THE TALE（第2页）

[atgreatlengththeparsonthenpointsoutthemanyvarietiesofthesinof（7.）lechery，anditsremedyinchastityandcontinence，alikeinmarriageandinwidowhood;alsointheabstainingfromallsuchindulgencesofea，drinking，andsleepingasinflamethepassions，andfromthepanyofallwhomaytempttothesin.ravatethissin;andthetreatisethenpassestotheconsiderationoftheconditionsthatareessentialtoatrueandprofitableconfessionofsiningeneral.first，itmustbeinsorrowfulbitternessofspirit;aconditionthathasfivesigns—shamefastness，humilityinheartandoutwardsign，weepingwiththebodilyeyesorintheheart，disregardoftheshamethatmightcurtailorgarbleconfession，andobediencetothepenanceenjoined.secondly，trueconfessionmustbepromptlymade，fordreadofdeath，ofincreaseofsinfulness，offorgetfulnessofwhatshouldbeconfessed，ofchristsrefusaltohearifitbeputofftothelastdayoflife;andthisconditionhasfourterms;thatconfessionbewellponderedbeforehand，thatthemanconfessinghaveprehendedinhismindthenumberandgreatnessofhissinsandhowlonghehaslaininsin，thathebecontriteforandeschewhissins，asionsforthatsintowhichheisinclined.—whatfollowsunderthisheadisofsomeinterestforthelightwhichitthrowsontherigorousgovernmentwieldedbytheromishchurchinthosedays—]

alsothoushaltshrivetheeofallthysinstooneman，andnotaparcel[portion]tooneman，andaparceltoanother;thatistounderstand，inintenttodepart[divide]thyconfessionforshameordread;foritisbutstranglingofthysoul.forcertesjesuschristisentirelyallgood，inhimisnoneimperfection，andthereforeeitherheforgivethallperfectly，orelseneveradeal[notatall].isaynotthatifthoubeassignedtothypenitencer

foracertainsin，thatthouartboundtoshewhimalltheremnantofthysins，ofwhichthouhastbeenshrivenofthycurate，butifitlikethee[unlessthoubepleased]ofthyhumility;thisisnodepar[division]ofshrift.andisaynot，whereispeakofdivisionofconfession，thatifthouhavelicensetoshrivetheetoadiscreetandanhonestpriest，andwheretheeliketh，andbythelicenseofthycurate，thatthoumayestnotwellshrivetheetohifallthysins:butletnoblotbebehind，letnosinbeuntoldasfarasthouhastremembrance.andwhenthoushaltbeshrivenofthycurate，tellhimekeallthesinsthatthouhastdonesincethouwertlastshriven.thisisnowickedintentofdivisionofshrift.also，veryshrift[trueconfession]askethcertainconditions.first，thatthoushrivetheebythyfreewill，notconstrained，norforshameoffolk，norformalady[sickness]，orsuchthings:foritisreason，thathethattrespassethbyhisfreewill，thatbyhisfreewillheconfesshistrespass;andthatnoothermantellhissinbuthimself;norheshallnotnaynordenyhissin，norwrathhimagainstthepriestforadnishinghimtoleavehissin.thesecondconditionis，thatthyshriftbelawful，thatistosay，thatthouthatshrivestthee，andekethepriestthatheareththyconfession，beverilyinthefaithofholychurch，andthatamanbenotdespairedofthemercyofjesuschrist，ascainandjudaswere.usehimselfofhisowntrespass，andnotanother:butheshallblameandwite[ause]himselfofhisownmaliceandofhissin，andnoneother:butnevertheless，asionorelseenticerofhissin，ravated，orelsethatbemaynotplainlyshrivehimbut[unless]hetellthepersonwithwhichhehathsinned，thenmayhetell，sothathisintentbenottobackbitetheperson，butonlytodeclarehisconfession.thoushaltnotekemakenoleasings[falsehoods]inthyconfessionforhumility，peradventure，tosaythatthouhastmittedanddonesuchsinsofwhichthatthouwertneverguilty.forsaintaugustinesaith，"ifthatthou，becauseofhumility，makestaleasingonthyself，thoughthouwerenotinsinbefore，yetartthoutheninsinthroughthyleasing."thoumustalsoshewthysinbythineownproperuth，but[unless]thoubedumb，andnotbyletter;forthouthathastdohesin，thoushalthavetheshameoftheconfession.thoushaltnotpaintthyconfessionwithfairandsubtlewords，tocovertherethysin;forthenbeguilestthouthyself，andnotthepriest;thoumusttellitplainly，beitneversofoulnorsohorrible.thoushaltekeshrivetheetoapriestthatisdiscreettocounselthee;andekethoushaltnotshrivetheeforvain-glory，norforhypocrisy，norfornocausebutonlyforthedoubt[fear]ofjesuschristandthehealthofthysoul.thoushaltnotruntothepriestallsuddenly，totellhimlightlythysin，aswhotellethajape[jest]oratale，butadvisedlyandwithgooddevotion;andgenerallyshrivetheeoft;ifthouoftfall，oftarisebyconfession.andthoughthoushrivetheeoftenerthanonceofsinofwhichthouhastbeenshriven，itisremerit;and，assaithsaintaugustine，thoushalthavetherelightly[easily]releaseandgraceofgod，bothofsinandofpain.andcertes，onceayearattheleastway，itislawfultobehouseled，

forsoothlyonceayearallthingsintheearthrenovelen[renewthemselves].

[hereendsthesecondpartofthetreatise;thethirdpart，whichcontainsthepracticalapplicationofthewhole，followsentire，alongwiththeremarkable"prayerofchaucer，"asitstandsintheharleianmanuscript:—]

detertiapartepoenitentiae.[ofthethirdpartofpenitence]

nowhaveitoldyouofvery[true]confession，thatisthesecondpartofpenitence:thethirdpartofpenitenceissatisfaction，andthatstandethgenerallyinalmsdeedandbodilypain.nowbetherethreemannerofalmsdeed:contritionofheart，whereamanofferethhimselftogod;thesecondis，tohavepityofthedefaultofhisneighbour;thethirdis，ingivingofgoodcounselandfort，ghostlyandbodily，wheremenhaveneed，andnamely[specially]sustenanceofmansfood.andtakekeep[heed]thatamanhathneedofthesethingsgenerally;hehathneedoffood，ofclothing，andofherberow[lodging]，hehathneedofcharitablecounselandvisiinprisonandmalady，andsepultureofhisdeadbody.andifthoumayestnotvisittheneedfulwiththyperson，visitthembythymessageandbythygifts.thesebegenerallyalmsorworksofcharityofthemthathavetemporalrichesordiscretionincounselling.oftheseworksshaltthouhearatthedayofdoothisalmsshouldestthoudoofthineownproperthings，andhastily[promptly]，andprivily[secretly]ifthoumayest;butnevertheless，ifthoumayestnotdoitprivily，thoushaltnotforbeartodoalms，thoughmenseeit，sothatitbenotdoneforthankoftheworld，butonlyforthankofjesuschrist.for，aswitnessethsaintmatthew，chap.v.，"acitymaynotbehidthatissetonauntain，normenlightnotalanternandputitunderabushel，butmensetitonacandlestick，tolightthemeninthehouse;rightsoshallyourlightlightenbeforemen，thattheymayseeyourgoodworks，andglorifyyourfatherthatisinheaven."

nowastospeakofbodilypain，itisinprayer，inwakings，[watchings]infass，andinvirtuousteachings.oforisonsyeshal露nderstand，thatorisonsorprayersistosayapiteouswillofheart，thatredressethiod，andexpressethitbywordoutward，toreveharms，andtohavethingsspiritualanddurable，andsometimestemporalthings.ofwhichorisons，certesintheorisonofthepaternosterhathourlordjesuschristenclosedstthings.certes，itisprivilegedofthreethingsinitsdignity，forwhichitisredigne[worthy]thananyotherprayer:forjesuschristhimselfmadeit:anditisshort，for[inorder]itshouldbecoudetherelightly，[bereeasilyconnedorlearned]andtowithhold[retain]itthereeasyinheart，andhelphimselftheoftenerwiththisorison;andforamanshouldbethelesswearytosayit;andforamanmaynotexcusehimtolearnit，itissoshortandsoeasy:andforitprehendethinitselfallgoodprayers.theexpositionofthisholyprayer，thatissoexcellentandsodigne，ibetake[mit]tothesemastersoftheology;savethusmuchwillisay，whenthouprayestthatgodshouldforgivetheethyguilts，asthouforgivestthemthattheyguilttothee，befullwellwarethatthoubenotoutofcharity.thisholyorisonaminisheth[lesseh]ekevenialsin，andthereforeitappertaihspeciallytopenitence.thisprayermustbetrulysaid，andinveryfaith，andthatmenpraytogodordinately，discreetly，anddevoutly;andalwaysamanshallputhiswilltobesubjecttothewillofgod.thisorisonmustekebesaidwithgreathumblenessandfullpure，andhonestly，andnottotheannoyanceofanymanorwoman.itmustekebecontinuedwiththeworksofcharity.itavailethagainstthevicesofthesoul;for，assaithsaintjerome，byfasbesavedthevicesoftheflesh，andbyprayerthevicesofthesoul

afterthisthoushaltunderstand，thatbodilypainstandsinwaking[watching].forjesuschristsaith"wakeandpray，thatyeenternotintotemptation."yeshal露nderstandalso，thatfasstandsinthreethings:inforbearingofbodilymeatanddrink，andinforbearingofworldlyjollity，andinforbearingofdeadlysin;thisistosay，thatamanshallkeephimfromdeadlysininallthathemay.andthoushaltunderstandeke，thatgodordainedfas;andtofasappertainfourthings:largeness[generosity]topoorfolk;gladnessofheartspiritual;nottobeangrynorannoyednorgrudge[murmur]forhefasteth;andalsoreasonablehourfortoeatbymeasure;thatistosay，amanshouldnoteatinuntime[outoftime]，norsitthelongerathismealfor[because]hefasteth.thenshaltthouunderstand，thatbodilypainstandethindiscipline，orteaching，byword，orbywri，orbyensample.alsoinwearingofhairs[haircloth]orofstamin[coarsehempencloth]，orofhabergeons[mail-shirts]

ontheirnakedfleshforchristssake;butwaretheewellthatsuchmannerpenanceofthyfleshmakenotthineheartbitterorangry，norannoyedofthyself;forbetteristocastawaythinehairthantocastawaythesweetnessofourlordjesuschrist.andthereforesaithsaintpaul，"clotheyou，astheythatbechosenofgodinheart，ofmisericorde[withpassion]，debonairte[gentleness]，sufferance[patience]，andsuchmannerofclothing，"ofwhichjesuschristisreapaid[betterpleased]thanofhairsorofhauberks.thenisdisciplineekeinknockingofthybreast，inscourgingwithyards[rods]，inkneelings，intribulations，insufferingpatientlywrongsthatbedoohim，andekeinpatientsufferanceofmaladies，orlosingofworldlycatel[chattels]，orofwife，orofchild，orofotherfriends.

thenshaltthouunderstandwhichthingsdisturbpenance，andthisisinfourthings;thatisdread，shame，hope，andwanhope，thatis，desperation.andfortospeakfirstofdread，forwhichheweehthathemaysuffernopenance，thereagainstisremedyfortothinkthatbodilypenanceisbutshortandlittleattheregardof[inparisonwith]thepainofhell，thatissocruelandsolong，thatitlastethwithoutend.nowagainsttheshamethatamanhathtoshrivehim，andnamely[specially]thesehypocrites，thatwouldbeholdensoperfect，thattheyhavenoneedtoshrivethem;againstthatshameshouldamanthink，thatbywayofreasonhethathathnotbeenashamedtodofoulthings，certesheoughtnottobeashamedtodofairthings，andthatisconfession.amanshouldekethink，thatgodseethandknowethallthythoughts，andallthyworks;tohimmaynothingbehidnorcovered.menshouldekeremembertheftheshamethatistoeatthedayofdoom，tothemthatbenotpenitentandshriveninthispresentlife;forallthecreaturesinheaven，andinearth，andinhell，shallseeapertly[openly]allthathehidethinthisworld.

nowfortospeakofthemthatbesonegligentandslowtoshrivethem;thatstandsintwomanners.theoneis，thathehopethtolivelong，andtopurchase[acquire]muchrichesforhisdelight，andthenhewillshrivehim:and，ashesayeth，hemay，ashimseemeth，timelyenoughetoshrift:anotheris，thesurquedrie[presumption

]thathehathinchristsmercy.againstthefirstvice，heshallthinkthatourlifeisinnosickerness，[security]andekethatalltherichesinthisworldbeinadventure，andpassasashadowonthewall;and，assaithstgregory，thatitappertaihtothegreatrighteousnessofgod，thatnevershallthepainstint[cease]ofthem，thatneverwouldwithdrawthemfromsin，theirthanks[withtheirgoodwill]，butayecontinueinsin;forthatperpetualwilltodosinshalltheyhaveperpetualpain.wanhope[despair]isintwomanners[oftwokinds].thefirstwanhopeis，inthemercyofgod:theotheris，thattheythinktheymightnotlongpersevereingoodness.thefirstwanhopeethofthathedeemeththathesinnedsohighlyandsooft，andsolonghathlaininsin，thatheshallnotbesaved.certesagainstthatcursedwanhopeshouldhethink，thatthepassionofjesuschristisrestrongfortounbind，thansinisstrongfortobind.againstthesecondwanhopeheshallthink，thatasoftashefalleth，hemayariseagainbypenitence;andthoughheneversolonghathlaininsin，themercyofchristisalwaysreadytoreceivehimtomercy.againstthewanhopethathethinkethheshouldnotlongpersevereingoodness，heshallthinkthatthefeeblenessofthedevilmaynothingdo，but[unless]menwillsufferhim;andekeheshallhavestrengthofthehelpofgod，andofallholychurch，andoftheprotectionofangels，ifhimlist.

thenshallmenunderstand，whatisthefruitofpenance;andafterthewordofjesuschrist，itistheendlessblissofheaven，wherejoyhathnocontrarietyofwoenorofpenancenorgrievance;thereallharmsbepassedofthispresentlife;thereasisthesickerness[security]fromthepainofhell;thereasistheblissfulpany，thatrejoicethemeverreeachoftheothersjoy;thereasthebodyofman，thatwhilomwasfoulanddark，isreclearthanthesun;thereasthebodyofmanthatwhilomwassickandfrail，feebleandrtal，isimrtal，andsostrongandsowhole，thattheremaynothingapair[impair，injure]it;thereisneither混♂ger，northirst，norcold，buteverysoulreplenishedwiththesightoftheperfectknowingofgod.thisblissfulregne[kingdom]maymenpurchasebypovertyspiritual，andtheglorybylowliness，theplentyofjoyby混♂gerandthirst，therestbytravail，andthelifebydeathandrtificationofsin;towhichlifeheusbring，thatboughtuswithhispreciousblood!amen.

theparsonstaleisbelievedtobeatranslation，reorlessfree，fromsometreatiseonpenitencethatwasinfavouraboutchaucerstime.tyrwhittsays:"icannotremenditasaveryentertainingoredifyingperformanceatthisday;butthereaderwillpleasetoremember，inexcusebothofchaucerandofhiseditor，that，consideringthecanterburytalesasagreatpictureoflifeandmanners，thepiecewouldnothavebeenpleteifithadnotinc露dedthereligionofthetime."theeditorofthepresentvo露mehasfollowedthesameplanadoptedwithregardtochaucerstaleofmeliboeus，andmainlyforthesamereasons.（seenote1tothattale）.anoutlineoftheparsonsponderoussern—forsuchitis—hasbeendrawn;whilethosepassageshavebeengiveninfullwhichredirectlyil露stratethesocialandthereligiouslifeofthetime—suchasthepictureofhell，thevehementandrathercoarse，but，inanantiquariansense，stcuriousandva露ableattackonthefashionablegarboftheday，thecatalogueofvenialsins，thedescriptionofg露ttonyanditsremedy，tothelandofmiseaseandofdarkness，whereasistheshadowofdeath;whereasisnoordernorordinance，butgrislydreadthatevershalllast."

"ihavelosteverything-mytimeandmywork."

aidie:neglectfulnessorindifference;fromthegreek，akedeia.

thepax:animagewhichwaspresentedtothepeopletobekissed，atthatpartofthemasswherethepriestsaid，"paxdominisitsempervobiscu"（"maythepeaceofthelordbealwayswithyou"）thecerenytooktheplace，forgreaterconvenience，ofthe"kissofpeace，"whichclergyandpeople，atthispassage，usedtobestowuponeachother.

threewaysofornamenclotheswithlace，inbarringitwaslaidoncrossways，inoundingitwaswaved，inpalingitwaslaidonlengthways.

penitencer:apriestwhoenjoinedpenanceinextraordinarycases.

tobehouseled:toreceivetheholysacrament;fromanglo-saxon，"husel;"latin，"hostia，"or"hostiola，"thehost.

itwasafrequentpenanceangthechivalricorderstowearmailshirtsnexttheskin.

surquedrie:presumption;froldfrench，"surcuider，"tothinkarrogantly，befullofconceit.