wif iwedded, a meiden, a wummon pet me ileueð so wel, and þet habbe er ibeon ibernd mid shwuche pincge, ouhte pe betere uorte beon iwarned. Sire, hit was mid swuche monne?” 7 nemmen peonne "munuch, preost, oder clerk, and of pet hode, iwedded mon, a loðleas þing, a wummon ase Ich am." pis is nu of a persone. Also of pe stude: "Sire, pus ich pleiede, oder spec ine chirche eode ode pleouwe ine chircheie: biheold hit, 7 ode wrastlinge oder fol gomenes spec pus oder pleiede biuoren worldliche men biuoren religiuse in ancre huse, 7 et oðer þurle pen ich schuldeneih holi pinge. Ich custe him per ich hond- 10 lede him ine swuche stude? oder mi sulf ine chirche I pouhte pus? biheold him ette weouede."e Folio 87. Of pe time al so: "Sire, Ich was of swuche elde pet ich ouhte wel uorte habben iwust me wisluker. Sire, Ich hit dude inne. leinten, ine uestendawes, holidawes: hwon odre weren et chirche. Sire, Ich was sone ouerkumen and pereuore pe sunne is more pen gif ich hefde ibeon akest mid strenede, 7 mid monie swenges. Sire, Ich was pe beginnunge hwi swuch pþing hefde uordzong? þuruh pet I com ine swuche stude, ine swuche time. Ich bidouhte me ful wel, er pen ich hit euer dude, hu vuel hit were uorto don, 7 dude 20 hit no pe later." pus o pus monie pe manere siggen al so pet is, pe ueorde totagge. "Sire, peos sunne I dude pus, o pisse wise pus I leornede hire erest I com erest perinne pus I dude hit forward? wisen pus fulliche: pus scheomeliche. I mest muhte paien mine lustes brune:" a ordre. T. C. pus I souhte delit: hwu sechen alle pe wisen. beode in ring i chirche geard. T. e biheold ode wrastling, oder me self wrastlede. T. eatte weofde as he offrede. T. ACCOMPLICE, PLACE, TIME, AND MANNER TO BE CONFESSED. 319 such an order, a married man, an innocent creature, a woman, as I am." Thus far as to the person. Also concerning the place: "Sir, I played or spoke thus in the church; went to the play in the churchyard; looked on at this, or at the wrestling, and other foolish sports; spoke thus, or played, in the presence of secular men, or of religious men, in a house of anchorites, and at a different window than I ought; and near something sacred; I kissed him there; I touched him with my hand in such a place; or being alone in the church I thought thus; I looked. upon him at the altar." In like manner as to the time: "Sir, I was of such an age that I ought indeed to have kept myself more wisely. Sir, I did it in Lent, during the fast days, the holidays, when others were at church. Sir, I was soon overcome, and therefore the sin is greater than if I had been overcome by force, and by much violence. Sir, it was my fault, at first, that this thing went forward, through my coming into such a place, and at such a time. Before I ever did it, I reflected well how evil it were to do it, and did it nevertheless." The manner likewise must be told, which is the fourth circumstance: "Sir, this sin I did thus, and in this manner; thus I first learned it, and thus I came first into it, and thus I went on to do it; and in so many ways; so fully, so shamefully; thus I sought pleasure; how I might give the most satisfaction to my inflamed desires; " and search out all the ways. " Tale is pe vifte totagge—tellen al, hu ofte hit is idon. "Sire, Ich habbe pis pus ofte idon iwuned for to speken þus, 7 hercnen swuche spechen, penchen swuche pouhtes vorgemed pinges 7 forgiten lauhwen, eten, drinken, lesse oder more pen neod were.a Ich habbe ibeon pus ofte wrod, seodden ich was ischriuen nexst b for swuche pinge pus longe hit ileste. pus ofte I seide leas pus ofte pistis. Ich habbe idon pis pus feole siden, 7 o pus feole wisen, to pus feole." 66 Cause is pe sixte totagge. Cause is, hwi pu hit dudest, oðer hulpe perto, oder puruh hwon hit bigon. 'Sire, Ich hit dude uor (0 delit for vuel luue for bigeate vor fearlac, vor flatterunge. Sire, Ich hit dude uor vuel, pauh per ne come non vuel of. Sire, mi liht onswere, oder mine liht lates, tulde him erest upon me. Sire, of pisse word com oder? of pisse dede, wredde 7 vuele wordes. Sire, pe ancheisun is pis hwi þet vuel ilested get. pus woc was min heorte." Euerich, efter pet he is, sigge pe totagges,-mon ase limped to him? wummon pet hire rineð: vor her nabbe ich none iseid, bute uorte munegen mon oder wummon of peo pet to ham Folio 87 b. ualled, puruh peo pet beod her to dreuedliche iseide. pus, of peos six wrieles despoile pine sunne. Make hire sterc naked i pine 20 schrifte, ase leremie lered, "Effunde sicut aquam cor tuum." "Sched ut," he seið, Ieremie, "ase water pine heorte." Vor, gif eoli schet ut of one vetles, get þer wule bileauen inne sumhwat of pe likur and gif milk schet, pet heou wule bileauen and gif win schet, pe smel bileaueð? auh water geð altogedere ut somed. AI so sched pine heorte pet is, al pet vuel pet is i pine heorte. And gif þu ne dest nout, lo! hu grurefulliche God sulf preateð þe þuruh Naum þe prophete, "Ecce ego ad te, dicit Dominus, ostendam in gentibus nuditatem tuam et regnis ignominiam tuam et projiciam super te abhominationes tuas." pu noldest nout unwreon pe to pe HOW OFTEN, AND WHY SIN HAS BEEN COMMITTED. 321 Number is the fifth circumstance-to tell the whole, how often it has been done: "Sir, I have done this so often; been accustomed to speak thus, and to listen to such speeches, and to think such thoughts, to neglect and forget things; to laugh, eat, drink, less or more than was needful. I have been so often angry since I last confessed, and for such a thing, and it lasted so long. I have so often spoken falsely, so often, and this, and this. I have done this so many times, and in so many ways, and to so many persons." Sir, Cause is the sixth circumstance. Cause is, why thou didst it, or helped to do it, or through what means it began: "Sir, I did it for pleasure, and for guilty love, and for gain, through fear, through flattery. Sir, I did it for evil, though no evil came of it. Sir, my light answer, or my light behaviour enticed him toward me. of this word came another; of this action, anger and evil words. Sir, the reason why the evil still continues is this: my heart was so weak." Let every one, according to what he is, tell the circumstances-man, as relates to him; woman, as it concerns her: for I have not said any thing here, but to remind man or woman of that which happeneth to them, by what is here said in a desultory manner. Thus strip thy sin of these six coverings. Make it stark naked in thy confession, as Jeremiah teacheth, "Effunde sicut aquam cor tuum.” a "Pour out," saith Jeremiah, "thy heart as water." For, if oil be poured out of a vessel, yet there will be left in it somewhat of the liquor; and if milk be poured out, the colour will remain; and if wine be poured, the smell remaineth; but water goeth completely out at once. In such a manner, pour out thine heart; that is, all the evil that is in thine heart. And, if thou dost not, behold how terribly God threateneth thee by the prophet Nahum,“Behold, I am against thee," saith the Lord, "and I will u shew the nations thy nakedness, and the kingdoms thy shame. And I will cast abominations "b thee." upon Thou wouldest not un Lamentations, ii. 19. Nahum, iii. 5, 6. CAMD. SOC. 2 T preoste, ine schrifte: 7 Ich chulle scheawen al nakedliche to alle uolcke pine cweadschipes, to alle kinedomes pine scheomeful sunnen-to be kinedome of eorde, 7 to pe kinedome of heouene, 7 to pe kinedome of helle: trussen al pi schendfulnesse o pine owune necke, ase me de o pe peoue pet me let forte demen: 7 so, mid al pet schendlac, pu schalt trussen 7 al torplen into helle. "O!" seið Seint Beornard, "quid confusionis, quid ignominie erit quando dissipatis foliis dispersis, universa nudabitur turpitudo, sanies apparebit." "O!" he seið, Seint Beornard, “hwuch schendlac 7 hwuch seoruwe per bið hwon alle pe leaues schulen beon to-warpled, 7 al 1a pet fule wrusum scheawed him, 7 wringed ut biuoren al pe wide worlde "-eor de ware 7 heouene ware-nout one of werkes, auh of idelnesses of wordes of pouhtes pet ne beod her ibet, ase Seint Aunscame witned, "Omne tempus impensum requiretur a nobis Folio 88. qualiter sit expensum." Euerich tide 7 euerich time schal beon per irikened, hwu hit was her ispened. "Quando dissipatis foliis," c. "Hwon alle pe leaues," he seið, Seint Beornard, "schulen beon towarpled." He hefde iseien, ase me punched, hwu Adam 7 Eue, poa heo hefden ide urumde isuneged, gederen leaues 7 makeden wrieles of ham to hore schendfule limes and pus dod get monie efter ham: 20 "Declinantes cor suum in uerba malicie ad excusandas excusationes in peccatis." Schrift schal beon ofte imaked. Vordi is ide sautere, "Confitebimur tibi Deus." And ure Louerd sulf seide to his deciples, "Eamus in Iudeam iterum." "Go we eft," cwed he, "into Iudee.” Judee spele schrift so we iuinded pet he wende ofte ut of Galilee into Iudee. Galilee spele hweol, uorte leren us pet we of he worldes torpelnesse, 7 of sunne hweol, ofte gon to schrifte. pet is pet sacrament efter weouedes sacrament, efter sacrament of fuluht, pet pe deouel is lodest ase he haued to holie men himsulf, r sore his undonkes ibeon hit, iknowen. Wule a weob beon, et one aal þe fulde scheawes him wringes ut tat wirsum. T. Vor |