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That þou excuse nat þy synne.
  
  
  

That þou excuse nat þy synne.

Ȝyt þer ys an vnþryfte
Þat doþ moche skaþe yn shryfte;
Þat þou defendest þe fro plyȝt,
And puttest þy synne on God almyȝt.
So dyd oure fadyr Adam,
whan God of heuene to hym cam,
And seyd, “Adam, why art þou yn synne?”
“lorde,” he seyd, “my wyfe made me bygynne;
Þat ychë wyfe þat þou me wroȝt,
She synned fyrst, and y noȝt.”
Seeþ how Adam bygan to lye,

388

And put on God hys owne folye!
For, God forbede þat tre,
Þat he ne shulde ete þer-of, ne she:
Seeþ how he ded, þat God forbede,
And dyd aftyr hys wyuës rede;
He wulde haue excused hys fame,
As who seyþ ‘God was to blame;’
Þese lewed men sey, and erre ful ylle,
And seye ‘hyt was alle Goddys wylle.’
Ȝyf þat hyt Goddys wyl shulde be,
why forbede he hym þat tre?
Hyt may nat be, for no nede,
Þat God wulde be do, he shulde forbede;
Syn he forbed, hyt shulde be noȝt,
Aȝens hys byddyng, Adam hyt wroȝt;
Þan hyt semeþ, hyt was but suffraunce,
Nat hys wyl, nat hys ordynaunce,
But lete hym haue alle hys fre wyl,
Hym self for to saue or spyl.
Nay, nay! Adam, alle mys ȝede,
On God to put alle hys mysdede,
As who seyþ ‘he shulde nat be shent,
But Eue brak þe commaundëment,
For she ȝaue hym þe appul here lete,
And God was gylty þat he hyt ete.’
He myȝt a fórsake, and seyd nay,
But whan he toke hyt, he brake þe lay.
Ȝyf a man me now forbede
þyng þat y ne shulde haue of dede,
y were to blame ȝyf y hyt toke;
Bettyr were fyrst þat y hyt forsoke;
So myȝt Adam haue hyt forsake,
For God for-bede þat none shuld be take.
Syn he dyd þus aȝens hys forbode,
Ho dar sey hyt was þe wyl of God?
Ȝyt þyr are many þat þus seye,
Þat alle here wyte on God wul leye,

389

And tellë men þus apertly
Þey mow nat holdë fro foly,
And sey þey mowe nat lyuë chaste,
But nedly hym behoueþ do waste.
Y seye, as þe holy man seys,
He lyeþ apertely on alle weys;
For ȝyf þat he wulde do now folye
wyþ a womman yn lecherye,
And ȝyf a-noþer, hyt myȝt se,
At þat tyme he wulde late be;
He ne letteþ for Goddes comaundement,
But for hym þat þere ys present.
Alle þo þat sey ‘hem byhoueþ nedely,’
Þey acoupe God of here folye.
why shulde he þat þyng forbede,
Þat nedely moste be do yn dede?
hyt were foly, comaunde a þyng
Þat myȝt nat ȝyue no warantyng.
yn twey þynges, wykkedly þey sey,
Þat on God here blame alle leye;
Lyers algate þey are strong;
A-noþer, þey hepe on God here wrong;
wykkedly þey synne on þese maners,
Þey make hym wers þan ben here peres.