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

Fyrst þow moste þys mynne,
What he ys þat doth þe synne,
Wheþer hyt be heo or he,
Ȝonge or olde, bonde or fre,
Pore or ryche, or in offys,
Or mon of dygnyte ȝef he ys,
Sengul or weddet or cloystrere,
Clerke, or lewed, or seculere,
Byschope or prest, or mon of state,
Þow moste wyte þese al gate.
Þe herre þat a mon ys in degre,
Þe sarrer forsoþe falleþ he,
And ȝef he were in hys wyt,
Also þow moste wyte hyt.
What synne hyt ys and how I-wroȝt,
To wyte redyly spare þow noght,
Wheþer hyt be gret or smal,
Open or hud wyte þow al.
Lechery, robbery, or monslaȝt,
Byd hym telle euen straȝt.
For summe telleþ not here synne al,
In confessyone general.
Þus a mon may other whyle
Þe and hym boþe by-gyle.
Hyt ys to luyte for any mon
To say he hath slayn a mon.
But ȝef he telle hyt openly,
What mon he was, wharfore, & why,
Wheþer hyt be fader or broþer,
Prest or clerke, or any other.
Also men sayn comynly
I haue synned in lechery,

Ȝet most þow wyte by whom hyt ys,
Or elles ȝe mowe do boþe a-mys.
But nome he schal non telle þe;
But ȝef þe synne syche be,
Þat he ne may hys schryfte telle,
But he take hyre in hys spelle,
Þen he may þe name mynge.
Ellus hym aȝte for no þynge;
But wheþer ho be wyf or may,
Syb or fremde, make hym say,
Nonne or ankeras, or what degre,
Algate make hym telle the;
For ȝef þe synne be gret or grym,
Þe more penaunce nedeth hym;
Were hyt was wyte þou also
In holy place or no.
A mon synneþ sarre in seyntwary
Þenne in any oþer place by,
By whom also þow moste mynne,
And whom he gart to do þat synne,
And whad þey were þat were here ferus,
Prestes or clerkus, monkes or frerus,
Þe mo to synne that he droghe,
Þe more for-sothe hym-self he sloghe;
How ofte also he dyde that dede,
Wyte at hym þow moste nede,
For euer so ofter newed hyt ys,
Þe gratter þe synne waxeth I-wys;
So ofter a wounde ys I-cot
Þe worse to hele hyt nede be mot;
Þe ofter a mon doth monslaghte,
Þe more he ys the fende by-taghte;
Þe ofter he doth lechery,
Þe ofter he synneth dedly;
Dedly he synneth wyþowte drede,
As ofte as he þat synne doþ brede,

And why he dyde þat ylke synne,
Also nede he mote mynne:
Wheþer hyt were for loue or drede,
Or couetyse of worldes mede,
Or for enuye, or for debate,
Or for wrathþe of olde hate,
And he dyde he mote say,
And not hele hyt by no way.
Wheþer he dyde þat in hastynes,
Or wel a-vyset ȝef he wes;
For he þat casteth hym to do a dede,
More penaunce he mote haue nede
Þen he þat doth hyt sodenlyche,
And afterward hym reweth myche;
And whenne hyt was and what day,
Byd hym to the that he say,
For on a halyday ȝef he synne,
Nedely to þe he mote hyt mynne,
Or any oþer fastynge day,
Lentun or vygyle, as telle he may,
For gratter synne for soþe hyt ys
On suche dayes to do a-mys,
Myche more wythoute nay,
Þen on a-noþer werkeday,
And ȝet more by-fore none
Þen afterward and hyt were done,
Þerfore þou moste wel hyt mynne,
Boþe tyde & tyme, he þat doth synne.
Alle þese poyntus þow moste wyte,
Þat here be-fore ben I-wryte;
Or elles gode dome þou myȝt not ȝeue
Of men þat beth to the I-schryue,
So þow myȝt knowe sum and al,
Wheþer þe synne be gret or smal,
And ȝef þe synne be fowle & grym,
The gratter penaunce ȝeue þou hym;

And ȝef þe synne be but luyte,
To þe lasse penaunce þou hym putte;
But fyrst take hede by gode a-vys,
Of what contrycyone þat he ys,
Ȝef he be sory for hys synne,
And fulle contryte as þou myȝt kenne;
Wepeþ faste and ys sory,
And asketh ȝerne of mercy,
A-bregge hys penaunce þen by myche,
For god hym self for-ȝeueth syche;
Ȝef he be styf & of herte heȝ,
Grope hym softe & go hym neȝ,
And when þou herest where he wole byde,
Ȝeue hym penaunce þenne also þat tyde,
But non oþer þen he wole take
Wors þenne lest þow hym make.
Take gode hede on hys de-gre
Of what skynnes lyuyuge þat he be,
For on may soffre þat a-noþer ne may,
Þerfore set hym in syche way,
Þat hys penaunce he may do ryȝt,
Be hyt heuy, be hyt lyȝt;
Ȝef þow ley on hym more
Þenne he wole asente fore,
Alle he wole caste hym fro,
And schende hym-self, I telle þe so,
Wharfore be wys and war,
For mony men fulle dyuers ar.
Now take hede what I þe mynne,
Ȝef a wyf haue done a synne,
Syche penaunce þou gyue hyre þenne
Þat hyre husbonde may not kenne,
Leste for þe penaunce sake
Wo & w[r]aþþe by-twene hem wake.

Wharfore þe nedeth to be wys,
For, forsothe, gret nede hyt ys,
Lest þow do oȝt on madhede,
And sende so al to þe quede;
Bettur hyt ys wyth penaunce lutte,
In-to purgatory a mon to putte,
Þen wyþ penaunce ouer myche,
Sende hym to helle putte.
Wharfore lerne þys lessoun wel,
And take gode hede to my spel,
Countur wyþ countur ys I-huled ofte,
When þey be leyde to-gedur softe.