Handlyng Synne :: :: University of Virginia Library

The first commaundment ys of echone
‘Þou shalt haue no god but one,’
Né but o god shalt þou leue,
Ne on no þyng þat wyl hym greue.
Now beþenke þe weyl on þys,
Ȝyf þou aȝen þys haue do ouȝt mys.

The fyrst askyng ys yn oure boke,
‘Ȝyf þou euer god forsoke;’
Any tymë, as for nede,
Or for folye, or for drede,
Or ouþer chaunce þat you weyl woste,
Forsoke fadyr and sone and holy goste.

For þys ys one þe mostë synne
Þat any man may fallyn ynne.

Ȝyf þou haue synned þus gretly,
With sory herte þou aske mercy.
For god ys ful euer of pyte,
Hys mercy ys euer redy to þe.
Drede þe noght; ȝyf þou wylt craue,
Hys mochel mercy shalt þou haue.
And þat may wel [i-]preuyd be
Wyþ a tale of auctoryte.
Þe tale ys wrytyn, al and sum,
In a boke of ‘Vitas Patrum:’—

[The Tale of the Tempted Monk.]

Hyt was onys a munke, and had a celle
In a wyldernes, for to dwelle;
Þys munkë of relygyoun
Had a grete temptacyoun;
He was so temptyd with lecherye,
He ȝede fro hys celle to seke folye;
He dede hym sone to a cyte,
In-to egypte, þat yche cuntre.
And, as hé cam yn a strete,
with a womman he gan mete;
Hys flesshe on here was so abeyted,
Þat þyke womman he couéytyd.
To here fadyr swyþe he ȝede,
And asked here to haue yn dede.
Here fadyr was prest of sarysyne;
In maummetry he leued ynne.

Þe prest seyd þe munke vn-to,

As my god wyl, so wyl y do.
She shal noght to any be sette
Withoutyn leue of my maumette.
The munkë seyd he graunted weyl
Aftyr hys maumette to do euery deyl.

Þe sarysyne to hys god ȝede,
And askede cunseyl of swyche a dede,
Ȝyf he were of þe munkë payde,
Or, þe ȝyfte shulde be delayde.’

Þan answered hys termagaunt,
“Ȝyue hym þy doghtyr on þys cunnaunt,
Þat he forsake, & quytë clene,
God of heuene and hys bapteme,
And alle þe godenesse of hys munkhede;
Þese þre forsakë, mote he nede;
And ȝyf he forsake hem apertly,
Ȝyue hym þy douȝtyr hardëly.”

Þys prest come to þe munke, & tolde
what he seyd, and what he wolde;
‘And ȝyf he wolde forsake þese þre,
Hys dougtyr shulde hys ownë be.’

She was so mochë yn hys þoght;
Had he here, he rouȝte of noghte.
Alas! Ihesus he forsoke,
And þe crystyndom þat he toke,
And þe state of relygyoun,
And chesë hys Dampnacyun.

Certys he dede grete outrage,
To make þe deuyl so moche omage.

whan he had grauntede al hys folye,
Out of hys mouþe he say flye
A dowue vn-to þe fyrmament;
Þe holy gost þan from hym went.

Þe sarysyne wente to hys maumet,
And tolde hym how þe munke had het:
“Þese þre þyngës” he wyl forsake;
Shal y, hym my douȝtyr take?
Sey þou me þe certeyn of alle,
wheþer y shal, or y ne shalle.”
Þe maumet answeryd hastyly,
“Y warne þe for enchesoun why;
Þogh he forsake hys god for euere,
Hys god forsakeþ hym neuere,
For he ys euer ful of pyte;
Men clepyn hym god of cristianite;
For ȝyf he wyl hym mercy craue,
Redyly mercy shal he haue;
Þouȝe he to-day fro hys god weyue,
To-morwe hys god wyl hym receyue.
Þarfor, y forbede þe weyl,
Ne delë with hym neuer a deyl.”

Þe prest vnto þe munkë went
And seyd, “y haue commaundëment
Þat y ne shal delë with þe,
Ne my doghtyr þy wyfe to be;
For þy god ys of swych manere,
Þogh þou forsake hym ryght now here,
To-morwe mayst þou com aȝeyn,

And make with hym acorde certeyn;
Þogh þou haue do neuer so ylle
Ȝyt wyl he graunte þe hys gode wylle.
My god me bad on none wyse
To dele with þe, ne none of hyse.”

Þe munke rependyd hym þan, and þoght,
“Alas!” he seyd, “what have y wroght
Þat y shulde euer hym forsake
Þat ys so redy me efte to take.
Þy mercy, god, ys mochyl to telle;
when y see a maumet of helle
Þat neuer ȝyt loued þe,
He spekyþ of þy mochyl pyte.
Seþyn þou art so mylde and meke
Þy mochyl mercy wyl y seke;
Here y forsakë þat y toke,
To hym y me betake þat y forsoke.”

Seþyn he ȝede to an ermyte,
And shrofe hym of hys synne astyte;
And tolde hym þat he had y-doun,
Forsaken god and hys relygyoun.
þys forsayde ermyte ful sory was
Þat he had do so grete trespas;
Noþeles, he bad hym dwelle
Þre wokys with hym yn his celle;
For hys synne he shulde þan faste,
And yn preyers wel to laste.

þys ychë munke þat was so madde,
Dyde ryght as þe ermyte badde.
þey preyden boþe þat seuenyȝt

To god, for hys mochel myȝt,
þat he wulde haue of hym mercy;
Þus preyd þey boþë specyaly.

At þe fyrste seuenyȝt ende,
þe ermyte seyd, “broþer hende,
Hast þou any gracë see
Yn þy preyers as þou hast be?”
“ȝe,” he seyde, “y sagh a syght
Yn þe lykenes of a dowuës flyght,
Aboue me yn þe firmament,
Of þat dowue þat fro me went.”
þe ermyte þoght þan astyte
Þat hyt was þe same spyryte
þat went from hym when he began
God forsake for þat womman.

To gret penaunce eft he hym toke
For hys cristyndom þat he forsoke;
Ȝyt a woke he badde hym faste
For his flessh þat hym downe caste,
þat no more þurghe lecherye
He fordo hys grace so gretly.

Þys ermyte preyed nyght and day
þat hys penaunce were take to pay.
whan þey had preydë day & nyght
Alle þat woke yn goddys syght,
Þys ermyte seyd, “benedicite;
Broþer,” he seyd, “how þenkeþ þe?”
“weyl,” he seyd, “þurgh goddys grace,
Þe dowue haþ be byfore my face,
And, a whyle, stylle by me stode;
Þe syght þere-of dyde me gode.”

“þat ys weyl, wyþ goddys wylle,
Dwelle ȝyt with me a wokë stylle,
And be yn þyn afflyccyouns,
Yn fastyng and yn orysouns:
And y. shal prey also with þe
Þat god boþe herë me and þe.”

Stedfastlych þey preyd a-none
Tyl þat wokë were alle gone.
At þe woke ende, spake þe ermyte
And asked þe munke of þe spyryte.
Þe munkë seyde, “y haue hyt seyn,
And on my hede syttyn and beyn;
y sagh hyt so mylde and spake,
Þat with my hande y myght hyt take;
Me þoght hyt was þat fro me steye,
Aȝeyn yn-to my mouþe hyt fleye.”
þe ermyte þanked god almyght
Þat ȝafe hym grace to see þat syȝt.
“Now art þou clene,” he seyde, “of synne,
þe holy goste ys þe withynne:
kepe þe now fro swych a kas,
Aȝen god no more to trespas.”

By þys ensample may ȝe see
Þat god ys euer ful of pyte;
Þogh a man hym onys forsake,
Eft wyl god aȝen hym take
Ȝyf he with herte wyl mercy crye
And do penaunce for hys folye.
Blessed be he among vs here,
Þat he loueþ vs alle so dere.

Go we now fyrþer on oure pas
And tellë more of oure trespas.

[On Witchcraft and Dreams.]

Ȝyf þou euer þurgh folye
Dydyst ouȝt do nygrómauncy.
Or to þe deuyl dedyst sacryfyse
Þurgh wychcraftys asyse,
Or any man ȝaf þe mede
For to reyse þe deuyl yn dede,
For to telle, or for to wrey,
Þyng þat þe was don awey;
Ȝyf þou haue do any of þys,
Þou hast synned & do a-mys,
And þou art wurþy to be shent
Þurgh þys yche commaundëment.

Ȝyf you yn swerd, oþer yn bacyn,
Any chylde madyst loke þeryn,
Or yn þumbe, or yn cristal,—
wycchëcraft men clepyn hyt al:
Beleue nouȝt yn þe pyys cheteryng;
Hyt ys no trouþe, but fals beleuyng.
Many beleuyn yn þe pye:
whan she comyþ lowe or hye
Cheteryng, and haþ no reste,
þan sey þey we shul haue geste.
Manyon trowyn on here wylys,
And many tymes þe pye hem gylys.

Also ys metyng on þe morwe
when þou shalt go to bye or to borwe;
ȝyf þan þy erende spede ne sette,
þan wylt þou curse hym þat þou mette.
Hyt ys þe tycement of þe deuyl
To curse hem þat þoght þe no euyl.

Of hancel y can no skylle also;
Hyt ys nouȝt to beleue þarto:
Me þynkeþ hyt ys fals euery deyl,
Y beleue hyt nouȝt, ne neuer shal weyl.
For many hauyn glad hancel at þe morw,
And to hem or euyn comþ mochyl sorw;
And manyon hauyn yn þe day grete noy,
And ȝyt or euyn comþ to hem mochyl ioye.
So mayst þou wyte, ȝyf þou gode can,
Þat hancel ys no beleue to man.

Beleuë nouȝt moche yn no dremys,
For many be nat but gleteryng glemys.
Þese clerkys seyn þat hyt ys vanyte,
Þat nouȝt ys, ne neuer shal be;
And oftë mayst þou fynde hyt ryght
þat þou hast mete vpon þe nyght.
But þerof to haue mochyl affyaunce
Þe may betyde þe sunner a chaunce.

On syxë maners may a man mete:
Sum beyn to beleue, sum beyn to lete.
Sum men dremyn for surfeture,

þat etyn or drynkyn ouer mesure;
And sum dremë on veyn þyng
For ouer mychyl and grete fastyng;
And sum beyn þe fendes temptacyoun
Þat to þe trowþe ys fals tresoun;
And sum come of ouer mochyl þouȝt
Of þyng þat men wuld hauë wrouȝt;
And sum beyn goddys pryuyte
Þat he shewyþ to warnë þe;
And, sum come þurgh grete stody,
And shewë to þe apertly.
Þese syxë maners a clerk vs tellyþ,
Seynt Gregory, þat mochyl spellyþ.

Þe fyrst twey maners, we wote weyl,
Beyn oure defautë euery deyl.
Þe ton ys for ouer mychel outrage,
Þe touþer ys febylnesse of corage,
As yn mete, or drynk, ouer moche takyng,
Or yn feblyng þe body with moche fastyng.
þe touþer fourë þys clerkys wytyn,
For yn þe byble þey ben wrytyn.
Ȝyf þey ne come þurgh temptacyun
Of þe fende, þat ys a felun,
Neuere had seyd Salamon
‘þat dremys, men deseyue manyon.’
For þo þat to dremys ouer moche trastys,

[_]

beleuyn

To scornë hem þe fende þen frastys.

[_]

asayþ

Ȝyf þey come nat also þurgh þoght,
Þe wysë clerk hadde tolde hyt noght,
Ne suffryd hyt be wrytyn yn boke
Þat men alle day rede yn, and loke.
Þus þe wyse clerk seyþ, Catun,
And techyþ chyldryn þys lessun,
‘Ȝeue no charge to [þy] dremys,
Þey been but as [glasyng] glemys
Þat yn þe þouȝt [stertys &] lepys
A-nyȝt whan þou [restys &] slepys:
þat you wakyng [sumtyme] þenkes,
Beforë þy yȝen hyt blenkys.’

Ȝyf þey ne come þurgh pryuyte
Þat god wyl shewë me or þe,
Iosep of dremys had ȝyue no kepe
what hym was shewed yn hys slepe,
þat fadyr and modyr & al hys kynde,
Þurgh hym shuld þey wurshyp fynde.
yn þe byble men redë þys
In þe fyrst boke of genesys.
Also hyt was shewyd pryuyly
To iosep þat wedded oure lady,
Þat with þe chyld þey shuldë fle
To egypt, þat yche cuntre.
þys ys clepyd reuelacyun,
To shewe byfore what ys to doun.

Ȝyf þey com noght þurgh stodyyng,
þat tokene ys of selkouþe þyng,
Danyel had noght wyst byfore

Þe dreme of Nabugodonósore.
Danyel seyd vn-to þe kyng,
“þou þouȝtyst to nyȝt a selkouþe þyng;
‘what manere folk shuld þey be
Þat yn þis worlde come aftyr þe,
And how þey shulde þe wurlde gouerne;’
yn þy þoght þou gunne hyt ȝerne;
And god shewyd hyt yn þy syȝt;
þat dremed þe þe touþer nyȝt.”
He tolde þe profyte þan euery deyl;
And þe profete redde hyt weyl:
wysly he seyd, and weyl þurgh soght,
whan he hede toke to þat þe kynge þoght.
And god shewyd what shuld betyde;
what manere folk shulde aftyr a-byde.

Seþyn þer beyn dremys so many manere,
þan ys doute & gretë were
To wytë where-of dremys come,
Þat euery nyȝt dremyn þurgh custome;
Þer beyn so many dremys yn veyne,
Þat no man wotë no certeyn
But þey þat beyn with god pryue,
To whom ys graunted, swych þyng to see:
Swych men deseyueþ nat þe deuyl,
þey haue no grace to knowe hys euyl;
Ellys may no man fynde hem stable,
So ben dremys déseyuable.

ȝyf þou telle hem, þan mayst þou erre;
And ȝyf þow trow hem, þat ys wel werre;
For þou mayst dreme of sum euyl þyng
Þat may turne to better for þy preyyng.
“Þou, leudman, ȝyf godë tent,
Trow noght aȝen þe comaundment.”

Ȝyf þou beleue yn wycchëcraft
To chaungë þyng be þe deuylys craft,—
Swych beyn þe deuyl betaght,
with holy chyrche þey ben vnsaght,
And allë þo þat on hem trowe
Mow drede hem self to brenne yn lowe;

[_]

fyre

And þogh þey fynde hyt soþe oþer whyle,
Hyt ys þurgh þe fendës gyle.
Þe fend fondyþ with alle hys myȝt
To put sumwat yn herë syght
Þat shal make hem swych þyng beleue
And god almyȝty myspay and greue.
For þer was neuer womman ne man
Þat any wycchëcraft be-gan,
Þat euer myȝt bryng hyt to an ende,
But fals beleue þat wyl hem shende.
þe wurdys certys beyn ryght noght,
But fals beleue makeþ dede y-wroght.
For whan þou trowyst yn a fals þyng
þe deuyl hyt shewyþ for þat trowyng.
lo here a tale of a wycche,
Þat leued no better þa[n] a bycche.

[The Tale of the Witch and her Cow-sucking Bag; and how a Bishop faild to work her Charm, because he didn't believe in it.]

Þere was a wycche, and made a bagge,
A bely of leþyr, a gretë swagge,
She sygaldryd so þys bagge bely
Þat hyt ȝede and soke mennys ky,
At euene, & at morw tyde,
yn here pasture, oþer ellys be syde.
long hyt ȝede aboutë fast,
Tyl hyt was parceyued at the last;
Þan al þe godemen of þe toune,
Byfore þe bysshop dyden here somoune;
Þey dyden þe baggë with here bere,
To wetë what she shuld answere.
hyt was shewyd byfore þe bysshop,
Þat she dyde to goo swych a melk slop,
Þurgh wycchecraft & mysáuenture,
To sugke here keyn yn here pasture.
Þe bysshop merueyled, & oþer mo,
how þat she myȝt do hyt go.
“Dame,” seyd þe bysshop, “do þy quentyse,
And late vs se how hyt shal ryse.”
Þys wycche here charme began to sey,
Þe slop ros vp, and ȝede þe weye.

Þe bysshop seyd, “þys haue we seyn;
Do hyt now to lygge aȝeyn.”
Þe wycchë dede al at hys wylle:
She made þe slop aȝen lygge stylle,
Þe bysshop made a clerk þan wryte
Al þat she seyd, mochel and lyte,
And allë how she made here went;
Þe bysshop þarto ȝaf gode entent.
“Þan,” seyde þe bysshop, “now shal y,
As þou hast do, do þy maystry.”
Þe bysshop bygan þe charme to rede,
And as she dyde, he dyde yn dede;
He seyd and dedë euery deyl,
Ryȝt as she dede, he dede as weyl.
Þe sloppe lay stylle, as hyt ded wore,
For hym ne ros hyt neuer þe more.
“why,” seyd he, “wyl hyt nat ryse,
And y haue do þe samë wyse,
And seyd þe wurdys, lesse ne mo,
And for my seyyng wyl hyt nat go?”
“Nay,” she seyd, “why shuld hyt so?
Ȝe beleue nat as y do:
wlde ȝe beleue my wrdys as y,
Hyt shulde a go, and sokun ky.”
He seyd, “þan fayleþ noght but beleuyng;”
She seyd, “þat helpeþ al my þyng;
And so hyt ys for ourë lawe,
Beleue ys morë þan þe sawe;

For, þou mayst sey what þou wylt,
But þou beleue hyt, ellys ys alle spylt;
Alle þat y seyd, y beleue hyt weyl,
My beleue haþ do þe dede euery deyl.”
Þe bysshop comaundyd þat she shuld noȝt
Beleue ne wurche as she had wroȝt.

Here mow we wyte, beleue wyl make
Þere þe wurde no myȝt may take.
Þe bysshop seyd þe wurdys echoun,
But, beleue þeryn hadde he noun.
Nomore shall hyt auaylë þe
Þat beleuest not þere beleue shulde be.

Ȝyf þou herdyst a fals þyng or layþ

[_]

foule

Þat were spoke aȝens þe feyþ,
And þou ne wuldest þeraȝen seye,
But beleuyst, oþer for loue, oþer for eye,
Þou hast synned, & aȝen went
Þys ychë fyrst comaundëment.
Þus seyþ þe lawë þat men hauntes,
‘Ȝyf þou forhelyst, weyl þou grauntes.’

Ȝyf þou trowest or vndyrstondys
Þat þre sustren ben shapandys,
And comun þere þe chylde ys bore,
And shapyn hyt wele or euel before;
For wykked beleue þat þou art ynne
Þey make þe chylde to falle yn synne;
Swyche beleue þou shuldest nat werche
Aȝens þe beleue of holy cherche.
Þer nys no shapper but god almyȝt,

Þat yn þe vyrgyne Mary lyȝt.
He ys shapper of al þyng;
Of al þat ys, he wote þe endyng;
He ys boþë god and man;
Alle he wote, and alle he can.
Þe touþer shappers þat men of telle,
Beteche we hem þe fende of helle.

Ȝyf þou trowyst synne shal be forȝeue
withoutë répentaunce & shryue,
As sum of þys lewed men seys,
‘God of heuene ys so curteys,
Þat he shal on domysday certeynly
For-ȝyue þe synne of lechery;
lechery ys but lyght synne,
he wyl haue mercy on al þerynne;’
Þus sey þey þat can no gode,
And þouȝ þey hemself vndyrstode.
Ȝyf þou þe certeyn wylt lere,
Þyn forȝeuenes mote be here;
yn þe touþer werlde þer we shul come
Þere ys but ryȝtfulnes of dome;
Þere ys al ryȝtfulnes at þe last ende;
Aske mercy or þou þedyr wende,
Elles gest þou no forȝeuenes,
Here ne þerë, more no lesse.
God ȝyue vs grace, or we be went,
To kepë þys fyrst cómaundment.