 | Handlyng Synne |  |
[Of Penance.]
The fourþe sacráment ys penaunce,
Þat ys for synnë a quytaunce;
God graunte vs alle, penaunce to do,
For we haue gretë nede þarto.
Þat ys for synnë a quytaunce;
God graunte vs alle, penaunce to do,
For we haue gretë nede þarto.
Aȝens þys, þan, synnë þo
Þat to shryftë onely go
with-oute any manér of smert
Of felyng, of sorowe of hert;
Euery man shulde haue a-fore þoȝt
How and whan hys synne was wroȝt,
And beþenke hym weyl on euery dede,
Fyrst are he to shryftë ȝede;
Elles, asoyled may he nat be clene,
Of forȝetë synnes, y mene.
Ouer lytyl fors certys he ȝyueþ
Of any penaunce, or how he lyueþ;
Swychë men, here synne þey synke,
þat recchë nat þer-on to þynke.
Some men, whan here synne ys wroȝt,
Hyt no more cumþ yn here þoȝt,
And ȝyueþ no fors, þat he forȝeteþ
hys synne; and hym þe fend eteþ.
leuer ys hym late hem alle weyue,
þan any hard penaunce receyue.
Þat to shryftë onely go
with-oute any manér of smert
Of felyng, of sorowe of hert;
Euery man shulde haue a-fore þoȝt
How and whan hys synne was wroȝt,
And beþenke hym weyl on euery dede,
Fyrst are he to shryftë ȝede;
Elles, asoyled may he nat be clene,
Of forȝetë synnes, y mene.
Ouer lytyl fors certys he ȝyueþ
Of any penaunce, or how he lyueþ;
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þat recchë nat þer-on to þynke.
Some men, whan here synne ys wroȝt,
Hyt no more cumþ yn here þoȝt,
And ȝyueþ no fors, þat he forȝeteþ
hys synne; and hym þe fend eteþ.
leuer ys hym late hem alle weyue,
þan any hard penaunce receyue.
Ȝyf þou wylt haue þe sacrament,
Þe behoueþ ȝyue weyl bettyr entent,
And recordë euery dede
with sorow of herte, and with drede,
And forþynke, with mochë mone,
Þat þou ne mayst þenk on echone;
And ȝyf þou shryue þe euery deyl
Of þo, þat þe meneþ weyl,
Þat þou ne lettë for no shame
To tellë opunly þy blame:
Swyche a man þat þus ys shryue,
May be asoyled, and penaunce ȝyue.
Þe behoueþ ȝyue weyl bettyr entent,
And recordë euery dede
with sorow of herte, and with drede,
And forþynke, with mochë mone,
Þat þou ne mayst þenk on echone;
And ȝyf þou shryue þe euery deyl
Of þo, þat þe meneþ weyl,
Þat þou ne lettë for no shame
To tellë opunly þy blame:
Swyche a man þat þus ys shryue,
May be asoyled, and penaunce ȝyue.
penaunce may be ȝyue to none
But he shryue hys synnes echone,
And be of godë répentaunce;
No prest may elles ȝyue hym penaunce;
Penaunce pyneþ þy flessh and þe fende,
And plesyþ God, and makyþ hym frende.
Aftyr, ȝyf þou þenk on þat
Synne þat þou yn shryfte forȝat,
Þou art holde to telle hyt þy prest
whan þou hast mynde þer-of yn brest.
But he shryue hys synnes echone,
And be of godë répentaunce;
No prest may elles ȝyue hym penaunce;
Penaunce pyneþ þy flessh and þe fende,
And plesyþ God, and makyþ hym frende.
Aftyr, ȝyf þou þenk on þat
Synne þat þou yn shryfte forȝat,
Þou art holde to telle hyt þy prest
whan þou hast mynde þer-of yn brest.
whan þou hast þy synne forsake,
And þy penaunce þer-forë take,
Forȝete nat þan þat þou ne do
Þe penaunce þat he ioyneþ þe to.
Ȝyf þou forȝetest, þou shalt bey hyt harde
yn purgatórye aftyrwarde;
For o day þat þou forȝetest here,
A ȝere, þere þou shalt by hyt dere.
And þy penaunce þer-forë take,
Forȝete nat þan þat þou ne do
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Ȝyf þou forȝetest, þou shalt bey hyt harde
yn purgatórye aftyrwarde;
For o day þat þou forȝetest here,
A ȝere, þere þou shalt by hyt dere.
And ȝyf þou fallest eft yn synne,
Efte þy shryfte alle newe bygynne,
And do gode dedës þer-with-alle,
For þat es of penaunce pryncypalle;
Ȝyf þou ne do, verrement
Þou synnest yn þys sacrament;
For of þat man, hyt ys grete drede,
Þat wyþdraghþ hym fro godë dede.
Efte þy shryfte alle newe bygynne,
And do gode dedës þer-with-alle,
For þat es of penaunce pryncypalle;
Ȝyf þou ne do, verrement
Þou synnest yn þys sacrament;
For of þat man, hyt ys grete drede,
Þat wyþdraghþ hym fro godë dede.
Many man also þenkeþ þys þoȝt,
‘þat werk of penaunce auayleþ noȝt
þe whylys þat he ys yn synne;’
But þan had he most nede to bygynne;
For godë dedës and penaunce
Reysyn a man to répentaunce;
For many þyngës, gode hyt ys,
Þogh hyt auayle hym naght yn blys.
‘þat werk of penaunce auayleþ noȝt
þe whylys þat he ys yn synne;’
But þan had he most nede to bygynne;
For godë dedës and penaunce
Reysyn a man to répentaunce;
For many þyngës, gode hyt ys,
Þogh hyt auayle hym naght yn blys.
þe prest wote neuer what he menes,
Þat for lytyl, curseþ hys parysshenes;
Þat yche shepard ȝyueþ no gode kepe,
Þat betecheþ þe wulfe hys shepe;
At þe last acounte shal he mysfalle,
whan he shal answere for hem alle;
And þe lordë shal þe shepard hate,
þat wasteþ hys store, and bryngeþ o gate;
Þe lordë boȝt þe shepe ful dere,
lese hem nat þan so lyȝtly here;
Þoȝ þey outrage, and do foly,
He shal nat sle hem with felony;
he shal hem chastyse with smert speche,
with small baytynges, and nat with wreche.
Þat for lytyl, curseþ hys parysshenes;
Þat yche shepard ȝyueþ no gode kepe,
Þat betecheþ þe wulfe hys shepe;
At þe last acounte shal he mysfalle,
whan he shal answere for hem alle;
And þe lordë shal þe shepard hate,
þat wasteþ hys store, and bryngeþ o gate;
Þe lordë boȝt þe shepe ful dere,
lese hem nat þan so lyȝtly here;
Þoȝ þey outrage, and do foly,
He shal nat sle hem with felony;
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with small baytynges, and nat with wreche.
As þe gode shepard kepyþ hys shepe,
So shalle þe prest, hys parysshenes kepe;
Þere shepe gone wrong besyde þe paþ,
Þe shepard cryeþ for drede of skaþe;
And ȝyf þey wyl nat at hys crye
Turne aȝen to here pasture nye,
Þan setteþ he on hys hounde,
And bayteþ hem a wel gode stounde,
And bryngeþ hem to her pasture weyl,
Ne sleþ he ȝyt none, neuer a deyl.
So shalle þe prest, hys parysshenes kepe;
Þere shepe gone wrong besyde þe paþ,
Þe shepard cryeþ for drede of skaþe;
And ȝyf þey wyl nat at hys crye
Turne aȝen to here pasture nye,
Þan setteþ he on hys hounde,
And bayteþ hem a wel gode stounde,
And bryngeþ hem to her pasture weyl,
Ne sleþ he ȝyt none, neuer a deyl.
with þese prestes hyt shulde fare so,
whan here parysshenes oghte mysdo;
wyþ feyre techyng, and godë spelles,
And stoutly, whan þey wyl nat elles,
And with ordynaryys of holy cherche,
Tyl þat þey wyl ryȝtly werche;
Nat with cursyng, þat es slaghter euyl,
So sone betake hem to þe deuyl.
Haue to hem swych charyte
As þou wuldest God hadde to þe;
kowardyse hyt ys, and foule maystry,
To þrowe a faucoun at euery flye;
Of flyes men mow hem weyl spourge,
And þrowe to hem naght but a scourge;
No more shal no prest þrawe,
But a scorge, þat ys loue awe.
whan here parysshenes oghte mysdo;
wyþ feyre techyng, and godë spelles,
And stoutly, whan þey wyl nat elles,
And with ordynaryys of holy cherche,
Tyl þat þey wyl ryȝtly werche;
Nat with cursyng, þat es slaghter euyl,
So sone betake hem to þe deuyl.
Haue to hem swych charyte
As þou wuldest God hadde to þe;
kowardyse hyt ys, and foule maystry,
To þrowe a faucoun at euery flye;
Of flyes men mow hem weyl spourge,
And þrowe to hem naght but a scourge;
No more shal no prest þrawe,
But a scorge, þat ys loue awe.
Lewed man, þou shalt cursyng doute,
And to þy prest þou shalt nat stoute;
Be he wykked, or be he gode,
Þou shalt to hym be þolëmode.
And to þy prest þou shalt nat stoute;
Be he wykked, or be he gode,
Þou shalt to hym be þolëmode.
Hyt ys nat a lytyl þyng
For to fallë yn cursyng,
For hyt reueþ þe þy gostly frendes,
And betecheþ þe vn-to þe fendes,
And hyt forbarreþ alle gode dedes
Þat þe shuld helpe yn alle þy nedes,
Tyl þou com to amendëment
with penaunce, þat ys, þys sacrament.
For to fallë yn cursyng,
For hyt reueþ þe þy gostly frendes,
And betecheþ þe vn-to þe fendes,
And hyt forbarreþ alle gode dedes
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Tyl þou com to amendëment
with penaunce, þat ys, þys sacrament.
Yn sacrylage, y tolde a tale
how cursyng breweþ mochë bale,
Þat alle þe ȝere hopped aboute,
Þat wulde nat þe prestys byddyng doute.
how cursyng breweþ mochë bale,
Þat alle þe ȝere hopped aboute,
Þat wulde nat þe prestys byddyng doute.
Now wyl we leuë, at þys tyme,
Of penaunce morë for to ryme,
For y shal tellë þer-of more
At shryftë, whan y comë þore;
God ȝyue me gracë so to telle,
To shamë alle þe fendes of helle!
Of penaunce morë for to ryme,
For y shal tellë þer-of more
At shryftë, whan y comë þore;
God ȝyue me gracë so to telle,
To shamë alle þe fendes of helle!
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