 | Handlyng Synne |  |
96
[Tale of the Rich Forswearer at a Trial in London.]
Yn Londun toune fyl swyche a chek,
A ryche man and pore were at cuntek,
And pleted a-boute a lytyl land
Tyl a day was take yn hand;
þat day was so ny[e] dreue
þat þe othe was to þe ryche man ȝyue:
wytnes þey allë gan hym bere
Þat he ne wuld[ë] falsly swere;
For rychë men are holdë trewe,
Þogh here falsnes be neuer so newe.
whan he was charged þe soþe to seye,
Þat he ne shulde, for loue ne eye,
Ne for lefë, no for loþe,
But trew[ë]ly to swere hys oþe;
A-nouþer þan was yn hys þoght,
For falshede he wlde haue furþ broȝt;
And God toke veniaunce apertly,
Þat alle hyt say þat stode hym by.
For whan he hadde hys oþë swore,
And kest þe boke hem alle before,
Vp ne ros he neuer more,
But, lay dede befor hem þore.
Þan y trowe þat y dar seye
Þat he ȝede an euyl weye.
A ryche man and pore were at cuntek,
And pleted a-boute a lytyl land
Tyl a day was take yn hand;
þat day was so ny[e] dreue
þat þe othe was to þe ryche man ȝyue:
wytnes þey allë gan hym bere
Þat he ne wuld[ë] falsly swere;
For rychë men are holdë trewe,
Þogh here falsnes be neuer so newe.
whan he was charged þe soþe to seye,
Þat he ne shulde, for loue ne eye,
Ne for lefë, no for loþe,
But trew[ë]ly to swere hys oþe;
A-nouþer þan was yn hys þoght,
For falshede he wlde haue furþ broȝt;
And God toke veniaunce apertly,
Þat alle hyt say þat stode hym by.
For whan he hadde hys oþë swore,
And kest þe boke hem alle before,
Vp ne ros he neuer more,
But, lay dede befor hem þore.
Þan y trowe þat y dar seye
Þat he ȝede an euyl weye.
By þys tale, ȝe mowe se alle
Þat fals sweryng wyl euyl befalle,
Namlyche, on þe halydom
whan he ys charged of any whom.
Vndyrstand þys weyl yn þy wyt,
Þat god seyþ yn þe holy wryt,
‘Þat fals oþys, ne wrong Iugement,
Shul neuer morë be vnshent.’
Se how veniaunce was hys mede
whan he hadde of God no drede:
Almyghty God, þat ys soþfastnes,
hé wulde take to fals wytnes.
Þat fals sweryng wyl euyl befalle,
Namlyche, on þe halydom
whan he ys charged of any whom.
97
Þat god seyþ yn þe holy wryt,
‘Þat fals oþys, ne wrong Iugement,
Shul neuer morë be vnshent.’
Se how veniaunce was hys mede
whan he hadde of God no drede:
Almyghty God, þat ys soþfastnes,
hé wulde take to fals wytnes.
Fals sweryng ys nat ellys to say,
But ‘forsakyng of god, and alle hys lay.’
A man þat swereþ fals swerynges,
He forsakeþ fyuë þynges:—
Þe ioye of heuene he forsakeþ,
whan he, wetyng, fals oþys makeþ,
And alle hys blessyd cumpanye
Þat þey hym neuer helpe ȝyf þat he lye;
And Ihesu crystys passyun
þat for hym to þe deþ was doun,
þat hyt helpe hym neuer at nede,
Ȝyf he swere fals, or falsdom bede.
Þe þryddë, ȝyf he swerë fals,
hys crystendom he forsakþ als,
þat hyt helpe hym neuer more
Ȝyf þat he lyë þore.
Þe fourþe ys, he forsakeþ þe preyers
þat holy wryt wytnes of beres,
þat þey neuer stonde hym by
ȝyf he swere hys oþe falsly.
Þe fyueþë þyng wyl hym shende,
For he ȝyfþe hym self wyþ-oute[n] ende
To þe fende þat ys yn helle,
Ȝyf þat he lye, or falsly telle.
On þese fyue maners hymself deryþ
þat on þe bokë falsly sweryþ.
For hys loue þat deyde on þe rode,
Forswere ȝow neuer for worldys gode.
For ȝe wyte weyl, aud haue hyt herde,
þat trouþe ys more þan alle þe worlde.
But ‘forsakyng of god, and alle hys lay.’
A man þat swereþ fals swerynges,
He forsakeþ fyuë þynges:—
Þe ioye of heuene he forsakeþ,
whan he, wetyng, fals oþys makeþ,
And alle hys blessyd cumpanye
Þat þey hym neuer helpe ȝyf þat he lye;
And Ihesu crystys passyun
þat for hym to þe deþ was doun,
þat hyt helpe hym neuer at nede,
Ȝyf he swere fals, or falsdom bede.
Þe þryddë, ȝyf he swerë fals,
hys crystendom he forsakþ als,
þat hyt helpe hym neuer more
Ȝyf þat he lyë þore.
Þe fourþe ys, he forsakeþ þe preyers
þat holy wryt wytnes of beres,
þat þey neuer stonde hym by
ȝyf he swere hys oþe falsly.
Þe fyueþë þyng wyl hym shende,
For he ȝyfþe hym self wyþ-oute[n] ende
To þe fende þat ys yn helle,
Ȝyf þat he lye, or falsly telle.
98
þat on þe bokë falsly sweryþ.
For hys loue þat deyde on þe rode,
Forswere ȝow neuer for worldys gode.
For ȝe wyte weyl, aud haue hyt herde,
þat trouþe ys more þan alle þe worlde.
Ȝyt þer ys anoþer sweryng
where-þurgh comþ oftë grete cumbryng,
Þe whyche ys, an oþe oute of mesure,
Þat he shulde haue a mysauenture
On wyfë, and on chylde, to falle,
And on hys ouþer godys alle,
But he holdë at hys myght
hys oþe þat he swereþ to alle ryght.
Swyche an oþe ys grete doute to swere,
For chauncë comþ on many manere.
Þou settest þy chylde to mychë rewþe
But þou holde þyn oþe to trewþe.
where-þurgh comþ oftë grete cumbryng,
Þe whyche ys, an oþe oute of mesure,
Þat he shulde haue a mysauenture
On wyfë, and on chylde, to falle,
And on hys ouþer godys alle,
But he holdë at hys myght
hys oþe þat he swereþ to alle ryght.
Swyche an oþe ys grete doute to swere,
For chauncë comþ on many manere.
Þou settest þy chylde to mychë rewþe
But þou holde þyn oþe to trewþe.
A-nouþer oth comþ ȝyt yn place,
Þer a man swereþ by fallace.
Fallace ys, as who seye, ‘gyle,’
As many one sweryn vmwhyle.
Ȝyf þou swere to me for oght,
And a-nouþer ys yn þy þoght,
wenyst þou þan þat þou swerest wel
when þyn oth to me ys gyle eche del?
Nay: for, as y vndyrstande of þe,
So shal þy as othë charged be.
Þus techyþ vs seynt Austyne
Þat was a clerk of gret dyuyne.
Þer a man swereþ by fallace.
Fallace ys, as who seye, ‘gyle,’
As many one sweryn vmwhyle.
Ȝyf þou swere to me for oght,
And a-nouþer ys yn þy þoght,
wenyst þou þan þat þou swerest wel
when þyn oth to me ys gyle eche del?
Nay: for, as y vndyrstande of þe,
So shal þy as othë charged be.
Þus techyþ vs seynt Austyne
Þat was a clerk of gret dyuyne.
Y pray ȝow alle, boþe lefe and loþe,
Þat ȝe charge neuer body with oþe
Þat ȝe suppose wyl be forswore;
For, y warne ȝow wel byfore,
Þat who-so putteþ hym to swere,
Grete chargë for hym shal he bere.
99
Þat ȝe suppose wyl be forswore;
For, y warne ȝow wel byfore,
Þat who-so putteþ hym to swere,
Grete chargë for hym shal he bere.
Ȝyf þou madest awhere any vowe
To wurschyp God for þy prowe,—
Ȝyf þou dedyst hyt with þy gode wylle,
with-outë stresse or ouþer ylle,
Þou art holde to ȝelde hyt hym
Or þy synne ys grete and grym;
wytnes of othë and of hote:
Yn heuene, allë þyng þey wote.
To wurschyp God for þy prowe,—
Ȝyf þou dedyst hyt with þy gode wylle,
with-outë stresse or ouþer ylle,
Þou art holde to ȝelde hyt hym
Or þy synne ys grete and grym;
wytnes of othë and of hote:
Yn heuene, allë þyng þey wote.
Noþeles, y sey hardly,
Ȝyf þou vowe to do foly,—
As a man to bete or slo,
Or to take hys gode hym fro;
Or ȝyf þou vowe yn ȝungþe or elde,
And þou mayst nat but wykkedly ȝelde,—
God wyl nat þou hold yt so
þat þou þy vowe yn wykkednes do;
God haþ leuer þou þe wyþdrow
Þan do euyl dede after foly vow,
Bettere ys a foly wrde be wyþdrawe
Þan wyþ euyl dede to fulfyl þat sawe.
Þurgh goddys wurd yn þe gospel,
Þys may be preuyd ryȝt wel.
Ȝyf þou vowe to do foly,—
As a man to bete or slo,
Or to take hys gode hym fro;
Or ȝyf þou vowe yn ȝungþe or elde,
And þou mayst nat but wykkedly ȝelde,—
God wyl nat þou hold yt so
þat þou þy vowe yn wykkednes do;
God haþ leuer þou þe wyþdrow
Þan do euyl dede after foly vow,
Bettere ys a foly wrde be wyþdrawe
Þan wyþ euyl dede to fulfyl þat sawe.
Þurgh goddys wurd yn þe gospel,
Þys may be preuyd ryȝt wel.
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