The Multitext Edition > London, British Library MS. Harley 7334
The Parson's Tale
Folio 261v
20 of 69 folios
And deedly synne whan þe loue of eny þing weyeth in þe
hert of a man as moche as the loue of god or more
¶ Dedly
synne is as saith seint austyn . whan man torneth his hert
from god which þat is verray souerayn bounte þat may not
chaunge and flitte . and ȝiue his herte to a þing þat may
chaunge and flitte .
295
and certes þat is euery þing saue god of
heuen ¶ For soþe if þat a man ȝiue his loue þe which that
he owiþ to god wiþ al his herte vnto a creatur . certes as
moche of loue as he ȝiueth to þilke creature ; so moche he re-
ueth fro god .
and þerfore doth he synne ¶ For he þat is dettor
to god and ȝeldeth not his dette þat is to sayn al þe loue
of his hert
¶ Now siþþe mā vnderstondith generally which
is venial synne ; þanne is it couenable to telle specially
of synnes whiche þat many man perauentur ne demith hem
no synnes and schryueth him not of þe same þinges and
ȝit naþeles þay ben synnes
¶ And soþly as clerkes writen
þis is to say . at euery tyme þat man etith or drynkith more
þan suffiseþ to þe sustienaūce of his body in certeyn he doþ
synne .
and eek whan he spekith more þan it needitħ he doþ
synne . And eek whan he herkeneþ nouȝt benignely þe pleynt
of þe pore
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eek whan he is in hele of body and wil not faste
whan oþer folk fasten wiþoutē cause resonable . eek whan
he slepith more þan needith or whan he comeþ by þilk en-
chesoun to late to holy chirche or to oþer werkes of charite
Eke whan he vseþ his wyf wiþoute souerayn desir of
engendrure to thonour of god or for þentent to ȝelde to
his wyf þe dette of his body .
eek whan he wil not visite
þe sike and þe pisoner if he may ¶ eek if he loue wyf or child
or oþer worldly þing more þan resoū requireth . eek if he fla-
tere or blaundisshe more þan him oughte for eny necessite
ek if a man menuse or wiþdrawe þe almesse of þe pouer
eek if he apparaylith his body more deliciously þan it ne-
dith or ete it to hastily by licouresnes .
eek if he talke of
vanitees at chirche or at goddis seruice . or þat he be a talker
of ydil wordes of vanite or of vilonye / for he schal ȝelde
of hem acount at þe day of doome .
305
eek whan he heetith
or assureth to do þinges þat he ne may nouȝt parforme . eek
whan þat by lightnes or foly myssaith or scorneþ his