The Multitext Edition > Cambridge University Library MS. Gg.4.2.7
The Parson's Tale
Folio 441r
73 of 74 folios
fre wil confesse his syōne /
& that noon othir man telle
his sȳne but hȳ self / ne he ne schal not nayte ne de-
nye his sȳne / ne wrathe hȳ a gay the prest / for his a-
monestynge to leue sȳne
940
¶ The secunde condicioū
is that thȳ schrifte be be lauweful . that is to seyne
that thow schryuyst the & ek the prest / that heryth
thȳ confessioū / been verrayly in the feith of holy cher-
che /
& that a man ne be not despeyred / of the mercy
of Ihu Cryst / As caym or iudas /
And ek a man mote
acuse hȳ selue of his owene trespase / & not a nothir
but he schal blame & wyte hȳ self / & his owene ma-
lyce / of his sȳne / & noon othir .
but natheles / if that
a nothir man be occasioū / or entysynge of his synne
or the estat of a persone / be swich thor his sȳne / that
it is aggreggit or ellis that he may not pleynly
schryue hym but he telle the persone wt whiche he
hath sȳnyd / thāne may he telle
so that his entēte
be not to bakbyte the persone / but only to declare his
confessioū
945
¶ Thow ne schalt not ek / make none lesȳ-
gis / in thȳ confessioun for humilite perauenture to seyn
that thow hast doon synnys of whiche thow were
neuere gilty in
for seynt augustyn seyth / if that thow
be cause of thȳ humilite makyst lesȳgis on thȳ self
thow ne were not in sȳne be forn / ȝit art thow
thāne in sȳne thor thȳ speche
¶ Thow muste ek
schewe thyn sȳne by thȳ owene propere mouth
but thow be wexe doumb . & nat by no lettere / for
thow that hast don the sȳne ; thow schalt haue the
schame therfore
¶ Thow schalt nat ek peyntȳ tȳ cō-
fessioū / by fayre subtyle wordis / to couere the mo-
re thȳ sȳne / For thāne begilyst thow thȳ self / & nat
the prest / thow muste telle it platly be it neuere so
foul ne so horrible /
Thow schalt ek schryue the to
a prest that is discreet to conseyle the / & ek thow
schat not schryue thee for veynglorye / ne for ypo-
crise / ne for non cause but only for the doute of ihū
Crist / & the heele of thȳ soule /
950
thow schat nat ek ren-
ne sodeynly to the prest to telle hȳ thȳ synne lyghtly
as ho so tellit a iape or a tale / but auysely & wt gret deuocioū