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[The Tale of Zenon, the would-be Thief: how he reformd himself.]
Þys yche abbot, Ȝenon he hyght,
And wel he was with god almyght;
Vppon a day he went hys wey
To Palestyne, þat ys an abbey,
To make hys vysytacyun
As falleþ yn relygyun;
And as he went by þe strete
he behelde a fruyt ryȝt feyre and swete;
Þys yche fruyt he desyred faste,
And hys herte moche þarto he caste,
‘Gourdys’ þus men clepe þe name;
Þys gode man þoght, “y am to blame
Ȝyf y take ouþer mennys þyng
wyþ-outë leue of any askyng.
For soþe, he seyde, þan were y a þefe
And þefte ne ys gode, ne gode man lefe;
And ȝyf y stele, y am a felun;
hanged y shal be, þurgh ryȝt resun.
Fyrst y wylle wyte þe soþe certeyne.
Ȝyf y may suffre þat yche peyne
Þat þefys suffre for þeft sake,
Ar y wyl oght of þe fruyt take;
And ȝyf y may nat suffre þat wo,
To þeftë wyl y neuer go.”
And wel he was with god almyght;
Vppon a day he went hys wey
To Palestyne, þat ys an abbey,
To make hys vysytacyun
As falleþ yn relygyun;
And as he went by þe strete
he behelde a fruyt ryȝt feyre and swete;
Þys yche fruyt he desyred faste,
And hys herte moche þarto he caste,
‘Gourdys’ þus men clepe þe name;
Þys gode man þoght, “y am to blame
Ȝyf y take ouþer mennys þyng
wyþ-outë leue of any askyng.
For soþe, he seyde, þan were y a þefe
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And ȝyf y stele, y am a felun;
hanged y shal be, þurgh ryȝt resun.
Fyrst y wylle wyte þe soþe certeyne.
Ȝyf y may suffre þat yche peyne
Þat þefys suffre for þeft sake,
Ar y wyl oght of þe fruyt take;
And ȝyf y may nat suffre þat wo,
To þeftë wyl y neuer go.”
Ryght as he þoght, he dede eche dele,
he ȝede and clambe vpp on a pele,
And hyng þeron by þe hond,—
Nat by þe nekke, y vndyrstonde—
For hyt ys nat oueral þe lawe
For to do so, men to dawe.
Fyuë days he hyng þere stylle
Aȝens þe sunnë by hys wylle;
And hyt was yn þe somerys tyde,
whan þe hete ys al yn pryde.
Þan seyd he, to hymself þore,
“Þys peynë wyl y suffre no more:
Þefte, he seyde, y here forsake;
Þys fruyt, wyl y nat take.
Syn y may nat suffre for grefe
Þe peyne þat befalleþ to a þefe.”
he ȝede and clambe vpp on a pele,
And hyng þeron by þe hond,—
Nat by þe nekke, y vndyrstonde—
For hyt ys nat oueral þe lawe
For to do so, men to dawe.
Fyuë days he hyng þere stylle
Aȝens þe sunnë by hys wylle;
And hyt was yn þe somerys tyde,
whan þe hete ys al yn pryde.
Þan seyd he, to hymself þore,
“Þys peynë wyl y suffre no more:
Þefte, he seyde, y here forsake;
Þys fruyt, wyl y nat take.
Syn y may nat suffre for grefe
Þe peyne þat befalleþ to a þefe.”
Þys ensample were gode to kone,
Alle hem þat to þefte hem wone;
Þo þat haue here handys as lyme,
To hem were gode to here þys ryme;
Þan myght þey wytë redly
what shamë þat þey were wurþy,
And swych grace myȝt god hem sende
Þat þey, þurgh þys myȝt hem amende.
Alle hem þat to þefte hem wone;
Þo þat haue here handys as lyme,
To hem were gode to here þys ryme;
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what shamë þat þey were wurþy,
And swych grace myȝt god hem sende
Þat þey, þurgh þys myȝt hem amende.
A þefë to hys þefte haþ rape,
For he weneþ euer-more for to skape;
yn þat hope he doþe hys euyl,
And al ys entycement of þe deuyl.
Þarefore beþenke þe wel with-ynne
Þat þefte ys cumbrement of synne.
For he weneþ euer-more for to skape;
yn þat hope he doþe hys euyl,
And al ys entycement of þe deuyl.
Þarefore beþenke þe wel with-ynne
Þat þefte ys cumbrement of synne.
Ȝyf a man make a chylde oght stele,
Swyche styl þefte shal he nat hele;
A þefte hyt ys, ȝyf þou do so,
To tyse a chylde swyche synne to do.
Swyche styl þefte shal he nat hele;
A þefte hyt ys, ȝyf þou do so,
To tyse a chylde swyche synne to do.
Or ȝyf þou euer stale a chylde aweye,
yn swychë þefte ys grete affraye.
yn þys twey þynges and yn þys fame
Are wymmen mochë for to blame.
For þey haue cumlyngys yn and oute;
Of swyche shuld men haue gretë doute.
Þey shul neuer weyte but wo,
Swychë cumlyngys, to ne fro,
Þey are wurþy to be shent
yn þys yche comaundëment.
yn swychë þefte ys grete affraye.
yn þys twey þynges and yn þys fame
Are wymmen mochë for to blame.
For þey haue cumlyngys yn and oute;
Of swyche shuld men haue gretë doute.
Þey shul neuer weyte but wo,
Swychë cumlyngys, to ne fro,
Þey are wurþy to be shent
yn þys yche comaundëment.
Ȝyf þou brake euer any kyrke
On day, or yn nyȝt, yn myrke,
Þou art a-cursed, þou wostë weyl,
And hange were wurþy on a peyl.
And ȝyf þou bere awey þe þyng,
Þe more þou fallest yn cursyng.
On day, or yn nyȝt, yn myrke,
Þou art a-cursed, þou wostë weyl,
And hange were wurþy on a peyl.
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Þe more þou fallest yn cursyng.
Ȝyf þou haue be a þefe of pray
To robbë men be nyȝt or be day,
Gretly þou dost aȝens þe lawe,
Þou oghtyst to do swyche men a dawe.
To robbë men be nyȝt or be day,
Gretly þou dost aȝens þe lawe,
Þou oghtyst to do swyche men a dawe.
Or ȝyf þou swyche foly began
To rauyshë any womman,
Þat ys to seye, any wedded wyfe,
Þe more ys þy synne & perel of lyfe.
To rauyshë any womman,
Þat ys to seye, any wedded wyfe,
Þe more ys þy synne & perel of lyfe.
Ȝyf þou rauyssh any mayden clene—
Aȝens here wyl, þat ys to mene,—
hyt ys seyde þurgh lawë wrete,
Þat þyn hede shulde be of smete
(Lawe makeþ þat commandëment)
with-outyn any iuggëment;
Þat mayst þou fyndë al an sum
In code ‘de raptu virginum.’
Aȝens here wyl, þat ys to mene,—
hyt ys seyde þurgh lawë wrete,
Þat þyn hede shulde be of smete
(Lawe makeþ þat commandëment)
with-outyn any iuggëment;
Þat mayst þou fyndë al an sum
In code ‘de raptu virginum.’
Ȝyf þou rauysshe a mayden powre,
Þou art holdyn to here socoure;
And, þat shal be at here wylle,
For, as she wyl, þou shalt fulfylle;
For þou hast do here tresun,
Þou hast stole here warysun;
hyt may þe brynge to more cumbryng
Þan þoght þou haddest stole moche ouþer þyng.
To comun lechours, y þys seye,
Many with-outë shryfte shul deye.
Þou art holdyn to here socoure;
And, þat shal be at here wylle,
For, as she wyl, þou shalt fulfylle;
For þou hast do here tresun,
Þou hast stole here warysun;
hyt may þe brynge to more cumbryng
Þan þoght þou haddest stole moche ouþer þyng.
To comun lechours, y þys seye,
Many with-outë shryfte shul deye.
Ȝyf þou be a lordyng,
And outraiusly takyst mennys þyng
yn tyme of werre or tyme of pes,
Þou stelyst hyt, with-outë les,—
But þurgh ryȝt or þurgh cunnaunte,—
Þou art a þefe ȝyf þou hyt haunte.
And outraiusly takyst mennys þyng
yn tyme of werre or tyme of pes,
Þou stelyst hyt, with-outë les,—
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Þou art a þefe ȝyf þou hyt haunte.
And ȝyf a lorde of a tounne
Robbe hys men oute of resoune,
Þogh hyt be yn bondage,
Aȝens ryȝt he doþe outrage.
he shal so take, þat he may lyue,
And as lawe of londe wyl forȝyue;
For ȝyf he take ouer mesure,
lytyl tymë shal hyt dure.
Þogh god haue ȝeue hym þe seynorye,
he ȝaf hym no leue to do robborye;
For god haþ ordeyned al mennys state,
how to lyue, and yn what gate;
And þoȝt he ȝyue one ouer oþer myȝt,
he wyl, þat he do hym but ryȝt.
Þys ys þe ryȝt of goddys lokyng,
“Ȝelde euery man hys ownë þyng.”
But god takeþ euermore veniaunce
Of lordys, for swych myschaunce,
For swych robbery þat þey make
Þat oftë of þe poure men take.
y shal ȝou telle a. lytyl wyght
how hyt befel onys of a knyȝt.
Robbe hys men oute of resoune,
Þogh hyt be yn bondage,
Aȝens ryȝt he doþe outrage.
he shal so take, þat he may lyue,
And as lawe of londe wyl forȝyue;
For ȝyf he take ouer mesure,
lytyl tymë shal hyt dure.
Þogh god haue ȝeue hym þe seynorye,
he ȝaf hym no leue to do robborye;
For god haþ ordeyned al mennys state,
how to lyue, and yn what gate;
And þoȝt he ȝyue one ouer oþer myȝt,
he wyl, þat he do hym but ryȝt.
Þys ys þe ryȝt of goddys lokyng,
“Ȝelde euery man hys ownë þyng.”
But god takeþ euermore veniaunce
Of lordys, for swych myschaunce,
For swych robbery þat þey make
Þat oftë of þe poure men take.
y shal ȝou telle a. lytyl wyght
how hyt befel onys of a knyȝt.
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