Instructions for Parish Priests :: :: University of Virginia Library

Hast þou worschypet any þynge
More þen god oure heuene kynge?
Hast þow lafte goddes name,
And called þe fend in any grame?
Hast þow any tyme I made coniurynge,
For þefte or for any oþer þynge?
Hast þow made any wych crafte,
For any þynge þat þe was rafte;
Hast þow made any sorcery
To gete wymmen to lyge hem by?
Hast þou had dowte, by any way,
In any poynt of the fey?

Seche þyn herte trewly ore
Ȝef þow were any tyme forswore,
At court or hundret or at schyre,
For loue or drede or any huyre.
Hast þou be wonet to swere als,
By goddes bones or herte, fals,
What by hys woundes, nayles or tre,
Whenne þow myȝtes haue lete be?
Hast þou be wonet to swere ȝerne
For þynge þat dyde to noȝt turne?
Hast þow any tyme þy trowþe I-plyȝt,
And broken hyt a-gayn þe ryȝt?

Hast þow holden þyn halyday,
And spend hyt wel to goddes pay?
Hast þow I-gon to chyrche fayn
To serue god wyþ alle þy mayn?
Hast þou any werke þat day I-wroȝt,
Or synned sore in dede or þoȝt?

Be-þenke þe wel sone, I rede
Of þy synne and þy mysdede.
For schotynge, for wrastelynge, & oþer play,
For goynge to þe ale on halyday,
For syngynge, for roytynge, & syche fare,
Þat ofte þe sowle doth myche care.
Þe halyday only ordeynet was,
To here goddes serues and þe mas,
And spene þat day in holynes,
And leue alle oþer bysynes
For a-pon þe werkeday,
Men be so bysy in vche way,
So that for here ocupacyone,
Þey leue myche of here deuocyone;
Þerfore þey schule here halyday
Spene only god to pay;
And ȝef þey do any oþer þynge,
Þen serue god by here cunnynge,
Þen þey brekeþ goddes lay
And holdeth not here halyday.

Hast þow honowred by þy wyt
Fader and moder as god þe byt;
Hast þou any tyme made hem wroth,
In word or dede þat was hem loth;
Hast þou ȝeue hem at here nede
Mete & drynke cloþ or wede;
Ȝef þey ben dede & gon here way,
Hast þow made for hem to pray;
Hast þow done also honowre
To hym þat ys þy curatowre?
Leue welle sone in gode lewte,
I say not þys for loue of me,
But for þow owest to do honour
To hym þat ys þy curatour.

Hast þow any mon I-slayn,
Or holpe þer to by þy mayn;
Hast þou counceled or ȝeue mede
To any mon to do þat dede?
Hast þou any mon wowndet in debate,
Or had to hym any dedly hate?

Hast þou ȝeue any mon of þy mete,
When he hade hongur and nede to ete?
By euel esaumpulle þow myȝt also,
A-noþer monnes sowle slo;
Þerfore take hede on þy lyuynge
Ȝef þou haue trespaset in syche þynge.

Hast þou in synne I-lad þy lyf,
And put a-way þyn owne wyf;
Hast þou I-do þat ylke synne
To any of þy sybbe kynne?
Take also wel in mynde,
Ȝef þou haue sched þyn owne kynde,
Slepynge or wakynge nyȝt or day
In what maner þow moste say.

Hast þou stolen any þynge,
Or ben at any robbynge;
Hast þou by maystry or by craft,
Any mon hys good be-raft;
Hast þou I-founde any þynge
And helet hyt at askynge;
Hast þou vset mesures fals,
Or wyghtes þat were als
By þe more to bye & by þe lasse to selle?
Ȝef þou haue so done þow moste hyt telle;
Hast þou borowet oght wel fayn,
And not I-quyt hyt wel a-gayn
Hast þou wyth-holden any teyþynge,
Or mys-I-teyþed by þy wytynge.

Hast þow boren any wytnes
A-gayn þe ryȝt in falsnes.

Hast þow lyet any lesynge,
To greue any mon in any þynge?
Hast þou geten wyth fals swore
Any þynge lasse or more?

Hast þou I-coueted wyþ alle þy myȝt,
Þy neghbores good agayn þe ryȝt;
Hows or catel, hors or mare,
Or oght þat he myȝt euel spare?

Also þou dost syngen ylle,
Þy neghbores wyf for to wylle,
For þat god for-bedeþ the.
Ȝef þou haue done, now telle þou me.
Þow myȝte synge als sore in þoght,
As þou þat dede hadest I-wroght,
Ȝef þow in þy þoght haue lykynge
To do þat ylke fowle þynge.
Þus þow myȝte synge dedlyche
Ȝef þow þenke þer-on myche,
These ben þe cummawndementes ten,
Þat god ȝaf to alle men.