The Multitext Edition > Cambridge University Library MS. Gg.4.2.7
The Parson's Tale
Folio 440v
74 of 74 folios
thyngis ¶ Thyō schryfte muste been purueyed by-
forn & a vysed for wekede haste doth no profit / And
that a man can schryue hyō of hise syōnys be it of
pryde or of enuye & so forth with the spechis
& circūstaūcis
930
& that he haue cōprehendit in his
mynde the noūbre & the gretnesse of hise sȳnys / &
how longe that he hath leyn in synne /
& ek that
he be conrit of hise sȳnys & in stedefast purpos wt
the grace of god neuere eft to falle in sȳne . And
ek that he dreede & countrewayte hȳ self that he
fle the occasioūnys of sȳne / to wheche he is en-
chynyd /
Also thow schalt schryue the of alle sȳnys
to on man / & not a parcel to oo man / & a parcel to a
nothir man ¶ That is to vndyrstonde / en entent
to departen thȳ confessioū / as for schame or dreed for
it is but strangelynge of thyn soule /
For certis ihū
cist is entyerely al good / in hȳ nys non inparfeccioū
And therfore othir he forȝeuyth al parfitly or neuere
a del .
I sey not if thow be assygnit to the pentaūcer
for certeyn synne / that thow art boūde to schewȳ
hȳ alle the remenaūt of thȳne sȳnys / of wheche
thow hast be schreuȳ of to thȳ curat but if it lyke
to the / of thȳ humylite / this is no departȳge of schrif-
te
935
¶ Ne I seye not there is a spice of dyuysioun
of confessioū / that if thow haue lycence for to schry-
ue the to a discreet & to an onest prest / wheere the
lykyth & by lycence of thȳ curat that thow ne mayst
wel schryue the / to hȳ of alle thȳne synnys /
but lat
no blot been by hȳdyr ¶ lat non sȳne been on told
as fer as thow hast remembraūce /
And whā thow
schat be schreuȳ to thȳ curat telle hȳ ek alle the sȳ-
nys that thow hast doon syn thow were last I
schreue / this is no wekede entent / of dyuysioū of
schrifte
Also the verray schrifte axeth certeyn con-
dyciounys / fyrst that thow schryue te by thyn fre
wil . noght contreynyd / ne for schame of folk / ne
for maledye ne sweche thyngis / for it is resoun
that he that trespasith by his fre wil ; that by his
fre wil confesse his sȳne /