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On the Seven Deadly Sins

Ihesu, þat for vs wold die {f.70ra}

And was boren of maiden Marie,

Forȝiue vs, louerd, our misdede

And help vs ate oure moste nede.

5000 To þo þat habben laiser to dwelle,

Of holi writ ich wole ȝou telle,

And alle þat taken þerto hede,

God wille quiten al here mede.

Þer beȝ dedli sinnes seuene,

1000 Þat letteȝ man to come to heuene,

And Ihesu Cristes hestes ten,

Þat children and wimmen and men

Of twelue winter elde and more,

After holi cherche lore,

1500 Euerichone þai sscholden knowe,

But to lerne þai beȝ to slowe.

And þe Pater noster and þe Crede,

Þeroffe ȝe sscholden taken hede,

On Englissch to segge what hit were,

2000 Als holi cherche ȝou wolde lere;

For hit is to þe soules biheue,

Ech man to knowen his bileue.

And also ȝe sscholden habben in minde –

Cristene men þat were kynde –

2500 Godes passion biter als galle,

Þat he þolede for vs alle,

To sturen out of dedli sinne;

Of þise þinges ich wille beginne

Þat ich habbe here isaid,

3000 Let hit in ȝoure hertes be leid,

Poure and riche, ȝonge and old,

And ȝe sscholle here hit itold.

We sschulle beknowe to Ihesu Crist

And to his moder Marie

3500 And to alle halewen,

And merci hem crie

Þat we habbeȝ him agult,

In flessches luste oure lif ipult.

In pride we habben lad oure lif {f.70rb}

4000 And þourgh hete imaked strif;

hete: MS reads here.

In glotonie oure lif ilad

And oþer men þarto irad.

Þourgh pride and þourgh glotonie,

We habben iliued in lecherie,

4500 Boþe wiȝ dede and wiȝ þought,

Vnkyndeliche wiȝ mi bodi wrought.

In nithe and onde we habben lein

And wiȝ oure tonges men islein,

To coueitise oure hertes ȝiuen,

5000 In pride of richesse for to liuen.

In sleuthe we habben founden ofte

And loked þe foule bodi softe.

Þise beȝ dedli sennes seuene,

Þat letteȝ man to come to heuene.

5500 Herkneȝ nou, wimmen and men,

Iesu Cristes hestes ten,

Þat we habben broken ofte

And loked þe foule bodi ful softe.

Nowt worsschiped God as we sscholde,

6000 In coueitise lad oure lif on molde,

coueitise: MS reads couertise.

Euele iloked oure haliday,

Litel don þat þerto lay.

In mo Godes leued þan in on.

In tales, in fantomes mani on,

6500 On þe bok falsli sworen

And ofte fals witnesse boren;

Þefliche we habben þing istole

habben: copied at the end of the line,
its correct position marked.

And oþer mannes þefte ihole,

Boþe in ernest and in game

7000 In ydel nemned Godes name;

Houre emcristene we habben islawe

And wiȝ oure tounge al todrawe;

We habben in hoker and scorning

Oure emcristene driuen to heþing.

heþing: MS reads heying with y dotted.

7500 Þese beȝ Godes hestes ten:

Herkneȝ, men and wimmen,

And ȝe sschulle here on englissch, iwis, {f.70va}

What ȝoure Pater noster is:

Oure fader in heuene-riche,

8000 Þi name be blessed euere iliche.

In þi kyngdom, louerd,

Þat milde art and stille,

Boþe in heuene and in erthe

Fulfeld be þi wille.

8500 Ihesu, ful of grace,

Louerd, þat al do mai,

MS: this line is misplaced,
follows line 85.

Oure eueriches daies bred

Graunte vs, louerd, todai,

And forȝiue vs, louerd,

9000 Þat we habbeȝ agult,

Als we forȝiueȝ oþer men,

In oure grace þat beȝ pult.

In þe fendes fonding, louerd.

Ne let vs neuere dwelle.

9500 Deliuere vs þourgh þi grace

Fram þe pine of helle. AMEN

On englissch þis is

ȝoure Pater noster, iwis;

Lestneȝ nou and taked hede,

1000 And ich wille tellen ȝou ȝour Crede

We sschulle bileue on Ihesu Crist,

Fader alweldinde

Sscheppere of heuene and of erthe

And of alle þinge,

1050 And in Ihesu Crist, fader and sone,

And oure louerd icoren.

Ikenned of þe holi gost

And of a maiden iboren;

Vnder Pounce Pilate

1100 He þolede pines stronge,

Vpon þe rode he was idon

And þolede deȝ wiȝ wronge;

His bodi was iburied

Amang þo Jues felle;

1150 Als his swete wille was,

He liȝte into helle. {f.70vb}

Þe soules þat were hise

He browghte hem out of sorewe,

And ros fram deþe to liue

1200 Vpon þe þridde morewe.

To heuene he steyghȝ, þer he sit.

Þat al þe werld sschal diȝte.

Vpon his fader riȝt hond,

Oure louerd ful of miȝte.

1250 At þe dai of jugement

He sschal comen to deme

Boþe þe quike and þe dede:

Ech man take ȝeme.

We sschulle bileue on þe holi gost,

1300 And holi churche bileue,

And on alle halewen,

Þat no þing mai greue,

In remissioun of oure sinnes,

Þat we sschulle vprise

1350 And come bifore Ihesu Crist,

Þat sschal be riȝt justice.

We sschulle come biforen him

Alle on domes dai.

And after habbe þe lif,

1400 Þat sschal lasten ai.

Gode men, so God me spede,

Þis is on englissch ȝoure Crede,

And a while ȝif ȝe wulle dwelle,

Þe Aue Marie ich wille ȝou telle:

1450 Heil be þou, Marie,

Leuedi ful of grace.

God is wiȝ þe leuedi,

In heuene þou hauest a place.

Iblessed mote þou be,

1500 Leuedi, of alle wimmen,

And þe frut of þi wombe,

Iblessed be hit. Amen.

Amen is to seggen

‘So mot hit be.’ {f.71ra}

1550 Þis is Pater noster and Crede

And Marie Aue.

Nou habbe ȝe herd ȝoure bileue.

Þat is maked to soule biheue;

Herkneȝ a while, ȝe þat mowen,

1600 And herkneȝ Godes passioun,

Þat he þolede for mankynde:

For Godes loue, holdeȝ hit in minde.

In holi writ hit is told,

Þo Judas hadde Ihesu sold,

1650 Þe Jeues token alle o red,

Þat swete Ihesu sscholde be ded,

And comen armed wiȝ lanterne liȝt

And nomen Ihesu al be niȝt

And ladden him forht amang alle

1700 Into Cayfases halle,

And þere he was wel euel idiȝt,

Til on þe morewe al þat niȝt.

On morewe, þo þat þe dai sprong,

Þei deden Ihesu Crist wrong,

1750 Bounden hise eȝghen and buffated him sore

And ȝit he þolede mochele more:

Iwes, ful of pride and hete,

In his visage gonne spete.

Ihesu, for þat foule despit,

1800 Þat hente þi bodi þat was so whit,

ȝiue vs grace þis dai to ende

In his seruise þe fend to sschende.

¶ In holi writ hit is ifounde,

Þere Ihesu stod vpon þe grounde,

1850 Þo hit cam to prime of dai,

Iwes dedin him gret derai:

Bifore þe maistres of þe lawe

As a þef he was idrawe,

Here and þere he was ipult,

1900 And swete Ihesu, he ne hadde no gult,

But al þe sorewe þat he was inne,

Al togidere was for oure sinne. {f.71rb}

¶ Ihesu, for þat foule derai

Þat þou hentest at prime of dai,

1950 ȝiue vs grace of sinne arise

And enden in þi swete seruise.

þi: MS reads his.

¶ Þous telleȝ þise wise men of lore,

Þat Ihesu þolede for vs more:

Ihesu þolede for to binde

2000 At vndren hise honden him bihinde

To a piler and beten faste,

While þe scourges wolden laste.

Ihesu for þat mochele sorewe

Þat he tholede oure soules to borewe,

2050 Brenge vs out of dedli sinne,

And alle þat liggen ibounden þerinne.

¶ In holi w[r]it hit telleȝ þous:

Wel more þolede swete Ihesus;

Ihesu þolede at middai,

2100 And nowt ones saide nai.

Iwes nailen him on þe rode

For oure gult and for oure gode,

And wel mildliche he let

Þurle his hondes and his fet.

2150 His heued was crouned – þat was sene –

Wiȝ sscharpe thornes and wiȝ kene,

Þat euerich þorn hadde a wonde;

Þe stremes ronnen doun to grounde.

Ihesu, for þo harde stoundes

2200 Þat þou þoledest and bitter wondes,

Forȝiue vs þat we habbeȝ agult,

And lete vs neuere in helle be pult.

¶ Als telleȝ þe profetye,

A litel er he sscholde dye,

2250 Swete Ihesu, þo hit was non,

To his fader he bad a bon,

He sscholde forȝiuen hem þe gult,

Þat him hadden on rode ipult.

A bitter drinkke him was iȝoue

2300 Vpon þe rode for oure loue, {f.71va}

Þourgh counseil of þe Jwes alle,

Aisil and swot menged wiȝalle;

Ihesu, þat was wonded sore,

Tasted þerof and nolde nammore.

2350 At þat time, wiȝouten bost,

Swete Ihesu ȝald þe gost.

¶ His swete bodi þat was so whit,

ȝit þai deden hit more despit:

Þe Jwes token hem to red,

2400 Þo swete Ihesu Crist was ded,

At his herte þai maden a wounde

Wiȝ a spere sscharpe igrounde;

In at his side þe spere rof,

Blod and water out þer drof;

2450 Moste no þing leue wiȝinne,

And al togidere for oure sinne.

Ihesu, þat hanged vpon þe rode

And deide þeron for oure gode,

Nowt for his gult, but for oure sinne,

2500 Sende pees amang mankenne.

¶ Þise clerkes þat counne of lettrure

Finden in holi scripture

Þat Ihesu, þat al þe werld had wrought,

Heuene and erthe made of nowt,

2550 Þo euensongtime was icome,

Doun of þe rode he was inome

Wiȝ Ioseph and wiȝ oþer mo

Of hise desiples þat were þo.

Þo oure swete leuedi seghȝ

2600 His bodi hangen on rode heghȝ,

His honden þurled and his fet,

Bittere teres and blodi he let.

For þe bittere teres and smerte,

Þat comen fram his moder herte,

2650 Biseche we him, ȝif his wille be,

He ȝiue vs grace helle to fle {f.71vb}

And in heuene to habben a place,

Þat we moten sen his face.

¶ In holi writ hit is irad,

2700 Ihesu, þat on þe rode was sprad,

Þo he hadde þoled his wo

And þe dai was al ago,

In holi writ hit is iseid,

In sepulcre he was ileid,

2750 And als we here þise clerkes telle,

He liȝte adoun and herewede helle,

And tok out Adam and Eue

And alle þo þat him were leue.

Þo he hadde browt hem out of sorewe,

2800 He ros fram deþe þe þridde morewe,

To heuene he steighȝ þourgh his miȝt,

Þat al þe werld sschal deme and diȝt,

Eueremore þere to wone,

Sohtfast God, fader and sone.

2850 ¶ Biseche we þanne God in heuene,

For hise blessed names seuene,

Þat made boþe mone and sterre,

Sende pees þere is werre,

And ȝiue Cristenemen grace,

2900 Into þe holi lond to pace

And sle Saraxins þat beȝ so riue,

And lete be Cristenemen on liue,

And saue þe pes of holi cherche,

And ȝiue vs grace so to werche,

2950 Þat we mowen gode acountes make

Of þat God vs haueȝ itake,

At þe dom whan he sschal stonden

Wiȝ blodi sides, fet and honden,

And parten al þe werld atwo,

3000 Þat on to wele, þat oþer to wo.

For, als we here clerkes telle,

Þat o part, iwis, sschal to helle, {f.72ra}

And, forsothe, ȝif þai lie,

Þanne lieȝ þe profetie;

3050 And þat oþer part sschal wende

Into blisse þat haueȝ non ende.

To þat blisse bringe vs he

Þat is and was and euer sschal be.

Amen.