University of Virginia Library

He þat here will leli lyf
and his luf all to god gif,
stabilly sall he vnderstand
þir foure thinges þat er folowand:
Ane es what thing files a man;
anoþer what thing clenses (him þan);
þe thrid when þat he clensed es,
what thing þan haldes him (in clennes);
þe ferth what thing may a (man bring)
at ordain him to goddes li(king).
For þe first, what files a (man),
may men knaw wele [OMITTED]
þat we sin on ma(ners thre)
and makes oure sau(les foule to be);
þus er þai talde who (wil take hede):
with hert, with (mouth, and with dede).
Þe sins of hert (er þir) [OMITTED]
ill thoghtes [OMITTED]
[OMITTED]
(wik)ed will and yre in hert to hald for rose.
and to haue ill suspecioune,
and pray with-owten deuocioune.
and if þi hert euer ydel be
with-outen werkes of charite,
and void withowten swete sauoure
of þe luf of god oure creature.
ill drede, ill luf to ald or ȝing.
all errour and al ill trowing.
ioy of oþer mens ill fare,
and sorow if þai in welthes ware.
to despise pure men more or les,
to honore þe riche for þaire riches.
despite of sinful þat we se,
and ioy of werldli vanite.
vntholemodnes oure soueraines to.
and dout of dedes þat er to do—
for what we sold do suld we knaw
and nowþer lett for luf ne awe.
noy in hert forto do gude.
anger at serue with milde mode
(god &) þam þat we suld vntill.
and sorow we haue done namore ill,
and þat we haue noght fulfild sone
(wi)kkednes þat we might haue done.
(and) vnstabilnes of thoght.
(pini)ng with penance if we do oght.
(ypoc)risi in goddes seruise.
(drede) ill doers to despise(!).
(shame) of gude dedes, ioy of ill.
(singul)ere wit with-owten scill.
(couaiti)se of dignite,
(or to be) halden of gude degre,
(or rich, or to) be halden faire,
(or strang) oure enmies forto payre.
(vain glori) forto haue in mynde
(of gudes of) grace or gudes of kinde.
(forto haf) shame of simpil frendes,
(& prid of ri)che þat with vs wendes;
(for fre ilike) al sall we be
(bifor þe face of gods mageste),
(bot if our dedis) mak vs were
(or els better þan oth)er err.
(also despite of gud) counsaile
(and teching þat vs might) auayle.
[OMITTED] pouert
[OMITTED]

Þe sins of mouth er, (if þou fraine):
to swere grete athes & oft in vaine.
to sklander Crist or oþer vs by.
to neuyn his name vnreueren[t]li.
vnsothfast schrift þat es noght clere.
grocheing to god for angers here
or tribulacioun, þat er send
till vs for we oure mis suld mend.
to pray [to] god in his presens
with-owten deuocioun and reuerens.
bakbiteing. flatering. and lesing.
missaying. werying. and defamyng.
sawing of discord. and tresoun.
and fals witnes in feld and toune.
ill counsail. scorn. vnbowsumnes.
to say thing es gude þat ill es,
or forto say þe thing es ill
þat men dose wele and with gude will—
for we suld lap oure negburs dede
ay in þe best, for þaire moste spede.
to excite oþer men vnto
swilk dedes als þai dar noght do,
forto ger þam be halden wer
efter þat þa dedes err.
oþer men forto myssay
for werkes þat we do ilkaday.
with mekill speche oure heuid to breke,
or mani ydell wordes to speke.
and als of wordes faire polising,
to mak þam soth þat es lesing.
and in oure sinyng fals defens.
crying & laghing with no reuerens.
forto mak mowes on ani men.
sanges of lust to sing and ken,
or more for mens luf forto sing
þan for Criste þat knawes al thing.
to prais ill dedes with karping kouth—
al swilk er cald þe sins of mowth.

Þir er þe sins þat falles in dede,
als þai er set on raw to rede:
als glotoni, and licheri,
and dronkenhede, and symony.
wichecrafte. breking of halidays.
and sacrilage by any ways.
to resayue goddes body in sin,
and als forto [lig] lang þarin.
Brekeing of vowes þat er made right.
and ydell saying in goddes sight.
(to) gif en(sampil of il) life.
sakles to greue ouþer man or wife,
or forto ger þam haue il name
or forto lose of þaire gude fame.
Thift. rauin. vsure. decayt,
lesinges and lithernes to layt.
gladli forto herkin yll.
to gif oure gudes harlottes untill.
to reue oure bodis nedful wage,
or els at vse vs till outrage.
to bigin any thing ouer might.
custum to do ill day or night.
also feyning of halynes,
rosing of thing þat noght oures es,
to hald vs fayrer or wiser
þan oþer, when we er wele wer.
forto tak any charge vs to
þat we er vnabill to do.
to wreth vs lightly als vnwise.
and also to bring vp new gise.
to be ouer rebell vnto seruandes,
to do noght als soueraines cumandes.
forto do sin here in oure liue
thurgh any of oure wittes fiue:
In sight, in hereing, or in smelleing,
in handes towcheing, or in tasting;
in giftes gifing, or quant saiinges,
in gilry or in sutyle signes,
vnlefful thing to resayue parchance—
for of sins er þir circumstance(!).
and þar er circumstance wele ma,
als time, stede, maner alswa,
nowmber, person, and dwelling,
eld, and degre, and cunyng;
þir makes þe sin more or les,
efter þe condicioun es.
also to sin forto be boune
or a man fele temptacioune;
or ani bowrding to bygin
at make occasioun vnto sin.
Þir er þe sins þat falles in dede,
and mani ma if men tak hede.

Sins of omiscioun I sall say sone,
þat es, leueing of gudes vndone,
when ani leues þat þai suld do
or reklesli tentes noght þarto:
noght thinkand on god þat sese all,
ne of þe mede þat þarfore sold fall,
or th(ankand him noght of) his gudes
þat he vs lenes here more and les.
or duse noght here oure dedes ilkane
þat gude er, for goddes luf allane.
to sorow noght here for oure sin.
to dispose vs noght grace to win,
or þat kepes noght þe gift of grace
or vses ill in any place.
forto confourum noght his will
goddes liking forto fulfill.
vntill prayers noght forto bow,
bot rabill on and rek neuer how.
or will noght enforce þam to fulfill
thing þat þai haue avowed vntill,
or bunden by sum sertaine poynt,
or els for penance es enioynt.
to draw on lenkith þat suld be sone.
or haue no ioy of gude dedes done
vntill oure neghburs þat er knawen,
als we wald haue of oure awn.
noght sorowand of oþer mens ill fare,
frendes or fase wheþer þai ware.
noght standand if temptaciuns rise.
noght forgifand al oure enmise.
noght kumforthand neghburs in care,
als we wald þai till vs ware.
noght ȝeldeand þam þat vs gude wins.
to let noght þam we se vse sins.
striueinges noght to stint and stere.
and vnkonand men noght to lere.
noght forto cumforth on oure wise
þam þat er seke and may noght (rise),
or help þam noght þat er broght (in wa)
thurgh pouert, or prest, in pres(on alswa).
Þir sins, and oþer þat er (mare),
makes men foul als I said are,
and þai er vsed of ȝong (and ald)
on thre maners als I (ȝow tald).

Ogaines þa thre m(ai help vs win)
oþer thre thinges þat (clenses of sin).