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1    The causes that oghte moeve a man to Contricioun
2been sixe. First a man shal remembre
3hym of his synnes; but looke he that thilke
4remembraunce ne be to hym no delit by no
5wey, but greet shame and sorwe for his gilt.
6For Job seith, "Synful men doon werkes worthy
7of confusioun." And therfore seith Ezechie,
8"I wol remembre me alle the yeres of my
9lyf in bitternesse of myn herte." And
10God seith in the Apocalipse, "Remembreth
11yow fro whennes that ye been falle"; for biforn
12that tyme that ye synned, ye were the children
13of God and lymes of the regne of God; but for
14youre synne ye been woxen thral, and foul, and
15membres of the feend, hate of aungels, sclaundre
16of hooly chirche, and foode of the false
17serpent, perpetueel matere of the fir of helle;
18and yet moore foul and abhomynable, for ye
19trespassen so ofte tyme as dooth the hound that
20retourneth to eten his spewyng. And yet be
21ye fouler for youre longe continuyng in synne
22and youre synful usage, for which ye be roten
23in youre synne, as a beest in his dong. Swiche
24manere of thoghtes maken a man to have shame
25of his synne, and no delit, as God seith by
26the prophete Ezechiel, "Ye shal remembre
27yow of youre weyes, and they shuln
28displese yow." Soothly synnes been the weyes
29that leden folk to helle.
30    The seconde cause that oghte make a man
31to have desdeyn of synne is this: that, as seith
32Seint Peter, "whoso that dooth synne is thral

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33of synne"; and synne put a man in greet thraldom.
34And therfore seith the prophete Ezechiel:
35"I wente sorweful in desdayn of myself."
36Certes, wel oghte a man have desdayn of synne
37and withdrawe hym from that thraldom and
38vileynye. And lo, what seith Seneca in this
39matere? He seith thus: "Though I wiste that
40neither God ne man ne sholde nevere knowe
41it, yet wolde I have desdayn for to do synne."
42And the same Seneca also seith: "I am born to
43gretter thynges that to be thral to my body,
44or than for to maken of my body a thral."
45Ne a fouler thral may no man ne womman
46maken of his body than for to yeven his body
47to synne. Al were it the fouleste cherl or the
48fouleste womman that lyveth, and leest of
49value, yet is he thanne moore foul and moore
50in servitute. Evere fro the hyer degree that
51man falleth, the moore is he thral, and moore
52to God and to the world vile and abhomynable.
53O goode God, wel oghte man have desdayn
54of synne, sith that thurgh synne ther he
55was free now is he maked bonde. And therfore
56seyth Seint Augustyn: "If thou hast desdayn
57of thy servant, if he agilte or synne, have
58thou thanne desdayn that thou thyself
59sholdest do synne." Tak reward of thy
60value, that thou ne be foul to thyself.
61Allas, wel oghten they thanne have desdayn to
62been servauntz and thralles to synne, and soore
63been ashamed of hemself that God of his
64endelees goodnesse hath set hem in heigh estaat,
65or yeven hem wit, strengthe of body,
66heele, beautee, prosperitee, and boghte hem
67fro the deeth with his herte-blood, that they
68so unkyndely, agayns his gentilesse, quiten hym
69so vileynsly to slaughtre of hir owene soules.
70O goode God, ye wommen that been of so greet
71beautee, remembreth yow of the proverbe
72of Salomon. He seith, "Likneth a fair
73womman that is a fool of hire body lyk to
74a ryng of gold that were in the groyn of a
75soughe." For right as a soughe wroteth in
76everich ordure, so wroteth she hire beautee in
77the stynkynge ordure of synne.
78    The thridde cause that oghte moeve a man
79to Contricioun is drede of the day of doom and
80of the horrible peynes of helle. For as Seint

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81Jerome seith, "At every tyme that me remembreth
82of the day of doom I quake; for whan
83I ete or drynke, or what so that I do, evere
84semeth me that the trompe sowneth in
85myn ere: 'Riseth up, ye that been dede,
86and cometh to the juggement.'" O goode
87God, muchel oghte a man to drede swich a
88juggement, "ther as we shullen been alle," as
89Seint Poul seith, "biforn the seete of oure Lord
90Jhesu Crist"; whereas he shal make a general
91congregacioun, whereas no man may been absent.
92For certes there availleth noon essoyne
93ne excusacioun. And nat oonly that oure defautes
94shullen be jugged, but eek that alle
95oure werkes shullen openly be knowe.
96And, as seith Seint Bernard, "Ther ne shal
97no pledynge availle, ne no sleighte; we shullen
98yeven rekenynge of everich ydel word." Ther
99shul we han a juge that may nat been deceyved
100ne corrupt. And why? For, certes, alle
101oure thoghtes been discovered as to hym, ne
102for preyere ne for meede he shal nat been corrupt.
103And therfore seith Salomon, "The
104wratthe of God ne wol nat spare no wight, for
105preyere ne for yifte"; and therfore, at the day
106of doom ther nys noon hope to escape. Wherfore,
107as seith Seint Anselm, "Ful greet angwyssh
108shul the synful folk have at that tyme;
109ther shal the stierne and wrothe juge sitte
110above, and under hym the horrible pit of helle
111open to destroyen hym that moot biknowen his
112synnes, whiche synnes openly been shewed
113biforn God and biforn every creature;
114and in the left syde mo develes than herte
115may bithynke, for to harye and drawe the synful
116soules to the peyne of helle; and withinne
117the hertes of folk shal be bitynge conscience,
118and withouteforth shal be the world
119al brennynge. Whider shall thanne the
120wrecched synful man flee to hiden hym?
121Certes, he may nat hyden hym; he moste come
122forth and shewen hym." For certes, as seith
123seint Jerome, "the erthe shal casten hym out
124of hym, and the see also, and the eyr also, that
125shal be ful of thonder-clappes and lightnynges."
126Now soothly, whoso wel remembreth
127hym of thise thynges, I gesse that his synne
128shal nat turne hym into delit, but to greet
129sorwe for drede of the peyne of helle.
130And therfore seith Job to God, "Suffre,

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131Lord, that I may a while biwaille and wepe,
132er I go withoute returnyng to the derke lond,
133covered with the derknesse of deeth, to the
134lond of mysese and of derknesse, whereas is the
135shadwe of deeth, whereas ther is noon ordre or
136ordinaunce but grisly drede that evere shal
137laste." Loo, heere may ye seen that Job
138preyde respit a while to biwepe and waille his
139trespas, for soothly oo day of respit is bettre
140than al the tresor of this world. And forasmuche
141as a man may acquiten hymself biforn
142God by penitence in this world, and nat by
143tresor, therfore sholde he preye to God to yeve
144hym respit a while to biwepe and biwaillen
145his trespas. For certes, al the sorwe that a
146man myghte make fro the bigynnyng of the
147world nys but a litel thyng at regard of the
148sorwe of helle. The cause why that Job
149clepeth helle the "lond of derknesse": understondeth
150that he clepeth it "lond" or erthe,
151for it is stable and nevere shal faille; "derk,"
152for he that is in helle hath defaute of light material.
153For certes, the derke light that shal
154come out of the fyr that evere shal brenne shal
155turne hym al to peyne that is in helle for it
156sheweth him to the horrible develes that hym
157tormenten. "Covered with the derknesse of
158deeth" - that is to seyn, that he that is in helle
159shal have defaute of the sighte of God, for
160certes the sighte of God is the lyf perdurable.
161"The derknesse of deeth" been the synnes that
162the wrecched man hath doon, whiche that destourben
163hym to see the face of God, right as
164dooth a derk clowde bitwixe us and the
165sonne. "Lond of misese," by cause that
166ther been three maneres of defautes, agayn
167three thynges that folk of this world han in this
168present lyf; that is to seyn, honours, delices, and
169richesses. Agayns honour, have they in helle
170shame and confusioun. For wel ye woot that
171men clepen honour the reverence that man
172doth to man, but in helle is noon honour ne
173reverence. For certes, namoore reverence shal
174be doon there to a kyng than to a knave. For
175which God seith by the prophete Jeremye,
176"Thilke folk that me despisen shul been in
177despit." Honour is eek cleped greet lordshipe;
178ther shal no wight serven other, but of harm
179and torment. Honour is eek cleped greet dignytee
180and heighnesse, but in helle shul
181they been al fortroden of develes. And

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182God seith, "The horrible develes shulle
183goon and comen upon the hevedes of the
184dampned folk." And this is for as muche as the
185hyer that they were in this present lyf, the
186moore shulle they been abated and defouled
187in helle. Agayns the richesse of this world
188shul they han mysese of poverte, and this poverte
189shal been in foure thynges: In defaute of
190tresor, of which that David seith, "The riche
191folk, that embraceden and oneden al hire herte
192to tresor of this world, shul slepe in the slepynge
193of deeth; and nothyng ne shal they fynden
194in hir handes of al hir tresor." And mooreover
195the myseyse of helle shal been in defaute
196of mete and drinke. For God seith thus by
197Moyses: "They shul been wasted with hunger,
198and the briddes of helle shul devouren hem
199with bitter deeth, and the galle of the dragon
200shal been hire drynke, and the venym of
201the dragon hire morsels."

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202    The seconde partie of Penitence is Confessioun,
203that is signe of contricioun. Now shul
204ye understonde what is Confessioun, and
205wheither it oghte nedes be doon or noon, and
206whiche thynges been covenable to verray Confessioun.
207    First shaltow understonde that Confessioun
208is verray shewynge of synnes to the preest.
209This is to seyn "verray," for he moste confessen
210hym of alle the condiciouns that bilongen to his
211synne, as ferforth as he kan. Al moot be seyd,
212and no thyng excused ne hyd ne forwrapped,
213and noght avaunte thee of thy goode
214werkes. And forther over, it is necessarie
215to understonde whennes that synnes
216spryngen, and how they encreessen and whiche
217they been.
218    Of the spryngynge of synnes seith Seint Paul
219in this wise: that "Right as by a man synne entred
220first into this world, and thurgh that synne
221deeth, right so thilke deeth entred into alle

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222men that synneden." And this man was Adam,
223by whom synne entred into this world, whan
224he brak the comaundementz of God. And
225therfore, he that first was so myghty that he
226sholde nat have dyed, bicam swich oon that he
227moste nedes dye, wheither he wolde or noon,
228and al his progenye in this world, that in thilke
229man synneden. Looke that in th'estaat of innocence,
230whan Adam and Eve naked weren
231in Paradys, and nothyng ne hadden shame
232of hir nakednesse, how that the serpent,
233that was moost wily of alle othere beestes
234that God hadde maked, seyde to the womman,
235"Why comaunded God to yow ye sholde nat
236eten of every tree in Paradys?" The womman
237answerde: "Of the fruyt," quod she, "of the trees
238in Paradys we feden us, but soothly, of the
239fruyt of the tree that is in the myddel of Paradys,
240God forbad us for to ete, ne nat touchen
241it, lest per aventure we sholde dyen." The
242serpent seyde to the womman, "Nay, nay, ye
243shul nat dyen of deeth; for sothe, God woot
244that what day that ye eten therof, youre eyen
245shul opene and ye shul been as goddes, knowynge
246good and harm." The womman thanne

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247saugh that the tree was good to feedyng, and
248fair to the eyen, and delitable to the sighte.
249She took of the fruyt of the tree, and eet it,
250and yaf to hire housbonde, and he eet, and
251anoon the eyen of hem bothe openeden. And
252whan that they knewe that they were naked,
253they sowed of fige leves a maner of
254breches to hiden hire membres. There
255may ye seen that deedly synne hath, first,
256suggestion of the feend, as sheweth heere by
257the naddre; and afterward, the delit of the
258flessh, as sheweth heere by Eve; and after that,
259the consentynge of resoun, as sheweth heere
260by Adam. For trust wel, though so were that
261the feend tempted Eve - that is to seyn, the
262flessh - and the flessh hadde delit in the
263beautee of the fruyt defended, yet certes, til that
264resoun - that is to seyn, Adam - consented to
265the etynge of the fruyt, yet stood he in th' estaat
266of innocence. Of thilke Adam tooke we thilke
267synne original, for of hym flesshly descended be
268we alle, and engendred of vile and corrupt mateere.
269And whan the soule is put in oure body,
270right anon is contract original synne; and that
271that was erst but oonly peyne of concupiscence
272is afterward bothe peyne and synne.
273And therfore be we alle born sones of wratthe
274and of dampnacioun perdurable, if it nere baptesme
275that we receyven, which bynymeth us
276the culpe. But for sothe, the peyne dwelleth
277with us, as to temptacioun, which peyne
278highte concupiscence. And this concupiscence,
279whan it is wrongfully disposed
280or ordeyned in man, it maketh hym coveite,
281by coveitise of flessh, flesshly synne, by sighte
282of his eyen as to erthely thynges, and eek
283coveitise of hynesse by pride of herte.
284    Now, as for to speken of the firste coveitise,
285that is concupiscence, after the lawe of oure
286membres that weren lawefulliche ymaked and
287by rightful juggement of God, I seye, forasmuche
288as man is nat obeisaunt to God, that is
289his lord, therfore is the flessh to hym disobeisaunt
290thurgh concupiscence, which yet is
291cleped norrissynge of synne and occasioun
292of synne. Therfore, al the while that a
293man hath in hym the peyne of concupiscence,
294it is impossible but he be tempted
295somtime and moeved in his flessh to synne.
296And this thyng may nat faille as longe

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297as he lyveth; it may wel wexe fieble and faille
298by vertu of baptesme and by the grace of
299God thurgh penitence, but fully ne shal
300it nevere quenche, that he ne shal som
301tyme be moeved in hymself, but if he were al
302refreyded by siknesse, or by malefice of sorcerie,
303or colde drynkes. For lo, what seith Seint
304Paul: "The flessh coveiteth agayn the spirit, and
305the spirit agayn the flessh; they been so contrarie
306and so stryven that a man may nat alway
307doon as he wolde." The same Seint Paul,
308after his grete penaunce in water and in lond
309- in water by nyght and by day in greet peril
310and in greet peyne; in lond, in famyne and
311thurst, in coold and cloothlees, and ones stoned
312almoost to the deeth - yet seyde he, "Allas,
313I caytyf man! Who shal delivere me fro the
314prisoun of my caytyf body?" And Seint Jerome,
315whan he longe tyme hadde woned in
316desert, where as he hadde no compaignye but
317of wilde beestes, where as he ne hadde no mete
318but herbes, and water to his drynke, ne no bed
319but the naked erthe, for which his flessh was
320blak as an Ethiopeen for heete, and ny destroyed
321for coold, yet seyde he that "the
322brennynge of lecherie boyled in al his
323body." Wherfore I woot wel sykerly that they
324been deceyved that seyn that they ne be nat
325tempted in hir body. Witnesse on Seint Jame
326the Apostel, that seith that "every wight is
327tempted in his owene concupiscence"; that is
328to seyn, that everich of us hath matere and
329occasioun to be tempted of the norissynge of
330synne that is in his body. And therfore seith
331Seint John the Evaungelist, "If that we seyn
332that we be withoute synne, we deceyve us
333selve, and trouthe is nat in us."
334    Now shal ye understonde in what manere
335that synne wexeth or encreesseth in man. The
336firste thyng is thilke norissynge of synne of
337which I spak biforn, thilke flesshly concupiscence.
338And after that comth the
339subjeccioun of the devel - this is to seyn,
340the develes bely, with which he bloweth in man
341the fir of flesshly concupiscence. And after
342that, a man bithynketh hym wheither he wol
343doon or no thilke thing to which he is
344tempted. And thanne, if that a man withstonde
345and weyve the firste entisynge of his
346flessh and of the feend, thanne is it no synne;

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347and if it so be that he do nat so, thanne feeleth
348he anoon a flambe of delit. And thanne
349is it good to be war and kepen hym wel, or
350elles he wol falle anon into consentynge of
351synne; and thanne wol he do it, if he may have
352tyme and place. And of this matere seith
353Moyses by the devel in this manere: "The
354feend seith, 'I wole chace and pursue the man
355by wikked suggestioun, and I wole hente hym
356by moevynge or stirynge of synne. And I wol
357departe my prise or my praye by deliberacioun,
358and my lust shal been acompliced in delit.
359I wol drawe my swerd in consentynge' " -
360for certes, right as a swerd departeth a
361thyng in two peces, right so consentynge departeth
362God fro man - " 'and thanne wol I
363sleen hym with myn hand in dede of synne';
364thus seith the feend." For certes, thanne is
365a man al deed in soule. And thus is synne
366acompliced by temptacioun, by delit, and by
367consentynge; and thanne is the synne cleped
368actueel.
369    For sothe, synne is in two maneres; outher
370it is venial or deedly synne. Soothly, whan
371man loveth any creature moore than Jhesu
372Crist oure Creatour, thanne is it deedly synne.
373And venial synne is it, if man love Jhesu Crist
374lasse than hym oghte. For sothe, the dede
375of this venial synne is ful perilous, for it
376amenuseth the love that men sholde han to
377God moore and moore. And therfore, if a
378man charge hymself with manye swiche venial
379synnes, certes, but if so be that he somtyme
380descharge hym of hem by shrifte, they mowe
381ful lightly amenuse in hym al the love that
382he hath to Jhesu Crist; and in this wise
383skippeth venial into deedly synne. For
384certes, the moore that a man chargeth his
385soule with venial synnes, the moore is he enclyned
386to fallen into deedly synne. And therfore
387lat us nat be necligent to deschargen us
388of venial synnes. For the proverbe seith that
389"Manye smale maken a greet." And herkne
390this ensample. A greet wawe of the see comth
391som tyme with so greet a violence that it
392drencheth the ship. And the same harm doon
393som tyme the smale dropes of water, that entren
394thurgh a litel crevace into the thurrok,
395and in the botme of the ship, if men be so
396necligent that they ne descharge hem nat by

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397tyme. And therfore, although ther be a difference
398bitwixe thise two causes of drenchynge,
399algates the ship is dreynt. Right so fareth it
400somtyme of deedly synne, and of anoyouse
401veniale synnes, whan they multiplie in a man
402so greetly that the love of thilke worldly
403thynges that he loveth, thurgh whiche he synneth
404venyally, is as greet in his herte as
405the love of God, or moore. And therfore,
406the love of every thyng that is nat
407biset in God, ne doon principally for Goddes
408sake, although that a man love it lasse than
409God, yet is it venial synne; and deedly synne
410whan the love of any thyng weyeth in the
411herte of man as muchel as the love of God, or
412moore.

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413    Now been ther two maneres of Pride: that
414oon of hem is withinne the herte of man, and
415that oother is withoute. Of whiche, soothly,
416thise forseyde thynges, and mo than I have
417seyd, apertenen to Pride that is in the herte
418of man; and that othere speces of Pride
419been withoute. But natheles that oon
420of thise speces of Pride is signe of that
421oother, right as the gaye leefsel atte taverne
422is signe of the wyn that is in the celer. And
423this is in manye thynges: as in speche and contenaunce,

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424and in outrageous array of clothyng.
425For certes, if ther ne hadde be no synne
426in clothyng, Crist wolde nat so soone have
427noted and spoken of the clothyng of thilke
428riche man in the gospel. And, as seith Seint
429Gregorie, that "precious clothyng is cowpable
430for the derthe of it, and for his softenesse, and
431for his strangenesse and degisynesse, and for
432the superfluitee, or for the inordinat scantnesse
433of it." Allas, may man nat seen, as in oure
434dayes, the synful costlewe array of clothynge,
435and namely in to muche superfluite, or
436elles in to desordinat scantnesse?
437    As to the first synne, that is in superfluitee
438of clothynge, which that maketh it so deere,
439to harm of the peple; nat oonly the cost of
440embrowdynge, the degise endentynge or barrynge,
441owndynge, palynge, wyndynge or bendynge,
442and semblable wast of clooth in vanitee,
443but ther is also costlewe furrynge in hir gownes,
444so muche pownsonynge of chisels to maken
445holes, so muche daggynge of sheres; forthwith
446the superfluitee in lengthe of the forseide
447gownes, trailynge in the dong and in the mire,
448on horse and eek on foote, as wel of man as
449of womman, that al thilke trailyng is verraily
450as in effect wasted, consumed, thredbare, and
451roten with donge, rather than it is yeven to the
452povre, to greet damage of the forseyde povre
453folk. And that in sondry wise; this is to seyn
454that the moore that clooth is wasted, the moore
455moot it coste to the peple for the scarsnesse.
456And forther over, if so be that
457they wolde yeven swich pownsoned and
458dagged clothyng to the povre folk, it is
459nat convenient to were for hire estaat, ne suffisant
460to beete hire necessitee, to kepe hem fro
461the distemperance of the firmament. Upon
462that oother side, to speken of the horrible disordinat
463scantnesse of clothyng, as been thise
464kutted sloppes, or haynselyns, that thurgh hire
465shortnesse ne covere nat the shameful membres

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466of man, to wikked entente. Allas, somme
467of hem shewen the boce of hir shap, and the
468horrible swollen membres, that semeth lik the
469maladie of hirnia, in the wrappynge of hir
470hoses; and eek the buttokes of hem faren as
471it were the hyndre part of a she-ape in the fulle
472of the moone. And mooreover, the wrecched
473swollen membres that they shewe thurgh disgisynge,
474in departynge of hire hoses in whit and
475reed, semeth that half hir shameful privee
476membres weren flayne. And if so be that
477they departen hire hoses in othere colours,
478as is whit and blak, or whit and blew, or blak
479and reed, and so forth, thanne semeth it, as
480by variaunce of colour, that half the partie of
481hire privee membres were corrupt by the fir
482of Seint Antony, or by cancre, or by oother
483swich meschaunce. Of the hyndre part of hir
484buttokes, it is ful horrible for to see. For certes,
485in that partie of hir body ther as they purgen
486hir stynkynge ordure, that foule partie shewe
487they to the peple prowdly in despit of honestitee,
488which honestitee that Jhesu Crist and
489his freendes observede to shewen in hir lyve.
490Now, as of the outrageous array of wommen,
491God woot that though the visages of somme of
492hem seme ful chaast and debonaire, yet notifie
493they in hire array of atyr likerousnesse and
494pride. I sey nat that honestitee in clothynge
495of man or womman is uncovenable,
496but certes the superfluitee or disordinat scantitee
497of clothynge is reprevable. Also the synne
498of aornement or of apparaille is in thynges that
499apertenen to ridynge, as in to manye delicat
500horses that been hoolden for delit, that been so
501faire, fatte, and costlewe; and also in many a
502vicious knave that is sustened by cause of hem;
503and in to curious harneys, as in sadeles, in
504crouperes, peytrels, and bridles covered with
505precious clothyng, and riche barres and plates
506of gold and of silver. For which God seith
507by Zakarie the prophete, "I wol confounde the
508rideres of swiche horses." This folk taken litel
509reward of the ridynge of Goddes sone of hevene,

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510and of his harneys whan he rood upon
511the asse, and ne hadde noon oother harneys
512but the povre clothes of his disciples; ne we ne
513rede nat that evere he rood on oother
514beest. I speke this for the synne of superfluitee,
515and nat for resonable honestitee,
516whan reson it requireth. And forther over,
517certes, pride is greetly notified in holdynge of
518greet meynee, whan they be of litel profit or
519of right no profit, and namely whan that
520meynee is felonous and damageous to the peple
521by hardynesse of heigh lordshipe or by wey of
522offices. For certes, swiche lordes sellen thanne
523hir lordshipe to the devel of helle, whanne they
524sustenen the wikkednesse of hir meynee. Or
525elles, whan this folk of lowe degree, as thilke
526that holden hostelries, sustenen the thefte of
527hire hostilers, and that is in many manere
528of deceites. Thilke manere of folk been
529the flyes that folwen the hony, or elles the
530houndes that folwen the careyne. Swich forseyde
531folk stranglen spiritually hir lordshipes;
532for which thus seith David the prophete: "Wikked
533deeth moote come upon thilke lordshipes,
534and God yeve that they moote descenden into
535helle al doun, for in hire houses been iniquitees
536and shrewednesses and nat God of hevene."
537And certes, but if they doon amendement,
538right as God yaf his benysoun to Laban by
539the service of Jacob, and to Pharao by the
540service of Joseph, right so God wol yeve his
541malisoun to swiche lordshipes as sustenen the
542wikkednesse of hir servauntz, but they come to
543amendement. Pride of the table appeereth
544eek ful ofte; for certes, riche men been cleped
545to festes, and povre folk been put awey and rebuked.