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[The Tale of how the Devil came to be Shriven.]
An holy man, þat God was dere,
Onës sat, shryftë to here;
To hym come þe fende of helle,
Yn form of a man, hys synne to telle;—
Þe holy man wende hyt had be
A man yn flessh as he dyd se;
On hys knees he sett hym downe,
with þe prest, for to roune,
And tolde hys wykkednes ful bostely.
Þe gode man lestned, þat satte hym by;
He seyde, “y haue be yn þe se;
Þere þre þousend shyppes were dreynt þurgh me;
“And alle þe folk with-outë numbre,
Allë broȝt y hem to kumbre;
Aboue, yn-to þe wynde y wente,
And broȝt hem alle to þat turment;
On land y haue do more tresun
wyþ fyre and slaghtyr yn euery toune,
And alle þe skaþe y myȝt of mone,
Tó hem þat yn borwës wone;
y haue made wraþþe and euyl wyl
Betwyxë hem þat wulde none yl,
And sle echoun ouþer at here myȝt,
More with wrong, þan with ryȝt.
Onës sat, shryftë to here;
To hym come þe fende of helle,
Yn form of a man, hys synne to telle;—
Þe holy man wende hyt had be
A man yn flessh as he dyd se;
On hys knees he sett hym downe,
with þe prest, for to roune,
And tolde hys wykkednes ful bostely.
Þe gode man lestned, þat satte hym by;
He seyde, “y haue be yn þe se;
Þere þre þousend shyppes were dreynt þurgh me;
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Allë broȝt y hem to kumbre;
Aboue, yn-to þe wynde y wente,
And broȝt hem alle to þat turment;
On land y haue do more tresun
wyþ fyre and slaghtyr yn euery toune,
And alle þe skaþe y myȝt of mone,
Tó hem þat yn borwës wone;
y haue made wraþþe and euyl wyl
Betwyxë hem þat wulde none yl,
And sle echoun ouþer at here myȝt,
More with wrong, þan with ryȝt.
“Yn pryde, yn Ire, yn enuye,
yn slouþë, and yn coueytyse,
yn glotonye, and yn lecherye,
Y delyte me yn euery vyleynye;
Foule flessh dedes þat are ouer rank,
More þan ouþer y take to þank;
But, pryde algate, and coueytyse,
Y may nat leue, ne none of þyse;
Ten þousend men dampned be
Yn þese two, for loue of me;
when y fynde hem custummably
Yn þese two synnës alle redy,
Ful weyl payeþ me þat synne,
And bounde are þey to me þer-ynne;
Þan do þey, ryȝt as y wyl,
Allë wrong wyþ-outë skylle;
Fro wykked to wers, y do hem falle,
For y am mayster ouer hem alle;
Ȝyf þey wulde wake, y do hem slepe,
And yn ydulnes to lepe;
For whan þey are yn beddë broȝt,
y do hem synne yn ydul þoȝt;
yn þoȝt of folye, and foule delyte,
“I do hem þenkë þan ful tyte.
yn slouþë, and yn coueytyse,
yn glotonye, and yn lecherye,
Y delyte me yn euery vyleynye;
Foule flessh dedes þat are ouer rank,
More þan ouþer y take to þank;
But, pryde algate, and coueytyse,
Y may nat leue, ne none of þyse;
Ten þousend men dampned be
Yn þese two, for loue of me;
when y fynde hem custummably
Yn þese two synnës alle redy,
Ful weyl payeþ me þat synne,
And bounde are þey to me þer-ynne;
Þan do þey, ryȝt as y wyl,
Allë wrong wyþ-outë skylle;
Fro wykked to wers, y do hem falle,
For y am mayster ouer hem alle;
Ȝyf þey wulde wake, y do hem slepe,
And yn ydulnes to lepe;
For whan þey are yn beddë broȝt,
y do hem synne yn ydul þoȝt;
yn þoȝt of folye, and foule delyte,
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“Certes y may nat telle hyt alle,
þe synne þat y haue do, and more shal.
Cryst, loue y neuer a deyl,
Ne none þat on hym byleueþ weyl,
For, yn euery dedly synne
y am bounde, and may nat blynne.
þe synne þat y haue do, and more shal.
Cryst, loue y neuer a deyl,
Ne none þat on hym byleueþ weyl,
For, yn euery dedly synne
y am bounde, and may nat blynne.
“Y dyd neuer commaundement
þat God vn-to þe folk haþ sent.
Þe sacramentys of holy cherche,
y loued hem neuer, ne neuer wulde werche.
Pryue synne and sacrylage,
Þat loue y moste, and rycolage.
holy cherche, despyse and fyle,
þat wyl y bleþly, alle my whyle.”
þat God vn-to þe folk haþ sent.
Þe sacramentys of holy cherche,
y loued hem neuer, ne neuer wulde werche.
Pryue synne and sacrylage,
Þat loue y moste, and rycolage.
holy cherche, despyse and fyle,
þat wyl y bleþly, alle my whyle.”
þe holy man, lestnë bygan,
And, had wundyr of þat o man
Þat he myȝt so moche synnë do,
As he a-couped hym self vn-to:
Þe godë man, for alle þys chaunce,
Sagh yn hym no répentaunce,
Ne no sorowe made of contrycyun
For no synne þat he had doun.
He seyd, “hast þou any shame of þy synne
Þat þou hást be so moche ynne?”
And, had wundyr of þat o man
Þat he myȝt so moche synnë do,
As he a-couped hym self vn-to:
Þe godë man, for alle þys chaunce,
Sagh yn hym no répentaunce,
Ne no sorowe made of contrycyun
For no synne þat he had doun.
He seyd, “hast þou any shame of þy synne
Þat þou hást be so moche ynne?”
Þe fende answered to hym aȝen:
“Wytë þou weyl for certeyn,
Þere y dyd but one or two,
Y wulde haue do twenty and mo.”
“Þan art þou,” he seyd, “a wykked deuyl,
Þat þou repentest þe of none euyl.”
“Ȝe, certeys,” he seyd, “so y am,
A fende of helle, to þe y cam.”
“Y coniure þe þat þou me telle—
Syn þou art a fende of helle—
For what maner þyng a lyue,
“Þat þou come hedyr, þe to shryue?”
“Now behoueþ me nedely
Telle þe euerydel, and why.
“Wytë þou weyl for certeyn,
Þere y dyd but one or two,
Y wulde haue do twenty and mo.”
“Þan art þou,” he seyd, “a wykked deuyl,
Þat þou repentest þe of none euyl.”
“Ȝe, certeys,” he seyd, “so y am,
A fende of helle, to þe y cam.”
“Y coniure þe þat þou me telle—
Syn þou art a fende of helle—
For what maner þyng a lyue,
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“Now behoueþ me nedely
Telle þe euerydel, and why.
“Y se men come to shryfte so þykke,—
Of some, here soules as blak as pykke,
And as grymly on to se
As any fende yn helle may be,—
Þo samë men, when þey are shryue,
So moche bryȝtnes ys hem ȝyue,
Þat no sonnë ys so bryȝt
As here soules yn Goddys syȝt.
Y wyst my self hydus and blak,
And no þyng haþ so mochë lak;
Þurgh my shryfte, y wende to spede,
To haue turned so bryȝt as ouþer ȝede.”
Of some, here soules as blak as pykke,
And as grymly on to se
As any fende yn helle may be,—
Þo samë men, when þey are shryue,
So moche bryȝtnes ys hem ȝyue,
Þat no sonnë ys so bryȝt
As here soules yn Goddys syȝt.
Y wyst my self hydus and blak,
And no þyng haþ so mochë lak;
Þurgh my shryfte, y wende to spede,
To haue turned so bryȝt as ouþer ȝede.”
“Þou art dyceyued, foule treytoure!
Þy shryfte may haue no swyche onour;
Hyt may neuer do þe pru,
Þe feyrehede of shryfte, ne þe vertu.
Þo þat þou sawe so blak with-ynne,
Þey are repentaunt of here synne,
And are now come to ryȝt gode wyl,
To do penaunce, and no more yl;
And þurgh þe shryfte þat þey haue take,
Þey are asoyled, and synne forsake.
Þere-of cumþ alle here beute
Yn here soules, as þou mayst se;
But þou þat hast no répentaunce,
But loue and lykyng yn cumbraunce,
To feyrehede shalt þou neuer wende,
But blak and foule wyþ-outyn ende;
A deuyl þou come; to Satan þou go!
To þat sorowe þat þou come fro.”
he wente a-wey, alle for-lore,
A deuyl, as he was byfore.
Þy shryfte may haue no swyche onour;
Hyt may neuer do þe pru,
Þe feyrehede of shryfte, ne þe vertu.
Þo þat þou sawe so blak with-ynne,
Þey are repentaunt of here synne,
And are now come to ryȝt gode wyl,
To do penaunce, and no more yl;
And þurgh þe shryfte þat þey haue take,
Þey are asoyled, and synne forsake.
Þere-of cumþ alle here beute
Yn here soules, as þou mayst se;
But þou þat hast no répentaunce,
But loue and lykyng yn cumbraunce,
To feyrehede shalt þou neuer wende,
But blak and foule wyþ-outyn ende;
A deuyl þou come; to Satan þou go!
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he wente a-wey, alle for-lore,
A deuyl, as he was byfore.
Þarfore, gode men, wyte ȝe weyl,
Shryfte saueþ nat a-lone eche dyl,
But ȝe haue gode répentaunce,
And of foryȝuenes gode affyaunce,
And yn gode wyl, ȝow to withholde
Fro þe synnes þat byfore are tolde.
Shryfte saueþ nat a-lone eche dyl,
But ȝe haue gode répentaunce,
And of foryȝuenes gode affyaunce,
And yn gode wyl, ȝow to withholde
Fro þe synnes þat byfore are tolde.
God graunte vs grace, swyche shryfte to make,
And for oure synne swyche penaunce take,
Þat we be neuer more a-teynt
For fals shryuyng, ne for feynt;
But graunte vs alle vs self to ȝeme,
And yn oure shryfte Ihesu to queme!
And for oure synne swyche penaunce take,
Þat we be neuer more a-teynt
For fals shryuyng, ne for feynt;
But graunte vs alle vs self to ȝeme,
And yn oure shryfte Ihesu to queme!
Amen!
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