sayth xxiii qÌ„ viii petrê° He slowe theÌ„ not wythe material swerde but only by power that god yaue hiÌ„ to do myraclys wythe hys praiers he reysed a woman from deth to lyfe whos name was thabita auctuum ix.c And wythe wordys of hys blamynge he toke hir lyfe from ananye and safira He prayde not for hyr dethe but only vnder name them for ther siÌ„ne and a non they fel doun dede by the vertue of the swerde of goddys worde that peter spake and the holy gooste by peter For as saynt poule saythe the swerd of goddes worde ful ofte departeth the soule from the body And therfore the worde and the cursynge and vndernymynge of holy meÌ„ and of men of holy churche is moche for to drede Or elles by sufferaunce of god anon as seiÌ„t petyr vndernam them for thei repented them not the fende sathanas toke power ouer them And slowe theim bodely as he slowe theym fyrste goostly by the siÌ„ne of false couetyse The xxi chapter DIues Is it leful iÌ„ oni caâ— to sle oni maÌ„ or womaÌ„ vngylty Pauper In no case as the lawe saythe openly .xx. qÌ„ v. si non Diues I suppose that ye queste dampnethe a man that ye iustice knowethe vngylty shal not the iustice yeue the sentence and dampne hym sythe the queste saythe that he is gylty Pauper God forbede For thaÌ„ne fallethe the iustice iÌ„ manslaughter For he maye by no lawe sle hym that he knowethe vngilty xxiii qÌ„ v. si non Diues What shal he do thanne Pauper If he haue no iuge aboue hym he shal saue hiÌ„ by his playn power And if he haue a iuge aboue hym he shal seÌ„d the man to him tel him al the case that he may of his playn power deliuer him and saue hym from the dethe or elles seke sum other weye for to saue him But he shall not yeue the sentence of hys deth Pylat traueyled ful besyly to saue criste from deth for that he wyste him vngylty moch more a cristen iuge oweth to trauayle to saue the innocentys lyf whom crist bought with his blode and flee false sentence Pylat might and ought by lawe haue saued criste But for to plese the peple and for dred that they shulde haue accused hym to the emperoure he folowed ther wylle and put criste to the deth and therfor afterwarde he was daÌ„pned For the false queste pilate wolde not haue dampned hym in that that he wyste him vngylty but only for drede and to plese the people he dampnede him And sythe hethen lawe sleethe no man vngilty moche more cristen lawe shal sle no man vngylty But the iuge shal do al hys besynesse to flee shedding of blode withoute gylt Therfore he is made iuge to descuse the truthe to saue the vngilty and to punyssh the gylty and to lette malyce foly and falshed of the questys of the false wytnessys Therfore god seyth thus to euery iuge thou shalt not take the voyce of lesiÌ„ges ne thou shlat nof ioy ne thyn hond to sey false wytnes for the wycked maÌ„ that is to saye thou shalt make no couenaunt to saye false wytnesse ne assent therto Thou shat not folowe the peples wyl to do any euyl thinge or any falsnesse in dome Thou shalt not assent to the sentence of many to go aweye from the truth Exo. xxiii c Therfor the lawe biddeth that the iustice be not to light ne to redy to leue ne to redy to take vengeaunce Di. lxxxvi si quid Et xi qÌ„ vi.iii. quaÌ„uis Et xvi qÌ„ viii si quid The ende of euery dome shal be iusticia That is riyhtwisnesse in englisshe And rightwisnesse is a vertue and a stedfaste wyl alwey to yelde euery man woman his right Extra de v. significacione co. forum in glosa And therfore whanne the iustice doth wronge in his sentence yeuynge that is no rightful dome for it endeth not in rightwysnes But more wrong may he not do to man or woman thanne robbe him of his lyfe and slee him with oute gylt Therfor thanne what iuge sleeth man or woman vngilty wytingly he is no iuge but he is a tyraunt and doth ayens al lawes whyche be ordeyned to do right to euery man to punissh the gilty and to saue the vngilty And therfore seyth the lawe that he is no iuge if rightwysnesse be not in him Non est iudex si non est in eo iusticia xxiii qÌ„ ii iustuÌ„ The xxii chapter DIues It is lefulle to any man or womaÌ„ in any case to slee themsylfe Pauê‘ In no case and that for many skyllys Fyrste for by wey of kynd euery man louethe himsilf and is besy to saue himsilfe and to withstoÌ„d al thinge that wold distroy him And therfore it is synne ayens al kynde man or woman to sle him silfe Also it is ayens charite ffor eche man is bounde to loue him silfe and his euen cristen as hiÌ„silf Also he doth wroÌ„g to ye comontye of mankynd For as the philosofre sayth vto ethicorum Euery man is aparte of the comonte as euery menbre is aparte of the body Also for mannys lyfe is an high gyfte of god youen to man to serue god And only god may take it awey whanne he wyl And therfore he that sleeth hymsilfe he synneth ayens hys god in that that he sleeth his seruant ayens his wyl For though god yeue a man auctorite to sle another maÌ„ for his misdede yet god yeueth no man auctoritye to sle hymsilfe And therfore sayth the lawe .xxiii. qÌ„ v. non licet That no man ne woman shulde sle hiÌ„silfe neyther to fle myscheeffeof of this world ne to fle other meÌ„nys synne ne for sorowe of hys owne synne that he hath don ne for to go the soner to heuen For if he sle himsylfe as saythe there the lawe he gothe to endles mischeeffe And he fallethe in ouer greuous synne And iÌ„ that he sleethe hymsilfe falleth in wanehope and doth dispyte to the mercy of god as iudas dydde For after his deth he may not amend hym of that greuous siÌ„ne of maÌ„slaughter And by that manslaughter he leseth hys lyfe in thys worlde and his lyfe in heuen blysse and gothe to the dethe in helle wythe oute end And therfore ther shuld no woman sle hirsilfe to saue hir chastitie that she be not defouled For if she be defouled by violence ayens hir wyl she synneth not For as saint lucie seyde to the tyraunt paschasius ye body is not defouled but by assent of the soule But the synne is iÌ„ him that so defouleth hyr And lesse synne it is to fal in lecherie than man or woman to sle himsilfe for there is no helpe after Nether shulde no man ne woman slee himsilfe ne mayme himsilfe for drâ—d that he shuld ê¯sent to synne but trust in god that may kepe hym from consentynge and lette occacioÌ„s of synne And though maÌ„ or woman be constreyned to synne for drede of
wickednesse For who so bacbytethe hys brother he is a mansleer and there shal no such thefe ne mansleer haue part iÌ„ ye kyngdome of heue And therfore the law sayth in another place that it ê“fyteeth not as anentys mede in heuen a maÌ„ to fast or prey or do other gode dedis of relegion but his thoughtys be withdrawe fro wickednesse and his tunge fro bacbitiÌ„g De condici v. nichil enim ê“dest not only he is giltie iÌ„ bacbitiÌ„ge that speketh euyl of his eueÌ„ cristeÌ„ but also tho that gladly here suche wicked spech and shrewed tales of ther euen cristen vi qÌ„ i. ex merito .xxi. qÌ„ .iii. noÌ„ soluÌ„ And therfore the wyse man sayth put awey fro the the wicked mouthe and put awey fer fro the lyppys bacbytynge ê“uÌ„ iiii Hegge thynrerys with thornes and here not the wycked tunge and make dorys to thy mouth and lockys to thyn eerys Eccle. xxviii TheÌ„ke that he wyl speke of the as euyl bihynd the as he doth of another bihynde him TheÌ„ke what woo and myschefe comethe of bacbytynge and wycked tunges and shewe him no gode chere but shewe him by thy countinance and thy chere that hys spech plesethe the not And anon he shal cese and be ashamed of hys malyce For the wyse man sayth Right as the northe wynde destroieth and scatereth the rayne and the cloudys soo the heuy face of the herer destroyeth the tâ—ng bacbityng ê“uÌ„ xxvo. The children of israel bacbited goddes doyng and lacked the londe of byheste whaÌ„ne they shuld haue entred god was offended with them and bad them wend ayen bacward into desert and there he held theÌ„ fourty yere tyl they were dede euery chone that cam oute of egipte saue two meÌ„ Iosue and Caleph For they two spake good of the lond of byhest and held with god And soo the children of the peple that caÌ„ oute of egipt entred the lond of bihest and not the faders saue Iosue Laleph And that for ther bacbitynge Numeri xiiii Also marie the sustre of Moyses bacbyted hir brother moyses and spakeuil of hiÌ„ anon she was afoul lepre might notte be heled til moises prayd to god for hir numÌ„ i. vii.c The third chapter ALso there is theft of wordys Of which thefte god speketh by the prophet Ieremie xxiiio. co. Where god vndernimethe false ê“phetis and fals pÌ„chourys which stale awey his wordis fro the peple and told not the truthe as god bad them butte only sayde such thynges that shal please the peple and so deseyued the peple with lesynges and with false myracles as men do these dayis feynyng myracles of ymagis as men do these daies to maynteyn ydolatrie for lucre of offerynge false myracles of wicked lyuers and sey that god dothe myracles for them and so blynd the peple in falsnesse And so they yeue the worshyp of myracles doynge to ymagis that man hath made to wicked lyuers goddes enemyes Which miraclis only god may do so robbe god of his worship And in that they withdraw goddes worde and the trewethe the goddes lawe that longeth to meÌ„ of holy church to tech. and to the peple to cun and to knowe And so they deseyue the peple in that they be theues of goddes worde and shal be punisshed ful hard of god for such theft of goddes worde For god sayth to euery pÌ„late curate and prechourer SpeculatoreÌ„ dedi te domui israel cetera I haue made the a day wayte to the houshold of israel and to my peple thou shalt here my worde of my mouth and shew it and tel it in my name to theim If I sey to the wycked man that he shall dye for his wickednesse And thou tellest him not butt hydeste my word and spekeste not to hiÌ„ that he may turne him from hys wickednes and leue it that wicked maÌ„ shal dye iÌ„ his wickednes and I shal seke the blod and the deth of him of thin hond that is to say thou shalt answere for his deth Ezech. iiio. co. Also they be theues of goddes wordes that pÌ„che goddes wordes to ther owne wordly auantage not to ye worship of god ne to profyt of mannys soule Also they be theues of goddes wordis that eleggen goddes wordes and holy writ falsly to maynteyn errours and eresies or synne or shrewdnesse The fourth chapter ALso there is atheft of wordly good Of suche thefte Iob sayth AgruÌ„ noÌ„ suuÌ„ demetuÌ„t They repe other mennys feldys make vintage of ther mennys wynes take mennys clothiÌ„ge fro them and late them naked iÌ„ the colde wynter and robbe moderles childreÌ„ pore widowis by might and spoyle and robbe the pore peple The thefe saythe he riseth vp in the morwe sleth the nedy and the pore and by night he steleth as a mycher Sêª deus iÌ„ultuÌ„ abire noÌ„ patit iob xxiiii c Diues Hou many spices be of theft Pauper Full many For sum tyme a thing is stolne pÌ„uely withoute wetyng of the lorde or of the keper and ayens ther wyll it is cleped mycherie SuÌ„tyme it is do openly by might and violence wetyng the lord the keper ayens ther wyll and that is ê“pirly rapina raueyn SuÌ„tyme it is do wetyng the lord or the keper and aparte ayens the wyll but not all ayens ther wyl vnder certeyn coÌ„dicion of wynniÌ„ge not leful in the taker and thaÌ„ne it is cleped vsura gouel or vsure in englyssh Also al maner vnrightful occupiyng of any thiÌ„ge lordship or any other auer iÌ„ thys world is cleped theft And therfore saynt austeÌ„ saith thus The thyng that man or woman hath by the lawe that is his by ye law and non other mannys And maÌ„ hath by ye law that he hath rightfully and he hath that rightfully that he hathe we le And therfore sayth he euery thyng that is mis had is other mennys and euery man hathe his goode amys that vseth his gode amys In eplaÌ„ ad macedoniuÌ„ Also witholdyng of almes from the pore nedy folke is theft in goodes syght For the couetous rich men withdraw fro the pore folk that longeth to theÌ„ and misspende the pore mennys good wherby they shulde be susteyned And therfore the wis maÌ„ sayth Sone defraude thou not the almes of the pore maÌ„ ne turne not awey thin iyen fro the pore ne despyse not the huÌ„gry soule ne tene ne angre thou nott the pore in his mischeffe Torment thou not the hert of the nedy ne delay thou not the yift from him that is in angwyssh Cast not awey the preyer of him that is desesed ne turne thou not thy face awey fro the helplese for wrath ne yeue thou not him that axeth the goode non occasion to curse the byhynd the For if the pore man curse the iÌ„ bytternes of soule hys prayer shal be harde For he that made hym shal here hym And therfore make the plesaunt in speche to the congregacion of pore folk
nat stire themself This precept is principaly ayeÌ„s false purchasoures that for false couetise ben besy to begyle and with falshed to robbe men of house and of londe put theym oute of their heritage To suche false purchasoures god yeuethe his curse and saith thus Ve qui cogitatis iÌ„utile et operamini malum in cubilibus vestris c. Woo be to you that thynke vnê“fitable thinge and worche wycked thinge in youre beddes iÌ„ the morowe whanne ye may nat slepe For thaÌ„ne they caste gyle and falshede ayenst their euencristen They haue couetyd other mennys feeldes saith he and by miÈt take them away from them and robbe them of their houses falsly chalenge the maÌ„ and his hous and his heritage For ofte they chalenge men for bonde and so entre into their house and londe and haue alle their heritage with goddes curse Michee ii Also god yeueth them his curse by the prophete ysaie ther he saith thus Ve qui coniungitis domum domui et agrum agro copulatis c Wo be to you that falsly ioyne house to house couple felde to felde to the ende of the place that ye may say all this is myne and noo man hath ought within me Wene ye saith god that ye alone shal duelle vpon erthe This false couetise saith he sowneth in myn erys And therfore many a fair house and grete shal be forsaken and no man ne woman duelle therin ysa v. And thus the wise man saith Non at tingas terminos paruulorum c Touche nat the boundes of the smal pore folke to reue them of their right and entre thou nat in to the feelde of faderles children to putte them oute of their heritage For almighty god that is ther nigh frende shal mak their cause ful greuouse and ful hard ayeÌ„st the Prouer. xxiii The ii chapter WE fynde in holy wrytte the thrid boke of kinges xxi c That ther was a kinge of israel that hight Achab and ther was a man duellyng by him that hiÈt naboth that hadde a faire vyneyerd that lay nigh the kinges paleis and therfore the kinge desyred gretly to haue it and saide to naboth yeue me thy vyneyerde and I shal yeue the a better ther. fore or elles asmoche money as it is worthe ThaÌ„ne naboth saide god forbede that I shulde chauÌ„ge my faders heritage I wole neuir chaunge it ne selle it ThaÌ„ne the kinge was wroth and for malancoly leyde him on his bedde wolde nat ete ne drynke The quene Iesabel his wyf come to him and axed what him ayled The king saide that he had spoken to naboth to haue his vyneyerde and he wolde nat graunte it him Thanne Iesabel the quene saide Be of gode confort and take me thy rynge and I shal yeue to the. the vyneyerde ThaÌ„ne she wrote lettres iÌ„ the kinges name to the principalis of the citee vndre the kinges signet And badde them gadre their courte to gidder and make a solempne fastynge so to blynde the people with ypocrisie and bad them ordeyne two false wytnesses which shuld accuse naboth and say that he spak euyl of god and of the king and so dampne him as gilty and stone him to the deth and so they did For it was the lawe that who so spake euyl of god or of the king or cursyd them he shulde be slayn ¶ whanne Iesabel hadde tidinges that naboth was slayne she came to the kinge and badde hym ryse vp be mery take the vynyerd to him for naboth was dede And anone the kinge rose weÌ„te into the vyneyerde toke it to hiÌ„ ThaÌ„ at the bydding of god Ely the ê“phete met with him saide to him in goddes name Thou hast slayn and thou hast that thou couetist But I tel the it forsothe in the same place there the houndes haue lykked vp the blode of Nabothe houÌ„des shal lycke vp thy blode and houndes shall ete thy wyf Iesabel and houndes briddes shalle ete thy body and god shall distroye thyne householde and sle al thy kynred and thyne alyaunce and sone after it fel so And thus of false couetise came ê‘iurie false wytnesse murdre manslaughter and distruccione of the kingdome ¶ we rede also in the passion of seint Beatrice that there was a false couetouse man whos name was Lucres And he coueytid moche the place of seynt Beatrice And for couetice to haue ye place he accused her to an hethen iuge that she was a cristen womaÌ„ And so by his accusacion she was slayne For she wolde nat forsake Cristene Cristes lawe Whanne she was thus dede Lucres entryd into her place to haue it in possession And for ioye of the place he made therin a grete feest to his frendes And whanne he was moost mery and iocuÌ„de in the myddes of the feest a yong soukyng childe that was there in his moders arme sayd al alowde that al men might here it Audi lucreci Here nowe Lucres Thou hast slayne thou haste entryd falsly into this place and haste it at thy wylle But nowe thou art youen into the mighte into possession of thy moste enemy And anone in tyme of the feest bifore al his freendes and his gestes the feende entryd within him and iii. oures to gidre so for trauelyd him and so rent him before them al til he slewe him and for his fals couetise bare his soul to helle Here thou might se what perel is to purchace any thing amys by false couetise And therfore if thou haue purchased any thing falsly or if thou occupye any thing mys purchased looke that thou make restitucion for saluacion of thy self and of thyne heyres For it is a comen prouerbe De male qÌ„sitis vix gaudet terciê° heres Of euyl goteÌ„ gode ye thrid heire vnneth hath ioye The iii. chapter DIues If I hadde oughte purchaced a mys my self I holde me bounden to restitucion but of my former faders purchace haue I nought to do whether it were rightful or nat rightfulle Butt that they lefte to me I wyl kepe it as the gode maÌ„ Naboth dyd of whom thou spakfull ate Pauê‘ Naboth wolde haue kept stylle his fader heritage that longyd to him by right by discent of heritage But if thou kepe any thinge wyttingly that thy former faders purchasid falsly in that thou kepist nat thi faders heritage as naboth dyde but thou kepist other mennys heritage to whiche neither thou ne thy fader hadde right And therfore but thou mak restitucoÌ„n thou shalt rewe it and al thyne heires as Achab dyd and his heires Whiche loste nat only that they had mysgoten of naboth by murdre and by gyfe but therâ—o they lost their lif their worship and theire heritage for euir ¶ I rede that ther was a grete man whiche did moche almesse for his almesse god wolde haue him saued It by fel in an euenynge he romyd alone vndre his wode side by his place ther came
we be taught feith hope and charite and how these thre pÌ„ceptis teche vs to loue god in herte worde and dede ca. xx ¶ The fourthe precepte All the preceptes of the secouÌ„de table be knyt in the secouÌ„de pÌ„cept of charite why the pÌ„cept of worshiping fader moder is the first of the secouÌ„de table howe they shuld be worshiped also of peyn that cuÌ„meth to them that worship nat fader moder Ensample of chaÌ„the sonne of Noe. ca. .i. ¶ what mischeif comyth to children the hynder fader and moder for their gode and of them that ben vnbuxum to fader moder Ensample by absolon and adonye ca. ii ¶ By ensample in kynde we ben taught to worship fader moder as of the storke of the pellicane ca. iii. ¶ Helpe at nede is clepyd worship in holy wryt that owith the child to fader and moder what peryl it is foly man or woman to dismytte them of their gode in trust of their children ca. iiii ¶ In what maner tâ—e child owith to hate fader and moder and to forsake theym and howe fader and moder shulde helpe the childe and the childe them at nede Ensample by the rote and the croppe of a tree but the fader and the moder haue more kyndely loue to their children thanue ayenwarde ca. v. ¶ In what maner men of religion shulde helpe fader and moder att nede ca. vi ¶ The godes of holy churche been the godes of pore men and nedye howe seint Benet yaue godes of his couent to pore men seiÌ„t fraunces badde the same ca. vii Godes of religion shulde be more comen thaÌ„ other meÌ„nys godes to helpe nedy folk of the abusion of suÌ„me proude religious men their ypocrites excusyng fro yeuyng of almesse ca. viii ¶ Textis of holy wryt hou children shulde be obededient to fader moder that gode liuyng of the child is worship to fader moder their euyl lyuyng is shenship to fader moder ca. ix ¶ MissuffcauÌ„ce of children in their youthe is their sheÌ„ship and velony to al their kyn that men shulde chastise their children and teche them to serue god ca. x. ¶ Euery man woman is bounde after his degre to do his besynesse to knowe goddes lawe that he is bounde to kepe hou eche man in suÌ„me maner shulde teche goddes lawe hou the child shuld worship fader moder whaÌ„ they ben dede ca. xi Hou we shuld worship god as priÌ„cipal fader moder ca xii Oure gostly faders be to be worshiped why they ben clepyd gostly faders What harme cuÌ„meth by them that ben clepyd curatis bothe to them self to the people for they do nat their deuer ca. xiii Our elders that be our faders mods in age be to be worshiped olde meÌ„ that ben customed iÌ„ synne shulde be harde repÌ„uyd· ca. xiiii ¶ Kinges al soueraignes owe to be faders to their subgettes of them to be worshipped hou why seruauntes shulde obey to ther lordes howe lordes shuld do to their seruauntes ca· xv How wycked men tirauntes been goddes seruauÌ„tes why god suffreth wycked folke to be in this worlde ca. xvi God yeueth lordship power to wicked meÌ„ for syn of the peple to whoÌ„ meÌ„ owe to obey to do theÌ„ worship for their dignite c. xvii ¶ How and in what ordre meÌ„ shuld obey to their soueraignes in what thinges In what thinges knight is bonde meÌ„ wyueâ— childreÌ„ eche ben bounde to obeye to their soueraignes in whiche thiÌ„ges they ben nat bounden ca. xviii ¶ In whiche thinges subgettes been bounde to obey to their pÌ„latiâ— in whiche nat though pÌ„lacy or lordship be occupied ayeÌ„s the comeÌ„ lawe yit is it gode to obey What a preest shulde do if the busshop bydde him curse a man whom he holdith vngilty ca. xix ¶ In what maner officers of the king shulde obey to the iuge iÌ„ mater of meÌ„nes deth In whiche thinges a religious man is bouÌ„de to obey his pÌ„late iÌ„ which thiÌ„ges nat In what maner thiÌ„ges a pÌ„late of religion may dispense in suÌ„me thinges nat ca. xx ¶ In what thinges a clerke is bounde to obey his busshop howe the wyf is bounde to her husboÌ„de in brekyng of her vowe SuÌ„me thinges been gode of the self suÌ„me ded euyl of the self suÌ„me iÌ„diâ—ferent â–ª In whiche thinges indifferent stondith ê“pirly obedience to men that ben soueraignes ca. xxi ¶ Alle men of state and dignity ben clepyd faders and owe to be worshiped of lower men ca xxii ¶ Angels seintes in heuene ben oure faders and be to be worshyped hou aungelis kepe and defende vs. ca xxiii ¶ Patrones of churches ben faders of the same churches On three maners bicometh a man patrone what righte loÌ„gith to proÌ„nes also of pÌ„sentacion of ê‘sones to churches ca. xxiiii ¶ Euery man owith to holde other his fader iÌ„ suÌ„me degre for ther ben many maner faders and so by this coÌ„mauuÌ„dmeÌ„t we be bouÌ„de to helpe al nedy folke vpon oure power ca. xxv why this ê¯mauÌ„de t is youeÌ„ with a bihest of welfar mede ca xxvi ¶ Pride rebellion vnbuxuÌ„nesse of the peple ayen their soueraignes that they wole entmer theÌ„ detmyne euery cause of the loÌ„de of the churche is cause of destruction of reames ca xxvii ¶ The fyfte precepte ¶ Vnleful manslaughter is done by hert by mouthe by dede and hou a bacbiter sleeth thre at onys ca. i. ¶ Thre maner of flateringes in which is maÌ„slaughter dedly syn also of peyn of flateriÌ„g both by goddes lawe maÌ„nes ca. ii ¶ what mischeif cometh of flateringe and to theym that haue lykyng in flatering ca iii ¶ A musterer or whisterer is a preuy rowner a preuy lyer who is a double tunged man the flatering tuÌ„ge is the thridde tunge that dothe moche woo ca. iiii ¶ Flatering of false prophetis and prechoures other false men distroyeth citees kingdomes Ensample by scripture and howe the flatering tuÌ„ge is a gilous tunge ca. v. ¶ On iii. maners may a maÌ„ be slayne vnrightfully ca vi ¶ Nigardes the wole nat helpe pore folk at nede also tyrauÌ„tes and extorcioners that take fro men their skynnes their flesshe fro the bones be mansleers what iâ— vnderstonde by these thre skyn flesshe and boone ca. vii ¶ Men that witholde seruauntes their hyre ben maÌ„quellers why crist saide to petyr thries Pasce Fede Men of holy churche speÌ„de amys godes of holy churche and wole nat help the pore nedy folk been manquellers ca viii ¶ Alle the drawe folke to synne by mys entisyng or wycked ensample or mys counseylor false lore namely men of holy churche be manquellers also al that yeue occasion of sclaundre howe pÌ„lates and their officers shulde haue them self in their visitaciouns Withouten what deuocion praier is dede· ca· ix Al that lett men of
excellent he sayd to him Si vis perfectê° elle c. If thou wylt be parfyte go and selle alle that thou haste and yeue it to the pore folke and come folowe me Diues â–ª The same tale tolde me thy broder twenty yere â—aste But we spake than moste of the highe parfection of excellencie I praye the let vs nowe speke a while of the lesse ê‘fection that is nedefulle to alle For sithen I may nat atteyn to the more parfection I wold as me muste kepe and holde wele the lesse parfection Pauper Do thanne as Criste taughte that yonge riche man Serua mandata Kepe wele the commauÌ„demeÌ„tes Haue one god in worship Take nat his name in ydelnes Halowe thyne holidaye Fadre and moder worshippe and paye Sle no man Doo no folye by no woman Loke that thou nat stele And no false wytnesse that thou bere Coueyte thou nat thy neighboures gode with wronge house ne londe Desire nat his wyf ne his childe ne his seruauÌ„t ne his beest ne ony thinge that to him longith ¶ These ben the .x. commaundementes whiche god wrote in two tables of stone and toke theym to Moyses for to teche theym to the people The thre firste preceptes were wryten by theym self in the firste table For tho principally teche vs howe we shuld worship oure god and loue hym aboue al thinge And therfore they ben clepyd the thre preceptes of the firste table The other vii been clepyd of the secounde table for they were writen in the secound table And they teche vs how we shulde worshyppe and loue our euyn cristen as oure self And so alle the ten commaundementes been comprehendyd in the two preceptes of charite Diues Whiche been tho Pauper The first is that thou shalt loue thy lord god with al thyn hert with alle thy mynde With alle thy might The secouÌ„de is that thou shalt loue thy neighboure as thy self that is to saye thou shalt loue him to the same blisse that thou louest to thy self and do to him as thou woldest men dyde to the and nat do to hym but as thou woldest men dyde to the as longe as he kepith the lawe of charite For and if he forfete and do ayenste charite it is charite to chastise hym and punysshe him tyl he wyl amende him for saluacion of his soule and ensample of other In these ii coÌ„maundementes as Cryste sayth in the gospel hangith al the lawe and alle the prophecy And therfore seint poule saith that loue and charite is fulfillyng of alle the lawe ¶ The x. chaptre DIues me merueylith moche why Crist taught more that yong riche man the commaundementis of the secounde table than of the firste and why he taught hiÌ„ more how he shuld loue his neighbour thaÌ„ he shuld loue his god For neither Criste spake to him of the firste pÌ„cepte of charitie howe he shulde loue his god aboue al thing ne how he shulde haue one god in worship ne howe he shulde flee ê‘iury ne that he shulde halowe the holidaye And yet without keping of these may no man be sauyd Pauper Whanne Crist badde him kepe the pÌ„ceptes in general he badde him kepe the x. coÌ„mauÌ„dementes the ii pÌ„ceptes of charitye al goddes hestes his lawes But he specifyed more the pÌ„ceptes of the secouÌ„de table thaÌ„ of the firste more the secouÌ„de pÌ„cepte of charite than the firste not that he was more bouÌ„de therto but for he was more enclyned bicause of youthe of richesses of lordship to forfet ayenst tho pÌ„ceptes than ayenst the other of the firste table For youthe is enclyned to wrathe hastynesse fightyng and so to maÌ„slaughter to lichery auoutrye to lyenge so to false wytnesse to theft to pryde rebellion to iÌ„dignacion to dispyte of his elder And so in many wyse offendith his neighboure his euyn cristen And namely whan youthe is vndersettÌ„ with riches is at his owne rule withoute drede of punysshinge as that yonge man was For he was fulle ryche and he was a prynce leder and ruler of the cuntre as saythe Seint Luke in his gospelle And therfore Criste moste souerayn leche not only taught him how he shulde lyue withouten ende but more ouir he warned him to what seknesse he was moost disposed to wherby he myghte lese that lyf and die withouten ende taught him medicynes ayenst tho seknesses whan he bad him nat sle do no lichery no thefte bere no false witnesse worshyp fadre and modre and in his reulyng loue his neighbour as him self and doo to him as he wolde men dyde to him Diues Why specified nat criste to him the ii laste pÌ„ceptes of the secounde table whiche be ayenst fals couetise Pauper For yonge folk be be nat so moche enclyned to couetise as they be to other synnes Diues That is sothe for couetyse reigneth moost in olde folk And so as men wexe in age soo encresith ther couetise And whaÌ„ al other synnes forsake maÌ„ for elde and feblenesse than couetyse is moost breme Pryde is first iâ— youthe couetyse laste in age Saye forth what thou wylt Pauper Euirmore thou shalt vndrestonde that ther be ii manere of lyues by the which man may be sauyd The firste is coÌ„templatyf the secounde is actyf The first stondith principally in besinesse to knowe god and goddes lawes to loue him aboue alle thinge The secounde stondith principaly in gode dedes gode reule and helpe of our euyn cristeÌ„ The thre first pÌ„ceptes of the first table belongith to alle but principaly to them that been in lyf contemplatyf that haue forsake the worlde and worldly besynesse for the loue of god The vii pÌ„ceptes of the secounde table also longen to alle but principally to theym that ben in lyf actyf in besynesse of the world The lyf contemplatif is in ease rest of hert The lyf actyf is in doynge trauayl and besynesse of body soule And of this lyf spake the yonge riche man whaÌ„ne he seyd Lorde what shal I do how shal I lyue to haue the lyf withouteÌ„ ende And crist taught hiÌ„ what gode dedes he shuld do what mysdedes he shulde fle if he wolde kepe wele the lyf actyf Also thou shalt vnderstonde for this speche of crist and many suche other that criste iÌ„ the gospel hole wrytte by example of the lesse preueth shewith the more As whanne he saith that men shuld be sauyd at the day of dome for they yaue mete to the hungrye drynke to the thrusty moche more than shuld ther be â—aued that yaf al that they hadde or myght haue for the loue of god and hem self to serue god night and daie body and soule and put them to the dethe for his loue And they also that fede mannys soule with brede of goddes worde And sith they shal be daÌ„pned that wole natt yeue to pore folke mete drynk for goddes sake Moche more shuld
they be daÌ„pned that robbe men of ther lyf lyuelode they that done lechery auoutrye maÌ„slaughter robbery and other orrible synnes And on the same maner whanne cryste specifyed to that riche man the preceptes of the secounde table and the secounde precepte of charitye He shewith that sithen tho were soo necessary to haue the lyf withouten ende Moche more the pÌ„ceptes of the first table and the first pÌ„cept of charite been necessarye to alle that wole haue the lyf with outen ende Diues Therfore wolde I fayne kepe theym better thanne I haue done But I se many doubtes therin the I can nat kepe theym Pauê‘ What doute haste thou therin The firste chaptre DIues In the firste commauÌ„dement as I haue lernyd god sayth thus Thou shalt haue no on other straunge goddes bifore me Thou shalte make to the no grauyn thynge no mawmet no lykenesse that is in heuyn aboue ne that is bynethe in erthe ne of any thinge that is in the water vndre therth Thou shalte nat worshyp them with thy body outewarde ne with thyn hert inwarde Exodi xx c Soo by this me thinketh the god defendeth makynge of ymages and worshippynge of them and yit men do make ymages these daies grete plente bothe in churche and out of churche And alle men as me thynk worshyp ymages And it is fulle harde to me but I do in that as al men done And if I worshyp them me thinketh I do ydolatrie ayenst goddes lawe Pauper God forbedith nat men to make ymages For he bad moyses make ymages of ii auÌ„gelys that be clepyd cherubyn in the lyknesse of two yonge men as we fynd Exodi xxxvii c And salomon made suche and many mo therto iÌ„ the temple to the worshyp of god the iii. boke of kingis vii.c. And god bad moyses make his tabernacle al that longith therto aftre the example and the lyknes that was shewyde to him vpon the hylle whanne he was there with god xl daies xl nightes Exodi xxv And therfore god forbedith nat vtterly the makynge of ymages but he forbedith vtterly for to make ymages for to worship them as goddes and to sette their faith their trust their hope their loue their bileue in them For god wole haue mannys herte hole knytt to him alone for in him is al oure help al oure saluacion And therfore we muste worshyp him loue him truste in him aboue al thynge no thynge worship but him or for him That alle the worshyp that we do to any creature be do principaly for him arectyd to him For he sayth Gliam meam alteri non dabo et laudem meam sculptilibus ysaie xlii I shal nat yeue my worshippe my blisse my glorye to none other ne my prysynge to grauyn ymages ne to paynted ymages And in the same chaptre he saith Shamfully shent mote they be alle that set their truste iÌ„ grauen ymages Diues Wherof serue these ymages I wolde they were brent alle Pauper They serue for thre thynges For they be ordeined to stere maÌ„nys mynde to thynke on cristes incarnacion and on his passion on his lyuynge on other seintes lyuynge Also they ben ordeined to styre mannys affection and hiâ— herte to deuocion For ofte man is more steryd by sight than be herynge or redynge Also they be ordeyned to be a tokeÌ„ a boke to the leude peple that they may rede iÌ„ ymagery painture that clerkes rede iÌ„ the boke as the lawe sayth de coÌ„secra distinct .iii. ê‘ latuÌ„ Where we fynde that a bisshop distroied ymages as thou woldest do and forfendyd that no man shuld worship ymages He was accused to the pope seynt Gregory whiche blamyd him gretely for that he had so distroyed the ymages but vtterly he prised him for he forfendyd them to worshyp ymages The ii chaptre DIues How shuld I rede in the boâ—ke of peynture of ymagery Pauper WhaÌ„ne thou seest the ymage of the crucifixe thynk on him that died on the crosse for thy synne and thy sake and thanke him for his endlesse charite that he wolde suffre so moche for the Take hede by the ymage howe his hede was crowned with a garlonde of thornes tyl they went into the brayne the blode braste oute on euery side for to distroye the high synne of pryde that shewyth moste in maÌ„nys hede and womaÌ„nes and make an ende of thy pride Tak hede by the ymage howe his armes were spradde abrode drawen fulstrayte vpon the tre tyl al the veynes and the synowes crakyd And howe his hondes were nalyd to the crosse and stremyd oute blode for to distroye the synne that Adam and Eue. dyd with their hondes whanne they toke the apple ayenst goddes forbode Also he suffryd this to distroye the synne of wycked dedys and wycked werkes that men and wymen do with theire hondes make an ende of thy wyckyd werkys Take hede also howe his syde was openyd his herte clouen in two with the sharpe spere and how he shedde blode and water to shewe that if he had had more blode iÌ„ his body more he wold haue yeuen for mannys loue He shedde blode to rauÌ„some of our soules warÌ„ to wasshe vs from our siÌ„nes Also he suffride this for to distroye the synne of pryde couetise enuye hate wrathe and malyce· that reigne in maÌ„nes hert womans Take hede make an ende of thy pryde of thy false couetise of hate enuye wrathe malice foryeue thyn euen cristen for his loue that foryaue his deth Tak hede also by the ymage how his feet were nailed to the crosse and stremyd on bode to distroye the synne of sleuth iÌ„ goddes seruice And make an ende of sleuthe in goddes seruice and haste thy fot to goddes house to goddes seruyce Take hede also by the ymage howe his body was to reÌ„t and al to torne with tho sharp scourges that fro the sole of the fote vnto the toppe of the hede ther was no hole place on his bodye that was to distroye the synne of lust and likyng of the flesshe glotonye lichery Which regne in mannys body and womans and make an ende of glotony lychery Take hede how naked pore he henge vpon the crosse for thy synne thy sake and be thou nat ashamyd to suffre pouertie myscheif for his loue And as seynt Bernarde byddith take hede by the ymage how his hede is bowed downe to the redy to kysse the and come at one with the See how his armys and his hondes been spradde abrode on the tree in token that he is redy to halse and clyppe the kysse the and take the to his mercye Se howe his syde was opened and his herte clouen on two in token that his herte is alwaye open to the redy to loue the and to forgyue the alle trespasse yf thou wylte amende the and axe mercy Take hede also
axe what the wrighte wole worche ne whan Ne thou mayst nat knowe by the orloge what tyme the orloger wole set it ne knowe the orlogers wylle Ne thou maist nat knowe by the gryndstone what the smyth wol grynde ne what maner ne whaÌ„ Diues It is soth Pauper No more may we knowe by the bodies aboue ne by the cours of the planetes what god wole do ne what he wole ordeyne of maÌ„ or of woman or of any comunyte londe realme cuntre or cite for the planetes the bodies aboue ben nought elles but goddes instrumeÌ„tes the course of the planetes is nat chaungeable ne variable but it is put iÌ„ certeyn meuynge and stirynge whiche they maye natt flee ne chaunge for they haue no fre election iÌ„ theire doynge But god is souereyn iuge moste rightful moste merciful moste free to punysshe to spare For he is moste of might no thinge may him withstoÌ„de therfore his domes his werkes be nat nedyd ne artid by the planetes but after that meÌ„ chaunge her lyuyng so chaÌ„gith he his domes to punysshe or spare to wel or to wo to heuyn or to helle He demyd the siÌ„ful cite of nynyue bicause of synne to be distroyed within xl daies but whan they repeÌ„tyd hem ameÌ„dyd theym cryde after mercy he chaÌ„ged his dome sparyd the cyte distroied it nat as tellith Ionas the ê“phete yit the planetes chaÌ„gyd nat her cours for non ameÌ„dmeÌ„t of the peple Also we fynd iÌ„ holy wryt the fourth boke of kinges that god sende the ê“phete Isaie to the kiÌ„g ezechie whaÌ„ he had sined and badde him make his testament for he shulde dye no lengre lyue Anone the kinge repentyd him wepte ful sore axed mercy And anon god badde the ê“phete Isaie that yit was iÌ„ the kinges halle to wende ayen to the kinge say to him that god had accepted his repentaunce herde his prayer that he shulde nat dye than but he shuld lyue xv yere lengre Lo leue frende how sone the dome of god was chaunged al to mercy And though the planetes yit the tyme kept forth their course they chauÌ„gyd nat for al the kinges wepynge Diues Anone after the son chaungyd his cours turnyd ayen iÌ„to the eest began a newe day Pauper The turnyng ayen of the sonne was natt cause of the mercye of god ne of chauÌ„gynge of his domes for god chauÌ„gyd his dome bifore or the sonne turnyd ayen So the turnyng ayen of the son was noughte elles but a token of mercy to the kynge ezechie to alle synful wreches that wolde ameÌ„de hem For right as the son chauÌ„ged his course after the repentauÌ„ce of the kynge Right so god chauÌ„gith his sentence anon as man or woman repeÌ„tith him of his syn is in wyl to ameÌ„de him Therfore saith the lawe De penitent di i. sufficiat No uit deus mutare sentenciam si tu nouis emeÌ„dare delictuÌ„ God can chaunge his sentence his dome anone as thou canst ameÌ„de thy trespasse Also it was a token to the kyng that goddes bihest to him shulde be fulfylled Butt alle the astronomours that euir were coude nat telle bifore of the wounderful token in the sonne For it was al ayenst the comon course of kynde that and suche other shewe wele that god is nat ruled by the course of the planetes but that god ruleth the planetes and nat the planetes him ne his domes ne his werkes But god ruleth demeth and gouerneth al maÌ„kynde ê‘sone comunyte after that they deserue and as him thynketh moost spedeful to his worshyp to the comon proufyt of his Realme in heuen in erthe in helle whose domes and ordenauÌ„ce passe maÌ„nes wyt And therfore seint poul sayth Quis cognouit sensuÌ„ dnÌ„i aut quis consiliarius eius fuit who saith he hath knowe the wyt of god or who was his counseloure Forsothe nat the astronomoures ne wyches for they ben fooles of alle foles and put fettheste oute of goddes counseyl as folke that god moste hatyth Seint poule sayth that the domes of god ben incoÌ„pÌ„hensible nomaÌ„ may knowe them we le no man may trase his weyes Tho been his wonderful domes they ben so medled with mercy rightfulnesse that they passe mannes wytte Therfore the prophete Dauyd sayth Vniuerse vie dnÌ„i miÌ„a et veritas Alle the weyes of the lorde been mercy and treuthe Iudicia dnÌ„i abissus multa The domes of god been a moch depnesse ye so depe that no maÌ„nes wytte may seke to the depenesse ne knowe wele the cause ne skylle of his wonderfulle domes And therfore suche astronomoures wyches that entermet them so high of goddes domes wonderful werkes presume to diuyne of thynges that been to come and make theym wyse as if they were goddes felowes and knewe alle his preuy counseyl they ben foles of alle foles Diues Therfore clerkes saye that they may no thynge tel for certayne But they may tel wher to man or woman or comunyte is enclened by the worchyng of the bodies aboue Neuirthelesse as they saye man and woman may by vertue ouircome the planetes and soo euery wyse man is lorde and maister of the planetes And therfore ptolomeus the greate astronomoure saith Qd vir sapiens dnÌ„abitur astris The xx chaptre ALso as they say by astronomye they may knowe whan men ben iÌ„clyned to werre or to peas And whan by comon course of kynde shulde falle moreyn hungre tempest drought and such other But as they say one holy prayer may chauÌ„ge euery dele And though it fal nat in one cuÌ„tre it fallith in an other cuntre Pauper Sithen they can nat telle for certeyne what shalle bifalle but al in doute their sawes their domes maye so lightly be chauÌ„gyd brought to nought it is a greate folye to sette any trust to their tales For so may euery fole telle what he wole and excuse euery lesynge This maner of spech is nought elles but a mayntenynge of lesynges and of faytrye and of hydynge of folye and a synful excusacion of synne a nett to cache with womaÌ„nes soul. a streÌ„ge to drawe men to helle to drawe maÌ„nes hert his loue his trust from god They wolde fayne beholdeÌ„ wyse nye of goddes couÌ„seyl but they wote nat howe for they be founden so false ¶ ye shalle vnderstonde leue frende that ther is but one sonne one mone and other fyue planetes Saturne Iubiter Mars Venê° and Mercury Whiche with other sterres gone aboute alle erth with the firmament euery day natuturel so passe alle the londes alle realmes ê‘sones al erthe al waters al ayre in xxiiii oures that is clepid day natural from soÌ„ne ryse to sonne ryse from none to none And sithen they passe alle londes al ê‘sones so euenly make no more duellyng ouir one than an other why shuld they more enclyne one
yitt lye for if he say treuthe me thinketh he lyeth nat Pauper What so euir man or feende doth or spekith ayenst gode conscience and ayenste the plesaunce of god in wyl and intencion for to disceyue man woman or childe it is a lesynge and he is a lyer that doth it or sayth it And therfore the lawe she with wele .xxii. qÌ„ ii hoiÌ„es c. is auteÌ„ That if a maÌ„ say a treuth whiche treuth he wenyth be false if he say it for to disceyue his euyn cristeÌ„ in that he lyeth And so with a sothe sawe a man or the fende may lie as if I say to the that it were nat day to let that of thy iourney wenyng my self that it were nat day alle thoughe it were as I sayde yit I lyed And in the same maner the feend tellith treuthis of thinges that been to come and other sothes also wenyng him self that they be false And so in his sothe sawes he lyeth for he sayth that treuthe vnwyttyngly for disceit and wenyth to say false And if he say any treuthe wyttyng and wyllynge he saith it only for to disseyue men and for a wyckyd ende and for to do folke with one sothe sawe leeue an hundryd lesynges and so he is alway fals and disseyuable And sumtyme he is compelled by the mighte of god to telle treuthes ayenst hys wylle to shame and shenshippe of him and alle his as we fynde in the gospel Mt viii mar i. Luce iiii vii.c. But for suche sothe sawes is he neuir the trewer but alway a false lyer for suche sothe sawes ben ayenst his wyll and if he may he wole turne hem alle to dissayte and make men for suche soth sawes whan they falle to leue al his lesynges And therfore he is clepid in holy wryt Spiritus mendax spiritus fallax That is to say a spirite lyer a spiryte disseyuable And therfore as the fendes hadde sayde the treuthe that crist coÌ„pellyd theim to saye anon he put them to silence as sayth the glose in the same place for they wold elles vndre that sothsawe haue told many lesynges The xxxiii chaptre DIues Whanne he is coniuryd he is so bounde by vertue of holy wordes that he must nedys say trouthe which he knoweth if it be axed him Pauper Suche wyches and charmours iapers and faitoures that vse suche craftes haf no power to bynde him ne to coÌ„plelle him to telle suche sothes ne righte noughte for to do ne for to telle For he may nought do ne telle withouten the graunte of god And therfore suche iapers and wytches bynde nat the feend but the feeÌ„d byndeth them ful hard in his seruage and kepith them thralles to him passynge al other whose bondage is fulle harde to theym for to escape withouten a specyal grace of god Diues CoÌ„tra Ofte men knowe the clerkes close hem in rynges and in other thinges make hem ther to tel do many wouÌ„ders Pauper The The fende fayneth hiÌ„ to be bouÌ„de with suche iapers wordes for to disseyue them other by them And yit is he nat closed ne bounde but he goth abrode as he did bifore and whanne he is clepyd he is suÌ„tyme redy to auÌ„swere for he is fulle swyfte suÌ„tyme he is nat redy to aunswere ne to doo their wylle and ofte though he wolde he may nat for god wole nat suffre him Diues yit contrate Men wote wele that iÌ„ many londes prestes clerkes with holy coÌ„iuracions and holy prayers ordeyned of holy churche cache wyckyd spirytes oute of meÌ„ and wymen Pauê‘ That is sothe and nat only gode lyuers but wyckyd lyuers in many loÌ„des catche feendes oute of men and wymen and children by vertue of goddes worde and holy coniuracions and holy prayers ordeyned of holy church and soner a gode man or a gode womaÌ„ shal do that thanne a wyckyde Suche bynde the feend and do him lese his power and his lordeship to shame and shenship of hiÌ„ and alle his Suche seke the worshyp of god and shenship of the feende and helpe of maÌ„nes soul And therfor they haue power of god to bynde him to compelle him But yit as sayth the glose mar v.c. suê‘ illud Quod eÌ„ tibi nomeÌ„ They that ben so traueyled with the feende must first be clene shreuen as fer as they may and knowe and telle al the maner of the feendes doynge and of the temptacion that they haue either wakynge or slepynge by sight by herynge by felynge or by any of their wyttes or by any thought or fantasye disdiscure elle the feendes counseil But these wyches faitours and iapers seke the fendes worship nat goddes worshyp They seke helpe of the feende and for sake goddes helpe and do sacrifice to the feend and forsake god and take the feend to ther lorde and make him their god And so the feend hath power ouir them nat they ouir the fende The xxxiiii chaptre And therfore saith the lawe xxvi qÌ„ vii non obseruetis That alle suche wyches alle that axe any couÌ„seil or help of them or sett any feyth iÌ„ them or brynge them to their houses or go to their houses to haue helpe or counseyl of them and alle that take hede to dysmale dayes or vse nyce obseruaunces in the newe moone or in the newe yere as setting of mete or drynk by nighte on the benche to fede Al holde or gobelyn Ledynge of the plough aboute the fire as for gode begynnyng of the yere that they shulde fare the better alle the yere folowyng or take hede to the iudicial of astronomy or to diuynaciones by chyterynge of byrdes or by fleynge of foules or assente to any suche nyce obseruaunces or dyuyne a maÌ„nes lyf or deth by nombres and by the spere of Pyctagoras or make any dyuynyng therby or by songuary or sompnarye the boke of dremes or by the boke that is clepid the apostles lottis or vse any charmes in gadering of herbes or hangynge of scrowes aboute man or woman or childe or beest for any seknesse with any scripture or figures and carectes but if it be Pater nost Aue or the Crede or holy wordes of the gospel or of holy wryt for deuocion nat for curioustie and only with the tokene of the holy crosse and alle that vse any maner wichecraft or any misbileue that alle suche forsaken the feyth of holy churche their cristeÌ„dome and bicome goddes enmyes and greue god fulle greuously and falle into dampnacion withouten ende but they amende theym the soner And therfore the lawe coÌ„maundeth the busshopes shulde be besy to distroye alle maner wychecraftes And if they founde any man or woman that yaue them to wytche craft but they wold amende theym they shulde chace theym oute of their busshopryke With open despyte xxvi qÌ„ v. epÌ„i And in the same place the lawe saythe that tho wymen whiche wene by nighte to ryde on dyuerse bestes and passe
they mayntene worldly worshyp lette goddes worshyp Natheles the waast cost of alle these thinges other in holy churche done for pryde and vaynglorye or enuye of one parisshe ayenst a nother or for couetyce of the minysters in the churche seculer or religious is gretly alway to be repreuyd The liiii chaptre DIues God byddyth in the gospel Mt. vi c that whanne man or woman shulde praye he shulde go into his chaÌ„bre and shytte the dore to hym and so praye the fader of heuyn Pauê‘ In tho wordes Cryste techyth vs nat oonly where we shulde praye but he techyth vs howe we shuld pray For the chaÌ„bre that we shuld entre in is our herte for in our prayer we shuld gadre our inwyttes oure thoughtes to gyddre in oure herte sette oure herte only in god and take hede to oure prayer The dore that we shulde shytte been oure v. Wyttes outwarde to flee distraction For thaÌ„ne we shuld kepe wele oure sight our heryng oure felynge oure tastynge and semellynge that ther come noo distraction into oure herte by any of oure fyue wyttes And he badde alsoo in the same place that men in theire prayer shulde fle ypocrisye and vayne glorie And to flee alle this it is fulle spedefulle to man and woman whanne they may nat goo to churche to go to their chambre and into their oratory and saye there theire prayere and deuociones But if they dispyse goddes house leue goddes seruyce for such pryue prayer they synne greuously and lese mede of their priuey prayer And therfore the lawe byddyth that they that haf pryue oratories or chapelles by leue of the busshop to here in their masse and their seruyce that in the greate festes as Ester Cristmasse epiphany ascencton penticoste seynt Iohn baptyst other such they shuld go to church and no prest shuld thanne synge in suche oratories or chapelles withouten speciall leue of the busshop and if he did he shulde be put from his masse De consecrac distinc i. si quis extra Bothe pryue prayer and open been gode if they be doone in due maner and in due place and in due tyme Prayer is gode in chambre and in oratory but it is better in holy churche wyth the comunyte whan tyme is of comon prayer and whanne meÌ„ may wele attende therto with ferueÌ„t charite Synguler prayer of one ê‘sone is gode in chambre in oratorie and better in church With eueÌ„ charite But comon prayer of a comunyte iÌ„ churche is bettee thanne a singuler prayer if euery partie of that comunytie be in charite For Criste sayth in the gospel that if ii or thre be gadryd to gider in his name that is charite there is he in the myddes of theym that is to say in their hertes to helpe them in their prayer And if ii of you sayth he consent to gider by charite iÌ„ her prayer what euyr they axe it shal be doo to theym Mt. xviii And therfore sayth seynt ambrose suê‘ illud ad Ro. xvi adiuuetis me in orationibus vestris That whanne many smale been gadryd to gidre they ben fulle grete And it is nat possible that the prayers of moche folke in charite shulde nat spede And therfore sayth the prophete Ioel iio.c. Halowe ye your fastynge clepe ye cumpany to you gadre ye the peple to gydre And whan ye be gadryd make ye you holy clene of synne take ye the old folke with you gadre ye to gider the yong children souking al to prayer For right as a voice of a multitude is myghtier ferther may be herde than the voyce of one ê‘sone alone so is the voyce pÌ„yer of a multitude soner herd thaÌ„ is the voyce of one ê‘sone al one soner getith grace therfore the ê“phet saith Laudate d.o. gentes et collaudate cum omÌ„s populi Alle folkes pryse ye the lorde and alle peoples pryse ye him to gydder And seynt Poule Ad colocenses iiii c Byddeth the men shuld yeue them to prayers and wake in prayer and thaÌ„kinges in that they shulde praye all to gidre Diues Moche peple lye seke in their bedde and moche in pryson many one on the see and in other nedefulle occupaciones and may nat come to churche and men duelle in many dyuerse londes many thousaÌ„de myles atwynne how shuld they pray and pryse god alle to gider Pauper Al if they may nat come to gyder in one place ne in one churche yit they must cuÌ„me to gyder in charite that the multitude of cristen peple be of one herte and of one loue and of one feyth The lv chapter DIues We make many gadrynges to gidre many general ê“cessiones and prayers in comon to pray for the pees and yit haue we noo peas but euery yere more warre thanne other euery yere spede worse thaÌ„ other Pauper If men came to gidre and made their prayers in lownes clenesse charite god shuld here them For he sayth if ii or iii consent to gydre in charite what they axe to the worship of god to helpe of their soules it shall be done to hem of my fader But oure prayers and processions be ayenst charite made with grete pryde For al yf men go on procession for the peas and synge say with their mouthe Da paceÌ„ domine Lord yeue vs pees yit with hert men praye alle ayenst peas For they wolde noo peas haue ne desire peas but alway to haue werre and to shede cristeÌ„ mennys blode For nat withstoÌ„dynge alle the myscheif that the peple is in bicause of werre and that we haue the worse on euery syde yit the peple saythe that it is beter to haue werre than pees they haue leuyr to here of werâ— than of peas And they say that they may natt lyue withouten werre And whanne god sent heÌ„ worshipfulle peas on euery side they dispysed pees and slewe heÌ„ that made peas for that they traueyled to make peas And the peple had leuyr pay grete taxes for shedynge of maÌ„nes bloode thanne for to paye smalle taxes for to haue peas And sithe they loue no peas ne desire peas and wole nat haue peas though god wolde yeue theym pees withouten doubte they pray nat for the peas For no man prayeth for a thynge that he wole nat haue And so in their prayers and ê“cessiones they scorne god more ê“uoke him to vengeaunce thaÌ„ne to mercy Also they make their prayer nat with lownes but with grete pride for they wole nat be knowe of any myscheyf They holde them selue so stronge and so wyse that as them thynketh they haue no nede of helpe And therfore though god here vs nat in oure prayer ne helpe vs it is no wounder For with oure mouth we axe peas but with oure hert we axe werre with our mouth we say Kyrieleyson Lorde haue mercy on vs but with our herte we praye him to helpe vs. to sle our
euen cristen that wold lyue in peas And so oure prayer is alle oute of charite and oure lyuynge is fulle synful and ful highly ayenste the plesaunce of god The lvi chapter DIues It is a comon prouerbe that a shorte prayer thyrleth heuene Oratio breuis penetrat celuÌ„ And therfore sayth Cryste in the gospel Mt. vi c Orantes nolite multuÌ„ loqui Whanne ye praye sayth he nyl ye speke moche Pauper It is a comon prouerbe of truaÌ„tes that sone be wery of prayers and haue more haste to tauerne thanne to holy churche and haue more lykynge in the worlde than in god Natheles if it be wel vnderstonde the ê“uerbe is soth gode and holy For euery thyng is clepyd shorte Whan the endes been nigh to gyder And the ferther that the endes of any thyng is atwynne the leÌ„ger is the thiÌ„g And so it farith by prayer For the one ende of our prayer is our herte and the other ende is god And therfore sayth seynt austyn that prayer is a styenge vp of a mannys herte to god And on this maner the nigher that a maÌ„nes herte is to god in his prayer by loue and lownesse and deuocion and right inteÌ„cion the shorter is his prayer And this maner of prayer thirleth heuene for as holy wrytte sayth the prayer of him that loweth him in his prayer thirleth the skyes or the cloudes For the more that man loweth him in his prayer the more he nighyth to god for than god of his mercy bowythe downe to him And therfore Crist saith that he that so lowyth him self in his pÌ„yer he shal be highed vp to god And therfore seynt Iames saith the god withondith the proude to the lowe and meke of herte he yeueth grace And on this maner speke a man neuir so moche as longe as his hert is nygh to god by loue and lownesse and right intencion and deuocion so loÌ„ge his prayer is but shorte though he speke neuir somoche with his mouthe And as long as he may contynue his prayer so in deuocion it is leful and medeful to speke in his prayer But whaÌ„ne his speche begynnyth to let him of his deuocion it is gode to cese of his vocal prayer that is iÌ„ his owne free wyl But if he be bouÌ„den therto by a vowe or confession or by ordre or by office than he must saye his bedys that he is bounde to and do his dette And he must say distincly nat to yerne ne to atrete For if he say to yerne he may lightly ouirskyp And if he saye to atrete he may falle into grete distraction lose moch tyme. and leue therby many gode dedys that he might elles do and brynge him self in lothynge of prayer and lettyng of deuocion of him self and of the people also that wolde here his prayer and his office The lvii chaptre DIues Why badde thanne Cryst that men shuld nat speke moche in their prayer Pauper Cryst had nat vtterly that meÌ„ shulde nat speke moche in their prayer but he had that meÌ„ shulde nat speke moche in their prayer as hethen men do For they wene that god shulde natt here them but if they spake moche Also he badde vs nat speke moche in oure prayer as ypocrites done to be holden holy soo gette mennys gode For as crist sayth iÌ„ the gospel Luce xxiii c Suche deuoure wydowes houses by feynynge of longe prayer For as the glose saith therÌ„ they praye lenger thanne other to be holden more religiouse and holyer thanne other And therfore their prayer turneth into synne iÌ„ somoche that they may neither we le praye for themself ne for other And for suche prayer they shal the more be dampned as cryste sayth in the same place Mar. vii.c. This people worshyp me with their lyppes but her herte is ful ferre fro me For god is in heuene and their herte and thought al in erthe It is a comoÌ„ prouerbe that who so spekythe vnwysely and veynely or in euyl maner he spekyth to moche And therfore as longe as a man or woman prayeth wysely deuoutly and with gode iÌ„tencion so longe he spekyth nat to moch But if he praye vnwysely wyth pryde and wycked inteÌ„cion he spekyth to moche though he speke neuir so lytle And therfore the pharise spake to moche in his pÌ„yer for he spake alle with pryde And petir spake to moche for he spake vnwysely therfore crist repreuyd them bothe Also they speke to moche in their prayer that sett their hert and feyth more in sownynge and sayng of the wordes than they do in god or in the thynge that they pray for and say ayen and ofte ayen wenynge that god herde them uatttyl whanne by suche iteracions they been wery and leue many deuociones that they shuld saye And therfore sayth the wyse man Non iteres verbuÌ„ in oroÌ„e tua Eccle. vii Sey no worde ayen in thy prayer For suche doubte is lettynge of deuocion for suche speke ouir moche and make their prayer in wanbileue For if mannes herte be to god ward god herith his praier loÌ„ge or he speke it with his mouth Diues Sithen god is ouir all present why pray we more iÌ„ holy churche than in other place Pauper For asmoche as he is ouir al therfore iÌ„ euery place he owyth to be worshiped But for asmoch as we may nat worship him in due maner in euery place Therfore is holy churche ordeyned that men shulde fulfyl there the they leue in other places And therfore in euery lawe god hath ordeyned certeyne places of prayer where he wolde be worshiped in passynge other places and that for many skylles Firste for comon prayer and prisynge is more plesaunte as I saide firste Also to fle erroures and ydolatrye For if eche man or womaÌ„ drewe him alone alway in his prayer the feende shulde disseyue hym by illusions and by iapes as he dothe comonly them that fle cuÌ„pany and loue to be moche solitary Also for to exclude slouth in goddes seruyce that man and woman shulde falle in For but they were bouÌ„de to come to gider in some certayne place to worship her god and to here goddes lawe they wolde elles trouant and worshyp god iÌ„ no place but ful selden And they wold excuse theym by vncuÌ„nyng if they dyd amys Also holy churche is ordeyned for comon prayer and goddes seruyce that eche man woman may bere wytnes of other at the day of dome ayenste the feend that he dyd in that as a cristen man ought to doo and seruyd his god For as seynt poule sayth vs must alle haue wytnesse of oure feyth by dedys and tokens outwarde The lviii chaptre DIues Wherto shulde we pray to god for any thing for he is nat chauÌ„geable And he may nought yeue vs but that he wyste wele bifore the begynniÌ„g of the worlde that he shulde yeue vs Pauper We pray nat for to chauÌ„ge his endles ordenauÌ„ce but for to gett by prayer that he
creature And therfore the prophete saith Vouete reddite dnÌ„o deo vestro Make ye youre vowes to oure lorde god and yeldith theym to hun Also it is taken in veyne whanne folire kepe nat their vowes that been lefulle but breke them retchesly or by freyltie wtouten nede withouten auctoritie of their soueraynes whiche haue power to dispeÌ„se with hem or chaunge their vowes Also if men make vowes vnlefulle ayenst charite to do any thing ayenst goddes lawe As if thou madest a vowe to sle thyn euyn cristen or that thou shuldest neuyr do gode to pore men for paraueÌ„ture suÌ„me pore man hath aggreued the. Also whaÌ„ne men make vowes vnwisely lightly wtoute auysement and by comon custume of speche The .iii. chaptre DIues And suche vowes ben made these dayes ful many For with moche folke be they ones spoken they been noo more thought on For they be so comon in theire mouthe Pauper Therfore they synne ful greuously so takinge goddes name in veyne For ther shulde no vowe be made but for a thynge of charite and with a gode auysement ¶ We fynde in holy wrytte Iudicum xi c that ther was a leder a iuge of goddes peple whos name was Iept And whanne he shulde go to fight ayenst goddes enemyes the folke of amon he made his vowe to god that if he yaue him the vitorye of his enemyes whaÌ„ he came home ayen what lyuiÌ„g thing he mette first of his house holde in his cuÌ„mynge hoome he shulde sle it offre it vp to god iÌ„ sacrifice After this as god wold he hadde the maistree and came home with grete worship whan his doughter herde these tidynges she was full glade and toke her tymber in her hoÌ„de and came in grete haste first of al the housholde daunsynge pleynge syngynge ayeÌ„st her fader for to welcome him home Whanne iept sawe his doughter so cuÌ„mynge ayenst him he bithoughte him of his a vowe and wexte ful sorye for he hadde no childe but her he louyd her fulle moche Alas doughter allas sayde he Whatt haste thou doone why cuÌ„myste thou so sone ayenst me I haue openyd my mouthe to god and made a vowe ayenste the for I muste by my vowe slee the and offre the vp into sacrifice to god But the womaÌ„ his doughter yit clene mayden was soo glade of goddes worship and of her faders worship and that goddes enmyes were so slayne that she made lytel sorowe or none for her deth and saide to her fader Iept Sith thou haste made suche a vowe god hath sent the victory of his enemyes fulfyl thy vowe For I take the deth gladely But I praye the of one boone or I dye Let me go with other maydens my pleyferes and morne and bewayle my maydenhode amoÌ„ge the hylles and the mounteynes .ii. monethes For it was that tyme repreef to a womaÌ„ to dye wtouten issue of her body And iept grauntyd her bone After ii monethes she came ayen to her fader iepte and mekely suffryd the deth for goddes sake and for the loue of her fader And thus leeue frende that womans deth which was clene maiden betokneth cristes passion For right as she toke the deth wylfully for saluacion of goddes folke and distruction of goddes enemyes Soo criste clene mayden the neuir was defouled with synne and neuyr dyd amys Wylfully suffryde bitter deth for saluacion of alle maÌ„kynde and distruction of the feeÌ„des power Diues Was nat his vowe lefulle Pauper It was nat lefulle For by his vowe if he hadde firste mette with a cat or an hounde cuÌ„mynge ayenst him he shulde haue made sacrifice to god therof which sacrifice shuld haue ben abhominacion to god for neither was able to be offred in sacrifice And for asmoche as he made his vowe so vnwysely god suffryd him to falle iÌ„to that mischeyf to sle an iÌ„noceÌ„te his owne doughter ayenste goddes lawe For god saith InnoceÌ„teÌ„ et iustuÌ„ non occides Thou shalte natt sle the innocent ne the rightfull man ne woman And soo by his vowe so folily made he dyd ful greuous dedly synne and forfettyd ful highly ayeÌ„st goddes law And therfore saith the master of the stories and Iosephus alsoo that he was a foole in his vowe makyng and wycked and ouir done cruel in the fulfillynge And therfore saith the grete clerk ysodorus in synonimis li.ii. Et xxii qÌ„ iiii In malis ê“missis rescinde fidem in turpi voto muta decretum quod iÌ„caute no uistine facias impia eÌ„ ê“missio que scelere adimpletur In wycked hestes kytte awaye feyth that is to say fulfylle noo wyckyd biheestes kepe no faith to do amys For in shrewyd bihestes it is betrÌ„ to be holdeÌ„ fals thaÌ„ true For who so fulfilleth them is fals to god In the vowe saith that he is foule and vnlefulle chauÌ„ge thy dome and that that thou haste nat wisely auowyd doo it nat For it is a wycked biheste that is fulfilled done with synne The iiii chaptre DIues I assent say forth I pray the. Pauper Also goddes name is take iÌ„ veyne by blasphemye and spiteful speche of god as whan men grutch ayenst goddes domes in seknes tribulacion and disease and sey that god is vnrightful and cruel or grutche ayenste his mercy Whanne they may natt haue vengeauÌ„ce of their aduersaries as they wolde haue saye that god is to pacient and to mercy able And they also that fal in waÌ„ hope and say that god wol nat foryeue theym their synne And they also that presume to moche of goddes mercy and wole nat amende theym for they say that god wole foryeue it them at the firste worde Also suÌ„me saye that god slepith whanne he helpith theim nat as they wolde Alle that speke thus or saye any other thing of god that is ayeÌ„st his worship and his godhode take goddes name iÌ„ veyne by blasphemy Also goddes name is taken amys and in veyne by mys speche of othes swerynge For who so wole lightly swere for a thynge of nought or of no charge or custumably or falsly wyttyng wele that he sweryth false or dispitously or disseyuablye or swerith any creature or vseth any nyce othes or vnleful othes alle these take goddes name in veyne For ther owith noo man ne woman swere but for a treuthe of charge and whaÌ„ne it nedith to swere to witnes of treuthe And whanne a man shalle swere he shal swere by his god by no creature Diues Moche folke is so brought in custume of swering that vnneth they can speke thre wordes to gidder but they suere by god or by some creature or some grete or nyce othe Pauê‘ As I saide bifore wyckid custume excuseth nat synne but accuseth and aggregith syn And therfore it is to drede that they swere so custumably so lightly that they syn dedly swere they sothe swere they false And therfore salomon saith Iuracioni ne assues cas os tuuÌ„
that whaÌ„ne he awoke his backe apperyd fulle of woundes and al forbeten ful blake and blo But whanne he repentyd him and axed mercye his synne was foryouen him The xi chapter DIues It mighte we le be so for bothe toke goddes name in veyne and dyd dispite therto the swerer in that that he forswore him wyllynge wyttynge he that made him swere For wyllyng and wyttynge he dyd he forswere him and dispise goddes name and so he asseÌ„tyd to ê‘iure And by the lawe both he that doth the synne and he that assentith therto been gilty of the synne and ben worthy the same peyn But I pray the what saist thou of theym that swere so dispitfully and horribly by goddes body hert blode and suche other Pauper That maner swering is open blaphemye and grete dispyte to god And if a man or woman be vsaunt therto swere he soth swere he fals he synneth dedely For nat only suche take goddes name in veyne but also in grete dispyte And therfore it is forfendyd by the lawe xxii qÌ„ prima Si quis ê‘ capilluÌ„ Ther shulde no man swere by the here of cryste ne by his hede ne by no parte of criste ne vse suche blasphemye ayenste god in any maner wyse And if he dyd but he wolde cease and amende him if he were a man of holy churche he shulde be deposyde and degradyde And if he were a lewde maÌ„ he shulde be acursed and pursued by censure of holy churche tyl he wolde amende him And by the lawe imperial as the glose saith there suche foule swerers shulde be punysshed with the vtterest peyne and turmeÌ„t saue dethe And therfore in almayne suche ben punisshed shamefully in dyuerse cuÌ„trees And therfore in tho cuntrees ben vsed none othes but it be bifore a iuge or elles for grete nede Ther is theire speche as the gospel techith yho nen that is ye and nay on englisshe And they kepe more treuthe for yho and nen thanne we do with alle the greate othes that we vse in this londe Of suche foule swerers spekith seynte poule sayng that asmoche as in theym is they doo goddes sonne ofte on the crosse and haue butt a iape and scorne of his passion RurfuÌ„ crucifigentes sibimet ipsis filium dei ostentui i. irrisio ni habentes ad hebrÌ„ vi For they can nat speke to an vnskylful beest but if they to reÌ„de crist with their othes day nyght rerepÌ„ue crist of his shameful dethe that he suffride for their synne her sake And there that they oughteÌ„ to take mooste mater to loue hym and to worshyp him they take moost occasion of vnkyndnesse to dispyse him For ne hadde he dyed bytter dethe and shameful for oure gylte oure synne oure sake shulde we neuir elles haue sworne by goddes deth ne had he wepte salte terys with his eyn for oure gylt nat for his owne shulde we neuir elles haue sworne by goddes iyen And ne hadde he be stuÌ„ge to the herte shedde his precioê° herte blode to wasshe vs from oure synnes shulde we neuir elles haue sworne by goddes herte ne by goddes blode And ne had he suffryde the depe wouÌ„des bytter peynes iÌ„ his body iÌ„ his bones to saue vs from helle peyne shuld we neuir elles haue sworne by his wouÌ„des his body ne his bones ne his blode And so ayeÌ„st the endlesse loue that he shewyd to vs we shewe hiÌ„ grete vnkyndnes ayeÌ„st the grete worship that he did to vs brought vs to endles worship we do him ouir grete velony ¶ We fynde in the miracles of our lady that sumtym ther was a iustice rightful in demynge but ful gyltye in suche othes swerynge Sumdele he was deuoute to oure lady and grette her euery daye with certeyne auyes wherfore our lady by night apperyd to him and shewyd him a childe alle blody The iyen were putte oute of the hede and henge downe by the chekys the herte was rente oute of the bodye and henge a downe by the side and al the body was for torne and wrappyd in blode Thanne she saide to him thou arte a iustice yeue me nowe a rightful dome what is that man worthy that thus hath arayede my childe The iustice aunsweryd and sayd He is worthy to be hangyd by the necke in the fyre of helle withouten ende ThaÌ„ne oure lady aunsweryd Forsothe thou arte the same man For I hadde neuir childe but this allone Whiche was borne of my body for saluacion of al maÌ„kynd And thou asmoche as in the is hast put oute his eyn whaÌ„ thou swore by goddes eyn thou rentyst oute his hert whan thou swore by goddes herte Thou haste alle to rent hym with thy foule othes And therfore amend the or thou shalt haue the some dome that thou hast youeÌ„ and hange by the neck iÌ„ the fyre of helle withouten ende The xii chaptre DIues What sayst thou of theym that swere by the cock for god suÌ„me by god by the haldam for god and the holy dome suÌ„me by laken for by oure lady suÌ„me by cockes bodye suÌ„me by their hode some by their tepat cap and many suche other nyce othes men vse nowe these dayes Pauê‘ If they swere any suche othes for to begile their euyn cristen that vnderstonde heÌ„ nat they synne dedely and been forsworne And for to couple to gydder god and the holy dome iÌ„ sweryng in ernyst or in game it is a greuous synne and dispyte and scorne to goddes name And if they swere suche othes nat for disceyte but for to fle greter othes yit they synne ful greuously if they be vsaunt therto For they do ayenst cristes lore that byddeth vs swere by no creature ne to swere but for greate nede and grete profyt and elles nat but our worde shuld be yhe yhe nay nay And if a man be compellyd to swere he shal swerÌ„ by his god and by noone suche nyce othes Moreouir leue freÌ„d whaÌ„ne that maÌ„ sweryth by his cap or by his hoode or by any suche other either he swerith so by wey of wytnesse takynge or by wey of exetracion· If he swere so by wey of wytnesse taking he doth hym self foul velony For he maketh his hode of more worshyp and of more credence than hymself For as seynt poule sayth ther shuld no man swere for witnesse takynge but by his more by his better And he offendith god ful highly for the worship that loÌ„gith only to god he doth to his hode For why swerynge â—s for wytnesse is a diuyne worship that longith only to god And if he swere by hode by weye of execration soo that he mote lese his hode but he saye sothe It is an ouyr scornfulle o the for it is no greate losse a man to lese his hode to wynne an huÌ„dryd puÌ„de Diues And yit suche ben more true of their worde thanne other that swere greter othes Pauê‘
friday the vi oure of ye day iÌ„ the vi age he bought ayen mankynde with his pÌ„cioê° blode in token that al his werkes were parfyte And that same nombre of daies god hath grauÌ„tyd vs to worche in in token that alle oure werkes shulde be parfyte gode and no thynge do amys that we shulde for no couetise do to moche ne for no sleuth do to lytel but alway holde vs iÌ„ a meane and in euenhede For god grauÌ„tyd vs no tyme to syn Therfore he wole alway that we be euen with god and with our eueÌ„ cristen as sixe is alway euyn with his parties to giddre The xiii chapter DIues Why bad god reste on the seuynth day more than a nother day Pauper In tokeÌ„ that as seuyn cuÌ„meth next after the parfyte nombre of sixe daies of worchynge so after parfite werkes in this worlde shalle folowe parfyte reste in the other worlde Also he badde reste in ye vii day for that passith the parfyte noÌ„bre in token that he wole no thinge be done passinge ê‘fection And therfore al synne is coÌ„pÌ„hendyd in vii dedly synnes For as vii passith the parfite noÌ„bre of vi so euery synne passith perfection and is oute of ê‘fectioÌ„ of alle gode werkes Also god badde reste on the vii day for he wole the men reste them than both gostly and bodily Gostly from besynesse thought of the world Bodily from bodyly trauayle For why vii is made of foure thre· Foure betokneth bodily thinges made of iiii elimentes Thre betokneth mannes soule made to the likenesse of the holy trinite And therfore he bad reste in the vii day that meÌ„ shulde than reste bothe body soule Also god badde reste in the vii day in token that after ê‘fyte werkes shal folowe endeles reste bothe of body of soule For this noÌ„bre vii in asmoche as alle tyme and all duracion is coÌ„pÌ„hendyd iÌ„ vii dayes therfore it betokneth endles lastyng And therfore reste on ye vii day bitokneth endelesse rest Also frende god ordeyned reste iÌ„ the vii day reste in token of vii blisses whiche we shal haue for parfite werkes that we do here iÌ„ vi daies and vi ages of this of yis worlde For aneÌ„tis the body we shal haue foure blisses brightenesse and beaute withouteÌ„ any spotte For as Criste saith in the gospel men and wymen shal shine iÌ„ heuen as bright as the soÌ„ne Also men shal haue there iÌ„passibilite and helth of body withouten al maner sekenes No thing shalle dere them ne disease them Also they shal haue deliuerhede of body and lightnesse withouten letting for they shulde be as light as thought and in tuynklyng of an iye be wherÌ„ they wol Also they shalle haue soteltie of body Withouten any withstondynge for ther shal noo thynge withstonde hem But as ye soÌ„ne passith the glasse without lettiÌ„g of the sonne soo shal they passe ouir walle and euery thinge at their wyl withouten any disease or any lettynge And anentes ye soule we shal haue the blisfulle sight of goddes face brennynge loue to god and to our euyn crysten and alwaye haue him that we loue and what we desire There alle oure loue shall be in ioye withouten wo drede and sorowe In this worlde euery loue is medlyd with wo in tokene of these vii blisses that we shal haue in endelesse reste for oure parfyte werkes Therfore god bad reste in the seuynthe day The xiiii chaptre DIues How longe owyth ye haliday to be kept and halowyd Pauper From euen to euen As saith Reymounde the lawe also Extra li.ii. ti de feriis c. OmeÌ„s dies dnÌ„icos And holy wrytt also and god hiÌ„self Leuitici xxiii A vesê‘a vsque ad vesê‘am celebrabitis sabbata vestra From euyn to euyn ye shal halowe your halidaies Nathelesse suÌ„me begynne sonner to halow after that the feest is and after vse of the cuntre Extra e. quoniam But that men vse in saturdaies and vigilies to ryng holy at midday ê¯pellith nat meÌ„ anon to halowe but warnythe them of the haliday folowynge that they shulde thynke theron and spede theym and so dispose hem and their occupacions that they might halowe in due tyme. Diues Is it leful for any caas in the sunday to gadre in corne fruyt or hay Pauê‘ Suche nede it may be that it is excusable as if they may nat in other dayes gadre it in for enemyes as in tyme of werre if they shulde gadre it they haue rightfulle cause to withstonde their aduersaries Also if corne or grasse be felde shulde be lorne but it were dight and gaderyd it is leful in the halidaies to saue it and kepe it so that goddes seruyce be nat lefte therfore But for to mowe or to repe carte or to sowe in the suÌ„neday I holde it nat leful but iÌ„ ful greate nede Principal festes shulde alway be halowyd butt right grete nede compellyd men to worche so that grete nede excused hem For as the lawe saith Extra li.v. De regulis iuris Nede makith leful that elles is vnleful by the lawe For nede hath no lawe De con di i. sicut et di v. discipulos Extra de furtis Si quis ê‘ necessitatem Also it is lefulle to fisshe after he ryng on the sunday other fisshe also that may nat be taken but certeyn ceson of the yere for whiche fisshe men muste go ferre on the see and longe abide Extra de feriis c. Licet It is leful al so to do rightful bateiles on the sunday and in other halidayes for saluacion of the coÌ„myntie It is leful thaÌ„ne to saue that elles shulde perisshe bothe maÌ„ and beste fruyt corne and other thinges alway with reuereÌ„ce of god and of the haliday It is leful thanne to leches to help the seke folke It is leful to dyke walle defence townes castelles and to araye men to batayle in the soÌ„neday whanne nede compellith peryl of enmyes Thus saith Io. in suÌ„ con li. i ti xii qÌ„ vii So that in al these and suche other nede and pite excuseth men Cryste helyd men in the sabotte repreuyd the iewys that were mispayed therwith and sayd to them Sithen a man takith his circumcision in the sabotte why haue ye iÌ„dignacion to me for I haue made a mn a hole in the sabott Io. vii.c. And in an other place he saide to the iewys who is it of you that hath a shepe it falle in the diche in ye sabot that he ne wole go and lyfte it vp oute of the diche But forsothe man is better thaÌ„ne a shepe and therforÌ„ saide he it is leful to do gode dedes iÌ„ the sabot and iÌ„ the haliday Mt xii.c. Another tyme cryst helyd a womaÌ„ of an harde sekenesse that hadde holdeÌ„ her xviii yere she wente stoupyng al downe and might nat loke vpward Thanne the maister of the lawe and of the synagoge was wroth and saide to the peple Ther ben vi daies
childreÌ„ Eccle. xvi c. For as he saythe SapiÌ„e iiii c. Alle the children that come of wycked folke shalle be wytnesses of wyckednesse ayeÌ„st their fader and moder whanne they shal be chalengyde of theire wyckydnesse at the dome For the fader and the moder shal auÌ„swere thaÌ„ne for their owne wyckednesse and for their children wyckednesse But the wise man saith if thou haue children tech theym we le and bowe them and make them souple and meke in their youthe If thou haue doughters kepe wele their bodies honestly but shewe them no glade chere be nat to homely withe them Eccle. vii.c. While a tree is a smalle sprynge it may be bowyd as men wole haue it Butt whanne it is ful woxen it wole nat be bowyd So may the child in the youghe with a lytel twygge be chastised and made lowe and meke But whaÌ„ne he is woxen rotyd in pride and mysuse of lyuynge it is ful harde to lowe hiÌ„ or to amende him And therfore the wise man sayth Qui parcit virge odit filiuÌ„ et qui diligit illuÌ„ instaÌ„ter erudit Prouer. xiii c He that sparith the yerde hatith his sonne and he that loueth his sonne techith him and chastifeth him bisily Example we haue in kynde of the egle Which of al foules may se ferthest and is mightiest in sight in somoche that he may se loke ayenst the soÌ„ne whanne it shyneth moste bright without blemysshyng of the iye And whanne she hath briddes they be ful woxen she doth hem loke ayenst the sonne And tho the loke wele ayenst the sonne with oute blemysshynge of iye them she loueth and cherissheth And them that wole nat ne may nat loke ayenst the soÌ„ne or blemissh their iye in lokynge ayenste the soÌ„ne she betith them and bylleth them And but if they amende them she castith them out of the neste and putteth theim oute of her cumpany as for noon of her briddes Thus shulde faders and moders teche their children to haue their iye vp to god that is sonne of rightwisnesse take hede to goddes lawe by exaumple of tobie whiche sayde to his sonne Al the dayes of thy lyf haue thou god in mynde be ware that thou assentte to no synne ne leue not goddys coÌ„maundement Tobie iiii c And therfor salomon sayth Eccle. vi That the wicked man that loketh not vp to the sunne of rightwisnesse is so blent with derkenesse of sinne that he woot not what is gode ne what is wicked And therfore sayth he in the next chapter wisdom with richessis is more ê“fitable than with oute richessys it profith most to them that sethe sunne that is to say to them that haue iye to the suÌ„ne of right wisnesse that is god For as salomon sayth Ocuâ— sapientis in capite eius Eccle. iio. The iyen of the wise man be alwey in hys hede That is to say in crist that is hede of holy churche and of al thingis And dauid sayth Sic t oculi seruorum in manibus dnÌ„o rum fuorum et sicut oculi ancille in manibus domine sue ita o culi nostri ad dominum deuÌ„ nostrum donec misereatur nostri As the seruantys haue ther iyen to the handes of ther lorde and as the mayde in chaumbre hath hyriyen to the handys of hyr lady So muste vs haue oure iyen vp to oure lorde god til he wyll haue mercy on vs. The eleuenth chapter DIues Reson yeueth that men shuld teche ther children goddes lawe gode thewis and for to take hede to god that made vs al of nought and bought vs so dere But no we men saye that there shulde no lewed folke entirmete them of goddes lawe ne of the gospel ne of holy writ nether to kun it ne to teche it Pauper This is afoule enour and ful perilous to mannys soule For euery man woman is bounde aftir his degre to do his besines to knowe goddis lawe that he is bounde to kepe And faders and moders godfadres and godmodres be bounde to tech ther children goddes law or elles do them be taught And therfore god sayth Erunt â—ba hec c. These wordes that I bid ye thys daye shulde be in thy herte Thou shalt tell them and teche them to thy children Thou shalt theÌ„k theron sittiÌ„ge iÌ„ thy house amougys thy folke And whan thou goest by the way Whan thou goest to slepe whan thou a risest thou shalt bynde them as a token in thy hande in thy dede iÌ„ thy werke they shulde be alwey styrring byfore thy iyen of thyn herte Thou shalt wryte theym in thy thressheolde and in thy dorys of thyn house that is to saye whanne thou comest in and whanne thou goest oute iÌ„ thi beginnynge and iÌ„ the ending of euery dede alwey loke that thou ne noon of thyne forfette a yens goddes lawe by cause of the. Deuto. vi c. And in another place of the same boke he saythe thus Thou shalt teche my wordis to thy children to thy folke and to thy kinnesmen Deut o iiii c And saint austen sayth that ech man in his owne hon shold shuld do the office of the busshoppe in techynge and correctinge of comon thynges And therfore sayth the lawe That the office of techinge and chastisinge longeth not only to the busshop but to euery gouernoure after his maner his degree To the pore man gouning hys pore housolde To the riche man gouerniÌ„g his folke To ye husbondman gouernynge hys wyf To the fader and moder gouerninge ther children To the iustice gouernynge hys cuntre To the kynge gouernynge hys people .xiii. qÌ„ iiii duo qÌ„ v. noÌ„ putes And oon neighbore shulde teche another For saint Peter sayth Euery man minestre on to other the grace that he hath taken of god .i. petri iio.c. Diues My fader and moder be dede And therfore I lete me dischargid of this commaundement Pauper Thow they be dede yet art thou bounde to doo them worship and to helpe ther soules withe hooly prayers and almesse dedys if thou myghteste Also thou art bound to worship them with thy good lyuinge as I sayde firste For the wisman sayth That he that techeth well hys child he shal be praysed and worsshiped in hys childe amongis hys kynred he shal haue ioy and worsship in hys childe The fader of the well taught childe iÌ„ some maner is dede iÌ„ some maner is not dede For he lefte hys chylde lyke after hym For all if the fader dye bodely yet he lyue and is worsshipped in the goodnesse of his children Est mortuus et quasinon eÌ„ mortuê° Eccl. xxx.c. And in the wickyd lyuiÌ„g of the childe the fader is vnworshiped and dede Whyle he gothe vpon erth Also by thys coÌ„mauÌ„dement we be bound to worship godfader and godmoder The xii chapter ALso to worship god that is fader of al thynge that is cleped fader of mercyes and god of al conforte
if thei do some tyme amisse for that yâ— they be not customable to synne therfore ther prelatis shulde the more spare them and mor worshipfully speke to theÌ„ Som olde folke be customable to siÌ„ne and wyl not amende them and such be worthy no worshyp as god sheweth wel by the wordys of ysaie And therfore saint gregori sayth that the olde man â—ole shuld be harde vnder nomaÌ„ The xv chapter DIues Thy answer is skilful say forth I praye the Pauper Also by thys precepte we be bounde to worshype oure kynge oure lege oure souereins alle For al tho that haue gouernaunce of vs or of the comontie owe by ther office and ther dignite to be faders of the comontie of ther sugettys And be besy to saue ther sugettys as the fader hys children And therfore naa man prynce of syrye was cleped fader of hys seruantys .iiii. â„ž. v. c. And iob sayde Pater eraÌ„ pauperum I was fader of the pore and ye cause that I knew not I traced it and sought it vp besyly iob xxix.c And therfore saynt poule byddeth the peple do worship and obey to ther souereyns And he sayth thus Serui obedite dnÌ„is vestris carnalibus ye seruantes obey ye to your flesly lordes with drede and trimelyng in simplenesse of youre herte as to crist Serue ye theÌ„ not only at ye iye to plese them but as crystys seruantis do ye the wyll of god of hert wythe gode willferuynge them of oure lorde god Not as men That is to saye serue ye them truly for ye drede of god and for the loue of god And thenke ye that the seruyce that ye do to them ye do it to god And he principaly shall yeld you youre mede For wete ye well sayth he that euery goode dede that man or woman doth be he free be he bond he shal take his mede therfore of oure lorde god And ye lordes souereins sayth he do ye the same to youre seruantis and foryeue them your thretnynges and thenke ye and wete ye it wel that god iÌ„ heuin is god both of you and of youre seruantys and soo ye and they haue bothe oon lord oon god that accept no man for hys persone but yelde eche man and woman after he deserueth Ad eph vio.c. Diues By these wordes it semeth that seruantys for her true seruice shal haue moch mede Pauper That is soth For he that doth goddes byddiÌ„g god shal yeld him hys mede And it is godges biddynge and goddes wyl that they serue truly lowly ther souereyns And therfore sayth the glose That sythe crist biddethe the seruantes serue truly if they serue truly they serue not only maÌ„ ne womaÌ„ but priÌ„cipaly they serue criste Diues Why byddeth the apostle that the seruantes shuld obeye and serue to flesly and carnal lordes Pauper For the glose sayth Them most by goddes lawe obeye not only to good lordes but also to shrewys Therfore saynt Peter sayth Subiecti estote oiÌ„m humane creature ê“pter dmÌ„ c. Be ye sugettis sayth he to euery man woman that is youre souereyn not for them sylfe but for god Be ye sugettis to kynges to dukes to temporal lordes theÌ„k ye thatodg hathe ordeyned them to veniaunce of wicked doers to preysinge of good folke For thus is the wyl of god that with youre good dedys and youre meke seruice ye stoppe make styll the vnkunnynge of the vnwise folke Serue ye as fre men that is to saye not only for drede of man But for drede and loue of god as goddes seruantes Drede ye god and worshyp ye your kynge And ye seruantes be ye sugettis and meke in al drede to youre lordes that is to saye not only in seruyle drede but also in loue drede for goddes sake Be ye sugettis for goddes sake not only to gode lordis and wel reuled but also to shrewys and tyrauntis Non tantuÌ„ bonis modestis sed eciaÌ„ discolis For than ne is man and woman worthy thanke of god Whanne for consciens and goddes sake he suffereth paciently disese wythe oute gylt If ye be beten and bofeted for youre synne and youre trespase ye be worthy no thank neyther of god ne of man But if ye do wel and with that suffre paciently disese vngyltly Than be ye worthi moche mede of god And for to do thê° criste yaue you ensaumple whanne he suffered pacieÌ„tly bitter deth withuot gilt that ye shulde folowe hys steppes and paciently suffre woo with oute gylt Theyse be the wordes of saint peter in hys first pistle iio.c. Here to accordethe saynt poule in his pystle Ad romÌ„nos xiiio.c. Where he sayth thus Euery soule that is to say euery maÌ„ and woman moste be suget and meke to the power aboue theym and to hys souereyns For there is no power ne lordshype but of god and of goddes ordinaunce And therfore saythe he Whoo so withstondeth the lorship and the power of his souereyn he wythstondeth goddes ordinauÌ„ce and getthe him dampnacion wytheoute end For why sayth he princes lordes be ordeyned of god to drede of wycked werke not to drede of gode werke wolt thou not drede the power of thy souereyn Do wel and thou shalt haue preysing of him For if he be a gode lorde he shall loue the the better And if he be a shrewe thou shalt haue the more preisiÌ„g of god that thou doest wel vnder a wycked souereyn as saythe the glose Thy kyng thy lord is godges ministre ordeyned of god to thy good If thou do amys drede thou For he beryth not the swerd without cause For he is goddes mynistre to venge the wrath of god in hym that doth amys And therfore sayth he be ye sugettys and meke to your souereyns as to the nedful ordinaunce of god not only for to fle wrath of your souereyns but also for conscieÌ„s And therfore ye yeue tributes to youre princes and lordes-for they be goddes mynestres and serue therfore in defendyng and gouernaunce of the people And as the glose sayth in that ye yeuen them tribute ye serue god for they be goddes mynistres The xvi chapter DIues Whanne saint poule sayde tho wordes emê‘ours kynges and nyghe al prynces and temporal lordes vpon erth were hethen and of false by leue bou might they be goddes minystres or goddes seruÌ„antys Pauê‘ Eueri creature is suget and seruant to god or wyth hys wylle or wythe oute hys wyl And therfore saynt austen vp yâ— psalme Exoudi deus oracioneÌ„ meam sayth thus wene ye not that god suffereth wicked folke to be in thys worlde with oute cause For euery wicked man sayth he eyther god suffereth hym to lyue for to amende him or elles that good men maye be amended by hym and wynne mede by him in that that they suffre hys malyce paciently and trauayle for to amende him The malyce of shrewys is purgatorie to gode folke and shrewys be goddes scourge to
to men of holy church to do ther patrones worship iÌ„ sittinge in goinge and put them by fore in sitting in goinge xvi qÌ„ vii pia mentis And it loÌ„geth to ye patron to haue ye priÌ„cipal place and sytt principaly iÌ„ hys church Tabula iuris dicci one patronatê° And for worship of the patron his ese the preste may singe two messys iÌ„ one day Extra lio. iii o de celebracoÌ„e missarum coÌ„suluisti And whan the patron presentethe a persone to the busshop whiche ê‘sone he wyl auaunce the busshop is bouÌ„de to reseyue that persone but if he be proued know for a wicked maÌ„ and vnable xvi qÌ„ vii monasteriuÌ„ Also the patron may in hys fundacion byfore the halowyng of the church reserue to him a certeyn rente by yere by assent of ye busshop to reseyue it of the churche Ex. de iure pato. t. pÌ„tea Et hostiensis iÌ„ smÌ„ sua lio. in c. tio. Also if a pÌ„late be chosin in a churche collegiat as in an abbey piory chauntry he shal by the lawe be pÌ„sented to the patron or that he be confermed and if he be vnable he may owth to withstond the confirmacion Ex. de iure patronatus co. nobis fuit xvi qÌ„ vii filiis Also he maye in hys fundacion of the church collegiat reserue to him to be in the elleccion of the pÌ„late of the church with assent of the busshop or of the pope by the same lawe but he moste shewe that writen whaÌ„ne he wil vse it Hostiensis lio. iiio. Ru. de iure paroÌ„aÌ„tê° Et tabula iuris diccione proÌ„natê° Et extra de iuro patronato nobis fuit in glosa Diues PatrouÌ„s fynd ful oft ther auauÌ„ces ful vnkynde to them and ful prowde And therfore many a patroun maye saye Filios exaltaui et enutriui ipsi auteÌ„ spreuerunt me ysaie io. c o I haue auaunsed chyldren and brought them vp of nought and they haue despiced me Pauê‘ Such vnkind men of holy church but thei ameÌ„d theÌ„ thei shal haue goddes cursse that he yaue to al suche in the same chapter Ve genti peccatrici pploÌ„ graui iniqtate semini neqmÌ„ filiis sceleratis woo be to the synful people heuy through wickednes to ye wicked sede to the vnkynd synful children Diues If a church be destroied and a man do it make ayen of his cost shal that maÌ„ be cleped patroun of the churche Pauper ye thowe he do make it ayen of the same mater that it was made of by fore And the patron that was byfore patron only by makynge of the churche or yeuyng of the grounde leseth his right of the patronage But if he were patron bi dotacoÌ„n he leseth not hys right of patronage In tabula iuris patronatus If the patron vary in his representacion presenting first one and sythe another it stondeth in the dome and the wyl of the busshop to reseyue which he wyl Thowe the patron of laife present a persone vnable he leseth not his right of representacion ne owth to lese it But if a college present a persone vnable in that he lesethe hys right of presentacion for that tyme And if a clarke present apersone vnable he is worthy to lese his right of presentacion for the tyme Extra de eleccione cuÌ„ iÌ„ cuÌ„ctis The patron of ye laife mai abyde but foure monethis of his presentacion The college and the clerke patron mai abyde six monethis and if they passe ther tyme by retcheleshede or by bryge the busshop shal ordeyn for the churche and benefice No man owthe to present himsilfe The patron maye lefully present his sonne hys neuewe and ony of his kyn if they be able power And if apatron be pore and nedi the busshop may yeue hym that benefice in whiche he is patron and he may take it of his yeft so that yefte come only of the busshopys free wyl with oute ony ê“curinge of hymsylfe Hostiensis lio. iii o de iure patronatus The xxv chapter DIues I thaÌ„k ye for thou hast told me more of thys coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t than euer I harde bifore But yet me meruelethe moch why the god biddeth not meÌ„ do almesdede to strauÌ„gerys to other folke at nede iÌ„ non of al ye ten coÌ„maundementys For but men be bounde therto by goddes coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t I holde it no dedly synne to leue it Ne men shuld not be dampned for they dede it not Pauê‘ By thys coÌ„mauÌ„dement priÌ„cipaly we be bounde to helpe alle nedy folke vpon oure power For by thys precepte we be bound to shewe pety to al meÌ„ Diues Contra God speketh in this coÌ„mauÌ„dmeÌ„t oÌ„ly of worship that loÌ„geth to fader moder Pauper That worship stondethe in two thingys iÌ„ affection of herte thenkiÌ„ge in dede doynge By affectoÌ„n of herte we shulde loue al men wemeÌ„ with drede to offeÌ„d them vnskilfuly By dede doing we shuld do al men reuerence after ther degre helpe theym in nede as we wolde be holpe oure silfe And therfore saint peter biddeth vs worshyp al men And saynt poul biddeth that ech man womaÌ„n shuld put other bifore iÌ„ worshyp for ech man owth to holde wyth other his fader iÌ„ suÌ„ degre The xxvi chapter DIues Why so Pauper For ech man passith other iÌ„ some degre of worship in that he is his fader Or in beynge or iÌ„ wisdome or iÌ„ goodnes In beinge we haue many faders For suÌ„me be faders of oure first beiÌ„g as oure bodely faders moders that vs bigate SuÌ„me be faders in wel beyng and that in two maners for suÌ„me gostly suÌ„me bodely In wel being gostly be oure faders pÌ„lates of holy church and al that haue cure of oure soulys In wel beinge bodely be oure faders al that haue cure and gouernauÌ„ce of oure body and of oure liuing in thys worlde as kinges princes lordes and suche other Also al that be elder in age had ther beinge byfore vs be oure faders Faders in wisdome be prechours techers men of lawe clerkys and men of age whyche by long experieÌ„ce knowe more thaÌ„ ther yonger Faders in goodnes be al holy men and al that passe vs in goodnes And for that ech man owth to deme other better than himsilfe therfore eche man owe to worship other as fader in goodnes but if open malyce make him lyke a beste and noman And therfore saynt poule saythe Suê‘iores sibi iÌ„uiceÌ„ arbitrantes Euery man and woman deme other his souereyn in goodnesse Ad philipÌ„ .iio.c. For as the glose sayth there Thowe we seme soueren to other by some goodnes and dignyte that is in vs opeÌ„ly knowen yet ther mai be suÌ„ goodnesse preuely in a nother of lower degre in which goodnes he is oure souereyn in goddes syghto. Diues Why is this coÌ„maundement youen with a biheste of helth and welfare more than any of the other coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tis For he sayth thus worshyp thy fader moder that thou may lyue
long vpon erthe fare wel in the lond that thy lorde god shal yeue the. Deuto. vi c Pauper For sythe god hoteth so grete mede for keping of this pÌ„cept that is moste natural and wherto man woman is moste enclined biwey of kynde he shewthe wel that men shuld haue moch mede for kepiÌ„g of other pÌ„ceptis that be not so natural And by the mede assygned for kepiÌ„g god sheweth wel what peine man womaÌ„ shal haue for the breking that is to saye short lyfe vpon erth euyl fare both here and in lond of deth and after lese the lond of life without end and wende to the londe of woo of derkenes TerraÌ„ miserie et tenebrarum And for that this pÌ„cepte is principal of the secunde table and in maner includeth al six folowing therfore to this coÌ„mauÌ„dement he knitteth the mede for the keping of al and payne for brekiÌ„g of al For after he hoteth many diuerse medys to theym that kepe hys hestys many myscheues to them that breke theÌ„ And al they be coÌ„pÌ„hended iÌ„ thys short bihest knit to this coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t For the biheste is moste coÌ„uenient to this coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t For as saint poule sayth ruth pety and almesdede is good for al thiÌ„gys and hath hys mede both in thys worlde also iÌ„ the tother world that is comyng Diues Shewe me that Pauê‘ For it is good reson that they lyue longe whyth maynteyn wel theym that be beginnynge of ther lyfe that is fader and moder For whanne the rote of the tre faylethe by defaute of the tre aboue thanne ye tre shal sone fayle and sere vp And it is not worthy that he liue loÌ„g ne farewel that worshipeth not them ne helpe them by whoÌ„ he lyueth and hath his lyfe and hys welfare And he that worshipeth not the begynning of his his beynge is worthisone to lese hys beinge And he that helpeth other withe hys good to lyue longe good life is worthy to haue good and good lyfe The xxvii chapter Also leue frend ye shal vnderstonde that god sayth these wordys not only to euery persone by himsilfe but he sayd theÌ„ to al the peple to euery people as to one ê‘sone not onli for worshiping of ther fleshly fader and moder but also for worshiping of ther souereyins iÌ„ ther degre as I sayd bifore For why as loÌ„ge as any peple is buxuÌ„ meke to ther souereyns wyl folowe her gode gouernaunce and worship men after ther degre euery maÌ„ be payde with his owne degre do the dute of his degre so loÌ„ge the peple is able to kepe that lond that god hath youen them to lyue go de lyfe But whanne they wyll rebelle ayens ther souereins and wyl not stond to ther ordinauÌ„ce but euery man wyl be hys owne man and folowe hys owne fantasies despice hys souereiÌ„s ther dome gouernauÌ„ce ne yeue no tale of goddis lawe ne of londis lawe ne of holy chyrchys law ne haue men of vÌ„tue of dignyte iÌ„ worship but for pryde haue theÌ„ in despite and be besi to worship theÌ„silfe iÌ„ hindering of other that peple is able to the swerde able to lese his londe For as ye se at the iye iÌ„ tyme of teÌ„pest thow the bowys of the tre bete theÌ„silfe togydre altobrest full doune as long as ye rote of the tre kepeth him fast in hys place and ryseth not so loÌ„g ye tre shal not fal But whaÌ„ the rote beginne to rise oute of his place anon the tre begyn to fal Right thus it fareth by ye peple of a lond Thow tempest of pride of couetise of enuie of lechery fal suÌ„time iÌ„ the croppe of the tre that is to say a mongis lordes souereins the grete meÌ„ if the pore peple that is rote of the tre of al the comonte kepe theÌ„ styl iÌ„ lownes do mekely ther dwte to god kepiÌ„ge hys coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tys the good preceptys of ther souereins so loÌ„ge is hope that ye peple shall fare wel after the teÌ„peste not be destroied But if they rise ayens god by customable dedly synnes ayens ther worldly souereins wil entermete them of euery cause of that londe of holy church termine euÌ„y cause by ther wyt body crop of the tree shal falle For it is not possyble that the rote shuld be so highe as the crop of the tre but the tre fell Ne that the fote shuld be aboue the hede but the body felle Diues This is ful soth we se it at ye iye For pÌ„de rebellion of ye pore peple is cause of destruccoÌ„n of this loÌ„d For sythe they aresen ayens ther souereiÌ„s was there neuer stabilite iÌ„ this loÌ„d but alwey sythÌ„e ye tre of ye peple of this loÌ„d the realme hathe stond in fallynge Pauper VnbuxuÌ„nesse pride was principal cause of lesing of londys and of realmys And priÌ„cipaly the cause of saluacion of realmes londys and comontees is obedience and buxuÌ„nesse that eche man in his degre obey to his souereyn worship hiÌ„ as fader therfore leue frende I pray you for goddes sake that ye worship al youre faders and moders in ther degre as I haue sayde And haue ye old folke feble iÌ„ worship while ye be in yonge age worship ye the age that ye draw to and haue no scorne of the old folke for feblenes and vncleÌ„nes that ye se them in But thenk ye that suche shall ye be if ye abyde ther age feble vnourne and loth to the syght For suche as ye be nowe such were they suÌ„time It fareth bi age of man and womaÌ„ as it doth by a precyous stone that is cleped crisolitus Thys stone as saythe the mayster of kiÌ„des iÌ„ the begynnyng of the day it shyneth bright as any gold But as the day passeth so passeth his brightnesse And the nyer euen the more it fadeth so that bi euen it is like a clot of erth Thus it fareth by man and woman in this world For in ther youthe and iÌ„ ther begynnynge they be fayre rede and rody and fresshe as rose in may ful lusty to the iye But as youthe passeth so passeth ther bewte And as they olde so they fade tyl at the laste the daye of ther lyfe cometh to an ende And than be theye but a clott of erthe ful vnourne gastly to the sight Here endeth the fourthe pÌ„ceptt here begynnethe the fift precept The firste chapter DIues As me thenketh thou haste enformed me well in these iiii coÌ„mauÌ„dementis Nowe I praye the for charyte that thou wolt enfourme me in the fifte Pauê‘ The fift coÌ„maundement is this Non occides that is to say Thou shalt nou slee In which precept god forbedth vs al maner manslaughter vnleful both bodely and gostly He biddethe vs that we slee no man ne woman vnrightfully ayens the lawe neyther with herte
slayne and his peple discoumfyt Diues Dauid speketh moch in hys boke of the gylous tunge that is cleped in lateyn lingua dolosa Pauper The gylous tung is the flateriÌ„g tunge For comonly euery gyle in spech is medled with flateriÌ„ge In gilous spech be two thingys sleyght and flateringe And therfore gilous spech is lyckened to an anglyng of fysshe For in the anglyng be two thinges the hoke the mete on the hoke The hoke is the sleyght in spech the mete on the hoke is flaterynge that drawth man womaÌ„ on to the deuelys hoke Thus adam and eue were desseiued with ye fendes speche For slyly he axed Eue why god bad that they shulde not ete of euery tre iÌ„ paradise And whaÌ„ he sawe hir vnstable and doutiÌ„g he put therto the mete of flateriÌ„g and sayde that they shulde not dye but be as goddes kunnynge good and wycked And so by flateringe the fende loste alle mankynde Figure hereof we haue iÌ„ ye secuÌ„d boke of kiÌ„ges xx c. where we fiÌ„d the ioab gitiously slough the noble prince amasam wythe a knyfe craftely made lyghtlye to go oute of the sheth And whaÌ„ he shulde steke hym wythe the knife he toke hiÌ„ by the chyn and sayde to to him heyle my brother And for hys flaterynge and fayre wordis amasa tok no hede to the knyfe And in the same maner whanne iudas betraide crist he sayde in flaterynge and gyle Aue rabi Heile thou master The sixte chapter DIues Thou hast wel declared the myschefe of flateringe tunges Say forth what thou wylt Pauper Also god forbedethe vs by thys coÌ„maundement that we slee no man ne woman by oure bede him a mys doynge or him hurtinge And so by this commaundement he forbiddeth vs wrathe and wretche chydynge despisynge smitynge scornynge and al suche meanes and motyues to manslaughter Diues As thou wel saidest god forbyddethe not al maner manslaughter but only manslaughter vnrightful and ayeÌ„s the law For god had that men shuld not suffre wycked doers lyue in dysese of the people Malificos non pacieris viuere exo xxii And also he had that we shulde slee noo man ne woman rightful and vngilty Innocentem et iustum noÌ„ occides exo xxiii c Therfore I prai the tel me in how many maners a man is slayn vnrightfully Pauper On thre maners First if he be slayn withoute gilt Also if he be slayn with oute ordre and processe of lawe Also if he be slayn withoute lawful iustyce ordeined of hys lege lord to whom god hath youen lyfe lyme and the swerde to punyssh sherwys as saint poule sheweth wel in hys pystle Ad romanos xiii c Also if he be slayn by enmite hate and crueltye for to haue vengeaunce not for saluacion of the truthe and of the people The seuenth chapter DIues Thy speche is skilful say forth Pauper Also if ony man or woman dye for defaute of helpe Thanne alle that shulde haue holye them and might haue holye them and wyste therof and wolde not helpe them be gylty of manslaughter And therfore saythe the lawe Pasce fame morientem si non passis occidis dist lxxxvi pasce That is to say Fede hym that is iÌ„ pointe to dye for hungre If thou wil not fede hym whanne thou myght thou sleeste hym Moch more thanne they be mansleers that by extorcioun raueyne and oâ—ledinge by might fraude and gyle robbe men of ther gode or wytheholde men of ther good wherby they shulde lyue and brynge them so in thought sorowe and care and so haste ther dethe Therfore god saythe that such maner folke as tyrauntes extorcioners and false men deuoure his peple as the mete of brede Deuorant plebem meam sicut escam panis And therfore he forbiddeth them and saythe to theym Lystne ye princes lordes and leders of the people to you it longethe to knowe ryghtfulle dome to deme what is good and what is wycked what is truthe and what is false Butte nowe ye hate good thinge and loue wycked thinge and lothe goodnesse And loue shrewednesse By violence and myght ye hilde men and take ther synnes from them and take ther flesshe from the boonys These ete the flesshe of my peple and hylde awey ther skinnis fro aboue them breke ther bonys Mychiee iiio. co. And so al suche be man slears in goddes syght For they haste mannys dethe by myschefe and sorowe and care that they brynge them in Diues What is vndertonde here by the skiÌ„ne flesse and boonys Pauê‘ Thre thinges be nedeful to euy man and woman liuynge hyliÌ„g lyfelode and helpe of frendes in feblenes dissease By the skiÌ„ne the hyleth and clothe the flessh is vnderstonde clothinge houseyng armure by whyche man is hiled and defended fro tempestis cold and hete and enemies and many desesys By flessh is vnderstond mete and drinke wherby the flesshe is norisshed By the bonys that bere vp the flesse and strenthe the flesshe ben vnderstonde maÌ„nys frendys whych helpe hym at nede and bere hym vp and strenth hym in febblenesse and disese But these tyrauÌ„tys and extercioners and false folke take aweye the skiÌ„ne of the pore folke For thei robbe them of ther housinge and of ther clothiÌ„g And thei ete awey ther flesshe for they take aweye ther lyflode wherby ther flesshe shulde be susteyned For they pille them so and make them so pore that they haue neyther house ne home ne clothinge to ther body ne mete ne drynke to lyue by Also they breke ther bonys For thei pursue ther frendes that wolde helpe them and put them iÌ„ such drede that theye dare not helpe them and ofte bete them and breke ther bonys and mayme them Exaumple of thys we haue iÌ„ ye thyrde boke of kiÌ„ges where we fynde that there was a true man dwellynge besidys the paleys of achab that was kynge of israel and the pore man was cleped naboth And for he wolde not selle hys gardeyn to the kynge at hys wyl the kynge was wroth And by false dome and false witnesse he dyd him be stoned to deth and so by fraude and manslaughter he escheted to hiÌ„ the pore maÌ„nis gardeyn wherfore the kyng afterwarde was slayne And the quene iesabel for she assented and halpe to the death of the true man and was slayne also And houndys ete hyr flesshe and hyr boonys and lycked vp hir blode in vengeaunce of the dethe of naboth The kynge was slayne in werre Hys wyfe iesabel was caste oute of hir soler windowe and trode to dethe wythe fete of horsys And other two kinges of hir aliaunce and nighe alle hyr kynred was slayne afterwarde in vengeaunce of the dethe of naboth Achab hadde syxty soÌ„nes and ten lyuynge after hys dethe and they were byheded in vengeaunce of the deth of naboth .iiiio. regum x.c o The eyght chapter ALso they be gylty of manslaughter that defraude seruauntes of ther hyre Therfor the wyse man saythe That he that
that skyl For as I sayd firste by ê“perte of the same worde Occides He forbid dethe only manslaughter God graunted man power to slee bestes and lyue therby genÌ„ ix c but he graunted hym neuer to do lechery wythe ony creature ne take ony thynge by wey of stelche or of false couetise Diues Contrare we fynd that baalam rode on his asse to curse goddis peple ayens goddys wylle An aungel stode in a right streyght weye ayens him The asse sawe the aungel and fledde asyde for drede of ye auÌ„gels swerd bare baalam a yens the walle and brosyde hys foote Balaam sawe not the auÌ„gel And therfore he was wrothe wythe the asse and smote him fulharde thaÌ„ne the asse throughe the might of god vndernam balaaÌ„ hys master and sayd to hiÌ„ what haue I do ayens the why betest thou me Thanne balaam sayde For thou haste wel deserued it wolde god I hadde aswerd to slee the Thanne the asse saide a pen Haue I nott alweye be thy beste on whiche thou haste be wont alweye to ryde Seye whanne I dyd euer the suche disese into this day And a non god opened the iyen of balaam thaÌ„ he saw ye auÌ„gel stoÌ„diÌ„g ayeÌ„s hiÌ„ with his swerd drawne And the aungel sayde to balaam why haste thou so bete thyn asse For butte thyn asse hadde goon oute of the wey â—ouen me place I shulde a haue slayn the and ye asse shuld lyued Numeri .xxiio. Syth thaÌ„ it is so that balaam was blamed for he bette hys asse not withstoÌ„ding that he hurth him moch mo to he shulde haue be blamed if he hadde slayne him And fo it semethe that it is not leful to slee any beste Pauper It is grauntid to man to sle bestys whaÌ„ne it is ê“fitable to him for mete or clothiÌ„ge or to auoyde noyaunce of ye bestys whych be noyouse to maÌ„ And therfore god sayde to noe to hys children Also fysshes iÌ„ the see be take to youre power and to youre hondes and al thinge that styrethe and lyueth vpon erthe beste and bridde shal be to you in mete I haue take them al to you as grene erbys oute taken that ye shalle not ete flesshe withe the blode GenÌ„ ix c And in another place he sayth thus If the lyke to ete flesshe sle and ete after the grace and the gyfte that god hathe youen the so that thou ete it withe oute bloode Deut â— .xiio. And so grauÌ„tid god to maÌ„ for to slee bestes fesshe and foule to his profite but not to sle theÌ„ for crueltye ne for lykynge in vanyte and shrewidnesse And therfore whanne he forbadde man to ete flesshe with the blode he forbad him to slee bestes by wey of crueltye or for lykynge iÌ„ the shrewednes And therfore he sayd Ete ye no flesshe with the blode that is to saye with crueltye For I shalle seke the bloode of youre soulys of the honde of al bestys that is to saye I shal take vengeaunce for alle the bestys that ye slayne only for crueltye of soule and lykynge iÌ„ shrewidnes GenÌ„ ix c For god that made al hath cure of al. And he shal take vengeauÌ„ce of al that mysuse his creature And therfore salomon saythe that he shal arme creaturys iÌ„ vengeauÌ„ce of hys enemeyes Armabit creaturam in vlcionem iÌ„imicoruÌ„ sapÌ„ vo. co. And therfore men shuld haue rueth on bestys of bryddys and not harme them withoute cause in takiÌ„g reward that they be goddes creaturys And therfore they that for cruelte and vanyte heded bestes and turmeÌ„t bestys or foule more thaÌ„ it is spedeful to mannys lyuynge they synne in case ful greuously The xvi chapter DIues As thou saydest by fore by this coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t is forbode al wrongful maÌ„slaughter Tel me in what case it is leful to sle any man Pauê‘ SuÌ„tyme manslaughter is do by hate and enmyte as whaÌ„ne a man is slayne maliciously of hys enmye SuÌ„tyme it is do for wicked couetyse to haue a mannys gode SuÌ„tyme it is doo by ordre of obedience and processe of lawe as whaÌ„ a maÌ„ is slayne by aqeust by seÌ„tence of a iuge ordynarye SuÌ„tyme maÌ„slaughter is do for nede for helpe of the comonlye for the saluacion of them that be vngylty As whaÌ„ne the knyght fightethe in his right for ye ryght sleethe hys aduersary To sle any man into ye first maners that is to saye for hate wrath enmyte or for false couetyse is alwey vnleful But for to slee a man the third maner and the for the that is to saye by processe of lawe withe a lawful iuge or by lawe of armes by the hondys of knghtys or of men of armes rewled by law of god it is leful whaÌ„ meÌ„ be gilty therfor saint austeÌ„ saythe lio. i o de libro arbiterio If it be so that the knight sle his aduersary in rightful bateyle or ye iuge and hys officerys sle hym that is worthy to dye me thenkethe they synne not But lene frende thre thinges be nedeful so that manslaughter shuld be leful and rightful Firste that the cause be rightful ordre processe of lawe and that iustice haue lawful power to slee and that he that shal be slayn be conuicte of hys trespase Also the intencion of the iuge and of the pursuers and of the officerys be rightful that they slee him in saluacioun of the right And for saluauacoÌ„n and ensaumple of other not for likiÌ„g of vengeauÌ„ce ne of crueltye not hauiÌ„g lykiÌ„g iÌ„ his peyne so that the cause be rightful and the ordre and processe the entencion be rightful Iusta causa iustus ordo iustus aiÌ„mê° Diues CoÌ„trate yet the gospel sayth Quod deê° coÌ„iunxit hoÌ„ noÌ„ seperet mt. ix There shulde no man deperte thinge that god hathe knyt to gydre But god hath knytte the soule and the body to gidre therfor thaÌ„ne it is not leful to any man for to departe ye soule from the body neyther to slee man ne woman Pauê‘ WhaÌ„ne the man that is gilty is slayn rightfully by the law man sleethe him not but as goddes mynysters and goddes offcers For the lawe of god god hiÌ„silfe sle him iÌ„ that that god coÌ„mauÌ„deth suche to be slayne God is priÌ„cipal iuge of hys dethe and man is but goddes officer to do his bydding And therfore sayth the lawe that thei that sle meÌ„ rightfully be not cleped mansleers For why seyth he the lawe sleeth theÌ„ not thwe xxii qÌ„ v. si hoiÌ„cidiuÌ„ iÌ„ qoÌ„iÌ„bê° le The xvii chapter DIues Sythe it is so that trespasors lawfully may be slayne by the byddyng of god why maye not prelatys of holy churche and mynystrys of ye auter sle suche trespasours ne sit in the dome of maÌ„nys deth ne yeue the sentence ne yeue assistence to the domesmaÌ„ sythe iÌ„ the old lawe prestes and mynystres of ye auter might lawfully sle trespasors as we fynd in many places of holy wryt Exo. xxxii
deth better it is a feyrer that a nother sle hym than he sle himsilfe for that is dampned in eueri lawe Diues Contra te Sampson dyuers other slough themsilfe as we rede in holy writ Pauper As seyth saynt austen de ciuitate dei They slough theÌ„ silfe by the preuy counseyle of ye holy gooste that wolde by ther deth do myracles As whan saÌ„pson toke the twoo pylerys of the paynyms temple whych bare vp al the temple and shook them to gidre withe his armes tylle they brosten the temple fell doune slough many thousandys of the hethen people that was gadrede to wondre on sampson in dispyt of god of heuen whos seruaunt sampson was The xxiii chapter DIues Whether is it more synne to slee the rightfulman or awycked man Pauê‘ It is more synne to sle the rightfulman for in that the sleer noyeth most hiÌ„ whom he oughtmore to loue Also for he doeth wronge to him that haue not deserued it and more ayens rightwisnesse Also for he pryueth and robbeth the comontye of manhode of agreate iewel For euery gode maÌ„ and gode woman is awelle to ye comontye of mankynd Also for he doth more dispyte to god for to al good criste seyth Qui vos spernit me spernit who despisith you despisithe me Diues Contra If a good man be slayne he shal sone go to heuen Butte the wicked manne if he be slayn vnwarly he shal goo too helle And lesse synne it is to send be sleiÌ„g a man to heuen than to hel Pauper Saynt poul seyth .i. ad corum iiio. that euery maÌ„ woman shal thake his owne mede after that his traueyle is Therfore the gode man so slayn shal go to heuen for his good dedys notte for the malyce of the sleer And the wicked man so slayne shalle goo to helle for his owne wicked dedys not for the wycked dedys of the sleer And the sleer shal go to hel both for the sleynge of the good and of the wicked But he shal be depper in helle for sleyng of the good than of the wycked For he shewethe more malyce more aggreuethe god and al the courte of heuen in sleynge of the good than of the wicked And he shal answere for al the good dedys that the good man shuld haue do if he had lyued lenger And he shal be punysshed for the sleinge of the wicked man for that he sleeth hym ayens goddes law and letteth hym that he may haue no tyme to amende hym Diues Is it leful to any man to sle his wyfe if he take hir iÌ„ auoutre Pauper To sle hir by lawe cyuyle there lawis ordeyne man woman that don auoutrye to be slayne It is leful so that he doo it only for loue of rightwysnesse and of clennesse not for hate ne for to be auenged on hir And lete him wel charge his consciens if he be ought gylty iÌ„ the same eyther iÌ„ wyl or in dede and take hede to his own freelte and thenke that the law is aswel ordeyned to punuyssh hym if he do amys as to punyssh the woman But any man to sle hys wyfe by his owne auctorite or doo hir be slayne withoute lawful iuge it is not leful by alle goddes lawe And though any londys saw yeue men leue to slee ther wyues in any case holy churche shalle punysshe theym and enioyne them ful harde penaunce as for manslaught Diues Whether is more synne a man to sle his wyfe or to sle hys fader or moder Pauper Bothe be greuous synnes moche ayens kynde For the maÌ„ and hys wyfe be one flesshe and one blode And he oweth as saythe saynt poule loue his wyfe as hys owne body And therfore he to sle hir ayens kynde Butt yet it is more synne and more ayeÌ„s kynd to sle fader and moder for of them man hath his begynniÌ„g his flesshe blode And also if he sle any of theÌ„ he forfetteth opeÌ„ly ayens the coÌ„maundementys of god the fourthe and the fifte For in that he vnworshyppethe ouer moche his fader and hys moder and fallethe iÌ„ cruel manslaughter and therfore it is more synne to slee fader and moder than to sle his wyfe as seyth the lawe in smÌ„ coÌ„fessorum .lio. iiiio. tio. ix qÌ„ x. The xxiiii chapter DIues Sythe god byddethe that no man shulde slee vnrightfully why suffereth gâ—d soo moche werre be in erthe so many bateyles Pauê‘ For moch folke is worthy to die and wyl not stonde to the lawe of pees Therfore god hath ordeyned and coÌ„mauÌ„ded the lawe of swerde and of cheualrye to bryng theÌ„ to pees with the swerde that wyl not obeye to the pees by lawe of charitye and reson Diues ThaÌ„ it semeth that meÌ„ of armes maysle men lefully that wyl not obey to the pees and too goddes wyl Pauper That is soth For Abraam moyses iosue dauid iosie machabeis and many other were men of armes and slowghe moche folke And yit god repreued them not but he badde them sle and halpe them in ther sleyng and in ther fyghtyng Diues I may wel assent that bateyle is leful if it be rightfull For god is cleped Dominus exercituum dominê° sabaoth That is to sey lorde god of ostys Pauê‘ Thre thynges be nedful that bateyle be rightful Iusta causa iustus animus et auctoritas legitum principis a rightful cause arightful intencion and auctoritie of a lawful prynce Fyrste it is nedful that ye cause be rightful that they fight only for the right and to maynteyne right and for saluacion of the comontye and of them that be vngiltye and wold haue pees For as seyth synt austen the ende of bateyle shulde be pees .xxiii. qÌ„ i. nolite Also ther intencon most be rightful that thei fight not for pryde to gete theim aname ne for no false couetyse to gete worldly good ne for noo malyce for to be vengede ne for no crueltye and lykynge to shed blode For if ther intencioun be wycked thoughe ther cause be true they synne in manslaughter And for ther wycked intenci on god suffereth men to be ouercoÌ„me in a rightful cause Also it most be do by auctorite of a lawfull prynce that is prynce made by comon custom or by comon lawe or by comon assentt of the comontye or by comon lawful election For though aperson gadre to him rebellys ayens hys lege lordes wyl al thoughe the rebellis make him ther hed and her prynce they may not by his auctorite do rightful bateyle But al though auctorite of a priÌ„ce lawful be nedful to rightful batayle that is solemply don by mannis lawe yit iÌ„ a rightful cause at nede man may by lawe of kynd with oute auctorite of any priÌ„ce fight and defende hymsilfe and hys godis ayens wycked folke For it is the lawe of kynd euery man to saue himsilfe and putte awey fo rs with fo rs and might with might LicituÌ„ eÌ„ vim
a true cristen woman She hath sorowe of thy lecherye not for the flessh but for charite And thy wyfe wolde that thou doeste not amys not for that she dothe not amys but for it is not spedeful to ye For if she kept hir chast did not lecherye only for that thou shuldeste doo no lecherye if thou doest lecherye she shulde do lecherye But for that the gode womaÌ„ kepeth chastitye not only for ye feyth that she owthe to the butt also for the seythe that she owethe to criste For though the man do amys yit the woman yeuethe hir chaste to god Therfore saythe saynt austeÌ„ iÌ„ ye same place Crist speketh in the hertys of gode wymen wythin in ther soule there ther husbond hereth it not for he is not worthy to here it and conforteth his doughter withe suche maner wordys Thou art euyl deseased wythe wrongys of thy husbonde what hath he do to the I pray ye haue pacience be sory of hys mysdede but folowe hym not to do amys but he must folowe the in goodnesse For iÌ„ that that he dothe amys lete him nott be thy hede to lede the butte lete thy god be thy hede For if thou folowe hym as a hede iÌ„ his shrewednesse both hede and body shal fal doune into helle And therfore myght nott the bodye that is the wife folow the wycked hede but myght she holde hyr to the heede of holy churche that is criste To him the wyfe oweth hir chaste to hym pryncipaly she most do worship for he is pryncipal husboÌ„de Be hir husbond present be he absentte the goode womoan shall alwey kepe hir chaste For criste hir husbond to whom pryncypaly she owethe hir chaste is neuer absente Chaunge youre lyfe ye men letchours saythe saynt austen there And fro thens for warde be ye chaste Ne seye ye notte that ye maye not kepe you chast For it is shame to sey that maÌ„ maye not do that a woman dothe ne be so chaste as a woman is The woman by ryght hath as freel a flesshe as the man And woman was firste deseyued of the adder youre chast wyues shewe to you that ye may be chaste if ye wyl Theyse be the wordys of saynte austen The sixte chapter DIues Wymen maye better be chaste than men for theye haue moche kepynge vpon theym The lawe byddethe theym too chastytye Ther husbondys be besye too kepe theym and harde lawes be ordeyned to punysshe theym if they do amys Pauper To thys answerethe saynt austen in the same boke saythe thus Moche kepyng makethe woman chaaste and manhode shulde make man chaaste To wooman is ordeyned moch kepyng for she is more freel woman is ashamed for hir husbond to do amys Butte thou art not ashamedde for criste to do amys Thou art more fre than the woman For thou art strenger and lightlier thou mighteste ouercoÌ„me the flessh and the fend if thou wylt Therfore god hathe bytaken the to the. Butte one womaÌ„ is moche kepynge of hir husboÌ„d dredful lawes good norture greate shame fastnesse and god priÌ„cipal and thou man haste only god aboue the Thy wyfe fleethe lecherye for drede and shame of the for drede of the lawe ffor good norture and principaly for god Butte for al these thou kepeste not the chaaste ne thou leueste not thy lecherie neyther for dred of god ne for goddes law ne for shame of the worlde ne for shame of thy wyfe to whoÌ„ thou arte bounde to be trewe ne thou wylt leeue it for ne good nortur but lyue as an harlotte and vse harlottys maners Thou artte not ashamed of thy synne saythe saynt austen For so many men falle therin The shrewsdnesse of man is nowe so greate that men be more ashamedde of chastytye than of lecherye Manquellers theues ê‘iureris falsewytnessis rauenourys and false men be abhominable and hated amongys the people But who so wyl lye by hys woman and be a bold lechoure he that is loued he is preised And al the woundes of hys soule turne into game And if any man be so herdy to sey that he is chaaste and trew to hys wyfe and if it be know that he be such he is ashamed to come amongis men that be not lyke him in maner For they shulde iape scorne him and seye that he is no maÌ„ For mannys shrewidnes is now so greate that there is noo man holde a man but he be ouercoÌ„me wythe lecherie And he that ouercomethe lecherye and kepethe hiÌ„ chaaste he is holde no man Theyse be the wordes of sayntt austen in a boke de decem cordis Diues Me meruelethe moche that saynt austen and you also accuse maÌ„ so moch of lecherye put more defaut in man than in woman â–ª Pauper Crist dyd the same we rede in the gospel Io. viiio. that on a tyme whanne criste satte in the temple of Ierusalem techynge the people his lawes Thanne the scribis and the men of lawe and the phareseys brought a woman newly taken in auoutrye and sette hir by fore criste and seyde to hym al in gyle Mayster thys wooman right nowe was take iÌ„ auoutrye The lawe of moyses byddethe vs stone al suche Butte what sayeste thou therto Al this they seyde in gyle For hadde he bode theÌ„ stoned hir he hadde seyde ayens hys owne prechynge For hys prechinge and techynge was ful of mercy and pety And if he had seyde that she shulde not haue be stoned thanne hadde be sayde ayens moyses law and thaÌ„ne wolde they haue stooned hym And therfore he seyde neyther the one ne the other But he stouped doune and wrote wythe hys fynger in the erthe And whanne he had wreten a whyle he set hiÌ„ vpright ayen and sayde to them whyche of you be withoute synne he caste on hir firste the stone And after he stouped doune and wroote in erthe And whanne the accusers of the wooman herde theyse wordes of criste and se hys wrytynge they were ashamed and went oute eche after other and the eldeste went oute firste and non of theym lefte there For as seye these clerkes eche of theym sawe in that wrytynge alle the euil synnes that he hade doon of lecherye of spousebreche or of ady other synne And eche of them wende that al other aboute had seen hys synne And so for drede and for shame they went out for they sawe wel that they were more gyltye in lecherye than the woman and more worthy to be stoned But criste of hys goodnesse wrought so that eche of theym sawe there his owne synne and non other mannys soo yeuynge vs ensaumple to hyde other meÌ„nys synne and not defame oure euen cristen whyle ther synne is preuye And whanne they were goon oute for drede and shaame Thanne saide crist to the womaÌ„ where be they that accused the. No man hathe daÌ„pned the Lord sayth she that is soth no man hathe dampned me Thanne criste sayde to hir Ne I shal
not daÌ„pne the Go and be in wyl no more to synne Diues By the lawe she was worthy to be dede why wolde thaune criste that yaue ye the lawe saue hir Pauper although she were worthye to dye yit hir accuserys and the people that brought hir theder were not worthy to dampne hir ne to pursue hir to deth for they were more gyltye than the woman And therfore seythe the gloose in that place Though the lawe bid theÌ„ be slayne that be gyltye y itt the lawe wyl not that they shulde be slayne by them that be gyltye in the same synne Butte he that is vngyltye in the same synne shal punysshe him that is giltye And terfore seyth the glose that they yâ— so accused the womaÌ„ by right of lawe or they moste haue lete hir go or ellis be stoned withe hir for they were more giltye in that synne than the wooman And so by the lawe cryste delyuered hyr rightfully and saued hir merciably Therfore seythe the lawe of holy church that tho that be gil tye in any grete synne shuld not be take for accusers ne witnessis in dome no manqueller no theues ne wicked iogulors robbers of churchis rauenours ne open lechours ne they that be in auoutrye ne they that poysone folke ne periurerys ne false witnessys ne they that axe counseyl of witches Al these and such other be vnable for to accuse in dome or to bere witnesse in dome butt if it be for to accuse theÌ„ that be ther felowys and helpers iÌ„ ther synne mÌ„ qÌ„ v. coÌ„stituimê° Et vi qÌ„ li. q i crimen And saynt ambrose seythe that only he is worthy to be domesman and dampne the errours of a nother that hath nought in himsylfe that is dampnable suê‘ BtiÌ„ iÌ„maculati Et iii. qÌ„ vii iudicet And therfore the law putteth many a case in which ye husboÌ„d may not accuse his wife of lecherye Firste if he be gyltye in the same .xxxii. qÌ„ nichil iÌ„iqus Also if he yeue hir occasion to do fornycacion by withholdyng of det of his body xxii qÌ„ vii Si tu Also if she be defouled by streuth and grete violence ayens hir wil xxxii qÌ„ v. Ita ue also if she wene that hir husbond be ded .xxxiiii. qÌ„ i. si ê‘ bellicaÌ„ And if she be wedded to a nother wenyng that hir husbond be ded whaÌ„ne he comethe hoomeshe moste forsake the secunde husbond and go ayen to the firste and but she forsake the secunde anon as she knowethe that hir firste husbond is a lyue elles she falleth in auoutrye and hir firste husbond maye accuse hir forsake hir Also if she be deseyued and medle with another wenynge that it were hir husbonde xxxiiii qÌ„ ii in lectum Also if he knowe hir lecherie and suffereth hir in hir synne and medlebh with hir after that he knoweth hir syn or foryeueth it hir reconseyle hir to hym thanne may he notte accuse hir xxxii qÌ„ i. Si quis vxorem Also if hir husbonde putte hir to do amys Extra lio. iiio. ti xiii o discrecione Also if an hethen man forsake his hethen wife and she be wedded to anoother hethen man after they be bothe turned to cristen feythe thaÌ„ne is he bouÌ„d to take hir ayen butt she fel iÌ„ any other fornicacion Not withstondynge that she be knowen flesshly of the secuÌ„d husboÌ„d Extra lio. iiiio. de diuorciis .co. gaudemus S. si go. The seuenth chapter DIues Is a man bound to forsake his wyfe whanne she falleth in fornicacion Pauper Either ye fornicacoÌ„n is pÌ„uy or it is open If it be preuy and may not be preued he shal notte forsake hir openly ne he is notte bound to forsake hir preuely as anentys the bed If hyr fornicacion be open eyther there is hope of amendement or there is noon hope of amendement If she wil amende hir and there be gode hope of amendement he may lefully kepe hir stylle If there be non hope of ameÌ„demeÌ„t he oweth not to kepe hir styl For if he do it semeth that he consenth to hir synne SmÌ„ con lio. iiiio. ti xxii qÌ„ vi quero Diues May a maÌ„ by his owne auctoritye forsake his wyfe if she falle in fornicacioun Pauper As anentys hir bed he may forsake hir by his owne auctoritye but not anentis dweling to gydre wythoute auctoritye of holy church And if he forsake hir company as anentis dwellynge without auctorite of holy church he shal be compelled to dwelle with hir butt he may anon preue hir fornicacion If a maÌ„ medle wythe his wyfe after that that he knoweth hir fornicacion he is irreguler though he be compelled therto by holy church SmÌ„ con lio. iiiio. tio. xxii qÌ„ viii vtruÌ„ vir If the husbond be deperted from his wyfe by auctoritye of hooly churche He may if he wylle entre into religion withoute hyr leeue Butte whether he entre or nay he is bounde to contynence al hir lyffe and he may non othir wyfe haue as long as she lyueth for only deth deperteth the bond of wedlok Diues Contra If a man wedde a woman he may entre iÌ„to religion or he medle withe hir she may take another husbond and yit neyther of theim is deed Pauper There is bodely deth and gostly deth that is entre into religion For thanne maÌ„ or woman dyeth ayens the worlde If he medle wyth hir bodely only bodely deth may depert theÌ„ as ayens the bonde of wedlok But or that he medle wythe hyr bodely goostly deth that is entre iÌ„to religion may depart them For tyll whanne they medle to gydre bodely the boude of ther wedlok is but goostly And therfore goostly dethe brekethe that boonde And for as moche leeue frend as the husbonde is as wele bounde to kepe feythe to his wiue as the wyfe to the husbonde therfore if the husbond trespasse and falle in fornicacion she haehe as greate accion ayens hym as he shulde haue ayens his wyf if she dyde amys Quia quo ad fidem matrimonii iudicaÌ„tur ad paria The eight chapter DIues I maye wele assent that auoutrye be asul greuous synne bothe in man and in woman But that simple fornicacion bytwene syngle man and syngle woman shulde be deedly synne I may not assentt therto And comon opynyon it is that it is no dedly synne Pauper Euery synne that excludethe man or woman oute of heuen is dedly synne but simple fornicacion excludeth man and woman out of heuen but they amende theim here therfore thanne symple fornicacion is dedly synne Diues Where fyndeste thou that simple fornicacion excludeth man and woman oute of heuen Pauper In the pystle of saynt poul where he seyth that no fornicaries ne they that do auoutrye nesodomitis ne theeues ne mawmetrerys ne glotons ne wycked spekers ne they that lyue by rauyn shall haue the kyngdome of heuen .i. ad corum vi And in the chapter next bifore he byddeth that
men shulde not medle wyth such fornicaries and with suche wycked lyuers not ete wyth them ne driÌ„ke with them for they be acursid of god and of al the company of heuen And iÌ„ another pystle saiÌ„t poule sayth thus Wyte ye it wel and vnderstond ye it that no fornicarie ne vncleene man of hys body ne fals couetous maÌ„ shal haue eritage in the kyngedome of criste and of god And therfor seythe he Late ye no fornicacoÌ„n ne vnclennesse ne auarice be named in you ne filth ne foly spech ne harlottre but al maner oneste as it bicometh sayntis Ad ephe vo. And in another place he saythe that god shalle deme fornicaries and them that do auoutrye Ad hebre .xiiio. That is to seye as seyth the glose God shal dampne them withoute ende although they wene not so but sith that god yeueth no tale of flesshly synne And therfore saiÌ„t Iohn sayth in the boke of goddes preuitees to fornicaries and manquellers liers and periureris and such other cursed folke ther part shal be iÌ„ ye pit wellyng and brennynge with fier and brymstone Whych is the secunde deth of hell Apo· xxio. co. And the wyse man biddeth that thou shalt not yeue thy soule too fornicaries in any thyng that thou lese not the and thy soule and thyn eritage in heuen And euery woman fornica tye shal be troden vnder foot of the fendis as drit iÌ„ye wey Eccle. ix c. Diues Contra Al the pÌ„ceptys of the secunde table be youen of god to lette wrongys that meÌ„ shulde elles do to ther euen cristeÌ„ But whaÌ„ne a seÌ„gle maÌ„ medleth with a sengle woman he dothe no man ne woman any wronge For eyther of them is in his own power Pauper Though ech of theym be in hys owne power yit ech of them doth other gret wroÌ„g For ech of theym slethe other by dedly synne and ech of them sleeth himsylfe and ech of them doth wrong to god in that they do ayens hys forbode and slee the soules that he bought soo dere And both they do wronge to ther euen cristeÌ„ in that they yeue theÌ„ wicked ensaumple and mater of sclaundre Diues yit Contra te God seyth to euery man and woman Crescite et multiplicamini Wexe ye and be ye multiplyed Therfore thanne if a syngle maÌ„ medle with a syngle wooman to brynge forth children it semeth to me no synne Pauper God sayde notte tho wordes to euery man and woman butte only to them that were wedded to gidre by goddes lawe that as they were wedded to gydre to bryng forthe children so god badde theym brynge forth children God sayde not tho wordys to sengle folke but to adam and eue his wife And vn to Noe and hys wyfe and to hys sonnes and ther wyues And therfore Tobie sayde to hys soÌ„ne Attendite tibi fili mi ab omni fornicacoÌ„ne cetera My soÌ„ne kepe the fro al ma-ner fornicacioun ne medle with non wooman but only wyth thy wife Tobie quarto capitulo And saynt poule sayth Mortificate membra vestra que sunt suê‘ terram Sle ye youre synful membrys that be open etthe Slee ye fornicacion vnclennesse lecherye These be the membrys that he byddethe vs sle not the ê‘tyes of oure body as the glose saythe And the glose saythe also That euery liynge with a woman oute of lawful wedlok is cleped fornicacion and forbode as dedly synne And therfore god badd in the olde lawe that if the preestes doughtir were take in fornicacion she shulde be brent Leuytici xxio. c o And if any other maÌ„nys doughtir fel into fornicacion in hir faders house or she were wedded she shulde be stoned to deth Deu. xxii c Therfore god wold that his moder marie shuld be wedded or he were conseyued of hyr For if she hadde be founde with childe oute of wedlok the iewys shulde haue stoned hir withoute mercy And if it were leful to syngle man and syngle wooman to medle to gydre gendre god had made matrymony in vayne and there wolde no man knytte hym vndepartably to any wooman if he might withoute synne medle with what wooman he wolde Therfore crist in the gospel daÌ„pnethe symple fornicacion and al maner lecherye and saythe that who so lokethe on any woman in wyl to medle with hir oute of matrymonye he doth lecherye ayens goddes commaundementt and synneth dedly Mat. vo. co. And therfore as I seyde firste generacion and bryngynge forthe of chyldren is graunted only to theym that be wedded too gydre lawfully The nynth chapter DIues Be al wedded folk bounde by thys precept of god Crescite et multiplicamini to do ther diligence to byget children Pauper Byfore mankiÌ„d was multiplyed wedded folke were bounde to do ther deligence to brynge forth children Butte nowe that mankynde is multiplyed the precept byndeth them not so moch to generacion But they be fre to contineÌ„ce and kepe them chast if they be both of one assent therto For many skyllys god ordeyned that man and woman shulde nott medle to gydre but they were wedded to gydre For by auoutrye and fornicacion falleth ful oft that ye brother lyeth by hys sustre and the fader by his doughter And manye an vnlawfulle wedlok is made by cause of anoutrie And he that doth auoutrye he is a thefe and robbe the man or woman of his bodye that is better thaÌ„ any worldly catel For the wyues bodye is the husbondis body and his body is hir body For neyther of theim hath power of his owne body to yeue it to any other by flesshly luste And he that doth fornicacion he robbeth crist of his right both bodely and goostlye And therfore saynt poule sayth that the lechoure taketh the membre of criste maketh it ye membre of ye struÌ„pet with whom he medleth .i. ad corum vi o Also by auoutrye be made false eyris and true eirys truly bigote put oute of ther eriatcte Also by auoutrye goddes lawe that he made so solempnely in the begynnynge of the worde fyrste of al lawes is broken And therfor he that breketh it is an opeÌ„ traitoure To this accordeth ye wordes of the wyse man where he seyth that the woman which forsaketh hir husbonde and take another and maketh eritage of another matrimony doth many synnes First she is misbileuynge to goddis law and brekethe goddes lawe Also she trespaseth ayens hir husbond Also she doth fornicacion in auoutry and maketh childreÌ„ to hir of another maÌ„ But hir soÌ„nes shal yeue no rotis and ther braunches shal yeue no frute She shal leeue ther mynde in cursynge and hir shame shalle neuer be do a wey Eccle. xx iii.c And therfor seith ye glose that auoutry is as daÌ„nable in the man as iÌ„ the woman And therfore in the same chapter he repreueth auoutrie fornicacoÌ„n iÌ„ maÌ„ ful highly The tenth chapter DIues Reson holy wryt dryueth me to graunte that both auoutrye symple fornicacoÌ„n be ful greuous sinne but
through the synne of adam Ne god sayd not to adam Cursed be the erthe in eues synne ne he seyde Cursed be the erthe in youre synne But to adam alone he sayde Cursed be the erthe in thy werke and in thy synne And therfore sayth saynt ambrose suê‘ lucam That eue synned more by freelte and vnstablete and chauÌ„geabletie than by shrewednesse Mobilitate magis animi quam pÌ„uitate peccauit Crist bycam not womaÌ„ but maÌ„ to saue mankynde That as maÌ„kynde was loste by man so maÌ„kynd shuld be saued by maÌ„ And therfore in manhede he wold die for mankynde for manhed had loste mankynde And also he bycam man and not woman to saue the ordre of kynde And for that womaÌ„s synne was lesse greuous than adaÌ„s synne and lesse dered mankynde and womaÌ„ was les infect iÌ„ the first priuaricacoÌ„n thaÌ„ was man therfore god toke hys maÌ„hed only of woman wythout part of man And so iÌ„ that he bycam maÌ„ he did gret worship to man But iÌ„ that he toke his maÌ„hede only of womaÌ„ withoute part of man he dyd greate worshyp to womaÌ„ For only of woomans kyn he made medycyne to the syne of adam and to he le mamkynde of the hard sikenes of adams synne The eleueth chapter â–ª DIues Thy wordys be wonderful Butte I can not ayensaye the for drede of oure lady moder and maide that gate grace to mankynde and is oure helpe in euery nede But yit I seye as I seyde firste woman disseyued sampson that was so strong Pauper Woman disseyued him not til he had disseyued himsâ—lfe by lecherie and misgouernaunce of himsilfe Firste he wedded an hethen womaÌ„ ayeÌ„s goddes law and ayens the wylle of his fader and moder for luste and mysloue that he hade to hir After that he lay by a comon woman that was hethen And after that he toke another hethen woman to his concubyne that hight dalida wiche ful disseyued hym brought him to his deth He was false to god and wymen were false to hiÌ„ wymen sey that he was by sotted vpon them and therfore they treted him as a sot He disseyued hiÌ„silfe did ful vnwysly whaÌ„ne he suffered a woman to bynde hym amongys his enemyes and told an hethen woman his counseyle and in what thyng hys enemyes might mooste dere him And alle thoughe god turned hys foly dedys to the worship of god and of goddes lawe yit sampson was nott excused therby for he dydde moch amys and moch foly Also dauid was deseyued by hys mys lust and his lecherye not by the woman bersabee as thou seydest in thy veers For thus we rede in holy wryt in the secunde â—oke of kynges .xi cao. That on a tyme whanne kyng dauid roos from his slepe after mydday romed in his soler of his paleyse he saw a fayre woman wassh hir in hir soler he knewe not the wooman â—ne the woman thought nott on him ne knewe not of his wicked wyl as the boke sheweth there A non he sentt after thys wooman and whanne she cam to hym he lay by hir and bygate hir wythe childe and non as he knew that she was with child to hide his siÌ„ne he seÌ„t after hir husbond vrie that shuld come home medle with hys wife that ye child shuld be named to hiÌ„ and not to dauid And for ye godeknyght wolde not come home at his wife ne vse luste of his body whylys goddes ooste lay iÌ„ the feelde in seege of a cetye that hight rabath dauid sente him ayen withe letters of hys dethe to ioab the prynce of the ooste and traytourly dyd hiÌ„ sle Here mighteste thou se that dauid was oucome with lecherie and deseyued by the fende or the woman cam to hym For as criste sayth in the gospel For who so lokethe on a woman in wyl to do amys wyth hir anon he hath do lecherie and forsetteth ayens this coÌ„maundement Non mechaberis Dauid loked on that wooman in wil to do lecherie whanne the woman thought non euyl He sent after hir as after his lege woman and she wyste not why And whanne she cam to hym as to hir kyng he lay by hir synfully for it was ful harde to hir to lette him Also peter forsoke cryste in tyme of hys passion and ran awey fro cryste or any wooman spake to hym the tyme so he deseyued himsilfe the woman deseyued hym notte She dyd hir offyce For she was vsshere and keper at the dore as sayth the glose and saint gregori and she seyde to him that he was one of cristys disciplis as she seide soth For she was bounde that she shulde lete non of cristys disciplis entre And anoÌ„ at the first worde he forsoke criste and sayd that he knewe him not And not only woman dyd saynt peter forsake criste in this maner but meÌ„ sayde to hym the same wordis for drede he forsoke crist sone after and suore that he knew him not And therfor if it be repreue to womaÌ„ the womaÌ„ made saint peter forsake criste as moch repreefe it is to men and moch more For alle though he forsoke criste at ye womans word yit he swore not therfore ne forswore him til men seyde to hym the same wordys M â— xxvi c o m.xiiiioc co. Also salomoÌ„ disseyued himsilfe or any womaÌ„ disseyued hym For he toke to hiÌ„ many hethen women of false bileue to haue his luste He sought them they sought nott hym He wyste wel that it was ayens goddes law a kyng to haue so many wyues concubines as he hadde For god bad the kynges of hys peple shulde nott haue manye wyues ne multiplye theym manye horsys in greuaunce of the peple ne multiplie to him greate weyghtys of golde and syluer in dysease of the people as holy wryt shewethe wel Deutronomio xviio. capitulo Also it was forbode to him and to al other so to cumpanye wythen wymen And ayens alle thys dyde Salomon in hyghe offence of god Salomon sought the cuÌ„pany of hethen wymen The wimen wer stable in ther false byleeue He was vnstable in his right bileue and folowed hir false byleeue forsoke goddes lawe in greate ê‘tye and worshiped false goddes Lecherye ouercam hym longe or many of the wymen knew him And so be men right these dayes ouercome wyth lecherye wythe oute womannis cumpanye and wythoute doyng of wymen For as criste sayth in the gospel who so loketh on a woman in wyl to do amys wythe hir thoughe she thenketh not on him he doth lecherie And if he haÌ„dle hir or smel hir or speke to hir or go to hir or seke by wilys or by sleyghtys to haue hys luste of hir thoughe the woman consente not to hym though he be letted of his wycked wyl yet he is gyltye in lecherye and doth ayens this camauÌ„dement of god Non mechaberis Men lechours gon and ryde fro towne to towne to gete wymen after ther lust
wooman may se the fourme of the shap of ther preuy membrys which be shameful to shewe and the syght is grete cause of temptacoÌ„n and of wicked thoughtis Saynt poule byddeth that wymen shulde atyre theym in onest araye with shamefastnesse and sobrenesse not in broydynge of ther heere not in golde and sylu ne in perrie ne in ouerdon clothe .i ad thi iio. And the same seythe saynt peter in his firste pistle iiio. co. where he byddeth that meÌ„ shulde haue ther wyues in worship and kepe them onestly Diues Wymen these dayes araye theym ful moch ayens the techiÌ„ge of Peter and Poule and therfore I drede me that they synne ful greuously Pauper Peter Poule forbyd not vtterly such araye But they forbydde wymeÌ„ such araye to vse in pryde or to prouoke folke to lecherie and to vse such araye passyng ther estate or for an euyl ende For we fynde that saynt cecilie and many other holy wymeÌ„ went arayed in clothys of golde and in rich perrie wered the hayre vnder the solempne atyre And Peter and Poule sayde tho wordys pryncipaly for tyme of prayer as for lent ymbre dayes gangedayes fridays vigilies and in tyme of general precessdn made for nede In such tyme namely man and woman shulde leeue al tokens and signes of pryde in aray For as the glose saythe ther proude clothynge gettethe no goode of god and maketh folke to deme amys namely if it passe mesure and good maner The pricipal entencoÌ„n of saint poule there he saythe tho wordys is to enfourme men and wymen in prayer For whom they shuld pray why and hou and where they shal pÌ„y as sayth the glose And he enformethe them to prey in lownesse withoute pompe of clothyng of grete araye For I am syker that the foule stynkyng pompe and pryde of araye that is nowe vsed in thys londe in al thre pertyes of the churche that is to sey in the feudorys and in clergie in comoners Wyl not be vnuenged But if it be sone amended by verry renpentaunce and forsakynge of thys synne For fro the higheste vnto the loweste in euery staate and in euery degree and nigh hond in euery persone is now aray passyng to mannys body and womans ayens all reson and the lawe of god Diues Syth it is soo that man is more pryncipal in ordre of kynde thaÌ„ is woman and more stable and mighty and of higher discrecion by cours of kinde than is womaÌ„ and shulde as thou haste wel seyde be more vertuous and stable in goodnesse than woman hou may it be that wymen kepe theÌ„ oft more chast and be more stable in goodnesse than man For we se that whanne men take theÌ„ to be ankeris and reclusys With inne fewe yerys comonly eyther they falle in reusys or eresyes or they breke out for womaÌ„s loue or for irkyede of ther lyfe or by som gile of ye fend But of wimeÌ„ ancris so inclusid is seldome her de any of these defautys but holely they begiÌ„ne and holely they ende Pauper Man by wey of kynde is more stable than is woman and of more discrecion but by grace wymen be oft more stable in goodnes than be men and haue better discrecion iÌ„ goodnes than many a man Diues Why so PAuper For men truste to moch in themsilfe and truste not in god as they aught to do wymen knowinge ther freelte trust not in themsilfe but only in god and coÌ„mend them more too god than do men ofte tyme And the wyse man seith IniciuÌ„ sapiencie timor domini ê“u ix c o ps no. The drede of the lorde is begynnynge of wysdome For who so dredethe god with loue drede as the good childe the fader that loue drede shall teche hym what is plesaunt to god and what may displese him And it shall make hym besy to do hys plesaunce to lef hys offence And comonly whaÌ„ne men bicome ancrys they do it more for ye world than for god They do it for ipocrisie to haue a name of holines of wysdome or for couetise to get gode or be oute of obedience and at ther owne wyl to ete and to driÌ„ke wake and slepe whanne theÌ„ lykethe and to doo as theym lykethe For there shalle noo man repreue theym therof ne wyte whether they do well or euyl or whether they praye or not praie And comonly men ancrys haue more dalyaunce wyth the world both wyth men and wymen thaÌ„ euer hadde they or they were ancrys And though they were lewed foolys byfore thaÌ„ne men holde theym wyse and axe of them doubtys of concieÌ„ce and of thiÌ„gges that be too come of whyche thynges they kun noo skyl And yit what they seye the peple takethe it for gospel and soo they deseyue many a man and many a wooman And sythe they grouÌ„de theym alle in pryde in ypocrisie and in couetyse and truste in themsylfe more than in god therfore he sufferethe the fende haue power ouer theym and desease theym and brynge theym to wicked ende But wymem take oft that state for no such ende butt only for god And they seynge ther owne freelte coÌ„mende theim to god And therfore god kepeth theym so that the fende may not desese theym in suche maner ne disseyue theym we redel holy wrytt GenÌ„ xiio. xx.co. That whanne abrahmÌ„ cam into strauÌ„ge londys he badde hys wyfe saray that she shuld not be aknow that she was hys wyfe but seye that she was hys sustre For she was so fayre a wooman that he wyste wel that men shuld coueyte hir for hir bewetye And if they wende that she were hys wyfe they shulde slee hym To haue hir at wyl For auoutrye was harder punysshed than manslaughter And therfor to saue hys life abrahmÌ„ sayde and badde hyr seye that she was his sustre For as seyth doctor de lyra abraham wyste wel that she was a goode wooman and had suche an auÌ„gel to kepe hir that no maÌ„ shuld haue power to defoule hir and so it byfel For anon she was take and led to the kynge of egipt kept there ye in kynges courte longe tyme And abraham fared wel by cause of hir But god seÌ„t suche sykenasse to the kyng and to hys wyues and to hys concubynes and to alle hys houshold that thay hadde no myght ne lykynge too defoule hir Thanne the kynge axed hys preestes and maysters of the lawe why the desese fel vnto hym and to hys housholde And they by reuelacion of god saide that it was for the pilgrymes wyfe And thaÌ„ne the kynge lette hym goo wythe worshyp we rede also that abraham hadde two sonnes ysmael of agar his seruant and ysaac of sara hys wyfe Abraham loued wel ysmael for he was the elder son On a tyme sara saw ysmael pleye wyth hir sonne ysaac nott goodly she was mispayde and sayde to abraham that he shuld putte ysmael hys moder agar oute of housholde For ysmael sayde she
synne in maner they assented to ther synne so ryghtfully they perisshed iÌ„ synne wyth them Of the chyldren vngiltye the mayster of stories saith that god slough theym for ther beste For if they had lyued forth into mighty age they shulde haue folowed the lecherye of ther faders and so it was better to theym to die or they were gyltye than to haue lyued lenger and died gyltye and go to helle without ende The xvii chapter DIues Fel there any vengeuÌ„ce for lecherye of men of holy churche Pauper We fynd iÌ„ the secunde boke of kynges vi co. that there was a dekeÌ„ iÌ„ the olde lawe whos name was Oza And whanne he touched ye hutche eyther arke of god to holde it vp whannd it shulde els haue falle his right arme serid and dryed sodenly and anon he died For as seyth the mayster of stories the night he had delyd wythe his wyfe Syth thanne the dekeÌ„ of ye old law was so herd punyshed for he touched goddes hutch the elles shuld haue fal for he medled that nyght with his wyfe moche more prestys and dekens of the newe lawe be worthy moche woo if they pÌ„sume to touch goddes body or to mynestre at goddes auter Whanne they haue comonedde wythe other mennes wyues or wythe ther concubynes And therfore the lawe byddeth streitly that there shulde no man ne woman here masse of ye preste which that he knoweth sikerly that he holdeth acoÌ„cubyne or is an open lechoure notorye Distinc. xxxii nullus c. pÌ„t hec And in the same law it is forbode in payne of cursinge that any preste lechoure shulde saye any masse or any deken lechoure rede any gospel or any subdeken rede any pystle in the office of holy churche And in another place the law biddethe that suche notorye lechourys shulde haue no offyce in holy church ne benifice and if they had but if they wold ameÌ„de them ·they shuld be pryued both of offyce and of benefice DistiÌ„c xxviii decreuimus And if any man of holy church haunted moche the place and the cumpanye of suspecte wymen but he wold cese He shuld be deposed DestiÌ„c lxxxi clericus And there shuld no straunge wymen dwell with men of holy church but ther modris beldames auntes and godmoders and brothers doughter or susteris doughter IbmÌ„ co. cuÌ„ omnibus And if there might any euyl suspecoÌ„n be of ther dwelliÌ„g to gydre or for youth or for they be suspecte in other byhalue thaÌ„ thay shulde not dwelle with theÌ„ in housholde but in some other place Ex. de cohiÌ„tacoÌ„ne clicorum mliÌ„eruÌ„ io. co. Diues Though a preste be a threwe the sacrameÌ„tys that he mynystreth be not ye worse For the goodnesse of the preste amendethe nott the sacrament Ne hys wyckednesse appeyrethe theym not as the lawe shewethe well in the same place Vbi supra ê“xi mo capitulo vestra Why forbid dethe thanne the lawe men to here massys of synful preestys le ¶ chourys â–ª therfor ye law saith the falliÌ„g fro the higher chastite that is voued to god is more and wors thaÌ„ auoutrye For sythe god is offended whanne the wyfe kepethe notte feythe to hir bodely husbond or the husbonde kepeth nott feythe to his wyfe moche more is god offended if feythe of chastitye is not kepte to hym which was ê“fered to hym frely not axed nedely And the more freely it was made withoute compellyng the more synne is the brekynge xxvii qÌ„ i. NupciaruÌ„ in fine .c. co. impudicas c. scieÌ„ Also the lawe sayth that the synne that is don iÌ„mediatly ayens god is more synne than ye synne that is do pryncipaly ayens man And therfore seyth he facrilege is more synne than any fornicacoÌ„n or auoutrie xvii qÌ„ iiii sunt q. Diues Contrate The lawe sayth that auoutrie is mooste of al siÌ„nes .xxxii. qÌ„ vii quid in omnibê° Pauper The glose answereth therto and seyth that it is amaner of spech to do wlate auoutre and shewynge that auoutrye is ful greuous But he sayth there that manslaughter and incest sacrilege by brekyng of the vow of chastitye is more greuous And also it may be take for gostly auoutrye that is whaÌ„ne acristen soule forsaketh the feythe of holy churche that he reseyued in his baptem and forsaketh crist to whom he wedded hym turneth to the fende and to false byleue And euery dedly synne is goostly auoutrye Diues I am answerd seye sorthe what thou wylt Pauê‘ Also lecherie is more synue iÌ„ men of holy church thaÌ„ in wedded folke bycause of thy persone For men of holy church may better withstonde the flesshly temptacion than wedded meÌ„ For they owe to passe the people in kunnynge and vertue And therfore god seyth in the gospel that the seruante knowynge the wyl of his lorde and not doynge hys wyl shal be harde punysshed Also for his vnkyndnesse For why the gretter his benefyce is the more that hys dignytye is ye more is he bouÌ„de to god and the more is his synne if he be vnkiÌ„d And therfore holy wrytt saythe Potentes potent tormenta pacientur They that be myghty in thys worlde by welth and worship that god sendeth them shal suffce mightely turmentys If they be vnkynde Also for the siÌ„ne repugneth more to his person both for his digiÌ„te for ye vow of chastite that he made iÌ„ takyng of ¶ holy ordre Pauper Not for defaute of ye sacrament For the secrament is not the worsse for the malyce of the preeste But therfor this law forbiddeth men to here ther masses and ther offyce that they might be so ashamed of ther synne and the soner amende them Diues Whan is a man of holy churche cleped iÌ„ the lawe an open notorye lechoure Pauper Whan the dede sheweth so thesilfe that it may not be denyed ne excused or whanne he is aknow it bifore a iuge or conuycte therof byfore hys iuge Extra e. co. vestra coquesitum WhaÌ„ne it is thus notorye and open there shuld no maÌ„ ne wooman here ther massys nether office wetyngly Such clerkes lechours be he preeste be he busshop be he deken or subdekeÌ„ he shulde lese his degre and not abyde in the chaunsel amonge other clerkes iÌ„ tyme of office he shuld haue no ê‘te of ye godes of holy churche DistiÌ„c lxxxi si qs cuÌ„ aliis capitulis sequentibus And therfore saynt Gregori biddethe in the name of god by the auctorite of saynt Peter that no preeste lechoure ne deken ne subdekene lechoure shulde entre holy churche tyl that they wolde amende them And no maÌ„ ne woman sayth he be so herdy to here ther office For why he sayth ther blessynge turneth into cursynge ther prayer into synne For god sayth to them I shal curse your blessyngys And al tho sayth he that wyl not obeye to thys holy precepte they fal iÌ„ synne of ydolatrye Distinc c.lxxxii si q sunt Therfore god seythe to wycked
punisshed him in Eue For if he loued hyr so moch as clerkes sey it shulde haue be to him ful greate payne to se his wyfe his loue so punisshed For as clerkes seye the grete loue that he hadde to eue made him to breke the coÌ„maundemeÌ„t of god And yit these dayes it is ful greate payne to kynde folke trewe in loue to se ther loue and ther frendis in sorow and desese Also god punysshed adam eue in that he punisshed hir with mischeues of sykenesse freeltie and feblenesse For in so moche god toke from him his help that was woman made to be mannis helpe But the more feble that god made hyr for synne the lesse she might helpe man Also god punisshed theym bothe anon as Adam ete of the tre and made theÌ„ so naked and so vnoneste that they were ashamed of themsilfe whiche peyne fel not too adam ne to eue tyl adam hadde ete of the apple And not withstondyng alle thys yit adam stode obstynat axed no mercyne knowleged no synne And thanne god rightful iuge punysshed him ful herde bothe in thys worlde and in the other worlde and punisshed al mankynd for his synne as sayth saynte Poule and saynte AusteÌ„ and other doctouris God punysshed adam and mankynd ful harde for his synne whanne he toke moche of his lordship awey from hym and made nighe al creaturis rebelle to hym and brought hym so lowe in ordre of kynd that though by wey of kinde man byfore adams synne passed woman in vertue and perfeccion of kynde Nowe after adaÌ„s synne woman ofte tyme passeth many men in uertue and discrecion and in other gyftis both of kynde and of grace And byfore the synne of adam man was so souereyne to woman that woman shulde not haue be hys souereyne But nowe for adamis synne of tyme maÌ„ is suget to woman as to hys lady by bondage and thraldome by hard feruage by nede and drede and owethe more seruage and subiection to woman for adamys synne than doth woman to man for ye synne of eue For god made womaÌ„ for the synne of eue only subgett to hir husbond in seruice of onest werke as felawe notte as chorle in velenye werke of wordly bondage Also man for the synne of adam is ordeyned too many more perelys bothe on lond and on water too werre and too wo. and besynesse of thys worlde and to moche traueyle and ¶ manye perelys more than wooman is ordeyned to Diues Wondre I haue that any clerke shulde hold ayens the in thys mater of adam is synne Pauper Clerkes speke ofte by opynyon in thys matere other maters also and not alwey afferme that they sey to the vttermost but put it in the doome of other clerkes if they kun saye better And so do I at this tyme if any clerke can say more skilfully Here endeth the sixte pÌ„cepte and bygiÌ„neth the seuenth precepte The firste chapter DIues I thanke the for thou haste wel declared to me the syxt precepte Now I pÌ„y the enfourme thou me iÌ„ the seueÌ„ the heest Pauper The seuenth precepte is this Non furtum facies That is to seye Thou shalt do no thefte neyther in wyl ne iÌ„dede as saith the glose And so by this precept is forbode al maner mys takynge and al maner fals witholdynge and withdrawyng of other mennys good ayeÌ„s ther wyl and al the menys that lede to thefte be also forbode by thys precepte as false weightys fals mesurys fals othes gylous speche gyle in crafte and gyle iÌ„ chafarye false werkmanship feint laboure in laborerys that taken greate hire and do lytel therfore Also raueyns extorcions false witholdynge of det and of mennys hires and false witholdyng of mannys right and womans and lettynge of ther right Al these be forbode by this precept And so by thys precepte is forbode al maner thefte both bodely gostly Diues What is bodely thefte Pauper As saythe ReymuÌ„de lio. iio. tio. de furtis Bodely theft is a gilous and vnleful tretyng and vsynge of another mannys good mouable ayens the wyl of the lord that oweth the thyng to gette the thyng in the silfe to his auauntage or to haue the vse of the thyng for a tyme or for to hyde it for atyme and denye ye possession though he thenke to make restitucion And thus sum is open theft and suÌ„ is preuy theft Open theft is whanne the thefe is taken with hys pelfere or conuicte by trewe wytnesse of thefte and such thefte is punysshede by loÌ„des law and by holy churches lawe Sum is do so preuely that the theefe may not be take therwith ne conuict And suche may not be punisshede openly by noo lawe but only preuely by law of conscience in the dome of his coÌ„fessoure which is bounde to couÌ„seyle and to saue his name hys fame And as the law saythe euery vnleful vsyng and takyng of other mannys good meuable or not meuable is theft xiiii qÌ„ .v. penale xxxii qÌ„ iiii meretrices For as the lawe seith there god that forbyddeth theft forbyddeth raueyne The secund chapter ALso leue frende ye shal vnderstond that as holy writ wytnesseth there is theft and robberye of mannys name and womans and that is cleped bacbitinge and defamynge through whiche man and woman leseth hys gode name And therfore the wyse man sayth Ne appelleris susurro in vita tua Eccl. vo. Be thou not cleped a musterer ne preuy bacbyter in thy lyfe be thou not take false in thy tunge that thou be not shent for to that thefe that stelethe a mannys good name is ordeyned moche shame and moche payne and ful wicked dampnacion is to the double tunged maÌ„ and womaÌ„ and to musterys and preuybacbiters is hate enmite and despyte Eccle. vo. co. For thys maner of theft is ful greate and greuous For as Salomon sayth Melius est nomen bonum qmÌ„ diuicie multe et super auruÌ„ argentum gracia bona A good name is better than many richeses and good grace of good loue passeth gold and syluer ê“uÌ„ xxii co. For the beste iuel and most richesshes that man or womaÌ„ may haue vpon erth is to haue a gode name and loue and. grace amongys his neyghborys and in the cuntre And therfore bacbyâ—s lesyngmongeris and wicked spekers that robbe man or woman of ther good name and bring theÌ„ in wycked name and fame they be ye worst theues vpon the erth and they may nott be assoyled of thys thefte but they do ther deuore vpon ther power to restore man or woman ther gode name and fame that they haue wyckedly robbed theym of And therfore sayth the law that they that wyth bacbytyng destroye the gode name and the goode lyfe and the good thewys of other folk be worse theues than be they that robbe men of ther godys and of ther catel vi qÌ„ i. deâ—iores And in the nex chapter the lawe saythe that bacbitynge is a ful gret
to venge mysilfe And thanne Dauid turned ayen into desert she cam home ayen and fond hir husbond nabal at soper soleÌ„â—ly But that night she spak nought too hym of that mater for he was ful drunken But in the morowe whanne he was sobre she tolde hym what she had do to saue his lyfe And anon his herte died for sorow and he wex heuy as a stone and with in ten daies he died wicked deth than Dauid wedded his wife Abigal Also if man or womaÌ„ stele awey mannys swerd whanne he is wood to lette hym of manslaughter of himsilfe or of other he dothe no theft ne synne Also by cause of rightwisnesse man maye take aweye other mennys goodys ayens ther wyl as in rightful bateyle soo that they that feyght rightfully ayens the vnrightful take ther goodys not for couetise but for rightfulnesse to shewe that they haue ocupied tho goodys wroÌ„gfully But if they take ther goodys for euyl couetyse they do raueyne thoughe the dede be rightful in the sylfe The seuenth precept DIues If a thynge be loste and he that fyndethe it kepe it stylle is it thefte Pauper He that findeth it is bouÌ„de to restitucion if he may wete to whoom it longethe And therfore he shal do men to wyte of the fyndynge by open spech in toune strete and in churche that he that oweth it may chalenge it And if noo man chalenge it he that foÌ„de it may by auctorite of awis confessoure kepe it stylle if he be pore and nedy and pray for him that aught it or elles yeue it to other nedy that they may pray for hym that aught it so make restitucion Therfore saynt Austen saith in omelia if thou hast fouÌ„d any thynge and not made restitucion that thyng thou hast stolen For he saith god taketh more hede to ye hert than to the hoÌ„de And therfore thefte is doonin asmale thynge as in a grete For god chargeth not the thyng that is stolne but the wicked wyl of the steler as saith saiÌ„t austeÌ„ saiÌ„t gregori And therfor if children iÌ„ ther yongthe stele pynnes or apples or any other smale thynges anon as it is ê‘seyued they shuld be hard chastised in ye begynniÌ„g For the philosofre sayth Principiis obsta withstond the begynnynge of vices and of micherye For whaÌ„ne childreÌ„ in yonge bygynne to haue lykynge in mycherie though the thyng be smal iÌ„ valu ther synne is not the lesse ne the synne of theym that suffre theÌ„ Therfor it is goddes dome that whan they be not chastysed iÌ„ ther yongth for such mycherie afterward they stele gretter thynges and be hanged to shame shenshyp of al ther kyn And therfore as boicius de disctplina scolariuÌ„ telleth whaÌ„ne a mannys soÌ„ne of Rome shuld be hanged he pÌ„yed hys fader to kys him And he bote of his faders nose seiyng to hiÌ„ Thenke wel fader on this tokeÌ„ and chastice better thy chyldren For haddest thou chastysed me wel in myy outh I shuld not haue be hanged Therfor the wyse man sayth Qui parcit virge odit filiuÌ„ suuÌ„ c. He that spariehe the yerd hateth hys soÌ„ne And he loueth his soÌ„ne that chastiseth hiÌ„ and techeth him besely ê“uÌ„ .xiii. We rede that on a tyme a powre maÌ„ was teÌ„pted to ete goos flessh but he durst not stele for drede of hangiÌ„ge On a day he met wyth the fend and he bad hiÌ„ stele a gose and ete enough at onis And he did so And sone after he stale an ox and was take led to the galowes And thanne the fend mete with him sayd to him wheder a wey ThaÌ„ne the these sayd to the fend woo worth the wicked wight for thou hast brought me to this end ThaÌ„ne sayde the fende blame me not for thou mightest se by ye byl that it was no gooâ— The eight chapter DIues· I suppose a maÌ„ haue borowed a thyng he that lent it him takethe it aweye fro him pÌ„uely ayens his wyl ayens the couenauÌ„t of the lenyng do that man theft so takynge ayen his own gode Pauper He doth theft For it is not for the time fully hys owne goode as saythe RaymuÌ„d lio. iio. ti de furtis And if lord or lady or any other man bytake his seruauÌ„t or his officer any thynge to kepe and he take it awey fro him without his wetiÌ„g for fals couetyse or for malice to endauÌ„gere the seruauÌ„t he doth theft For though the thiÌ„ge be his own yit it is not frely hys own as long as the seruaunt by his assent hath kepiÌ„g and despeÌ„sacion therof Diues I suppose a man weneth to take hys owne gode whan he taketh anoter maÌ„nys gode ayens his wyl or if he take his owne goode vnlefully Wenyng that it were leful so to take it doth be any theft in this case Pauê‘ Nay For all though in case he do vnlefully yit iÌ„ thys case be doth no theft ne dedly synne And yit he is bouÌ„d to restitucion Theft iÌ„cludeth alwey gyle falsnes without which is no theft And if a man take of another mannys gode withoute hys wittyng if he haue a iust caus to wene that he shuld not be mispayde though he wist it thaÌ„ doth he no theft ne sine if he take another maÌ„nis gode weniÌ„g that it be not his wyl though it be his wyl that he take it yit he doth thefte dedly synne in goddes sight But he is not bouÌ„d to restitucoÌ„n whaÌ„ne he knoweth that it is the lordis wil ne the lorde may not axe restitucoÌ„n syth it was his wel If aman or womaÌ„ by mis eggiÌ„g take awey another mannys seruant he doth theft If a man selle or bye man or woman that is fre or yeuethe him or taketh him of gift ayens his wyl he dothe thift as saythe RaymuÌ„d Vbi supÌ„ If a man or womaÌ„ be take presoner iÌ„ time of rightful bateyl he is not fre And therfor his master may yeue him or sel hiÌ„ by lawe of armes Butte ware him of law of conscience of charitie Diues If a man haue hired or borowed an hors or any other thing into a certeyn place and for a certeyn tyme and he pas that place or his tyme ayeÌ„s hys wil that owethe that thynge doth he theft Pauper If he do so of purpos and for couetyse or sum euyl cause he dothe thefte But if there falle a sodeyne case whaÌ„ne he comethe to that place ¶ that he hyred it to and he knew not of that case whaÌ„ne he hyred that thyng and hiÌ„ most nedis ê‘fourme that case or elles falle in grt harme thaÌ„ne he may take that hors or other thing ferther and lenger without theft so that he may truly paie for that that he passeth in the first couenaunt Diues And what if a man lene awey another mannys good without assent of hym which good he lent him to his vse Pauê‘ he doth thefr But he haue iust cause to wene that
taken for deseruynge The fift cause is whaÌ„ne a man for to haue peas byeth away the wronge that ht suffryth in spuÌ„el right whaÌ„ne he is syker that his cause is rightful Extra de symonia c. Dilecto filio The xviii chapter DIues What peyne is ordeyned ayeÌ„st symonye Pauper If a clerke be a symonient in takyng of his ordre he is suspendyd of his ordre both anentis him self and aneÌ„tes other so that he may nat do execucion of his ordre And whether his symonie be pryue or apert he is suspeÌ„dyde And if he be coÌ„uicte bifore his iuge shal be deposed vnabled to euÌ„y worship lese ye money that he paied therfore And he that ordryd him wyttyngly by symonie or yaue him bnÌ„fice by simonie or he th t resceyueth any bnÌ„fice by symonye or is meane therto though their syn be priuy yitt they be suspendyde as anentes them self And if it be open they ben suspeÌ„dyd both aneÌ„tes theim self and aneÌ„tis other And he that taketh his benefice with symonye he must resigne make restitucion of al the ê“fyt that he hath take ther of for the ê“fyt that might haue be taken therof for his tyme. For it is a general rule in the lawe that who so occupieth any thing wiyouteÌ„ rightful title he is boundeÌ„ to restitucion of al the harmes of al ê“fyt that came therof or miÈt haue come therof for the tyme sauyng hiâ— expensis that he spent iÌ„ ê“fyt saluacion of that thyng And bothe clerke lewyd man that doth symonye he is acursed in the dede And if it may be preuyd the lewde man shulbe accursed openly iÌ„ holy churche Prima qÌ„ i. reê‘iuÌ„tur Diues If the officer of the busshop axe of custome any yiftes iÌ„ makinge of ordres in sacrynge of busshopes in blessynge of abbottes if they that shulde be ordryd or blissed or sacryd yeue them suche yiftes for custome that they allege is it symonye Pauê‘ If he yeue it principaly for such custome for their axing it is symony But if he yeue it frely nat for ther axing ne for custome ne by couenaunt it is no symonye But most siker it is that he yeue none thanne ne for thanne for it is lyke symony And seint Poul biddeth that meÌ„ shuld absteyne theÌ„ from euery wycked liknesse Also they that yeue or take any thiÌ„ge by wey of custome or of couenaÌ„t for blessyng of weddynges for sepultures for diriges for creame or oile or for any sacramente in whiche is youen grace he doithe symony If any curate or ê‘isshe preest for yiftes for prayer for loue for freÌ„dship hide a opeÌ„ syn of his parisshyn obstinate in syn or recounseile him that wole nat ameÌ„de him or for hate enemy te wole nat recounseyl him that wole amende him or for hate or loue or yift or prayer putteth any maÌ„ or womaÌ„ from the sacramentes of holy churche he dothe symony If a preest be bounden of office to say a messe or dirige such other prayers he axe money therfore he dothe symonye But if he be nat bouÌ„de therto of office and he hath nat his nedeful lyuyng he may take money for his trauayle and lett his trauayle to hyre by daies and yeres as annuelers done as saith Reymunde Et extra ne pÌ„lati vices suas c o vltimo But if he haue sufficient lyuynge and he be nat bounde to say that messe or dirige thanne he shalle say it freely or elles nat say it For elles it semeth that he doth it principally for couetise If a prest haue said a masse if he say a nother masse that day for money or for to haue thanke of the world he doth symone De con di i. sufficit The xix chapter DIues If religiouse or seculer clerkes in auauncement of their kynnesmen make couenauÌ„t to giddre and say Assent thou to auaunsynge of my neuewe and I shal asseÌ„t the auaÌ„syng of thy neuewe Or elles one saith that aslonge as I lyue shal ther no grace of any auauÌ„semeÌ„t passe while I may lette it but I haue this grace for him yat I pÌ„y for do these any symonye Pauper It is symonye For the lawe saith Absit omiÌ„s ê‘actoÌ„ cesset omiÌ„s conuentio .i. qÌ„ ii qmÌ„ pio In spirituel thinges euery couenaunt shulde be awaye euery conuencion cease If the curate wole nat burye the dede body ne suffce it to be buried but iÌ„ couenaunt that he shal haue his bedde or his best clothe or suÌ„me other thing he doth symone alle though it be custome to paye that he axith And therfore he shulde frely bury the dede and blesse theÌ„ that been nedy and so absteyne him fro euery spice of symonye and afteward compelle them to pay and kepe gode customes if that they might wele do it for pouert Extra e. ad apostolicam If a preest wole nat baptise but he haue money therfore he dothe symonie And rather the lewyd man or womaÌ„ shulde baptise the childe thanne yeue money therfore And if he werÌ„ of age that shuld be baptised and there were noo man ne woman butt the preeste though he were in peryl of dethe he shulde rather die without baptyme of water thanne he shulde be baptised by symonie For in that case the baptym of the holy goost suffiseth to him Euery maÌ„ and woman may baptise for nede If any patrone yeue a benefice in couenaunt that he that resceyueyth it shal helpe him teÌ„porally and his also it is symonye Extra e. nemo And if he yeue it to suÌ„me of his kynne soo to magnifye him self and to be the more mighty worldly by auaÌ„syng of his kynrede it is symone And if a patrone selle a patronage by the self or selle the maner that is annexed therto the more dere for the patronage he doth symonye As saith Petrus tarentinus suê‘ quartum sent distinct xxv And therfore he saith that choppyng of churches withouteÌ„ auctorite of the bisshop is symony And he saith there also that right of patronage may natt be solde but it passith forthe with biynge of the londe that it longith to If prechours or pardonystris or other folke that goo for almesse pray the parisshe preest or the curate to ê“cure them suÌ„me gode in their parisshe in couenaunt that the preest or the curat shal haue a certeyn part therof it is symony as anentis the preest for both do sysymony and also they do sacrilege theft in that that they defraude men of their gode and put it nat in the almesse that they yeue it to and both the preste and the pardonistre be bouÌ„de to restitucion The xx chapter IF a man or woman yeue money to be resceiued iÌ„to house of religion and so in religion in couenaunt that he or she shall yeue a certeyn money to ye hous it is symonie though it be comen custome so to yeue Nathelesse if he be resceyued frely as the lawe wole he dothe no symonie Extra e.
harder he shal smyt them but they amende them And therfore the doome of god is lykned to a bowe For the bowe is made of ii thinges Of a wronge tree and a right strynge So the dome of god is made of ii maner folke Of them that ben wronge throughe synne and lyue wronfully and do moche wronge of them that be right rightful in lyuynge The archer shetiÌ„g in this bowe is crist And the more that ye bowe is drawe abak the harder it smyteth whaÌ„ the archer lousith So the lenger that Crist abideth so draweth his dome abake the harder he shalle smyte but folk amende them And as the archer in his shetinge taketh the wronge tre in his lifte honde and the righte strynge in his right hoÌ„de and drawith them atwynne so Crist at the doome shal sett the wrong lyuers on his left hoÌ„de the rightful lyuers on his right honde sette the arowe in his bowe that shal be the dredful seÌ„tence of his dome drawe the rightful from the wronge the gode from the wycked whanne he shal say to the rightful Come ye with me vp into heuene blisse Withouten ende and to the wroÌ„g lyuers he shal say Wende ye heÌ„s fro me downe into helle peyn with outen ende Of this bowe the ê“phete saith Arcum suuÌ„ tetendit parauit illuÌ„ God hath bent his bowe and made it redye and he hath arrayed or made redy therin tacle of dethe and hathe maade his arowes hote with brennynge thinges For they that ben brente with synne shal brenne with the fyre of helle withouten ende Of this bowe dauid also saith Dedisti metueÌ„tibus te significationeÌ„ vt fugiant a facie arcus Lord thou hast yeuen a tokenynge to them that drede the to fle awaye from the face of the bowe The xvi chapter DIues What tokenes ben tho Pauê‘ Ther is dome in special and dome in generall that shalle be in the laste day of this worlde Dome in special ech maÌ„ hath anone as he dyeth And therfore crist saith Nunc iudiciuÌ„ est mundi Nowe is dome of the worlde for anon as thou art dede thou shalt be demyd either to heuene or to helle or to purgatorye Of this dome spekith Salomon Memor esto iudicii mei Haue mynde of my dome for suche shal be thy dome yisterday it felle to me to morowe it shal fal to the Bifore this dome goo many tokenes of warnynge to synful wretches as age seknesse feblenesse dasewyng of sight blindenesse deefnesse rymplynge or ryuelyng of skynne fadynge of coloure failyng of mynde losse of catel of freÌ„des by deth other Diues Whanne shal that daye of general dome falle Pauper as Criste saith in the gospel ther is none aungel ne saint in heuene that wote whanne it shal fall But sodeynly vnwarly it shal falle and come as a theif and as deth doth to many a man that wole nat be ware by tokenes bifore No more shal men thanne blent with synne be ware of the last dome ne of the first that shal be deth no more thanne the men wold beware by the prechinge of Noe to fle the flode that drenchid al saue viii soules Diues Sithen eche man and woman is demyd anon as he is dede wherof shall serue the general doome Pauper That al men hethen and cristen may se the rightfulle dome of god nat only in theym self but in al other that hetheÌ„ meÌ„ may se and knowe their false bileue for whiche they been dampnyd And cristen men se and knowe their vnkyndnesse and howe rightfully they and alle other be dampned that die in dedly synne The xvii chapter MAnnes dome is ê‘uerted by iiii thinges as saith the lawe xi qÌ„ iiii Quatuor by drede by couetise of yiftes by hate by lowe But crist he is almighty he dredith no man He is lorde of al he nedith no mede ne yiftes He hatith no gode man ne woman and therfore he shal dampne no gode man ne gode woman He loueth al maner right and therfore he shal do no wronge He knowith al and therforÌ„ ther shal no fals witnes ne slight of meÌ„ of lawe disceyue him Euery man shal be ther a true wytnesse of his owne dome for his owne conscience shal saue him or dampne hiÌ„ And therfore leue freende be ye a true wytnesse of your self in this world to saue your self here in tyme of grace and thanne shal ye be a true wytnesse to youre selfe to saue youre self in tyme of the dome False wytnesses in this worlde haste their rightful doome of dampnacioun in the other worlde For they been false witnesses to them selfe to the other also As saith seynt Iohn with the gilden mouthe super Matheum opere imperfecto Omelia vi Ther is no man able to be a true wytnesse to a nother man but he be firste a true wytnesse to hym selfe in his owne dome At the doome god shalle axe of vs reknynge and aunswerynge of the benefices that we haue taken of him he shalle axe them ayen in nombre in weight and measure He shalle axe of vs how ofte we haue resceiued of his yiftes howe moch we haue resceyued how we haue speÌ„t them And the lettres and the tayles of oure conscience shal aunswerÌ„ and say that we haue resceyued goodes of kynde that is to say of body and of soule Alsoo godes of fortune that ben temporal godes and temporal richesses and godes of grace that ben vertues and cuÌ„nynge Thanne the soueraigne iuge shalle axe of vs aunswere of his benefices in the plurel nombre saynge Esurâ—â—â— c. I hadde hungre and ye yaue me no mete I hadde thriste and ye yaue me no drynk I was nakyd and ye clothed me nat I sought my herborowe and ye resceyued me nat I was seke and iÌ„ prisone and ye visited me nat ne comforted me nat And sithen the dome shal be so hard to them yat helpe nat their euen cristen withe their gode at nede moche moore streit it shal be to them that robbe their euen cristen as to theuys pilours extorcioners and maÌ„quellers lechoures and to al wycked doers Thanne men shal yeue auÌ„swere of euery ydel worde that they speke as crist saith in the gospel And as seynt Bernarde saith the riche man shal yeue aunswere of euery threde in his clothe of euery cruÌ„me of brede iÌ„ his brede skep of euery droppe of drynke of his barel and in his tuÌ„ne in his vessel Also Criste shalle axe rekniÌ„g by hole mesure For as Criste saith in the gospel men shal therÌ„ reken and yeld to the lest ferthiÌ„g withouten foryeuenesse And suche measure as men mete here to other shal be moten ayen to them mercy for mercy harde for harde Also god shal thanne axe of vs. reknyng in weight of strayt doome for al oure dedes shal there be weyed by the dome of god and of onre owne conscience and after that they wey they shal be
rewardyd the gode in blisse the wicked in peyne Thanne the honde of god shal write in the conscience of euery maÌ„ and womaÌ„ that shal be dampnyd these thre wordes Mane techel phares Whiche iii. wordes he wrote on the the walle of the kinges hall Balthasar to his dampnacion Danielis vo.c. which vision apperyd to the kiÌ„g in tyme of the greate feest that he made in dispyte of god and made men drynke in the vesselles of goddes temple whiche vesselles werÌ„ halowed to god For Mane is to say in englisshe God hathe nombred thy kingdome and dayes of thy reigne and made an eÌ„de therof Techel is to saye thou art weyed in a balaunce thou weyest to lytel Phares is to say thy kyngdome is departed from the For after the dome the synful man may no leÌ„ger loke after the kingdome of heuene which was ordeyned to him if he wold haue deseruyd it But thanne he shal be departyd fro that kingdome yat he hath loste by his folye and go to prison of hell withouten ende whiche he hath deseruyd For thaÌ„ Criste shal say to euery man and woman Tolle quod tuuÌ„ est et vade Take that is thyne and that thou haste deserued and goo thy wey to heuene if thou haue do we le or to helle if thou haue do amys and nat amendyd the. Thanne al wycked cristen men shal be demed and dampnyd but hethen men shal be dampned and nat demyd For as Criste saith in the gospel He that bileueth natt in Criste nowe he is demyd SuÌ„me shal be demyd and sauyde as gode cristen men comyn lyuers And suÌ„me shal be saued and nat demyd as men of ê‘fection For they shal deme other as crist saiy in the gospel Dos qui reliquistis omnia c. ye that haue forsakeÌ„ al worldly godes for my sake folowed me in pouertie and in ê‘fection ye shal sytt on xii setyâ— demyng the xii kynredes of israel that is to say all that shal be demyd The xviii chapter DIues It is dredeful thing to thynke on this dome Pauper It shal be more dredeful to here it and to se it moost for to fele it and namely to riche folke that haue resceyued many godes of god nat spendyd them ne dispensed them to his worship And seynt gregory in his omelye saith the more the yiftes of god come to a maÌ„ the more wexe reknynges aunswere of the yiftes Therfore seint Iames spekithe to you riche men in this maner Agite nunc diuites c. Nowe ye riche men do ye so that ye may saue your self wepe ye and wayle ye for your myscheuys that shall falle to you but ye amende you ¶ youre richesses ben roten your clothes be mothe eten your gold and siluer is rustyd and the ruste therof shal be wytnesse ayeÌ„st you at the dome and ete your flesshe as fier For ye kepte your goode so harde from the pore folke therfore ye haue tresourid wrath and wreche to you in the laste dayes Iacobi v. Diues We le is hym that is we le dede Pauê‘ And wele is him that wele lyueth For as seint Austyn saith He that lyueth wel may nat euyl die Therfore as I saide firste Deme we le to thy self and of thy self For as Salomon saith The true wytnesse deliuereth soules of wo bothe iÌ„ his owne and in many other Prouerbi xiiii And as the ê“phete saith Seke ye vp oure lorde god with almesse dede While he may be fouÌ„de clepe ye him while he is nigh Nowe he is high now he clepith vs to his mercy Nowe he may be fouÌ„de benigne and bonour to alle But after the dome and after oure deth he shal be fel and fiers to vs. but we amende vs. Thanne shalle we fynde no mercy but that we deserue by our lyf And therfore leue frende doo ye as seint Poule saith Dum teÌ„pus habemus operemur bonum ad omnes While we haue tyme worche we gode to al. And the wise man saith what gode thyne honde may do do it besily while thou might For ther shal be noo worching reason ne cuÌ„nynge ne wysdome after thy dethe to wyn the mede Ecclesiasttes ix Therfore Crist saith in the gospel that ther shal cuÌ„me a nighte whanne no man shal worche to wynne hiÌ„ mede The day is oure lyf the night is our deth for be we dede we may no more worche to wynne mede ne to amende vs. ¶ Here endith the viii precepte And begynneth the nynthe DIues God sende vs grace to doo as thou sayst I thaÌ„ke the for this informacion for I hope it shal do profyt Now I pray the that thou wylt enfourmme in the ix commaundemente Pauê‘ The nynthe precepte is this Non concupisces domuÌ„ ê“ximi tui Exodi xx Thou shalte nat coueite thy nighboures gode with wronge house ne londe In the viii preceptes bifore god forbedith all wycked werkes In these ii last he forbedith al wycked wylles and consent to synne For of wycked wyl cuÌ„meth yuel dede And therfore Criste saith in the gospel that oute of the herte cometh al maner synne for with outen wylle and asseÌ„t of the hert is no synne done De corde exiunt cogitaciones male homicidia adulteria fornicationes furta falsa testimonia blasphemie Mt. xv Therfore seint Poule saith that couetise is rote of alle euyl And therfore god forbedith al wycked couetise bothe of the worlde and of the flesshe Couetise of the worlde is clepyd couetise of the iye iÌ„ other meÌ„nes gode Couetise of the flesshe is clepyde wylle to lechery and to glutony And righte as a wycked wede is clene clensyd oute of a loÌ„de whaÌ„ the rote is drawen away and til whan ne the rote is draweÌ„ vp the londe is nat clene clensyd ne wel wedyd and bodily seknes is nat wele cured ne helyd tyl the roote of the seknes be thus distroyed Right so mannys soule and womans may nat be clene cleÌ„syd of synne ne goddes lawe may natt be kepte til couetise of the herte whiche is rote of al maner synne and of all gostly sekenesse be drawen oute of the londe of mannes hert and distroyed And therfore whanne god hadde youen viii pÌ„ceptes by whiche men shulde flee al wycked werkes he put therto other ii preceptes ayenst false couetise bydding that men shulde put wycked couetise oute of hert For false couetise is principall letter of kepyng of goddes lawe and rote of al wickednesse Therfore in this coÌ„maundement god forbedith principaly false worldly couetise and specially of thinges nat mouable by theÌ„ self whaÌ„ he byddeth that thou shalt nat coueyte thy nighboures gode with wronge house ne londe In the seuynth pÌ„cept god forbedeth the dede of al wroÌ„gful takyng whaÌ„ he biddeth the nat stele In this heest he forbedeth al maner wroÌ„geful desire and mys couetise of any mannys goode of house of londe of golde of siluer of cloth of corne and of all such other thiÌ„ges that may
so maÌ„kynde had his begynnynge was brought forthe in paradise By the adder I vndstoÌ„d the feeÌ„d whiche appered in the lyknesse of an adder to eue stange her full euyl adaÌ„ also with his wycked foÌ„dyng slewe them bothe body soul. And nat only he slewe them but also he slewe al mankynde iÌ„ them For if adam hadde nat synned we shulde neuir haue dyed ne haue wyste of woo Wherfore this pellicane Iesus crist seynge the myscheif that maÌ„kynde was fal in be gyle of the feeÌ„d he had ruth on mankynde And for grete loue that he had to maÌ„kynde as seint Poule saith he auentisshed hymself toke flessh and blode of the mayden marye bicame man in the lyknesse of a seruaunt and in oure maÌ„hede in oure kynde suffred to be taken and be bounde beten forspited dispysed discourgyd at the pyler be crowned with thornes be naled to the tree hondes feet hangyd on the crosse as a theef amonges theuys bestoÌ„ge to the herte with the sharpe spere so dyed bytter deth al for oure gilt nat for his gilt for he dyd neuir amysse in worde ne in dede as saith seint petyr in his pistel And thus for oure loue that ben to biÌ„ ful vnkynde he shed his pÌ„cioê° blode out of euery ê‘te of his blisful body borne of the maydeÌ„ And his iÌ„ner hert blode he shed so to wasshe vs fro our synnes to rayse vs fro the dethe of syn into the lyf of grace And after fro bodily deth into the lyf of endlesse blisse Therfore seint Iohn saith Dilexit nos lauit nos a petiÌ„s nrÌ„is iÌ„ saÌ„guine suo apoc i. c. He louyd vs so moche that he wasshed vs from our synnes with his pÌ„cioê° blode Loue droue hiÌ„ downe fro heuen iÌ„to erthe loue led him into the maydens bosom brought hâ— into this wycked worlde Loue boÌ„de hiÌ„ iÌ„ cradyl woÌ„de him iÌ„ cloutes ful pore leyde hiÌ„ in an oxe stalle Loue heelde him here in sorowe care huÌ„gre thrist moch trauayl .xxxii. yere more Atte laste loue toke hiÌ„ boÌ„de hiÌ„ sett him at the barre bifore the synful iustice pouÌ„ce pylate Loue leyde him on the crosse nayled him to the tre Loue led him to his dethe cleef his hert a two And for whose loue leeue frende Forsoth for loue of you of me of other synful wretches that neuir dyd hym gode but offendyd him nighte day been to him full vnkynde Therfore he may wele say the wordes that salomon saide Fortie est vt mors dilectio Cant viii Loue is stronge as dethe yhe for sothe moche strenger than dethe For loue ledde his lyf to his deth he that neuir might die by wey of kynde loue made him die for mankynde And so saith salomoÌ„ there Broondes of his loue ben broÌ„des of fire and of flames both For the loue that he shewed to mankynde also for the loue that we ought to shewe to hym For right as the hete of the suÌ„ne With his light whan he shyneth iÌ„ the fyre in the house wastith the fyre and quenchith it so the loue of god and the endlesse charite of his passion if it shone in mannes soule with his hete it shulde queÌ„che and waste the broondes the fyre of lechery brennyng in mannes soule by foule luste and wycked desire And therfore he sayth to euery cristen soule Pone me vt signaculuÌ„ suê‘ cor tuuÌ„ Cant. viii Sett me as a token vpon thyne hert And seint poule saithe SpuÌ„ uÌ„bulate desidia carnis noÌ„ ê‘ficietis ad gala v. Goo ye with the the holy hoste that is clepyd well of gostly fire ye shal nat do the desire of the flesshe For deuocion mynd of cristis passion is the best remedy ayeÌ„st teÌ„ptacioÌ„ of lechery The iiii chapter AAlso it is a gode remedye to maÌ„ to thiÌ„ke on his deth on his freelte on the bitter peynes of helle euirlastyng of the high offence of god of the endelesse ioyes that they lese if they asseÌ„t to lechery TherforÌ„ salomoÌ„ saith Memorare nouissima tua in eternuÌ„ noÌ„ peccabis Ecclsiastici vii Thynke on thy last thingis thou shalt neuir do synne Ech man and woman shulde be warÌ„ that neither by nyce contenaunce ne by foly speche ne by nyce araye of body they stire any maÌ„ or womaÌ„ to lechery And though resonable arraye and honestie be coÌ„mendyd bothe in maÌ„ and womaÌ„ after their state reuled by goddes lawe and reason so they muste be wele ware that by suche array they falle nat in pride ne in lechery ne stire other to lecherye Wyllyng and wetynge ¶ We rede in vitis patrum â–ª that ther was a holy womaÌ„ whose name was alexandre and she was a ful faire woman and whanne she herde saye that a man was fallen into harde temptacion of lecherye bycause of her beaute she closed herself in an house and neuir wolde se man after ne come oute of the house but toke her lyuynge in to her by a smalle wyket Men axid her why she dyd so And she said that she hadde leuyr to shytte herself all quycke in the graue than to harme any soule that god maade to his lyknesse and boughte soo dere with his preciouse bloode ¶ we rede also in the lif of seynte Bride that a man wolde haue wed dyd her for her beaute she prayed god that he wold seÌ„d her suÌ„me blemyssâ—ynge of her face wherby that mannes temptacion might cese Anâ— on her one iye braste oute of her hede wherfore her fader made her a nuÌ„ne as a womaÌ„ vnable to the world And whan she was made a nuÌ„ne and hadde forsakeÌ„ the worlde anone she had her iye and her â—ight ayen Thus shulde wymen beâ—â—ly kepe them in chastite clennesse maydens in chastite of maydenhode widowes in chastite of widowehode wyues in chastite of wedlok kepe ther body truly to their husbondes so the husboÌ„des truly to their wyues Forsothe it is a dedly syn a man to desyre a nother mannes wyf or his mayden or his doughter to flesshely luste Moch more it is dedly synne to opresse them and defoule them lye by them The v. chapter DIues Seynt poule saith that the flesshe desireth couetith alway anenst the soule And it is ful harde to withstonde his lustis his desires Pauê‘ Therfore maÌ„ shuld gouerne chastise his body as a gode maÌ„ of armes gouerneth chastiseth his horse For as Iob saith Al oure lyuiÌ„ge vpon erth is knighthode fightyng ayenst the feende the world the flesshe Iob vii And in this bateyle oure bodye is oure horse whiche we muste chastise rule as a knight dothe his horse For if the horse be to proude euyl tached he may lightly lese his master be cause of his dethe And if he be tame to his maister we le