‘THE MINOR POEMS’ IN VOL. I. (continued 12)
Reading edition
1118. E. to the; rest omit to. 1120. Hl. Cp. Tak; E. Taake. 1123. E. to whiche; Cm. to whiche that; rest whiche that. 1127. E. I wol nat; Hl. with-outen; Cm. with-outyn; the rest withoute (or without.) 1128. E. omits it. 1135. E. to yow; rest omit to. 1137. Hl. Cp. Pt. schitte.
This preest, at this cursed chanouns bidding, 1145 Up-on the fyr anon sette this thing, And blew the fyr, and bisied him ful faste; And this chanoun in-to the croslet caste A poudre, noot I wher-of that it was Y-maad, other of chalk, other of glas, 1150 Or som-what elles, was nat worth a flye, To blynde with the preest; and bad him hye The coles for to couchen al above (600) The croslet, ‘for, in tokening I thee love,’ Quod this chanoun, ‘thyn owene hondes two 1155 Shul werche al thing which that shal heer be do.’
1147. Cm. Hl. croslet; E. Li. crosselet. So in 1153. 1149. other (2)] E. Li. or: Pt. or ellis. 1155. Cm. Hl. that; E. om.; rest as. E. Cm. heer; rest om.
‘Graunt mercy,’ quod the preest, and was ful glad, And couched coles as the chanoun bad. And whyle he bisy was, this feendly wrecche, This fals chanoun, the foule feend him fecche! 1160 Out of his bosom took a bechen cole, In which ful subtilly was maad an hole, And ther-in put was of silver lymaille (610) An ounce, and stopped was, with-outen fayle, The hole with wex, to kepe the lymail in. 1165 And understondeth, that this false gin Was nat maad ther, but it was maad bifore; And othere thinges I shal telle more Herafterward, which that he with him broghte; Er he cam ther, him to bigyle he thoghte, 1170 And so he dide, er that they wente a-twinne; Til he had torned him, coude he not blinne. It dulleth me whan that I of him speke, (620) On his falshede fayn wolde I me wreke, If I wiste how; but he is heer and ther: 1175 He is so variaunt, he abit no-wher.
1157. E. Cm. cole; rest coles. E. that; Cm. that the; rest the. 1159. Li. Pt. Ln. fals; rest false. 1160. E. he took; rest omit he. 1162, 1164. E. lemaille; but Cm. lymayle, lymayl; see l. 853. 1171. E. terned; Cm. ternede; rest torned, turned. E. he coude. 1175. E. Cp. that he; rest omit that.
But taketh heed now, sirs, for goddes love! He took his cole of which I spak above, And in his hond he baar it prively. And whyls the preest couchede busily 1180 The coles, as I tolde yow er this, This chanoun seyde, ‘freend, ye doon amis; This is nat couched as it oghte be; (630) But sone I shal amenden it,’ quod he. ‘Now lat me medle therwith but a whyle, 1185 For of yow have I pitee, by seint Gyle! Ye been right hoot, I see wel how ye swete, Have heer a cloth, and wype awey the wete.’ And whyles that the preest wyped his face, This chanoun took his cole with harde grace, 1190 And leyde it above, up-on the middeward Of the croslet, and blew wel afterward, Til that the coles gonne faste brenne.
1177. E. this; rest his; see l. 1189. 1179. Cm. couchede; Cp. couchide; rest couched. 1188. Cm. Pt. whilis; Hl. Lichf. whiles; E. whils. 1189. So E.; Cm. with sory grace (see l. 665). Most MSS. have. I shrewe his face, and make l. 1188 end with him wyped has. 1190. E. has aboue vp on; Cm. the same, but omitting it; Hl. abouen on; the rest vpon abouen. 1191. Cm. Hl. croslet; E. Cp. crosselet.
(640) ‘Now yeve us drinke,’ quod the chanoun thenne, ‘As swythe al shal be wel, I undertake; 1195 Sitte we doun, and lat us mery make.’ And whan that this chanounes bechen cole Was brent, al the lymaille, out of the hole, Into the croslet fil anon adoun; And so it moste nedes, by resoun, 1200 Sin it so even aboven couched was; But ther-of wiste the preest no-thing, alas! He demed alle the coles y-liche good, (650) For of the sleighte he no-thing understood. And whan this alkamistre saugh his tyme, 1205 ‘Rys up,’ quod he, ‘sir preest, and stondeth by me; And for I woot wel ingot have ye noon, Goth, walketh forth, and bring us a chalk-stoon; For I wol make oon of the same shap That is an ingot, if I may han hap. 1210 And bringeth eek with yow a bolle or a panne, Ful of water, and ye shul see wel thanne How that our bisinesse shal thryve and preve. (660) And yet, for ye shul han no misbileve Ne wrong conceit of me in your absence, 1215 I ne wol nat been out of your presence, But go with yow, and come with yow ageyn.’ The chambre-dore, shortly for to seyn, They opened and shette, and wente hir weye. And forth with hem they carieden the keye, 1220 And come agayn with-outen any delay. What sholde I tarien al the longe day? He took the chalk, and shoop it in the wyse (670) Of an ingot, as I shal yow devyse.
1195. E. myrie; Cm. Cp. merye; rest mery. 1200. E. abouen it; rest aboue. 1203. the] E. that. 1205. Lichf. Cp. Pt. stondeth; Ln. Hl. stonde; Cm. stand; E. sit. 1206. ye] E. I. 1214. E. conceite.
I seye, he took out of his owene sleve, 1225 A teyne of silver (yvele mote he cheve!) Which that ne was nat but an ounce of weighte; And taketh heed now of his cursed sleighte!
1226. Cm. ne; rest omit. 1227. E. taak; rest taketh. 1228. E. eek; rest omit.
He shoop his ingot, in lengthe and eek in brede, Of this teyne, with-outen any drede, 1230 So slyly, that the preest it nat espyde; And in his sleve agayn he gan it hyde; And fro the fyr he took up his matere, (680) And in thingot putte it with mery chere, And in the water-vessel he it caste 1235 Whan that him luste, and bad the preest as faste, ‘Look what ther is, put in thyn hand and grope, Thow finde shalt ther silver, as I hope; What, devel of helle! sholde it elles be? Shaving of silver silver is, pardee!’ 1240 He putte his hond in, and took up a teyne Of silver fyn, and glad in every veyne Was this preest, whan he saugh that it was so. (690) ‘Goddes blessing, and his modres also, And alle halwes have ye, sir chanoun,’ 1245 Seyde this preest, ‘and I hir malisoun, But, and ye vouche-sauf to techen me This noble craft and this subtilitee, I wol be youre, in al that ever I may!’
1229. Tyrwhitt reads Of thilke; I propose—As of this teyne. 1236. E. What that heer is; rest Look what ther is. 1239. E. omits ll. 1238, 1239. From Lichf. 1242. E. Hl. omit that; found in Cm. Cp. Pt. Ln. 1247. Hl. subtilite; Cm. sotylete; E. subtiltee; rest sotilte, sotiltie; see l. 620.
Quod the chanoun, ‘yet wol I make assay 1250 The second tyme, that ye may taken hede And been expert of this, and in your nede Another day assaye in myn absence (700) This disciplyne and this crafty science. Lat take another ounce,’ quod he tho, 1255 ‘Of quik-silver, with-outen wordes mo, And do ther-with as ye han doon er this With that other, which that now silver is.’
1249. E. preest; rest chanoun.
This preest him bisieth in al that he can To doon as this chanoun, this cursed man, 1260 Comanded him, and faste he blew the fyr, For to come to theffect of his desyr. And this chanoun, right in the mene whyle, (710) Al redy was, the preest eft to bigyle, And, for a countenance, in his hande he bar 1265 An holwe stikke (tak keep and be war!) In the ende of which an ounce, and na-more, Of silver lymail put was, as bifore Was in his cole, and stopped with wex weel For to kepe in his lymail every deel. 1270 And whyl this preest was in his bisinesse, This chanoun with his stikke gan him dresse To him anon, and his pouder caste in (720) As he did er; (the devel out of his skin Him torne, I pray to god, for his falshede; 1275 For he was ever fals in thoght and dede); And with this stikke, above the croslet, That was ordeyned with that false get, He stired the coles, til relente gan The wex agayn the fyr, as every man, 1280 But it a fool be, woot wel it mot nede, And al that in the stikke was out yede, And in the croslet hastily it fel.
1260. E. he; rest om. 1265. Hl. keep; E. kepe; Cm. keepe; rest hede. 1268. E. omits Was. 1272. Lichf. Ln. pouder; Cm. poudere; E. Cp. poudre. 1274. E. terve; Cm. Pt. turne; rest torne. 1277. E. Cm. Iet ( = jet); Hl. get; Ln. gett; Cp. Pt. gette.
(730) Now gode sirs, what wol ye bet than wel? Whan that this preest thus was bigyled ageyn, 1285 Supposing noght but trouthe, soth to seyn, He was so glad, that I can nat expresse In no manere his mirthe and his gladnesse; And to the chanoun he profred eftsone Body and good; ‘ye,’ quod the chanoun sone, 1290 ‘Though povre I be, crafty thou shalt me finde; I warne thee, yet is ther more bihinde. Is ther any coper her-inne?’ seyde he. (740) ‘Ye,’ quod the preest, ‘sir, I trowe wel ther be.’ ‘Elles go by us som, and that as swythe, 1295 Now, gode sir, go forth thy wey and hy the.’
1283. Cm. goode: E. good; see l. 1295. Cp. Pt. Ln. The preest supposede nothing but wel. 1284. Cp. Pt. Ln. But busyed him faste, and was wonder fayn. 1286. E. ne kan; rest omit ne. 1292. So all. 1295. Cm. Hl. goode; E. good; rest omit.
He wente his wey, and with the coper cam, And this chanoun it in his handes nam, And of that coper weyed out but an ounce. Al to simple is my tonge to pronounce, 1300 As ministre of my wit, the doublenesse Of this chanoun, rote of al cursednesse. He semed freendly to hem that knewe him noght, (750) But he was feendly bothe in herte and thoght. It werieth me to telle of his falsnesse, 1305 And nathelees yet wol I it expresse, To thentente that men may be war therby, And for noon other cause, trewely.
1301. E. Cm. alle; rest omit; read al.
He putte his ounce of coper in the croslet, And on the fyr as swythe he hath it set, 1310 And caste in poudre, and made the preest to blowe, And in his werking for to stoupe lowe, As he dide er, and al nas but a Iape; (760) Right as him liste, the preest he made his ape; And afterward in the ingot he it caste, 1315 And in the panne putte it at the laste Of water, and in he putte his owene hond. And in his sleve (as ye biforn-hond Herde me telle) he hadde a silver teyne. He slyly took it out, this cursed heyne— 1320 Unwiting this preest of his false craft— And in the pannes botme he hath it laft; And in the water rombled to and fro, (770) And wonder prively took up also The coper teyne, noght knowing this preest, 1325 And hidde it, and him hente by the breest, And to him spak, and thus seyde in his game, ‘Stoupeth adoun, by god, ye be to blame, Helpeth me now, as I dide yow whyl-er, Putte in your hand, and loketh what is ther.’
1308. Cm. his; E. the; rest this. 1316. E. the water; rest water and. 1318. E. omits he. 1319. Cp. Hl. took; Cm. tok; E. tooke. 1328. E. a; rest I.
1330 This preest took up this silver teyne anon, And thanne seyde the chanoun, ‘lat us gon With thise three teynes, which that we han wroght, (780) To som goldsmith, and wite if they been oght. For, by my feith, I nolde, for myn hood, 1335 But-if that they were silver, fyn and good, And that as swythe preved shal it be.’
1336. E. it shal; Ln. schal he; rest shal it.
Un-to the goldsmith with thise teynes three They wente, and putte thise teynes in assay To fyr and hamer; mighte no man sey nay, 1340 But that they weren as hem oghte be.
1339. E. seye; Cm. sey.
This sotted preest, who was gladder than he? Was never brid gladder agayn the day, (790) Ne nightingale, in the sesoun of May, Nas never noon that luste bet to singe; 1345 Ne lady lustier in carolinge Or for to speke of love and wommanhede, Ne knight in armes to doon an hardy dede To stonde in grace of his lady dere, Than had this preest this sory craft to lere; 1350 And to the chanoun thus he spak and seyde, ‘For love of god, that for us alle deyde, And as I may deserve it un-to yow, (800) What shal this receit coste? telleth now!’
1344. E. man; rest noon (non). 1353. E. receite; Lichf. Cp. Hl. receyt.
‘By our lady,’ quod this chanoun, ‘it is dere, 1355 I warne yow wel; for, save I and a frere, In Engelond ther can no man it make.’ ‘No fors,’ quod he, ‘now, sir, for goddes sake, What shal I paye? telleth me, I preye.’ ‘Y-wis,’ quod he, ‘it is ful dere, I seye; 1360 Sir, at o word, if that thee list it have, Ye shul paye fourty pound, so god me save! And, nere the freendship that ye dide er this (810) To me, ye sholde paye more, y-wis.’ This preest the somme of fourty pound anon 1365 Of nobles fette, and took hem everichon To this chanoun, for this ilke receit; Al his werking nas but fraude and deceit. ‘Sir preest,’ he seyde, ‘I kepe han no loos Of my craft, for I wolde it kept were cloos; 1370 And as ye love me, kepeth it secree; For, and men knewe al my subtilitee, By god, they wolden han so greet envye (820) To me, by-cause of my philosophye, I sholde be deed, ther were non other weye.’
1371. E. Cp. knewen; Cm. knewyn; rest knewe. Ln. subtilite; Cm. subtilete; E. soutiltee; see ll. 620, 1247.
1375 ‘God it forbede!’ quod the preest, ‘what sey ye?’ Yet hadde I lever spenden al the good Which that I have (and elles wexe I wood!) Than that ye sholden falle in swich mescheef.’
1377. E. or; rest and.
‘For your good wil, sir, have ye right good preef,’ 1380 Quod the chanoun, ‘and far-wel, grant mercy!’ He wente his wey and never the preest him sy After that day; and whan that this preest sholde (830) Maken assay, at swich tyme as he wolde, Of this receit, far-wel! it wolde nat be! 1385 Lo, thus byiaped and bigyled was he! Thus maketh he his introduccioun To bringe folk to hir destruccioun.—
1387. E. Cm. omit hir.
Considereth, sirs, how that, in ech estaat, Bitwixe men and gold ther is debaat 1390 So ferforth, that unnethes is ther noon. This multiplying blent so many oon, That in good feith I trowe that it be (840) The cause grettest of swich scarsetee. Philosophres speken so mistily 1395 In this craft, that men can nat come therby, For any wit that men han now a-dayes. They mowe wel chiteren, as doon thise Iayes, And in her termes sette hir lust and peyne, But to hir purpos shul they never atteyne. 1400 A man may lightly lerne, if he have aught, To multiplye, and bringe his good to naught!
1390. E. Hl. vnnethe; rest vnnethes. 1397. E. as that doon; Cm. as don; rest as doon thise.
Lo! swich a lucre is in this lusty game, (850) A mannes mirthe it wol torne un-to grame, And empten also grete and hevy purses, 1405 And maken folk for to purchasen curses Of hem, that han hir good therto y-lent. O! fy! for shame! they that han been brent, Allas! can they nat flee the fyres hete? Ye that it use, I rede ye it lete, 1410 Lest ye lese al; for bet than never is late. Never to thryve were to long a date. Though ye prolle ay, ye shul it never finde; (860) Ye been as bolde as is Bayard the blinde, That blundreth forth, and peril casteth noon; 1415 He is as bold to renne agayn a stoon As for to goon besydes in the weye. So faren ye that multiplye, I seye. If that your yën can nat seen aright, Loke that your minde lakke nought his sight. 1420 For, though ye loke never so brode, and stare, Ye shul nat winne a myte on that chaffare, But wasten al that ye may rape and renne. (870) Withdrawe the fyr, lest it to faste brenne; Medleth na-more with that art, I mene, 1425 For, if ye doon, your thrift is goon ful clene. And right as swythe I wol yow tellen here, What philosophres seyn in this matere.
1404. E. Cp. heuye; rest hevy. 1407. E. omits O. 1414. E. blondreth. 1421. E. Cm. no thyng wynne; Hl. nought Wynne (upon); rest nat wynne a myte. 1427. Cm. What that ȝe; rest What that the (badly). 1434. E. fader first was; rest omit first.
Lo, thus seith Arnold of the Newe Toun, As his Rosarie maketh mencioun; 1430 He seith right thus, with-outen any lye, ‘Ther may no man Mercurie mortifye, But it be with his brother knowleching. (880) How that he, which that first seyde this thing, Of philosophres fader was, Hermes; 1435 He seith, how that the dragoun, doutelees, Ne deyeth nat, but-if that he be slayn With his brother; and that is for to sayn, By the dragoun, Mercurie and noon other He understood; and brimstoon by his brother, 1440 That out of sol and luna were y-drawe. And therfor,’ seyde he, ‘tak heed to my sawe, Let no man bisy him this art for to seche, (890) But-if that he thentencioun and speche Of philosophres understonde can; 1445 And if he do, he is a lewed man. For this science and this conning,’ quod he, ‘Is of the secree of secrees, parde.’
1441. Cm. Cp. Hl. heed; rest heede, hede. 1447. E. Cm. of the secretes; Cp. Pt. of secrees; Hl. of secretz; Ln. of secretees.
Also ther was a disciple of Plato, That on a tyme seyde his maister to, 1450 As his book Senior wol bere witnesse, And this was his demande in soothfastnesse: ‘Tel me the name of the privy stoon?’ (900) And Plato answerde unto him anoon, ‘Tak the stoon that Titanos men name.’ 1455 ‘Which is that?’ quod he. ‘Magnesia is the same,’ Seyde Plato. ‘Ye, sir, and is it thus? This is ignotum per ignotius. What is Magnesia, good sir, I yow preye?’
1455, 8. Lichf. Ln. magnesia; rest magnasia.
‘It is a water that is maad, I seye, 1460 Of elementes foure,’ quod Plato. ‘Tel me the rote, good sir,’ quod he tho, ‘Of that water, if that it be your wille?’
1461. E. roote; rest roche, rooche, roches. 1462. Cm. that it; rest omit that.
(910) ‘Nay, nay,’ quod Plato, ‘certein, that I nille. The philosophres sworn were everichoon, 1465 That they sholden discovere it un-to noon, Ne in no book it wryte in no manere; For un-to Crist it is so leef and dere That he wol nat that it discovered be, But wher it lyketh to his deitee 1470 Man for tenspyre, and eek for to defende Whom that him lyketh; lo, this is the ende.’
1467. E. lief; Lichf. Cp. Pt. Hl. leef; Cm. lef.
Thanne conclude I thus; sith god of hevene (920) Ne wol nat that the philosophres nevene How that a man shal come un-to this stoon, 1475 I rede, as for the beste, lete it goon. For who-so maketh god his adversarie, As for to werken any thing in contrarie Of his wil, certes, never shal he thryve, Thogh that he multiplye terme of his lyve. 1480 And ther a poynt; for ended is my tale; (928) God sende every trewe man bote of his bale!—Amen. Here is ended the Chanouns Yemannes Tale.
1472. Hl. syn; Lichf. Cm. syn that; E. sith that; Cp. Pt. sithens that; rest sith that, sithens that. 1475. E. vs; the rest as. 1477. E. werken; Cm. werkyn; Hl. werke; rest worche. 1479. E. Cm. omit his. Colophon. So in E. Cm.; Hl. has—Here endeth the chanouns yeman his tale.
GROUP H
THE MANCIPLE’S PROLOGUE.
Here folweth the Prologe of the Maunciples Tale. Wite ye nat wher ther stant a litel toun Which that y-cleped is Bob-up-and-doun, Under the Blee, in Caunterbury weye? Ther gan our hoste for to Iape and pleye, And seyde, ‘sirs, what! Dun is in the myre! Is ther no man, for preyere ne for hyre, That wol awake our felawe heer bihinde? A theef mighte him ful lightly robbe and binde. See how he nappeth! see, for cokkes bones, As he wol falle from his hors at ones. Is that a cook of Londoun, with meschaunce? Do him come forth, he knoweth his penaunce, For he shal telle a tale, by my fey! Al-though it be nat worth a botel hey. Awake, thou cook,’ quod he, ‘god yeve thee sorwe, What eyleth thee to slepe by the morwe? Hastow had fleen al night, or artow dronke, Or hastow with som quene al night y-swonke, So that thou mayst nat holden up thyn heed?’
Heading: from E. Cp.; Cm. has—Heryth the merye wordys of the Host to the cok of Lundene. 1. E. Hn. Woot; Cp. Hl. Wot; Cm. Wote; Pt. Ln. Wete; Wite is better, as in l. 82. 7. Cm. here; E. Hn. Hl. al; rest omit. 9. So Cp. Hl.; E. see how for; Hn. se how for; Cm. so how for.
20 This cook, that was ful pale and no-thing reed, Seyde to our host, ‘so god my soule blesse, As ther is falle on me swich hevinesse, Noot I nat why, that me were lever slepe Than the beste galoun wyn in Chepe.’ 25 ‘Wel,’ quod the maunciple, ‘if it may doon ese To thee, sir cook, and to no wight displese Which that heer rydeth in this companye, And that our host wol, of his curteisye, I wol as now excuse thee of thy tale; 30 For, in good feith, thy visage is ful pale, Thyn yën daswen eek, as that me thinketh, And wel I woot, thy breeth ful soure stinketh, That sheweth wel thou art not wel disposed; Of me, certein, thou shalt nat been y-glosed. 35 Se how he ganeth, lo, this dronken wight, As though he wolde us swolwe anon-right. Hold cloos thy mouth, man, by thy fader kin! The devel of helle sette his foot ther-in! Thy cursed breeth infecte wol us alle; 40 Fy, stinking swyn, fy! foule moot thee falle! A! taketh heed, sirs, of this lusty man. Now, swete sir, wol ye Iusten atte fan? Ther-to me thinketh ye been wel y-shape! I trowe that ye dronken han wyn ape, 45 And that is whan men pleyen with a straw.’ And with this speche the cook wex wrooth and wraw, And on the maunciple he gan nodde faste For lakke of speche, and doun the hors him caste, Wher as he lay, til that men up him took; 50 This was a fayr chivachee of a cook! Allas! he nadde holde him by his ladel! And, er that he agayn were in his sadel, Ther was greet showving bothe to and fro, To lifte him up, and muchel care and wo, 55 So unweldy was this sory palled gost. And to the maunciple thanne spak our host, ‘By-cause drink hath dominacioun Upon this man, by my savacioun I trowe he lewedly wolde telle his tale. 60 For, were it wyn, or old or moysty ale, That he hath dronke, he speketh in his nose, And fneseth faste, and eek he hath the pose. He hath also to do more than y-nough To kepe him and his capel out of slough; 65 And, if he falle from his capel eft-sone, Than shul we alle have y-nough to done, In lifting up his hevy dronken cors. Telle on thy tale, of him make I no fors.
29. E. omits as. 31. E. Hn. Hl. daswen; Cm. daswe; Cp. dasewen; Pt. dasen; Ln. dasoweþe. 36. Cp. Ln. vs swolwe; rest swolwe vs. 40. E. thou; rest thee or the. 46. Cm. Pt, Ln. wex; rest wax. 49. E. Hn. vp hym; rest him vp. 55. E. vnweeldy. 59. E. Cm. Ln. put lewedly before he. 62. So E. Hn. Cp. Ln. Hl.; Cm. sneseth; Pt. galpeth. 64. E. of; rest of the.
But yet, maunciple, in feith thou art to nyce, 70 Thus openly repreve him of his vyce. Another day he wol, peraventure, Reclayme thee, and bringe thee to lure; I mene, he speke wol of smale thinges, As for to pinchen at thy rekeninges, 75 That wer not honeste, if it cam to preef.’ ‘No,’ quod the maunciple, ‘that were a greet mescheef! So mighte he lightly bringe me in the snare. Yet hadde I lever payen for the mare Which he rit on, than he sholde with me stryve; 80 I wol nat wratthe him, al-so mote I thryve! That that I spak, I seyde it in my bourde; And wite ye what? I have heer, in a gourde, A draught of wyn, ye, of a rype grape, And right anon ye shul seen a good Iape. 85 This cook shal drinke ther-of, if I may; Up peyne of deeth, he wol nat seye me nay!’
76. All the 7 MSS. retain a: Hl. omits No. 79. E. Which that; rest omit that. 81. E. speke; rest spak. 85. E. Pt. if that; rest omit that.
And certeinly, to tellen as it was, Of this vessel the cook drank faste, allas! What neded him? he drank y-nough biforn. 90 And whan he hadde pouped in this horn, To the maunciple he took the gourde agayn; And of that drinke the cook was wonder fayn, And thanked him in swich wyse as he coude.
89. So E.; Cm. nedith hym; Hn. Hl. neded it; rest needeth it. 90. E. Hn. Cm. this; rest his.
Than gan our host to laughen wonder loude, 95 And seyde, ‘I see wel, it is necessarie, Wher that we goon, good drink we with us carie; For that wol turne rancour and disese Tacord and love, and many a wrong apese.
96. E. that; rest good. 98. So E. Hn.; Cm. Cp. Ln. Hl. To acord; Pt. To pees.
O thou Bachus, y-blessed be thy name, 100 That so canst turnen ernest in-to game! Worship and thank be to thy deitee! Of that matere ye gete na-more of me. Tel on thy tale, maunciple, I thee preye.’
99. Hl. thou; rest omit. Cp. Pt. Ln. Bachus; rest Bacus.
‘Wel, sir,’ quod he, ‘now herkneth what I seye.’ Thus endeth the Prologe of the Manciple.
Colophon. From Pt.
THE MAUNCIPLES TALE.
Here biginneth the Maunciples Tale of the Crowe. 105 Whan Phebus dwelled here in this erthe adoun, As olde bokes maken mencioun, He was the moste lusty bachiler In al this world, and eek the beste archer; He slow Phitoun, the serpent, as he lay 110 Slepinge agayn the sonne upon a day; And many another noble worthy dede He with his bowe wroghte, as men may rede.
105. E. world; rest erthe. 108. Cp. Pt. Ln. Hl. Of (for In).
Pleyen he coude on every minstralcye, (10) And singen, that it was a melodye, 115 To heren of his clere vois the soun. Certes the king of Thebes, Amphioun, That with his singing walled that citee, Coude never singen half so wel as he. Therto he was the semelieste man 120 That is or was, sith that the world bigan. What nedeth it his fetures to discryve? For in this world was noon so fair on lyve. He was ther-with fulfild of gentillesse, (20) Of honour, and of parfit worthinesse. 125 This Phebus, that was flour of bachelrye, As wel in fredom as in chivalrye, For his desport, in signe eek of victorie Of Phitoun, so as telleth us the storie, Was wont to beren in his hand a bowe.
125. Hn. Cp. bachelrye; E. Bachilrie.
130 Now had this Phebus in his hous a crowe, Which in a cage he fostred many a day, And taughte it speken, as men teche a Iay. Whyt was this crowe, as is a snow-whyt swan, (30) And countrefete the speche of every man 135 He coude, whan he sholde telle a tale. Ther-with in al this world no nightingale Ne coude, by an hondred thousand deel, Singen so wonder merily and weel.
130. E. hadde. 132. Hl. speken; rest speke. 133. E. om. is. 138. E. Hn. myrily.
Now had this Phebus in his hous a wyf, 140 Which that he lovede more than his lyf, And night and day dide ever his diligence Hir for to plese, and doon hir reverence, Save only, if the sothe that I shal sayn, (40) Ialous he was, and wolde have hept hir fayn; 145 For him were looth by-iaped for to be. And so is every wight in swich degree; But al in ydel, for it availleth noght. A good wyf, that is clene of werk and thoght, Sholde nat been kept in noon await, certayn; 150 And trewely, the labour is in vayn To kepe a shrewe, for it wol nat be. This holde I for a verray nycetee, To spille labour, for to kepe wyves; (50) Thus writen olde clerkes in hir lyves.
139. E. hadde. 143. E. Cm. om. if; Hn. that. that] Hn. if. 147. E. Cm. in ydel; rest for naught.
155 But now to purpos, as I first bigan: This worthy Phebus dooth all that he can To plesen hir, weninge by swich plesaunce, And for his manhede and his governaunce, That no man sholde han put him from hir grace. 160 But god it woot, ther may no man embrace As to destreyne a thing, which that nature Hath naturelly set in a creature.
157. E. Cm. that; Hn. for; rest by (be). 162. E. natureelly.
Tak any brid, and put it in a cage, (60) And do al thyn entente and thy corage 165 To fostre it tendrely with mete and drinke, Of alle deyntees that thou canst bithinke, And keep it al-so clenly as thou may; Al-though his cage of gold be never so gay, Yet hath this brid, by twenty thousand fold, 170 Lever in a forest, that is rude and cold, Gon ete wormes and swich wrecchednesse. For ever this brid wol doon his bisinesse To escape out of his cage, if he may; (70) His libertee this brid desireth ay.
163. E. Taak. 170. Cp. Pt. Ln. wilde (for rude); Hl. wyd. 173. Cp. when; Ln. Hl. whan; rest if. 174. E. Hn. Cm. this; rest the.
175 Lat take a cat, and fostre him wel with milk, And tendre flesh, and make his couche of silk, And lat him seen a mous go by the wal; Anon he weyveth milk, and flesh, and al, And every deyntee that is in that hous, 180 Swich appetyt hath he to ete a mous. Lo, here hath lust his dominacioun, And appetyt flemeth discrecioun.
180. E. he hath; Cp. hath sche; rest hath he.
A she-wolf hath also a vileins kinde; (80) The lewedeste wolf that she may finde, 185 Or leest of reputacion wol she take, In tyme whan hir lust to han a make.
185. Hl. ins. him, and the rest that, before wol (badly).
Alle thise ensamples speke I by thise men That been untrewe, and no-thing by wommen. For men han ever a likerous appetyt 190 On lower thing to parfourne hir delyt Than on hir wyves, be they never so faire, Ne never so trewe, ne so debonaire. Flesh is so newefangel, with meschaunce, (90) That we ne conne in no-thing han plesaunce 195 That souneth in-to vertu any whyle.
195. Hl. Cm. souneth; rest sowneth.
This Phebus, which that thoghte upon no gyle, Deceyved was, for al his Iolitee; For under him another hadde she, A man of litel reputacioun, 200 Noght worth to Phebus in comparisoun. The more harm is; it happeth ofte so, Of which ther cometh muchel harm and wo.
200. Cp. Hl. Nought; E. Hn. Nat; rest Not; see l. 254.
And so bifel, whan Phebus was absent, (100) His wyf anon hath for hir lemman sent, 205 Hir lemman? certes, this is a knavish speche! Foryeveth it me, and that I yow biseche. The wyse Plato seith, as ye may rede, The word mot nede accorde with the dede. If men shal telle proprely a thing, 210 The word mot cosin be to the werking. I am a boistous man, right thus seye I, Ther nis no difference, trewely, Bitwixe a wyf that is of heigh degree, (110) If of hir body dishonest she be, 215 And a povre wenche, other than this— If it so be, they werke bothe amis— But that the gentile, in estaat above, She shal be cleped his lady, as in love; And for that other is a povre womman, 220 She shal be cleped his wenche, or his lemman. And, god it wool, myn owene dere brother, Men leyn that oon as lowe as lyth that other.
214. E. Cp. dishoneste; Hn. deshoneste. 215. For a, Tyrwhitt reads any. 217. E. Cm. hir estaat (stat); rest om. hir.
Right so, bitwixe a titlelees tiraunt (120) And an outlawe, or a theef erraunt, 225 The same I seye, ther is no difference. To Alisaundre told was this sentence; That, for the tyrant is of gretter might, By force of meynee for to sleen doun-right, And brennen hous and hoom, and make al plain, 230 Lo! therfor is he cleped a capitain; And, for the outlawe hath but smal meynee, And may nat doon so greet an harm as he, Ne bringe a contree to so greet mescheef, (130) Men clepen him an outlawe or a theef. 235 But, for I am a man noght textuel, I wol noght telle of textes never a del; I wol go to my tale, as I bigan. Whan Phebus wyf had sent for hir lemman, Anon they wroghten al hir lust volage.
223. In Hn., titlelees is glossed by sine titulo. 226. Hl. told was; rest was told. 235, 236. E. textueel, deel.
240 The whyte crowe, that heng ay in the cage, Biheld hir werk, and seyde never a word. And whan that hoom was come Phebus, the lord, This crowe sang ‘cokkow! cokkow! cokkow!’
240. E. they (for that). E. heeng; Ln. honge; rest heng. 241. E. Biheeld.
(140) ‘What, brid?’ quod Phebus, ‘what song singestow? 245 Ne were thow wont so merily to singe That to myn herte it was a reioisinge To here thy vois? allas! what song is this?’
245. E. Hn. myrily.
‘By god,’ quod he, ‘I singe nat amis; Phebus,’ quod he, ‘for al thy worthinesse, 250 For al thy beautee and thy gentilesse, For al thy song and al thy minstralcye, For al thy waiting, blered is thyn yë With oon of litel reputacioun, (150) Noght worth to thee, as in comparisoun, 255 The mountance of a gnat; so mote I thryve! For on thy bed thy wyf I saugh him swyve.’
251. E. Cm. Hl. om. 2nd al. 254. E. Hn. Cm. om. as. 255. E. Hn. montance.
What wol ye more? the crowe anon him tolde, By sadde tokenes and by wordes bolde, How that his wyf had doon hir lecherye, 260 Him to gret shame and to gret vileinye; And tolde him ofte, he saugh it with his yën. This Phebus gan aweyward for to wryen, Him thoughte his sorweful herte brast a-two; (160) His bowe he bente, and sette ther-inne a flo, 265 And in his ire his wyf thanne hath he slayn. This is theffect, ther is na-more to sayn; For sorwe of which he brak his minstralcye, Bothe harpe, and lute, and giterne, and sautrye; And eek he brak his arwes and his bowe. 270 And after that, thus spak he to the crowe:
261. Cm. Hl. yen; Ln. eyȝen; rest eyen. 263. E. Hn. Cm. And; rest Him.
‘Traitour,’ quod he, ‘with tonge of scorpioun, Thou hast me broght to my confusioun! Allas! that I was wroght! why nere I deed? (170) O dere wyf, o gemme of lustiheed, 275 That were to me so sad and eek so trewe, Now lystow deed, with face pale of hewe, Ful giltelees, that dorste I swere, y-wis! O rakel hand, to doon so foule amis! O trouble wit, o ire recchelees, 280 That unavysed smytest giltelees! O wantrust, ful of fals suspecioun, Where was thy wit and thy discrecioun? O every man, be-war of rakelnesse, (180) Ne trowe no-thing with-outen strong witnesse; 285 Smyt nat to sone, er that ye witen why, And beeth avysed wel and sobrely Er ye doon any execucioun, Up-on your ire, for suspecioun. Allas! a thousand folk hath rakel ire 290 Fully fordoon, and broght hem in the mire. Allas! for sorwe I wol my-selven slee!’
276. Cm. Hl. lyst thow; Pt. Ln. liest thou; Cp. lyes thou. 277. Cm. gylteles; Cp. Hl. gulteles; E. Hn. giltlees; rest giltles. 278. Cm. troubele; rest trouble. 280. E. smyteth; rest smytest. Cm. gilteles; Cp. Hl. gulteles; E. giltles.
And to the crowe, ‘o false theef!’ seyde he, ‘I wol thee quyte anon thy false tale! (190) Thou songe whylom lyk a nightingale; 295 Now shaltow, false theef, thy song forgon, And eek thy whyte fetheres everichon, Ne never in al thy lyf ne shaltou speke. Thus shal men on a traitour been awreke; Thou and thyn of-spring ever shul be blake, 300 Ne never swete noise shul ye make, But ever crye agayn tempest and rayn, In tokeninge that thurgh thee my wyf is slayn.’ And to the crowe he stirte, and that anon, (200) And pulled his whyte fetheres everichon, 305 And made him blak, and refte him al his song, And eek his speche, and out at dore him slong Un-to the devel, which I him bitake; And for this caas ben alle crowes blake.—
300. E. voys (for noyse). 302. is] Cp. Hl. was. 308. E. Cp. caas; Hn. Cm. Ln. cas; Pt. caus; Hl. cause.
Lordings, by this ensample I yow preye, 310 Beth war, and taketh kepe what I seye: Ne telleth never no man in your lyf How that another man hath dight his wyf; He wol yow haten mortally, certeyn. (210) Daun Salomon, as wyse clerkes seyn, 315 Techeth a man to kepe his tonge wel; But as I seyde, I am noght textuel. But nathelees, thus taughte me my dame: ‘My sone, thenk on the crowe, a goddes name; My sone, keep wel thy tonge and keep thy freend. 320 A wikked tonge is worse than a feend. My sone, from a feend men may hem blesse; My sone, god of his endelees goodnesse Walled a tonge with teeth and lippes eke, (220) For man sholde him avyse what he speke. 325 My sone, ful ofte, for to muche speche, Hath many a man ben spilt, as clerkes teche; But for a litel speche avysely Is no men shent, to speke generally. My sone, thy tonge sholdestow restreyne 330 At alle tyme, but whan thou doost thy peyne To speke of god, in honour and preyere. The firste vertu, sone, if thou wolt lere, Is to restreyne and kepe wel thy tonge.— (230) Thus lerne children whan that they ben yonge.— 335 My sone, of muchel speking yvel-avysed, Ther lasse speking hadde y-nough suffysed, Comth muchel harm, thus was me told and taught. In muchel speche sinne wanteth naught. Wostow wher-of a rakel tonge serveth? 340 Right as a swerd forcutteth and forkerveth An arm a-two, my dere sone, right so A tonge cutteth frendship al a-two. A Iangler is to god abhominable; (240) Reed Salomon, so wys and honurable; 345 Reed David in his psalmes, reed Senekke. My sone, spek nat, but with thyn heed thou bekke. Dissimule as thou were deef, if that thou here A Iangler speke of perilous matere. The Fleming seith, and lerne it, if thee leste, 350 That litel Iangling causeth muchel reste. My sone, if thou no wikked word hast seyd, Thee thar nat drede for to be biwreyd; But he that hath misseyd, I dar wel sayn, (250) He may by no wey clepe his word agayn. 355 Thing that is seyd, is seyd; and forth it gooth, Though him repente, or be him leef or looth. He is his thral to whom that he hath sayd A tale, of which he is now yvel apayd. My sone, be war, and be non auctour newe 360 Of tydinges, whether they ben false or trewe. Wher-so thou come, amonges hye or lowe, Kepe wel thy tonge, and thenk up-on the crowe. Here is ended the Maunciples Tale of the Crowe.
310. E. Hn. Cm. I; Hl. ye; rest that ye. 315. E. Hn. kepen; rest kepe. E. Cm. weel. 316. E. textueel; Hl. tixted wel. 318. a] E. on; Hl. in. 319, 320. E. Hn. freend, feend. 327. Hl. a; rest om. 330. E. Hn. Cm. tymes. 356. leef or] Cp. Pt. Ln. Hl. neuer so. 360. E. wheither. Colophon. So E. Hn.
GROUP I.
THE PARSON’S PROLOGUE.
Here folweth the Prologe of the Persones Tale. By that the maunciple hadde his tale al ended, The sonne fro the south lyne was descended So lowe, that he nas nat, to my sighte, Degreës nyne and twenty as in highte. 5 Foure of the clokke it was tho, as I gesse; For eleven foot, or litel more or lesse, My shadwe was at thilke tyme, as there, Of swich feet as my lengthe parted were In six feet equal of proporcioun. 10 Ther-with the mones exaltacioun, I mene Libra, alwey gan ascende, As we were entringe at a thropes ende; For which our host, as he was wont to gye, As in this caas, our Ioly companye, 15 Seyde in this wyse, ‘lordings everichoon, Now lakketh us no tales mo than oon. Fulfild is my sentence and my decree; I trowe that we han herd of ech degree. Almost fulfild is al myn ordinaunce; 20 I prey to god, so yeve him right good chaunce, That telleth this tale to us lustily. Sir preest,’ quod he, ‘artow a vicary? Or art a person? sey sooth, by thy fey! Be what thou be, ne breke thou nat our pley; 25 For every man, save thou, hath told his tale, Unbokel, and shewe us what is in thy male; For trewely, me thinketh, by thy chere, Thou sholdest knitte up wel a greet matere. Tel us a tale anon, for cokkes bones!’
1. E. Hn. al; rest om. 2. E. Cm. was; rest is. 3. E. ne nas; Cm. ne was; Cp. Pt. Ln. was. 5. The MSS. have Ten; but see the note. 8. Hn. swich; E. swiche. 10. Perhaps for the mones we should read Saturnes; see the note. 11. So all but Hl., which has In mena. 12. thropes] Hl. townes. 17. E. Fulfilled; Hn. Cp. Fulfild; see l. 19. 23. Cm. art; E. Hn. arte; Hl. artow; rest art thou.
30 This Persone him answerde, al at ones, ‘Thou getest fable noon y-told for me; For Paul, that wryteth unto Timothee, Repreveth hem that weyven soothfastnesse, And tellen fables and swich wrecchednesse. 35 Why sholde I sowen draf out of my fest, Whan I may sowen whete, if that me lest? For which I seye, if that yow list to here Moralitee and vertuous matere, And thanne that ye wol yeve me audience, 40 I wol ful fayn, at Cristes reverence, Do yow plesaunce leefful, as I can. But trusteth wel, I am a Southren man, I can nat geste—rum, ram, ruf—by lettre, Ne, god wot, rym holde I but litel bettre; 45 And therfor, if yow list, I wol nat glose. I wol yow telle a mery tale in prose To knitte up al this feeste, and make an ende. And Iesu, for his grace, wit me sende To shewe yow the wey, in this viage, 50 Of thilke parfit glorious pilgrimage That highte Ierusalem celestial. And, if ye vouche-sauf, anon I shal Biginne upon my tale, for whiche I preye Telle your avys, I can no bettre seye. 55 But nathelees, this meditacioun I putte it ay under correccioun Of clerkes, for I am nat textual; I take but the sentens, trusteth wel. Therfor I make protestacioun 60 That I wol stonde to correccioun.’
30. I supply him from ed. 1550. 32. E. Hn. Thymothee. 33. E. Hl. weyueth. 40. E. omits ful. 41. E. leefful; Hn. leueful; Pt. leefull; Cp. Ln. lefful. 43. E. geeste. rum] Hn. Cp. Ln. rom. 46. E. Hn. myrie. 57, 58. E. textueel, weel. 58. E. omits the. Hl. sentens; rest sentence. 59. E. make a; rest omit a.
Up-on this word we han assented sone, For, as us semed, it was for to done, To enden in som vertuous sentence, And for to yeve him space and audience; 65 And bede our host he sholde to him seye, That alle we to telle his tale him preye.
62. E. vs; rest it, which is inferior.
Our host hadde the wordes for us alle:— ‘Sir preest,’ quod he, ‘now fayre yow bifalle! Sey what yow list, and we wol gladly here’— 70 And with that word he seyde in this manere— ‘Telleth,’ quod he, ‘your meditacioun. But hasteth yow, the sonne wol adoun; Beth fructuous, and that in litel space, And to do wel god sende yow his grace!’ Explicit prohemium.
Colophon. So E. Hn. Ln.; Pt.—Thus endeth the prolog of the persons tale.
THE PERSONES TALE.
Here biginneth the Persones Tale.
Ier. 6º. State super vias et videte et interrogate de viis antiquis, que sit via bona; et ambulate in ea, et inuenietis refrigerium animabus vestris, &c.
§ 1. Our swete lord god of hevene, that no man wole perisse, but wole that we comen alle to the knoweleche of him, and to the blisful lyf that is perdurable, /75 amonesteth us by the prophete Ieremie, that seith in this wyse: / ‘stondeth upon the weyes, and seeth and axeth of olde pathes (that is to seyn, of olde sentences) which is the goode wey; / and walketh in that wey, and ye shul finde refresshinge for your soules,’ &c. / Manye been the weyes espirituels that leden folk to oure Lord Iesu Crist, and to the regne of glorie. / Of whiche weyes, ther is a ful noble wey and a ful covenable, which may nat faile to man ne to womman, that thurgh sinne hath misgoon fro the righte wey of Ierusalem celestial; /80 and this wey is cleped Penitence, of which man sholde gladly herknen and enquere with al his herte; / to witen what is Penitence, and whennes it is cleped Penitence, and in how manye maneres been the accions or werkinges of Penitence, / and how manye spyces ther been of Penitence, and whiche thinges apertenen and bihoven to Penitence, and whiche thinges destourben Penitence. /
Heading. From E. (E. Heere; Persouns). 75. E. om. 2nd to. 76. E. and seith; rest that seith. 78. E. Hn. Ln. shal; Pt. shul. 79. Pt. espiritual; Ln. spirituele. 80. E. om. 2nd ful. E. to no man; rest om. no. 82. Ln. penance (for 2nd and 3rd Penitence). 83. E. speces; Hl. spieces; rest spices.
§ 2. Seint Ambrose seith, that ‘Penitence is the pleyninge of man for the gilt that he hath doon, and na-more to do any thing for which him oghte to pleyne.’ / And som doctour seith: ‘Penitence is the waymentinge of man, that sorweth for his sinne and pyneth him-self for he hath misdoon.’ /85 Penitence, with certeyne circumstances, is verray repentance of a man that halt him-self in sorwe and other peyne for hise giltes. / And for he shal be verray penitent, he shal first biwailen the sinnes that he hath doon, and stidefastly purposen in his herte to have shrift of mouthe, and to doon satisfaccioun, / and never to doon thing for which him oghte more to biwayle or to compleyne, and to continue in goode werkes: or elles his repentance may nat availle. / For as seith seint Isidre: ‘he is a Iaper and a gabber, and no verray repentant, that eftsoone dooth thing, for which him oghte repente.’ / Wepinge, and nat for to stinte to doon sinne, may nat avaylle. /90 But nathelees, men shal hope that every tyme that man falleth, be it never so ofte, that he may arise thurgh Penitence, if he have grace: but certeinly it is greet doute. / For as seith Seint Gregorie: ‘unnethe aryseth he out of sinne, that is charged with the charge of yvel usage.’ / And therfore repentant folk, that stinte for to sinne, and forlete sinne er that sinne forlete hem, holy chirche holdeth hem siker of hir savacioun. / And he that sinneth, and verraily repenteth him in his laste ende, holy chirche yet hopeth his savacioun, by the grete mercy of oure lord Iesu Crist, for his repentaunce; but tak the siker wey. /
84. E. om. the before gilt. 85. Ln. Hl. peyneth. 86. Hl. holt. 88. E. om. to bef. biwayle and continue. 90. Hl. doon; E. om.; rest do. 94. Hl. Ln. ende; E. Hn. Pt. om. E. taak (glossed tene); siker (glossed certum). Cm. sikerer. After wey, Cm. adds—& the more certeyn.
§ 3. And now, sith I have declared yow what thing is Penitence, now shul ye understonde that ther been three accions of Penitence. /95 The firste accion of Penitence is, that a man be baptized after that he hath sinned. / Seint Augustin seith: ‘but he be penitent for his olde sinful lyf, he may nat biginne the newe clene lif.’ / For certes, if he be baptized withouten penitence of his olde gilt, he receiveth the mark of baptisme, but nat the grace ne the remission of his sinnes, til he have repentance verray. / Another defaute is this, that men doon deedly sinne after that they han received baptisme. / The thridde defaute is, that men fallen in venial sinnes after hir baptisme, fro day to day. /100 Ther-of seith Seint Augustin, that ‘penitence of goode and humble folk is the penitence of every day.’ /
96. All but E. om. accion of Penitence. 97. Hl. but if. 98-100. E. Hn. baptesme. 100. Hl. in-to venial synne.
§ 4. The spyces of Penitence been three. That oon of hem is solempne, another is commune, and the thridde is privee. / Thilke penance that is solempne, is in two maneres; as to be put out of holy chirche in lente, for slaughtre of children, and swich maner thing. / Another is, whan a man hath sinned openly, of which sinne the fame is openly spoken in the contree; and thanne holy chirche by Iugement destreineth him for to do open penaunce. / Commune penaunce is that preestes enioinen men comunly in certeyn caas; as for to goon, peraventure, naked in pilgrimages, or bare-foot. /105 Privee penaunce is thilke that men doon alday for privee sinnes, of whiche we shryve us prively and receyve privee penaunce. /
102. E. Hn. speces (glossed species); rest spices. 103. E. Hn. As to; rest as is to. 104. E. Another thyng is; rest om. thyng. Hl. streyneth. 105. E. Cm. om. comunly. 106. E. they shryue hem.
§ 5. Now shaltow understande what is bihovely and necessarie to verray parfit Penitence. And this stant on three thinges; / Contricioun of herte, Confessioun of Mouth, and Satisfaccioun. / For which seith Seint Iohn Crisostom: ‘Penitence destreyneth a man to accepte benignely every peyne that him is enioyned, with contricion of herte, and shrift of mouth, with satisfaccion; and in werkinge of alle maner humilitee.’ / And this is fruitful Penitence agayn three thinges in whiche we wratthe oure lord Iesu Crist: /110 this is to seyn, by delyt in thinkinge, by recchelesnesse in spekinge, and by wikked sinful werkinge. / And agayns thise wikkede giltes is Penitence, that may be lykned un-to a tree. /
107. E. is bihouely; Cm. is behofly; rest bihoueth (behoueth). Hl. stondith. 109. Hl. humblete. 112. Hl. these thre wickid.
§ 6. The rote of this tree is Contricion, that hydeth him in the herte of him that is verray repentant, right as the rote of a tree hydeth him in the erthe. / Of the rote of Contricion springeth a stalke, that bereth braunches and leves of Confession, and fruit of Satisfaccion. / For which Crist seith in his gospel: ‘dooth digne fruit of Penitence’; for by this fruit may men knowe this tree, and nat by the rote that is hid in the herte of man, ne by the braunches ne by the leves of Confession. /115 And therefore oure Lord Iesu Crist seith thus: ‘by the fruit of hem ye shul knowen hem.’ / Of this rote eek springeth a seed of grace, the which seed is moder of sikernesse, and this seed is egre and hoot. / The grace of this seed springeth of god, thurgh remembrance of the day of dome and on the peynes of helle. / Of this matere seith Salomon, that ‘in the drede of god man forleteth his sinne.’ / The hete of this seed is the love of god, and the desiring of the Ioye perdurable. /120 This hete draweth the herte of a man to god, and dooth him haten his sinne. / For soothly, ther is no-thing that savoureth so wel to a child as the milk of his norice, ne no-thing is to him more abhominable than thilke milk whan it is medled with other mete. / Right so the sinful man that loveth his sinne, him semeth that it is to him most swete of any-thing; / but fro that tyme that he loveth sadly our lord Iesu Crist, and desireth the lif perdurable, ther nis to him no-thing more abhominable. / For soothly, the lawe of god is the love of god; for which David the prophete seith: ‘I have loved thy lawe and hated wikkednesse and hate’; he that loveth god kepeth his lawe and his word. /125 This tree saugh the prophete Daniel in spirit, up-on the avision of the king Nabugodonosor, whan he conseiled him to do penitence. / Penaunce is the tree of lyf to hem that it receiven, and he that holdeth him in verray penitence is blessed; after the sentence of Salomon. /
117. E. a grace (for of grace). 122. E. om. is to him. 125. E. loued god; rest loueth god. 126. E. om. in spirit. up-on] E. in.
§ 7. In this Penitence or Contricion man shal understonde foure thinges, that is to seyn, what is Contricion: and whiche been the causes that moeven a man to Contricion: and how he sholde be contrit: and what Contricion availleth to the soule. / Thanne is it thus: that Contricion is the verray sorwe that a man receiveth in his herte for his sinnes, with sad purpos to shryve him, and to do penaunce, and nevermore to do sinne. / And this sorwe shal been in this manere, as seith seint Bernard: ‘it shal been hevy and grevous, and ful sharpe and poinant in herte.’ /130 First, for man hath agilt his lord and his creatour; and more sharpe and poinant, for he hath agilt his fader celestial; / and yet more sharpe and poinant, for he hath wrathed and agilt him that boghte him; which with his precious blood hath delivered us fro the bondes of sinne, and fro the crueltee of the devel and fro the peynes of helle. /
131. Cp. agult; Hl. agiltid.
§ 8. The causes that oghte moeve a man to Contricion been six. First, a man shal remembre him of hise sinnes; / but loke he that thilke remembrance ne be to him no delyt by no wey, but greet shame and sorwe for his gilt. For Iob seith: ‘sinful men doon werkes worthy of Confession.’ / And therfore seith Ezechie: ‘I wol remembre me alle the yeres of my lyf, in bitternesse of myn herte.’ /135 And god seith in the Apocalips: remembreth yow fro whennes that ye been falle’; for biforn that tyme that ye sinned, ye were the children of god, and limes of the regne of god; / but for your sinne ye been woxen thral and foul, and membres of the feend, hate of aungels, sclaundre of holy chirche, and fode of the false serpent; perpetuel matere of the fyr of helle. / And yet more foul and abhominable, for ye trespassen so ofte tyme, as doth the hound that retourneth to eten his spewing. / And yet be ye fouler for your longe continuing in sinne and your sinful usage, for which ye be roten in your sinne, as a beest in his dong. / Swiche manere of thoghtes maken a man to have shame of his sinne, and no delyt, as god seith by the prophete Ezechiel: /140 ‘ye shal remembre yow of youre weyes, and they shuln displese yow.’ Sothly, sinnes been the weyes that leden folk to helle. /
134. E. looke he; rest om. he. 135. Hl. Ln. Ezechiel. 137. E. perpetueel.
§ 9. The seconde cause that oghte make a man to have desdeyn of sinne is this: that, as seith seint Peter, ‘who-so that doth sinne is thral of sinne’; and sinne put a man in greet thraldom. / And therfore seith the prophete Ezechiel: ‘I wente sorweful in desdayn of my-self.’ And certes, wel oghte a man have desdayn of sinne, and withdrawe him from that thraldom and vileinye. / And lo, what seith Seneca in this matere. He seith thus: ‘though I wiste that neither god ne man ne sholde nevere knowe it, yet wolde I have desdayn for to do sinne.’ / And the same Seneca also seith: ‘I am born to gretter thinges than to be thral to my body, or than for to maken of my body a thral.’ /145 Ne a fouler thral may no man ne womman maken of his body, than for to yeven his body to sinne. / Al were it the fouleste cherl, or the fouleste womman that liveth, and leest of value, yet is he thanne more foule and more in servitute. / Evere fro the hyer degree that man falleth, the more is he thral, and more to god and to the world vile and abhominable. / O gode god, wel oghte man have desdayn of sinne; sith that, thurgh sinne, ther he was free, now is he maked bonde. / And therfore seyth Seint Augustin: ‘if thou hast desdayn of thy servant, if he agilte or sinne, have thou thanne desdayn that thou thy-self sholdest do sinne.’ /150 Take reward of thy value, that thou ne be to foul to thy-self. / Allas! wel oghten they thanne have desdayn to been servauntz and thralles to sinne, and sore been ashamed of hem-self, / that god of his endelees goodnesse hath set hem in heigh estaat, or yeven hem wit, strengthe of body, hele, beautee, prosperitee, / and boghte hem fro the deeth with his herte blood, that they so unkindely, agayns his gentilesse, quyten him so vileinsly, to slaughtre of hir owene soules. / O gode god, ye wommen that been of so greet beautee, remembreth yow of the proverbe of Salomon, that seith: /155 ‘he lykneth a fair womman, that is a fool of hir body, lyk to a ring of gold that were in the groyn of a sowe.’ / For right as a sowe wroteth in everich ordure, so wroteth she hir beautee in the stinkinge ordure of sinne. /
143. E. And certes; rest om. And. 144. E. Hn. wrongly ins, god after that. 147. All seruitute. 148. E. om. vile and. 150. Cp. Pt. Ln. Hl. Austyn. 152. Hl. men (for they). 154. Cm. vileynly. 155, 6. So Hl.; E. Hn. he seith likneth; Cp. he seith he likeneth; Cm. he seith & likkenyth; Pt. He likneth. E. soughe; rest sowe. 157. E. soughe; om. she.
§ 10. The thridde cause that oghte moeve a man to Contricion, is drede of the day of dome, and of the horrible peynes of helle. / For as seint Ierome seith: ‘at every tyme that me remembreth of the day of dome, I quake; / for whan I ete or drinke, or what-so that I do, evere semeth me that the trompe sowneth in myn ere: /160 riseth up, ye that been dede, and cometh to the Iugement.’ / O gode god, muchel oghte a man to drede swich a Iugement, ‘ther-as we shullen been alle,’ as seint Poul seith, ‘biforn the sete of oure lord Iesu Crist’; / wher-as he shal make a general congregacion, wher-as no man may been absent. / For certes, there availleth noon essoyne ne excusacion. / And nat only that oure defautes shullen be iuged, but eek that alle oure werkes shullen openly be knowe. /165 And as seith Seint Bernard: ‘ther ne shal no pledinge availle, ne no sleighte; we shullen yeven rekeninge of everich ydel word.’ / Ther shul we han a Iuge that may nat been deceived ne corrupt. And why? For, certes, alle our thoghtes been discovered as to him; ne for preyere ne for mede he shal nat been corrupt. / And therfore seith Salomon: ‘the wratthe of god ne wol nat spare no wight, for preyere ne for yifte’; and therfore, at the day of doom, ther nis noon hope to escape. / Wherfore, as seith Seint Anselm: ‘ful greet angwissh shul the sinful folk have at that tyme; / ther shal the sterne and wrothe Iuge sitte above, and under him the horrible put of helle open to destroyen him that moot biknowen hise sinnes, whiche sinnes openly been shewed biforn god and biforn every creature. /170 And on the left syde, mo develes than herte may bithinke, for to harie and drawe the sinful soules to the pyne of helle. / And with-inne the hertes of folk shal be the bytinge conscience, and with-oute-forth shal be the world al brenninge. / Whider shal thanne the wrecched sinful man flee to hyden him? Certes, he may nat hyden him; he moste come forth and shewen him.’ / For certes, as seith seint Ierome: ‘the erthe shal casten him out of him, and the see also; and the eyr also, that shal be ful of thonder-clappes and lightninges.’ / Now sothly, who-so wel remembreth him of thise thinges, I gesse that his sinne shal nat turne him in-to delyt, but to greet sorwe, for drede of the peyne of helle. /175 And therfore seith Iob to god: ‘suffre, lord, that I may a whyle biwaille and wepe, er I go with-oute returning to the derke lond, covered with the derknesse of deeth; / to the lond of misese and of derknesse, where-as is the shadwe of deeth; where-as ther is noon ordre or ordinance, but grisly drede that evere shal laste.’ / Lo, here may ye seen that Iob preyde respyt a whyle, to biwepe and waille his trespas; for soothly oon day of respyt is bettre than al the tresor of the world. / And for-as-muche as a man may acquiten him-self biforn god by penitence in this world, and nat by tresor, therfore sholde he preye to god to yeve him respyt a whyle, to biwepe and biwaillen his trespas. / For certes, al the sorwe that a man mighte make fro the beginning of the world, nis but a litel thing at regard of the sorwe of helle. /180 The cause why that Iob clepeth helle ‘the lond of derknesse’; / under-stondeth that he clepeth it ‘londe’ or erthe, for it is stable, and nevere shal faille; ‘derk,’ for he that is in helle hath defaute of light material. / For certes, the derke light, that shal come out of the fyr that evere shal brenne, shal turne him al to peyne that is in helle; for it sheweth him to the horrible develes that him tormenten. / ‘Covered with the derknesse of deeth’: that is to seyn, that he that is in helle shal have defaute of the sighte of god; for certes, the sighte of god is the lyf perdurable. / ‘The derknesse of deeth’ been the sinnes that the wrecched man hath doon, whiche that destourben him to see the face of god; right as doth a derk cloude bitwixe us and the sonne. /185 ‘Lond of misese’: by-cause that ther been three maneres of defautes, agayn three thinges that folk of this world han in this present lyf, that is to seyn, honours, delyces, and richesses. / Agayns honour, have they in helle shame and confusion. / For wel ye woot that men clepen ‘honour’ the reverence that man doth to man; but in helle is noon honour ne reverence. For certes, na-more reverence shal be doon there to a king than to a knave. / For which god seith by the prophete Ieremye: ‘thilke folk that me despysen shul been in despyt.’ / ‘Honour’ is eek cleped greet lordshipe; ther shal no man serven other but of harm and torment. ‘Honour’ is eek cleped greet dignitee and heighnesse; but in helle shul they been al fortroden of develes. /190 And god seith: ‘the horrible develes shulle goon and comen up-on the hevedes of the dampned folk.’ And this is for-as-muche as, the hyer that they were in this present lyf, the more shulle they been abated and defouled in helle. / Agayns the richesses of this world, shul they han misese of poverte; and this poverte shal been in foure thinges: / in defaute of tresor, of which that David seith; ‘the riche folk, that embraceden and oneden al hir herte to tresor of this world, shul slepe in the slepinge of deeth; and no-thing ne shul they finden in hir handes of al hir tresor.’ / And more-over, the miseise of helle shal been in defaute of mete and drinke. / For god seith thus by Moyses; ‘they shul been wasted with hunger, and the briddes of helle shul devouren hem with bitter deeth, and the galle of the dragon shal been hir drinke, and the venim of the dragon hir morsels.’ /195 And forther-over, hir miseise shal been in defaute of clothing: for they shulle be naked in body as of clothing, save the fyr in which they brenne and othere filthes; / and naked shul they been of soule, of alle manere vertues, which that is the clothing of the soule. Where been thanne the gaye robes and the softe shetes and the smale shertes? / Lo, what seith god of hem by the prophete Isaye: ‘that under hem shul been strawed motthes, and hir covertures shulle been of wormes of helle.’ / And forther-over, hir miseise shal been in defaute of freendes; for he nis nat povre that hath goode freendes, but there is no freend; / for neither god ne no creature shal been freend to hem, and everich of hem shal haten other with deedly hate. /200 ‘The sones and the doghtren shullen rebellen agayns fader and mooder, and kinrede agayns kinrede, and chyden and despysen everich of hem other,’ bothe day and night, as god seith by the prophete Michias. / And the lovinge children, that whylom loveden so fleshly everich other, wolden everich of hem eten other if they mighte. / For how sholden they love hem togidre in the peyne of helle, whan they hated ech of hem other in the prosperitee of this lyf? / For truste wel, hir fleshly love was deedly hate; as seith the prophete David: ‘who-so that loveth wikkednesse he hateth his soule.’ / And who-so hateth his owene soule, certes, he may love noon other wight in no manere. /205 And therefore, in helle is no solas ne no frendshipe, but evere the more fleshly kinredes that been in helle, the more cursinges, the more chydinges, and the more deedly hate ther is among hem. / And forther-over, they shul have defaute of alle manere delyces; for certes, delyces been after the appetytes of the fyve wittes, as sighte, heringe, smellinge, savoringe, and touchinge. / But in helle hir sighte shal be ful of derknesse and of smoke, and therfore ful of teres; and hir heringe, ful of waymentinge and of grintinge of teeth, as seith Iesu Crist; / hir nosethirles shullen be ful of stinkinge stink. And as seith Isaye the prophete: ‘hir savoring shal be ful of bitter galle.’ / And touchinge of al hir body, y-covered with ‘fyr that nevere shal quenche, and with wormes that nevere shul dyen,’ as god seith by the mouth of Isaye. /210 And for-as-muche as they shul nat wene that they may dyen for peyne, and by hir deeth flee fro peyne, that may they understonden by the word of Iob, that seith: ‘ther-as is the shadwe of deeth.’ / Certes, a shadwe hath the lyknesse of the thing of which it is shadwe, but shadwe is nat the same thing of which it is shadwe. / Right so fareth the peyne of helle; it is lyk deeth for the horrible anguissh, and why? For it peyneth hem evere, as though they sholde dye anon; but certes they shal nat dye. / For as seith Seint Gregorie: ‘to wrecche caytives shal be deeth with-oute deeth, and ende with-outen ende, and defaute with-oute failinge. / For hir deeth shal alwey liven, and hir ende shal everemo biginne, and hir defaute shal nat faille.’ /215 And therfore seith Seint Iohn the Evangelist: ‘they shullen folwe deeth, and they shul nat finde him; and they shul desyren to dye, and deeth shal flee fro hem.’ / And eek Iob seith: that ‘in helle is noon ordre of rule.’ / And al-be-it so that god hath creat alle thinges in right ordre, and no-thing with-outen ordre, but alle thinges been ordeyned and nombred; yet nathelees they that been dampned been no-thing in ordre, ne holden noon ordre. / For the erthe ne shal bere hem no fruit. / For, as the prophete David seith: ‘god shal destroie the fruit of the erthe as fro hem;’ ne water ne shal yeve hem no moisture; ne the eyr no refresshing, ne fyr no light. /220 For as seith seint Basilie: ‘the brenninge of the fyr of this world shal god yeven in helle to hem that been dampned; / but the light and the cleernesse shal be yeven in hevene to hise children’; right as the gode man yeveth flesh to hise children, and bones to his houndes. / And for they shullen have noon hope to escape, seith seint Iob atte laste: that ‘ther shal horrour and grisly drede dwellen with-outen ende.’ / Horrour is alwey drede of harm that is to come, and this drede shal evere dwelle in the hertes of hem that been dampned. And therefore han they lorn al hir hope, for sevene causes. / First, for god that is hir Iuge shal be with-outen mercy to hem; ne they may nat plese him, ne noon of hise halwes; ne they ne may yeve no-thing for hir raunson; /225 ne they have no vois to speke to him; ne they may nat flee fro peyne; ne they have no goodnesse in hem, that they mowe shewe to delivere hem fro peyne. / And therfore seith Salomon: ‘the wikked man dyeth; and whan he is deed, he shal have noon hope to escape fro peyne.’ / Who-so thanne wolde wel understande these peynes, and bithinke him weel that he hath deserved thilke peynes for his sinnes, certes, he sholde have more talent to syken and to wepe than for to singen and to pleye. / For as that seith Salomon: ‘who-so that hadde the science to knowe the peynes that been establissed and ordeyned for sinne, he wolde make sorwe.’ / ‘Thilke science,’ as seith seint Augustin, ‘maketh a man to waymenten in his herte.’ /230
166. E. om. 2nd no. 168. Cp. Pt. Ln. repeat (after god) wol nought ben corrupte and therefore saith Salamon. 170. E. Hn. stierne. moot] E. noot. 171. on] E. in. E. Ln. peyne; Cm. pit; rest pyne. 175. E. Hn. in; Hl. to; rest in-to. 178. Hl. oon; Cm. on; E. a; rest oo (o). 182. or] E. Cp. Ln. of. E. Hn. dirk. 188. E. Hn. woot; Cm. wote; Hl. witen; Cp. wite; Ln. weten. 189. Hl. displesen (for despysen). 190. E. om. from ther shal to 2nd greet. 195. E. with the bitter; rest om. the. Hl. teeth (for deeth). 197. E. as of alle; rest om. as. E. (only) smale shetes and the softe shertes. 203. E. om. hem after love. 206. E. om. 1st in helle. 207. Cp. Pt. Ln. Hl. om. after. 208. Cp. Hl. Ln. gruntynge; Cm. grochynge; Pt. gnaistynge. 214. Hl. shal be yiue deth. 218. E. in the ordre. 221. E. Cm. Basilie; rest Basile. 225. E. Cm. and they (1st time). 228. E. the (for these).
§ 11. The fourthe point, that oghte maken a man to have contricion, is the sorweful remembrance of the good that he hath left to doon here in erthe; and eek the good that he hath lorn. / Soothly, the gode werkes that he hath left, outher they been the gode werkes that he wroghte er he fel in-to deedly sinne, or elles the gode werkes that he wroghte while he lay in sinne. / Soothly, the gode werkes, that he dide biforn that he fil in sinne, been al mortified and astoned and dulled by the ofte sinning. / The othere gode werkes, that he wroghte whyl he lay in deedly sinne, they been outrely dede as to the lyf perdurable in hevene. / Thanne thilke gode werkes that been mortified by ofte sinning, whiche gode werkes he dide whyl he was in charitee, ne mowe nevere quiken agayn with-outen verray penitence. /235 And ther-of seith god, by the mouth of Ezechiel: that, ‘if the rightful man returne agayn from his rightwisnesse and werke wikkednesse, shal he live?’ / Nay; for alle the gode werkes that he hath wroght ne shul nevere been in remembrance; for he shal dyen in his sinne. / And up-on thilke chapitre seith seint Gregorie thus: ‘that we shulle understonde this principally; / that whan we doon deedly sinne, it is for noght thanne to rehercen or drawen in-to memorie the gode werkes that we han wroght biforn.’ / For certes, in the werkinge of the deedly sinne, ther is no trust to no good werk that we han doon biforn; that is to seyn, as for to have therby the lyf perdurable in hevene. /240 But nathelees, the gode werkes quiken agayn, and comen agayn, and helpen, and availlen to have the lyf perdurable in hevene, whan we han contricion. / But soothly, the gode werkes that men doon whyl they been in deedly sinne, for-as-muche as they were doon in deedly sinne, they may nevere quiken agayn. / For certes, thing that nevere hadde lyf may nevere quikene; and nathelees, al-be-it that they ne availle noght to han the lyf perdurable, yet availlen they to abregge of the peyne of helle, or elles to geten temporal richesse, / or elles that god wole the rather enlumine and lightne the herte of the sinful man to have repentance; / and eek they availlen for to usen a man to doon gode werkes, that the feend have the lasse power of his soule. /245 And thus the curteis lord Iesu Crist wole that no good werk be lost; for in somwhat it shal availle. / But for-as-muche as the gode werkes that men doon whyl they been in good lyf, been al mortified by sinne folwinge; and eek, sith that alle the gode werkes that men doon whyl they been in deedly synne, been outrely dede as for to have the lyf perdurable; / wel may that man, that no good werke ne dooth, singe thilke newe Frenshe song: “Iay tout perdu mon temps et mon labour.” / For certes, sinne bireveth a man bothe goodnesse of nature and eek the goodnesse of grace. / For soothly, the grace of the holy goost fareth lyk fyr, that may nat been ydel; for fyr faileth anoon as it forleteth his wirkinge, and right so grace fayleth anoon as it forleteth his werkinge. /250 Than leseth the sinful man the goodnesse of glorie, that only is bihight to gode men that labouren and werken. / Wel may he be sory thanne, that oweth al his lif to god as longe as he hath lived, and eek as longe as he shal live, that no goodnesse ne hath to paye with his dette to god, to whom he oweth al his lyf. / For trust wel, ‘he shal yeven acountes,’ as seith seint Bernard, ‘of alle the godes that han be yeven him in this present lyf, and how he hath hem despended; / in so muche that ther shal nat perisse an heer of his heed, ne a moment of an houre ne shal nat perisse of his tyme, that he ne shal yeve of it a rekening.’ /
232. E. Pt. Ln. that he hath wroght (1st time). 233. Ln. mortified; Hl. amortised; rest mortefied. Cp. Pt. astonyed; Hl. astoneyed. 235. Ln. Hl. mortified; rest mortefied. 240. E. is for to seyn. 242. E. quyke. 247. Ln. mortified; Hn. Hl. amortised; rest mortefied. 254. All noght (nat) so; ed. 1550, in so (better).
§ 12. The fifthe thing that oghte moeve a man to contricion, is remembrance of the passion that oure lord Iesu Crist suffred for our sinnes. /255 For, as seith seint Bernard: ‘whyl that I live, I shal have remembrance of the travailles that oure lord Crist suffred in preching; / his werinesse in travailling, hise temptacions whan he fasted, hise longe wakinges whan he preyde, hise teres whan that he weep for pitee of good peple; / the wo and the shame and the filthe that men seyden to him; of the foule spitting that men spitte in his face, of the buffettes that men yaven him, of the foule mowes, and of the repreves that men to him seyden; / of the nayles with whiche he was nailed to the croys, and of al the remenant of his passion that he suffred for my sinnes, and no-thing for his gilt.’ / And ye shul understonde, that in mannes sinne is every manere of ordre or ordinance turned up-so-doun. /260 For it is sooth, that god, and reson, and sensualitee, and the body of man been so ordeyned, that everich of thise foure thinges sholde have lordshipe over that other; / as thus: god sholde have lordshipe over reson, and reson over sensualitee, and sensualitee over the body of man. / But sothly, whan man sinneth, al this ordre or ordinance is turned up-so-doun. / And therfore thanne, for-as-muche as the reson of man ne wol nat be subget ne obeisant to god, that is his lord by right, therfore leseth it the lordshipe that it sholde have over sensualitee, and eek over the body of man. / And why? For sensualitee rebelleth thanne agayns reson; and by that wey leseth reson the lordshipe over sensualitee and over the body. /265 For right as reson is rebel to god, right so is bothe sensualitee rebel to reson and the body also. / And certes, this disordinance and this rebellion oure lord Iesu Crist aboghte up-on his precious body ful dere, and herkneth in which wyse. / For-as-muche thanne as reson is rebel to god, therfore is man worthy to have sorwe and to be deed. / This suffred oure lord Iesu Crist for man, after that he hadde be bitraysed of his disciple, and distreyned and bounde, ‘so that his blood brast out at every nail of hise handes,’ as seith seint Augustin. / And forther-over, for-as-muchel as reson of man ne wol nat daunte sensualitee whan it may, therfore is man worthy to have shame; and this suffred oure lord Iesu Crist for man, whan they spetten in his visage. /270 And forther-over, for-as-muchel thanne as the caitif body of man is rebel bothe to reson and to sensualitee, therfore is it worthy the deeth. / And this suffred oure lord Iesu Crist for man up-on the croys, where-as ther was no part of his body free, withouten greet peyne and bitter passion. / And al this suffred Iesu Crist, that nevere forfeted. And therfore resonably may be seyd of Iesu in this manere: ‘to muchel am I peyned for the thinges that I nevere deserved, and to muche defouled for shend-shipe that man is worthy to have.’ / And therfore may the sinful man wel seye, as seith seint Bernard: ‘acursed be the bitternesse of my sinne, for which ther moste be suffred so muchel bitternesse.’ / For certes, after the diverse discordances of oure wikkednesses, was the passion of Iesu Crist ordeyned in diverse thinges, /275 as thus. Certes, sinful mannes soule is bitraysed of the devel by coveitise of temporel prosperitee, and scorned by deceite whan he cheseth fleshly delyces; and yet is it tormented by inpacience of adversitee, and bispet by servage and subieccion of sinne; and atte laste it is slayn fynally. / For this disordinaunce of sinful man was Iesu Crist first bitraysed, and after that was he bounde, that cam for to unbynden us of sinne and peyne. / Thanne was he biscorned, that only sholde han been honoured in alle thinges and of alle thinges. / Thanne was his visage, that oghte be desired to be seyn of al man-kinde, in which visage aungels desyren to looke, vileynsly bispet. / Thanne was he scourged that no-thing hadde agilt; and fynally, thanne was he crucified and slayn. /280 Thanne was acompliced the word of Isaye: ‘he was wounded for oure misdedes, and defouled for oure felonies.’ / Now sith that Iesu Crist took up-on him-self the peyne of alle oure wikkednesses, muchel oghte sinful man wepen and biwayle, that for hise sinnes goddes sone of hevene sholde al this peyne endure. /
255. Hl. for vs and for our synnes. 261. E. Cm. om. so. 269. E. Cm. his blood; rest the blood. 270. Hl. face (for visage). 273. Cm. (and ed. 1550) And therfore ... manere; rest om. 275. E. disconcordances. 276. E. temporeel. bispet] E. dispeir (!). 277. E. om. first. 281. E. Ysaye that seith that he; rest om. that seith that.
§ 13. The sixte thing that oghte moeve a man to contricion, is the hope of three thynges; that is to seyn, foryifnesse of sinne, and the yifte of grace wel for to do, and the glorie of hevene, with which god shal guerdone a man for hise gode dedes. / And for-as-muche as Iesu Crist yeveth us thise yiftes of his largesse and of his sovereyn bountee, therfore is he cleped Iesus Nazarenus rex Iudeorum. / Iesus is to seyn ‘saveour’ or ‘salvacion,’ on whom men shul hope to have foryifnesse of sinnes, which that is proprely salvacion of sinnes. /285 And therfore seyde the aungel to Ioseph: ‘thou shall clepen his name Iesus, that shal saven his peple of hir sinnes.’ / And heer-of seith seint Peter: ‘ther is noon other name under hevene that is yeve to any man, by which a man may be saved, but only Iesus.’ / Nazarenus is as muche for to seye as ‘florisshinge,’ in which a man shal hope, that he that yeveth him remission of sinnes shal yeve him eek grace wel for to do. For in the flour is hope of fruit in tyme cominge; and in foryifnesse of sinnes hope of grace wel for to do. / ‘I was atte dore of thyn herte,’ seith Iesus, ‘and cleped for to entre; he that openeth to me shal have foryifnesse of sinne. / I wol entre in-to him by my grace, and soupe with him,’ by the goode werkes that he shal doon; whiche werkes been the foode of god; ‘and he shal soupe with me,’ by the grete Ioye that I shal yeven him. /290 Thus shal man hope, for hise werkes of penaunce, that god shall yeven him his regne; as he bihoteth him in the gospel. /
283. E. Hn. gerdone; Cm. gerdounnyn. 285. E. om. is after that. 291. Hn. Cm. Hl. byheteth.
§ 14. Now shal a man understonde, in which manere shal been his contricion. I seye, that it shal been universal and total; this is to seyn, a man shal be verray repentant for alle hise sinnes that he hath doon in delyt of his thoght; for delyt is ful perilous. / For ther been two manere of consentinges; that oon of hem is cleped consentinge of affeccion, when a man is moeved to do sinne, and delyteth him longe for to thinke on that sinne; / and his reson aperceyveth it wel, that it is sinne agayns the lawe of god, and yet his reson refreyneth nat his foul delyt or talent, though he se wel apertly that it is agayns the reverence of god; al-though his reson ne consente noght to doon that sinne in dede, / yet seyn somme doctours that swich delyt that dwelleth longe, it is ful perilous, al be it nevere so lite. /295 And also a man sholde sorwe, namely, for al that evere he hath desired agayn the lawe of god with perfit consentinge of his reson; for ther-of is no doute, that it is deedly sinne in consentinge. / For certes, ther is no deedly sinne, that it nas first in mannes thought, and after that in his delyt; and so forth in-to consentinge and in-to dede. / Wherfore I seye, that many men ne repenten hem nevere of swiche thoghtes and delytes, ne nevere shryven hem of it, but only of the dede of grete sinnes outward. / Wherfore I seye, that swiche wikked delytes and wikked thoghtes been subtile bigyleres of hem that shullen be dampned. / More-over, man oghte to sorwe for hise wikkede wordes as wel as for hise wikkede dedes; for certes, the repentance of a singuler sinne, and nat repente of alle hise othere sinnes, or elles repenten him of alle hise othere sinnes, and nat of a singuler sinne, may nat availle. /300 For certes, god almighty is al good; and ther-fore he foryeveth al, or elles right noght. / And heer-of seith seint Augustin: ‘I woot certainly / that god is enemy to everich sinnere’; and how thanne? He that observeth o sinne, shal he have foryifnesse of the remenaunt of hise othere sinnes? Nay. / And forther-over, contricion sholde be wonder sorweful and anguissous, and therfore yeveth him god pleynly his mercy; and therfore, whan my soule was anguissous with-inne me, I hadde remembrance of god that my preyere mighte come to him. / Forther-over, contricion moste be continuel, and that man have stedefast purpos to shryven him, and for to amenden him of his lyf. /305 For soothly, whyl contricion lasteth, man may evere have hope of foryifnesse; and of this comth hate of sinne, that destroyeth sinne bothe in himself, and eek in other folk, at his power. / For which seith David: ‘ye that loven god hateth wikkednesse.’ For trusteth wel, to love god is for to love that he loveth, and hate that he hateth. /
303. E. om. I woot certeinly. 305. E. continueel.
§ 15. The laste thing that man shal understonde in contricion is this; wher-of avayleth contricion. I seye, that som tyme contricion delivereth a man fro sinne; / of which that David seith: ‘I seye,’ quod David, that is to seyn, ‘I purposed fermely to shryve me; and thow, Lord, relesedest my sinne.’ / And right so as contricion availleth noght, with-outen sad purpos of shrifte, if man have oportunitee, right so litel worth is shrifte or satisfaccion with-outen contricion. /310 And more-over, contricion destroyeth the prison of helle, and maketh wayk and feble alle the strengthes of the develes, and restoreth the yiftes of the holy goost and of alle gode vertues; / and it clenseth the soule of sinne, and delivereth the soule fro the peyne of helle, and fro the companye of the devel, and fro the servage of sinne, and restoreth it to alle godes espirituels, and to the companye and communion of holy chirche. / And forther-over, it maketh him that whylom was sone of ire to be sone of grace; and alle thise thinges been preved by holy writ. / And therfore, he that wolde sette his entente to thise thinges, he were ful wys; for soothly, he ne sholde nat thanne in al his lyf have corage to sinne, but yeven his body and al his herte to the service of Iesu Crist, and ther-of doon him hommage. / For soothly, oure swete lord Iesu Crist hath spared us so debonairly in our folies, that if he ne hadde pitee of mannes soule, a sory song we mighten alle singe. /315
308. E. Ln. a man fro; rest om. a. 311. E. fieble. 313. Hl. Pt. Ln. thinges he prouith by. 314. Hl. herte (for entente).
Explicit prima pars Penitentie; et sequitur secunda pars eiusdem.
§ 16. The seconde partie of Penitence is Confession, that is signe of contricion. / Now shul ye understonde what is Confession, and whether it oghte nedes be doon or noon, and whiche thinges been covenable to verray Confession. /
317. E. wheither.
§ 17. First shaltow understonde that Confession is verray shewinge of sinnes to the preest; / this is to seyn ‘verray,’ for he moste confessen him of alle the condiciouns that bilongen to his sinne, as ferforth as he can. / Al moot be seyd, and no thing excused ne hid ne forwrapped, and noght avaunte him of his gode werkes. /320 And forther over, it is necessarie to understonde whennes that sinnes springen, and how they encresen, and whiche they been. /
320. him of his] E. Cm. thee of thy. 321. E. encreessen.
§ 18. Of the springinge of sinnes seith seint Paul in this wise: that ‘right as by a man sinne entred first in-to this world, and thurgh that sinne deeth, right so thilke deeth entred in-to alle men that sinneden.’ / And this man was Adam, by whom sinne entred in-to this world whan he brak the comaundement of god. / And therfore, he that first was so mighty that he sholde not have dyed, bicam swich oon that he moste nedes dye, whether he wolde or noon; and all his progenie in this world that in thilke man sinneden. / Loke that in thestaat of innocence, when Adam and Eve naked weren in paradys, and no-thing ne hadden shame of hir nakednesse, /325 how that the serpent, that was most wyly of alle othere bestes that god hadde maked, seyde to the womman: ‘why comaunded god to yow, ye sholde nat eten of every tree in paradys?’ / The womman answerde: ‘of the fruit,’ quod she, ‘of the trees in paradys we feden us; but soothly, of the fruit of the tree that is in the middel of paradys, god forbad us for to ete, ne nat touchen it, lest per-aventure we should dyen.’ / The serpent seyde to the womman: ‘nay, nay, ye shul nat dyen of deeth; for sothe, god woot, that what day that ye eten ther-of, youre eyen shul opene, and ye shul been as goddes, knowinge good and harm.’ / The womman thanne saugh that the tree was good to feding, and fair to the eyen, and delytable to the sighte; she tok of the fruit of the tree, and eet it, and yaf to hir housbonde, and he eet; and anoon the eyen of hem bothe openeden. / And whan that they knewe that they were naked, they sowed of fige-leves a manere of breches to hiden hir membres. /330 There may ye seen that deedly sinne hath first suggestion of the feend, as sheweth here by the naddre; and afterward, the delyt of the flesh, as sheweth here by Eve; and after that, the consentinge of resoun, as sheweth here by Adam. / For trust wel, thogh so were that the feend tempted Eve, that is to seyn the flesh, and the flesh hadde delyt in the beautee of the fruit defended, yet certes, til that resoun, that is to seyn, Adam, consented to the etinge of the fruit, yet stood he in thestaat of innocence. / Of thilke Adam toke we thilke sinne original; for of him fleshly descended be we alle, and engendred of vile and corrupt matere. / And whan the soule is put in our body, right anon is contract original sinne; and that, that was erst but only peyne of concupiscence, is afterward bothe peyne and sinne. / And therfore be we alle born sones of wratthe and of dampnacion perdurable, if it nere baptesme that we receyven, which binimeth us the culpe; but for sothe, the peyne dwelleth with us, as to temptacion, which peyne highte concupiscence. /335 Whan it is wrongfully disposed or ordeyned in man, it maketh him coveite, by coveitise of flesh, fleshly sinne, by sighte of hise eyen as to erthely thinges. and coveitise of hynesse by pryde of herte. /
323. E. Hn. comaundementz; rest comaundement. 324. E. wheither. 325. Pt. þe astate; Ln. þe state; Cm. stat. 327. ne] E. and. 328. E. om. ye before shul. 330. E. Cm. a manere; rest in manere. 335. E. bynyneth; Hn. Pt. Hl. bynymeth.
§ 19. Now as for to speken of the firste coveitise, that is, concupiscence after the lawe of oure membres, that weren lawe-fulliche y-maked and by rightful Iugement of god; / I seye, for-as-muche as man is nat obeisaunt to god, that is his lord, therfore is the flesh to him disobeisaunt thurgh concupiscence, which yet is cleped norissinge of sinne and occasion of sinne. / Therfore, al the whyle that a man hath in him the peyne of concupiscence, it is impossible but he be tempted somtyme, and moeved in his flesh to sinne. And this thing may nat faille as longe as he liveth; it may wel wexe feble and faille, by vertu of baptesme and by the grace of god thurgh penitence; /340 but fully ne shal it nevere quenche, that he ne shal som tyme be moeved in him-self, but-if he were al refreyded by siknesse, or by malefice of sorcerie or colde drinkes. / For lo, what seith seint Paul: ‘the flesh coveiteth agayn the spirit, and the spirit agayn the flesh; they been so contrarie and so stryven, that a man may nat alwey doon as he wolde.’ / The same seint Paul, after his grete penaunce in water and in lond (in water by night and by day, in greet peril and in greet peyne, in lond, in famine, in thurst, in cold and clothlees, and ones stoned almost to the deeth) / yet seyde he: ‘allas! I, caytif man, who shal delivere me fro the prisoun of my caytif body?’ / And seint Ierome, whan he longe tyme hadde woned in desert, where-as he hadde no companye but of wilde bestes, where-as he ne hadde no mete but herbes and water to his drinke, ne no bed but the naked erthe, for which his flesh was blak as an Ethiopen for hete and ny destroyed for cold, /345 yet seyde he: that ‘the brenninge of lecherie boiled in al his body.’ / Wherfore I woot wel sikerly, that they been deceyved that seyn, that they ne be nat tempted in hir body. / Witnesse on Seint Iame the Apostel, that seith: that ‘every wight is tempted in his owen concupiscence’: that is to seyn, that everich of us hath matere and occasion to be tempted of the norissinge of sinne that is in his body. / And therfore seith Seint Iohn the Evaungelist: ‘if that we seyn that we beth with-oute sinne, we deceyve us-selve, and trouthe is nat in us.’ /