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

Ȝet lerne þys for thy prow,
Þat I wryte after now.
When þow schalt to seke gon,
Hye þe faste & go a-non;
For ȝef þow tarye þow dost a-mys,
Þow schalt quyte that sowle I-wys;
When þow schalt to seke gon,
A clene surples caste þe on,
Take þy stole wyth þe ryȝt,
And pul thy hod ouer þy syȝt,
Bere þyn ost a-nont þy breste,
In a box that ys honeste.
Make þy clerk be-fore þe ȝynge,
To bere lyȝt and belle rynge,
On þy power þen haue þow mynne,
Þat þow myȝt a-soyle of alle synne;
In perel of deth þow hast powere
Of alle synne to a-soyle clere;
But ȝef þe seke turne to lyue,
Of þat same synne he mote hym schryue,
And hys penaunce take newe,
For alle þynge þat he er schewe,
And spare þow not for no let
To aske hym of hys det,

And whether hyt be myche or luyte,
Charge hym þat he hyt quyte,
And ȝef hys godes to luyte be
For to quyte þat oweth he,
Charge hym þenne wyth herte lowe
To aske mercy of þat he owe;
And ȝet þow moste lerne þys eke,
Of a mon þat ys ful seke,
Þat sendeþ to þe to hym to ryde,
And waxe dowmbe in þat tyde,
Ȝef he by synes þat hosul soghte,
Thaȝ þow knowe þow schryue hym noȝte,
Nerþeles þow schalt hym soyle,
And ȝeue hym hosul & holy oyle.
When þou hast þe seke I-schryue,
And þow se þat he may not lyue,
Oþer penaunce þow schalt not gyn
But þe sekenes þat he ys In,
Ioyne þat sekenes & þat sore
By-fore god to be hys ore;
And ȝef he aske hys sauyour,
Gyf hym hyt wyþ gret honour;
But ȝef he be so seke wyth-ynne
Þat of castynge he may not blynne,
He schal not þenne hys hosul take,
For vomyschment & castynge sake,
But preche hym feyre wyth opun spelle
Þat god a-loweth hys herte & hys wylle,
And for he wolde & he myȝte,
God hym takeþ in hys ryȝte.
Ȝet when þou art to chyrche I-went,
Do vp so that sacrament
Þat hyt be syker in vche way,
Þat no best hyt towche may.
Ȝef hyt [were] eten wyth mows or rat,
Dere þow moste a-bygge þat;

Fowrty dayes for þat myschawnce
Þow schalt be in penaunce.
Ȝef any crome of hyt be lost,
Ȝerne seche hyt þow most,
Ȝef þow hyt fynde no wey myȝte,
Þrytty dayes þow rewe hyt ryȝte;
And ȝef þow be so vnwys
Þat þow synge by malys,
Wythowte water and lyȝt also,
And wost welle þe wonteth bo,
Þow schalt þenne for þy songe
Boþe wepe and weyle er a-monge,
Tyl þe byschope of hys ore
To þy songe the restore.