The Multitext Edition > London, British Library MS. Harley 7334
The Parson's Tale
Folio 268r
33 of 69 folios
Spirituel man slaughter is in sixe þinges ¶ First by hate
as saith seint Iohñ ¶ he þat hateþ his broþer is an homicide .
homicide is eek by bak bytyng of whiche bakbiters saith
Salomō þat þay haue twaye swerdes with whiche þay slen
here neighebors . For soþely as wikke is to bynyme his good
name as his lif .
homicidy is eek in ȝeuyng of wikkid coū-
seil by fraude as for to ȝeue counseil to areyse wicked and
wrongful custumes and taliages
of whiche saiþ Salomō
¶ leoun roryng and bere hungry ben like to þe cruel lord-
schipes in wiþholdyng or abbrigging of þe schipe or the
hyre or þe wages of seruaūtes or ellis in vsure or in with-
drawyng of almes of pore folk
495
For whiche þe pore man
saith ¶ Feedith him þat almost dyeth for hunger . for sothe-
ly but if þou feede him ; þou slest him and eek þese ben
dedly synnes .
bodily manslaughter is . whan þou sleest him
wiþ þy tonge in oþer manere as whan þou comaundist to
slen a man or elles ȝiuest counseil to slee a mā
Manslauȝt er
in dede is in foure maneres ¶ That oon is by lawe . Right
as a Iustice dāpnith him þat is coupable to þe deth . But
let þe Iustice be war þat he do it rightfully and þt he do it
nought for delit to spille blood ; but for keping of right-
wisnes
¶ Anoþer homicidy is doon for necessite . as whan a
man sleþ anoþer him defendaūt . and þat he may noon oþer
wise eschape fro his deth .
but certeynly if he may escape
wiþoute slaughter of his aduersarie and sleth him he doth
synne and he schal bere penaunce as for dedly synne .
500
¶ Ek if a man by caas or aduentur schete an arwe or cast
a stoon wiþ which he sleþ a mā ; he is an homicide .
Eke
if a wōman by negligence ouerlye hir child in hir sleping
it is homicide and deedly synne
¶ Eke whan mā distour-
bith concepcioū of a child and makith a wōman ouþer ba-
reyn by drinke of venenouse herbis þurgħ whiche sche may
nouȝt conceyue or sleth a child by drynkes . or elles putteþ
certeyn material þinges in secre place to slee þe child .
or
elles doþ vnkyndely synne by which man or wōman sche-
dith here nature in ma or in place þer as þe child may
nought be conceyued . or ellis if a wōma haue cōceyued
and hurt hirself and sleth þe child ȝit is it homycidie