Handlyng Synne :: :: University of Virginia Library

The touþer comandement ys,
‘Swere nat hys name yn ydulnys.’
whan þou yn ydulnes swerest hys name,
Þou dost hym bere wytnes of blame.
Vndyrstond þys,—þe menyng ys,
Alle yn þe, þe wykednes ys.
Ȝyf þou sweryst fals, þy wetande,
And for soþenes ys vnderstonde,
Þere takyst þou god yn þy sweryng
To bere wytnesse of a fals þyng.
Y askë ‘wheþyr ys grettyr eye,
A lesyng, or a fals tale seye.’
Here mayst þou lerne a queyntyse,
To knowe of boþe þe ryȝt asyse;—
Þou mayst here and beleue a fals
Þat ys seyd of a-noþer als,
And telle hyt forþ þe samë wyse,
Ryght as he vn-to þe seyse,
And ȝyf þou wene þat þat sawe ys ryȝt,
Þouȝt hyt be fals, þou hast no plyȝt;
For, þyn ynwyt, þe shal saue,
Þou wenyst to seye weyl, no plyȝt to haue,

A lesyng haþ weyl wers wey:
Þe tokyn of a lesyng y shal þe sey.
whan ys a lesyng, but þan ys hyt
whan hyt ys seyd aȝens ynwyt;
Soþely to sey, a lesyng ys
whan þou wost þat þou seyst mys,

And ȝyf þou make a grete sweryng
For to manteynë þy lesyng;
Hym þan þat þou by sweryst,
Fals wytnes on hym þou beryst.
Ȝyf þou by god, or oure lady,
Or ouþer seyntes þat þou sweryst by,
Þou dost hym berë fals wytnes
Of þy lesyng, þat soþ yt ys.
How shul þey þan help þe at þy nede,
whan þou hem drawyst to þy falshede;
And þyn inwyt, þyn ownë skyle,
Aȝen þe seyþ and euermore wylle.

Ȝyf þou trowest þat god was nat byfore
Or he was of þe maydyn bore;
Or ȝyf þou trowyst þat he was noght
Beforë or þe worlde was wroght;
Ȝyf þou wene þat verement,
Hyt ys aȝens þys comaundement.
God was euer wyþ outyn bygynnyng
Ar þe worlde, or man, or ouþer þyng.

Ȝyf þou trowyst þat hys manhede
Haþ no powere with þe godhede,
Repentë þe, þou art yn synne,
For ydylnes hast þou hys name ynne;

Ȝyf þou trowest þat he may naght
Yn heuene and erþe hys wyl haue wroȝt,
Þe manhede þat toke flesshe & bone,
Þat with þe godhede ys al one;—
But þou repente þe byfore þy fyn,

[_]

ende

Þou mayst be lore, seyþ seynt Austyn.

[Against Swearing Oaths.]

Ȝyf þou were euer so fole hardy
To swerë grete oþys grysly,
As we folys do alle day,
Dysmembre Ihesu alle þat we may.
Gentyl men, for grete gentry,
wene þat grete oþys beyn curteysy;
Noþeles, blode, fete, & yȝen,
Þey scorne Ihesu, and vpbreyde hys pyn.
Of hys woundys he haþ vpbreyd,
Oure shame hyt ys þat yt ys seyd;
Alle þat he suffred for oure frame,
As yn vpbreydyng we sey hym shame;
Hys flesshe, hys blode, he shedde for þe;
woundys he suffred to make þe fre;
So mochyl ys oure shame þe more,
Þat we eft pynë hym so sore.
And þo men fallyn more yn plyȝt
Þat sweryn oþer fals or ryȝt,
By any menbre of hys manhede
Byneþyn þe gyrdyl, y þe forbede;
For y haue herd men swere swyche oþys;
To þenke on hem, forsoþe me loþys.
A lytyl tale y shal ȝow telle,
Þat y herde onys a frerë spelle.

[The Tale of the Bloody Child.]

Hyt was onys a rychë man
Þat gretë oþys swere bygan;

For ryche men vse comunly
Sweryn grete oþys grysly.
Þys rychë man wldë nat lete
But þat he swore euer oþys grete.
An euyl toke hym on a day,
Þat he syke yn hys beddë lay;
A nyȝt, as he lay a-lone,
A womman he herdë make here mone;
Þat yche womman come hym byfore,
with a chylde yn here armys bore.
Of þe chylde þat she bare yn here armys
Al to-drawë were þe þarmys;

[_]

guttys

Of handys, of fete, þe flessh of drawyn,
Mouþe, yȝen, & nose, were alle to-knawyn,
Bakke & sydës were al blody:
Þys womman sorful was, and sory.
Þys man for here wax sore agrysyn;
he spak, whan he was rysyn,
“what art þou womman, þat makyst swych cry?
ho haþ made þy chyld so blody?”
“Þou,” she seyd, “hast hym so shent,
And with þy oþys al to-rent.
Þus hast þou drawen my dere chylde,
with þy oþys wykked and wylde;
And þou makest me sore to grete,
þat þou þyn oþys wylt nat lete.
hys manhede, þat he toke for þe,
Þou pynyst hyt, as þou mayst se;
Þyn oþys done hym more greuesnesse
þan alle þe Iewys wykkednesse.
Þey pyned hym onys, & passed a-way,

But, þou, pynest hym euery day.
Þe pyne, he suffred for þy gode,
And þou vpbreydyst hym of þe rode;
Alle hys flessh, þan þou teryst,
whan þou falsly by hym swerest;
And y am euer so [in] mynde
For to pray for al mankyynde.
how shulde y lengyr prey for þe,
So rulyche makyst þou hym to be,
And ouþer many mo þan þou;
How shulde y þan be meke to ȝow?”
Þe caytyfe þat lay yn hys bedde,
For here seyyng wax sore adredde,
And seydë, “ȝyf hyt be þy wylle,
Helpe me, lady, þat y ne spylle.
For al men seyn, o þou lady,
Þat þou art modyr of mercy!”
She answeryd to þe caytyfe,
“yn fals oþys ys alle þy lyfe;
what mercy mayst þou aske þurgh ryȝt
whan þou þus my sone hast dyght?”
“Lady, alle my oþys grete
Fro þys forward wyl y lete;
And preche to euery man þy lore,
þat þey oþys swere no more.”
“Ȝyf þou wylt of oþys blynne,
Þan wyl y pray for þy synne,
þat þey máy be þe forȝyue,
And do penaunce whan þou art shryue.
For alle men þat hauntyn grete oþys,
To helpe hem at nede, certys me loþys;

And my sonë wlde noght here
For fals oþys, any prayere;
For he comaundeþ to more & lesse,
‘Swere nat hys name yn ydulnesse.’”
Þys womman with here chylde gan wende;
Blessyd be she with-outyn ende!

For hem þat ben of oþys bolde,
For hem haue y þys talë tolde.
Þys gentyl men, þys gettours,
Þey ben but Goddys turmentours;
Þey turment hym alle þat þey may,
with fals oþys nyȝt and day.
But ȝe leue ȝoure fals sweryng,
Ȝoure vnkyndë vpbreydyng,
Ȝe shul go a deueyl weye
But ȝe amende ȝou, ar ȝe deye.
For euery gadlyng nat wurþ a pere
Takyþ ensample at ȝow to swere,
So euery man vn-to ouþer—
Þe porë to þe ryche ys broþer—
yn oþys and yn wykkedhede,
Þe toon þe toþer to helle shal lede.

Ȝyf þou euere swore by oure lady
yn any tyme fals or wykkedly,
Hastly þe [þerfro] withdrawe;
Vengaunce comþ for swych myssawe.
whan þou sweryst by here þat he lyȝt ynne,
He takyþ more to wraþþe þat synne
Þan þou mysdedyst aȝens hym
with worde or dede neuer so grym.

And as moche, he to hym mekeþ
þat here wurschyppyþ or here besechyþ.
þus seyþ seynt Anselme, þat hyt wrote
To þys clerkys þat weyl hyt wote:
More drede ys, by here to swere,
þan ys by hym þat she dede bere;
Sunner he takyth for here veniaunce
Þan for any oþer chaunce:
Þat shal y shewe when we be went
Vnto þe þryd comaundëment.
Ȝyf þou þe talë ryȝt canst here,
Twey þyngës þeryn mayst þou lere:
Þe toon ys, ‘holde weyl þyn halyday;’
Þe touþer, ‘oure lady þou wurschyp ay.’
Now shul we leue oure oþys sweryng,
And speke fyrþer of ouþer þyng;
we shul eft touche of þys synne
when we be come fyrþer withynne.