University of Virginia Library

Search this document 

collapse section 
collapse section 
  
collapse section 
collapse section1. 
  
  
  
  
collapse section2. 
  
  
  
collapse section3. 
  
  
collapse section4. 
  
  
  
collapse section5. 
  
  
  
collapse section6. 
  
  
  
collapse section7. 
  
  
  
  
collapse section8. 
  
  
  
  
 9. 
 10. 
collapse section 
collapse section1. 
  
  
  
  
  
collapse section2. 
  
  
collapse section3. 
  
  
collapse section4. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
[The Tale of the Father that would not chastise his Child.]
  
  
collapse section5. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
collapse section6. 
  
  
  
  
  
collapse section7. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
collapse section 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
collapse section 
collapse section1. 
  
  
  
 2. 
collapse section3. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 4. 
collapse section5. 
  
  
  
 6. 
 7. 
collapse section 
  
 1. 
 2. 
 3. 
 4. 
 5. 
 6. 
 7. 
 8. 
collapse section9. 
  
  
 10. 
 11. 
collapse section12. 
  
  
 1. 
 2. 
 3. 
 4. 
 5. 
 6. 
collapse section7. 
  
  
collapse section8. 
  
  
  
  
  
  

[The Tale of the Father that would not chastise his Child.]

y shal ȝow telle a wundyr þyng
Þat fylle for defaute of chastysyng:
Seynt Gregory telleþ, þat mochë kan,
Of a folë husbunde man
Þat hatede a chylde þat he furþe broght
wykkedly, for he chastyed hym noght.
Þys chylde was wurþy for to blame,
For ofte he cursed Goddys name;
whan aght was do aȝens hys wylle,
He cursede Goddys name wyþ ylle.

162

Seynt Gregory tellyþ hyt wyþ grete eye;
But as he seyþ, þan dar y seye.
Þys ychë chyld [sone] aftyrward
Fyl yn[to] a syknes hard;
Þe fadyr hadde þerof pyte,
Þe chyld he daunted on hys kne,
And haddë þarfor mochë kare
Þat he sagh hys chylde so fare;
For hyt began to braye and crye
As, þogh hyt shuld al to-flye.
Þe fadyr asked, why hyt so ferde,
Or what hyt sagh, or what hyt herde.
Þe chyldë seyd “blake men, blake,
Aré aboutë, me to take;
Me, wyþ hem, wyl þey lede,
Y ne shal skapë for no nede.”
Yn þe fadrys bosum hyt wulde hym hyde,
But þe fende, þat ychë tyde,
Refte þe saulë vnto helle.
Þan began þe chylde to ȝelle,
And cursed onys Goddys name,
And deyde, and ȝede to helle with shame.
Þys yche chylde þat y haue of tolde,
was but fyuë wyntyr olde.
Þus þe chylde þat was so ȝunge
was lore for faute of chastysynge.
But þe fadyr, þat no gode couþe,
Myȝte haue chastyëd hym with mouþe,
Stoutly, for euery a lak,
And betë hyt, whan hyt so spak.
Oueral y se þys custome wonys;
Rychë men haue shrewed sonys,—
Shrewys yn dedë and yn sawe,—
why? For þey haue nonnë awe.
Yn hys ȝouþe shal he mysseye

163

And skornë ouþer by þe weye;
Þan seyþ þe fadyr “þys chyldys wurde
Ne shal nat ley allë yn hurde.”
And ȝyf he lernë gylerye,
Fals wurde and feynt trenlyng with ye,
Þat halte hys fadyr a queyntyse
And of slygh wyt, to knowe þat wyse.
Ȝyf he do skaþe gladly with fyght,
Þan seyþ þe fadyr “he shal be wyght;
He shal be hardy, and no man drede,
He begynneþ be tyme be doghty yn dede.”
But ryght so shal hyt of hem falle
As dyd of Ely sonys alle.
y shal ȝow telle, to preue my sawe,
what fyl yn þe oldë lawe.
yn þe byble hyt tellyþ, þat toucheþ swych þynges,
yn þe holy boke of kynges;
And wrytë hyt ys opunly,
Of a patryark, syre Ely.