Handlyng Synne :: :: University of Virginia Library

Now shul we speke of leccherye,
Þat foloweþ þe synne of glotonye;
Hyt ys þe laste of seuene,
And, fyrþest hyt ys fro heuene.
wharefore þan hyt ys so?
For hyt dampneþ euer two.
Þou mayst synne þy self yn wyl,

235

But with anoþer þou shalt fulfyl.
Forsoþe þey are to folehardy
Þat haunte þe synne of lecchery;
For why, to do alle ouþer synnes,
Þe lyghtlyer þe fende hem wynnes.

On seuene maners shal y shewe
How lecherye þan ys a shrewe.

Þe fyrst ys ‘fornycacyon,’
whan two vnweddyd haue mysdon,
As sengle knaue and sengle tarne,

[_]

wenche.

whan þey synne to-gedyr ȝerne;
Þe leste hyt ys of allë seuene,
Ȝyt hyt forbarreþ þe blys of heuene.

Þe touþer ys ‘awoutry,’
whan weddyd and weddyd to-gedyr lye,
As weddyd man takeþ anoþers wyfe,
Þat ys þe morë synful lyfe.
Ȝyf weddyd man, sengle woman takeþ,
Forsoþe spousebrechë þere he makyþ.
Ȝyf weddyd wyfe take sengle man,
Alle spousebreche tel y hyt þan;
For þey haue broke with-outë fayle
Þe chastë bondë of spousayle.

Þe þryddë synnë ys þe werst,
Þe clerk[es] calleþ hyt ‘yncest,’
whan men take kyn yn felawrede,
And wyþ hem doþ flesshëly dede;
Þe ner[ë] syb she ys hys kynde,
Þe morë plyȝt shal he þere fynde.
Or ȝyf he with a woman synne,
Þat sum of hys kyn haþ endyd ynne,
Þat ys to sey, haþ ley here by,

236

Þe more plyȝt ys þat lecchery;
Þus hyt seyþ yn þe decre,
He calleþ hyt an ‘affynyte’;
Affynyte hyt makeþ alle an ende,
hys blode þarto no more may wende.

Þe fourþe synne ys more perylous,
with man and womman relygyus;
Ȝyf þey haue made professyoun
Boþe vn-to relygyoun,
Moche ys to chargë þat folye
Ȝyf þey to-gedyr do leccherye.
Relygyous man also ys to blame,
Þat yn þe wurlde takeþ a foule fame,
For he may kepe hym weyl þerfro,
Alonë þar hym neuer go.

Þe fyfþe ys mochë for to drede,
To rauysh a womman here maydenhede,
Þat ys to say, a-ȝens here wylle,
But ȝyf she grauntë weyl þar-tylle;
And, þogh she to hym consente,
he ys holde to here auaunsement;
For ȝyf she ȝyue here to folye,
She kan nat leuë tyl she deye;
And he þat broght here to þat bysmere,
For here foly he shal answere.

Þe syxtë reyseþ gretë stryfe,
To rauys anouþer mannys wyfe;
For aȝens God hyt ys euyl dede,
And to þe worlde also mochyl drede.
Ȝyf hyt be aȝens here wyl,
Þe more he douþ hym seluen yl.
A clerk, ȝyf [þat] he ordred be,
hys synne ys more þan ouþer þre
For he douþ þat he shulde forbede,
And chastyse ouþer of swyche dede,

237

And þarto mochyl morë kan
Þan a-noþer lewed man.
Þou lewed man, knowest also
what ys to lete, what ys to do;
Þou knowyst as weyl, euery poynt,
As þe prest þat ys a-noynt,
And wost what peryl ys þerynne;
Þou mayst noȝt sey, to fende þy synne.

Also do þesë lordynges,
Þey trespas mochë yn twey þynges;
Þey rauys a mayden aȝens here wyl,
And mennys wyuys þey lede awey þertyl;
A grete vylanye þarto he dous
Ȝyf he make þerof hys rous;

[_]

boste

Þe dedë ys confusyun,
And more ys þe dyffamacyun.

Þe seuenest ys foulest leccherye—
Comoun wymmen to lyggë by—
Of al þe ouþer þat we haue seyde.
longyng of loue ys þerë nede,
For to louë one a-lone,
Þan here þat tak[e]þ euerychone.
Foul ys þat lust and þat peryl,
To loue here þat al men go tyl.
Ful foulë ys þat forreyne
Þat ys comon for al, certeyne;
Þerfore, what as euer be yn þy þoght,
Comun wymmen take þou noght,
For many kas þat may falle,
Þat pryuë ys to telle ȝow alle.

And somë toldë mow weyl be,
Þat are nat holde yn pryuyte;
One ys, she may take þy broþer,
Fadyr, or sybkynd, as wel as ouþer.
Anoþer, for cuntek and foule stryfe,
Þou mayst, þurgh here, lese þy lyfe.
Þe þred[dë] ys þe werstë wem;

238

Meseles, men seye, vsen hem;
And, who takeþ hem yn þat hete,
Clennesse of body he may sone lete.
Moche wo þan, ys swyche to take,
For þesë þre lakkës sake;
And moche may be þat wommans mone,
For she shal answere for hem echone
Þat haue ydo any synne wyþ hyre,
At domes day, þe day of Ire.

Þarefore, ȝe men, takeþ none,
Ne ȝe wymmen, takeþ but one.
Ȝyf man or womman may nat be chaste,
Take, and do no morë waste,
One of whom ȝoure loue wyl be,
And ȝyueþ nat ȝoure bodyys to alle ylych fre.

Seuene maner synnes y haue ȝow tolde,
Þe whych cumbren men on many folde,
And þe leste of alle þese seuene
Forbarreþ a man þe blys of heuene.
who-so wyl be clene of þyse,
Aȝens hys flessh behoueþ hym ryse,
And wyþ hyt fyȝt ful faste
Þat hyt be algate dowün kaste,
And elles may he neuer be clene,
hys flessh hys enmy wyl hym sone tene:
Of swych a fyȝt a sample y kan,
Of seynt Benet þat holy man.
Seynt Gregory telþ for þe nones
how seynt Benet was tempted onys.