The Multitext Edition > London, British Library MS. Harley 7334
The Parson's Tale
Folio 281v
60 of 69 folios
is þat a man or a woōman eschiewe þe companye of heō by
whiche he doutith to be tempted . for al be it so þat þe dede
be wiþtstonde ; ȝit is þer gret temptacioū
880
sothely a whit wal
al þough it brenne not fully by stikyng of a candel ȝet is
þe wal blak of stiking of a candel
ful ofte tyme . I rede þt
no man truste in his oughne parfeccioū but he be strenger
þan Sampson or holiere þan dauyd . and wiser þan sala-
mon
¶ Now after þat I haue declared ȝow þe seuen dedly
synnes as I can & some of here braunches and here reme-
dyes ; soþely if I couþe I wolde telle ȝow þe ten comaūde-
mentes .
but so heigh a doctine I leue to diuines . but naþe-
les I hope to god þay ben touchid in þis litil tretys eue-
¶ rich of hem alle
NOw for as moche as þe
secounde part of penitence stant in confessioū of
mouth as I bigan in þe chapitr I say seint austyn saith .
885
Syn-
ne is euery word and euery dede / and al þat men coueyten
agayn þe lawe of ihū cist . and þis is for to synne in herte
in mouthe and in dede by þy fyue wittis þat been . sigħt
heeryng smellyng tastyng or sauoryng or felyng
¶ Now
it is good to vnderstonden þe cicūstaūces þat aggreggen
moche to euery synne .
þou schalt considre what þou art þat dost
þe synne wheþir þat þou be mal or femal . old oþer ȝong gen-
til or þral . fre or seruaūt hool or seek . weddid or sengle . or-
drid . or vnordred wys or fool clerk or seculer
if sche of þy
kyn bodily or gostly or noon . if eny of þy kynrede haue synned
wiþ hire or noon and many mo þinges
¶ That oþer circū-
staunce is wheþer it be don in fornicacioū or in aduoutry or
incest or noon / or mayden or noon in maner of homicide or non
horrible grete synnes or smale and how longe þou hast cō-
tinued in synne
890
¶ The þridde circumstaunce is þe place
wher þou hast don synne wheþer in oþer mennes houses or
in þin owne in feld or in chirche or in chirchehawe . in chir-
che dedicate or noon .
For if it be dedicate it is enterdited til
it be reconsiled by þe bischop and þe prest scholde be enterdy-
ted
þat dede such a vilonye to terme of al his lyf & scholde
no more synge no masse and if he dede he schulde do dedly
synne at euery tyme þat he song masse
¶ The ferthe cir-
cumstaūce is by whiche mediatours or by whiche messagers