<fol. 38r>þe sircumstaunce of syn~ to take
þat þe syn~ ofte grefe mai make
Als tyme stede maner~ and tale
Persone duellynge elde a wit hale
The qwilke ar~ declarid in þis boke
A litil bi fore þat men~ mai loke
And qwen a man~ hym~ puttis to syn~
By-fore are fondynge be-gyn~
Or paynes hym~ to syn~ more
wt his bodi þan mystir wore
þeis ar~ þe synnys to telle shortly
That comes of werke & dede of body
þe synnys of louyng of goode vn-wrou3t
Js to haue nou3t god in þou3t
To loue hym~ nou3t ne to drede
To þanke hym nou3t of all goode dede
To hald nou3t done þourgh goddis my3t
þe dedis þat a man~ dose ri3t
For synnys her~ no sorwe to make
Als men~ shuld do for goddis sake
To make hym~ nou3t redi ne able
Grace to receyue þat is profitable
To vse nou3t grace ne to kepe wele
þat men hase getyn~ & mai fele
To turne hym nou3t ne hym~ haste
To þe enspirynge of þe holi gaste
To confourme his wille halely
Un-to þe wille of god almy3ty
To go nou3t to þe kirke ne to pray
Ne þe ouris of þe dai to say
To leue þinge vn-done þourgh necligence
To qwilke he is haldyn~ of obedience
To do nou3t his office ne to hald vowe
To fadir or modir nou3t to bowe
To reseyue nou3t onys in þe 3ere
Housil & shrifte wt conscience clere
To knowe nou3t hym selfe ne his state
To reproue nou3t his synnys ne hate
His conscience nou3t ri3t to lede
Nouthir in worde ne in dede
To tari & to do nou3t sone
þinge þat felle tite te be done
To haue no ioie ne solace
Of oþer mennys wele-far~ & grace
<fol. 38v>Or to haue no sorw and care
Of oþer mennys angir and ille fare
To relese nou3t ne to for-geue
wrongis alle if þei my3t greteli greue
To kepe nou3t trouthe ne lewte
To oþir men~ als fallis to be
To answere nou3t to þe goode dede
þat oþir men~ hafe done in nede
Also to do nou3t blethely
Als fallis þe werkis of mercy
To chasti nou3t þaim þt mys-dose
To snyb þaim nou3t þt syn wille vse
To make nou3t pese als fallis bi skille
þere þer~ strife is and ille wille
To teche nou3t vn-conand men~
þe qwilke men~ are haldyn~ to ken~
To comforte þaim nou3t sadly
þat hase angers and ar~ sary
To do nou3t aftir goode mennys rede
To be nou3t deuoute in holi bode
Here men~ mai se and knowe
Many synnys wretyn~ on rowe
He þat lokis þaim ouer grathely
May wete of qwat syn~ he is gilty
So mai he ransake alle his life
And knowe of qwat he shal hym~ shrife
<lat></lat>
Þe sext condicioun~ is þere-by
þat a man~ shuld shryue hym mekely
For he þat in shrife his hert lawis
Spekis to god þat it wele knawis
For þe prest þat is of shrifte here
Jn shrifte he is tald goddis awen~ ere
Shuld alle þat is shewid hym~ þan~
He heris als god & nou3t als man~
þere-fore þe synful shuld þour3 right
Jn shrifte hym meke wt alle his myght
Als he were bi-fore god of heuen~
And wt dole & drede his synnys neuen~
<lat></lat>
Þe seuend condisioun~ is to se
þat a man~ shuld ofte shreuyn be
Of wickid dedis þou3tis & willis
And þat wer~ nedeful for sex skillis
<fol. 39r>One is for more grace to wyn~
And to be made more clene wt-in
A-noþir is for synnys venyele
þat men~ mai ilke a dai newe fele
For þat þt ofte filid is sene
Ofte bi-houys bi wasshen clene
And þinge þat ofte comys þt der~ may
Men bi houys ofte do it a way
Als dose þe shipman~ þt þe ship kepis
Ay qwen~ þe watir wt-in crepis
Als ofte as it comys in faste
Als ofte bi-houys hym~ oute it caste
And but he do þe ship shal synke
Þourgh~ wight of þe watir als me þinke
So faris a mannys soule wt-in
Jn quom comys ilke dai newe syn~
þat hym~ bi-houys in schrifte roune
And ellis it shuld his soule weie doune
<lat></lat>
For als many smale cornys mai make
A grete charge til an hors bake
Right so many synnys smale
Mak a grete dedly syn~ hale
þe thrid skille is to chase þe fende
Fro hym a-way þat wold hym~ shende
The forthe skille is for to lere
To shryue hym~ wele qwil he is here
Þe fifte skill is to telle for þi
That he ne wate neuer sertaynly
Jf he were euer shreuen~ clene
Of alle his synnys þt he mai mene
The sext is to be þe more meke
And for þe more mede to seke
But fyue þingis shrifte most lettis
þat þe fende in mannys hert settis
One is shame in hert ful euen~
Þat a man~ hase his synnys to neuen~
A noþir is wickid drede þere to
þat a man~ hase penaunce to do
The thrid is wickid loue to telle
þat a man~ hase in syn to duelle
The ferthe is wronge hope of hert
þat a man~ hase of longe life in quert
The fifte is wanhope werst of alle
<fol. 39v>Jn qwilke þe fende mase a man~ to falle
<lat></lat>
Þe thrid þinge is a-mendis to make
Þat men~ shuld to þe armour~ take
For a man~ shuld be ai redy
To make a-mendis of his foly
And penaunce do þt þe soule auailis
Als his schrifte-fadir hym counsailis
þat amendis in schrifte demys
aftir þe perile of his syn~ semys
<lat></lat>
Þe secunde bataile is of penaunce
Þat puttis a man~ ofte fro suffraunce
For qwen~ a man~ shuld hym repente
Of his syn~ þt hase hym~ shente
þat at þe first comys ouyr thwert
One wt strife vn-til his hert
Þat mase a man~ so vnstedfaste
So þat his purpose mai nou3t laste
Ful chaungeable is his þou3t
For-qwi sertayne of wille is he nou3t
To qwat penaunce he shuld hym spede
And qwat life he my3t here lede
For som~ be-gynnys penaunce to haunte
þat in þat bataile are recreaunte
But aftir þe wethircok lif þai
þat wt alle wyndis turnys ay
So li3tli chaungis a mannys þou3t
Now he will & now he will nou3t
But qwon a man~ þat god wold pai
Settis his hert in swilke a+wai
To do penaunce and it ful-fille
So þat no þinge chaunge his wille
Ne in his penaunce wil nou3t faile
þan ouer-comys he þat bataile
<lat></lat>
Þe thrid bataile is ai fresshe
þat is þe bataile of his flesshe
That bataile is boþe kene & felle
And lengest wt a man wille duelle
For qwen þe flessche penaunce beris
Or ony hardnes þat it deris
Jt grochis þer~-wt & pleynys it ofte
For it louys wole all þinge þt is softe
<fol. 40r>And alle ese and delicis
þat ladis a man~ to many vicis
And if þe flesshe haue all þe wille
Jt ouer-comys a man~ þourgh skille
But J wille lickyn~ aftir J can~
þe flesshe vn-til a wickid woman~
Of qwam~ þe maneris ar~ nou3t to praise
Als salamon þe wise man~ saise
For euer þe more men~ folowis hir wille
þe more froward she is an ille
And þe more felle & þe more kene
Als was in sampson þe force sene
þat of a woman~ ouer-comyn~ was
For hir wilis his strenghe gun pas
For in his here was all his strenghe
þat semely was of brede and lenghe
Alle þat was holi fro hym~ refte
So þat no strenghe was hym~ lefte
þan felle he in þe handis of his enmyse
Alle was þourgh a woman quayntise
For sothe ri3t so ofte it faris
Of a mannys flesshe who so it sparis
Jf he late it hym~ ouyr-com~
Jt castis hym in to a thraldom~
For it mase hym~ to syn~ ful boune
when~ it bi-comys wilde & wantoune
Bot it wer~ goode for þe soule bote
To hald þe flesshe ai vndir fote
And late it haue no delite
þan mai he li3tli it discomfite
For who so ouer-comys þat bataile
God hym hetis wt-outyn~ faile
þe qwite robe of his lyuere
þat is þe robe of chastite
<lat></lat>
Þe ferthe & þe fifte bataile þan~
The werld bryngis to assaile man~
And dame for tyme wt hir quele
þat turnys a-boute als men mai fele
The werld her~ a man~ assailis
On aiþir side wt two batailis
þe tone is þe ferthe to neuen~
And þe toþir þe fifte of þe seuen~
The to bataile is als J ges
<fol. 40v>Of honouris delicis and riches
The qwilke Þe werld proferis in sight
þat assailis a man on þe side right
The toþer bataile is ful smert
þat is angir in hele & pouert
That god sendis for soule bi-houe
Som to chasti and som~ to proue
þat assailis faste on þe lifte side
That bataile shuld a man~ a-bide
And stande stalworthli in þt stoure
For god wil helpe hym~ and socour~
But who so flees werld-is likyng
And bidis angirs wt-outen~ grochynge
He ouyr-comys þe batailis bathe
And pasis a-way wt-outen~ skathe
For þe first bataile god hetis hym~ þis
worchepe and likyng in heuen blis
For god shal set hym~ wt hym~ right
Jn his trone so richeli dight
Als seynt John beris witnes
Jn þe a-pocolips als wretyn es
And for þe toþir god ri3twise
Hetis hym~ þe delitis of paradise
þe qwilke he grauntis all þo at þe laste
And ouyr-comys wt goode chere
þe angers of þe werld here
<lat></lat>
The sext bataile þt J wille telle
Js of þe wickid men and felle
þe qwilke ar~ lemys of antecriste
That þe fende of helle hase noriste
þai noie þo þt goode men~ ar~ kid
Als wickid tirauntis martiris did
And als antecriste shal do to som~
Jn þe ende of þe world þt shal com~
For þo þat wille nou3t to hym~ assent
Shalle be done to swilke tourment
þat vnnethis shal ony leue þan~
þat dar hym~ clayme for kirsten man~
Bot he þat in þe world leuys
The qwilke wickidmen~ ofte greuys
Jf he take alle his greuaunce
Als iob did with goode suffraunce
<fol. 41r>And in god troste most of myght
He ouyr-comys þat bataile right
Til hym~ þat dose on þis wise
God hetis ˆ [him] powere ouer his enmyse
<lat></lat>
Þe seuend bataile and þe laste
Aftirward assailis vs faste
þat is þe bataile of þe fende
þat assailis a man at þe last ende
For-qwi þe fende is so wilye
And tille a man~ hase swilke enuye
þat qwen~ he hase ouer-comyn þour3 my3t
The sex batailis þt J touchid ri3t
And is clomyn~ vp on þe mountayne
Of parfitenes of life sertayne
þan comys þe fende to þat man~
wt sleghtis to ouer-come hym þan~
And assailis hym~ to strike hym doun~
þourgh~ vayne-glori and presumpsioun~
For qwen he hase wele ouyr-comyn~
The sex batailis and heghe clomyn~
Hym þinke hym~ þan~ more worthy
þan oþir are and more haly
And wt god of heuen~ more pryue
þan~ ony othir man~ shuld be
For hym þinke þei haue nou3t so wele done
So mase þe fende hym~ falle sone
And als lawe to þe sight of eghe
Als hym þou3t bi-fore he was heghe
Als lucifere did in a shorte tide
þat felle from heuen~ to helle for pride
þere-fore me þinke it wer~ grete nede
Til hym~ þat wille perfite life lede
þat of þo batailis hase victory
To defende hym~ fro vayne-glory
And fro presumpcioun~ also
For þe fende a-boute ledis þeis two
Als reward þat comys bi-hynde
To assaile goode goode men þt he mai fynde
And to ouyr-com þaim & doun~ caste
þat clomyn ar~ heghe & standis nou3t faste
For þourgh~ þat reward parchaunce
A man~ mai falle ofte in combraunce
Als a ship mai titter perishid be
<fol. 41v>Nere þe hauyn~ þan~ J-myddis þe se
Right so a man~ als clerkis knawis
þat to þe hauyn~ of hele drawis
þourgh~ þe fende is temptid more
Than he fer fro þe hauyn~ wore
For þe fende a man~ most waitis
þat parfite life and hele laitis
But a man~ shuld sette his hert haleli
And his loue in god almy3ti
And hungir aftir ri3twisenes
And 3erne to do þt goddis will es
And to defende hym be ay redy
Fro presumpcioun~ and vayne-glori
So mai he þat bataile scomfite
And do þe fende a grete dispite
And he þat ouyr-comys þt bataile
Shal haue þe mede þt neuer shal faile
For seynt John sais als þeis clerkis sees
Jn þe boke of pryuetees
þat god sais most of myght
Til hym~ þt ouyr-comys right
J shal gif at ete wt-outen~ strife
Of þe fruyte of þe tre of life
þat is in myddis paradise
That fruyte pasis all fruyte of prise
who so wil þe fende ouyr-come
Of þat fruyte þan getis he some
þeis seuen~ batailis are degrees
Of prowes þt goode men shuld chese
The qwilke vertu a man mai lede
Euen vn-to þe blissid hede
Of hungir and thriste of ri3twisenes
And to þat mede þat þere-fore es
þat is þe blisful fillynge
Of ioie and gostli likynge
<lat></lat>
Als god sais þt is ful of myght
Blissid be þo þat hungirs right
And thristis aftir rightwisenes
For þei shal be fild of ioie endeles
To qwilke prowes þat oneli spryngis
Of þe gifte of strenghe a man~ bryngis
þat þe ferthe askyng þat we sai
Jn þe pater noster wyn we mai
<fol. 42r>Jn qwilke nameli þis gifte we craue
God graunt vs þat we mai it haue
<lat></lat>
Anoþir gifte mai mykil availe
þat is þe gifte of counsaile
That techis vs ai wele goodis wille
And mase our~ wille a-corde þer-tille
þat gifte a-monge alle oþir þinge
We aske in þe thrid askynge
Jn þe pater noster þat we bid
þat most holi praier~ is kid
þat gifte oute puttis of þe hert a vice
That þeis clerkis callis auarice
Auarice shewis it in þingis thre
Bisi wynnynge one mai be
Straite haldyng a-noþir es
þe thrid is spendyng of scarsenes
For auarice is swilke a syn~
þat mase a man~ bisi to wyn~
werdli goodis þat bi-houys faile
And in þat hase he grete trauaile
<lat></lat>
Auarice in mannys hert settis
To hald straiteli þat he gettis
And in þat hase he grete drede
For he wenys ai he shal haue nede
Auarice makis a man~ so scarse
þat he nou3t spendis but ai sparse
And makis hym~ haue at þe departynge
Of þese goodis dole and mys-likynge
And parchaunce payne wt-outen~ ende
For þaim qwen~ he shal heþin wende
þus hase a man~ in þe wynnynge
Trauaile and drede in þe haldynge
And in þe departyng sorwe and wo
And parchaunce endeles payne also
Auarice mai be cald bi skille
Begynnynge and rote of alle ille
þat is a crafte þat þe fende leris
To þaim þat wil be his scoleris
Auarice men mai be skille calle
A tre þt growis & spredis ouer alle
Of qwilke spryngis braunchis ten~
þat spredis a-monge all maner of men~
<fol. 42v>One is okir first to be-gyn~
A-noþir is thefte þa thrid rauyn~
þe ferthe is chalange in falshede
þe fifte sacrilege to drede
The sext braunche symony es
And þe seuend is wickidnes
þe eghtend is fals marchaundise
þat som~ men~ hauntis~ on many wise
The nynte is crafte of foly
And also office of vilany
þe tende mai be cald foule play
þat folis usis and none but þai
<lat></lat>
Okir þourgh sleght of okereris
Shewis it on many maneris
þe first is qwen men firstis a þinge
And takis ou3t for þe firstynge
þourgh couenand bi-fore þat men mase
Alle is okir þat men so tase
þis man be haldyn~ comonly
Okir wt owten~ curtesy
And þat bi-houys hym 3elde a-gayne
Or ellis he shal haue helle payne
<lat></lat>
Anoþer manere of okir es
þat is þis but it is les
Als qwen a man of his wille fre
Lenys siluyr or golde in mone
And takis ou3t for þe firstynge
Of curtesy with-outen~ hetynge
3it is þat okir als men saise
But if he þat tase it is curtaise
þat bi-houys hym~ stop in þe det
Or ellis wreth of god shal he get
For ilke man shuld for goddis sake
Til oþir first & nou3t þere-fore take
þan wille god for þat dede
Specialli graunte hym~ his mede
<lat></lat>
The thrid maner~ of okir kid
Js þis þat is here mykil hid
Als qwen~ a man~ weldis a þinge
Þat his frendis wan~ wt okerynge
And þai be pasid oute of þis lyue
<fol. 43r>Be it fadir modir or wyue
He shuld nou3t hald it in store
But he wolde make a sethe þer-fore
þat is to sai if he mai wit
How his frendis had wonyn it
And but if he do he is gilti
Als he þat did first þat foli
<lat></lat>
Þhe <marginal guide for illuminated capital (in main hand) reads t> ferthe maner~ is
chargeand
þat is þis to vndirstande
Als qwen~ a man~ a seruand hase
þat okir til his vse tase
Jf he þer-of paide hym~ hald
He mai be maistir okerer~ tald
<lat></lat>
Þe fifte maner~ of okir is þis
þat som~ men~ vsis þt lenys mys
Als qwen~ a man~ for okir lenys
Siluyr þat is oþir menys
þat he in kepynge hase to saue
wt þat þus wil he okir haue
Or if he borwe in pryuete
For okir siluyr or oþir mone
To lene to othir for to haue
More okir þan he þer-fore gaue
He þat is dissiple of okerere
þat maner~ shal he bi ful dere
But he þer-fore a-mendis make
Are þe ded hym~ heþin take