Canterbury Tales (Middle English) — The Parson's Tale - Part 3
§ 28. Now been ther generale signes of gentilesse; as eschewinge of vyce and ribaudye and servage of sinne, in word, in werk, and contenance; / and usinge vertu, curteisye, and clennesse, and to be liberal, that is to seyn, large by mesure; for thilke that passeth mesure is folye and sinne.
/465 Another is, to remembre him of bountee that he of other folk hath receyved.
/ Another is, to be benigne to hise goode subgetis; wherfore, as seith Senek, ‘ther is no-thing more covenable to a man of heigh estaat than debonairetee and pitee.
/ And therfore thise flyes that men clepeth bees, whan they maken hir king, they chesen oon that hath no prikke wherwith he may stinge.
’ / Another is, a man to have a noble herte and a diligent, to attayne to heighe vertuouse thinges.
/ Now certes, a man to pryde him in the goodes of grace is eek an outrageous folye; for thilke yiftes of grace that sholde have turned him to goodnesse and to medicine, turneth him to venim and to confusion, as seith seint Gregorie.
/470 Certes also, who-so prydeth him in the goodes of fortune, he is a ful greet fool; for som-tyme is a man a greet lord by the morwe, that is a caitif and a wrecche er it be night: / and somtyme the richesse of a man is cause of his deeth; somtyme the delyces of a man is cause of the grevous maladye thurgh which he dyeth.
/ Certes, the commendacion of the peple is somtyme ful fals and ful brotel for to triste; this day they preyse, tomorwe they blame.
/ God woot, desyr to have commendacion of the peple hath caused deeth to many a bisy man.
/ 467. E.
Cm.
_om.
_ as.
469. E.
man; _rest_ a man.
470. E.
yifte;
_rest_ yiftes.
N.
B.
Section 470 _follows_ 474 _in_ Hn.
Pt.
; _see note_.
=Remedium contra peccatum Superbie.
= § 29. Now sith that so is, that ye han understonde what is pryde, and whiche been the speces of it, and whennes pride sourdeth and springeth;
/475 now shul ye understonde which is the remedie agayns the sinne of pryde, and that is, humilitee or mekenesse.
/ That is a vertu, thurgh which a man hath verray knoweleche of him-self, and holdeth of him-self no prys ne deyntee as in regard of hise desertes, consideringe evere his freletee.
/ Now [598] been ther three maneres of humilitee; as humilitee in herte, and another humilitee in his mouth; the thridde in hise werkes.
/ The humilitee in herte is in foure maneres: that oon is, whan a man holdeth him-self as noght worth biforn god of hevene.
Another is, whan he ne despyseth noon other man.
/ The thridde is, whan he rekketh nat thogh men holde him noght worth.
The ferthe is, whan he nis nat sory of his humiliacion.
/480 Also, the humilitee of mouth is in foure thinges: in attempree speche, and in humblesse of speche, and whan he biknoweth with his owene mouth that he is swich as him thinketh that he is in his herte.
Another is, whan he preiseth the bountee of another man, and nothing ther-of amenuseth.
/ Humilitee eek in werkes is in foure maneres: the firste is, whan he putteth othere men biforn him.
The seconde is, to chese the loweste place over-al. The thridde is, gladly to assente to good conseil.
/ The ferthe is, to stonde gladly to the award of hise sovereyns, or of him that is in hyer degree; certein, this is a greet werk of humilitee.
/ 482. E.
_om.
_ good.
=Sequitur de Inuidia.
= § 30. After Pryde wol I speken of the foule sinne of Envye, which is, as by the word of the philosophre, sorwe of other mannes prosperitee; and after the word of seint Augustin, it is sorwe of other mannes wele, and Ioye of othere mennes harm.
/ This foule sinne is platly agayns the holy goost.
Al-be-it so that every sinne is agayns the holy goost, yet nathelees, for as muche as bountee aperteneth proprely to the holy goost, and Envye comth proprely of malice, therfore it is proprely agayn the bountee of the holy goost.
/485 Now hath malice two speces, that is to seyn, hardnesse of herte in wikkednesse, or elles the flesh of man is so blind, that he considereth nat that he is in sinne, or rekketh nat that he is in sinne; which is the hardnesse of the devel.
/ That other spece of malice is, whan a man werreyeth trouthe, whan he woot that it is trouthe.
And eek, whan he werreyeth the grace that god hath yeve to his neighebore; and al this is by Envye.
/ Certes, thanne is Envye the worste sinne that is.
For soothly, alle othere sinnes been som-tyme only agayns o special vertu; / but certes, Envye is agayns alle vertues and agayns alle goodnesses; for it is [599] sory of alle the bountees of his neighebore; and in this manere it is divers from alle othere sinnes.
/ For wel unnethe is ther any sinne that it ne hath som delyt in itself, save only Envye, that evere hath in itself anguish and sorwe.
/490 The speces of Envye been thise: ther is first, sorwe of other mannes goodnesse and of his prosperitee; and prosperitee is kindely matere of Ioye; thanne is Envye a sinne agayns kinde.
/ The seconde spece of Envye is Ioye of other mannes harm; and that is proprely lyk to the devel, that evere reioyseth him of mannes harm.
/ Of thise two speces comth bakbyting; and this sinne of bakbyting or detraccion hath certeine speces, as thus.
Som man preiseth his neighebore by a wikke entente; / for he maketh alwey a wikked knotte atte laste ende.
Alwey he maketh a ‘but’ atte laste ende, that is digne of more blame, than worth is al the preisinge.
/ The seconde spece is, that if a man be good and dooth or seith a thing to good entente, the bakbyter wol turne all thilke goodnesse up-so-doun to his shrewed entente.
/495 The thridde is, to amenuse the bountee of his neighebore.
/ The fourthe spece of bakbyting is this; that if men speke goodnesse of a man, thanne wol the bakbyter seyn, ‘parfey, swich a man is yet bet than he’; in dispreisinge of him that men preise.
/ The fifte spece is this; for to consente gladly and herkne gladly to the harm that men speke of other folk.
This sinne is ful greet, and ay encreseth after the wikked entente of the bakbyter.
/ After bakbyting cometh grucching or murmuracion; and somtyme it springeth of inpacience agayns god, and somtyme agayns man.
/ Agayns god it is, whan a man gruccheth agayn the peynes of helle, or agayns poverte, or los of catel, or agayn reyn or tempest; or elles gruccheth that shrewes han prosperitee, or elles for that goode men han adversitee.
/500 And alle thise thinges sholde men suffre paciently, for they comen by the rightful Iugement and ordinance of god.
/ Som-tyme comth grucching of avarice; as Iudas grucched agayns the Magdaleyne, whan she enoynte the heved of oure lord Iesu Crist with hir precious oynement.
/ This maner murmure is swich as whan man gruccheth of goodnesse that him-self dooth, or that other folk doon of hir owene catel.
/ Som-tyme comth murmure of pryde; as whan Simon the Pharisee grucched agayn the Magdaleyne, whan she approched to Iesu Crist, and weep at his feet for hir sinnes.
/ [600] And somtyme grucching sourdeth of Envye; whan men discovereth a mannes harm that was privee, or bereth him on hond thing that is fals.
/505 Murmure eek is ofte amonges servaunts, that grucchen whan hir sovereyns bidden hem doon leveful thinges; / and, for-as-muche as they dar nat openly withseye the comaundements of hir sovereyns, yet wol they seyn harm, and grucche, and murmure prively for verray despyt; / whiche wordes men clepen the develes _Pater-noster_, though so be that the devel ne hadde nevere _Pater-noster_, but that lewed folk yeven it swich a name.
/ Som tyme grucching comth of ire or prive hate, that norisseth rancour in herte, as afterward I shal declare.
/ Thanne cometh eek bitternesse of herte; thurgh which bitternesse every good dede of his neighebor semeth to him bitter and unsavory.
/510 Thanne cometh discord, that unbindeth alle manere of frendshipe.
Thanne comth scorninge, as whan a man seketh occasioun to anoyen his neighebor, al do he never so weel.
/ Thanne comth accusinge, as whan man seketh occasion to anoyen his neighebor, which that is lyk to the craft of the devel, that waiteth bothe night and day to accusen us alle.
/ Thanne comth malignitee, thurgh which a man anoyeth his neighebor prively if he may; / and if he noght may, algate his wikked wil ne shal nat wante, as for to brennen his hous prively, or empoysone or sleen hise bestes, and semblable thinges.
/ 485. E.
_om.
_ foule.
E.
_om.
1st and 3rd_ goost.
486. Cm.
hardynesse (_twice_).
487. E.
speche (_for_ spece); Hn.
spece; _rest_ spice.
E.
malice (_and so_ Selden MS. , _rightly_); _rest_ enuye.
497. parfey] E. pardee.
500. E.
_om.
_ or _after_ catel.
502. E.
Hn.
enoynte; Cm.
Hl.
anoynted; Pt.
ennoynted.
506. E.
seruauntz.
Cm.
lefful; Pt.
Hl.
leeful.
507. E.
comaundementz.
511. Cm.
scornynge as whanne a man sekyth occasioun to anoyen his; _rest_ scornynge of his (_merely_).
=Remedium contra peccatum Inuidie.
= § 31. Now wol I speke of the remedie agayns this foule sinne of Envye.
First, is the love of god principal, and loving of his neighebor as him-self; for soothly, that oon ne may nat been withoute that other.
/515 And truste wel, that in the name of thy neighebore thou shalt understonde the name of thy brother; for certes alle we have o fader fleshly, and o moder, that is to seyn, Adam and Eve; and eek o fader espirituel, and that is god of hevene.
/ Thy neighebore artow holden for to love, and wilne him alle goodnesse; and therfore seith god, ‘love thy neighebore as thyselve,’ that is to seyn, to salvacion bothe of lyf and of soule.
/ And more-over, thou shalt love him in word, and in benigne amonestinge, and chastysinge;
and conforten him in hise anoyes, and preye [601] for him with al thyn herte.
/ And in dede thou shall love him in swich wyse, that thou shalt doon to him in charitee as thou woldest that it were doon to thyn owene persone.
/ And therfore, thou ne shalt doon him no damage in wikked word, ne harm in his body, ne in his catel, ne in his soule, by entysing of wikked ensample.
/520 Thou shalt nat desyren his wyf, ne none of hise thinges.
Understond eek, that in the name of neighebor is comprehended his enemy.
/ Certes man shal loven his enemy by the comandement of god; and soothly thy frend shaltow love in God.
/ I seye, thyn enemy shaltow love for goddes sake, by his comandement.
For if it were reson that a man sholde haten his enemy, for sothe god nolde nat receiven us to his love that been hise enemys.
/ Agayns three manere of wronges that his enemy dooth to hym, he shal doon three thinges, as thus.
/ Agayns hate and rancour of herte, he shal love him in herte.
Agayns chyding and wikkede wordes, he shal preye for his enemy.
And agayn the wikked dede of his enemy, he shal doon him bountee.
/525 For Crist seith, ‘loveth youre enemys, and preyeth for hem that speke yow harm; and eek for hem that yow chacen and pursewen, and doth bountee to hem that yow haten.
’ Lo, thus comaundeth us oure lord Iesu Crist, to do to oure enemys.
/ For soothly, nature dryveth us to loven oure freendes, and parfey, oure enemys han more nede to love than oure freendes;
and they that more nede have, certes, to hem shal men doon goodnesse; / and certes, in thilke dede have we remembrance of the love of Iesu Crist, that deyde for hise enemys.
/ And in-as-muche as thilke love is the more grevous to perfourne, in-so-muche is the more gretter the merite; and therfore the lovinge of oure enemy hath confounded the venim of the devel.
/ For right as the devel is disconfited by humilitee, right so is he wounded to the deeth by love of oure enemy.
/530 Certes, thanne is love the medicine that casteth out the venim of Envye fro mannes herte.
/ The speces of this pas shullen be more largely in hir chapitres folwinge declared.
/ 515. this] E. the.
love] E. louynge.
516. E.
espiritueel.
517. E.
_om.
_ bothe.
520. E.
entissyng.
521. E.
Hn.
Vnderstoond.
524. wronges] E. thinges.
525. E.
_om.
_ the.
529. Ln.
Hl.
parforme; Pt.
perfourme.
532. E.
paas; Hl.
pa_r_t; _rest_ pas.
=Sequitur de Ira.
= § 32. After Envye wol I discryven the sinne of Ire.
For soothly, who-so hath envye upon his neighebor, anon he wole comunly [602] finde him a matere of wratthe, in word or in dede, agayns him to whom he hath envye.
/ And as wel comth Ire of Pryde, as of Envye; for soothly, he that is proude or envious is lightly wrooth.
/ 533. Hn.
Pt.
Ln.
_om.
_ a _bef.
_ matere.
§ 33. This sinne of Ire, after the discryving of seint Augustin, is wikked wil to been avenged by word or by dede.
/535 Ire, after the philosophre, is the fervent blood of man y-quiked in his herte, thurgh which he wole harm to him that he hateth.
/ For certes the herte of man, by eschaufinge and moevinge of his blood, wexeth so trouble, that he is out of alle Iugement of resoun.
/ But ye shal understonde that Ire is in two maneres; that oon of hem is good, and that other is wikked.
/ The gode Ire is by Ialousye of goodnesse, thurgh which a man is wrooth with wikkednesse and agayns wikkednesse; and therfore seith a wys man, that ‘Ire is bet than pley.
’ / This Ire is with debonairetee, and it is wrooth withouten bitternesse; nat wrooth agayns the man, but wrooth with the misdede of the man; as seith the prophete David, _Irascimini et nolite peccare_.
/540 Now understondeth, that wikked Ire is in two maneres, that is to seyn, sodeyn Ire or hastif Ire, withouten avisement and consentinge of resoun.
/ The mening and the sens of this is, that the resoun of man ne consente nat to thilke sodeyn Ire; and thanne it is venial.
/ Another Ire is ful wikked, that comth of felonye of herte avysed and cast biforn; with wikked wil to do vengeance, and therto his resoun consenteth; and soothly this is deedly sinne.
/ This Ire is so displesant to god, that it troubleth his hous and chaceth the holy goost out of mannes soule, and wasteth and destroyeth the lyknesse of god, that is to seyn, the vertu that is in mannes soule; / and put in him the lyknesse of the devel, and binimeth the man fro god that is his rightful lord.
/545 This Ire is a ful greet plesaunce to the devel; for it is the develes fourneys, that is eschaufed with the fyr of helle.
/ For certes, right so as fyr is more mighty to destroyen erthely thinges than any other element, right so Ire is mighty to destroyen alle spirituel thinges.
/ Loke how that fyr of smale gledes, that been almost dede under asshen, wollen quike agayn whan they been touched with brimstoon; right so Ire wol everemo quiken agayn, whan it is touched by the pryde that is covered in mannes herte.
/ For certes fyr ne may nat comen out of no-thing, but-if it were first in the same thing naturelly; as fyr is drawen out of flintes [603] with steel.
/ And right so as pryde is ofte tyme matere of Ire, right so is rancour norice and keper of Ire.
/550 Ther is a maner tree, as seith seint Isidre, that whan men maken fyr of thilke tree, and covere the coles of it with asshen, soothly the fyr of it wol lasten al a yeer or more.
/ And right so fareth it of rancour; whan it is ones conceyved in the hertes of som men, certein, it wol lasten peraventure from oon Estre-day unto another Estre-day, and more.
/ But certes, thilke man is ful fer fro the mercy of god al thilke while.
/ 547. E.
spiritueel.
549. E.
natureelly.
551. E.
fire.
553. E.
in (_for_ al).
§ 34. In this forseyde develes fourneys ther forgen three shrewes: Pryde, that ay bloweth and encreseth the fyr by chydinge and wikked wordes.
/ Thanne stant Envye, and holdeth the hote iren upon the herte of man with a peire of longe tonges of long rancour.
/555 And thanne stant the sinne of contumelie or stryf and cheeste, and batereth and forgeth by vileyns reprevinges.
/ Certes, this cursed sinne anoyeth bothe to the man him-self and eek to his neighebor.
For soothly, almost al the harm that any man dooth to his neighebore comth of wratthe.
/ For certes, outrageous wratthe doth al that evere the devel him comaundeth; for he ne spareth neither Crist, ne his swete mooder.
/ And in his outrageous anger and Ire, allas!
allas!
ful many oon at that tyme feleth in his herte ful wikkedly, bothe of Crist and of alle hise halwes.
/ Is nat this a cursed vice?
Yis, certes.
Allas!
it binimeth from man his wit and his resoun, and al his debonaire lyf espirituel that sholde kepen his soule.
/560 Certes, it binimeth eek goddes due lordshipe, and that is mannes soule, and the love of hise neighebores.
It stryveth eek alday agayn trouthe.
It reveth him the quiete of his herte, and subverteth his soule.
/ 554. E.
encreesseth.
555. E.
toonges.
558. Hl.
_om.
_ swete.
560. E.
espiritueel.
§ 35. Of Ire comen thise stinkinge engendrures: first hate, that is old wratthe; discord, thurgh which a man forsaketh his olde freend that he hath loved ful longe.
/ And thanne cometh werre, and every manere of wrong that man dooth to his neighebore, in body or in catel.
/ Of this cursed sinne of Ire cometh eek manslaughtre.
And understonde wel, that homicyde, that is manslaughtre, is in dyverse wyse.
Som manere of homicyde is spirituel, and som is bodily.
/ Spirituel manslaughtre is in six [604] thinges.
First, by hate; as seint Iohn seith, ‘he that hateth his brother is homicyde.
’ /565 Homicyde is eek by bakbytinge; of whiche bakbyteres seith Salomon, that ‘they han two swerdes with whiche they sleen hir neighebores.
’ For soothly, as wikke is to binime his good name as his lyf.
/ Homicyde is eek, in yevinge of wikked conseil by fraude; as for to yeven conseil to areysen wrongful custumes and taillages.
/ Of whiche seith Salomon, ‘Leon rorynge and bere hongry been lyke to the cruel lordshipes,’ in withholdinge or abregginge of the shepe (or the hyre), or of the wages of servaunts, or elles in usure or in withdrawinge of the almesse of povre folk.
/ For which the wyse man seith, ‘fedeth him that almost dyeth for honger’; for soothly, but-if thou fede him, thou sleest him; and alle thise been deadly sinnes.
/ Bodily manslaughtre is, whan thow sleest him with thy tonge in other manere; as whan thou comandest to sleen a man, or elles yevest him conseil to sleen a man.
/570 Manslaughtre in dede is in foure maneres.
That oon is by lawe; right as a Iustice dampneth him that is coupable to the deeth.
But lat the Iustice be war that he do it rightfully, and that he do it nat for delyt to spille blood, but for kepinge of rightwisenesse.
/ Another homicyde is, that is doon for necessitee, as whan o man sleeth another in his defendaunt, and that he ne may noon otherwise escape from his owene deeth.
/ But certeinly, if he may escape withouten manslaughtre of his adversarie, and sleeth him, he doth sinne, and he shal bere penance as for deedly sinne.
/ Eek if a man, by caas or aventure, shete an arwe or caste a stoon with which he sleeth a man, he is homicyde.
/ Eek if a womman by necligence overlyeth hir child in hir sleping, it is homicyde and deedly sinne.
/575 Eek whan man destourbeth concepcion of a child, and maketh a womman outher bareyne by drinkinge venemouse herbes, thurgh which she may nat conceyve, or sleeth a child by drinkes wilfully, or elles putteth certeine material thinges in hir secree places to slee the child; / or elles doth unkindely sinne, by which man or womman shedeth hir nature in manere or in place ther-as a child may nat be conceived; or elles, if a womman have conceyved and hurt hir-self, [605] and sleeth the child, yet is it homicyde.
/ What seye we eek of wommen that mordren hir children for drede of worldly shame?
Certes, an horrible homicyde.
/ Homicyde is eek if a man approcheth to a womman by desir of lecherye, thurgh which the child is perissed, or elles smyteth a womman witingly, thurgh which she leseth hir child.
Alle thise been homicydes and horrible deedly sinnes.
/ Yet comen ther of Ire manye mo sinnes, as wel in word as in thoght and in dede;
as he that arretteth upon god, or blameth god, of thing of which he is him-self gilty; or despyseth god and alle hise halwes, as doon thise cursede hasardours in diverse contrees.
/580 This cursed sinne doon they, whan they felen in hir hertes ful wikkedly of god and of hise halwes.
/ Also, whan they treten unreverently the sacrement of the auter, thilke sinne is so greet, that unnethe may it been relesed, but that the mercy of god passeth alle hise werkes; it is so greet and he so benigne.
/ Thanne comth of Ire attry angre; whan a man is sharply amonested in his shrifte to forleten his sinne, / than wole he be angry and answeren hokerly and angrily, and deffenden or excusen his sinne by unstedefastnesse of his flesh; or elles he dide it for to holde companye with hise felawes, or elles, he seith, the fend entyced him; / or elles he dide it for his youthe, or elles his complexioun is so corageous, that he may nat forbere;
or elles it is his destinee, as he seith, unto a certein age; or elles, he seith, it cometh him of gentillesse of hise auncestres; and semblable thinges.
/585 Alle this manere of folk so wrappen hem in hir sinnes, that they ne wol nat delivere hem-self.
For soothly, no wight that excuseth him wilfully of his sinne may nat been delivered of his sinne, til that he mekely biknoweth his sinne.
/ After this, thanne cometh swering, that is expres agayn the comandement of god; and this bifalleth ofte of anger and of Ire.
/ God seith: ‘thou shalt nat take the name of thy lord god in veyn or in ydel.
’ Also oure lord Iesu Crist seith by the word of seint Mathew: ‘_Nolite iurare omnino_: / ne wol ye nat swere in alle manere; neither by hevene, for it is goddes trone; ne by erthe, for it is the bench of his feet; ne by Ierusalem, for it is the citee of a greet king; ne by thyn heed, for thou mayst nat make an heer whyt ne blak.
/ But seyeth by youre word, “ye, ye,” and “nay, nay”; and what [606] that is more, it is of yvel,’ seith Crist.
/590 For Cristes sake, ne swereth nat so sinfully, in dismembringe of Crist by soule, herte, bones, and body.
For certes, it semeth that ye thinke that the cursede Iewes ne dismembred nat y-nough the preciouse persone of Crist, but ye dismembre him more.
/ And if so be that the lawe compelle yow to swere, thanne rule yow after the lawe of god in youre swering, as seith Ieremye _quarto capitulo_, ‘_Iurabis in veritate, in iudido et in iustida_: thou shalt kepe three condicions; thou shalt swere in trouthe, in doom, and in rightwisnesse.
’ / This is to seyn, thou shalt swere sooth; for every lesinge is agayns Crist.
For Crist is verray trouthe.
And think wel this, that every greet swerere, nat compelled lawefully to swere, the wounde shal nat departe from his hous whyl he useth swich unleveful swering.
/ Thou shalt sweren eek in doom, whan thou art constreyned by thy domesman to witnessen the trouthe.
/ Eek thou shalt nat swere for envye ne for favour, ne for mede, but for rightwisnesse; for declaracioun of it to the worship of god and helping of thyne evene-cristene.
/595 And therfore, every man that taketh goddes name in ydel, or falsly swereth with his mouth, or elles taketh on him the name of Crist, to be called a Cristene man, and liveth agayns Cristes livinge and his techinge, alle they taken goddes name in ydel.
/ Loke eek what seint Peter seith, _Actuum quarto capitulo_, ‘_Non est aliud nomen sub celo_,’ &c. ‘Ther nis noon other name,’ seith seint Peter, ‘under hevene, yeven to men, in which they mowe be saved;’ that is to seyn, but the name of Iesu Crist.
/ Take kepe eek how that the precious name of Crist, as seith seint Paul _ad Philipenses secundo_, ‘_In nomine Iesu_, &c. : that in the name of Iesu every knee of hevenely creatures, or erthely, or of helle sholden bowe’; for it is so heigh and so worshipful, that the cursede feend in helle sholde tremblen to heren it y-nempned.
/ Thanne semeth it, that men that sweren so horribly by his blessed name, that they despyse him more boldely than dide the cursede Iewes, or elles the devel, that trembleth whan he hereth his name.
/ 562. E.
_om.
_ that he hath loved.
564, 565. E.
spiritueel.
565. Pt.
Hl.
an homicide.
566. E.
the (_for 2nd_ they).
568. E.
crueel.
Hl.
Ln.
schipe.
E.
vsures.
570. Hl.
_om.
_ him _before_ conseil.
572. Hl.
him (_for_ in his).
576. E.
Cm.
venenouse; Hl.
venenous.
Hl.
place.
577. -self] E. child.
577. is it] E. it is.
582. E.
releessed.
585. E.
conplecciou_n_.
