The Multitext Edition > London, British Library MS. Harley 7334
The Parson's Tale
Folio 281r
59 of 69 folios
to oþer of his body ¶ For euerych of hem haþt power of his
oughne body ¶ The þtridde is for to eschiewe leccherie and
vilenye . þe ferþe forsoþe is dedly synne .
to oþer of his body ¶ For euerych of hem haþt power of his
oughne body ¶ The þtridde is for to eschiewe leccherie and
vilenye . þe ferþe forsoþe is dedly synne .
as to þe firste it
is meritory . The secounde also for as saiþ þe decre þat sche
haþ merit of chastite þat ȝeldith to hir housebonde þe dette
of hir body . ȝe þough it be agayn hir likyng and þe lust of
hir hert
¶ The þridde maner is venial synne . and trewly
scarsly may eny of þese be wiþoute venial synne for þe cor-
rupcioū and for þe delit .
The ferþe maner is for to vnder-
stonde as if þay assemble oonly for amorous loue and for
noon of þe forsayde causes . but for to accomplise þilke bren-
nynge delyt þay rekke neuer how ofte . soþely it is dedly
synne and ȝit wiþ sorwe some folk wole more peyne hem for
to doon þan to her appetit suffiseþ .
870
the secounde maner of
chastite is to ben a clene wydewe and to eschiew þe embra-
synges of mē and desiren þe enbrasynges of ihū cist
þese
ben þo þat han ben wyues and han forgon here housbondes
and eek wōmen þat han doon leccherie and be relieued by
penitence /
and certis if þt a wyf couþe kepe hir al chast
by licence of hir housebonde so þat sche ȝeue non occasioū
þat he agilt it were to hir a gret merit
¶ The þridde maner of chastite is virginite . and
it bihoueþ þat sche be holy in herte and clene of body . and
þāne is sche spouse of ihū crist and sche is þe lif of aungels .
875
sche is þe preysyng of þis world . and sche is as þese mar-
tires in egalite . sche haþ in hir þat tonge þat tonge may
nouȝt telle .
virginite bar oure lord ihū crist and virgine
was himselue
¶ Anoþer remedy agayns leccherie is speci-
ally to wiþdrawe suche þinges as ȝiuen occasioun to þilke
vilonye as is ease and etyng and drynkyng ¶ For certes
whan þe pot boylith strongely . þe beste remedye is to wiþ-
drawe þe fuyr
slepyng eek in gret quiete is eek a greet
norice vnto leccherie
¶ Anoþer remedye agayns leccherie