily peyne.
Now been ther thre manere of almesse: contricion of
herte, where a man offreth hymself to God; another is to han
pitee of defaute of his neighebores; and the thridde is in
yevynge of good conseil and comfort, goostly and bodily, where
men han nede, and namely in sustenaunce of mannes foode.
And
tak kep that a man hath nede of thise thinges generally: he hath
nede of foode, he hath nede of clothyng and herberwe, he hath
nede of charitable conseil and visitynge in prisone and in
maladie, and sepulture of his dede body.
And if thow mayst
nat visite the nedeful with thy persone, visite hym by thy
message and by thy yiftes.
Thise been general almesses or
werkes of charitee of hem that han temporeel richesses or
discrecioun in conseilynge. Of thise werkes shaltow heren at the
day of doom.
Thise almesses shaltow doon of thyne owene propre thynges,
and hastily and prively, if thow mayst.
But
nathelees, if thow mayst nat doon it prively, thow shalt nat
forbere to doon almesse though men seen it, so that it be nat
doon for thank of the world, but oonly for thank of Jhesu Crist.
For, as witnesseth Seint Mathew, capitulo
quinto,
Right so shal youre light lighten bifore men, that they may seen youre goode werkes, and glorifie youre fader that is in hevene."
Now as to speken of bodily peyne, it stant in preyeres,
in wakynges, in fastynges, in vertuouse techynges of orisouns.
And ye shul understonde that orisouns or preyeres is for to
seyn a pitous wyl of herte, that redresseth it in God and
expresseth it by word outward, to remoeven harmes and to han
thynges espiritueel and durable, and somtyme temporele thynges;
of whiche orisouns, certes, in the orison of the
Pater noster hath Jhesu Crist enclosed moost
thynges.
Certes, it is privyleged of thre thynges
in his dignytee, for which it is moore digne than any oother
preyere, for that Jhesu Crist hymself maked it;
and it is
short, for it sholde be koud the moore lightly, and for to
withholden it the moore esily in herte, and helpen hymself the
ofter with the orisoun,
and for a man sholde be the lasse
wery to seyen it, and for a man may nat excusen hym to lerne it,
it is so short and so esy, and for it comprehendeth in it self
alle goode preyeres.
The exposicioun of this hooly preyere,
that is so excellent and digne, I bitake to thise maistres of
theologie, save thus muchel wol I seyn; that whan thow prayest
that God sholde foryeve thee thy giltes as thou foryevest hem
that agilten to thee, be ful wel war that thow ne be nat out of
charitee.
This hooly orison amenuseth eek venyal synne, and
therfore it aperteneth specially to penitence.
This preyere moste be trewely seyd, and in verray
feith, and that men preye to God ordinatly and discreetly and
devoutly; and alwey a man shal putten his wyl to be subget to the
wille of God.
This orisoun moste eek been seyd with greet
humblesse and ful pure, honestly and nat to the anoyaunce of any
man or womman. It moste eek been continued with the werkes of
charitee.
It avayleth eek agayn the vices of the soule, for,
as seith Seint Jerome, "By fastynge been saved the vices of
the flessh, and by preyere the vices of the soule."
After this, thou shalt understonde that bodily peyne stant
in wakynge, for Jhesu Crist seith, "Waketh and preyeth, that
ye ne entre in wikked temptacioun."
Ye shul understanden
also that fastynge stant in thre thynges: in forberynge of bodily
mete and drynke, and in forberynge of worldly jolitee, and in
forberynge of deedly synne; this is to seyn, that a man shal
kepen hym fro deedly synne with al his myght.
And thou shalt understanden eek that God ordeyned
fastynge, and to fastynge appertenen foure thinges:
largenesse to povre folk, gladnesse of herte espiritueel, nat
to been angry ne anoyed, ne grucche for he fasteth, and also
resonable houre for to ete; ete by mesure; that is for to seyn,
a man shal nat ete in untyme, ne sitte the lenger at his table
to ete for he fasteth.
Thanne shaltow understonde that bodily peyne stant in
disciplyne or techynge, by word, or by writynge, or in ensample;
also in werynge of heyres, or of stamyn, or of haubergeons on
hire naked flessh, for Cristes sake, and swiche manere penances.
But war thee wel that swiche manere penaunces on thy flessh
ne make nat thyn herte bitter or angry or anoyed of thyself, for
bettre is to caste awey thyn heyre, than for to caste awey the
swetenesse of Jhesu Crist.
And therfore seith Seint Paul,
"Clothe yow, as they that been chosen of God, in herte of
misericorde, debonairetee, suffraunce, and swich manere of
clothynge," of whiche Jhesu Crist is moore apayed than of
heyres, or haubergeouns, or hauberkes.
Thanne is discipline eek in knokkynge of thy
brest, in scourgynge with yerdes, in knelynges, in tribulacions,
in suffrynge paciently wronges that been doon to thee, and
eek in pacient suffraunce of maladies, or lesynge of worldly
catel, or of wyf, or of child, or othere freendes.
Thanne shaltow understonde whiche thynges destourben
penaunce; and this is in foure maneres: that is, drede, shame,
hope, and wanhope, that is desperacion.
And for to speke
first of drede, for which he weneth that he may suffre no
penaunce;
ther-agayns is remedie for to thynke that bodily
penaunce is but short and litel at regard of the peyne of
helle,
Now again the shame that a man hath to shryven
hym, and namely thise ypocrites that wolden been holden so
parfite that they han no nede to shryven hem;
agayns that
shame sholde a man thynke that, by wey of resoun, that he that
hath nat been shamed to doon foule thinges, certes hym oghte nat
been ashamed to do faire thynges, and that is confessiouns.
A
man sholde eek thynke that God seeth and woot alle his thoghtes
and alle his workes, to hym may no thyng been hyd ne covered.
Men sholden eek remembren hem of the shame that is to come
at the day of doom to hem that been nat penitent and shryven in
this present lyf.
For alle the creatures in hevene, in erthe,
and in helle shullen seen apertly al that they hyden in this
world.
Now for to speken of the hope of hem that been
necligent and slowe to shryven hem, that stant in two maneres.
That oon is that he hopeth for to lyve longe and for to
purchacen muche richesse for his delit, and thanne he wol shryven
hym; and, as he seith, hym semeth thanne tymely ynough to come
to shrifte.
Another is of surquidrie that he hath in Cristes
mercy.
Agayns the firste vice, he shal thynke that oure lif
is in no sikernesse, and eek that alle the richesses in this
world ben in aventure and passen as a shadwe on the wal;
and,
as seith Seint Gregorie, that it aperteneth to the grete
rightwisnesse of God that nevere shal the peyne stynte of hem
that nevere wolde withdrawen hem fro synne, hir thankes, but ay
continue in synne; for thilke perpetueel wil to do synne shul
they han perpetueel peyne.
Wanhope is in two maneres: the firste wanhope is
in the mercy of Crist; that oother is that they thynken that they
ne myghte nat longe persevere in goodnesse.
The firste
wanhope comth of that he demeth that he hath synned so greetly
and so ofte, and so longe leyn in synne, that he shal nat be
saved.
Certes, agayns that cursed wanhope sholde he thynke
that the passion of Jhesu Crist is moore strong for to unbynde
than synne is strong for to bynde.
Agayns the seconde wanhope
he shal thynke that as ofte as he falleth he may arise agayn by
penitence. And though he never so longe have leyn in synne, the
mercy of Crist is alwey redy to receiven hym to mercy.
Agayns
the wanhope that he demeth that he sholde nat longe persevere in
goodnesse, he shal thynke that the feblesse of the devel may
nothyng doon, but if men wol suffren hym;
and eek
he shal han strengthe of the help of God, and of al hooly
chirche, and of the proteccioun of aungels, if hym list.
Thanne shal men understonde what is the fruyt of penaunce;
and, after the word of Jhesu Crist, it is the endelees blisse of
hevene,
ther joye hath no contrarioustee of wo ne grevaunce;
ther alle harmes been passed of this present lyf; ther as is the
sikernesse fro the peyne of helle; ther as is the blisful
compaignye that rejoysen hem everemo, everich of otheres joye;
ther as the body of man, that whilom was foul and derk, is
moore cleer than the sonne; ther as the body, that whilom was
syk, freele, and fieble, and mortal, is inmortal, and so strong
and so hool that ther may no thyng apeyren it;
ther as ne is
neither hunger, thurst, ne coold, but every soule replenyssed
with the sighte of the parfit knowynge of God.
This
blisful regne may men purchace by poverte espiritueel, and the
glorie by lowenesse, the plentee of joye by hunger and thurst,
and the reste by travaille, and the lyf by deeth and
mortificacion of synne.
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