Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 107

1. E. Hn. al; _rest om._ 2. E. Cm. was; _rest_ is. 3. E. ne nas; Cm. ne was; Cp. Pt. Ln. was. 5. _The MSS. have_ Ten; _but see the note._ 8. Hn. swich; E. swiche. 10. _Perhaps for_ the mones _we should read_ Saturnes; _see the note._ 11. _So all but_ Hl., _which has_ In mena. 12. thropes] Hl. townes. 17. E. Fulfilled; Hn. Cp.

Fulfild; _see_ l. 19. 23. Cm. art; E. Hn. arte; Hl. artow; _rest_ art thou.

This Persone him answerde, al at ones, 30 'Thou getest fable noon y-told for me; For Paul, that wryteth unto Timothee, Repreveth hem that weyven soothfastnesse, And tellen fables and swich wrecchednesse.

Why sholde I sowen draf out of my fest, 35 Whan I may sowen whete, if that me lest?

For which I seye, if that yow list to here Moralitee and vertuous matere, And thanne that ye wol yeve me audience, I wol ful fayn, at Cristes reverence, 40 Do yow plesaunce leefful, as I can.

But trusteth wel, I am a Southren man, I can nat geste--rum, ram, ruf--by lettre, Ne, G.o.d wot, rym holde I but litel bettre; And therfor, if yow list, I wol nat glose. 45 I wol yow telle a mery tale in prose To knitte up al this feeste, and make an ende.

And Iesu, for his grace, wit me sende To shewe yow the wey, in this viage, Of thilke parfit glorious pilgrimage 50 That highte Ierusalem celestial.

And, if ye vouche-sauf, anon I shal Biginne upon my tale, for whiche I preye Telle your avys, I can no bettre seye.

But nathelees, this meditacioun 55 [569: T. 17367-17385.]

I putte it ay under correccioun Of clerkes, for I am nat textual; I take but the sentens, trusteth wel.

Therfor I make protestacioun That I wol stonde to correccioun.' 60

30. _I supply_ him _from_ ed. 1550. 32. E. Hn. Thymothee. 33. E.

Hl. weyueth. 40. E. _omits_ ful. 41. E. leefful; Hn. leueful; Pt.

leefull; Cp. Ln. lefful. 43. E. geeste. rum] Hn. Cp. Ln. rom. 46.

E. Hn. myrie. 57, 58. E. textueel, weel. 58. E. _omits_ the. Hl.

sentens; _rest_ sentence. 59. E. make a; _rest omit_ a.

Up-on this word we han a.s.sented sone, For, as us semed, it was for to done, To enden in som vertuous sentence, And for to yeve him s.p.a.ce and audience; And bede our host he sholde to him seye, 65 That alle we to telle his tale him preye.

62. E. vs; _rest_ it, _which is inferior._

Our host hadde the wordes for us alle:-- 'Sir preest,' quod he, 'now fayre yow bifalle!

Sey what yow list, and we wol gladly here'-- And with that word he seyde in this manere-- 70 'Telleth,' quod he, 'your meditacioun.

But hasteth yow, the sonne wol adoun; Beth fructuous, and that in litel s.p.a.ce, And to do wel G.o.d sende yow his grace!'

EXPLICIT PROHEMIUM.

COLOPHON. _So_ E. Hn. Ln.; Pt.--Thus endeth the prolog of the persons tale.

[570]

THE PERSONES TALE.

HERE BIGINNETH THE PERSONES TALE.

_Ier._ 6. _State super vias et videte et interrogate de viis antiquis, que sit via bona; et ambulate in ea, et inuenietis refrigerium animabus vestris, &c._

-- 1. Our swete lord G.o.d of hevene, that no man wole perisse, but wole that we comen alle to the knoweleche of him, and to the blisful lyf that is perdurable, /75 amonesteth us by the prophete Ieremie, that seith in this wyse: / 'stondeth upon the weyes, and seeth and axeth of olde pathes (that is to seyn, of olde sentences) which is the goode wey; / and walketh in that wey, and ye shul finde refress.h.i.+nge for your soules,' &c. / Manye been the weyes espirituels that leden folk to oure Lord Iesu Crist, and to the regne of glorie. / Of whiche weyes, ther is a ful n.o.ble wey and a ful covenable, which may nat faile to man ne to womman, that thurgh sinne hath misgoon fro the righte wey of Ierusalem celestial; /80 and this wey is cleped Penitence, of which man sholde gladly herknen and enquere with al his herte; / to witen what is Penitence, and whennes it is cleped Penitence, and in how manye maneres been the accions or werkinges of Penitence, / and how manye spyces ther been of Penitence, and whiche thinges apertenen and bihoven to Penitence, and whiche thinges destourben Penitence. /

HEADING. _From_ E. (E. Heere; Persouns). 75. E. _om. 2nd _to. 76.

E. and seith; _rest _that seith. 78. E. Hn. Ln. shal; Pt. shul. 79.

Pt. espiritual; Ln. spirituele. 80. E. _om. 2nd _ful. E. to no man; _rest om._ no. 82. Ln. penance (_for 2nd and 3rd _Penitence). 83.

E. speces; Hl. spieces; _rest _spices.

-- 2. Seint Ambrose seith, that 'Penitence is the pleyninge of man for the gilt that he hath doon, and na-more to do any thing for which him oghte to pleyne.' / And som doctour seith: 'Penitence is the waymentinge of man, that sorweth for his sinne [571] and pyneth him-self for he hath misdoon.'

/85 Penitence, with certeyne circ.u.mstances, is verray repentance of a man that halt him-self in sorwe and other peyne for hise giltes. / And for he shal be verray penitent, he shal first biwailen the sinnes that he hath doon, and stidefastly purposen in his herte to have shrift of mouthe, and to doon satisfaccioun, / and never to doon thing for which him oghte more to biwayle or to compleyne, and to continue in goode werkes: or elles his repentance may nat availle. / For as seith seint Isidre: 'he is a Iaper and a gabber, and no verray repentant, that eftsoone dooth thing, for which him oghte repente.' / Wepinge, and nat for to stinte to doon sinne, may nat avaylle. /90 But nathelees, men shal hope that every tyme that man falleth, be it never so ofte, that he may arise thurgh Penitence, if he have grace: but certeinly it is greet doute. / For as seith Seint Gregorie: 'unnethe aryseth he out of sinne, that is charged with the charge of yvel usage.' / And therfore repentant folk, that stinte for to sinne, and forlete sinne er that sinne forlete hem, holy chirche holdeth hem siker of hir savacioun. / And he that sinneth, and verraily repenteth him in his laste ende, holy chirche yet hopeth his savacioun, by the grete mercy of oure lord Iesu Crist, for his repentaunce; but tak the siker wey. /

84. E. _om._ the _before _gilt. 85. Ln. Hl. peyneth. 86. Hl.

holt. 88. E. _om._ to _bef_. biwayle _and_ continue. 90. Hl. doon; E. _om._; _rest_ do. 94. Hl. Ln. ende; E. Hn. Pt. _om._ E. taak (_glossed_ tene); siker (_glossed_ certum). Cm. sikerer. _After_ wey, Cm. _adds_--& the more certeyn.

-- 3. And now, sith I have declared yow what thing is Penitence, now shul ye understonde that ther been three accions of Penitence. /95 The firste accion of Penitence is, that a man be baptized after that he hath sinned. / Seint Augustin seith: 'but he be penitent for his olde sinful lyf, he may nat biginne the newe clene lif.' / For certes, if he be baptized withouten penitence of his olde gilt, he receiveth the mark of baptisme, but nat the grace ne the remission of his sinnes, til he have repentance verray. / Another defaute is this, that men doon deedly sinne after that they han received baptisme. / The thridde defaute is, that men fallen in venial sinnes after hir baptisme, fro day to day. /100 Ther-of seith Seint Augustin, that 'penitence of goode and humble folk is the penitence of every day.' /

96. _All but_ E. _om._ accion of Penitence. 97. Hl. but if. 98-100.

E. Hn. baptesme. 100. Hl. in-to venial synne.

[572] -- 4. The spyces of Penitence been three. That oon of hem is solempne, another is commune, and the thridde is privee. / Thilke penance that is solempne, is in two maneres; as to be put out of holy chirche in lente, for slaughtre of children, and swich maner thing. / Another is, whan a man hath sinned openly, of which sinne the fame is openly spoken in the contree; and thanne holy chirche by Iugement destreineth him for to do open penaunce. / Commune penaunce is that preestes enioinen men comunly in certeyn caas; as for to goon, peraventure, naked in pilgrimages, or bare-foot. /105 Privee penaunce is thilke that men doon alday for privee sinnes, of whiche we shryve us prively and receyve privee penaunce. /

102. E. Hn. speces (_glossed_ species); _rest_ spices. 103. E. Hn. As to; _rest_ as is to. 104. E. Another thyng is; _rest om._ thyng.

Hl. streyneth. 105. E. Cm. _om._ comunly. 106. E. they shryue hem.

-- 5. Now shaltow understande what is bihovely and necessarie to verray parfit Penitence. And this stant on three thinges; / Contricioun of herte, Confessioun of Mouth, and Satisfaccioun. / For which seith Seint Iohn Crisostom: 'Penitence destreyneth a man to accepte benignely every peyne that him is enioyned, with contricion of herte, and shrift of mouth, with satisfaccion; and in werkinge of alle maner humilitee.' / And this is fruitful Penitence agayn three thinges in whiche we wratthe oure lord Iesu Crist: /110 this is to seyn, by delyt in thinkinge, by recchelesnesse in spekinge, and by wikked sinful werkinge. / And agayns thise wikkede giltes is Penitence, that may be lykned un-to a tree. /

107. E. is bihouely; Cm. is behofly; _rest_ bihoueth (behoueth). Hl.

stondith. 109. Hl. humblete. 112. Hl. these thre wickid.

-- 6. The rote of this tree is Contricion, that hydeth him in the herte of him that is verray repentant, right as the rote of a tree hydeth him in the erthe. / Of the rote of Contricion springeth a stalke, that bereth braunches and leves of Confession, and fruit of Satisfaccion. / For which Crist seith in his gospel: 'dooth digne fruit of Penitence'; for by this fruit may men knowe this tree, and nat by the rote that is hid in the herte of man, ne by the braunches ne by the leves of Confession. /115 And therefore oure Lord Iesu Crist seith thus: 'by the fruit of hem ye shul knowen hem.' / Of this rote eek springeth a seed of grace, the which seed is moder of sikernesse, and this seed is egre and [573] hoot. / The grace of this seed springeth of G.o.d, thurgh remembrance of the day of dome and on the peynes of h.e.l.le. / Of this matere seith Salomon, that 'in the drede of G.o.d man forleteth his sinne.' / The hete of this seed is the love of G.o.d, and the desiring of the Ioye perdurable. /120 This hete draweth the herte of a man to G.o.d, and dooth him haten his sinne. / For soothly, ther is no-thing that savoureth so wel to a child as the milk of his norice, ne no-thing is to him more abhominable than thilke milk whan it is medled with other mete. / Right so the sinful man that loveth his sinne, him semeth that it is to him most swete of any-thing; / but fro that tyme that he loveth sadly our lord Iesu Crist, and desireth the lif perdurable, ther nis to him no-thing more abhominable. / For soothly, the lawe of G.o.d is the love of G.o.d; for which David the prophete seith: 'I have loved thy lawe and hated wikkednesse and hate'; he that loveth G.o.d kepeth his lawe and his word. /125 This tree saugh the prophete Daniel in spirit, up-on the avision of the king NabuG.o.donosor, whan he conseiled him to do penitence. / Penaunce is the tree of lyf to hem that it receiven, and he that holdeth him in verray penitence is blessed; after the sentence of Salomon. /

117. E. a grace (_for_ of grace). 122. E. _om._ is to him. 125. E.

loued G.o.d; _rest_ loueth G.o.d. 126. E. _om._ in spirit. up-on] E.

in.

-- 7. In this Penitence or Contricion man shal understonde foure thinges, that is to seyn, what is Contricion: and whiche been the causes that moeven a man to Contricion: and how he sholde be contrit: and what Contricion availleth to the soule. / Thanne is it thus: that Contricion is the verray sorwe that a man receiveth in his herte for his sinnes, with sad purpos to shryve him, and to do penaunce, and nevermore to do sinne. / And this sorwe shal been in this manere, as seith seint Bernard: 'it shal been hevy and grevous, and ful sharpe and poinant in herte.' /130 First, for man hath agilt his lord and his creatour; and more sharpe and poinant, for he hath agilt his fader celestial; / and yet more sharpe and poinant, for he hath wrathed and agilt him that boghte him; which with his precious blood hath delivered us fro the bondes of sinne, and fro the crueltee of the devel and fro the peynes of h.e.l.le. /

131. Cp. agult; Hl. agiltid.

-- 8. The causes that oghte moeve a man to Contricion been six. First, a man shal remembre him of hise sinnes; / but loke [574] he that thilke remembrance ne be to him no delyt by no wey, but greet shame and sorwe for his gilt. For Iob seith: 'sinful men doon werkes worthy of Confession.' / And therfore seith Ezechie: 'I wol remembre me alle the yeres of my lyf, in bitternesse of myn herte.' /135 And G.o.d seith in the Apocalips: remembreth yow fro whennes that ye been falle'; for biforn that tyme that ye sinned, ye were the children of G.o.d, and limes of the regne of G.o.d; / but for your sinne ye been woxen thral and foul, and membres of the feend, hate of aungels, sclaundre of holy chirche, and fode of the false serpent; perpetuel matere of the fyr of h.e.l.le. / And yet more foul and abhominable, for ye trespa.s.sen so ofte tyme, as doth the hound that retourneth to eten his spewing. / And yet be ye fouler for your longe continuing in sinne and your sinful usage, for which ye be roten in your sinne, as a beest in his dong. / Swiche manere of thoghtes maken a man to have shame of his sinne, and no delyt, as G.o.d seith by the prophete Ezechiel: /140 'ye shal remembre yow of youre weyes, and they shuln displese yow.' Sothly, sinnes been the weyes that leden folk to h.e.l.le. /

134. E. looke he; _rest om._ he. 135. Hl. Ln. Ezechiel. 137. E.

p_er_petueel.

-- 9. The seconde cause that oghte make a man to have desdeyn of sinne is this: that, as seith seint Peter, 'who-so that doth sinne is thral of sinne'; and sinne put a man in greet thraldom. / And therfore seith the prophete Ezechiel: 'I wente sorweful in desdayn of my-self.' And certes, wel oghte a man have desdayn of sinne, and withdrawe him from that thraldom and vileinye. / And lo, what seith Seneca in this matere. He seith thus: 'though I wiste that neither G.o.d ne man ne sholde nevere knowe it, yet wolde I have desdayn for to do sinne.' / And the same Seneca also seith: 'I am born to gretter thinges than to be thral to my body, or than for to maken of my body a thral.' /145 Ne a fouler thral may no man ne womman maken of his body, than for to yeven his body to sinne. / Al were it the fouleste cherl, or the fouleste womman that liveth, and leest of value, yet is he thanne more foule and more in servitute. / Evere fro the hyer degree that man falleth, the more is he thral, and more to G.o.d and to the world vile and abhominable. / O G.o.de G.o.d, wel oghte [575] man have desdayn of sinne; sith that, thurgh sinne, ther he was free, now is he maked bonde. / And therfore seyth Seint Augustin: 'if thou hast desdayn of thy servant, if he agilte or sinne, have thou thanne desdayn that thou thy-self sholdest do sinne.' /150 Take reward of thy value, that thou ne be to foul to thy-self.

/ Allas! wel oghten they thanne have desdayn to been servauntz and thralles to sinne, and sore been ashamed of hem-self, / that G.o.d of his endelees goodnesse hath set hem in heigh estaat, or yeven hem wit, strengthe of body, hele, beautee, prosperitee, / and boghte hem fro the deeth with his herte blood, that they so unkindely, agayns his gentilesse, quyten him so vileinsly, to slaughtre of hir owene soules. / O G.o.de G.o.d, ye wommen that been of so greet beautee, remembreth yow of the proverbe of Salomon, that seith: /155 'he lykneth a fair womman, that is a fool of hir body, lyk to a ring of gold that were in the groyn of a sowe.' / For right as a sowe wroteth in everich ordure, so wroteth she hir beautee in the stinkinge ordure of sinne. /

143. E. And certes; _rest om._ And. 144. E. Hn. _wrongly ins_, G.o.d _after_ that. 147. _All_ seruitute. 148. E. _om._ vile and. 150.

Cp. Pt. Ln. Hl. Austyn. 152. Hl. men (_for_ they). 154. Cm.

vileynly. 155, 6. _So_ Hl.; E. Hn. he seith likneth; Cp. he seith he likeneth; Cm. he seith & likkenyth; Pt. He likneth. E. soughe; _rest_ sowe. 157. E. soughe; _om._ she.

-- 10. The thridde cause that oghte moeve a man to Contricion, is drede of the day of dome, and of the horrible peynes of h.e.l.le. / For as seint Ierome seith: 'at every tyme that me remembreth of the day of dome, I quake; / for whan I ete or drinke, or what-so that I do, evere semeth me that the trompe sowneth in myn ere: /160 riseth up, ye that been dede, and cometh to the Iugement.' / O G.o.de G.o.d, muchel oghte a man to drede swich a Iugement, 'ther-as we shullen been alle,' as seint Poul seith, 'biforn the sete of oure lord Iesu Crist'; / wher-as he shal make a general congregacion, wher-as no man may been absent. / For certes, there availleth noon essoyne ne excusacion. / And nat only that oure defautes shullen be iuged, but eek that alle oure werkes shullen openly be knowe. /165 And as seith Seint Bernard: 'ther ne shal no pledinge availle, ne no sleighte; we shullen yeven rekeninge of everich ydel word.' / Ther shul we han a Iuge that may nat been deceived ne corrupt. And why? For, certes, alle our thoghtes been discovered as to him; ne for preyere ne for mede he shal nat been corrupt.

/ And therfore [576] seith Salomon: 'the wratthe of G.o.d ne wol nat spare no wight, for preyere ne for yifte'; and therfore, at the day of doom, ther nis noon hope to escape. / Wherfore, as seith Seint Anselm: 'ful greet angwissh shul the sinful folk have at that tyme; / ther shal the sterne and wrothe Iuge sitte above, and under him the horrible put of h.e.l.le open to destroyen him that moot biknowen hise sinnes, whiche sinnes openly been shewed biforn G.o.d and biforn every creature. /170 And on the left syde, mo develes than herte may bithinke, for to harie and drawe the sinful soules to the pyne of h.e.l.le. / And with-inne the hertes of folk shal be the bytinge conscience, and with-oute-forth shal be the world al brenninge. / Whider shal thanne the wrecched sinful man flee to hyden him? Certes, he may nat hyden him; he moste come forth and shewen him.' / For certes, as seith seint Ierome: 'the erthe shal casten him out of him, and the see also; and the eyr also, that shal be ful of thonder-clappes and lightninges.' / Now sothly, who-so wel remembreth him of thise thinges, I gesse that his sinne shal nat turne him in-to delyt, but to greet sorwe, for drede of the peyne of h.e.l.le. /175 And therfore seith Iob to G.o.d: 'suffre, lord, that I may a whyle biwaille and wepe, er I go with-oute returning to the derke lond, covered with the derknesse of deeth; / to the lond of misese and of derknesse, where-as is the shadwe of deeth; where-as ther is noon ordre or ordinance, but grisly drede that evere shal laste.' / Lo, here may ye seen that Iob preyde respyt a whyle, to biwepe and waille his trespas; for soothly oon day of respyt is bettre than al the tresor of the world. / And for-as-muche as a man may acquiten him-self biforn G.o.d by penitence in this world, and nat by tresor, therfore sholde he preye to G.o.d to yeve him respyt a whyle, to biwepe and biwaillen his trespas. / For certes, al the sorwe that a man mighte make fro the beginning of the world, nis but a litel thing at regard of the sorwe of h.e.l.le. /180 The cause why that Iob clepeth h.e.l.le 'the lond of derknesse'; / under-stondeth that he clepeth it 'londe' or erthe, for it is stable, and nevere shal faille; 'derk,' for he that is in h.e.l.le hath defaute of light material. / For certes, [577] the derke light, that shal come out of the fyr that evere shal brenne, shal turne him al to peyne that is in h.e.l.le; for it sheweth him to the horrible develes that him tormenten. / 'Covered with the derknesse of deeth': that is to seyn, that he that is in h.e.l.le shal have defaute of the sighte of G.o.d; for certes, the sighte of G.o.d is the lyf perdurable. / 'The derknesse of deeth' been the sinnes that the wrecched man hath doon, whiche that destourben him to see the face of G.o.d; right as doth a derk cloude bitwixe us and the sonne. /185 'Lond of misese': by-cause that ther been three maneres of defautes, agayn three thinges that folk of this world han in this present lyf, that is to seyn, honours, delyces, and richesses. / Agayns honour, have they in h.e.l.le shame and confusion. / For wel ye woot that men clepen 'honour' the reverence that man doth to man; but in h.e.l.le is noon honour ne reverence. For certes, na-more reverence shal be doon there to a king than to a knave. / For which G.o.d seith by the prophete Ieremye: 'thilke folk that me despysen shul been in despyt.' / 'Honour' is eek cleped greet lords.h.i.+pe; ther shal no man serven other but of harm and torment. 'Honour' is eek cleped greet dignitee and heighnesse; but in h.e.l.le shul they been al fortroden of develes. /190 And G.o.d seith: 'the horrible develes shulle goon and comen up-on the hevedes of the dampned folk.' And this is for-as-muche as, the hyer that they were in this present lyf, the more shulle they been abated and defouled in h.e.l.le. / Agayns the richesses of this world, shul they han misese of poverte; and this poverte shal been in foure thinges: / in defaute of tresor, of which that David seith; 'the riche folk, that embraceden and oneden al hir herte to tresor of this world, shul slepe in the slepinge of deeth; and no-thing ne shul they finden in hir handes of al hir tresor.' / And more-over, the miseise of h.e.l.le shal been in defaute of mete and drinke. / For G.o.d seith thus by Moyses; 'they shul been wasted with hunger, and the briddes of h.e.l.le shul devouren hem with bitter deeth, and the galle of the dragon shal been hir drinke, and the venim of the dragon hir morsels.' /195 And forther-over, hir miseise shal been in defaute of clothing: for they shulle be naked in body as of clothing, save the fyr in which they brenne and othere filthes; / and naked shul they been of [578] soule, of alle manere vertues, which that is the clothing of the soule. Where been thanne the gaye robes and the softe shetes and the smale shertes? / Lo, what seith G.o.d of hem by the prophete Isaye: 'that under hem shul been strawed motthes, and hir covertures shulle been of wormes of h.e.l.le.' / And forther-over, hir miseise shal been in defaute of freendes; for he nis nat povre that hath goode freendes, but there is no freend; / for neither G.o.d ne no creature shal been freend to hem, and everich of hem shal haten other with deedly hate. /200 'The sones and the doghtren shullen rebellen agayns fader and mooder, and kinrede agayns kinrede, and chyden and despysen everich of hem other,' bothe day and night, as G.o.d seith by the prophete Michias. / And the lovinge children, that whylom loveden so fleshly everich other, wolden everich of hem eten other if they mighte. / For how sholden they love hem togidre in the peyne of h.e.l.le, whan they hated ech of hem other in the prosperitee of this lyf? / For truste wel, hir fleshly love was deedly hate; as seith the prophete David: 'who-so that loveth wikkednesse he hateth his soule.' / And who-so hateth his owene soule, certes, he may love noon other wight in no manere. /205 And therefore, in h.e.l.le is no solas ne no frends.h.i.+pe, but evere the more fleshly kinredes that been in h.e.l.le, the more cursinges, the more chydinges, and the more deedly hate ther is among hem. / And forther-over, they shul have defaute of alle manere delyces; for certes, delyces been after the appetytes of the fyve wittes, as sighte, heringe, smellinge, savoringe, and touchinge. / But in h.e.l.le hir sighte shal be ful of derknesse and of smoke, and therfore ful of teres; and hir heringe, ful of waymentinge and of grintinge of teeth, as seith Iesu Crist; / hir nosethirles shullen be ful of stinkinge stink. And as seith Isaye the prophete: 'hir savoring shal be ful of bitter galle.' / And touchinge of al hir body, y-covered with 'fyr that nevere shal quenche, and with wormes that nevere shul dyen,' as G.o.d seith by the mouth of Isaye. /210 And for-as-muche as they shul nat wene that they may dyen for peyne, and by hir deeth flee fro peyne, that may they understonden by the word of Iob, that seith: 'ther-as is the [579] shadwe of deeth.' / Certes, a shadwe hath the lyknesse of the thing of which it is shadwe, but shadwe is nat the same thing of which it is shadwe. / Right so fareth the peyne of h.e.l.le; it is lyk deeth for the horrible anguissh, and why? For it peyneth hem evere, as though they sholde dye anon; but certes they shal nat dye. / For as seith Seint Gregorie: 'to wrecche caytives shal be deeth with-oute deeth, and ende with-outen ende, and defaute with-oute failinge. / For hir deeth shal alwey liven, and hir ende shal everemo biginne, and hir defaute shal nat faille.' /215 And therfore seith Seint Iohn the Evangelist: 'they shullen folwe deeth, and they shul nat finde him; and they shul desyren to dye, and deeth shal flee fro hem.' / And eek Iob seith: that 'in h.e.l.le is noon ordre of rule.' / And al-be-it so that G.o.d hath creat alle thinges in right ordre, and no-thing with-outen ordre, but alle thinges been ordeyned and nombred; yet nathelees they that been dampned been no-thing in ordre, ne holden noon ordre. / For the erthe ne shal bere hem no fruit. / For, as the prophete David seith: 'G.o.d shal destroie the fruit of the erthe as fro hem;' ne water ne shal yeve hem no moisture; ne the eyr no refress.h.i.+ng, ne fyr no light. /220 For as seith seint Basilie: 'the brenninge of the fyr of this world shal G.o.d yeven in h.e.l.le to hem that been dampned; / but the light and the cleernesse shal be yeven in hevene to hise children'; right as the G.o.de man yeveth flesh to hise children, and bones to his houndes. / And for they shullen have noon hope to escape, seith seint Iob atte laste: that 'ther shal horrour and grisly drede dwellen with-outen ende.' / Horrour is alwey drede of harm that is to come, and this drede shal evere dwelle in the hertes of hem that been dampned. And therefore han they lorn al hir hope, for sevene causes. / First, for G.o.d that is hir Iuge shal be with-outen mercy to hem; ne they may nat plese him, ne noon of hise halwes; ne they ne may yeve no-thing for hir raunson; /225 ne they have no vois to speke to him; ne they may nat flee fro peyne; ne they have no goodnesse in hem, that they mowe shewe to delivere hem fro peyne. / And therfore seith Salomon: 'the wikked man dyeth; and whan he is deed, he shal have noon hope to escape fro peyne.' / Who-so thanne wolde wel understande these peynes, [580] and bithinke him weel that he hath deserved thilke peynes for his sinnes, certes, he sholde have more talent to syken and to wepe than for to singen and to pleye. / For as that seith Salomon: 'who-so that hadde the science to knowe the peynes that been establissed and ordeyned for sinne, he wolde make sorwe.' / 'Thilke science,' as seith seint Augustin, 'maketh a man to waymenten in his herte.' /230

166. E. _om. 2nd_ no. 168. Cp. Pt. Ln. repeat (after G.o.d) wol nought ben corrupte and therefore saith Salamon. 170. E. Hn. stierne.

moot] E. noot. 171. on] E. in. E. Ln. peyne; Cm. pit; _rest_ pyne. 175. E. Hn. in; Hl. to; _rest_ in-to. 178. Hl. oon; Cm. on; E. a; _rest_ oo (o). 182. or] E. Cp. Ln. of. E. Hn. dirk. 188. E.

Hn. woot; Cm. wote; Hl. witen; Cp. wite; Ln. weten. 189. Hl.

displesen (_for_ despysen). 190. E. _om. from_ ther shal _to 2nd_ greet. 195. E. with the bitter; _rest om._ the. Hl. teeth (_for_ deeth). 197. E. as of alle; _rest om._ as. E. (_only_) smale shetes and the softe shertes. 203. E. _om._ hem _after_ love. 206. E. _om.