Handlyng Synne :: :: University of Virginia Library

Fadyr, and Sone, & holy goste,
Þat art o god of myȝtës moste,
At þy wurschyp shul we bygynne,
To shame þe fende & shew oure synne;
Synne to shewë, vs to frame,
God to wurschyp, þe fende to shame.
Shameful synne ys gode to lete,
Al þat men do, boþe smale & grete:
Þe grete, withoutyn pryuyte,
That ben commune to me & the,
Of hem wyl y telle ȝow nede
As y haue herde & red yn dede.

Of þyse þan ys my sawe,
þe commaundementys of the oldë lawe,
Þysë ten were fyrst vs ȝeuyn,

And fyrst we wylyn of hem be shreuyn,
Yn what poyntys þat we falle
Yn opon synne aȝen hem alle.

And syþen of þe seuene synnes,
In what þyng þe fende vs wynnes;
And syþen of synne of sacrylege,
Þat ys to holy chyrche outrage;
And of þe sacramentys seuene
Þat techyn vs to þe blys of heuene;

Syþyn of þe tweluë poyntes of shryfte,
And of þe twelue gracys of here ȝyfte;
Al þat toucheþ dedly synne,
In any spyce þat we falle ynne,
þat ys oponly seen or wrouȝt.

Of pryuytes speke y ryȝt nouȝt;
Þe pryuytes wyl y nat name
For none þareforë shulde me blame;
Leuer ys me þat þey he hydde,
þan for me were oponly kydde.
Noþeles þey mote be shreuyn
ȝyf ȝyfte of gracë shal be ȝeuyn.

Of þys clerkys wyl y nouȝt seye;
To greuë hem y haue grete eye,
For þey wote þat ys to wetyn,
And se hyt wel before hem wrytyn.

Þat may be weyl on englyssh tolde,
To telle ȝow þat, y may be bolde;
For lewdë men y vndyr-toke

On englyssh tunge to make þys boke.
For many ben of swyche manere,
Þat talys and rymys wyl bleþly here;
Yn gamys, & festys, & at þe ale,
Loue men to lestene trotëuale:
Þat may falle ofte to vylanye,
To dedly synne, or oþer folye;
For swyche men haue y made þis ryme
Þat þey may weyl dyspende here tyme,
And þere-yn sumwhat for to here,
To leue al swychë foul manere,
And for to kunnë knowe þerynne
Þat þey wene no synne be ynne.

To alle crystyn men vndir sunne,
And to godë men of Brunne,
And specïali, alle be name,
Þe felaushepe of Symprynghame,
Roberd of Brunnë greteþ ȝow
In al godenesse þat may to prow.

Of Brunnëwakë yn Kesteuene,
Syxe myle be-syde Sympryngham euene,
Y dwelled yn þe pryorye
Fyftenë ȝere yn cumpanye,
In þe tyme of gode dane Ione
Of Camelton, þat now ys gone:
In hys tyme was y þere ten ȝeres,
And knewe and herd of hys maneres;
Syþyn with dane Ione of Clyntone,
Fyue wyntyr wyþ hym gan y wone;
Dane Felyp was maystér þat tyme
Þat y began þys englyssh ryme.
Þe ȝeres of grace fyl þan to be

A þousynd & þre hundred & þre.

In þat tymë turnede y þys
On englyssh tunge out of frankys,
Of a boke as y fonde ynne;
Men clepyn þe bokë “handlyng synne.”

In frenshë þer a clerk hyt sees,
He clepyþ hyt “manuel de pecches.”
‘Manuel’ ys ‘handlyng with honde;’
‘Pecches’ ys ‘synne,’ y vndyrstonde.
Þese twey wurdys þat beyn otwynne,
Do hem to gedyr, ys “handlyng synne.”
And weyl ys clepyd, for þys skyle;
And as y wote, ȝow shew y wyle.

We handel synnë euery day;
In wurde and dedë, al we may,
Lytyl or mochel, synne we do,
Þe fend and oure flesh tysyn vs þerto;
ffór þys skyle hyt may be seyde
‘Handlyng synne’ for oure mysbreyde;
ffór euery day & euery oure
We synne þat shal we bye ful soure.

Anoþer handlyng þer shuld be,
Wyþ shryfte of mouþe to clensë þe.
Handyl þy synnë yn þy þouȝt,
Lytyl & mochel, what þou hast wroght;
Handyl þy synne to hauë drede;
Noþyng but peyn ys þarfore mede.
Handyl þy synnes, & weyl hem gesse,
How þey fordo al þy godenesse.
Handyl þy synnes, & weyl hem euene,
Ellës forbarre þey þe blys of heuene.

Handyl hem at onys euerychone,
Noght onë by hym self alone.
Handyl so to ryse from alle,
Þat nonë makë þe eft falle,
With shryfte of mouþe, & wyl of herte,
And a party, with penaunce smerte;
Þys ys a skyl þat hyt may be tolde
Handlyng synnë many a folde.

Handlyng yn spechë ys as weyl
As handlyng yn dedë euery deyl.
On þys manere handyl þy dedys,
And lestene and lerne whan any hem redys.
Þou darst neuer recche where þou bygynne,
For euery-whare ys bygynnyng of synne;
whedyr þou wylt opon þe boke,
Þou shalt fynde begynnyng oueral loke:
Oueral ys bygynnyng, oueral ys ende;
Hou þat þou wylt turne or wende,
Many þyngys mayst þou þeryn here;
With oft redyng, mayst þou lere;
Þou mayst nat, with onys redyng,
knowe þe soþe of euery þyng.
Handyl, hyt behoueþ, oft syþys,
To many maner synnes hyt wryþys.

Talys shalt þou fynde þerynne,
And chauncys þat haþ happed for synne;
Meruelys, some as y fonde wrytyn,

And oþer þat haue be seyn & wetyn;
None ben þare-yn, more ne lesse,
But þat y founde wryte, or had wytnesse.
Þarefore may hyt, & gode skyl why,
‘Handlyng synne’ be clepyd oponly;
For hyt toucheþ no priuite,
But opyn synne þat called may be.

Begynne we þan to telle yn hast,
with fadyr and sone and holy gost,
And yn wurschyp of oure lady,
And al þe halewys þat beyn hem by:
Þey ȝeue vs grace ryȝt so to deme,
Vs to profyt, and god to queme.