The Multitext Edition > Aberystwyth, National Library of Wales MS. Peniarth 392 D
The Parson's Tale
Folio 237v
25 of 30 folios
sholde be contrit
/ and what Contricio
ū auaileth to the soule
55
thanne
is it thus / . that Contricioū is the verray sorwe / þt a man receyueth
in his herte for hise synnes / wt sad purpos to shryue hym & to
do penance & neuere moore to do synne /
and this sorwe
/ shal ben
in this manere
/ as seith Seint Bernard
It shal ben heuy and
greuous
& ful shar
pe / & poyna
ūt in herte
first for man hath
agilt his lord & his Creatour / and moore sharp & poynaūt
for he hath agilt his fader celestial /
and yet moore sharpe &
poynaūt / for he hath wrathed & agilt hym þt boughte hym /
þt wt his percious blood / hath delyuered vs fro the bondes of syn-
ne / & fro the creweltee of the deuel / & fro the peynes of helle
¶ The causes / þt oghten moeuen a man to Contricioū / been .vj. /
First a man shal remembren hym of hise synnes /
60
but looke
þt thilke remembrance
/ ne be to hym no delit
by no wey
/ but gret
shame
& sorwe for his gilt
for Iob seith
/ Synful men
/ doon
werkes worthy of Confessio
ū /
And therfore
/ seith Ezechie
.I.
wol remembre me alle the yeris of my lyf
in bitternesse of myn
herte
And god seith in the Apocalipes / Remembre yow / fro when-
nes þt ye ben falle / for biforn that tyme þt ye synned / ye
were the children of god / and lymes of the regne of god /
but
for youre synne / ye ben woxe / thral & foul and membres of
the feend / hate of Aungeles / Sclaundre of holy chirche / &
foode of the false serpent perpetuel matere / of the fyr of helle /
And yet moore foul and abhomynable for ye trespasen so ofte
tyme / as dooth the hound / þt retorneth to ete his spewyng
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& // \Vomite/
yet be ye fouler / for youre longe contynuynge in synne and
youre synful vsage / for which / ye been roten in youre synne
as a beest in his donge /
swiche manere of thoughtes / maken
a man haue shame of his synne & no delit as god seyth
by the prophete Ezechiel /
ye shal remembre yow of youre ~
weyes / and they shullen displese yow soothly / synnes been ~
the weyes þt leden folk to helle /
¶ The seconde cause
/ þt oghte
make a man to han desdeyn of synne
/ is this
/ that as seith
Seint Peter
who so
þt dooth synne
/ is thral of synne
/ & synne put a man in greet thraldam
/
And therfore
/ seith the
prophete Ezechiel
/ I wente sorweful
/ in desdayn of my self ;
¶ Certes wel oghte a man
/ haue desdayn of synne
& with
drawe hym fro that thraldom
& vileynye
70
And lo / what
seith Seneca in this matere / he seith thus / though I wiste
þt god / neither god ne man / ne sholde neuere knowe it / yet