The Parson's Prologue
1: By that the maunciple hadde his tale al ended, 
2: The sonne fro the south lyne was descended 
3: So lowe that he nas nat, to my sighte, 
4: Degrees nyne and twenty as in highte. 
5: Foure of the clokke it was tho, as I gesse, 
6: For ellevene foot, or litel moore or lesse, 
7: My shadwe was at thilke tyme, as there, 
8: Of swiche feet as my lengthe parted were 
9: In sixe feet equal of proporcioun. 
10: Therwith the moones exaltacioun, 
11: I meene libra, alwey gan ascende, 
12: As we were entryng at a thropes ende; 
13: For which oure hoost, as he was wont to gye, 
14: As in this caas, oure joly compaignye, 
15: Seyde in this wise: lordynges everichoon, 
16: Now lakketh us no tales mo than oon. 
17: Fulfilled is my sentence and my decree; 
18: I trowe that we han herd of ech degree; 
19: Almoost fulfild is al myn ordinaunce. 
20: I pray to god, so yeve hym right good chaunce, 
21: That telleth this tale to us lustily. 
22: Sire preest, quod he, artow a vicary? 
23: Or arte a person? sey sooth, by the fey! 
24: Be what thou be, ne breke thou nat oure pley; 
25: For every man, save thou, hath toold his tale. 
26: Unbokele, and shewe us what is in thy male; 
27: For, trewely, me thynketh by thy cheere 
28: Thou sholdest knytte up wel a greet mateere. 
29: Telle us a fable anon, for cokkes bones! 
30: This persoun answerde, al atones, 
31: Thou getest fable noon ytoold for me; 
32: For paul, that writeth unto thymothee, 
33: Repreveth hem that weyven soothfastnesse, 
34: And tellen fables and swich wrecchednesse. 
35: Why sholde I sowen draf out of my fest, 
36: Whan I may sowen whete, if that me lest? 
37: For which I seye, if that yow list to heere 
38: Moralitee and vertuous mateere, 
39: And thanne that ye wol yeve me audience, 
40: I wol ful fayn, at cristes reverence, 
41: Do yow plesaunce leefful, as I kan. 
42: But trusteth wel, I am a southren man, 
43: I kan nat geeste -- rum, ram, ruf, -- by lettre, 
44: Ne, God woot, ryn holde I but litel bettre; 
45: And therfore, if yow list -- I wol nat glose -- 
46: I wol yow telle a myrie tale in prose 
47: To knytte up al this feeste, and make an ende. 
48: And jhesu, for his grace, wit me sende 
49: To shewe yow the wey, in this viage, 
50: Of thilke parfit glorious pilgrymage 
51: That highte jerusalem celestial. 
52: And if ye vouche sauf, anon I shal 
53: Bigynne upon my tale, for which I preye 
54: Telle youre avys, I kan no bettre seye. 
55: But nathelees, this meditacioun 
56: I putte it ay under correccioun 
57: Of clerkes, for I am nat textueel; 
58: I take but the sentence, trusteth weel. 
59: Therfore I make protestacioun 
60: That I wol stonde to correccioun. 
61: Upon this word we han assented soone, 
62: For, as it seemed, it was for to doone, 
63: To enden in som vertuous sentence, 
64: And for to yeve hym space and audience; 
65: And bade oure hoost he sholde to hym seye 
66: That alle we to telle his tale hym preye. 
67: Oure hoost hadde the wordes for us alle: 
68: Sire preest, quod he, now faire yow bifalle! 
69: Telleth, quod he, youre meditacioun. 
70: But hasteth yow, the sonne wole adoun; 
71: Beth fructuous, and that in litel space, 
72: And to do wel God sende yow his grace! 
73: Sey what yow list, and we wol gladly heere. 
74: And with that word he seyde in this manere. 


The Parson's Tale

Part I
75: Oure sweete lord God of hevene, that no 
75: Man wole perisse, but wole that we comen alle 
75: Yo yhr knoweleche of hym, and to the blisful 
76: lif that is perdurable,/ amonesteth us 
76: By the prophete jeremie, that seith in thys 
77: Wyse:/ stondeth upon the weyes, and seeth 
77: And axeth of olde pathes (that is to seyn, of olde 
78: Sentences) which is the goode wey./ And wald 
78: Eth in that wey, and ye shal fynde refresshynge 
79: For youre soules, etc./ Manye been the weyes 
79: Espirituels that leden fold to oure lord jhesu 
80: Crist, and to the regne of glorie./ Of whiche 
80: Weyes, ther is a ful noble wey and ful covenable, 
80: which may nat fayle to man ne to womman 
80: that thurgh synne hath mysgoon fro 
81: The righte wey of jerusalem celestial;/ and 
81: This wey is cleped penitence, of which man 
81: Sholde gladly herknen and enquere with 
82: His herte,/ to wyten what is penitence, and 
82: Wheenes it is cleped penitence, and in how 
82: Manye maners been the acciouns or werkynges 
83: of penitence,/ and how manye speces 
83: Ther been of penitence, and whiche thynges 
83: Apertenen and bihoven to penitence, and 
84: Whiche thynges destourben penitence./ 
84: Seint ambrose seith that penitence is the 
84: Pleynynge of man for the gilt that he hath 
84: Doon, and namoore to do any thyng for which 
85: Hym oghte to pleyne./ And som doctour seith. 
85: Penitence is the waymentynge of man that 
85: Sorweth for his synne, and pyneth hymself 
86: for he hath mysdoon./ Penitence, 
86: With certeyne circumstances, is varray repentance 
86: of a man that halt hymself in sorwe 
87: And oother peyne for his giltes. / and for he 
87: Shal be verray penitent, he shal first biwaylen 
87: The synnes that he hath doon, and stidefastly 
87: Purposen in his herte to have shrift of mouthe, 
88: And to doon satisfaccioun, / and nevere to doon 
88: Thyng for which hym oghte moore to biwayle 
88: Or to compleyne, and to continue in goode 
89: Werkes, or elles his repentance may nat availle. / 
89: For, as seith seint ysidre, he is a japere and 
89: A gabbere, and no verray repentant, that eftsoone 
89: dooth thyng for which hym oghte repente./ 
90: wepynge, and nat for to stynte to 
91: Do synne, may nat avayle./ But nathelees, 
91: Men shal hope that every tyme that man 
91: Falleth, be it never so ofte, that he may arise 
91: Thurgh penitence, if he have grace; but certeinly 
92: it is greet doute./ For, as seith seint 
92: Gregorie, unnethe ariseth he out of his synne, 
93: That is charged with the charge of yvel usage./ 
93: And therfore repentant folk, that stynte for to 
93: Synne, and forlete synne er that synne forlete 
93: Hem, hooly chirche holdeth hem siker of hir 
94: Savacioun. / and he that synneth and verraily 
94: Repenteth hym in his laste, hooly chirche yet 
94: Hopeth his savacioun, by the grete mercy of 
94: Oure lord jhesu crist, for his repentaunce; but 
95: Taak the siker wey./ 
95: And now, sith I have declared yow what 
95: Thyng is penitence, now shul ye understonde 
95: That ther been three acciouns of penitence./ 
96: the firste is that if a man be baptized 
97: after that he hath synned,/ seint augustyn 
97: seith, but he be penytent for his olde 
97: Synful lyf, he may nat bigynne the newe clene 
98: Lif./ For, certes, if he be baptized withouten 
98: Penitence of his olde gilt, he receyveth the mark 
98: Of baptesme, but nat the grace ne the remission 
99: Of his synnes, til he have repentance verray./ 
99: Another defaute is this, that men doon deedly 
100: Synne after that they han receyved baptesme./ 
100: The thridde defaute is that men fallen in 
100: Venial synnes after hir baptesme, fro day 
101: To day./ Therof seith seint augustyn that 
101: Penitence of goode and humble folk is the 
102: Penitence of every day./ 
102: The speces of penitence been three. That 
102: Oon of hem is solempne, another is commune, 
103: And the thridde is privee./ Thilke penance that 
103: Is solempne is in two maneres; as to be put out 
103: Of hooly chirche in-lente, for slaughtre of children 
104: and swich maner thyng./ Another is, 
104: Whan a man hath synned openly, of which 
104: Synne the fame is openly spoken in the contree, 
104: and thanne hooly chirche by juggement 
105: Destreyneth hym for to do open penaunce./ 
105: Commune penaunce is that preestes enjoynen 
105: Men communly in certeyn caas, as for to goon 
105: Peraventure naked in pilgrimages, or barefoot./ 
106: Prevee penaunce is thilke that men 
106: Doon alday for privee synnes, of whiche we 
107: Shryve us prively and receyve privee penaunce./ 
107: Now shaltow understande what is bihovely 
107: And necessarie to verray perfit penitence. And 
108: This stant on three thynges:/ contricioun of 
108: Herte, confessioun of mouth, and satisfaction. 
109: / for which seith seint crisostomz 
109: Penitence destreyneth a man to accepte benygnely 
109: every peyne that hym is enjoyned, 
109: With contricioun of herte, and shrift of mouth, 
109: With satisfaccioun; and in werkynge of alle 
110: Manere humylitee./ And this is fruytful penitence 
110: agayn three thinges in which we 
111: Wratthe oure lord jhesu crist:/ this is to 
111: Seyn, by delit in thynkynge, by reccheleesnesse 
111: in spekynge, and by wikked synful werknyge./ 
112: and agayns thise wikkede giltes is penitence, 
113: that may be likned unto a tree./ 
113: The roote of this tree is contricioun, that 
113: Hideth hym in the herte of hym that is verray 
113: Repentaunt, right as the roote of a tree gydeth 
114: Hym in the erthe./ Of the roote of contricioun 
114: Spryngeth a stalke that bereth braunches and 
114: Leves of confessioun, and fruyt of satisfaccioun./ 
115: for which crist seith in his gospel: 
115: Dooth digne fruyt of penitence; for by this 
115: Fruyt may men knowe this tree, and nat by the 
115: Roote that is hyd in the herte of man, ne by the 
115: Braunches, ne by the leves of confessioun./ 
116: and therfore oure lord jhesu 
116: Crist seith thus: by the fruyt of hem shul 
117: Ye knowen hem./ Of this roote eek spryngeth 
117: A seed of grace, the which seed is mooder of 
118: Sikernesse, and this seed is egre and hoot./ The 
118: Grace of this seed spryngeth of God thurgh remembrance 
118: of the day of doom and on the 
119: Peynes of helle./ Of this matere seith salomon 
119: that in the drede of God man forleteth his 
120: Synne./ The heete of this seed is the love of 
120: God, and the desiryng of the joye perdurable./ 
121: this heete draweth the herte 
121: Of a man to god, and dooth hym haten his 
122: Synne./ For soothly ther is nothyng that savoureth 
122: so wel to a child as the milk of his 
122: Norice, ne nothyng is to hym moore abhomnyable 
122: than thilke milk whan it is medled with 
123: Oother mete./ Right so the synful man that 
123: Loveth his synne, hym semeth that it is to him 
124: Moost sweete of any thyng;/ but fro that tyme 
124: That he loveth sadly oure lord jhesu crist, and 
124: Desireth the lif perdurable, ther nys to him no 
125: Thyng moore abhomynable./ For soothly the 
125: Lawe of God is the love of god; for which 
125: David the prophete seith: I have loved thy 
125: Lawe, and hated wikkednesse and hate; he 
125: That loveth God kepeth his lawe and his 
126: Word./ This tree saugh the prophete 
126: Daniel in spirit, upon the avysioun of the 
126: Kyng nabugodonosor, whan he conseiled hym 
127: To do penitence./ Penaunce is the tree of lyf 
127: To hem that is receyven, and he that holdeth 
127: Hym in verray penitence is blessed, after the 
128: Sentence of solomon./ 
128: In this penitence or contricioun man shal 
128: Understonde foure thynges; that is to seyn, what 
128: Is contricioun, and whiche been the causes that 
128: Moeven a man to contricioun, and how he 
128: Sholde be contrit, and what contricioun availleth 
129: to the soule./ Thanne is it thus: that contricioun 
129: is the verray sorwe that a man receyveth 
129: in his herte for his synnes, with sad purpos 
129: To shryve hum, and to do penaunce, and neveremoore 
130: to do synne./ And this sorwe shal 
130: Been in this manere, as seith seint bernard: it 
130: Shal been hevy and grevous, and ful sharp 
131: And poynaunt in herte./ First, for man 
131: Hath agilt his lord and his creatour; and 
131: Moore sharp and poynaunt, for he hath agilt hys 
132: Fader celestial;/ and yet moore sharp and 
132: Poynaunt, for he hath wrathed and agilt hym 
132: That boghte hym, that with his precious blood 
132: Hath delivered us fro the bondes of synne, and 
132: Fro the crueltee of the deve, and fro the peynes 
133: Of helle./ 
133: The causes that oghte moeve a man to contricioun 
133: been sixe. First a man shal remembre 
134: Hym of his synnes;/ but looke he that thilke 
134: Remembraunce ne be to hym no delit by no 
134: Qwy, but greet shame and sorwe for his gilt. 
134: For job seith, synful men doon werkes worthy 
135: Of confusioun./ And therfore seith ezechie, 
135: I wol remembre me alle the yeres of my 
136: Lyf in bitternesse of myn herte./ And 
136: God seith in the apocalipse, remembreth 
136: Yow fro whennes that ye been falle; for biforn 
136: That tyme that ye synned, ye were the children 
137: Of god, and lymes of the regne of god;/ but for 
137: Youre synne ye been woxen thral, and foul, and 
137: Membres of the feend, hate of aungels, sclaundre 
137: of hooly chirche, and foode of the false 
138: Serpent; prepetueel matere of the fir of helle:/ 
138: And yet moore foul and abhomynable, for ye 
138: Trespassen so ofte tyme as dooth the hound that 
139: Retourneth to eten his spewyng./ And yet be 
139: Ye fouler for youre longe continuyng in synne 
139: And youre synful usage, for which ye be roten 
140: In yore synne, as a beest in the dong./ Swiche 
140: Manere of thoghtes maken a man to have shame 
140: Of his synne, and no delit, as God seith by 
141: The prophete ezechiel:/ ye shal remembre 
141: yow of youre weyes, and they shuln 
141: Displese yow. Soothly synnes been the weyes 
142: That leden folk of helle./ 
142: The seconde cause that oghte make a man 
142: To have desdeyn of synne is this: that, as seith 
142: Seint peter, whoso that dooth synne is thral 
142: Of synne; and synne put a man in greet thraldom./ 
143: and therfore seith the prophete ezechiel: 
143: I wente sorweful in desdayn of mysekf. 
143: Certes, wel oghte a man have desdayn of synne, 
143: And withdrawe hym from that thraldom and 
144: Vileynye./ And lo, what seith seneca in this 
144: Matere? he seith thus: though I wiste that 
144: Neither God ne man ne sholde nevere knowe 
145: It, yet wolde I have desdayn for to do synne./ 
145: And the same seneca also seith: I am born to 
145: Gretter thynges that to be thral to my body, 
146: Or than for to maken of my body a thral./ 
146: Ne a fouler thral may no man ne womman 
146: Maken of his body that for to yeven his body 
147: To synne./ Al were it the fouleste cherl or the 
147: Fouleste womman that lyveth, and leest of 
147: ~alue, yet is he thanne moore foul and moore 
148: In servitute./ Evere fro the hyer degree that 
148: Man falleth, the moore is he thral, and moore 
148: To God and to the world vile and abhomynable./ 
149: o goode god, wel oghte man have desdayn 
149: of synne, sith that thurgh synne, ther he 
150: Was free, now is he maked bonde./ And therfore 
150: seyth seint augustyn: if thou hast desdayn 
150: of thy servant, if he agilte or synne, have 
150: Thou thanne desdayn that thou thyself 
151: Sholdest do synne./ Tak reward of thy 
152: Value, that thou ne be foul to thyself./ 
152: Allas! wel oghten they thanne have desdayn to 
152: Been servauntz and thralles to synne, and soore 
153: Been ashamed of hemself,/ that God of his 
153: Endelees goodnesse hath set hem in heigh estaat, 
153: or yeven hem wit, strenghte of body, 
154: Heele, beautee, prosperitee,/ and boghte hem 
154: Fro the deeth with his herte-blood. That they 
154: So unkyndely, agayns his gentilesse, quiten hym 
155: So vileynsly to slaughtre of hir owene soules./ 
155: O goode god, ye wommen that been of so greet 
155: Beautee, remembreth yow of the proverbe 
156: Of salomon. He seith:/ likneth a fair 
156: Womman that is a fool of hire body lyk to 
156: A ryng of gold that were in the groyn of a 
157: Soughe./ For right as a soughe wrotheth in 
157: Everich ordure, so wroteth she hire beautee in 
158: The stynkynge ordure of synne./ 
158: The thridde cause that oghte moeve a man 
158: To contricioun is drede of the day of doom and 
159: Of the horrible peynes of helle./ For, as seint 
159: Jerome seith, at every tyme that me remembreth 
160: of the day of doom I quake;/ for whan 
160: I ete or drynke, or what so that I do, evere 
160: Semeth me that the trompe sowneth in 
161: Myn ere:/ -- riseth up, ye that been dede, 
162: And cometh to the juggement. -- / o goode 
162: God, muchel oghte a man to drede wich a 
162: Juggement, ther as we shullen been alle, as 
162: Seint poul seith, biforn the seete of oure lord 
163: Jhesu crist;/ whereas he shal make a general 
163: Congregacioun, whereas no man may been absent./ 
164: for certes there availleth noon essoyne 
165: Ne excusacioun./ And nat oonly that oure defautes 
165: shullen be jugged, but eek that alle 
166: Oure werkes shullen openly be knowe./ 
166: And as seith seint bernard, ther ne shal 
166: No pledynge availle, ne no sleighte; we shullen 
167: Yeven rekenynge of everich ydel word./ Ther 
167: Shul we han a juge that may nat been deceyved 
167: ne corrput. And why? for, certes, alle 
167: Oure thoghtes been discovered as to hym; ne 
167: For preyere ne for meede he shal nat been corrupt./ 
168: and therfore seith salomon, the 
168: Wratthe of God ne wol nat spare no wight, for 
168: Prevere ne for yifte; and therfore, at the day 
169: Of doom, ther nys noon hope to escape./ Wherfore, 
169: as seith seint anselm, ful greet angwyssh 
170: shul the synful folk have at that tyme;/ 
170: Ther shal the stierne and wrothe juge sitte 
170: Above, and under hym the horrible pit of helle 
170: Open to destroyen hym that moot biknowen his 
170: Synnes, whiche synnes openly been shewed 
171: Biforn God and biforn every creature;/ 
171: And in the left syde mo develes that herte 
171: May bithynke, for the harye and drawe the synful 
172: soules to the peyne of helle;/ and withinne 
172: The hertes of folk shall be bitynge conscience, 
172: and withoute forth shal be the orld 
173: Al brennynge./ Whider shall thanne the 
173: Wrecched synful man flee th hiden hym? 
173: Certes, he may nat hyden hym; he moste come 
174: Forth and shewen hym./ For certes, as seith 
174: Seint jerome, the erthe shal casten hym out 
174: Of hym, and the see also, and the eyr also, that 
174: Shal be ful of thonder-clappes and lightnynges./ 
175: now soothly, whoso wel remembreth 
175: Hym of thise thynges, I gesse that his synne 
175: Shal nat turne hym into delit, but to greet 
176: Sorwe, for drede of the peyne of helle./ 
176: And therfore seith job to god: suffre, 
176: Lord, that I may a while biwaille and wepe. 
176: Er I go withoute returnyng to the derke lord, 
177: Covered with the derknesse of deeth;/ to the 
177: Lond of mysese and of derknesse, whereas is the 
177: Shadwe of deeth; whereas ther is noon ordre or 
177: Ordinaunce, but grisly drede that evere shal 
178: Laste./ Loo, heere may ye seen that job 
178: Preyde repit a while, to biwepe and waille his 
178: Trespas; for soothly oo day of respit is bettre 
179: Than al the tresor of this world./ And forasmuche 
179: as a man may acquiten hymself biforn 
179: God by penitence in this world, and nat by 
179: Tresor, therfore sholde he preye to God to yeve 
179: Hymrespit a while to biwepe and biwaillen 
180: His trespas./ For certes, al the sorwe that a 
180: Man myghte make fro the bigynnyng of the 
180: World nys but a litel thyng at regard of the 
181: Sorwe of helle./ The cause why that job 
182: Clepeth helle the lond of derknesse;/ understondeth 
182: that he clepeth it lond or erthe, 
182: For it is stable, and nevere shal faille; derk, 
182: For he that is in helle hath defaute of light material./ 
183: for certes, the derke light that shal 
183: Come out of the fyr that evere shal brenne, shal 
183: Furne hym al to peyne that is in helle; for it 
183: Sheweth him to the horrible develes that hym 
184: Tormenten./ Covered with the derknesse of 
184: Deeth, that is to seyn, that he that is in helle 
184: Shal have defaute of the sighte of god; for 
185: Certes, the sighte of God is the lyf perdurable./ 
185: The derknesse of deeth been the synnes that 
185: The wrecched man hath doon, whiche that destourben 
185: hym to see the face of god, right as 
185: Dooth a derk clowde bitwixe us and the 
186: Sonne./ Lond of misese, by cause that 
186: Ther been three maneres of defautes, agayn 
186: Three thynges that folk of this world han in this 
186: Present lyf, that is to seyn, honours, delices, and 
187: Richesses./ Agayns honour, have they in helle 
188: Shame and confusioun./ For wel ye woot that 
188: Men clepen honour the reverence that man 
188: Doth to man; but in helle is noon honour ne 
188: Reverence. For certes, namoore reverence shal 
189: Be doon there to a kyng than to a knave./ For 
189: Which God seith by the prophete jeremye, 
189: Thilke folk that me despisen shul been in 
190: Despit./ Honour is eek cleped greet lordshipe; 
190: Ther shal no wight serven other, but of harm 
190: And torment. Honour is eek cleped greet dignytee 
190: and heighnesse, but in helle shul 
191: They been al fortroden of develes./ And 
191: God seith, the horrible develes shulle 
191: Goon and comen upon the hevedes of the 
191: Dampned folk. And this is for as muche as the 
191: Hyer that they were in this present lyf, the 
191: Moore shulle they been abated and defouled 
192: In helle./ Agayns the richesse of this world 
192: Shul they han mysese of poverte, and this poverte 
193: shal been in foure thynges:/ in defaute of 
193: Tresor, of which that david seith, the riche 
193: Folk, that embraceden and oneden al hire herte 
193: To tresor of this world, shul slepe in the slepynge 
193: of deeth; and nothyng ne shal they fynden 
194: In hir handes of al hir tresor./ And moore-over 
194: the myseyse of helle shal been in defaute 
195: Of mete and rinke./ For God seith thus by 
195: Moyses: they shul been wasted with hunger, 
195: And the briddes of helle shul devouren hem 
195: With bitter deeth, and the galle of the dragon 
195: Shal been hire drynke, and the venym of 
196: The dragon hire morsels./ And forther 
196: Over, hire myseyse shal been in defaute of 
196: Clothyng; for they shulle be naked in body as 
196: Of clothyng, save the fyr in which they bree 
197: And othere filthes;/ and naked shul they been 
197: Of soule, as of alle manere vertues, which that 
197: Is the clothyng of the soule. Where been 
197: Thannne the gaye robes, and the softe shetes, 
198: And the smale shertes?/ loo, what seith god 
198: Of hem by the prophete ysaye: that under hem 
198: Shul been strawed motthes, and hire covertures 
199: Shulle been of womres of helle./ And forther 
199: Over, hir myseyse shal been in defaute of 
199: Freendes. For he nys nat povre that hath goode 
200: Freendes; but there is no frend,/ for neither 
200: God ne no creature shal been freend to hem, 
200: And everich of hem shal haten oother 
201: With deedly hat./ The sones and the 
201: Doghtren shullen rebellen agayns fader 
201: And mooder, and kynrede agauns kynrede, and 
201: Chiden and despisen everich of hem oother 
201: Bothe day nad nyght, as God seith by the 
202: Prophete michias./ And the lovynge children, 
202: That whilom loveden so flesshly everich oother, 
202: Wolden everich of hem eten oother if they 
203: Myghte./ For how sholden they love hem togidre 
203: in the peyne of helle, whan they hated 
203: Everich of hem oother in the progenitee of this 
204: Lyr?/ for truste wel, hir flesshly love was 
204: Deedly hate, as seith the prophete david: 
204: Whoso that loveth wikkednesse, he hateth his 
205: Soule./ And whoso hateth his owene soule, 
205: Certes, he may love noon oother wight in 
206: No manere./ And therfore, in helle is no 
206: Solas ne no freendshipe, but evere the 
206: Moore flesshly kynredes that been in helle, the 
206: Moore cursynges, the more chidynges, and the 
207: Moore deedly hate ther is among hem./ And 
207: Forther over, they shul have defaute of alle 
207: Manere delices. For certes, delices been after 
207: The appetites of the fyve wittes, as sighte, herynge, 
208: smellynge, savorynge, and touchynge./ 
208: But in helle hir sighte shal be ful of derknesse 
208: And of smoke, and therfore ful of teeres; and 
208: Hir herynge ful of waymentynge and of grynt 
209: Ynge of teeth, as seith jhesu crist./ Hir nose-
209: Thirles shullen be ful of stynkynge stynk; and 
209: As seith ysaye the prophete, hir savoryng shal 
210: Be ful of bitter galle;/ and touchynge of al hir 
210: Body ycovered with fir that nevere shal 
210: Quenche, and with wormes that nevere shul 
210: Dyen, as God seith by the mouth of 
211: Ysaye./ And for as muche as they shul 
211: Nat wene that they may dyen for peyne, 
211: And by hir deeth flee fro peyne, that may they 
211: Understonden by the word of job, that seith, 
212: Ther as is the shadwe of deeth./ Certes, a 
212: Shadwe hath the liknesse of the thyng of which 
212: It is shadwe, but shadwe is nat the same thyng 
213: Of which it is shadwe./ Right so fareth the 
213: Peune of helle; it is lyk deeth for the horrible 
213: Angwissh, and why? for it peyneth hem evere, 
213: As though they sholde dye anon; but certes, 
214: They shal nat dye./ For, as seith seint gregorie, 
214: to wrecche caytyves shal be deeth 
214: Withoute deeth, adn end withouten ende, and 
215: Defaute withoute failynge./ For hir deeth shal 
215: Alwey lyven, and hir ende shal everemo bigynne, 
216: and hir defaute shal nat faille./ 
216: And therfore seith seint john the evaungelist: 
216: they shullen folwe deeth, and they shul 
216: Nat fynde hym; and they shul desiren to dye, 
217: And deeth shal flee fro hem./ And eek job 
218: Seith that in helle is noon ordre of rule./ And 
218: Al be it so that God hath creat alle thynges 
218: In right ordre, and no thyng withouten ordre, 
218: But alle thynges been ordeyned and nombred; 
218: yet, nathelees, they that been dampned 
219: Been nothyng in ordre, ne holden noon ordre./ 
220: For the erthe ne shal bere hem no fruyt./ For 
220: As the prophete david seith, God shal destroie 
220: The fruyt of the erthe as fro hem; ne water ne 
220: Shal yeve hem no moisture, ne the eyr no 
221: Refresshyng, ne fyr no light./ For, as 
221: Seith seint basilie, the brennynge of the 
221: Fyr of this world shal God yeven in helle to hem 
222: That been dampned,/ but the light and the cleernesse 
222: shal be yeven in hevene to this childre; 
222: Right as the goode man yeveth flessh to his 
223: Children and bones to his houndes./ And for 
223: They shullen have noon hope to escape, seith 
223: Seint job atte laste that ther shal horrour and 
224: Grisly drede dwellen withouten ende./ Horrour 
224: is alwey drede of harm that is to come, 
224: And this drede shal evere dwelle in the hertes 
224: Of hem that been dampned. And therfore han 
225: They lorn al hire hope, for sevene causes./ 
225: First, for god, that is hir juge, shal be withouten 
225: mercy to hem; and they may nat plese 
225: Hym ne noon of his halwes; ne they ne 
226: May yeve no thyng for hir raunsoun;/ ne 
226: They have no voys to speke to hym; ne 
226: They may nat fle fro peyne; ne they have no 
226: Goodnesse in hem, that they mowe shewe to 
227: Delivere hem fro peyne./ And therfore seith 
227: Salomon: the wikked man dyeth, and whan 
227: He is deed, he shal have noon hope to escape 
228: Fro peyne./ Whoso thanne wolde wel understande 
228: thise peynes, and bithynke hym weel 
228: That he hath deserved thilke peynes for his 
228: Synnes, errtes, he sholde have moore talent to 
228: Siken and to wepe, than for to syngen and to 
229: Pleye./ For, as that seith salomon, whoso 
229: That hadde the science to knowe the peynes 
229: That been establissed and ordeyned for synne, 
230: He wolde make sorwe./ Thilke science, as 
230: Seith seint augustyn, maketh a man to 
231: Waymenten in his herte./ 
231: The fourthe point that oghte maken a 
231: Man to have contricion is the sorweful remembraunce 
231: of the good that he hath left to 
231: Doon heere in erthe, and eek the good that he 
232: Hath lorn./ Soothly, the goode werkes that he 
232: Hath lost, outher they been the goode werkes 
232: That he wroghte er he fel into deedly synne, or 
232: Elles the goode werkes that he wroghte while 
233: He lay in synne./ Soothly, the goode werkes 
233: That he dide biforn that he fil in synne been al 
233: Mortefied and astoned and dulled by the ofte 
234: Synnyng./ The othere goode werkes, that he 
234: Wroghte whil he lay in deedly synne, thei been 
234: Outrely dede, as to the lyf perdurable in hevene./ 
235: thanne thikle goode werkes that been 
235: Mortefied by ofte synnyng, whiche goode 
235: Werkes he dide whil he was in charitee, ne 
235: Mowe nevere quyken agayn withouten verray 
236: penitence./ And therof seith God by 
236: The mouth of ezechiel, that if the rightful 
236: Man returne agayn from his rightwisnesse and 
237: Werke wikkednesse, shal he lyve?/ nay, for 
237: Alle the goode werkes that he hath wroght ne 
237: Shul nevere been in remembraunce, for he shal 
238: Dyen in this synne./ And upon thilke chapitre 
238: Seith seint gregorie thus: that we shulle understonde 
239: this principally;/ that whan we doon 
239: Deedly synne, it is for noght thanne to rehercen 
239: Or drawen into memorie the goode werkes that 
240: We han wroght biforn. / for certes, in the 
240: Werkynge of the deedly synne, ther is no trust 
240: To no good werk that we can doon biforn; that 
240: Is to seyn, as for to have therby the lyf 
241: Perdurable in hevene./ But nathelees, the 
241: Goode werkes quyken agayn, and comen 
241: Agayn, and helpen, and availlen to have the 
241: Lyf perdurable in hevene, whan we han contricioun./ 
242: but soothly, the goode werkes that 
242: Men doon whil they been in deedly synne, for 
242: As muche as they were doon in deedly synne, 
243: They may nevere quyke agayn./ For certes 
243: Thyng that nevere hadde lyf may nevere quykene; 
243: and nathelees, al be it that they ne availle 
243: Noght to han the lyf perdurable, yet availlen 
243: They to abregge of the peyne of helle, or elles 
244: To geten temporal richesse,/ or elles that god 
244: Wole the rather enlumyne and lightne the herte 
245: Of the synful man to have repentaunce;/ and 
245: Eek they availlen for to usen a man to doon 
245: Goode werkes, that the feend have the 
246: Lasse power of his soule./ And thus the 
246: Curteis lord jhesu crist ne wole that no 
246: Good werk be lost; for in somwhat it shal 
247: Availle./ But, for as muche as the goode werkes 
247: That men doon whil they been in good lyf been 
247: Al mortefied by synne folwynge, and eek sith 
247: That alle the goode werkes that men doon whil 
247: They been in deedly synne been outrely dede as 
248: For to have the lyf perdurable;/ wel may that 
248: Man that no good werk ne dooth synge thilke 
248: Newe frenshe song, jay tout perdu mon temps 
249: Et mon labour./ For certes, synne bireveth a 
249: Man bothe goodnesse of nature and eek the 
250: Goodnesse of grace./ For soothly, the grace of 
250: The hooly goost fareth lyk fyr, that may nat 
250: Been ydel; for fyr fayleth anoon as it forleteth 
250: His wirkynge, and right so grace fayleth 
251: Anoon as it forleteth his werkynge./ Then 
251: Leseth the synful man the goodnesse of 
251: Glorie, that oonly is bihight to goode men that 
252: Labouren and werken./ Wel may he be sory 
252: Thanne, that oweth al his lif to God as longe 
252: As he hath lyved, and eek as longe as he shal 
252: Lyve, that no goodnesse ne hath to paye with 
253: His dette to God to whom he oweth al his lyf./ 
253: For trust wel, he shal yeven acountes, as seith 
253: Seint bernard, of alle the goodes that han be 
253: Yeven hym in this present lyf, and how he hath 
254: Hem despended;/ in so muche that ther shal 
254: Nat perisse an heer of his heed, ne a moment 
254: Of an houre ne shal nat perisse of his tyme, that 
255: He ne shal yeve of it a rekenyng./ 
255: The fifthe thyng that oghte moeve a man to 
255: Contricioun is remembrance of the passioun 
255: That oure lord jhesu crist suffred for oure 
256: Synnes./ For, as seith seint bernard, 
256: Whil that I lyve I shal have remembrance 
256: of the travailles that oure lord crist 
257: Suffred in prechyng;/ his werynesse in travaillyng, 
257: his temptaciouns whan he fasted, his longe 
257: Wakynges whan he preyde, hise teeres whan 
258: That he weep for pitee of good peple;/ the 
258: Wo and the shame and the filthe that men 
258: Seyden to hym; of the foule spittyng that men 
258: Spitte in his face, of the buffettes that men 
258: Yaven hym, of the foule mowes, and of the repreves 
259: that men to hym seyden;/ of the nayles 
259: With whiche he was nayled to the croys, and 
259: Of al the remenant of his passioun that he suffred 
260: for my synnes, and no thyng for his gilt./ 
260: And ye shul understonde that in mannes synne 
260: Is every manere of ordre or ordinaunce 
261: Turned up-so-doun./ For it is sooth that 
261: God, and resoun, and sensualitee, and the 
261: Body of man been so ordeyned that everich of 
261: Thise foure thynges sholde have lordshipe over 
262: That oother;/ as thus: God sholde have lordshipe 
262: over resoun, and resoun over sensualitee, 
263: And sensualitee over the body of man./ But 
263: Soothly, whan man synneth, al this ordre or 
264: Ordinaunce is turned up-so-doun./ And therfore, 
264: thanne, for as muche as the resoun of man 
264: Ne wol nat be subget ne obeisant to god, that 
264: Is his lord by right, therfore leseth it the lordshipe 
264: that it sholde have over sensualitee, and 
265: Eek over the body of man./ And why? for 
265: Sensualitee rebelleth thanne agayns resoun, 
265: And by that way leseth resoun the lordshipe 
266: over sensualitee and over the body./ 
266: For right as resoun is rebel to god, right so 
266: Is bothe sensualitee rebel to resoun and the 
267: Body also./ And certes this disordinaunce and 
267: This rebellioun oure lord jhesu crist aboghte 
267: Upon his precious body ful deere, and herkneth 
268: In which wise./ For as muche thanne as resoun 
268: is rebel to god, therfore is man worthy 
269: To have sorwe and to be deed./ This suffred 
269: Oure lord jhesu crist for man, after that he 
269: Hadde be bitraysed of his disciple, and distreyned 
269: and bounde, so that his blood brast 
269: Out at every nayl of his handes, as seith seint 
270: Augustyn./ And forther over, for as muchel 
270: As resoun of man ne wol nat daunte sensualitee 
270: whan it may, therfore is man worthy to have 
270: Shame; and this suffred oure lord jhesu 
270: Crist for man, whan they spetten in his 
271: Visage./ And forther over, for as muchel 
271: Thanne as the caytyf body of man is rebel 
271: Bothe to resoun and to sensualitee, therfore is 
272: It worthy the deeth./ And this suffred oure 
272: Lord jhesu crist for man upon the croys 
272: Where as ther was no part of his body free 
273: Withouten greet peyne and bitter passioun. / 
273: And al this suffred jhesu crist, that nevere 
273: Forfeted. And therfore resonably may be seyd 
273: Jhesu in this manere: to muchel am I 
273: Peyned for the thynges that I nevere deserved, 
273: And to muche defouled for shendshipe that 
274: Man is worthy to have./ And therfore may 
274: The synful man wel seye, as seith seint bernard, 
274: Acursed be the bitternesse of my synne, for 
274: Which ther moste be suffred so muchel bitternesse./ 
275: for certes, after the diverse disordinaunces 
275: of oure wikkednesses was the passioun 
275: of jhesu crist ordeyned in diverse 
276: Thynges,/ as thus. Certes, synful mannes 
276: Soule is bitraysed of the devel by coveitise 
276: Of temporeel prosperitee, and scorned by deceite 
276: whan he cheseth flesshly delices; and yet 
276: Is it tormented by inpacience of adversitee, 
276: And bispet by servage and subjeccioun of 
277: Synne; and atte laste it is slayn fynally./ For 
277: This disordinaunce of synful man was jhesu 
277: Crist first bitraysed, and after that was he 
277: Bounde, that cam for to unbynden us of synne 
278: And peyne./ Thanne was he byscorned, that 
278: Oonly sholde han been honoured in alle thynges 
279: And of alle thynges./ Thanne was his visage, 
279: That oghte be desired to be seyn of al mankynde, 
279: in which visage aungels desiren to looke, 
280: Vileynsly bispet./ Thanne was he scourged, 
280: That no thyng hadde agilt; and finally, 
281: Thanne was he crucified and slayn./ 
281: Thanne was acompliced the word of ysaye, 
281: He was wounded for oure mysdedes and defouled 
282: for oure felonies./ Now sith that jhesu 
282: Crist took upon hymself the peyne of alle oure 
282: Wikkednesses, muchel oghte synful man wepen 
282: And biwayle, that for his synnes goddes sone 
283: Of hevene sholde al this peyne endure./ 
283: The sixte thyng that oghte moeve a man to 
283: Contricioun is the hope of three thynges; that 
283: Is to seyn, foryifnesse of synne, and the yifte to 
283: Grace wel for to do, and the glorie of hevene, 
283: With which God shal gerdone man for his 
284: Goode dedes./ And for as muche as jhesu 
284: Crist yeveth us thise yiftes of his largesse and 
284: Of his sovereyn bountee, therfore is he cleped 
285: Jhesus nazarenus rex judeorum./ Jhesus is to 
285: Seyn saveour or salvacioun, on whom men 
285: Shul hope to have foryifnesse of synnes, 
285: Which that is proprely salvacioun of 
286: Synnes./ And terfore seyde the aungel 
286: To joseph, thou shalt clepen his name 
287: Jhesus, that shal saven his peple of hir synnes./ 
287: And heerof seith seint peter: ther is noon 
287: Oother name under hevene that is yeve to any 
287: Man, by which a man may be saved, but oonly 
288: Jhesus./ Nazarenus is as muche for to seye as 
288: Florisshynge, in which a man shal hope that 
288: He that yeveth hym remissioun of synnes shal 
288: Yeve hym eek grace wel for to do. For in the 
288: Flour is hope of fruyt in tyme comynge, and in 
288: Foryifnesse of synnes hope of grace wel for to 
289: Do./ I was atte dore of thyn herte, seith 
289: Jhesus, and cleped for to entre. He that openeth 
290: to me shal have foryifnesse of synne./ I 
290: Wol entre into hym by my grace, and soupe 
290: With hym, by the goode werkes that he shal 
290: Doon, whiche werkes been the foode of god; 
290: And he shal soupe with me, by the grete 
291: Joye that I shal yeven hym./ Thus shal 
291: Man hope, for his werkes of penaunce, 
291: That God shal yeven hym his regne, as he bihooteth 
292: hym in the gospel./ 
292: Now shal a man understonde in which manere 
292: shal been his contricioun. I seye that it 
292: Shal been universal and total. This is to seyn, 
292: A man shal be verray repentaunt for alle his 
292: Synnes that he hath doon in delit of his thoght; 
293: For delit is ful perilous./ For ther been two 
293: Manere of consentynges: that oon of hem is 
293: Cleped consentynge of affeccioun, whan a man 
293: Is moeved to do synne, and deliteth hym longe 
294: For to thynke on that synne;/ and his reson 
294: Aperceyveth it wel that it is synne agayns the 
294: Lawe of god, and yet his resoun refreyneth nat 
294: His foul delit or talent, though he se wel apertly 
294: That it is agayns the reverence of god. Although 
294: his resoun ne consente noght to doon 
295: That synne in dede,/ yet seyn somme doctours 
295: That swich delit that dwelleth longe, it is 
296: Ful perilous, al be it nevere so lite./ And 
296: Also a man sholde sorwe namely for al that 
296: Evere he hath desired agayn the lawe of god 
296: With perfit consentynge of his resoun; for therof 
296: Is no doute, that it is deedly synne in consentynge./ 
297: for certes, ther is no deedly synne, that 
297: It nas first in mannes thought, and after that 
297: In his delit, and so forth into consentynge and 
298: Into dede./ Wherfore I seye that many men 
298: Ne repenten hem nevere of swiche thoghtes and 
298: Delites, ne nevere shryven hem of it, but oonly 
299: Of the dede of grete synnes outward./ Wherfore 
299: I seye that swiche wikked delites and wikked 
299: thoghtes been subtile bigileres of hem that 
300: Shullen be dampned./ Mooreover man oghte 
300: To sorwe for his wikkede wordes as wel as for 
300: His wikkede dedes. For certes, the repentaunce 
300: Of a synguler synne, and nat repente of alle his 
300: Ohter synnes, or elles repenten hym of alle his 
300: Othere synnes, and nat of a synguler synne, 
301: May nat availle./ For certes, God almyghty 
301: is al good; and therfore he foryeveth 
302: al, or elles right noght./ And heerof 
303: Seith seint augustyn:/ I wot certeynly that 
303: God is enemy to everich synnere; and how 
303: Thanne, he that observeth o synne, shal he have 
303: Foryifnesse of the remenaunt of his othere 
304: Synnes? nay./ And forther over, contrcioun 
304: Sholde be wonder sorweful and angwissous; 
304: And therfore yeveth hym God pleynly his 
304: Mercy; and therfore, whan my soule was angwissous 
304: withinne me, I hadde remembrance 
305: Of God that my preyere myghte come to hym./ 
305: Forther over, contricioun moste be continueel, 
305: And that man have stedefast purpos to shriven 
305: Hum, and for to amenden hym of his 
306: Lyf./ For soothly, whil contricioun lasteth, 
306: Man may evere have hope of foryifnesse; 
306: And of this comth hate of synne, that destroyeth 
306: synne, bothe in himself, and eek in oother 
307: Folk, at his power./ For which seith david: 
307: Ye that loven god, hateth wikkednesse. For 
307: Trusteth wel, to love God is for to love that he 
308: Loveth, and hate that he hateth./ 
308: The laste thyng that men shal understonde 
308: In contricioun is this: wherof avayleth contricioun. 
308: I seye that somtyme contricioun delivereth 
309: a man fro synne;/ of which that david 
309: Seith, I seye, quod david (that is to seyn, 
309: I purposed fermely) to shryve me, and thow, 
310: Lord, relessedest my synne./ And right so as 
310: Contricion availleth noght withouten sad purpos 
310: of shrifte, if man have oportunitee, right 
310: So litel worth is shrifte or satisfaccioun 
311: Withouten contricioun./ And mooreover 
311: Contricion destroyeth the prisoun of helle, 
311: And maketh wayk and fieble alle the strengthes 
311: Of the develes, and restoreth the yiftes of the 
312: Hooly goost and of alle goode vertues;/ and 
312: It clenseth the soule of synne, and delivereth 
312: The soule fro the peyne of helle, and fro the 
312: Compaignye of the devel, and fro the servage 
312: Of synne, and restoreth it to alle goodes espirituels, 
312: and to the compaignye and communyoun 
313: Of hooly chirche./ And forther over, it maketh 
313: Hym that whilom was sone of ire to be sone 
313: Of grace; and alle thise thynges been preved 
314: By hooly writ./ And therfore, he that wolde 
314: Sette his entente to thise thynges, he were ful 
314: Wys; for soothly he ne sholde nat thanne in al 
314: His lyf have corage to synne, but yeven his body 
314: And al his herte to the service of jhesu crist, 
315: And therof doon hym hommage./ For soothly 
315: Oure sweete lord jhesu crist hath spared us 
315: So debonairly in oure folies, that if he ne hadde 
315: Pitee of mannes soule, a sory song we 
316: Myghten alle synge./ 

Part II
316: The seconde partie of penitence is confressioun, 
317: that is signe of contricioun./ Now shul 
317: Ye understonde what is confessioun, and 
317: Wheither it oghte nedes be doon or noon, and 
317: Whiche thynges been covenable to verray confessioun./ 
318: First shaltow understonde that confessioun 
319: Is verray shewynge of synnes to the preest./ 
319: This is to seyn verray, for he moste confessen 
319: Hym of alle the condiciouns that bilongen to his 
320: Synne, as ferforth as he kan./ Al moot be seyd, 
320: And no thyng excused ne hyd ne forwrapped, 
320: And noght avaunte thee of thy goode 
321: Werkes./ And forther over, it is necessarie 
321: to understonde whennes that synnes 
321: Spryngen, and how they encreessen and whiche 
322: They been./ 
322: Of the spryngynge of synnes seith seint paul 
322: In this wise: that right as by a man synne entred 
322: first into this world, and thurgh that synne 
322: Deeth, right so thilke deeth entred into alle 
323: Men that synneden./ And this man was adam, 
323: By whom synne entred into this world, whan 
324: He brak the comaundementz of god./ And 
324: Therfore, he that first was so myghty that he 
324: Sholde nat have dyed, bicam swich oon that he 
324: Moste nedes dye, wheither he wolde or noon, 
324: And al his progenye in this world, that in thilke 
325: Man synneden./ Looke that in th' estaat of innocence, 
325: whan adam and eve naked weren 
325: In paradys, and nothyng ne hadden shame 
326: Of hir nakednesse,/ how that the serpent, 
326: That was moost wily of alle othere beestes 
326: That God hadde maked, seyde to the womman: 
326: Why comaunded God to yow ye sholde nat 
327: Eten of every tree in paradys?/ the womman 
327: Answerde: of the fruyt, quod she, of the trees 
327: In paradys we feden us, but soothly, of the 
327: Fruyt of the tree that is in the myddel of paradys, 
327: god forbad us for to ete, ne nat touchen 
328: It, lest per aventure we sholde dyen./ The 
328: Serpent seyde to the womman: nay, nay, ye 
328: Shul nat dyen of deeth; for sothe, God woot 
328: That what day that ye eten therof, youre eyen 
328: Shul opene, and ye shul been as goddes, knowynge 
329: good and harm./ The womman thanne 
329: Saugh that the tree was good to feedyng, and 
329: Fair to the eyen, and delitable to the sighte. 
329: She took of the fruyt of the tree, and eet it, 
329: And yaf to hire housbonde, and he eet, and 
330: Anoon the eyen of hem bothe openeden./ And 
330: Whan that they knewe that they were naked, 
330: They sowed of fige leves a maner of 
331: Breches to hiden hire membres./ There 
331: May ye seen that deedly synne hath, first, 
331: Suggestion of the feend, as sheweth heere by 
331: The naddre; and afterward, teh delit of the 
331: Flessh, as sheweth heere by eve; and after that, 
331: The consentynge of resoun, as sheweth heere 
332: By adam./ For trust wel, though so were that 
332: The feend tempted eve, that is to seyn, the 
332: Flessh, and the flessh hadde delit in the beautee 
332: Of the fruyt defended, yet certes, til that resoun, 
332: That is to seyn, adam, consented to the etynge 
332: Of the fruyt, yet stood he in th' estaat of innocence./ 
333: of thilke adam tooke we thilke wynne 
333: Original; for of hym flesshly descended be we 
333: Alle, and engendred of vile and corrupt mateere./ 
334: and whan the soule is put in oure body, 
334: Right anon is contract original synne; and that 
334: That was erst but oonly peyne of concupiscence, 
335: is afterward bothe peyne and synne./ 
335: And therfore be we alle born sones of wratthe 
335: And of dampnacioun perdurable, if it nere baptesme 
335: that we receyven, which bynymeth us 
335: The culpe. But for sothe, the peyne dwelleth 
335: With us, as to temptacioun, which peyne 
336: Highte concupiscence./ And this concupiscence, 
336: whan it is wrongfully disposed 
336: Or ordeyned in man, it maketh hym coveite, 
336: By coveitise of flessh, flesshly synne, by sighte 
336: Of his eyen as to erthely thynges, and eek 
337: Coveitise of hynesse by pride of herte./ 
337: Now, as for to speken of the firste coveitise, 
337: That is concupiscence, after the lawe of oure 
337: Membres, that weren lawefulliche ymaked and 
338: By rightful juggement of god;/ I seye, forasmuche 
338: as man is nat obeisaunt to god, that is 
338: His lord, therfore is the flessh to hym disobeisaunt 
338: thurgh concupiscence, whigh yet is 
338: Cleped norrissynge, of synne and occasioun 
339: Of synne./ Therfore, al the while that a 
339: Man hath in hym the peyne of concupiscence, 
339: it is impossible but he be tempted 
340: Somtime and moeved in his flessh to synne./ 
340: And this thyng may nat faille as longe 
340: As he lyveth; it may wel wexe fieble and faille 
340: By vertu of baptesme, and by the grace of 
341: God thurgh penitence;/ but fully ne shal 
341: It nevere quenche, that he ne shal som 
341: Tyme be moeved in hymself, but if he were al 
341: Refreyded by siknesse, or by malefice of sorcerie, 
342: Or colde drynkes./ For lo, what seith seint 
342: Paul: the flessh coveiteth agayn the spirit, and 
342: The spirit agayn the flessh; they been so contrarie 
342: and so stryven that a man may nat alway 
343: doon as he wolde./ The same seint paul, 
343: After his grete penaunce in water and in lond, 
343: -- in water by nyght and by day in greet peril 
343: And in greet peyne; in lond, in famyne and 
343: Thurst, in coold and cloothelees, and ones stoned 
344: Almoost to the deeth,/ -- yet seyde he, allas, 
344: I caytyf man! who sahl delivere me fro the 
345: Prisoun of my caytyf body?/ and seint jerome, 
345: whan he longe tyme hadde woned in 
345: Desert, where as he hadde no compaignye but 
345: Of wilde beestes, where as he ne hadde no mete 
345: But herbes, and water to his drynke, ne no bed 
345: But the naked erthe, for which his flessh was 
345: Blak as an ethiopeen for heete, and ny destroyed 
346: for coold,/ yet seyde he that the 
346: Brennynge of lecherie boyled in al his 
347: Body./ Wherfore I woot wel sykerly that they 
347: Been deceyved that seyn that they ne be nat 
348: Empted in hir body./ Witnesse on seint jame 
348: The apostel, that seith that every wight is 
348: Tempted in his owene concupiscence; that is 
348: To seyn, that everich of us hath matere and 
348: Occasioun to be tempted of the norissynge of 
349: Synne that is in his body./ And therfore seith 
349: Seint john the evaungelist: if that we seyn 
349: That we be withoute synne, we deceyve us 
350: Selve, and trouthe is nat in us./ 
350: Now hal ye understonde in what manere 
350: That synne wexeth or encreesseth in man. The 
350: Firste thyng is thilke norissynge of synne of 
350: Which I spak biforn, thilke flesshly concupiscence./ 
351: and after that comth the 
351: Subjeccioun of the devel, this is to seyn, 
351: The develes bely, with which he bloweth in man 
352: The fir of flesshly concupiscence./ And after 
352: That, a man bithynketh hym wheither he wol 
352: Doon, or no, thilke thing to which he is 
353: Tempted./ And thanne, if that a man withstonde 
353: and weyve the firste entisynge of his 
353: Flessh and of the feend, thanne is it no synne; 
353: And if it so be that he do nat so, thanne feeleth 
354: he anoon a flambe of delit./ And thanne 
354: Is it good to be war, and kepen hym wel, or 
354: Elles he wol falle anon into consentynge of 
354: Synne; and thanne wol he do it, if he may have 
355: Tyme and place./ And of this matere seith 
355: Moyses by the devel in this manere: the 
355: Feend seith, -- I wole chace and pursue the man 
355: By wikked suggestioun, and I wole hente hym 
355: By moevynge or stirynge of synne. And I wol 
355: Departe my prise or my praye by deliberacioun, 
355: And my lust shal been acompliced in delit. 
356: I wol drawe my swerd in consentynge -- / 
356: For certes, right as a swerd departeth a 
356: Thyng in two peces, right so consentynge departeth 
356: god fro man -- and thanne wol I 
356: Sleen hym with myn hand in dede of synne; 
357: Thus seith the feend./ For certes, thanne is 
357: A man al deed in soule. And thus is synne 
357: Acompliced by temptacioun, by delit, and by 
357: Consentynge; and thanne is the synne cleped 
358: Actueel./ 
358: For sothe, synne is in two maneres; outher 
358: It is venial, or deedly synne. Soothly, whan 
358: Man loveth any creature moore than jhesu 
358: Crist oure creatour, thanne is it deedly synne. 
358: And venial synne is it, if man love jhesu crist 
359: Lasse than hym oghte./ For sothe, the dede 
359: Of this venial synne is ful perilous; for it 
359: Amenuseth the love that men sholde han to 
360: God moore and moore./ And therfore, it a 
360: Man charge hymself with manye swiche venial 
360: Synnes, certes, but if so be that he somtyme 
360: Descharge hym of hem by shrifte, they mowe 
360: Ful lightly amenuse in hym al the love that 
361: He hath to jhesu crist;/ and in this wise 
361: Skippeth venial into deedly synne. For 
361: Certes, the moore that a man chargeth his 
361: Soule with venial synnes, the moore is he enclyned 
362: to fallen into deedly synne./ And therfore 
362: lat us nat be necligent to deschargen us 
362: Of venial synnes. For the proverbe seith that 
363: Manye smale maken a greet./ And herkne 
363: This ensample. A greet wawe of the see comth 
363: Som tyme with so greet a violence that it 
363: Drencheth the ship. And the same harm doon 
363: Som tyme the smale dropes of water, that entren 
363: thurgh a litel crevace into the thurrok, 
363: And in the botme of the ship, if men be so 
363: Necligent that they ne descharge hem nat by 
364: Tyme./ And therfore, although ther be a difference 
364: bitwixe thise two causes of drenchynge, 
365: Algates the ship is dreynt./ Right so fareth it 
365: Somtyme of deedly synne, and of anoyouse 
365: Veniale synnes, whan they multiplie in a man 
365: So greetly that the love of thilke worldly 
365: Thynges that he loveth, thurgh whiche he synneth 
365: venyally, is as greet in his herte as 
366: The love of god, or moore./ And therfore, 
366: the love of every thyng that is nat 
366: Biset in god, ne doon principally for goddes 
366: Sake, although that a man love it lasse than 
367: God, yet is it venial synne;/ and deedly synne 
367: Whan the love of any thyng weyeth in the 
367: Herte of man as muchel as the love of god, or 
368: Moore./ Deedly synne, as seith seint augustyn, 
368: is whan a man turneth his herte fro 
368: God, which that is verray sovereyn bountee, 
368: That may nat chaunge, and yeveth his herte 
369: To thyng that may chaunge and flitte./ And 
369: Certes, that is every thyng save God of hevene. 
369: For sooth is that if a man yeve his love, the 
369: Which that he oweth al to God with al his 
369: Herte, unto a creature, certes, as muche of his 
369: Love as he yeveth to thilke creature, so muche 
370: He bireveth fro god;/ and therfore dooth he 
370: Synne. For he that is dettour to God ne yeldeth 
370: nat to God al his dette, that is to seyn, 
371: Al the love of his herte./ 
371: Now sith man understondeth generally 
371: Which is venial synne, thanne is it covenable 
371: To tellen specially of synnes whiche that many 
371: A man peraventure ne demeth hem nat synnes, 
371: And ne shryveth him nat of the same thynges, 
372: And yet natheless they been synnes;/ soothly, as 
372: Thise clerkes writen, this is to seyn, that at every 
372: Tyme that a man eteth or drynketh moore than 
372: Suffiseth to the sustenaunce of his body, in certein 
373: he dooth synne./ And eek whan he speketh 
373: moore than it nedeth, it is synne. Eke 
373: Whan he herkneth nat benignely the compleint 
374: Of the povre;/ eke whan he is in heele of body, 
374: And wol nat faste whan other folk faste, withouten 
374: cause resonable; eke whan he slepeth 
374: Moore than nedeth, or whan he comth by thilke 
374: Enchesoun to late to chirche, or to othere werkes 
375: Of charite;/ eke whan he useth his wyf, withouten 
375: sovereyn desir of engendrure to the honour 
375: of god, or for the entente to yelde to 
376: His wyf the dette of his body;/ eke whan 
376: He wol nat visite the sike and the prisoner, 
376: If he may; eke if he love wyf or child, or oother 
376: Worldly thyng, moore than resoun requireth; 
376: Eke if he flatere or blandise moore than hym 
377: Oghte for any necessitee;/ eke if he amenuse 
377: Or withdrawe the almesse of the povre; eke if 
377: He apparailleth his mete moore deliciously than 
378: Nede is, or ete it to hastily by likerousnesse;/ 
378: Eke if he tale vanytees at chirche or at goddes 
378: Service, or that he be a talker of ydel wordes of 
378: Folye or of vileynye, for he shal yelden acountes 
379: Of it at the day of doom;/ eke whan he biheteth 
379: or assureth to do thynges that he may nat 
379: Perfourne; eke whan that he by lightnesse or 
380: Folie mysseyeth or scorneth his neighebor;/ 
380: Eke whan he hath any wikked suspecioun 
380: Of thyng ther he ne woot of it no soothfastnesse:/ 
381: thise thynges, and no withoute 
381: nombre, been synnes, as seith seint 
382: Augustyn./ 
382: Now shal men understonde that, al be it so 
382: That noon erthely man may eschue alle venial 
382: Synnes, yet may be refreyne hym by the brennynge 
382: love that he hath to oure lord jhesu 
382: Christ, and by preyeres and confessioun and 
382: Othere goode werkes, so that it shal but litel 
383: Greve./ For, as seith seint augustyn, if a man 
383: Love God in swich manere that al that evere he 
383: Dooth is in the love of god, and for the love of 
383: God, verraily, for he brenneth in the love of 
384: God,/ looke, how muche that a drope of water 
384: that falleth in a fourneys ful of fyr anoyeth 
384: Or greveth, so muche anoyeth a venial synne 
384: Unto a man that is perfit in the love of jhesu 
385: Crist./ Men may also refreyne venial synne 
385: By receyvynge worthily of the precious 
386: Body of jhesu crist;/ by receyvynge eek 
386: Of booly water; by almesdede; by general 
386: Confessioun of confiteor at masse and at complyn; 
386: and by blessynge of bisshopes and of 
387: Preestes, and by oothere goode werkes./ 

Part III
387: Now is it bihovely thyng to telle whiche 
387: Been the sevene deedly synnes, this is to seyn, 
387: Chiefaynes of synnes. Alle they renne in o 
387: Lees, but in diverse manneres. Now been they 
387: Cleped chieftaynes, for as muche as they been 
388: Chief and spryng of alle othere synnes./ Of 
388: The roote of thise sevene synnes, thanne, is 
388: Pride the general roote of alle harmes. For of 
388: This roote spryngen certein braunches, as ire, 
388: Envye, accidie or slewthe, avarice or coveitise 
388: (to commune understondynge), glotonye, and 
389: Lecherye./ And everich of thise chief synnes 
389: Hath his braunches and his twigges, as shal be 
390: Declared in hire chapitres folwynge./ 
390: And thogh so be that no man kan outerly 
390: Telle the nombre of the twigges and of the 
390: Harmes that cometh of pride, yet wol I shewe 
390: A partie of hem, as ye shul understonde./ 
391: ther is inobedience, avauntynge, 
391: ypocrisie, despit, arrogance, inpudence, 
391: swellynge of herte, insolence, elacioun, 
391: Inpacience, strif, contumacie, presumpcioun, 
391: Irreverence, pertinacie, veyne glorie, and many 
392: Another twig that I kan nat declare./ Inobedient 
392: is he that disobeyeth for despit to the comandementz 
392: of god, and to his sovereyns, and 
393: To his goostly fader./ Avauntour is he that 
393: Bosteth of the harm or of the bountee that he 
394: Hath doon./ Ypocrite is he that hideth to 
394: Shewe hym swich as he is, and sheweth hym 
395: Swich as he noght is./ Despitous is he that 
395: Hath desdeyn of his neighebor, that is to seyn, of 
395: His evene-cristene, or hath despit to doon 
396: That hym oghte to do./ Arrogant is he 
396: That thynketh that he hath thilke bountees 
396: In hym that he hath noght, or weneth that he 
396: Sholde have hem by his desertes, or elles he 
397: Demeth that he be that he nys nat./ Inpudent 
397: Is he that for his pride hath no shame of his 
398: Synnes./ Swellynge of herte is whan a man rejoyseth 
399: hym of harm that he hath doon./ Insolent 
399: is he that despiseth in his juggement alle 
399: Othere folk, as to regatd of his value, and of his 
399: Konnyng, and of his spekyng, and of his beryng./ 
400: elacioun is whan he ne may neither 
401: Suffre to have maister ne felawe./ Inpacient 
401: is he that wol nat been ytaught ne 
401: Undernome of his vice, and by strif werreieth 
402: Troughe wityngly, and deffendeth his folye./ 
402: Contumax is he that thurgh his indignacioun 
402: Is agayns everich auctoritee or power of hem 
403: That been his sovereyns./ Presumpcioun is whan 
403: A man undertaketh an emprise that hym oghte 
403: Nat do, or elles that he may nat do; and this 
403: Is called surquidrie. Irreverence is whan men 
403: Do nat honour there as hem oghte to doon, 
404: And waiten to be reverenced./ Pertinacie is 
404: Whan man deffendeth his folie, and truseth to 
405: Muchel to his owene wit./ Veyneglorie is for 
405: To have pompe and delit in his temporeel 
405: Hynesse, and glorifie hym in this worldly 
406: Estaat./ Janglynge is whan a man speketh 
406: To muche biforn folk, and clappeth as a 
407: Mille, and taketh no keep what he seith./ 
407: And yet is ther a privee spece of pride, that 
407: Waiteth first to be salewed er he wole salewe, 
407: Al be be lasse worth than that oother is peraventure; 
407: and eek he waiteth or desireth to 
407: Sitte, or elles to goon above hym in the wey, 
407: Or kisse pax, or been encensed, or goon to 
408: Offryng biforn his neighebor,/ and swiche sem0 
408: Blable thynges, agayns his duetee, peraventure, 
408: But that he hath his herte and his entente in 
408: Swich a proud desir to be magnified and honoured 
409: biforn the peple./ 
409: Now been ther two maneres of pride: that 
409: Oon of hem is withinne the herte of man, and 
410: That oother is withoute./ Of whiche, soothly, 
410: Thise forseyde thynges, and no that I have 
410: Seyd, apertenen to pride that is in the herte 
410: Of man; and that othere speces of pride 
411: Been withoute./ But natheles that oon 
411: Of thise speces of pride is signe of that 
411: Oother, right as the gaye leefsel atte taverne 
412: Is signe of the wyn that is in the celer./ And 
412: This is in manye thynges: as in speche and contenaunce, 
412: and in outrageous array of clothyng./ 
413: for certes, if ther ne hadde be no synne 
413: In clothyng, crist wolde nat so soone have 
413: Noted and spoken of the clothyng of thilke 
414: Riche man in the gospel./ And as seith seint 
414: Gregorie, that cprecious clothyng is cowpable 
414: For the derthe of it, and for his softenesse, and 
414: For his strangenesse and degisynesse, and for 
414: The superfluitee, or for the inordinat scantnesse 
415: Of it./ Allas! may man nat seen, as in oure 
415: Dayes, the synful costlewe array of clothynge, 
415: And namely in to muche superfluite, or 
416: Elles in to desordinat scantnesse?/ 
416: As to the first synne, that is in superfluitee 
416: of clothynge, which that maketh it so deere, 
417: To harm of the peple;/ nat oonly the cost of 
417: Embrowdynge, the degise endentynge or barrynge, 
417: owndynge, palynge, wyndynge or bendynge, 
418: and semblable wast of clooth in vanitee;/ 
418: But ther is also costlewe furrynge in hir gownes, 
418: So muche pownsonynge of chisels to maken 
419: Holes, so muche daggynge of sheres;/ forthwith 
419: the superfluitee in lengthe of the forseide 
419: Gowens, trailynge in the dong and in the mire, 
419: On horse and eek on foote, as wel of man as 
419: Of womman, that al thilke trailyng is verraily 
419: As in effect wasted, consumed, thredbare, and 
419: Roten with donge, rather than it is yeven to the 
419: Povre, to greet damage of the forseyde povre 
420: Folk./ And that in sondry wise; this is to seyn 
420: That the moore that clooth is wasted, the moore 
420: Moot it coste to the peple for the scarsnesse./ 
421: and forther over, if so be that 
421: They wolde yeven swich pownsoned and 
421: Dagged clothyng to the povre folk, it is 
421: Nat convenient to were for hire estaat, ne suffisant 
421: to beete hire necessitee, to kepe hem fro 
422: The distemperance of the firmament./ Upon 
422: That oother side, to speken of the horrible disordiant 
422: scantnesse of clothyng, as been thise 
422: Kutted sloppes, or haynselyns, that thurgh hire 
422: Shortnesse ne covere nat the shameful membres 
423: of man, to wikked entente./ Allas! somme 
423: Of hem shewen the boce or hir shap, and the 
423: Horrible swollen membres, that semeth lik the 
423: Maladie of hirnia, in the wrappynge of hir 
424: Hoses;/ and eek the buttokes of hem faren as 
424: It were the hyndre part of a she-ape in the fulle 
425: Of the moone./ And mooreover, the wrecched 
425: Swollen membres that they shewe thurgh disgisynge, 
425: in departynge of hire hoses in whit and 
425: Reed, semeth that half hir shameful privee 
426: Membres weren flayne./ And if so be that 
426: They departen hire hoses in othere colours, 
426: As is whit and blak, or whit and blew, or blak 
427: And reed, and so forth,/ thanne semeth it, as 
427: By variaunce of colour, that half the partie of 
427: Hire privee membres were corrupt by the fir 
427: Of seint antony, or by cancre, or by oother 
428: Swich meschaunce./ Of the hyndre part of hir 
428: Buttokes, it is ful horrible for to see. For certes, 
428: In that partie of hir body ther as they purgen 
429: Hir stynkynge ordure,/ that foule partie shewe 
429: They to the peple prowdly in despit of honestitee, 
429: which honestitee that jhesu crist and 
430: His freendes observede to shewen in hir lyve./ 
430: Now, as of the outrageous array of wommen, 
430: God woot that though the visages of somme of 
430: Hem seme ful chaast and debonaire, yet notifie 
430: They in hire array of atyr likerousnesse and 
431: Pride./ I sey nat that honestitee in clothynge 
431: of man or womman is uncovenable, 
431: But certes the superfluitee or disordinat scantitee 
432: of clothynge is reprevable./ Also the synne 
432: Of aornement or of apparaille is in thynges that 
432: Apertenen to ridynge, as in to manye delicat 
432: Horses that been hoolden for dlit, that been so 
433: Faire, fatte, and costlewe;/ and also in many a 
433: Vicious knave that is sustened by cause of hem, 
433: And in to curious harneys, as in sadeles, in 
433: Crouperes, peytrels, and bridles coverd 
433: Precious clothyng, and riche barres and plates 
434: Of gold and of silver./ For which God seith 
434: By zakarie the prophete, I wol confounde the 
435: Rideres of swiche horses./ This folk taken litel 
435: Reward of the ridynge of goddes sone of hevene, 
435: and of his harneys whan he rood upon 
435: The asse, and ne hadde noon oother harneys 
435: But the povre clother of his disciples; ne we ne 
435: Rede nat that evere he rood on oother 
436: Beest./ I speke this for the synne of superfluitee, 
436: and nat for resonable honestitee, 
437: Whan reson it requireth./ And forther over, 
437: Certes, pride is greetly notified in holdynge of 
437: Greet meynee, whan they be of litel profit or 
438: Of right no profit;/ and namely whan that 
438: Meynee is felonous and damageous to the peple 
438: By hardynesse of heigh lordshipe or by wey of 
439: Offices./ For certes, swiche lordes sellen thanne 
439: Hir lordshipe to the devel of helle, whanne they 
440: Sustenen the wikkednesse of hir meynee./ Or 
440: Elles, whan this folk of lowe degree, as thilke 
440: That holden hostelries, sustenen the thefte of 
440: Hire hostilers, and that is in many manere 
441: Of deceites./ Thilke manere of folk been 
441: The flyes that folwen the hony, or elles the 
441: Houndes that folwen the careyne. Swich forseyde 
442: folk stranglen spiritually hir lordshipes;/ 
442: For which thus seith david the prophete: wikked 
442: deeth moote come upon thilke lordshipes, 
442: And God yeve that they moote descenden into 
442: Helle al doun; for in hire houses been iniquitees 
443: And shrewednesses, and nat God of hevene./ 
443: And certes, but if they doon amendement, 
443: Right as God yaf his benysoun to (laban) by 
443: The service of jacob, and to (pharao) by the 
443: Service of joseph, right so God wol yeve his 
443: Malisoun to swiche lordshipes as sustenen the 
443: Wikkednesse of hir servauntz, but they come to 
444: Amendement./ Pride of the table appeereth 
444: Eek ful ofte; for certes, riche men been cleped 
444: To festes, and povre folk been put awey and rebuked./ 
445: also in excesse of diverse metes and 
445: Drynkes, and namely swich manere bake-metes 
445: And dissh-metes, brennynge of wilde fir and 
445: Peynted and castelled with papir, and semblable 
445: wast, so that it is abusioun for to 
446: Thynke./ And eek in to greet preciousnesse 
446: of vessel and curiositee of mynstralcie, 
446: by whiche a man is stired the moore to delices 
447: of luxurie,/ if so be that he sette his herte 
447: The lasse upon oure lord jhesu crist, certeyn it 
447: Is a synne; and certeinly the delices myghte 
447: Been so grete in this caas that man myghte 
448: Lightly falle by hem into deedly synne. / the 
448: Especes that sourden of pride, soothly whan 
448: They sourden of malice ymagined, avised, and 
448: Forncast, or elles of usage, been deedly synnes, 
449: It is no doute. / and whan they sourden by 
449: Freletee unavysed, and sodeynly withdrawen 
449: Ayeyn, al been they grevouse synnes, I gesse 
450: That they ne been nat deedly. / now myghte 
450: Men axe wherof that pride sourdeth and 
450: Spryngeth, and I seye, somtyme it spryngeth 
450: Of the goodes of nature, and somtyme of the 
450: Goodes of fortune, and somtyme of the 
451: Goodes of grace./ Certes, the goodes of 
451: Nature stonden outher in goodes of body 
452: Or in goodes of soule./ Certes, goodes of body 
452: Been heele of body, strengthe, delivernesse, 
453: Beautee, gentrice, franchise./ Goodes of nature 
453: of the soule been good wit, sharp understondynge, 
453: subtil engyn, vertu natureel, good 
454: Memorie./ Goodes of fortune been richesse, 
454: Hyghe degrees of lordshipes, preisynges of the 
455: Peple./ Goodes of grace been science, power 
455: To suffre spiritueel travaille, benignitee, vertuous 
455: contemplacioun, withstondynge of 
456: Temptacioun, and semblable thynges./ Of 
456: Whiche forseyde goodes, certes it is a ful 
456: Greet folye a man to priden hym in any of hem 
457: Alle./ Now as for to speken of goodes of nature, 
457: God woot that somtyme we han hem in nature 
458: As muche to oure damage as to oure profit./ 
458: As for to speken of heele of body, certes it 
458: Passeth ful lightly, and eek it is ful ofte enchesoun 
458: of the siknesse of oure soule. For, god 
458: Woot, the flessh is a ful greet enemy to the 
458: Soule; and therfore, the moore that the body 
459: Is hool, the moore be we in peril to falle./ Eke 
459: For to pride hym in his strengthe of body, it 
459: Is an heigh folye. For certes, the flessh coveiteth 
459: agayn the spirit; and ay the moore strong 
460: That the flessh is, the sorier may the soule be./ 
460: And over al this, strengthe of body and worldly 
460: Hardynesse causeth ful ofte many a man to 
461: Peril and meschaunce./ Eek for to pride 
461: Hym of his gentrie is ful greet folie; for 
461: Ofte tyme the gentrie of the body binymeth 
461: The gentrie of the soule; and eek we ben alle 
461: Of o fader and of o mooder; and alle we been 
461: Of o nature, roten and corrupt, bothe riche and 
462: Povre./ For sothe, o manere gentrie is for to 
462: Preise, that apparailleth mannes corage with 
462: Vertues and moralitees, and maketh hym cristes 
463: Child./ For truste wel that over what man that 
463: Synne hath maistrie, he is a verray cherl to 
464: Synne./ 
464: Now been ther generale signes of gentillesse, 
464: As eschewynge of vice and ribaudye and servage 
465: Of synne, in word, in werk, and contenaunce;/ 
465: And usynge vertu, curteisye, and clennesse, and 
465: To be liberal, that is to seyn, large by mesure; 
465: For thilke that passeth mesure is folie and 
466: Synne./ Another is to remembre hym of 
466: Bountee, that he of oother folk hath receyved./ 
467: another is to be benigne to his goode 
467: Subetis; wherfore seith senek, ther is no 
467: Thing moore covenable to a man of heigh estaat 
468: than debonairetee and pitee./ And therfore 
468: thise flyes that men clepen bees, whan 
468: They maken hir kyng, they chesen oon that 
469: Hath no prikke wherwith he may stynge./ Another 
469: is, a man to have a noble herte and 
469: A diligent, to attayne to heighe vertuouse 
470: Thynges./ Now certes, a man to pride hym in 
470: The goodes of grace is eek an outrageous folie; 
470: For thilke yifte of grace that sholde have turned 
470: Hym to goodnesse and to medicine, turneth 
470: Hym to venym and to confusioun, as seith 
471: Seint gregorie./ Certes also, whoso prideth 
471: hym in the goodes of fortune, he is a 
471: Ful greet fool; for somtyme is a man a greet 
471: Lord by the morwe, that is a caytyf and a 
472: Wrecche er it be nyght;/ and somtyme the 
472: Richesse of a man is cause of his deth; somtyme 
472: the delices of a man ben cause of the 
473: Grevous maladye thurgh which he dyeth./ 
473: Certes, the commendacioun of the peple is 
473: Somtyme ful fals and ful brotel for to triste; 
474: This day they preyse, tomorwe they blame./ 
474: God woot, desir to have commendacioun eek 
474: Of the peple hath caused deeth to many a bisy 
475: Man./ 
475: Now sith that so is that ye han understonde 
475: What is pride, and whiche been the speces of it, 
475: And whennes pride sourdeth and spryngeth,/ 
476: now shul ye understonde which is 
476: The remedie agayns the synne of pride; 
477: And that is hymylitee, or mekenesse./ That is 
477: A vertu thurgh which a man hath verray 
477: Knoweleche of hymself, and holdeth of hymself 
477: no pris ne deyntee, as in regard of his 
478: Desertes, considerynge evere his freletee./ Now 
478: Been ther three maneres of hymylitee: as humylitee 
478: in herte; another hymylitee is in his 
479: Mouth; the thridde in his werkes./ The humilitee 
479: in herte is in foure maneres. That oon is 
479: Whan a man holdeth hymself as noght worth 
479: Biforn God of hevene. Another is whan he ne 
480: Despiseth noon oother man./ The thridde is 
480: Whan he rekketh nat, though men holde hym 
480: Noght worth. The ferthe is whan he nys 
481: Nat sory of his humiliacioun./ Also the 
481: Humilitee of mouth is in foure thynges: in 
481: Attempree speche, and in humblesse of speche, 
481: And whan he biknoweth with his owene mouth 
481: That he is swich as hym thynketh that he is in 
481: His herte. Another is whan he preiseth the 
481: Bountee of another man, and nothyng therof 
482: Amenuseth./ Humilitee eek in werkes is in 
482: Foure maneres. The firste is whan he putteth 
482: Othere men biforn hym. The seconde is to 
482: Chese the loweste place over al. The thridde 
483: Is gladly to assente to good conseil./ The 
483: Ferthe is to stonde gladly to the award of his 
483: Sovereyns, or of hym that is in hyer degree. 
484: Certein, this is a greet werk of hymylitee./ 
484: After pride wol I speken of the foule synne 
484: Of envye, which that is, as by the word of the philosophre, 
484: sorwe of oother mannes prosperitee; 
484: And after the word of seint augustyn, it is sorwe 
484: Of oother mennes wele, and joye of othere 
485: Mennes harm./ This foule synne is platly 
485: Agayns the hooly goost. Al be it so that every 
485: Synne is agayns the hooly goost, yet nathelees, 
485: For as muche as bountee aperteneth proprely to 
485: The hooly goost, and envye comth proprely 
485: Of malice, therfore it is proprely agayn the 
486: Bountee of the hooly goost./ Now hath 
486: Malice two speces; that is to seyn, ahrdnesse 
486: of herte in wikkednesse, or elles the flessh 
486: Of man is so blynd that he considereth nat that 
486: He is in synne, or rekketh nat that he is in synne, 
487: Which is the hardnesse of the devel./ That 
487: Oother spece of malice is whan a man werreyeth 
487: trouthe, whan he woot that it is trouthe; 
487: And eek whan he werreyeth the grace that god 
487: Hath yeve to his neighebor; and al this is by 
488: Envye./ Certes, thanne is envye the worste 
488: Synne that is. For soothly, alle othere synnes 
489: Been somtyme oonly agayns o special vertu;/ 
489: But certes, envye is agayns alle vertues and 
489: Agayns alle goodnesses. For it is sory of alle 
489: The bountees of his neighebor, and in this manere 
490: it is divers from alle othere synnes./ For 
490: Wel unnethe is ther any synne that it ne hath 
490: Som delit in itself, save oonly envye, that 
491: Evere hath in itself angwissh and sorwe./ 
491: The speces of envye been thise. Ther is 
491: First, sorwe of oother mannes goodnesse and 
491: Of his prosperitee; and prosperitee is kyndely 
491: Matere of joye; thanne is envye a synne agayns 
492: Kynde./ The seconde spece of envye is joye 
492: Of oother mannes harm; and that is proprely 
492: Lyk to the devel, that evere rejoyseth hym of 
493: Mannes harm./ Of thise two speces comth bakbityng; 
493: and this synne of bakbityng or detraccion 
493: hath certeine speces, as thus. Som man 
494: Preiseth his neighebor by a wikked entente;/ 
494: For he maketh alwey a wikked knotte atte laste 
494: Ende. Alwey he maketh a but atte laste ende, 
494: That is digne of moore blame, than worth is al 
495: The preisynge./ The seconde spece is that if a 
495: Man be good, and dooth or seith a thing to 
495: Good entente, the bakbitere wol turne al thilke 
495: Goodnesse up-so-doun to his shrewed entente./ 
496: the thridde is to amenuse the 
497: Bountee of his neighebor./ The fourthe 
497: Spece of bakbityng is this, that if men speke 
497: Goodnesse of a man, thanne wol the bakbitere 
497: Seyn, parfey, swich a man is yet bet than he; 
498: In dispreisynge of hym that men preise./ The 
498: Fifte spece is this, for to consente gladly and 
498: Herkne gladly to the harm that men speke of 
498: Oother folk. This synne is ful greet, and ay 
498: Encreesseth after the wikked entente of the 
500: /bakbitere./ After bakbityng cometh gruchchyng 
500: or murmuracioun; and somtyme it 
500: Spryngeth of inpacience agayns god, and som-tyme 
501: agayns man./ Agayn God it is, whan 
501: A man gruccheth agayn the peyne of helle, or 
501: Agayns poverte, or los of catel, or agayn reyn 
501: Or tempest; or elles gruccheth that shrewes 
501: Han prosperitee, or elles for the goode 
502: Men han adversitee./ And alle thise 
502: Thynges sholde man suffre paciently, for 
502: They comen by the rightful juggement and 
503: Ordinaunce of god./ Somtyme comth grucching 
503: of avarice; as judas grucched agayns the 
503: Magdaleyne, whan she enoynted the heved of 
503: Oure lord jhesu crist with hir precious oynement./ 
504: this manere murmure is swich as whan 
504: Man gruccheth of goodnesse that hymself 
504: Dooth, or that oother folk doon of hir owene 
505: Catel./ Somtyme comth murmure of pride; as 
505: Whan simon the pharisse gruchched agayn the 
505: Magdaleyne, whan she approched to jhesu 
506: Crist, and weep at his feet for hire synnes./ 
506: And somtyme grucchyng sourdeth of envye; 
506: Whan men discovereth a mannes harm that 
506: Was pryvee, or bereth hym on hond 
507: Thyng that is fals./ Murmure eek is ofte 
507: Amonges servauntz that grucceh whan hir 
508: Sovereyns bidden hem doon leveful thynges; / 
508: And forasmuche as they dar nat openly withseye 
508: the comaundementz of hir sovereyns, yet 
508: Wol they seyn harm, and grucche, and murmure 
509: prively for verray despit;/ whiche wordes 
509: Men clepen the develes pater noster, though 
509: So be that the devel ne hadde nevere pater 
509: Noster, but that lewed folk yeven it swich a 
510: Name./ Somtyme it comth of ire or pive hate, 
510: That norisseth rancour in herte, as afterward I 
511: Shal declare./ Thanne cometh eek bitternesse 
511: Of herte, thurgh which bitternesse every good 
511: Dede of his neighebor semeth to hym bitter 
512: and unsavory./ Thanne cometh discord, 
512: that unbyndeth alle manere of 
512: Freendshipe. Thanne comth scornynge of his 
513: Neighebor, al do he never so weel./ Thanne 
513: Comth accusynge, as whan man seketh occasioun 
513: to anoyen his neighebor, which that is 
513: Lyk the craft of the devel, that waiteth bothe 
514: Nyght and day to accusen us alle./ Thanne 
514: Comth malignitee, thurgh which a man anoyeth 
515: his neighebor prively, if he may;/ and if 
515: He noght may, algate his wikked wil ne shal 
515: Nat wante, as for to brennen his hous pryvely, 
515: Or empoysone or sleen his beestes, and semblable 
516: thynges./ 
516: Now wol I speke of remedie agayns this 
516: Foule synne of envye. First is the love of god 
516: Principal, and lovyng of his neighebor as hymself; 
516: for soothly, that oon ne may nat been 
517: Withoute that oother./ And truste wel that 
517: In the name of thy neighebor thou shalt 
517: Understonde the name of thy brother; for certes 
517: Alle we have o fader flesshly, and o mooder, 
517: That is to seyn, adam and eve; and eek o fader 
518: Espiritueel, and that is God of hevene./ Thy 
518: Neighebor artow holden for to love, and wilne 
518: Hym alle goodnesse; and therfore seith god, 
518: Love thy neighebor as thyselve, that is to 
519: Seyn, to salvacioun bothe of lyf and of soule./ 
519: And mooreover thou shalt love hym in word, 
519: And in benigne amonestynge and chastisynge, 
519: And conforten hym in his anoyes, and preye for 
520: Hym with al thyn herte./ And in dede thou 
520: Shalt love hym in swich wise that thou shalt 
520: Doon to hym in charitee as thou woldest that 
521: It were doon to thyn owene persone./ And 
521: Therfore thou ne shalt doon hym no damage 
521: In wikked word, ne harm in his body, ne in 
521: His catel, ne in his soule, by entissyng of 
522: Wikked ensample./ Thou shalt nat desiren 
522: His wyf, ne none of his thynges. Understoond 
522: eek that in the name of neighebor is 
523: Comprehended his enemy./ Certes, man shal 
523: Loven his enemy, by the comandement of god, 
524: And soothyly thy freend shaltow love in god./ 
524: I seye, thyn enemy shaltow love for goddes 
524: Sake, by his comandement. For if it were reson 
524: That man sholde haten his enemy, for so he 
524: God nolde nat receyven us to his love that been 
525: His enemys./ Agayns three manere of wronges 
525: That his enemy dooth to hym, he shal doon 
526: Three thynges, as thus./ Agayns hate and rancour 
526: of herte, he shal love hym in herte. 
526: Agayns chidyng and wikkede wordes, he shal 
526: Preye for his enemy. Agayns the wikked dede 
526: Of his enemy, he shal doon hym bountee./ 
527: for crist seith: loveth youre enemys, 
527: and preyeth for hem that speke yow 
527: Harm, and eek for hem that yow chacen and 
527: Pursewen, and dooth bountee to hem that yow 
527: Haten. Loo, thus comaundeth us oure lord 
528: Jhesu crist to do to oure enemys./ For smoothly, 
528: Nature dryveyh us to loven oure freends, and 
528: Parfey, oure enemys han moore nede to love 
528: That oure freendes; and they that moore nede 
529: Have, certes to hem shal men doon goodnesse;/ 
529: And certes, in thilke dede have we remembraunce 
529: of the love of jhesu crist that deyde 
530: For his enemys./ And in as muche as thilke 
530: Love is the moore grevous to perfourne, so 
530: Muche is the moore gret the merite; and therfore 
530: the lovynge of oure enemy hath confounded 
531: the venym of the devel./ For right 
531: As the devel is disconfited by humylitee, right 
531: So is he wounded to the deeth by love of 
532: Oure enemy./ Certes, thanne is love the 
532: Medicine that casteth out the venym of 
533: Envye fro mannes herte./ The speces of this 
533: Paas shullen be moore largely declared in hir 
534: Chapitres folwynge./ 
534: And envye wol I discryven the synne 
534: Ire. For soothly, whoso hath envye upon his 
534: Neighebor, anon he wole comunly fynde hym 
534: A matere of wratthe, in word or in dede, agayns 
535: Hym to whom he hath envye./ And as wel 
535: Comth ire of pride, as of envye; for soothly, 
536: He that is proud or envyous is lightly wrooth./ 
536: This synne of ire, after the discryvyng of 
536: Seint augustyn, is wikked wil to been 
537: Avenged by word, or by dede./ Ire, after 
537: The philosophre, is the fervent blood of 
537: Man yquyked in his herte, thurgh which he 
538: Wole harm to hym that he hateth./ For certes, 
538: The herte of man, by eschawfynge and moevynge 
538: of his blood, wexeth so trouble that he is 
539: Out of alle juggement of resoun./ But ye shal 
539: Understonde that ire is in two maneres; that 
539: Oon of hem is good, and that oother is wikked./ 
540: the goode ire is by jalousie of goodnesse, 
540: thurgh which a man is wrooth with wikkednesse 
540: and agayns wikkednesse; and therfore 
541: seith a wys man that ire is bet than pley./ 
541: This ire is with debonairetee, and it is wrooth 
541: Withouten bitternesse; nat wrooth agayns the 
541: Man, but wrooth with the mysdede of the man, 
541: As seith the prophete david, irascimini 
542: Et nolite peccare./ Now understondeth 
542: That wikked ire is in two maneres; that is 
542: To seyn, sodeyn ire or hastif ire, withouten 
543: Avisement and consentynge of resoun./ The 
543: Menyng and the sens of this is, that the resoun 
543: Of a man ne consente nat to thilke sodeyn ire; 
544: And thanne is it venial./ Another ire is ful 
544: Wikked, that comth of felonie of herte avysed 
544: And cast biforn, with wikked wil to do vengeance, 
544: and therto his resoun consenteth; and 
545: Soothly this is deedly synne./ This ire is so 
545: Displesant to God that it troubleth his hous, 
545: And chaceth the hooly goost out of mannes 
545: Soule, and wasteth and destroyeth the liknesse 
545: Of god, that is to seyn, the vertu that is in 
546: Mannes soule,/ and put in hym the liknesse 
546: Of the devel, and bynymeth the man fro 
547: God, that is his rightful lord./ This ire 
547: Is a ful greet plesaunce to the devel; for 
547: It is the develes fourneys, that is eschawfed 
548: With the fir of helle./ For certes, right so as 
548: Fir is moore mighty to destroyen erthely thynges 
548: Than any oother element, right so ire is myghty 
549: To destroyen alle spiritueel thynges./ Looke how 
549: That fir of smale gleedes, that been almost dede 
549: Under asshen, wollen quike agayn whan they 
549: Been touched with brymstoon; right so ire wol 
549: Everemo quyken agayn, whan it is touched by 
550: The pride that is covered in mannes herte./ 
550: For certes, fir ne may nat comen out of no 
550: Thyng, but if it were first in the same thyng 
550: Natureely, as fir is drawen out of flyntes with 
551: Steel./ And right so as pride is ofte tyme matere 
551: of ire, right so is rancour norice and 
552: Kepere of ire./ Ther is a maner tree, as 
552: Seith seint ysidre, that whan men maken 
552: Fir of thilke tree, and covere the coles of 
552: With asshen, soothly the fir of it wol lasten 
553: A yeer or moore./ And right so fareth it 
553: Rancour; whan it is ones conceyved in the 
553: Hertes of som men, certein, it wol lasten peraventure 
553: from oon estre day unto another 
554: Estre day, and moore./ But certes, thilke man 
555: Is ful fer fro the mercy of God al thilke while./ 
555: In this forseyde develes fourneys ther forgen 
555: Three shrewes: pride, that ay bloweth and encreesseth 
555: the fir by chidynge and wikked 
556: Wordes;/ thanne stant envye, the holdeth the 
556: Hoote iren upon the herte of man with a 
557: Peire of longe toonges of long rancour;/ 
557: And thanne stant the synne of contumelie, 
557: Or strif and cheeste, and batereth and forgeth 
558: By vileyns reprevynges./ Certes, this cursed 
558: Synne annoyeth bothe to the man hymself and 
558: Eek to his neighebor. For soothly, almoost al 
558: The harm that any man dooth to his neighebor 
559: Comth of wratthe./ For certes, outrageous 
559: Wratthe dooth al that evere the devel hym 
559: Comaundeth; for he ne spareth neigher crist ne 
560: His sweete mooder./ And in his outrageous anger 
560: and ire, allas! allas! ful many oon at that 
560: Tyme feeleth in his herte ful wikkedly, bothe 
561: Of crist and eek of alle his halwes./ Is nat this 
561: A cursed vice? yis, certes. Allas! it bynymeth 
561: From man his wit and his resoun, and al his debonaire 
561: lif espiritueel that sholde kepen his 
562: Soule./ Certes, it bynymeth eek goddes 
562: Due lordshipe, and that is mannes soule, 
562: And the love of his neighebores. It stryveth 
562: Eek alday agayn trouthe. It reveth hym the 
563: Quiete of his herte, and subverteth his soule./ 
563: Of ire comen thise stynkynge engendrures: 
563: First, hate, that is oold wratthe; discord, thurgh 
563: Which a man forsaketh his olde freend that he 
564: Hath loved ful longe;/ and thanne cometh 
564: Werre, and every manere of wrong that man 
565: Dooth to his neighebor, in body or in catel./ 
565: Of this cursed synne of ire cometh eek manslaughtre. 
565: and understonde wel that homycide, 
565: That is manslaughtre, is in diverse wise. Som 
565: Manere of homycide is spiritueel, and som is 
566: Bodily./ Spiritueel manslaughtre is in sixe 
566: Thynges. First by hate, as seith seint john: 
566: He that hateth his brother is an homycide./ 
567: homycide is eek by babkbitynge, 
567: Of whiche bakbiteres seith salomon that 
567: They han two swerdes with whiche they sleen 
567: Hire neighebores. For soothly, as wikke is to 
568: Bynyme his good name as his lyf./ Homycide is 
568: Eek in yevynge of wikked conseil by fraude; 
568: As for to yeven conseil to areysen wrongful 
569: Custumes and taillages./ Of whiche seith salomon: 
569: leon rorynge and bere hongry been like 
569: To the crueel lordshipes in witholdynge or 
569: Abreggynge of the shepe (or the hyre), or of 
569: The wages of sevauntz, or elles in usure, or 
570: In withdrawynge of the almesse of povre folk./ 
570: For which the wise man seith, fedeth hym that 
570: Almoost dyeth for honger; for soothly, but if 
570: Thow feede hym, thou sleest hym; and alle thise 
571: Been deedly synnes./ Bodily manslaughtre is, 
571: Whan thow sleest him with thy tonge in oother 
571: Manere; as whan thou comandest to sleen a 
571: Man, or elles yevest hym conseil to sleen 
572: A man./ Manslaughtre in dede is in foure 
572: Maneres. That oon is by lawe, right as a 
572: Justice dampneth hym that is coupable to the 
572: Deeth. But lat the justice be war that he do 
572: It rightfully, and that he do it nat for delit to 
573: Spille blood, but for kepynge of rightwisnesse./ 
573: Another homycide is that is doon for necessitee, 
573: As whan o man sleeth another is his defendaunt, 
573: and that he ne may noon ootherwise escape 
574: from his owene deeth./ But certeinly if 
574: He may escape withouten slaughtre of his adversarie, 
574: and sleeth hym, he dooth synne and 
575: He shal bere penance as for deedly synne./ 
575: Eek if a man, by caas or aventure, shete an arwe, 
575: Or caste a stoon, with which he sleeth a man, 
576: He is homycide./ Eek if a womman by necligence 
576: overlyeth hire child in hir slepyng, 
577: It is homycide and deedly synne./ Eek 
577: Whan man destourbeth concepcioun of a 
577: Child, and maketh a womman outher bareyne 
577: By drynkynge venenouse herbes thurgh which 
577: She may nat conceyve, or sleeth a child by 
577: Drynkes wilfully, or elles putteth certeine material 
577: thynges in hire secree places to slee the 
578: Child,/ or elles dooth unkyndely synne, by 
578: Which man or womman shedeth hire nature 
578: In manere or in place ther as a child may nat 
578: Be conceived, or elles if a woman have conceyved, 
578: and hurt hirself and sleeth the child, 
579: Yet is it homycide./ What seye we eek of 
579: Wommen that mordren hir children for drede 
579: Of worldly shame? certes, an horrible homicide./ 
580: homycide is eek if a man approcheth 
580: To a womman by desir of lecherie, thurgh which 
580: The child is perissed, or elles smyteth a womman 
580: Wityngly, thurgh which she leseth hir child. 
580: Alle thise been homycides and horrible deedly 
581: Synnes./ Yet comen ther of ire manye mo 
581: Synnes, as wel in word as in thoght and in 
581: Dede; as he that arretteth upon god, or blameth 
581: god of thyng of which he is hymself 
581: Gilty, or despiseth God and alle his halwes, as 
581: Doon thise cursede hasardours in diverse 
582: Contrees./ This cursed synne doon they, 
582: Whan they feelen in hir herte ful wikkedly 
583: Of God and of his halwes./ Also whan they 
583: Treten unreverently the sacrement of the auter, 
583: Thilke synne is so greet that unnethe may it 
583: Been releessed, but that the mercy of god 
583: Passeth alle his werkes; it is so greet, and he 
584: So benigne./ Thanne comth of ire attry angre. 
584: Whan a man is sharply amonested in his shrifte 
585: To forleten his synne,/ thanne wole he be anfry, 
585: and answeren hokerly and angrily, and 
585: Deffended or excusen his synne by unstedefastnesse 
585: of his flessh; or elles he dide it for 
585: To holde compaignye with his felawes; or elles, 
586: He seith, the feend enticed hym;/ or elles he 
586: Dide it for his youthe; or elles his compleccioun 
586: is so corageous that he may nat forbere; 
586: Or elles it is his destinee, as he seith, unto a 
586: Certein age; or eles, he seith, it cometh hym 
586: Of gentillesse of his auncestres; and semblable 
587: thynges./ Alle thise manere of folk 
587: So wrappen hem in hir synnes that they ne 
587: Wol nat delivere hemself. For soothly, no wight 
587: That excuseth hym wilfully of his synne may 
587: Nat been delivered of his synne, til that he 
588: Mekely biknoweth his synne./ After this, 
588: Thanne cometh sweryng, that is expres agayn 
588: The comandement of god; and this bifalleth 
589: Ofte of anger and of ire./ God seith: thow 
589: Shalt nat take the name of thy lord God in 
589: Veyn or in ydel. Also oure lord jhesu crist 
590: Weith, by the word of seint mathew,/ ne wol 
590: Ye nat swere in alle manere; neither by hevene, 
590: for it is goddes trone; ne by erthe, for 
590: It is the bench of his feet; ne by jerusalem, 
590: For it is the citee of a greet kyng; ne by thyn 
590: Heed, for thou mayst nat make an heer whit 
591: Ne blak./ But seyeth by youre word -- ye, he, -- 
591: And -- nay, nay -- ; and what that is moore, it 
592: Is of yvel, -- thus seith crist./ For cristes 
592: Sake, ne swereth nat so synfully in dismembrynge 
592: of crist by soule, herte, bones, and 
592: Body. For certes, it semeth that ye thynke that 
592: The cursede jewes ne dismembred nat ynough 
592: The preciouse persone of crist, but ye dismembre 
593: hym moore./ And if so be that the lawe 
593: Compelle yow to swere, thanne rule yow after 
593: The lawe of God in youre sweriyng, as seith 
593: Jeremye, quarto capitulo: thou shalt kepe 
593: Three condicions: thou shalt swere in trouthe, 
594: In doom, and in rightwisnesse./ This is to 
594: Seyn, thou shalt swere sooth; for every lesynge 
594: Is agayns crist. For crist is verray trouthe. 
594: And thynk wel this, that every greet swerere 
594: Nat compedded lawefully to swere, the wounde 
594: Shal nat departe from his hous whil he useth 
595: Swich unleveful swerying./ Thou shalt sweren 
595: Eek in doom, whan thou art constreyned by thy 
596: Domesman to witnessen the trouthe./ Eek thow 
596: Shalt nat swere for envye, ne for favour, ne for 
596: Meede, but for rightwisnesse, for declaracioun 
596: Of it, to the worshipe of God and helpyng 
597: Of thyne evene-cristene./ And therefore 
597: Every man that taketh goodes name in 
597: Ydel, or falsly swereth with his mouth, or elles 
597: Taketh on hym the name of crist, to be called 
597: A cristen man, and lyveth agayns cristed lyvynge 
597: and his techynge, alle they taken goddes 
598: Name in ydel./ Looke eek what seint peter 
598: Seith, actuum, quarto, non est aliud nomen sub 
598: Celo, etc., ther nys noon oother name, seith 
598: Seint peter, under hevene yeven to men, in 
598: Which they mowe be saved; that is to seyn, 
599: But the name of jhesu crist./ Take kep eek 
599: How precious is the name of crist, as seith 
599: Seint paul, ad philipenses, secundo, in nomine 
599: Jhesu, etc., that in the name of jhesu every 
599: Knee of hevenely creatures, or erthely, or of helle 
599: Sholde bowe; for it is so heigh and so worshipful 
599: that the cursede feend in helle sholde tremblen 
600: to heeren it ynempned./ Thanne semeth 
600: It that men that sweren so horribly by his 
600: Blessed name, that they despise it moore 
600: Booldely that dide the cursede jewes, or elles 
600: The devel, that trembleth whan he heereth his 
601: Name./ 
601: Now certes, sith that sweryng, but if it 
601: Be lawefully doon, is so heighly deffended, 
601: Muche worse is forsweryng falsly, and yet 
602: Nedelees./ 
602: What seye we eek of hem that deliten 
602: Hem in sweryng, and holden it a gentrie or a 
602: Manly dede to swere grete others? and what 
602: Of hem that of verray usage ne cesse nat to 
602: Swere grete othes, al be the cause nat worth 
603: A straw? certes, this is horrible synne./ Swerynge 
603: sodeynly withoute avysement is eek a 
604: Synne./ But lat us go now to thilke horrible 
604: Sweryng of adjuracioun and conjuracioun, as 
604: Doon thise false enchauntours or nigromanciens 
604: in bacyns ful of water, or in a bright 
604: Swerd, in a cercle, or in a fir, or in a shulderboon 
605: of a sheep./ I kan nat seye but that they 
605: Doon cursedly and dampnably agayns crist and 
606: Al the feith of hooly chirche./ 
606: What seye we of hem that bileeven on divynailes, 
606: as by flight or by noyse of briddes, or 
606: Of beestes, or by sort, by nigromancie, by dremes, 
606: By chirkynge of dores, or crakkynge of houses, 
606: By gnawynge of rattes, and swich manere 
607: Wrecchednesse?/ certes, al this thyng is 
607: Deffended by God and by hooly chirche. 
607: For which they been acursed, til they come 
607: To amendement, that on swich filthe setten hire 
608: Bileeve./ Charmes for woundes or maladie of 
608: Men or of beestes, if they taken any effect, it 
608: May be peraventure that God suffreth it, for 
608: Folk sholden yeve the moore feith and reverence 
609: to his name./ 
609: Now wol I speken of lesynges, which generally 
609: is fals signyficaunce of word, in entente to 
610: Deceyven his evene-cristene./ Som lesynge is 
610: Of which ther comth noon avantage to no wight; 
610: And som lesynge turneth to the ese and profit 
610: Of o man, and to disese and damage of another 
611: Man./ Another lesynge is for to saven his lyf 
611: Of his catel. Another lesynge comth of delit 
611: For to lye, in which delit they wol forge a 
611: Long tale, and peynten it with alle circumstaunces, 
611: where al the ground of the tale 
612: Is fals./ Som lesynge comth, for he wole 
612: Sustene his word; and som lesynge comth 
612: Of reccheleesnesse withouten avisement; and 
613: Semblable thynges./ 
613: Lat us now touche the vice of flaterynge, 
613: Which ne comth nat gladly but for drede or 
614: For coveitise./ Flaterye is generally wrongful 
614: Preisynge. Flatereres been the develes norices, 
614: That norissen his children with milk losengerie./ 
615: for sothe, salomon seith that flaterie 
615: Is wors than detraccioun. For somtyme detraccion 
615: maketh an hauteyn man be the moore 
615: Humble, for he dredeth detraccion; but certes 
615: Flaterye, that maketh a man to enhauncen his 
616: Herte and his contenance./ Flatereres been 
616: The develes enchauntours; for they make a 
616: Man to wene of hymself be lyk that he nys 
617: Nat lyk./ They been lyk to judas that bitraysen 
617: a man to sellen hym to his enemy, 
618: That is to the devel./ Flatereres been the develes 
619: chapelleyns, that syngen evere placebb./ 
619: I rekene flaterie in the vices of ire; for ofte 
619: Tyme, if o man be wrooth with another, thanne 
619: Wole he flatere som wight to sustene hym in his 
620: Querele./ 
620: Speke we now of swich cursynge as comth 
620: Of irous herte. Malisoun generally may be 
620: Seyd every maner power of harm. Swich cursynge 
620: bireveth man fro the regne of god, as 
621: Seith seint paul. / and ofte tyme swiche cursynge 
621: wrongfully retorneth agayn to hym that 
621: Curseth, as a bryd that retorneth agayn to 
622: His owene nest./ And over alle thyng men 
622: Oghten eschewe to cursen hir children, 
622: And yeven to the devel hire engendrure, as 
622: Ferforth as in hem is. Certes, it is greet peril 
623: And greet synne./ 
623: Lat us thanne speken of chidynge and reproche, 
623: whiche been ful grete woundes in 
623: Mannes herte, for they unsowen the semes of 
624: Freendshipe in mannes herte./ For certes, unnethes 
624: may a man pleynly been accorded with 
624: Hym that hath hym openly revyled and repreved 
624: and disclaundred. This ia a ful grisly 
625: Synne, as crist seith in the gospel./ And taak 
625: Kep now, that he that repreveth his neighebor, 
625: Outher he repreveth hym by som harm of peyne 
625: That he hath on his body, as mesel, croked 
626: Harlot, or by som synne that he dooth./ Now 
626: If he repreve hym by harm of peyne, thanne 
626: Turneth the repreve to jhesu crist, for peyne 
626: Is sent by the rightwys sonde of god, and 
626: By his suffrance, be it meselrie, or maheym, 
627: or maladie./ And if he repreve hym 
627: Uncharitably of synne, as thou holour, 
627: Thou dronkelewe harlot, and so forth, thanne 
627: Aperteneth that to the rejoysynge of the devel, 
628: That evere hath joyde that men doon synne./ 
628: And certes, chidynge may nat come but out 
628: Of a vileyns herte. For after the habundance 
629: Of the herte speketh the mouth ful ofte./ And 
629: Ye shul understonde that looke, by the wey, 
629: Whan any man shal chastise another, that he 
629: Be war from chidynge or reprevynge. For 
629: Trewely, but he be war, he may ful lightly 
629: Quyken the fir of angre and of wratthe, which 
629: That he sholde quenche, and peraventure sleeth 
629: Hym, which that he myghte chastise with benignitee./ 
630: for as seith salomon, the amyable 
630: Tonge is the tree of lyf, that is to seyn, of lyf 
630: Espiritueel; and soothly, a deslavee tonge sleeth 
630: Spirites of hym that repreveth and eek of 
631: Hym that is repreved./ Loo, what seith seint 
631: Augustyn: ther is nothyng so lyk the develes 
631: Child as he that ofte chideth. Seint paul seith 
631: Eek, the servant of God bihoveth nat to 
632: Chide./ And how that chidynge be a 
632: Vileyns thyng bitwixe alle manere folk, 
632: Yet is it certes moost uncovenable bitwixe a 
632: Man and his wyf; for there is nevere reste. And 
632: Wherfore seith salomon, an hous that is uncovered 
632: and droppynge, and a chidynge wyf, 
633: Been lyke./ A man that is in a droppynge 
633: Hous in manye places, though he eschewe the 
633: Droppynge in a place, it droppeth on hym in 
633: Another place. So fareth it by a chydynge wyf; 
633: But she chide hym in o place, she wol chide 
634: Hym in another./ And therfore, bettre is a 
634: Morsel of breed with joye than an hous ful of 
635: Delices with chidynge, seith salomon./ Seint 
635: Paul seith: oye wommen, be ye subgetes to 
635: Youre housbondes as bihoveth in god, and ye 
635: Men loveth youre wyves. Add colossenses, 
636: Tertio./ 
636: Afterward speke we of scornynge, which is 
636: A wikked synne, and namely whan he 
637: Scorneth a man for his goode werkes./ 
637: For certes, swiche scorneres faren lyk the 
637: Foule tode, that may nat endure to smelle the 
638: Soote savour of the vyne whanne it florissheth./ 
638: Thise scorneres been partyng felawes with the 
638: Devel; for they han joye whan the devel wynneth, 
639: and sorwe whan he leseth./ They been 
639: Adversaries of jhesu crist, for they haten that 
640: He loveth, that is to seyn, salvacioun of soule./ 
640: Speke we now of wikked conseil; for he that 
640: Wikked conseil yeveth is a traytour. For he deceyveth 
640: hym that trusteth in hym, ut achitofel 
640: Ad absolonem. But nathelees, yet is his wikked 
641: Conseil first agayn hymself/ for, as seith the 
641: Wise man, every fals lyvynge hath this propertee 
641: in hymself, that he that wole anoye 
642: Another man, he anoyeth first hymself./ 
642: And men shul understonde that man shal 
642: Nat taker his conseil of fals folk, ne of angry 
642: Folk, or grevous folk, ne of folk that lovern 
642: Specially to muchel hir owene profit, ne to 
642: Muche worldly folk, namely in conseilynge of 
643: Soules./ 
643: Now comth the synne of hem that sowen 
643: And maken discord amounges folk, which is a 
643: Synne that crist hateth outrely. And no wonder 
644: is; for he deyde for to make concord./ And 
644: Moore shame do they to crist, than dide they 
644: That hym crucifiede; for God loveth bettre that 
644: Freendshipe be amonges folk, than he dide his 
644: Owene body, the which that he yaf for unitee. 
644: Therfore been they likned to the devel, that 
645: Evere is aboute to maken discord./ 
645: Now comth the synne of double tonge; 
645: Swiche as speken faire byforn folk, and wikkedly 
645: bihynde; or elles they maken semblant 
645: As though they speeke of good entencioun, or 
645: Elles in game and pley, and yet they speke of 
646: Wikked entente./ 
646: Now comth biwreying of conseil, thurgh 
646: Which a man is defamed; certes, unnethe 
647: May be restoore the damage./ 
647: Now comth manace, that is an open 
647: Folye; for he that ofte manaceth, he threteth 
648: Moore than he may perfourne ful ofte tyme./ 
648: Now cometh ydel wordes, that is withouten 
648: Profit of hym that speketh tho wordes, and eek 
648: Of hym that herkneth tho wordes. Or elles ydel 
648: Wordes been tho that been nedelees, or withouten 
649: entente of natureel profit./ And al be it 
649: That ydel wordes been somtyme venial synne, 
649: Yet sholde men douten hem, for we shul yeve 
650: Rekenynge of hem bifore god./ 
650: Now comth janglynge, that may nat been 
650: Withoute synne. And, as seith salomon, it is 
651: A sygne a apert folye./ And therfore a 
651: Philosophre seyde, whan men axed hym how that 
651: Men sholde plese the peple, and he answerde 
651: Do manye goode werkes, and spek fewe 
652: Jangles./ 
652: After this comth the synne of japeres, 
652: That been the develes apes; for they maken 
652: Folk to laughe at hire japerie as folk doon at 
652: The gawdes of an ape. Swiche japes deffendeth 
653: seint paul./ Looke how that vertuouse 
653: Wordes and hooly conforten hem that travaillen 
653: In the service of crist, right so conforten the 
653: Vileyns wordes and knakkes of japeris hem that 
654: Travaillen in the service of the devel./ Thise 
654: Been the synnes that comen of the tonge that 
655: Comen of ire and of ohtere synnes mo./ 
655: The remedie agayns ire is a vertu that men 
655: Clepen mansuetude, that is debonairette; and 
655: Eek another vertu, that men callen pacience or 
656: Suffrance./ 
656: Debonairetee withdraweth and refreyneth the 
656: Stirynges and the moevynges of mannes corage 
656: In his herte, in swich manere that they ne 
657: Skippe nat out by angre ne by ire./ Suffrance 
657: suffreth swetely alle the anoyaunces 
657: And the wronges that men doon to man outward./ 
658: seint jerome seith thus of debonairetee, 
658: That it dooth noon harm to no wight ne seith; 
658: Ne for noon harm that men doon or seyn, he 
659: Ne eschawfeth nat agayns his resoun./ This 
659: Vertu somtyme comth of nature; for, as seith 
659: The philosophre, a man is a quyk thyng, by 
659: Nature debonaire and tretable to goodnesse; 
659: But whan debonairetee is enformed of grace, 
660: Thanne is it the moore worth./ 
660: Pacience, that is another remedie agayns iro, 
660: Is a vertu that suffreth swetely every mannes 
660: Goodnesse, and is nat wrooth for noon harm 
661: That is doon to hym./ The philosophre seith 
661: That pacience is thilke vertu that suffreth 
661: Debonairely alle the outrages of adversitee 
662: And every wikked word./ This vertu maketh 
662: a man lyk to god, and maketh hym 
662: Goddes owene deere child, as seith grist. This 
662: Vertu disconfiteth thyn enemy. And therfore 
662: Seith the wise man. If thow wolt venquysse 
663: Thyn enemy, lerne to suffre./ And thou shalt 
663: Understonde that man suffreth foure manere of 
663: Grevances in outward thynges, agayns the 
663: Whiche foure he moot have foure manere of 
664: Paciences./ 
664: The firste grevance is of wikkede wordes. 
664: Thilke suffrede jhesu crist withouten grucchyng, 
664: ful paciently, whan the jewes despised 
665: And repreved hym ful ofte./ Suffre thou therfore 
665: paciently; for the wise man seith, if thou 
665: Stryve with a fool, though the fool be wrooth 
665: Or though he laughe, algate thou shalt have no 
666: Reste./ That oother grevance outward is to 
666: Have damage of thy catel. Theragayns suffred 
666: crist ful paciently, whan he was despoyled 
666: Of al that he hadde in this lyf, and that nas 
667: But his clothes./ The thridde grevance is a 
667: Man to have harm in his body. That suffred 
668: crist ful paciently in al his passioun./ The 
668: Fourthe grevance is in outrageous labour in 
668: Werkes. Wherfore I seye that folk that maken 
668: Hir servantz to travaillen to grevously, or out 
668: Of tyme, as on haly dayes, soothly they do greet 
669: Synne./ Heer-agayns suffred crist ful paciently 
669: And taughte us pacience, whan he baar upon 
669: His blissed shulder the croys upon which e 
670: Sholde suffren despitous deeth./ Heere man 
670: Men lerne to be pacient; for certes noght oonly 
670: Cristen men been pacient, for love of jhesu 
670: Crist, and for gerdoun of the blisful lyf that 
670: Is perdurable, but certes, the olde payens that 
670: Nevere were cristene, commendeden and useden 
671: the vertu of pacience./ 
671: A philosophre upon a tyme, that wolde have 
671: Beten his disciple for his grete trespas, for 
671: Which he was greetly amoeved, broghte 
672: A yerde to scoure with the child;/ and 
672: Whan this child saugh the yerde, he seyde 
672: To his maister, what thenke ye do?? I wol 
672: Bete thee, quod the maister, for thy correccioun./ 
673: for sothe, quod the child, ye 
673: Oghten first correcte youreself, that han lost 
674: Al youre pacience for the gilt of a child./ 
674: For sothe, quod the maister al wepynge, 
674: Thow seyst sooth. Have thow the yerde, my 
674: Deere sone, and correcte me for myn impacience./ 
675: of pacience comth obedience, thurgh 
675: Which a man is obedient to crist and to alle 
675: Hem to whiche he oghte to been obedient in 
676: Crist./ And understond wel that obedience is 
676: Perfit, whan that a man dooth gladly and 
676: Hastily, with good herte entierly, al that 
677: He sholde do./ Obedience generally is to 
677: Perfourne the doctrine of God and of his 
677: Sovereyns, to whiche hym oghte to ben obeisaunt 
678: in alle rightwisnesse./ 
678: After the synne of envye and of ire, now 
678: Wol I speken of the synne of accidie. For 
678: Envye blyndeth the herte of a man, and ire 
678: Troubleth a man, and accidie maketh hym 
679: Hevy, thoghtful, and wraw./ Envye and ire 
679: Maker bitternesse in herte, which bitternesse 
679: Is mooder of accidie, and bynymeth hym the 
679: Love of alle goodnesse. Thanne is accidie the 
679: Angwissh of troubled herte; and seint augustyn 
679: Seith, it is anoy of goodnesse and ioye of 
680: Harm./ Certes, this is a dampnable synne; 
680: For it dooth worng to jhesu crist, in as muche 
680: As it bynymeth the service that men oghte doon 
681: To crist with alle diligence, as seith salomon./ 
681: But accidie dooth no swich diligence. He 
681: Dooth alle thyng with anoy, and with wrawnesse, 
681: slaknesse, and excusacioun, and with 
681: Ydelnesse, and unlust; for which the book seith, 
681: Acursed be he that dooth the service of 
682: God necligently. / thanne is accidie enemy 
682: to everich estaat of man; for certes, 
683: The estaat of man is in three maneres. / outher 
683: It is th,estaat of innocence, as was th,estaat of 
683: Adam biforn that he fil into synne;in which 
683: Estaat he was holden to wirche as in heriynge 
684: And adowrynge of god. / another estaat is the 
684: Estaat of synful men, in which estaat men been 
684: Holden to laboure in preiynge to God for 
684: Amendement of hire synnes, and that he wole 
685: Graunte hem to arysen out of hir symmes. / another 
685: estaat is th,estaat of grace; in which estaat 
685: He is holden to werkes of penitence. And certes, 
685: To alle thise thynges is accidie enemy and contrarie, 
686: for he lovethno bisynesse at al. / now 
686: Certes, this foule synne, accidie, is eek a ful 
686: Greet enemy to the liflode of the body; for it 
686: Ne hath no purveaunce agayn temporeel necessitee; 
686: For it forsleweth and forsluggeth and 
686: Destroyeth alle goodes temporeles by 
687: Reccheleesnesse. / 
687: the fourthe thyng is that accidie is lyk 
687: Hem that been in the peyne of helle, by cause 
687: Of hir slouthe and of hire hevynesse; for they 
687: That been dampned been so bounde that they 
688: Ne may neither wel do ne wel thynke./ Of 
688: Accidie comth first, that a man is anoyed and 
688: Encombred for to doon any goodnesse, and 
688: Maketh that God hath abhomynacion of swich 
689: Accidie, as seith seint john. / 
689: now comth slouthe, that wol nat suffre 
689: Noon hardnesse ne no penaunce. For soothly, 
689: Slouthe is so tendre and so delicaat, as seith 
689: Salomon, that he wol nat suffre noon hardnesse 
689: Ne penaunce, and therfore he shendeth al that 
690: He dooth. / agayns this roten-herted synne of 
690: Accidie and slouthe sholde men exercise hemself 
690: To doon goode werkes, and manly and vertuously 
690: Cacchen corage wel to doon, thynkynge 
690: That oure lord jhesu crist quiteth every good 
691: Dede, be it never so lite. / usage of labour is 
691: A greet thyng, for it maketh, as seith seint bernard, 
691: The laborer to have stronge armes and 
691: Harde synwes; and slouthe maketh hem 
692: Feble and tendre. / thanne comth drede 
692: To bigynne to werke anye goode werkes. 
692: For certes, he that is enclyned to synne, hym 
692: Thynketh it is so greet an emprise for to undertake 
693: To doon werkes of goodnesse, / and 
693: Casteth in his herte that the circumstances of 
693: Goodnesse been so grevouse and so chargeaunt 
693: For to suffre, that he dar nat undertake to do 
694: Werkes of goodnesse, as seith seint gregorie. / 
694: now comth wanhope, that is despeir of the 
694: Mercy of god, that comth somtyme of to muche 
694: Outrageous sorwe, and somtyme of to muche 
694: Drede, ymaginynge that he hath doon so muche 
694: Synne that it wol nat availlen hym, though 
695: He wolde repenten hym and forsake synne; / 
695: Thurgh which despeir or drede he abaundoneth 
695: Al his herte to every maner synne, as seith 
696: Seint augustin. / which dampnable synne, if 
696: That it continue unto his ende, it is cleped 
697: Synnyng in the hooly goost. / this horrible 
697: Synne is so perilous that he that is 
697: Despeired, ther nys no felonye ne no synne that 
698: He douteth for to do; as shewed wel by judas. / 
698: Certes, aboven alle synnes thanne is this synne 
699: Moost displesant to crist, and moost adversarie. / 
699: Soothly, he that despeireth hym is lyk 
699: The coward champious recreant, that seith, 
699: Creant withoute nede, allas! akkas! bedekes us 
700: He recreant and nedelees despeired. / certes, 
700: The mercy of God is evere redy to the penitent, 
701: And is aboven alle his werkes. / allas! kan a 
701: Man nat bithynke hym on the gospel of seint 
701: Luc, 15, where as crist seith that as wel shal 
701: Ther be joye in hevene upon a synful man that 
701: Dooth penitence, as upon nynty and nyne 
702: Rightful men that neden no penitence. / 
702: Looke forther, in the same gospel, the joye 
702: And the feeste of the goode man that hadde 
702: Lost his sone, whan his sone with repentaunce 
703: Was retourned to his fader. / kan they nat remembren 
703: Hem eek that, as seith seint luc, 23, 
703: How that the theef that was hanged bisyde 
703: Jhesu crist, seyde -- lord, remembre of me, 
704: Whan thow comest into thy regne? / for 
704: Sothe, seyde crist, I seye to thee, to-day 
705: Shaltow been with me in paradys. / certes, 
705: Ther is noon so horrible synne of man that it 
705: Ne may in his lyf be destroyed by penitence, 
705: Thurgh vertu of the passion and of the deeth 
706: Of crist. / allas! what nedeth man thanne to 
706: Been despeired, sith that his mercy so redy 
707: Is and large? axe and have. / thanne cometh 
707: Sompnolence, that is, sloggy slombrynge, 
707: Which maketh a man be hevy and dul 
707: In body and in soule; and this synne comth 
708: Of slouthe. / and certes, the tyme that, by eey 
708: Of resoun, men sholde nat slepe, that is by the 
709: Morwe, but if ther were cause resonable. / for 
709: Soothly, the morwe tyde is moost covenable a 
709: Man to seye his preyeres, and for to thynken on 
709: God, and for to honoure god, and to yeven 
709: Almesse to the povre that first cometh in the 
710: Name of crist. / lo, what seith salomon -- 
710: Whoso wolde by the morwe awaken and 
711: Seke me, he shal fynde. / thanne cometh necligence, 
711: Or reccheleesnesse, that rekketh of 
711: No thyng. And how that ignoraunce be 
711: Mooder of alle harm, certes, necligence 
712: Is the norice. / necligence ne dooth no 
712: Fors, whan he shal doon a thyng, wheither 
713: He do it weel or baddely / 
713: of the remedie of thise two synnes, as seith 
713: The wise man, that he that dredeth god, he 
714: Spareth nat to doon that him oghte doon. / 
714: And he that loveth god, he wol doon diligence 
714: To plese God by his werkes, and abaundone 
715: Hymself, with al his myght, wel for to doon. / 
715: Thanne comth ydelnesse, that is the yate of alle 
715: Harmes. An ydel man is lyk to a place that hath 
715: No walles; the develes may entre on every syde, 
715: Or sheten at hym at discovert, by temptacion 
716: On every syde. / this ydelnesse is the thurrok 
716: Of alle wikked and vileyns thoghtes, and of 
717: Alle jangles, trufles, and of alle ordure. / 
717: Certes, the hevene is yeven to hem that 
717: Wol labourn, and nat to ydel folk. Eek david 
717: Seith that they ne been nat in the labour of 
717: Men, ne they shul nat been whipped with men, 
718: That is to seyn, in purgatorie. / certes, thanne 
718: Semeth it, they shul be tormented with the 
719: Devel in helle, but if they doon penitence. / 
719: thanne comth the synne that men clepen 
719: Tarditas, as whan a man is to laterede or tariynge, 
719: Er he wole turne to god; and certes, that 
719: Is a greet folie. He is lyk to hym that falleth in 
720: The dych, and wol nat arise. / and this vice 
720: Comth of a fals hope, that he thynketh that he 
721: Shal lyve longe; but that hope faileth ful ofte. / 
721: thanne comth lachesse; that is he, that 
721: Whan he biginneth any good werk, anon he 
721: Shal forleten it and stynten; as doon they that 
721: Han any wight to governe, and ne taken of 
721: Hym namoore kep, anon as they fynden 
722: Any contrarie or any anoy. / thise been 
722: The newe sheepherdes that leten hir sheep 
722: Wityngly go renne to the wolf that is in the 
723: Breres, or do no fors of hir owene governaunce. / 
723: Of this comth poverte and destruccioun, bothe 
723: Of spiritueel and temporeel thynges. Thanne 
723: Comth a manere cooldnesse, that freseth al th 
724: Herte of a man. / thanne comth devoccioun, 
724: Thurgh which a man is so blent, as seith seint 
724: Bernard, and hath swich languour in soule that 
724: He may neither rede ne singe in hooly chirche, 
724: Ne heere ne thynke of no devoioun, ne travaille 
724: With his handes in no good werk, that it nys 
725: Hym unsavory and al apalled. / thanne wexeth 
725: He slough and slombry, and soone wol be 
725: Wrooth, and soone is enclyned to hate and to 
726: Envye. / thanne comth the synne of worldly 
726: Sorwe, swich as is cleped tristicia, that 
727: Sleeth man, as seith seint paul. / for 
727: Certes, swich sorwe werketh to the deeth 
727: Of the soule and of the body also; for therof 
728: Comth that a man is anoyed of his owene lif. / 
728: Wherfore swich sorwe shorteth ful ofte the lif 
728: Of man, er that his tyme be come by wey of 
729: Kynde. / 
729: agayns this horrible synne of accidie, an 
729: The branches of the same, ther is a vertu that 
729: Is called fortitudo or strentthe, that is an affeccioun 
729: Thurgh which a man despiseth anoyouse 
730: Thinges. / this vertu is so myghty and so vigerous 
730: That it dar withstonde myghtily and wisely 
730: Kepen hymself fro perils that been wikked, and 
731: Wrastle agayn the assautes of the devel. / for 
731: It enhaunceth and enforceth the soule, right as 
731: Accidie abateth it and maketh it fieble. For this 
731: Fortitudo may endure by long suffraunce 
732: The travailles that been covenable. / 
732: this vertu hath manye speces; and the 
732: Firste is cleped magnanimitee, that is to seyn, 
732: Greet corage. For certes, ther bihoveth greet 
732: Corage agains accidie, lest that it ne swolwe 
732: The soule by the synne of sorwe, or destroye it 
733: By wanhope. / this vertu maketh folk to undertake 
733: Harde thynges and grevouse thynges, 
734: By hir owene wil, wisely and resonably. / and 
734: For as muchel as the devel fighteth agayns a 
734: Man moore by queyntise and by sleighte than 
734: By strengthe, therfore men shal withstonden 
735: Hym by wit and by resoun and by discrecioun. / 
735: Thanne arn ther the vertues of feith and hope 
735: In God and in his seintes, to acheve and acomplice 
735: The goode werkes in the whiche he purposeth 
736: Fermely to continue. / thanne comth 
736: Seuretee or sikernesse; and that is whan a man 
736: Ne douteth no travaille in tyme comynge of 
737: The goode werkes that a man hath bigonne. / 
737: Thanne comth magnificence, that 
737: Is to seyn, whan a man dooth and perfourneth 
737: Grete werkes of goodnesse; and that 
737: Is the ende why that men sholde do goode 
737: Werkes, for in the acomplissynge of grete goode 
738: Werkes lith the grete gerdoun. / thanne is ther 
738: Constaunce, that is, stablenesse of corage; and 
738: This sholde been in herte by stedefast feith, 
738: And in mouth, and in berynge, and in chiere, 
739: And in dede. / eke ther been mo speciale remedies 
739: Against accidie in diverse werkes, and 
739: In consideracioun of the peynes of helle and 
739: Of the joyes of hevene, and in the trust of the 
739: Grace of the holy goost, that wole yeve hym 
740: Myght to perfourne his goode entente. / 
740: after accidie wol I speke of avarice and of 
740: Coveitise, of which synne seith seint paul that 
740: The roote of alle harmes is coveitise. Ad 
741: Thimotheum sexto. / for soothly, whan the 
741: Herte of a man is confounded in itself and 
741: Troubled, and that the soule hath lost the confort 
741: Of god, thanne seketh he an ydel solas 
742: Of worldly thynges. / 
742: avarice, after the descripcioun of seint 
742: Augustyn, is a likerousnesse in herte to have 
743: Erthely thynges. / som oother folk seyn that 
743: Avarice is for to purchacen manye erthely 
743: Thynges, and no thyng yeve to hem that han 
744: Nede. / and understoond that avarice ne stant 
744: Nat oonly in lond ne catel, but somtyme in 
744: Science and in glorie, and in every manere 
745: Of outrageous thyng is avarice and coveitise. / 
745: And the difference bitwixe avarice and coveitise 
745: Is this -- coveitise is for to coveite swiche 
745: Thynges as thou hast nat; and avarice is for 
745: To withholde and kepe swiche thynges as thou 
746: Hast, withoute rightful nede. / soothly, this 
746: Avarice is a synne that is ful dampnable; 
746: For al hooly writ curseth it, and speketh agayns 
746: That vice; for it dooth wrong to jhesu 
747: Crist. / for it bireveth hym the love that 
747: Men to hym owen, and turneth it bakward 
748: Agayns alle resoun, / and maketh that the avaricious 
748: Man hath moore hope in his catel than 
748: In jhesu crist, and dooth moore observance in 
748: Kepynge of his tresor than he dooth to the 
749: Service of jhesu crist. / and therfore seith 
749: Seint paul ad ephesios, quinto, that an avaricious 
750: Man is in the thraldom of ydolatrie. / 
750: what difference is bitwixe an ydolastre and 
750: An avaricious man, but that an ydolastre, per 
750: Aventure, ne hath but o mawmet or two, and 
750: The avaricious man hath manye? for certes, 
751: Every floryn in his cofre is his mawmet. / and 
751: Certes, the synne of mawmettrie is the firste 
751: Thyng that God deffended in the ten comaundementz 
751: As bereth witnesse in exodi capitulo 
752: Vicesimo. / thou shalt have no false 
752: Goddes bifore me, ne thou shalt make to 
752: Thee no grave thyng. Thus is an avaricious 
752: Man, that loveth his tresor biforn god, an 
753: Ydolastre, / thurgh this cursed synne of avarice. 
753: Of coveitise comen thise harde lordshipes, 
753: Thurgh whiche men been distreyned by taylages, 
753: Custumes, and cariages, moore than hire 
753: Duetee or resoun is. And eek taken they of 
753: Hire bonde-men amercimentz, whiche myghten 
753: Moore resonably ben cleped extorcions than 
754: Amercimentz. / of whiche amercimentz and 
754: Raunsonynge of boonde-men somme hordes stywards 
754: Seyn that it is ryghtful, for as muche as 
754: A cherl hath no temporeel thyng that it ne is his 
755: Lordes, as they seyn. / but certes, thise lordshipes 
755: Doon wrong that bireven hire bondefolk 
755: Thynges that they nevere yave hem. Augustinus, 
756: De civitate, libro nono. / sooth is 
756: That the condicioun of thraldom and the firste 
756: Cause of thraldom is for synne. Genesis, 
757: Nono. / 
757: thus may ye seen that the gilt disserveth 
758: Thraldom, but nat nature./ Wherfore thise 
758: Lordes ne sholde nat muche glorifien hem in 
758: Hir lordshipes, sith that by natureel condicion 
758: They been nat lordes over thralles, but that 
759: Thraldom comth first by the desert of synne. / 
759: And forther over, ther as the lawe seith that 
759: Temporeel goodes of boonde-folk been the 
759: Goodes of hir lordeshipes, ye, that is for to understonde, 
759: The goodes of the emperour, to deffenden 
759: Hem in hir right, but nat for to robben 
760: Hem ne reven hem. / and therfore seith 
760: Seneca, thy prudence sholde lyve benignely 
761: With thy thralles. / thilke that thou clepest 
761: Thy thralles been goddes peple; for humble 
761: Folk been cristes freendes; they been contubernyal 
762: With the lord. / 
762: thynk eek that of swich seed as cherles 
762: Spryngen, of swich seed spryngen lordes. As 
763: Wel may the cherl be saved as the lord. / the 
763: Same deeth that taketh the cherl, swich deeth 
763: Taketh the lord. Wherfore I rede, do right so 
763: With the cherl, as thou woldest that thy lord 
764: Dide with thee, if thou were in his plit. / every 
764: Synful man is a cherl to synne. I rede thee, 
764: Certes, that thou, lord, werke in swich wise 
764: With thy cherles that they rather love thee than 
765: Drede. / I woot wel ther is degree above degree, 
765: As reson is; and skile is that men do hir devoir 
765: Ther as it is due; but certes, extorcions and 
766: Despit of youre underlynges is dampnable. / 
766: and forther over, understoond wel that thise 
766: Conquerours or tirauntz maken ful ofte thralles 
766: Of hem that been born of as roial blood as 
767: Been they that hem conqueren. / this 
767: Name of thraldom was nevere erst kowth, 
767: Til that noe seyde that his sone canaan sholde 
768: Be thral to his bretheren for his synne. / what 
768: Seye we thanne of hem that pilen and doon 
768: Extorcions to hooly chirche? certes, the swerd 
768: That men yeven first to a knyght, whan he is 
768: Newe dubbed, signifieth that he sholde deffenden 
768: Hooly chirche, and nat robben it ne 
769: Pilen it; and whoso dooth is traitour to crist. / 
769: And, as seith seint augustyn, they been the 
769: Develes wolves that stranglen the sheep of 
770: Jhesu crist; and doon worse than wolves. / 
770: For soothly, whan the wolf hath ful his wombe, 
770: He styntheth to strangle sheep. But soothly, the 
770: Pilours and destroyours of the godes of hooly 
770: Chirche no do nat so, for they ne stynte nevere 
771: To pile. / now as I have seyd, sith so is that 
771: Synne was first cause of thraldom, thanne is it 
771: Thus, that thilke tyme that al this world was 
771: In synne, thanne was al this world in thraldom 
772: And subjeccioun. / but certes, sith the 
772: Time of grace cam, God ordeyned that som 
772: Folk sholde be moore heigh in estaat and in 
772: Degree, and som folk moore lough, and that 
772: Everich sholde be served in his estaat and in 
773: His degree. / and therfore in somme contrees, 
773: Ther they byen thralles, whan they han turned 
773: Hem to the feith, they maken hire thralles free 
773: Out of thraldom. And therfore, certes, the lord 
773: Oweth to his man that the man oweth to his 
774: Lord. / the pope calleth hymself servant of the 
774: Servantz of god; but for as muche as the estaat 
774: Of hooly chirche ne myghte nat han be, 
774: Ne the commune profit myghte nat han be kept, 
774: Ne pees and rest in erthe, but if God hadde 
774: Ordeyned that som men hadde hyer degree and 
775: Som men lower, / therfore was sovereyntee ordeyned, 
775: To kepe and mayntene and deffenden 
775: Hire underlynges or hire subgetz in resoun, as 
775: Ferforth as it lith in hire power, and nat to destroyen 
776: Hem ne confounde. / wherfore I seye 
776: That thilke lordes that been lyk wolves, that 
776: Devouren the possessiouns or the catel of povre 
777: Folk wrongfully, withouten mercy or mesure, / 
777: They shul receyven, by the same 
777: Mesure that they han mesured to povre 
777: Folk, the mercy of jhesu crist, but if it be 
778: Amended. / now comth deciete bitwixe marchaunt 
778: And marchant. And thow shalt understonde 
778: That marchandise is in manye maneres; 
778: That oon is bodily, and that oother is goostly; 
778: That oon is honest and leveful, and that oother 
779: Is deshonest and unleveful. / of thilke bodily 
779: Marchandise that is leveful and honest is this -- 
779: That, there as God hath ordeyned that a regne 
779: Or a contree is suffisaunt to hymself, thanne is 
779: It honest and leveful that of habundaunce of 
779: This contree, that men helpe another contree 
780: That is moore needy. / and therfore ther moote 
780: Been marchantz to bryngen fro that o contree 
781: To that oother hire marchandises. / that oother 
781: Marchandise, that men haunten with fraude and 
781: Trecherie and deceite, with lesynges and 
782: False othes, is cursed and dampnable. / espiritueel 
782: Marchandise is proprely symonue, 
782: That is, ententif desir to byen thyng espiritueel, 
782: That is, thyng that aperteneth to the seintuarie 
783: Of God and to cure of the soule. / this desir, 
783: If so be that a man do his diligence to parfournen 
783: It, al be it that his desir ne take noon 
783: Effect, yet is it to hym a deedly synne; and if 
784: He be ordred, he is irreguler. / certes symonye 
784: Is cleped of simon magus, that wolde han 
784: Boght for temporeel catel the yifte that god 
784: Hadde yeven, by the hooly goost, to seint 
785: Peter and to the apostles. / and therfore understoond 
785: That bothe he that selleth and he that 
785: Beyeth thynges espirituels been cleped symonyals, 
785: Be it by catel, be it by procurynge, or 
785: By flesshly preyere of his freendes, flesshly 
786: Freendes, or espiritueel freendes. / flesshly in 
786: Two maneres; as by kynrede, or othere freendes. 
786: Soothly, if they praye for hym that is nat 
786: Worthy and able, it is symonye, if he take the 
786: Benefice; and if he be worthy and able, 
787: Ther nys noon. / that oother manere is 
787: Whan men or wommen preyen for folk to 
787: Avauncen hem, oonly for wikked flesshly affeccioun 
787: That they han unto the persone; and 
788: That is foul symonye. / but certes, in service, 
788: For which men yeven thynges espirituels unto 
788: Hir servauntz, it moot been understonde that the 
788: Service moot been honest, and elles nat; and 
788: Eek that it be withouten bargaynynge, and that 
789: The persone be able. / for, as seith seint damasie, 
789: Alle the synnes of the world, at regard 
789: Of this synne, arn as thyng of noght. For it 
789: Is the gretteste synne that may be, after the 
790: Synne of lucifer and antecrist. / for by this 
790: Synne God forleseth the chirche and the soule 
790: That he boghte with his precious blood, by hem 
790: That yeven chirches to hem that been nat 
791: Digne. / for they putten in theves that stelen 
791: The soules of jhesu crist and destroyen his 
792: Patrimoyne. / by swiche undigne preestes 
792: And curates han lewed men the lasse reverence 
792: Of the sacramentz of hooly chirche; and 
792: Swiche yeveres of chirches putten out the children 
792: Of crist, and putten into the chirche the 
793: Develes owene sone. / they sellen the soules 
793: That lambes sholde kepen to the wolf that strangleth 
793: Hem. And therfore shul they nevere han 
793: Part of the pasture of lambes, that is the blisse 
794: Of hevene. / now comth hasardrie with his 
794: Apurtenaunces, as tables and rafles, of which 
794: Comth deceite, false othes, chidynges, and alle 
794: Ravynes, blasphemynge and reneiynge of god, 
794: And hate of his neighebores, wast of goodes, 
795: Mysspendynge of tyme, and somtyme manslaughtre. / 
795: Certes, hasardours ne mowe nat 
795: Been withouten greet synne whiles they haunte 
796: That craft. / of avarice comen eek lesynges, 
796: Thefte, fals witnesse, and false othes. And ye 
796: Shul understonde that thise been grete synnes, 
796: And expres agayn the comaundementz of 
797: God, as I have seyd. / fals witnesse is in 
797: Word and eek in dede. In word, as for to 
797: Bireve thy neighebores goode name by thy fals 
797: Witnessyng, or bireven hym his catel or his 
797: Heritage by thy fals witnessyng, whan thou for 
797: Ire, or for meede, or for envye, berest fals 
797: Witnesse, or accusest hym or excusest hym by 
797: Thy fals witnesse, or elles excusest thyself 
798: Falsly. / ware yow, questemongeres and notaries! 
798: Certes, for fals witnessyng was susanna 
798: In ful gret sorwe and peyne, and many another 
799: Mo. / the synne of thefte is eek expres agayns 
799: Goddes heeste, and that in two maneres, corporeel 
800: Or spiritueel. / corporeel, as for to take 
800: Thy neighebores catel agayn his wyl, be it by 
801: Force or by sleighte, be it by met or by mesure; / 
801: By stelyng eek of false enditementz upon 
801: Hym, and in borwynge of thy neighebores catel, 
801: In entente nevere to payen it agayn, and 
802: Semblable thynges. / espiritueel thefte is 
802: Sacrilege, that is to seyn, hurtynge of hooly 
802: Thynges, or of thynges sacred to crist, in two 
802: Maneres -- by reson of the hooly place, as 
803: Chirches or chirche-hawes, / for which every 
803: Vileyns synne that men doon in swiche places 
803: May be cleped sacrilege, or every violence in 
803: The semblable places; also, they that withdrawen 
803: Falsly the rightes that longen to hooly 
804: Chirche. / and pleynly and generally, sacrilege 
804: Is to reven hooly thyng fro hooly place, or unhooly 
804: Thyng out of hooly place, or hooly thing 
805: Out of unhooly place. / 
805: niw shul ye understonde that the releevynge 
805: Of avarice is misericorde, and pitee largely 
805: Taken. And men myghten axe why that misericorde 
806: And pitee is releevynge of avarice. / 
806: Certes, the avricious man sheweth no pitee ne 
806: Misericorde to the nedeful man, for he deliteth 
806: Hym in the kepynge of his tresor, and nat 
806: In the rescowynge ne releevynge of his evene-cristen. 
807: And therfore speke I first of misericorde. / 
807: Thanne is misericorde, as seith 
807: The philosophre, a vertu by which the corage 
807: Of a man is stired by the mysese of hym 
808: That is mysesed. / upon which misericorde 
808: Folweth pitee in parfournynge of charitable 
809: Werkes of misericorde. / and certes, thise 
809: Thynges moeven a man to the misericorde of 
809: Jhesu crist, that he yaf hymself for oure gilt, 
809: And suffred deeth for misericorde, and forgay 
810: Us oure originale synnes, / and therby relessed 
810: Us fro the peynes of helle, and amenused the 
810: Peynes of purgatorie by penitence, and yeveth 
810: Grace wel to do, and atte laste the blisse of 
811: Hevene. / the speces of misericorde been, as 
811: For to lene and for to yeve, and to foryeven 
811: And relesse, and for to han pitee in herte 
811: And compassioun of the meschief of his evene-cristene, 
811: And eek to chastise, there as nede 
812: Is. /another manere of remedie agayns 
812: Avarice is resonable largesse; but soothly, 
812: Heere bihoveth the consideracioun of the grace 
812: Of jhesu crist, and of his temporeel goodes, 
812: And eek of the goodes perdurables, that crist 
813: Yaf to us; / and to han remembrance of the 
813: Deeth that he shal receyve, he noot whanne, 
813: Where, ne how; and eek that he shal forgon al 
813: That he hath, save oonly that he hath despended 
814: In goode werkes. / 
814: but for as muche as som folk been unmesurable, 
814: Men oghten eschue fool-largesse, that 
815: Men clepen wast. / certes, he that is fool-large 
815: Ne yeveth nat his catel, but he leseth iis catel. 
815: Soothly, what thyng that he yeveth for veyne 
815: Glorie, as to mynstrals and to folk, for to beren 
815: His renoun in the world, he hath synne therof, 
816: And noon almesse. / certes, he leseth foule his 
816: Good, that ne seketh with the yifte of his 
817: Good nothyng but synne. / he is lyk to an 
817: Hors that seketh rather to drynken drovy 
817: Or trouble water than for to drynken water of 
818: The clere welle. / and for as muchel as they 
818: Yeven ther as they sholde nat yeven, to hem 
818: Aperteneth thilke malisoun that crist shal 
818: Yeven at the day of doom to hem that shullen 
819: Been dampned. / 
819: after avarice comth glotonye, which is expres 
819: Eek agayn the comandement of god. Glotonye 
819: Is unmesurable appetit toete or to drynke, 
819: Or elles to doon ynogh to the unmesurable appetit 
819: And desordeynee coveitise to eten or to 
820: Drynke. / this synne corrumped al this world, 
820: As is wel shewed in the synne of adam and of 
821: Eve. Looke eek what seith saint paul, of glotonye -- / 
821: Manye, seith seint paul, goon, of 
821: Whiche I have ofte seyd to yow, and now I 
821: Seye it wepynge, that been the enemys of the 
821: Croys of crist; of whiche the ende is deeth, and 
821: Of whiche hire wombe is hire god, and hire 
821: Glorie in confusioun of hem that so savouren 
822: Erthely thynges. / he that is 
822: Usaunt to this synne of glotonye, he ne 
822: May no synne withstonde. He moot been in 
822: Servage of alle vices, for it is the develes hoord 
823: Ther he hideth hym and resteth. / this synne 
823: Hath manye speces. The firste is dronkenesse, 
823: That is the horrible sepulture of mannes resoun; 
823: And therfore, whan a man is dronken, he hath 
824: Lost his resoun; and this is deedly synne. / but 
824: Soothly, whan that a man is nat wont to strong 
824: Drynke, and peraventure ne knoweth nat the 
824: Strengthe of the drynke, or hath feblesse in his 
824: Heed, or hath travailed, thurgh which he drynketh 
824: The moore, al be he sodeynly caught with 
825: Drynke, it is no deedly synne, but venyal. / the 
825: Seconde spece of glotonye is that the spirit 
825: Of a man wexeth al trouble, for dronkenesse 
826: Bireveth hym the discrecioun of his wit. / the 
826: Thridde spece of glotonye is whan a man devoureth 
826: His mete, and hath no rightful 
827: Manere of etynge. / the fourthe is whan, 
827: Thurgh the grete habundaunce of his mete, 
828: The humours in his body been distempred. / the 
828: Fifthe is foryetelnesse by to muchel drynkynge; 
828: For which somtymee a man foryeteth er the 
828: Morwe what he dide at even, or on the nyght 
829: Biforn. / 
829: in oother manere been distinct the speces of 
829: Glotonye, after seint gregorie. The firste is 
829: For to ete biforn tyme to ete. The seconde is 
829: Whan a man get hym to delicaat mete or 
830: Drynke. / the thridde is whan men taken to 
830: Muche over mesure. The fourthe is curiositee, 
830: With greet entente to maken and apparaillen 
831: His mete. The fifthe is for to eten to gredily. / 
831: Thise been the fyve fyngres of the develes 
831: Hand, by whiche he draweth folk to 
832: Synne. / 
832: agayns glotonye is the remedie abstinence, 
832: As seith galien; but that holde I nat meritorie, 
832: If he do it oonly for the heele of his body. 
832: Seint augustyn wole that abstinence be doon 
833: For vertu and with pacience. / abstinence, 
833: He seith, is litel worth, but if a man have good 
833: Wil therto, and but it be enforced by pacience 
833: And by charitee, and that men doon it for 
833: Godes sake, and in hope to have the blisse of 
834: Hevene./ 
834: The felawes of abstinence been attemperaunce, 
834: that holdeth the meene in alle thynges; 
834: Eek shame, that aschueth alle deshonestee; surfisance, 
834: that seketh no riche metes ne drynkes, 
834: Ne dooth no fors of to outrageous appariailynge 
835: of mete;/ mesure also, that restreyneth 
835: By resoun the deslavee appetit of etynge; sobrenesse 
835: also, that restreyneth the outrage of 
836: Drynke;/ sparynge also, that restreyneth the 
836: Delacaat ese to sitte longe at his mete and 
836: Softely, wherfore some folk stonden of 
837: Hir owene wyl to eten at the lasse leyser./ 
837: After glotonye thanne comth lecherie, for 
837: Thise two synnes been so ny cosyns that ofte 
838: Tyme they wol nat departe./ God woot, this 
838: Synne is ful displesaunt thyng to god; for he 
838: Seyde hymself, do no lecherie. And therfore 
838: he putte grete peynes agayns this synne 
839: In the olde lawe./ If waomman thral were taken 
839: In this synne, she sholde be beten with staves 
839: To the deeth; and if she were a gentil womman, 
839: She sholde be slayn with stones; and if she 
839: Were a bisshoppes doghter, she sholde been 
840: Brent, by goddes comandement./ Forther 
840: Over, by the synne of lecherie God dreynte 
840: Al the world at the diluge. And after that he 
840: Brente fyve citees with thonder-leyt, and sak 
841: Hem into helle./ 
841: Now lat us speke thanne of thilke stynkynge 
841: Synne of lecherie that men clepe avowtrie of 
841: Wedded folk, that is to seyn, if that oon of 
842: Hem be wedded, or elles bothe./ Seint john 
842: Seith that avowtiers shullen been in helle, 
842: In a stank brennynge of fyr and of brymston; 
842: In fyr, for hire lecherye; in brymston, for the 
843: Stynk of hire ordure./ Certes, the brekynge of 
843: This sacrement is an horrible thyng. It was 
843: Maked of God hymself in paradys, and confermed 
843: by jhesu crist, as witnesseth seint 
843: Mathew in the gospel: a man shal lete fader 
843: And mooder, and taken hym to his wif, and 
844: They shullen be two in o flesh./ This sacrement 
844: bitokneth the knyttynge togidre of crist 
845: And of hooly chirche./ And nat oonly that god 
845: Forbad avowtrie in dede, but eek he comanded 
845: That thou sholdest nat coveite thy neighebores 
846: Wyf./ In this heeste, seith seint augustyn, 
846: Is forboden alle manere coveitise to doon lecherie. 
846: lo, what seith seint mathew in the gospel, 
846: that whose seeth a womman to coveitise 
846: Of his lust, he hath doon lecherie with hire 
847: In his herte./ Heere may ye seen that 
847: Nat oonly the dede of this synne is forboden, 
848: but eek the desire to doon that synne./ 
848: This cursed synne anoyeth grevousliche hem 
848: That it haunten. And first to hire soule, for he 
848: Obligeth it to synne and to peyne of deeth that 
849: Is perdurable./ Unto the body anoyeth it grevously 
849: also, for it dreyeth hym, and wasteth him, 
849: And shent hym, and of his blood he maketh sacrifice 
849: to the feend of helle. It wasteth eek his 
850: Catel and his substaunce./ And certes, if it be 
850: A foul thyng a man to waste his catel on wommen, 
850: yet is it a fouler thyng whan that, for 
850: Swich ordure, wommen dispenden upon men 
851: Hir catel and substaunce./ This synne, as seith 
851: The prophete, bireveth man and womman hir 
851: Goode fame and al hire honour; and it is ful 
851: Plesaunt to the devel, for therby wynneth 
852: He the mooste partie of this world./ And 
852: Right as a marchant deliteth hym moost in 
852: Chaffare that he hath moost avantage of, right 
853: So deliteth the fend in this ordure./ 
853: This is that oother hand of the devel with 
853: Fyve fyngres to cacche the peple to his vileynye./ 
854: the firste fynger is the fool lookynge 
854: Of the fool womman and of the fool man, that 
854: Sleeth, right as the basilicok sleeth folk by the 
854: Venym of his sighte; for the coveitise of eyen 
855: Folweth the coveitise of the herte./ The seconde 
855: fynger is the vileyns touchynge in wikkede 
855: manere. And therfore seith salomon that 
855: Whoso toucheth and handleth a womman, he 
855: Fareth lyk hym that handleth the scorpioun that 
855: Styngeth and sodeynly sleeth thurgh his envenymynge; 
855: as whoso toucheth warm pych, 
856: It shent his fyngres./ The thridde is foule 
856: Wordes, that fareth lyk fyr, that right anon 
857: Brenneth the herte./ The fourthe fynger 
857: Is the kissynge; and trewely he were a 
857: Greet fool that wolde kisse the mouth of a 
858: Brennynge oven or of a fourneys./ And moore 
858: Fooles been they that kissen in vileynye, for 
858: That mouth is the mouth of helle; and namely 
858: Thise olde dotardes holours, yet wol they kisse, 
859: Though they may nat do, and smatre hem./ 
859: Certes, they been lyk to houndes; for an hound, 
859: Whan he comth by the roser or by othere 
859: (bushes), though he may nat pisse, yet wole 
859: He heve up his leg and make a contenaunce 
860: To pisse./ And for that many man weneth that 
860: He may nat synne, for no likerousnesse that 
860: He dooth with his wyf, certes, that opinion is 
860: Fals. God woot, a man may sleen hymself with 
860: His owene knyf, and make hymselve dronken 
861: Of his owene tonne./ Certes, be it wyf, be it 
861: Child, or any worldly thyng that he loveth biforn 
861: god, it is his mawmet, and he is an 
862: Ydolastre./ Man sholde loven hys wyf by 
862: Discrecioun, paciently and atemprely; and 
863: Thanne is she as though it were his suster./ The 
863: Fifthe fynger of the develes hand is the stynkynge 
864: dede of leccherie./ Certes, the fyve fyngres 
864: of glotonie the feend put in the wombe 
864: Of a man, and with his fyve fingres of lecherie 
864: he gripeth hym by the reynes, for to 
865: Throwen hym into the fourneys of helle./ Ther 
865: As they shul han the fyr and the wormes that 
865: Evere shul lasten, and wepynge and wailynge 
865: Sharp hunger and thurst, and grymnesse of 
865: Develes, that shullen al totrede hem without 
866: Repit and withouten ende./ Of leccherie, as 
866: I seyde, sourden diverse speces, as fornicacioun, 
866: That is bitwixe man and womman that been 
866: Nat maried; and this is deedly synne, and 
867: Agayns nature./ Al that is enemy and destruccioun 
868: to nature is agayns nature./ 
868: Parfay, the resoun of a man telleth eek hym 
868: Wel that is is deedly synne, for as muche as 
868: God forbad leccherie. And seint paul yeveth 
868: Hem the regne that nys dewe to no wight but 
869: To hem that doon deedly synne./ Another 
869: Synne of leccherie is to bireve a mayden of 
869: Hir maydenhede, for he that so dooth, certes, 
869: He casteth a mayden out of the hyeste degree 
870: That is in this present lif,/ and bireveth hir 
870: Thilke percious fruyt that the book clepeth the 
870: Hundred fruyt. I ne kan seye it noon oother-wewyes 
870: in englissh, but in latyn it highte centesimus 
871: fructus./ Certes, he that so dooth is 
871: Cause of manye damages and vileynyes, mo 
871: Than any man kan rekene; right as he somtyme 
871: Is cause of alle damages that beestes don in 
871: The feeld, that breketh the hegge or the closure, 
871: Thurgh which he destroyeth that may nat 
872: Been restoored./ For certes, namoore may 
872: Maydenhede be restoored than a arm that 
872: Is smyten fro the body may retourne agany to 
873: Wexe./ She may have mercy, this woot I wel, 
873: If she do penitence; but nevere shal it be that 
874: She nas corrupt./ And al be it so that I have 
874: Spoken somwhat of avowtrie, it is good to 
874: Shewen mo perils that longen to avowtrie, for 
875: To eschue that foule synne./ Avowtrie in latyn 
875: Is for to seyn, approchynge of oother mannes 
875: Bed, thurgh which tho that whilom weren a 
875: Flessh abowndone hir bodyes to othere persones./ 
876: of this synne, as seith the wise man, 
876: Folwen manye harmes. First, brekynge of feith; 
876: And certes, in feith is the keye of cristendom./ 
877: and whan that feith is broken 
877: And lorn, soothly cristendom stant veyn 
878: And withouten fruyt./ This synne is eek a 
878: Thefte; for thefte generally is for to reve a 
879: Wight his thyng agayns his wille./ Certes, this 
879: Is the fouleste thefte that may be, whan a 
879: Womman steleth hir body from hir housbonde, 
879: And yeveth it to hire holour to defoulen hire; 
879: And steleth hir soule fro crist, and yeveth it to 
880: The devel./ This is a fouler thefte than for to 
880: Breke a chirche and stele the chalice; for thise 
880: Avowtiers breken the temple of God spiritually 
880: And stelen the vessel of grace, that is the body 
880: And the soule, for which crist shal destroyen 
881: Hem, as seith seint paul./ Soothly, of this 
881: Thefte douted gretly joseph, whan that his 
881: Lordes wyf preyed hym of vileynye, whan he 
881: Seyde, lo, my lady, how my lord hath take 
881: To me under my warde al that he hath in this 
881: World, ne no thyng of his thynges is out of 
881: My power, but oonly ye, that been his 
882: Wyf./ And how sholde I thanne do this 
882: Wikkednesse, and synne so horribly agayns 
882: God and agayns my lord? God it forbeede! 
883: Allas! al to litel is swich trouthe now yfounde./ 
883: The thridde harm is the filthe thurgh which 
883: They breken the comandement of god, and defoulen 
883: the auctour of matrimoyne, that is 
884: Crist./ For certes, in so muche as the sacrement 
884: of mariage is so noble and so digne, so 
884: Muche is it gretter synne for to breken it; for 
884: God made mariage in paradys, in the estaat of 
884: Innocence, to multiplye mankynde to the service 
885: of god./ And therfore is the brekynge 
885: Therof the moore grevous; of which brekynge 
885: Comen false heires ofte tyme, that wrongfully 
885: Ocupien folkes heritages. And therfore wol 
885: Crist putte hem out of the regne of hevene, that 
886: Is heritage to goode folk./ Of this brekynge 
886: Comth eek ofte tyme that folk unwar wedden 
886: Or synnen with hire owene kynrede, and 
886: Namely thilke harlotes that haunten bordels 
886: Of thise fool wommen, that mowe be likned to 
886: A commune gong, where as men purgen 
887: Hire ordure./ What seve we eek of putours 
887: that lyven by the horrible synne of 
887: Putrie, and constreyne wommen to yelden hem 
887: A certeyn rente of hire bodily puterie, ye, 
887: Somtyme of his owene wyf or his child, as 
887: Doon thise bawdes? certes, thise been cursede 
888: Synnes./ Understoond eek that avowtrie is set 
888: Gladly in the ten comandementz bitwixe thefte 
888: And manslaughtre; for it is the gretteste thefte 
888: That may be, for it is thefte of body and of 
889: Soule. / and it is lyk to homycide, for it herveth 
889: atwo and breketh atwo hem that first were 
889: Maked o flessh. And therfore, by the olde lawe 
890: Of god, they sholde by slayn./ But nathelees, 
890: By the lawe of jhesu crist, that is lawe of pitee, 
890: Whan he seyde to the womman that was 
890: Founden in avowtrie, and sholde han been slayn 
890: With stones, after the wyl of the jewes, as was 
890: Hir lawe, go, quod jhesu crist, and have 
890: Namoore wyl to synne, or, wille namoore 
891: To do synne./ Soothly the vengeaunce of 
891: Avowtrie is awarded to the peynes of helle, 
891: But if so be that it be destourbed by penitence./ 
892: yet been ther mo speces of this 
892: Cursed synne; as whan that oon of hem 
892: Is religious, or elles bothe; or of folk that been 
892: Entred into ordre, as subdekne, or dekne, or 
892: Preest, or hospitaliers. And evere the hyer that 
893: He is in ordre, the gretter is the synne./ The 
893: Thynges that gretly agreggen hire synne is the 
893: Brekynge of hire avow of chastitee, whan they 
894: Receyved the ordre./ And forther over, sooth 
894: Is that hooly ordre is chief of al the tresorie of 
894: Good, and his especial signe and mark of chastitee, 
894: to shewe that they been joyned to chastitee, 
894: which that is the moost precious lyf that 
895: Is./ And thise ordred folk been specially titled 
895: To god, and of the special meignee of god, 
895: For which, whan they doon deedly synne, they 
895: Been the special traytours of God and of his 
895: Peple; for they lyven of the peple, to preye for 
896: .,/the peple, and whike they been suche traitours, 
896: Here preyer avayleth nat to the peple. 
896: Preestes been aungels, as by the dignitee of hir 
896: Mysterye; but for sothe, seint paul seith that 
896: Sathanas transformeth hym in an aungel 
897: Of light./ Soothly, the preest that haunteth 
897: deedly synne, he may be likned to the 
897: Aungel of derknesse transformed in the aungel 
897: Of light. He semeth aungel of light, but for 
898: Sothe he is aungel of derknesse./ Swiche 
898: Preestes been the sones of helie, as sweweth 
898: In the book of kynges, that they weren the 
899: Sones of belial, that is, the devel./ Belial is to 
899: Seyn, withouten juge; and so faren they; hem 
899: Thynketh they been free, and han no juge, namoore 
899: than hath a free bole that taketh which 
900: Cow that hym liketh in the town./ So faren 
900: They by wommen. For right as a free bole is 
900: Ynough for al a toun, right so is a wikked preest 
900: Corrupcioun ynough for al a parisshe, or for al 
901: A contree./ Thise preestes, as seith the book, 
901: Ne konne nat the mysterie of preesthod to the peple, 
901: ne God ne knowe they nat. They ne helde 
901: Hem nat apayd, as seith the book, os soden 
901: Flessh that was to hem offred, but they 
902: Tooke by force the flessh that is rawe./ 
902: Certes, so thise shrewes ne holden hem nat 
902: Apayed of roosted flessh and sode flessh, with 
902: Which the peple feden hem in greet reverence, 
902: But they wole have raw flessh of folkes wyves 
903: And hir doghtres./ And certes, thise wommen 
903: That consenten to hire harlotrie doon greet 
903: Wrong to crist, and to hooly chirche, and alle 
903: Halwes, and to alle soules; for they bireven alle 
903: Thise hym that sholde worshipe crist and hooly 
904: Chirche, and preye for cristene soules./ And 
904: Therfore han swiche preestes, and hire lemmanes 
904: eek that consenten to hir leccherie, the 
904: Malisoun of al the court cristien, til they come 
905: To amendement./ The thridde spece of avowtrie 
905: is somtyme bitwixe a man and his wyf, and 
905: That is whan they take no reward in hire assemblynge 
905: but oonly to hire flesshly delit, as 
906: Seith seint jerome,/ and ne rekken of nothyng 
906: but that they been assembled; by cause 
906: That they been maried, al is good ynough, 
907: As thynketh to hem./ But in swich folk 
907: Hath the devel power, as seyde the aungel 
907: Raphael to thobie, for in hire assemblynge 
907: They putten jhesu crist out of hire herte, and 
908: Yeven hemself to alle ordure./ The fourthe 
908: Spece is the assemblee of hem that been of 
908: Hire kynrede, or of hem that been of oon affynytee, 
908: or elles with hem with whiche hir fadres 
908: Or hir kynrede han deled in the synne of lecherie. 
908: this synne maketh hem lyk to houndes, 
909: That taken no kep to kynrede./ And certes, parentele 
909: is in two maneres, outher goostly or 
909: Flesshly; goostly, as for to deelen with his god-sibbes./ 
910: for right so as he that engendreth a 
910: Child is his flesshly fader, right so in his god-fader 
910: his fader espiritueel. For which a womman 
910: may in no lasse synne assemblen with 
910: Hire godsib than with hire owene flesshly 
911: Brother./ The fifthe spece is thilke abhomynable 
911: synne, of which that no man unnethe 
911: Oghte speke ne write; nathelees it is 
912: Openly reherced ib holy writ./ This cursednesse 
912: doon men and wommen in 
912: Diverse entente and in diverse manere; but 
912: Though that hooly writ speke of horrible synne, 
912: Certes hooly writ may nat been defouled, namoore 
912: than the sonne that shyneth on the 
913: Mixne./ Another synne aperteneth to leccherie, 
913: That comth in slepynge, and this synne cometh 
913: Ofte to hem that been maydenes, and eek to hem 
913: That been corrupt; and this synne men clepen 
914: Polucioun, that comth in foure maneres./ Somtyme 
914: of langwissynge of body, for the humours 
914: Been to ranke and to habundaunt in the body 
914: Of man; somtyme of infermetee, for the fieblesse 
914: Of the vertu retentif, as phisik maketh mencion; 
915: Somtyme for surfeet of mete and drynke;/ and 
915: Somtyme of vileyns thoghtes that been enclosed 
915: In mannes mynde whan he gooth to slepe, 
915: Which may nat been withoute synne; for which 
915: Men moste kepen hem wisely, or elles may men 
916: Synnen ful grevously./ 
916: Now comth the remedie agayns leccherie, 
916: And that is generally chastitee and continence, 
916: that restreyneth alle the desordeynee 
916: Moevynges that comen of flesshly talentes./ 
917: and evere the gretter merite shal 
917: He han, that moost restreyneth the wikkede 
917: eschawfynges of the ardour of this synne. 
917: And this is in two maneres, that is to seyn, 
917: Chastitee in mariage, and chastitee of widwehod./ 
918: now shaltow understonde that matrimoyne 
918: is leefful assemblynge of man and of 
918: Womman that receyven by vertu of the sacrement 
918: the boond thurgh which they may nat 
918: Be departed in al hir lyf, that is to seyn, whil 
919: That they lyven bothe./ This, as seith the book, 
919: Is a ful greet sacrement. God maked it, as I 
919: Have seyd, in paradys, and wolde hymself be 
920: Born in mariage./ And for to halwen mariage 
920: He was at a weddynge, where as he turned water 
920: into wyn; which was the firste miracle that 
921: He wroghte in erthe biforn his disciples./ 
921: Trewe effect of mariage clenseth fornicacioun 
921: And replenysseth hooly chirche of good lynage; 
921: For that is the ende of mariage; and it chaungeth 
921: deedly synne into venial synne bitwixe hem 
921: That been ywedded, and maketh the hertes al 
921: Oon of hem that been ywedded, as wel as 
922: The bodies./ This is verray mariage, that 
922: Was establissed by god, er that synne bigan, 
922: whan natureel lawe was in his right poynt 
922: In paradys; and it was ordeyned that o man sholde 
922: Have but o womman, and o womman but o man, 
923: As seith seint augustyn, by manye resouns./ 
923: First, for mariage is figured bitwixe crist 
923: And holy chirche. And that oother is for a 
923: Man is heved of a womman; algate, by ordinaunce 
924: it sholde be so./ For if a womman 
924: Hadde mo men that oon, thanne sholde she 
924: Have moo hevedes than oon, and that were an 
924: Horrible thyng biforn god; and eek a womman 
924: Ne myghte nat plese to many folk at oones. 
924: And also ther ne sholde nevere be pees ne 
924: Reste amonges hem; for everich wolde axen his 
925: Owene thyng./ And forther over, no man ne 
925: Sholde knowe his owene engendrure, ne who 
925: Sholde have his heritage; and the womman 
925: Sholde been the lasse biloved fro the tyme that 
926: She were conjoynt to many men./ 
926: Now comth how that a man sholde bere 
926: Hym with his wif, and namely in two 
926: Thynges, that is to seyn, in suffraunce and 
926: Reverence, as shewed crist whan he made 
927: First womman./ For he ne made hire nat 
927: Of the heved of adam, for she sholde nat 
928: Clayme to greet lordshipe./ For ther as the 
928: Womman hath the maistrie, she maketh to 
928: Muche desray. Ther neden none ensamples of 
928: This; the experience of day by day oghte suffise./ 
929: also, certes, God ne made nat womman 
929: Of the foot of adam, for she ne sholde nat 
929: Been holden to lowe; for she kan nat paciently 
929: Suffre. But God made womman of the ryb of 
929: Adam, for womman sholde be felawe unto 
930: Man./ Man sholde bere hym to his wyf in 
930: Feith, in trouthe, and in love, as seith seint 
930: Paul, that a man sholde loven his wyf as crist 
930: Loved hooly chirche, that loved it so wel 
930: That he deyde for it. So sholde a man for his 
931: Wyf, if it were nede./ 
931: Now how that a womman sholde be subget 
931: to hire housbonde, that telleth seint 
932: Peter. First, in obedience./ And eek as 
932: Seith the decree, a womman that is wyf, 
932: As longe as she is a wyf, she hath noon auctoritee 
932: to swere ne to bere witnesse withoute leve 
932: Of hir housbonde, that is hire lord; algate, he 
933: Sholde be so by resoun./ She sholde eek serven 
933: Hym in alle honestee, and been attempree of 
933: Hire array. I woot wel that they sholde setten 
933: Hire entente to plesen hir housbondes, but nat 
934: By hire queyntise of array./ Seint jerome 
934: Seith that wyves that been apparailled in silk 
934: And in precious purpre ne mowe nat clothen 
934: Hem in jhesu crist. Loke what seith seint 
935: John eek in thys matere?/ seint gregorie eek 
935: Seith that no wight seketh precious array but 
935: Oonly for veyne glorie, to been honoured the 
936: Moore biforn the peple./ It is a greet folye, 
936: A womman to have a fair array outward 
937: And in hirself be foul inward./ A wyf 
937: Sholde eek be mesurable in lookynge and 
937: In berynge and in lawghynge, and discreet 
938: In alle hire wordes and hire dedes./ And 
938: Aboven alle worldy thyng she sholde loven hire 
938: Houbonde with al hire herte, and to hym be 
939: Trewe of hir body./ So sholde an housbonde 
939: Eek be to his wyf. For sith that al the body 
939: Is the housbondes, so sholde hire herte been, 
939: Or elles ther is bitwixe hem two, as in that, 
940: No parfit mariage./ Thanne shal men understonde 
940: that for thre thynges a man and his wyf 
940: Flesshly mowen assemble. The firste is in entente 
940: of engendrure of children to the service 
940: Of god; for certes that is the cause final of 
941: Matrimoyne./ Another cause is to yelden everich 
941: of hem to oother the dette of hire bodies; 
941: For neither of hem hath power of his owene 
941: Body. The thridde is for to eschewe leccherye 
941: and vileynye. The ferthe is for sothe 
942: Deedly synne./ As to the firste, it is mertorie; 
942: the seconde also, for, as seith the 
942: Decree, that she hath merite of chastitee that 
942: Yeldeth to hire housbonde the dette of hir body, 
942: Ye, though it be agayn hir likynge and the lust 
943: Of hire herte./ The thridde manere is venyal 
943: Synne; and, trewely, scarsly may ther any of 
943: Thise be withoute venial synne, for the corrupcion 
944: and for the delit./ The fourthe manere 
944: Is for to understonde, as if they assemble oonly 
944: For amorous love and for noon of the foreseyde 
944: Causes, but for to accomplice thilke brennynge 
944: Delit, they rekke nevere how ofte. Soothly it 
944: Is deedly synne; and yet, with sorwe, somme 
944: Folk wol peynen hem moore to doon than to 
945: Hire appetit suffiseth./ 
945: The seconde manere of chastitee is for to 
945: Been a clene wydewe, and eschue the embracynges 
945: of man, and desiren the embracynge of 
946: Jhesu crist./ Thise been tho that han been 
946: Wyves and han forgoon hire housbondes, and 
946: Eek wommen that han doon leccherie and 
947: Been releeved by penitence./ And certes, 
947: If that a wyf koude kepen hire al chaast 
947: By licence of hir housbonde, so that she yeve 
947: Nevere noon occasion that he agilte, it were 
948: To hire a greet merite./ Thise manere wommen 
948: that observen chastitee moste be clene 
948: In herte as wel as in body and in though, and 
948: Mesurable in clothynge and in contenaunce; 
948: And been abstinent in etynge and drynkynge, 
948: In spekynge, and in dede. They been the vessel 
948: or the boyste of the blissed magdelene, that 
949: Fulfilleth hooly chirche of good odour./ The 
949: Thridde manere of chastitee is virginitee, and 
949: It bihoveth that she be hooly in herte and clene 
949: Of body. Thanne is she spouse to jhesu crist, 
950: And she is the lyf of angeles./ She is the preisynge 
950: of this world, and she is as thise martirs 
950: In egalitee; she hath in hire that tonge may 
951: Nat telle ne herte thynke./ Virginitee baar 
951: Oure lord jhesu crist, and virgine was 
952: Hymselve./ 
952: another remedie agayns leccherie is specially 
952: to withdrawen swiche thynges as yeve 
952: Occasion to thilke vileynye, as ese, etynge, and 
952: Drynkynge. For certes, whan the pot boyleth 
952: Strongly, the beste remedie is to withdrawe the 
953: Fyr. / slepynge longe in greet quiete is eek 
954: A greet norice to leccherie. / 
954: Another remedie agayns leccherie is that a 
954: Man or a womman eschue the compaignye of 
954: Hem by whiche he douteth to be tempted; for 
954: Al be it so that the dede be withstonden, yet 
955: Is ther greet temptacioun./ Soothly, a whit 
955: Wal, although it ne brenne noght fully by 
955: Stikynge of a candele, yet is the wal blak of 
956: The leyt./ Ful ofte tyme I rede that no man 
956: Truste in his owene perfeccioun, but he be 
956: Stronger than sampson, and hoolier than 
957: David, and wiser than salomon./ 
957: Now after that I have declared yow, as 
957: I kan, the sevene deedly synnes, and somme 
957: Of hire braunches and hire remedies, soothly, 
957: If I koude, I wolde telle yow the ten comandementz./ 
958: but so heigh a doctrine I lete to divines. 
958: nathelees, I hope to god, they been 
959: Touched in this tretice, everich of hem alle./ 
959: Now for as muche as the seconde partie of 
959: Penitence stant in confessioun of mouth, as I 
959: Bigan in the firste chapitre, I seye, seint augustyn 
960: seith:/ synne is every word and every 
960: Dede, and al that men coveiten, agayn the lawe 
960: Of jhesu crist; and this is for to synne in herte, 
960: In mouth, and in dede, by thy fyve wittes, that 
960: Been sighte, herynge, smellynge, tastynge or 
961: Savourynge, and feelynge./ Now is it good 
961: To understonde the circumstances that 
962: Agreggen muchel every synne./ Thou 
962: Shalt considere what thow art that doost 
962: The synne, wheither thou be male or femele, 
962: Yong or oold, gentil or thral, free or servant, 
962: Hool or syk, wedded or sengle, ordred or unordred, 
963: wys or fool, clerk or seculeer;/ if she 
963: Be of thy kynrded, bodily of goostly, or noon; 
963: If any of thy kynrede have synned with hire, 
964: Or noon; and manye mo thinges./ 
964: Another circumstaunce is this: wheither it 
964: Be doon in fornicacioun or in avowtrie or noon; 
964: Incest or noon; mayden or noon; in manere of 
964: Homicide or noon; horrible grete synnes or 
964: Smale; and how longe thou hast continued in 
965: Synne./ The thridde circumstaunce is the 
965: Place ther thou hast do synne; wheither in 
965: Oother mennes hous or in thyn owene; in feeld 
965: Or in chirche or in chirchehawe; in chirche 
966: Dedicaat or noon./ For if the chirche be 
966: Halwed, and man or womman spille his kynde 
966: Inwith that place, by wey or synne or by wikked 
966: temptacioun, the chirche is entredited 
967: Til it be reconsiled by the bysshop./ And 
967: The preest sholde be enterdited that dide 
967: Swich a vileynye; to terme of al his lif he sholde 
967: Namoore synge masse, and if he dide, he sholde 
967: Doon deedly synne at every time that he so 
968: Songe masse./ The fourthe circumstaunce is 
968: By whiche mediatours, or by whiche messagers, 
968: as for enticement, or for consentement to 
968: Bere compaignye with felaweshipe; for many 
968: A swecche, for to bere compaignye, wol go to 
969: The devel of helle./ Wherfore they that eggen 
969: Or consenten to the synne been parteners of 
969: The synne, and of the dampnacioun of the synnere./ 
970: The fifthe circumstaunce is how manye 
970: Tymes that he hath synne, if it be in his mynde, 
971: And how ofte that he hath falle./ For he that 
971: Ofte talleth in synne, he despiseth the mercy 
971: Of god, and encreesseth hys synne, and is unkynde 
971: to crist; and he wexeth the moore 
971: Fieble to withstonde synne, and synneth 
972: The moore lightly,/ and the latter ariseth, 
972: And is the moore eschew for to shryven 
973: Hym, and namely, to hym that is his confessour./ 
973: For which that folk, whan they falle agayn in 
973: Hir olde folies, outher they forleten hir olde 
973: Confessours ol outrely, or eles they departen 
973: Hir shrift in diverse places; but soothly, swich 
973: Departed shrift deserveth no mercy of God of 
974: His synnes./ The sixte sircumstaunce is why 
974: That a man synneth, as by which temptacioun; 
974: And if hymself procure thilke temptacioun, or by 
974: The excitynge of oother folk; or if he synne 
974: With a womman by force, or by hire owene 
975: Assent;/ of if the womman, maugree hir hed, 
975: Hath been afforced, or noon. This shal she 
975: Telle: for coveitise, or for poverte, and if it was 
975: Hire procurynge, or noon; and swich manere 
976: Harneys./ The seventhe circumstaunce is in 
976: What manere he hath doon his synne, or how 
976: That she hath suffred that folk han doon 
977: To hire./ And the same shal the man telle 
977: Pleynly with alle circumstaunces; and 
977: Wheither he hath synned with comune bordel 
978: Wommen, or noon;/ or doon his synne in hooly 
978: Tymes, or noon; in fastyng tymes, or noon; or 
979: Biforn his shrifte, or after his latter shrifte;/ 
979: And hath peraventure broken therfore his penance 
979: enjoyned; by whos help and whos conseil; 
980: By sorcerie or craft; al moste be toold./ Alle 
980: Thise thynges, after that they been grete or 
980: Smale, engreggen the conscience of man. And 
980: Eek the preest, that is thy juge, may the bettre 
980: Been avysed of his juggement in yevynge of 
980: Thy penaunce, and that is after thy contricioun./ 
981: for understond wel that after tyme 
981: That a man hath defouled his baptesme by 
981: Synne, if he wole come to salvaciou, ther is 
981: Noon other wey but by penitence and 
982: Shrifte and satisfaccioun;/ and namely by 
982: The two, if ther be a confessour to which 
982: He may shriven hym, and the thridde, if he 
983: Have lyf to parfournen it./ 
983: Thanne shal man looke and considere that 
983: If he wole maken a trewe and a profitable confessioun, 
984: ther moste be foure condiciouns./ 
984: First, it moot been in sorweful bitternesse of 
984: Herte, as seyde the kyng ezechias to god: I 
984: Wol remembre me alle the yeres of my lif in 
985: Bitternesse of myn herte./ This condicioun of 
985: Bitternesse hath fyve signes. The firste is that 
985: Confessioun moste be shamefast, nat for to coyere 
985: ne hyden his synne, for he hath agilt his 
986: God and defouled his soule./ And herof seith 
986: Seint augustyn: the herte tavailleth for 
986: Shame of his synne; and for he hath greet 
986: Shamefastnesse, he is digne to have greet 
987: Mercy of god./ Swich was the confessioun 
987: of the publican that wolde nat heven 
987: Up his eyen to hevene, for he hadde offended 
987: God of hevene; for which shamefastnesse he 
988: Hadde anon the mercy of god./ And therof 
988: Seith seint augustyn that swich shamefast folk 
989: Been next foryevenesse and remissioun./ Another 
989: signe is humylitee in confessioun; of 
989: Which seith seint peter, humbleth yow under 
989: The myght of god. The hond of God is 
989: Myghty in confessiou, for therby God foryeveth 
989: thee thy synnes, for he allone hath the 
990: Power./ And this humylitee shal been in herte, 
990: And in signe outward; for right as he hath humylitee 
990: to God in his herte, right so sholde he 
990: Humble his body outward to the preest, that 
991: Sit in goddes place./ For which in no manere, 
991: sith that crist is sovereyn, and the preest 
991: Meene and mediatour bitwixe crist and the 
991: Synnere, and the synnere is the laste by 
992: Wey of resoun,/ thanne sholde nat the 
992: Synnere sitte as heighe as his confessour, 
992: But knele biforn hym or at his feet, but if maladie 
992: destourbe it. For he shal nat taken kep 
992: Who sit there, but in whos place that he sitteth./ 
993: a man that hath trespased to a lord, 
993: And comth for to axe mercy and maken his accord, 
993: and set him doun anon by the lord, men 
993: Wolde holden hym outrageous, and nat worthy 
994: So soone for to have remissioun ne mercy./ The 
994: Thridde signe is how that thy shrift sholde 
994: Be ful of teeris, if man may, and if man may 
994: Nat wepe with his bodily eyen, lat hym wepe 
995: In herte./ Swich was the confession of seint 
995: Peter, for after that he hadde forsake jhesu 
996: Crist, he wente out and weep ful bitterly./ 
996: The fourthe signe is that he ne lette nat 
997: For shame to shewen his confessioun./ 
997: Swich was the confessioun of the magdalene, 
997: that ne spared, for no shame of hem 
997: That weren atte feeste, for to go to oure lord 
998: Jhesu crist and biknowe to hym hire synne./ 
998: The fifthe signe is that a man or a womman 
998: Be obeisant to receyven the penaunce that hym 
998: Is enjoyned ofr his synnes, for certes, jhesu 
998: Crist, for the giltes of o man, was obedient to 
999: The deeth./ 
999: The seconde condicion of verray confession 
999: Is that it be hastily doon. For certes, if a man 
999: Hadde a deedly wounde, evere the lenger that 
999: He taried to warisshe hymself, the moore wolde 
999: It corrupte and haste hym to his deeth; and 
999: Eek the wounde wolde be the wors for to 
1000: Heele./ And right so fareth synne that longe 
1001: Tyme is in a man unshewed./ Certes, a man 
1001: Oghte hastily shewen his synnes for manye 
1001: Causes; as for drede of deeth, that cometh ofte 
1001: Sodeynly, and no certeyn what tyme it shal be, 
1001: Ne in what place; and eek the drecchynge 
1002: of o synne draweth in another;/ and 
1002: Eek the lenger that he tarieth, the ferther 
1002: He is fro crist. And if he abide to his laste day, 
1002: Scarsly may he shryven hym or remembre hym 
1002: Of his synnes or repenten hym, for the grevous 
1003: Maladie of his deeth./ And for as muche as he 
1003: Ne hath nat in his lyf herkned jhesu crist 
1003: Whanne he hath spoken, he shal crie to jhesu 
1003: Crist at his laste day, and scarsly wol he 
1004: Herkne hym./ And understond that this condicioun 
1004: moste han foure thunges. Thi shrift 
1004: Moste be purveyed bifore and avysed; for 
1004: Wikked haste dooth no profit; and that a man 
1004: Konne shryve hym of his synnes, be it of pride, 
1004: Or of envye, and so forth with the speces and 
1005: Circumstances;/ and that he have comprehended 
1005: in hys mynde the nombre and the 
1005: Greetnesse of his synnes, and how longe that 
1006: He hath leyn in synne;/ and eek that he be 
1006: Contrit of his synnes, and in stidefast purpos, 
1006: By the grace of god, nevere eft to falle in 
1006: Synne; and eek that he drede and countrewaite 
1006: Hymself, that he fle the occasiouns of 
1007: Synne to whiche he is enclyned./ Also 
1007: Thou shalt shryve thee of alle thy synnes 
1007: To o man, and nat a parcel to o man and a parcel 
1007: to another; that is to understonde, in entente 
1007: To departe thy confessioun, as for shame of 
1008: Drede; for it nys but stranglynge of thy soule./ 
1008: For certes jhesu crist is entierly al good; in 
1008: Hym nys noon imperfeccioun; and therfore 
1009: Outher he foryeveth al parfitly or never a deel./ 
1009: I seye nat that if thow be assigned to the penitauncer 
1009: for certein synne, that thow art bounde 
1009: To shewen hym al the remenaunt fo thy synnes, 
1009: Of whiche thow hast be shryven of thy curaal, 
1009: But if it like to thee of thyn humylitee; this is 
1010: No departynge of shrifte./ Ne I seye nat, ther 
1010: As I speke of divisioun of confessioun, that 
1010: If thou have licence for to shryve thee to a discreet 
1010: and an honest preest, where thee liketh, 
1010: And by licence of thy curaat, that thow ne 
1010: Mayst wel shryve thee to him al alle thy 
1011: Synnes./ But lat no blotte be bihynde; lat no 
1011: Synne been untoold, as fer as thow hast 
1012: Remembraunce./ And whan thou shalt be 
1012: Shryven to thy curaat, telle hym eek alle 
1012: The synnes that thow hast doon syn thou were 
1012: Last yshryven; this is no wikked entente of divisioun 
1013: of shrifte./ 
1013: Also the verray shrifte axeth certeine condiciouns. 
1013: first, that thow shryve thee by thy 
1013: Free wil, noght constreyned, ne for shame of 
1013: Folk, ne for maladie, ne swich thynges. For 
1013: It is resoun that he that trespaseth by his free 
1013: Wyl, that by his free wyl he confesse his trespas;/ 
1014: and that noon oother man telle his synne 
1014: But he hymself; ne he shal nat nayte ne denye 
1014: His synne, ne wratthe hym agayn the preest 
1015: For his amonestynge to lete synne./ The seconde 
1015: condicioun is that thy shrift be laweful, 
1015: That is to seyn, that thow that shryvest thee, 
1015: And eek the preest that hereth thy confessioun, 
1016: Been verraily in the feith of hooly chirche;/ 
1016: And that a man ne be nat despeired of the 
1017: Mercy of jhesu crist, as caym or judas./ 
1017: And eek a man moot accusen hymself of 
1017: His owene trespas, and nat another; but he 
1017: Shal blame and wyten hymself and his owene 
1018: Malice of his synne, and noon oother./ But 
1018: Nathelees, if that another man be occasioun or 
1018: Enticere of his synne, or the estaat of a persone 
1018: be swich thurgh which his synne is 
1018: Agregged, or elles that he may nat pleynly 
1018: Shryven hym but he telle the persone with 
1019: Which he hath synned, thanne may he telle it,/ 
1019: So that his entente ne be nat to bakbite the 
1019: Persone, but oonly to declaren his confessioun./ 
1020: Thou ne shalt nat eek make no lesynges in 
1020: Thy confessioun, for humylitee, peraventure, to 
1020: Seyn that thou hast doon synnes of whiche 
1021: Thow were nevere gilty./ For seint augustyn 
1021: Seith, if thou, by cause of thyn hymylitee, 
1021: Makest lesynges on thyself, though thow ne 
1021: Were nat in synne biforn, yet artow thanne 
1022: In synne thurgh thy lesynges./ Thou 
1022: Most eek shewe thy synne by thyn owene 
1022: Propre mouth, but thow be woxe dowmb, and 
1022: Nat by no lettre; for thow that hast doon the 
1023: Synne, thou shalt have the shame therfore./ 
1023: Thow shalt nat eek peynte thy confessioun by 
1023: Faire subtile wordes, to covere the moore thy 
1023: Synne; for thanne bigilestow thyself, and nat 
1023: The preest. Thow most tellen it platly, be it 
1024: Nevere so foul ne so horrible./ Thow shalt 
1024: Eek shryve thee to a preest that is discreet to 
1024: Conseille thee; and eek thou shalt nat shryve 
1024: Thee for veyne glorie, ne for ypocrisye, ne for no 
1024: Cause but oonly for the doute of jhesu crist and 
1025: The heele of thy soule./ Thow shalt nat eek 
1025: Renne to the preest sodeynly to tellen hym 
1025: Lightly thy synne, as whoso telleth a jape or 
1026: A tale, but avysely and with greet devocioun./ 
1026: And generally, shryve thee ofte. If thou 
1027: Ofte falle, ofte thou arise by confessioun./ 
1027: And though thou shryve thee ofter than 
1027: Ones of synne of which thou hast be shryven, 
1027: It is the moore merite. And, as seith seint 
1027: Augustyn, thow shalt have the moore lightly 
1027: Relessyng and grace fo god, bothe of synne and 
1028: Of peyne./ And certes, oones a yeere atte leeste 
1028: Wey it is laweful for to been housled; for certes, 
1029: Oones a yeere alle thynges renovellen./ 
1029: Now have I toold yow of verray confessioun, 
1030: that is the seconde partie of penitence./ 
1030: The thridde partie of penitence is satisfaccioun, 
1030: and that stant moost generally in almesse 
1031: and in bodily peyne./ Now been ther thre 
1031: Manere of almesse: contricion of herte, where 
1031: A man offreth hymself to god; another is to 
1031: Han pitee of defaute of his neighebores; and the 
1031: Thridde is in yevynge of good conseil and comfort, 
1031: goostly and bodily, where men han nede, 
1031: And namely in sustenaunce of mannes 
1032: Foode./ And tak kep that a man hath 
1032: Nede of thise thinges generally: he hath 
1032: Nede of foode, he hath nede of clothyng 
1032: and herberwe, he hath nede of charitable 
1032: conseil and visitynge in prisone and 
1033: In maladie, and sepulture of his dede body./ 
1033: And if thow mayst nat visite the nedeful 
1033: with thy persone, visite hym by thy 
1034: Message and by thy yiftes./ Thise been general 
1034: almesses or werkes of charitee of hem that 
1034: Han temporeel richesses or discrecioun in conseilynge. 
1034: of thise werkes shaltow heren at the 
1035: Day of doom./ 
1035: Thise almesses shaltow doon of thyne owene 
1035: Propre thynges, and hastily and prively, if 
1036: Thow mayst./ But nathelees, if thow mayst 
1036: Ant doon it prively, thow shalt nat forbere to 
1036: Doon almesse though men seen it, so that it 
1036: Be nat doon for thank of the world, but 
1037: Oonly for thank of jhesu crist./ For, as 
1037: Witnesseth seint mathew, capitulo quinto, 
1037: A citee may nat been hyd that is set on a 
1037: Montayne, ne men lighte nat a lanterne and 
1037: Put it under a busshel, but men sette it on a 
1037: Candle-stikke to yeve light to the men in the 
1038: Hous./ Right so shal youre light lighten bifore 
1038: Men, that they may seen youre goode werkes, 
1039: And glorifie youre fader that is in hevene./ 
1039: Now as to speken of bodily peyne, it stant 
1039: In preyeres, in wakynges, in fastynges, in vertuouse 
1040: techynges of orisouns./ And ye shul 
1040: Understonde that orisouns or preyeres is for to 
1040: Seyn a pitous wyl of herte, that redresseth it 
1040: In God and expresseth it by word outward, to 
1040: Remoeven harmes and to han thynges espiritueel 
1040: and durable, and somtyme temporele 
1040: Thynges; of whiche orisouns, certes, in the 
1040: Orison of the pater noster hath jhesu crist enclosed 
1041: moost thynges./ Certes, it is privyleged 
1041: of thre thynges in his dignytee, for 
1041: Which it is moore digne than any oother 
1041: Preyere; for that jhesu crist hymself 
1042: Maked it;/ and it is short, for it sholde 
1042: Be koud the moore lightly, and for to 
1042: Withholden it the moore esily in herte, and 
1043: Helpen hymself the ofter with the orisoun,/ 
1043: And for a man sholde be the lasse wery to 
1043: Seyen it, and for a man may nat excusen hym 
1043: To lerne it, it is so short and so esy; and for it 
1044: Comprehendeth in it self alle goode preyeres./ 
1044: The exposicioun of this hooly preyere, that is 
1044: So excellent and digne, I bitake to thise maistres 
1044: of theologie, save thus muchel wol I seyn; 
1044: That whan thow prayest that God sholde for 
1044: Yeve thee thy giltes as thou foryevest hem that 
1044: Agilten to thee, be ful wel war that thow ne 
1045: Be nat out of charitee./ This hooly orison 
1045: Amenuseth eek venyal synne, and therfore it 
1046: Aperteneth specially to penitence./ 
1046: This preyere moste be trewely seyd, and in 
1046: Verray feith, and that men preye to God ordinatly 
1046: and discreetly and devoutly; and alwey 
1046: A man shal putten his wyl to be subget to 
1047: The wille of god./ This orisoun moste eek 
1047: Been seyd with greet humblesse and ful 
1047: Pure; honestly, and nat to the anoyaunce of 
1047: Any man or womman. It moste eek been continued 
1048: with the werkes of chritee./ It avayleth 
1048: eek agayn the vices of the soule; for, as 
1048: Seith seint jerome, by fastynge been saved the 
1048: Vices of the flessh, and by preyere the vices of 
1049: The soule./ 
1049: After this, thou shalt understonde that bodily 
1049: peyne stant in wakynge; for jhesu crist 
1049: Seith, waketh and preyeth, that ye ne entre 
1050: In wikked temptacioun./ Ye shul understanden 
1050: also that fastynge stant in thre thynges: 
1050: In forberynge of bodily mete and drynke, and 
1050: In forberynge of worldly jolitee, and in forberynge 
1050: of deedly synne; this is to seyn, that a 
1050: Man shal kepen hym fro deedly synne with al 
1051: His might. / 
1051: And thou shalt understanden eek that god 
1051: Ordeyned fastynge, and to fastynge appertenen 
1052: foure thinges:/ largenesse to 
1052: Povre folk; gladnesse of herte espiritueel, 
1052: Nat to been angry ne anoyed, ne grucche for 
1052: He fasteth; and also resonable houre for to ete; 
1052: Ete by mesure; that is for to seyn, a man shal 
1052: Nat ete in untyme, ne sitte the lenger at his 
1053: Table to ete for he fasteth./ 
1053: Thanne shaltow understonde that bodily 
1053: Peyne stant in disciplyne or techynge, by word, 
1053: Or by writynge, or in ensample; also in werynge 
1053: of heyres, or of stamyn, or of haubergeons 
1053: on hire naked flessh, for cristes sake, 
1054: And swiche manere penances./ But war thee 
1054: Wel that swiche manere penaunces on thy 
1054: Flessh ne make nat thyn herte bitter or angry 
1054: Or anoyed of thyself; for bettre is to caste awey 
1054: Thyn heytre, that for to caste awey the swetenesse 
1055: of jhesu crist./ And therfore seith seint 
1055: Paul, clothe yow, as they that been chosen 
1055: Of god, in herte of misericorde, debonairetee, 
1055: Suffraunce, and swich manere of clothynge; 
1055: Of whiche jhesu crist is moore apayed than 
1056: Of heyres, or haubergeouns, or hauberkes./ 
1056: Thanne is discipline eek in knokkynge of 
1056: Thy brest, in scourgynge with yerdes, in 
1057: Knelynges, in tribulaciouns,/ in suffrynge 
1057: Paciently wronges that been doon to thee, 
1057: And eek in pacient suffraunce of maladies, or 
1057: Lesynge of worldly catel, or of wyf, or of child, 
1058: Or othere freendes./ 
1058: Thanne shaltow understonde whiche thynges 
1058: Destourben penaunce; and this is in foure 
1058: Maneres, that is, drede, shame, hope, and wanhope, 
1059: that is, desperacion./ And for to speke 
1059: First of drede; for which he weneth that he 
1060: May suffre no penaunce;/ ther-agayns is remedie 
1060: for to thynke that bodily penaunce is but 
1060: Short and litel at regard of the peyne of helle, 
1060: That is so crueel and so long that it lasteth 
1061: Withouten ende./ 
1061: Now again the shame that a man hath to 
1061: Shryven hym, and namely thise ypocrites that 
1061: Wolden been holden so parfite that they 
1062: Han no nede to shryven hem;/ agayns that 
1062: Shame sholde a man thynke that, by wey 
1062: Of resoun, that he that hath nat been shamed 
1062: To doon foule thinges, certes hym oghte nat 
1062: Been ashamed to do faire thynges, and that is 
1063: Confessiouns./ A man sholde eek thynke that 
1063: God seeth and woot alle his thoghtes and alle 
1063: His werkes; to hym may no thyng been hyd 
1064: Ne covered./ Men sholden eek remembren 
1064: Hem of the shame that is to come at the day 
1064: Of doom to hem that been nat penitent and 
1065: Shryven in this present lyf./ For alle the 
1065: Creatures in hevene, in erthe, and in helle 
1065: Shullen seen apertly al that they hyden in this 
1066: World./ 
1066: Now for to speken of the hope of hem that 
1066: Been necligent and slowe to shryven 
1067: Hem, that stant in two maneres./ That 
1067: Oon is that he hopeth for to lyve longe 
1067: And for to purchacen muche richesse for his 
1067: Delit, and thanne he wol shryven hym; and 
1067: As he seith, hym semeth thanne tymely 
1068: Ynough to come to shrifte./ Another is of 
1069: Surquidrie that he hath in cristes mercy./ 
1069: Agayns the firste vice, he shal thynke that oure 
1069: Life is in no sikernesse, and eek that alle the 
1069: Richesses in this world ben in aventure, and 
1070: Passen as a shadwe on the wal;/ and , as seith 
1070: Seint gregorie, that it aperteneth to the grete 
1070: Righwisnesse of God that nevere shal the peyne 
1070: Stynte of hem that nevere wolde withdrawen 
1070: Hem fro synne, hir thankes, but ay continue 
1070: In synne; for thilke perpetueel wil to do synne 
1071: Shul they han perpetueel peyne./ 
1071: Wanhope is in two maneres; the firste wanhope 
1071: is in the mercy of crist; that oother is 
1071: That they thynken that they ne myghte 
1072: That longe persevere in goodnesse./ The 
1072: Firste wanhope comth of that he demeth 
1072: That he hath synned so greetly and so ofte, 
1072: And so longe leyn in synne, that he shal 
1073: Nat be saved./ Certes, agayns that cursed wanhope 
1073: sholde he thynke that the passion of jhesu 
1073: Crist is moore strong for to bynde than 
1074: Synne is strong for to bynde. / agayns the 
1074: Seconde wanhope he shal thynke that as ofte 
1074: As he falleth he may arise agayn by penitence. 
1074: And though he never so longe have leyn in 
1074: Synne, the mercy of crist is alwey redy to receiven 
1075: hym to mercy./ Agayns the wanhope 
1075: That he demeth that he sholde nat longe persevere 
1075: in goodnesse, he shal thynke that the 
1075: Feblesse of the devel may nothyng doon, but 
1076: If men wol suffren hym;/ and eek he shal han 
1076: Strengthe of the help of god, and of al hooly 
1076: Chirche, and of the proteccioun of aungels, 
1077: if hym list./ 
1077: Thanne shal men understonde what is 
1077: The fruyt of penaunce; and, after the word of 
1077: Jhesu crist, it is the endelees blisse of hevene,/ 
1078: ther joye hath no contrarioustee of wo 
1078: Ne grevaunce; ther alle harmes been passed 
1078: Of this present lyf; ther as is the sikernesse fro 
1078: The peyne of helle; ther as is the blisful compaignye 
1078: that rejoysen hem everemo, everich of 
1079: Otheres joye;/ ther as the body of man, that 
1079: Whilom was foul and derk, is moore cleer than 
1079: The sonne; ther as the body, that whilom was 
1079: Syk, freele, and fieble, and mortal, is inmortal, 
1079: And so strong and so hool that ther may no 
1080: Thyng apeyren it;/ ther as ne is neither hunger, 
1080: thurst, ne coold, but every soule replenyssed 
1080: with the sighte of the parfit knowynge 
1081: Of god./ This blisful regne may men purchace 
1081: by poverte espiritueel, and the glorie by 
1081: Lowenesse, the plentee of joye by hunger and 
1081: Thurst, and the reste by travaille, and the 
1082: Lyf by deeth and mortificacion of synne./ 

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