 | Handlyng Synne |  |
[The Tale of the Adulterous Wife, whose Skeleton split in two.]
Þer ys an Ile be-ȝunde þe see,
Þer men were wunt wonyng to be;
Þys ychë ylë wax al waste,
And þe folk drogh þen yn haste;
So with-ynne a lytyl whyle
Men helde hyt a forsakyn yle.
Seþþë, wonede þere a dragun,
Þat dede many man confusyun;
Men and wommen faste he slogh,
And dede ouer al shame ynogh;
Al þat he fonde with-outë house
Þys dragun slogh so merueylouse;
So mochë folkë gan he quelle,
Men seyd he was a fende of helle.
Alle þe folk of þat cuntre
Cunseyled hem what þat myght be;
Þey armyde hem alle at here myght,
Aȝens þe dragun for to fyght,
But noun of hem myght vndyrstande
Where þe dragun was wonande.
Befel ȝyt, þat ychë tyde,
An ermyte wonede þere besyde,
A godë man and ryȝt certeyn,
Dwelled besydë þat wasteyn,—
One of hem ȝaf cunseyl tyte,
Þat þey shulde go to þat Ermyte,
And aske cunseyl of swyche adede
In hopë alle þe bettyr to spede.
whan þey hadde tolde hym alle here dere,
Þys was þan þe ermytys answere:—
“Ȝyf ȝe wyl wepe for ȝoure synne,
And shryue ȝow clene, and þerof blynne,
And grauntë me þat ȝe shul faste,
And yn preyers wel to laste,
Perauenture ȝe may be al-eggyd,
And sum of ȝoure sorow abreggyd.”
Þer men were wunt wonyng to be;
Þys ychë ylë wax al waste,
And þe folk drogh þen yn haste;
So with-ynne a lytyl whyle
Men helde hyt a forsakyn yle.
Seþþë, wonede þere a dragun,
Þat dede many man confusyun;
Men and wommen faste he slogh,
And dede ouer al shame ynogh;
Al þat he fonde with-outë house
Þys dragun slogh so merueylouse;
So mochë folkë gan he quelle,
Men seyd he was a fende of helle.
Alle þe folk of þat cuntre
Cunseyled hem what þat myght be;
Þey armyde hem alle at here myght,
Aȝens þe dragun for to fyght,
But noun of hem myght vndyrstande
Where þe dragun was wonande.
Befel ȝyt, þat ychë tyde,
An ermyte wonede þere besyde,
A godë man and ryȝt certeyn,
Dwelled besydë þat wasteyn,—
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Þat þey shulde go to þat Ermyte,
And aske cunseyl of swyche adede
In hopë alle þe bettyr to spede.
whan þey hadde tolde hym alle here dere,
Þys was þan þe ermytys answere:—
“Ȝyf ȝe wyl wepe for ȝoure synne,
And shryue ȝow clene, and þerof blynne,
And grauntë me þat ȝe shul faste,
And yn preyers wel to laste,
Perauenture ȝe may be al-eggyd,
And sum of ȝoure sorow abreggyd.”
To do alle þat þe ermyte bad,
Þey grauntede alle, & were ryȝt glad.
Þe ermyte seydë, “ȝe shul be
In penauncë þre days with me;
And, aftyr þe þre days ende,
To ȝow shal y come or sende.”
Þey grauntede alle, & were ryȝt glad.
Þe ermyte seydë, “ȝe shul be
In penauncë þre days with me;
And, aftyr þe þre days ende,
To ȝow shal y come or sende.”
Alle þe folk went home þere weye;
Þe ermyte hys preyere began to seye,
“Ihesu cryst, god almyghty,
Of þys folk haue þou mercy,
Þat þou boghtyst on rode so dere;
For hem shewe me on sum manere
where y may þe dragun fynde,
And hys power, lorde, þou bynde,
Þat þe folk may knowe and se
Þe mercy and þe myȝt of þe.”
Þe ermyte hys preyere began to seye,
“Ihesu cryst, god almyghty,
Of þys folk haue þou mercy,
Þat þou boghtyst on rode so dere;
For hem shewe me on sum manere
where y may þe dragun fynde,
And hys power, lorde, þou bynde,
Þat þe folk may knowe and se
Þe mercy and þe myȝt of þe.”
Whan he hadde preyde hys orysun
Long yn grete afflyccyun,
God sagh allë hys entent,
And hys aungel to hym he sent
For to techë hym þe way
Þedyr þere þe dragun lay.
Þe aungel seyde to þe ermyte,
“Do sumnë þe folk astyte,
Þat þey comë allë hedyr
Beforë þe, echone to gedyr.
Y shal be ȝoure alþer ledere,
Þat þe dragun ȝow nat dere.”
Long yn grete afflyccyun,
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And hys aungel to hym he sent
For to techë hym þe way
Þedyr þere þe dragun lay.
Þe aungel seyde to þe ermyte,
“Do sumnë þe folk astyte,
Þat þey comë allë hedyr
Beforë þe, echone to gedyr.
Y shal be ȝoure alþer ledere,
Þat þe dragun ȝow nat dere.”
Þe folk echonë þedyr com;
Þe aungel before hem gan gon,
And led hem to þat wasteyn
Þat sum tyme was a stede certeyn.
Vnto a place þey ȝede echone,
And þere þey fonde a tumbe of stone.
Þe aungel bad hem lyfte vp þe lydde;
And as he bad, ryȝt so þey dydde.
“here, he seyde, ys hys wonnyng
with anoþer wykked þyng;
Drede ȝow noght þoȝt he be fownde,
For all hys power haue y bownde.”
whan þey had þe toumbe o twynne,
Þe folk stode and loked with-ynne.
Þey sagh a womman þere vyly lye,
And here body cloue yn twey partye;
Betwyxe þo twey partys þe dragun lay,
Gresly to se wyþ grete affray.
Grete wndyr was hyt to see;
Þey asked alle what hyt myȝt be,
And why hyt was, and wherë-fore,
Þat þe dragun lay so þore;
And what manere she synned so,
Þat here body was cloue yn two.
Þe aungel before hem gan gon,
And led hem to þat wasteyn
Þat sum tyme was a stede certeyn.
Vnto a place þey ȝede echone,
And þere þey fonde a tumbe of stone.
Þe aungel bad hem lyfte vp þe lydde;
And as he bad, ryȝt so þey dydde.
“here, he seyde, ys hys wonnyng
with anoþer wykked þyng;
Drede ȝow noght þoȝt he be fownde,
For all hys power haue y bownde.”
whan þey had þe toumbe o twynne,
Þe folk stode and loked with-ynne.
Þey sagh a womman þere vyly lye,
And here body cloue yn twey partye;
Betwyxe þo twey partys þe dragun lay,
Gresly to se wyþ grete affray.
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Þey asked alle what hyt myȝt be,
And why hyt was, and wherë-fore,
Þat þe dragun lay so þore;
And what manere she synned so,
Þat here body was cloue yn two.
he shewede þan vnto hem alle,
For what synne þat sorow gan falle.
“Þys womman,” he seyd, “þat here lys,
And ys departyd yn two partys,
She was weddyd, and here wedlak
Ful falsly an on-truly brak,
whan she was o flessh and blode
with hym þat here to-keyn loue gode;
þurgh matrymony, þe sacrament,
were two o flessh made be assent,
holy togedyr for to leue
And noun fro ouþer hys flesh may ȝyue.
But þys womman þat þus ys shent,
She brak þe holy sacrament;
here flesh she ȝaf, o party
yn hordam and yn lechery,
A-noþer party to here husbonde,
Þat for shame ne myȝt she wonde.
And, for þat yche vyleyns synne,
Ys here body partyd a-twynne;
And betwyx þe twey partys,
For veniaunce, þe dragun lys.
Alas þe tyme þat she was bore!
with-outyn endë she ys lore.”
Þe aungel seyd, “y cómaunde þe,
Dragun, hennë þat þou fle,
Þat þou neuer any man noye
No þys cuntre no more dystroye;
No þat þou comë no more here
yn þys stede for to apere.”
And a-none, for drede and eye,
Þe dragun fleygh furþ hys weye.
Þe folk þanked god echone,
Þat þe dragun aweye was gone.
For what synne þat sorow gan falle.
“Þys womman,” he seyd, “þat here lys,
And ys departyd yn two partys,
She was weddyd, and here wedlak
Ful falsly an on-truly brak,
whan she was o flessh and blode
with hym þat here to-keyn loue gode;
þurgh matrymony, þe sacrament,
were two o flessh made be assent,
holy togedyr for to leue
And noun fro ouþer hys flesh may ȝyue.
But þys womman þat þus ys shent,
She brak þe holy sacrament;
here flesh she ȝaf, o party
yn hordam and yn lechery,
A-noþer party to here husbonde,
Þat for shame ne myȝt she wonde.
And, for þat yche vyleyns synne,
Ys here body partyd a-twynne;
And betwyx þe twey partys,
For veniaunce, þe dragun lys.
Alas þe tyme þat she was bore!
with-outyn endë she ys lore.”
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Dragun, hennë þat þou fle,
Þat þou neuer any man noye
No þys cuntre no more dystroye;
No þat þou comë no more here
yn þys stede for to apere.”
And a-none, for drede and eye,
Þe dragun fleygh furþ hys weye.
Þe folk þanked god echone,
Þat þe dragun aweye was gone.
wommen þat breke wedlak, mow yn þys tale
Here, þat þey brew to hemself bale.
For þe foule dragun, þe fende of helle,
wyþ hém yn peyne shal euer dwelle
Þat half here flesh haue partyd or brokun
Þat holy yn matrymony was lokun.
Here, þat þey brew to hemself bale.
For þe foule dragun, þe fende of helle,
wyþ hém yn peyne shal euer dwelle
Þat half here flesh haue partyd or brokun
Þat holy yn matrymony was lokun.
Ȝyf þer be twey yn cumpany
As beþ yn wedlak specyaly,
And þe toon do aȝens spousayle
whereforë felaushepe may fayle,
But þe toþer wyl hym blame
whan he wote hys foulë fame,
he consentyþ to hys synne
But he desturble hym þer-ynne.
As beþ yn wedlak specyaly,
And þe toon do aȝens spousayle
whereforë felaushepe may fayle,
But þe toþer wyl hym blame
whan he wote hys foulë fame,
he consentyþ to hys synne
But he desturble hym þer-ynne.
Ȝyf þou wendest oute of cuntre,
Aȝens þy wyuys wyl to be,
But she mow wonë yn þat stede
To haue þy fleshly felawrede,
Ȝyf þou do hyt aȝens her wyl
Certeynly þou synnyst ful yl.
Ȝyf þou hyt do to holde þe chaste
wyþ-oute here wyl, þou werchyst waste.
For but hyt be for grete resun,
Ȝyf she mysdo, þou art enchesun.
Aȝens þy wyuys wyl to be,
But she mow wonë yn þat stede
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Ȝyf þou do hyt aȝens her wyl
Certeynly þou synnyst ful yl.
Ȝyf þou hyt do to holde þe chaste
wyþ-oute here wyl, þou werchyst waste.
For but hyt be for grete resun,
Ȝyf she mysdo, þou art enchesun.
Ȝyf þou louyst to haue þy wyfe
Yn clennes and yn godë lyfe,
vpbreyde here neuer for gelusye
Of no mannys cumpanye;
For ȝyf þou dost, þan wyl she do
þyng þat she neuer þoghte to do.
Men sey, þer a man ys gelous,
Þat þer ys a kokewolde at hous.
Many a gode man ys kokewolde;
Þere þe wyfe ys a shrewe, þer ys wykked holde.
But where þe wyfe haþ gelousye
Þere beþ wrdys grete and hye;
here mayster shal nagher go ne sytte
Þat she ne shal wommen on hym wytte.
Þan ys þere chydyng and boste,
Þere ys nat þe holy goste;
For no þyng Ihesu cryst more quemeþ
Þan loue yn wedlak, þere men hyt ȝemyþ;
Ne no þyng ys to man so dere
As wommanys loue yn gode manere.
A gode womman ys mannys blys
Þere here loue ryȝt and stedfast ys;
Þere ys no solas vndyr heuene
Of al þat a man may neuene,
Þat shuld a man so mochë glew
As a gode womman þat loueþ trew.
Ne derer ys none yn goddys hurde
Þan a chaste womman with louely wrde;
Ensample haue y þerof ful fayre
yn þe lyfe of seynt Makayre.
Yn clennes and yn godë lyfe,
vpbreyde here neuer for gelusye
Of no mannys cumpanye;
For ȝyf þou dost, þan wyl she do
þyng þat she neuer þoghte to do.
Men sey, þer a man ys gelous,
Þat þer ys a kokewolde at hous.
Many a gode man ys kokewolde;
Þere þe wyfe ys a shrewe, þer ys wykked holde.
But where þe wyfe haþ gelousye
Þere beþ wrdys grete and hye;
here mayster shal nagher go ne sytte
Þat she ne shal wommen on hym wytte.
Þan ys þere chydyng and boste,
Þere ys nat þe holy goste;
For no þyng Ihesu cryst more quemeþ
Þan loue yn wedlak, þere men hyt ȝemyþ;
Ne no þyng ys to man so dere
As wommanys loue yn gode manere.
A gode womman ys mannys blys
Þere here loue ryȝt and stedfast ys;
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Of al þat a man may neuene,
Þat shuld a man so mochë glew
As a gode womman þat loueþ trew.
Ne derer ys none yn goddys hurde
Þan a chaste womman with louely wrde;
Ensample haue y þerof ful fayre
yn þe lyfe of seynt Makayre.
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