<County: Suffolk>
<Code: L8420>
<MS reference: Cambridge, Trinity College 305 (B. 14. 19)>
<Text: Lavenham's treatise on the seven deadly sins>
<Tranche 1>
<fol. 244r>hym-self knowe . And be þe rather evyl-payde wyth hym-self
a-noþer tyme þat he was so presumptuous . And seynt Austyn
puttyth her~-of ensaunple in þe same place and seyth thus
The cause why þat crist sufferyd seynt petir to for-sake
hym . was for no-thyng elles but for þe grete presumpcion~
þat petir schewyd a-forhande quan he seyde þe wurdys to crist .
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat> And þanne þou3 alle <1 word> oþere apostelys he seyde to be dyscla
underyd by encheson~ of þe . J xal neuyr be slaunderyd and 3if
it falle me to dey wt þe . schal J neuer ˆ þi persone for-sake Seynt
Petir presumyd to forforth of hym-self . For he demyd hym
self more trewe and mor~ trosty bettyr hertyd and mor~ hardy
than any of hys felawschepe . <gap> Vaynglorie .
UAynglorie is quan a+man bostyth of hym-self gretely or
elles reioysyth hym quan <exp>a+man</exp> oder men magnyfye
hys persone more þan were wurthy preysyng . Flatereris and
gloserys þat wyl ofte rehers her comendabyll dedys . and
hatyth alle þo þat in amendyng of her defawtys telle hem
þe soþe . This braunche of pride cryst tawte hys folwerys to flee
by þe ensaunple in þe gospell . <lat></lat> wher~ it is
rehersyd . þat quanne cryst had helyd . ij . blynde men and 3oue hem
bodely sy3t . he bad hem þat þei xuld kepe þat thyng preuy and
speke to no man þer-of . and 3it þs men went and told+yt abowte
in þe cuntre as þei went . Now as clerkys seyn . þe skyl why
þat cryst for-bad þoo men þat þei~ xuld not telle owt what
he had done to hem was to 3eue exsaunple to <1 letter> alle hys
folwerys to flee veynglorye . and to schewe þat a gode cristen
man owyth . not to lesyn heuyn mede . lokyng to be preisyd
her ˆ [by] hys gode dedys <gap> Vnbuxsummesse
VNbuxummesse is quan a+ma~ wythstondeþ þe hest of god And
<fol. 244v>of holy chyrch . þe byddyng of fader and moder . þe lawys of
hys kyng . þe ordynauns of hys souereynenesse temperal and
spiritual wylfully lettyng þat is comaundytte . And doyng þt
ys defendyd and wylfully hauyng no rewarde to reson .
ne to payne þat ys lemytyd in lawe This braunche of pride
is ful grevous . As it semyth by ensaunple of holy scripture . For
god in þe old lawe seyde þat who þat were rebelle and vn
buxu~ to þe prest þat is goddys mynystr~ he xuld be dede
þirr~fore . . As þe byble rehersyth . <lat></lat> Also what
man were rebelle and vnbuxon~ a-3en þe byddyng of fader
and moder . þe fader xuld and ˆ [þe] moder xuld playne vppon
him to þe dome and anon he xuld ˆ <mrg>be</mrg> stonyd to þe deth as it is
rehersyd in þe same book <lat></lat> Also þat it be perlyous
to a man to wyth-stonde oþer to aryse a-gayn his souerayn~
temperal . or spirituel hyt semyth by holy wrytte . <lat></lat>
<lat></lat> wher~ hit is rehersyd . þat þer were . iij certeyn men . þat
is to sayne . Core . Datan . & Abiron and for þey wyth on assent
aresyn a-3ens moyses & Aaron~ . þerfore god in ponyschyng
of here <exp>synne</exp> pride made þe erthe to opyn and swelwed hem yn
al wheke . and her~-of spekyth dauid in þe sauterboke . and
sayth þus . <lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat> þei angeryd he sayth moyses and aron þat holy
man in heer loggynges . and þerfore þe erthe was openyd
and swelwyd in-to hem þat ilke man Datan . And helyd hem
Also ˆ <mrg>þey</mrg> þat were gaderyd wt Abiron þis wel knowe saynge seynte
poule whan he wrote to þe Jewys . And seyde þus <lat></lat>
<lat></lat> be 3e obeysaunt to 3our souereynes Boldenesse
BOldnesse . ys quan a+man synnyth
vp trust of goddys mercy thenkyng þat yt+is but lytel
perelle in hys lyue as long as oþer men don als evyl as he or
<fol. 245r>rather wers Dredyng neyther vengeauns here . ne paynes
in helle but alwey doyng hys owyn lust in hope to askape
This braunche of pride is perlyous as . it semyth wel by ensaun~
ple . For seynt Jerom~ seyth . And hys wordys ben rehersyd
in party in þe lawe of holy chyrche . <lat></lat>
<lat></lat> The men he sayeth of Niniue at þe prechyng
of þe profite . Jonas dedyn pennauns for here synnys . and .
god toke þat cite to hys mercy & to hys grace / <exp>but after-ward</exp>
but after-ward þei~ turnyd a3en to her olde synnes trowyng
per-auenture þat þe mercy of god was grete And þt þei xuld a
scape as wele afterward as þei dedyn be-fore . and a-non þrow
þe wrath of god þat same cytye was distroyed by bodelyche
enmyes . And þe boldnesse of here synne . was cause of her~ owyn
distruccon@ . þe cite of niniue was solempne . and ryal so grete & so howge þat it was of . iij . dayes iourney wt-inne . And þer were
in mo . þan an hunderyd score thowsand of peple as þe byble
recordyth . <lat></lat> . Ypocrysie .
YPocrisye is whanne a man schewyth hym-self holyer
trewer~ and betyr owteward þan ˆ [he be] inward . Spekyng of
chastite . and clennesse tretyng of deuocion~ and holynesse to
hyden hys owyn evyl wyl lyue throw lackyng ad dyspisyng
of synne . 3euyng almes . fastyng . And vsyng prayer~ and
penauns in presence of men in entente to be hold good and to
be praysed of þe peple . And of siche folke spekyth Seynt Grigor~
<lat></lat> Wher~ he lykenyth an ypocrite & a+po
pholi man to an arayne . For ry3t as an arayne whan he
hath sorere trayueled abowte weuyng of his webbe . þan þer ca@
a lytel puf of wynde and blowyth a-wey alto-gydder . Ry3t
so quan an ypocrite hath sore trauelyd abowte hys body wyth
penaunce þan comyth an lytel wynde of a mannys mowthe
þat is not+elles but preysyng and thankyng and blowyth a
<fol. 245v>wey alto-gydder as wynde al hys mede . And of þs braunch
speketh crist in þe gospell And sayth þus <lat></lat>
<lat></lat> Quan 3e fastyn seyth crist doth
nowt as ypoc~ þat schewyn hem-self sorowful in chere Jndignacion@
INdignacon@ is qwanne a+man
hath dysdayne and dyspyte of simple folk and lyste
not to speke to hys to hys pore euen-crysten . but it be
scornefully and dysdeynly . and 3et mor~-ouyr he faryth
fowle wyth his seruauntys and sudgetteth and haraiously
takyth wyth crystis pore peple Thys braunche of pride is
cause of gret mys-chyf and it may be schewyd by a+prosses
of þe byble . <lat></lat> wher~ it ys rehersyd in
þe dayes of kyng dauid . þat þer was a gret hungre in þe
lond of israel whyche enduryd . iij . 3er~ to-gydder continualy
And þan qwan~ kyng dauid had enquered of god why this
hungre was falle in þe londe god almy3ty answeryd and
seyde þat þe cause was for kyng saul . and men of hys
howsold hadde go & oppressyd of here indignacon~ and slay
ne pore men þat were seruawntes in þat londe whyche was
clepyd gabaonites and qua~ dauid þe kyng herde þer-of he
went and dede remedy þer a-geyns þese gabaonites were
folk of a certeyn cuntr~ þat comyn and 3ulden hem-self to þe
iewes . & wer~ made comyn laborerys and seruauntis among
hem . and 3et many of þe iewys had of hem grete dysdayne
& gret dyspyte as þe byble rehersyth . <lat></lat> And
so þs pore men whyche þt sore dysdayne wer~ oppressyd
my3t wel haue these wordys þat ben wretyn in þe sawter
bok . <lat></lat>
For oure lyf ys ful myche wo . And oure care cryeth vp to cloude
þerfore we ben reprof to hem þat ben plentyuous . And dyspy
te to hem þat ben prowde
<fol. 246r>Schameleshede is qua~ a+man a+vauntyth hym-self of
his harlotrye . and delytyth hym to speke of synne &
of wretchednesse in audience of oder men sparyng noþer for
schame of þe werld ne for drede of god and to eche man þt
þus doth it may be seyde in refreyng of hys synnys as dauid
seyth in þe sauter boke <lat></lat>
<lat></lat> Why art þu glad in þi schrewydnesse þat arte
my3ty in wyckydnesse . And seynt poule sayth in hys pystel
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat> lete not fylth he sayth Fylthe or spekyng
of foly or harlatrye be nemyd a-mong 3ow Sturdynesse
STurdynesse ys qwanne a man doth opynly amys
& excusyth his defawtys and wole not bowe and
be vnder-nome þer-of of hys souereyne and þs is on of þe werst
werst brawnchys of pride as seynt austin seyth <lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat> þat who þat wole þan be in blys & also
byen sowle bote ly3tely borowe . þese braunches broken he
mote for pride is þe fyrst sede of sorowe . Couetyse
COuetyse is nowte ellys but a+mys-lad loue vn-to catel
of þe woˆ[r]ld þat comely growyt in a+man of vntriste þat
he hath vn-to good for drede of pouerte And þer-fore a couetouse m<ill><1 char></ill>
is lykened to þe Jrchon [þt] goth wyth hys scharp pryckys and gad
deryth to-geder a gret hoorde of appelys in 3ougth gessyng
peraventur~ þat hys leuyng xuld falyen hym <exp>but</exp> but he
had so gret an hepe gadderyd to-gyddr~ at onys Ry3t so þe
couetouse man goth wt many sleytes and sotellys and gadderyth
to-geder an hoorde of erdely catelle to-gyddr~ wenyng þat
boþe god & þe werld xuld faylyen hym . but he hadde a gret
sum of catelle þat be gadderyd to-gedr~ in þs manere beth pera
vnteire in þe fendys lord-schepe and to hym þis couetouse <ill><1 word></ill>
þat he gadderyd þer-of ben seruaunt as it semyth by a clerkys sawe
<Tranche 2>
<fol. 256r><line 17> This clerk reprouyth syche waste in metys & sayth thus .
Many manere of seruyce in metys is dyspendyd & surfet
ys browt vp in dyuersyte of metys and varyacon~ of sauours
gredynesse can no mesur~ her~ for he sayth it ys þat the
stomak ys dysheesyd . and wytte dystrublyd & vnderston
dyng ys oppressyd . her~-of he sayth comyth non help but
sore sekenesse & deth and þerfor~ seyth Salomon þe wyse
man in his boke be þu not gredy in eche mele ne fede
not thy-self on eche mete þt þou sest for many metys
xul be cause of many sekenesse & for syche surfete men
haue deyed by-fore þs tyme <gap> Lecherye
LEcherye ys an vnleful synne and lust þat comyth
of frelte of flesche and defouley þe soule whyche
ys knytte þer-to . A lecherous man ys lyckenyd to an hogge
oþer to a swyne . For ry3t as an hogge is a best þat loueþ
<fol. 256v>wel to be in <exp>flowl</exp> fowle placys . Ry3t so a lechrous man
loueþ to be wt company þat is not honeste in badde place
wher~ he may fulfylle vp his foule lust . þerfor~ yt ys reher
syd in þe boke of phylosofres prouerbes pittagoras and sayde
þat hym þoute myrier to be conuersaunt wt women þan
wt clerkys & philosofres . and þe gode ma~ ansueryth a3en
ful wysely & sayde in þs manere . þis ys he sayde to me no
wonder . For a sowe or an hogge hath leuere to walwe in
a foule sloght þan to walwe in a fayr~ reuer~ Out of le
cherye springen . viij . braunches whyche ben her~ entytelyd
by name as symple fornycacon~ . spouse breche . Jncest Ra
ueschyng of women . Violacion~ of maydenhode Ambucion~
& pollucion~ Synne a3en kynde Fornycacion@
Symple fornycacion~ is trespas be-twene sengle+men
and sengle women . And þough þs be the lest braunch
of lecherye 3it it owyt to be oft chenyd for ys skylle . For
a certeyn clerk sayth <lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
Alle oþer synnes he sayth dyffouleþ al only þe body soule .
but fornicacon~ and lecherye haue of hym-self to defou
le bothe body and sowle <gap> Spoubreche
SPousebreche ys a trespas in þe weddyd man þat takyth
a-noþer þan his weddyd wyf or ellys a weddyd woman þat
takyth an-oder man þer þan her~ husbond . This braunche of leche
rye is greuous . for as meche as god made wedlok a-boue in hey
paradyse whan he schope the woman & mad her of mannys
rybbes and knyt þer a knot by-twene hem . whyche þat he wold
not eftesones vn-knytten Of þs braunche of lecherye J fynde a
dredful worde . and it ys put in þe lawe canon~ <lat></lat>
<lat></lat> wher~ it ys rehersyd how þat
bonyface the marter wrotte to þe kynge of ynglond & sayth
<fol. 257r>thus . it ys publyschede to vs in fraunce by maner~ of þe prophete
that 3if englysche men breke þe knotte of wedlok and folwe
horedam and lecherye þat þer xal sprynge of hem a wycked sede
in tyme þat ys comyng . þe sede xal nout els be but chylderyn
þat þei xul spryng forth in leccherye whyche xal multyplye
so forth in þe lond þat þe peple xal not be stronge in batayle
ne stable in fˆ[e]y3t of holy chyrche . and so þei xal haue no woursche
pe of name to þe werldward . and also god xal hate hem and
nout loue hem as it xal be schewyd be þe wrath þat xal come . Jncest
INcest is trespas be-twene hem þat
ben fleschely sybbe . as fader & dou3ter broþer and suster
cosyng & cossyng any maner of kynder~ alyed wtinne þe fort
degre of sybrede the same synne Also ys vnder-stondyn in eche
degre of gostly sybberede . as be-twene god-fader & goddou3ter
god-moder & godsone or any of here chylderyn . Jn þs forsayde
braunche of leccherye many a ma@ & woma@ trespasse in too
degreis on ys in wylle anoþer in dede . Jn wylle trespas he or
sche þat forsettyth his herte uppon loue þat is vn-lawful .
and summe for loue wexey ry3t seke makyng songes of pera
mor~ wrytyng letres sendyng 3iftes wowyng wt fayr~ wourdys
daunsyng syngyng . & makyng holy ther~ in gay apperayle and
gay dysgysyng to seme plesyng & amyable Also 3if a woma@
make her-self þer-to curious attyre and beeute of crafte to some
fayrer and frescher þan kynde hath grawntyd her~ wt nyse
cher of lokyng of goyng & delectable wordys drawyng men
nys hertys to foly and to synne . Jn dede men traspas whan
þe lust ys fulfellyd . and so it semyth & soth it ys þat þe wylle
and þe wyschyng þe spekyng & þe lokyng þe clippyng & kyssyng
halsyng & handelyng . talkyng & touchyng & myche chere in
entent of lecherye may make boþe man & woma@ worthi to be
dampned & for a dedly synne <gap> Rauesschyng
RAueschyng ys whan~ a man ledyth a-way a-noþer mannys
<fol. 257v>dowter wyth-out his wetyng and his wylle for swyche defaute
he ys wurthy to haue deth . As by lawe emperial . neuerþeles holy
chyrch may saue hym fro þe deth as þe lawe canon~ rehersyth
<lat></lat> and her~-of spekyth þe byble <lat></lat>
<lat></lat> wher~ it is rehersyd how a serteyn man þat hyte
sy Siche3 cast his loue to lyes dou3ter . and for he rauesched her~
& traspassed wyth her~ . god suffrede hym to be slayen & deed þer-fore <gap> Violacion~
UJolacion~ of maydenhode
ys quan a+man by-nemyth a woman þe flour of her~ mayden-hede
be sche relygious or nout . and þs is a gret synne . as by goddes lawe
For-why seynt Austen sayth in <lat>libro . de sancta virginitate</lat> . þat þe stat
of wedloke ys gode . þe state of wedewhode it bettr~ . but þe state
of mayden-hode ys alþer best . þis lore is grounded vp-on þe postell
wher~ he sayth þus <lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat> He þat maryeth
not doth betyr . and þan spekyng of wyfes and of wedewys he
sayth þus . a woman is bounde to her husbond as h long as he leueþ
but quan he is dede þan is sche fre fro þe lawe of wedlok 3if
sche wole þan be weddyd a3en wele ys . but sche . he sayth xal
be mor~ spede-ful to dwelle stylle in wydowhode after my counsaile
ABucion~ ys knouynge of woman vnmanerly a-3ens þe orde
naunce & þe . cours þat is lemyted in þe lawe of kynde & in
þe lawe of god . as 3if a+ma~ vse . his wyfe as sche wer~ his concu
byne or if sche vse and entyse þe man as he wer~ her~ lemman of
vnkendely manere oþer passyng skylful . mesure . mor~ to performe lust
þan to multiplie frute and enforsyng þe frelte of þe flesch to
lykkyng wt hote metys & drynkys wyth spyces & medycines wt
ydelnessys & ese touchynge & kyssyng and cher~ þat is vn-chast
Also 3if þat ilke lust be not for-bore in tyme of naturel sekenesse
and fro þe chyld ˆ [q]whyckenyng to þe purificacon~ and siche dayes
<fol. 258r>& ny3tes as owe to be fasted or halwyd by þe lawe on þis
manere & many mo may a man wyth his wyfe be venyaly
and deedly fallen in-to synne <gap> Pollucion
POllucion~ is dremyng and illucion~ of lecherye þat fal
lyth uppon a+man or woma~ slepyng wyth an vnlefully
lekynge as þou3 it wer~ in dede Of þis synne spekyth bede <lat></lat>
<lat>De gestys anglorum</lat> wher~ he rehersyth how seynt Austen apostle
of ynglond seyde ˆ [to] Seynt Gregor~ For to be enformyd of þe perloust
of þs synne And seynt Gregor~ wrote to hym þs sentence þat
illucion~ þat falleþ to a+ma~ Dremynge comeþ somtyme of super
fluite of mater oþer of sekenesse and þan it ys not for to drede
for it is þanne no synne . Somtyme it falleth of þe deuelys dis
seyte . for enuye þat he hath to a chast man or woman and þa~
it ys a venyal synne . and somtyme it comyth of to meche mete
and drynk & of to meche slepe & ese and þan it is a deedly synne
SJnne a-gens kynde is schortely al+maner of leccherye þat
wommen doþ wyth-oute man oþere man wtoute woman
Of þs . iij . manere of last synnys spekyth seynt Austen & sayth
þat they be so foule & so horryble þat crist hym-self for scha
me hereof was in poynte to haue lefte his in-carnacion~ . ne
uere to a-take flesch ne blood in saluacion~ of mankende . Also
Jnnocent in <lat></lat> sayth þat for þese
synnes god hath drenchyd . v. cytees of whyche the byble
spekyth . and for þis synnes were so horryble & odyous to hym
he ne wold commytte þe poneschyng of hem to no creatur~ but
reseruyd hit to hym-self . Fro þese synnys & from alle oder
Criste kepe vs throu3e his grace & take our~ soules after our
deth to hys blysseful place Amen .