 | Handlyng Synne |  |
[The Tale of the tempted Hermit, or How we should never Despair.]
Seynt Gregory telleþ, for oure profyte,
How þyr was onys an ermyte:
Þys ermyte had grete temptyng
yn hys þoght, ouer alle þyng;
And as þys temptyng on hym ran,
He ȝede vnto an oldë man
And tolde hym allë, vp an downe,
Of hys grete temptacyun.
Þat olde man seyd to hym astyte
‘He was nat wurþy to be an Ermyte,
Þat swychë þoghtës shuldë þynke,
And þoght of womman wulde hym synke.’
How þyr was onys an ermyte:
Þys ermyte had grete temptyng
yn hys þoght, ouer alle þyng;
And as þys temptyng on hym ran,
267
And tolde hym allë, vp an downe,
Of hys grete temptacyun.
Þat olde man seyd to hym astyte
‘He was nat wurþy to be an Ermyte,
Þat swychë þoghtës shuldë þynke,
And þoght of womman wulde hym synke.’
Þys oldë man gan hym so stoute,
Þat hys gode hope was alle yn doute;
For þe wurdes þat þe olde man gan seye,
Yn-to þe wurlde he toke þe weye.
As he cam goyng yn þe strete,
An holy abbot gan he mete;
Þe abbotys name was Apollo,
And sone he spake þe ermyte to;
Þe ermyte hadde so sory þoght,
Aȝen to þe abbote spake he noght.
Þat hys gode hope was alle yn doute;
For þe wurdes þat þe olde man gan seye,
Yn-to þe wurlde he toke þe weye.
As he cam goyng yn þe strete,
An holy abbot gan he mete;
Þe abbotys name was Apollo,
And sone he spake þe ermyte to;
Þe ermyte hadde so sory þoght,
Aȝen to þe abbote spake he noght.
Þys abbot was a ful wys man,
And yn hys þoȝt ful sone hyt ran,
And be þe semlant of þe ermyte,
Þat he was yn grete sorowe and syte;
Þe abbot asked hym ones or twyys;
At þe laste þe ermyte seyd hys auys.
“Y am,” he seyd, “broȝt allë down
with flesshly temptacyun;
And at an oldë man y was,
And tolde hym alle my hardë kas;
And he seyd, y was nat wurþy,
Þe ermytagë to com ny,
Ne was yn wey me to saue,
whyl y shulde swych þoȝtës haue;
And, for he comforted me so yl,
Yn-to þe worlde now ys my wyl,
And lyue þere best wyse þat y may,
Syn y serue nat God to pay.”
And yn hys þoȝt ful sone hyt ran,
And be þe semlant of þe ermyte,
Þat he was yn grete sorowe and syte;
Þe abbot asked hym ones or twyys;
At þe laste þe ermyte seyd hys auys.
“Y am,” he seyd, “broȝt allë down
with flesshly temptacyun;
And at an oldë man y was,
And tolde hym alle my hardë kas;
And he seyd, y was nat wurþy,
Þe ermytagë to com ny,
Ne was yn wey me to saue,
whyl y shulde swych þoȝtës haue;
And, for he comforted me so yl,
Yn-to þe worlde now ys my wyl,
268
Syn y serue nat God to pay.”
Þan seyde þe abbot syre Apollo,
“Þe olde man wyst nat what was to do;
Þou mayst se now, by my vysage,
Þat y am olde, and weyl yn age,
And y fele a ful hard prykyl
Þat my flesshe tempteþ me mykyl,
Vnneþë ys hyt day ne oure
Þat y ne am þar-with tempted soure;
But þogh my þoght be oute of skyl,
To do ȝyt wers[ë], y ne wyl;
Ne more shalt þou þy self mysdo,
Þogh þou be tempted neuer so.
Y rede, þat yn godenes þat þou dwelle,
And turne aȝen vnto þy celle,
And fonde aȝens þy flesshe to fyȝt,
And late hyt nat haue alle þe myȝt.”
He broȝte þys ermyte to swyche certeyne,
Þat to hys celle he turned aȝeyne.
“Þe olde man wyst nat what was to do;
Þou mayst se now, by my vysage,
Þat y am olde, and weyl yn age,
And y fele a ful hard prykyl
Þat my flesshe tempteþ me mykyl,
Vnneþë ys hyt day ne oure
Þat y ne am þar-with tempted soure;
But þogh my þoght be oute of skyl,
To do ȝyt wers[ë], y ne wyl;
Ne more shalt þou þy self mysdo,
Þogh þou be tempted neuer so.
Y rede, þat yn godenes þat þou dwelle,
And turne aȝen vnto þy celle,
And fonde aȝens þy flesshe to fyȝt,
And late hyt nat haue alle þe myȝt.”
He broȝte þys ermyte to swyche certeyne,
Þat to hys celle he turned aȝeyne.
Þe abbot knew [wel] alle þe pas
where þe olde man wonyng was;
Þedyrwarde þe wey he nam.
And when he a lytyl besydë cam,
He sette hym dowun, and preyd Ihesu
Ful of myȝt and [of] vertu,
Þat þe olde man myȝt fele sum þyng
Of þe ermytes flesshely temptyng,
To chastyse hym for hys broþer,
Þat he myscumfort eft noun oþer.
where þe olde man wonyng was;
Þedyrwarde þe wey he nam.
And when he a lytyl besydë cam,
He sette hym dowun, and preyd Ihesu
Ful of myȝt and [of] vertu,
Þat þe olde man myȝt fele sum þyng
Of þe ermytes flesshely temptyng,
To chastyse hym for hys broþer,
Þat he myscumfort eft noun oþer.
when he hadde leye yn orysun
long with grete deuocyun,
He ros vp, and byhelde,
And sagh a blak man stonde yn þe felde,
And to þe olde man arwes ded shete
Ryȝt many, and sum wel grete.
So many arwes to hym he drogh,
Þat þe olde man felt temptyng ynogh;
Þe arwes were temptacyons,
And sharpë sterynges, and felons;
So many and smart, he hem hadde,
Þat he sate as he hadde be madde,
Þat wytte hadde lorë, as he sat,
Or was yn a were to do sum-what.
Ar he aght seyd, ar dyd any dede,
Þe same weye þat þe ermyte ȝede,
Þat yche wey þe ermyte ȝede ynne
To þe worlde, to do hys synne.
long with grete deuocyun,
He ros vp, and byhelde,
And sagh a blak man stonde yn þe felde,
And to þe olde man arwes ded shete
269
So many arwes to hym he drogh,
Þat þe olde man felt temptyng ynogh;
Þe arwes were temptacyons,
And sharpë sterynges, and felons;
So many and smart, he hem hadde,
Þat he sate as he hadde be madde,
Þat wytte hadde lorë, as he sat,
Or was yn a were to do sum-what.
Ar he aght seyd, ar dyd any dede,
Þe same weye þat þe ermyte ȝede,
Þat yche wey þe ermyte ȝede ynne
To þe worlde, to do hys synne.
Þe abbot Appollo say euerydeyl;
And how he was temptede, he wyst hyt weyl,
And fonded for to take þe strete,
with þat olde man for to mete:
he seyd, “olde man! what dost þou here,
And why hast þou so mornyng chere?
whydyr hast þou þoght to go?
Be syȝt hyt semeþ þat þe were wo.”
And how he was temptede, he wyst hyt weyl,
And fonded for to take þe strete,
with þat olde man for to mete:
he seyd, “olde man! what dost þou here,
And why hast þou so mornyng chere?
whydyr hast þou þoght to go?
Be syȝt hyt semeþ þat þe were wo.”
Þe oldë man seyd ryȝt noȝt,
But hyt ran hym weyl yn þoȝt
Þat þe abbot had inspyracyun,
And wyst hys grete temptacyun;
For shame he myȝt nat telle how smart
Þe temptyng þat come to hys hert;
But þe abbot wyst for certeyn,
And bad hym to turne aȝeyn;
And shewed hym weyl for two þynges,
why þat he hadde no temptynges;
He seyd, ‘þe fende of hym ne roȝte,
Ne hym to tempte aboutë soȝte,
Ne þoght hys lyfe so moche wurþy,
For he helde hym self so holy,
And blamed oþer for here fallyng,’
“Þy lyfe hym þynkeþ ys wurþ no þyng;
To gode men ys hyt grete passyun
To fele þe fendes temptacyun;
And for he tempted þe noȝt here,
Yn ouþer stede þou shalt by hyt dere;
Ne late þou nat lyȝtly by þo
Þat are tempted of flesshly wo,
But, þenk weyl þat þey are gode,
Ȝyf þey þat temptyng with-stode,
And are sykerer aftyr temptynges,
And kepe hem better with many þynges;
And ȝyt men sey God loueþ hem noȝt,
Þat haue no temptyng yn dede ne þoght.
Þys temptyng was for þy despyte
Þat þou haddest of þe gode ermyte
whan he hys temptyng to þe shrofe,
And þy cumforte awey hym drofe.”
But hyt ran hym weyl yn þoȝt
Þat þe abbot had inspyracyun,
And wyst hys grete temptacyun;
For shame he myȝt nat telle how smart
Þe temptyng þat come to hys hert;
But þe abbot wyst for certeyn,
And bad hym to turne aȝeyn;
And shewed hym weyl for two þynges,
why þat he hadde no temptynges;
He seyd, ‘þe fende of hym ne roȝte,
Ne hym to tempte aboutë soȝte,
Ne þoght hys lyfe so moche wurþy,
270
And blamed oþer for here fallyng,’
“Þy lyfe hym þynkeþ ys wurþ no þyng;
To gode men ys hyt grete passyun
To fele þe fendes temptacyun;
And for he tempted þe noȝt here,
Yn ouþer stede þou shalt by hyt dere;
Ne late þou nat lyȝtly by þo
Þat are tempted of flesshly wo,
But, þenk weyl þat þey are gode,
Ȝyf þey þat temptyng with-stode,
And are sykerer aftyr temptynges,
And kepe hem better with many þynges;
And ȝyt men sey God loueþ hem noȝt,
Þat haue no temptyng yn dede ne þoght.
Þys temptyng was for þy despyte
Þat þou haddest of þe gode ermyte
whan he hys temptyng to þe shrofe,
And þy cumforte awey hym drofe.”
At þys pas þys tale tolde ys
For temptacyons of mannys flesshe,
Þat none ne myscumforte hym
Þogh þat hys flesshe be bryst and brym.
So holy man was neuer none
Þat temptacyun ne hat hym ouergone,
were hyt lytyl, or were hyt mykyl,
Þat of hys flesshe ne haþ hadde sum prykyl;
And þo þat wyl be ryȝt certeyne,
Cumforte hem weyl to fyȝt aȝeyn,
For no man may yn certeyn be,
But he fyȝt flesshly lustys to fle.
For temptacyons of mannys flesshe,
Þat none ne myscumforte hym
Þogh þat hys flesshe be bryst and brym.
So holy man was neuer none
Þat temptacyun ne hat hym ouergone,
were hyt lytyl, or were hyt mykyl,
Þat of hys flesshe ne haþ hadde sum prykyl;
And þo þat wyl be ryȝt certeyne,
Cumforte hem weyl to fyȝt aȝeyn,
For no man may yn certeyn be,
But he fyȝt flesshly lustys to fle.
God graunte vs allë now fro heþen
Oure flesshë so to holde be-neþen,
And oure soules so to save aboue,
Þat God of heuene vs allë loue.
Oure flesshë so to holde be-neþen,
And oure soules so to save aboue,
Þat God of heuene vs allë loue.
| Handlyng Synne | |