the mowynge to done yuell that thou praydest that it myght sone be ended that thou woldest fayne lernen that it ne shulde nat longe endure And that shrewes ben more vnsely yf they were of lenger durynge and moost vnsely yf they weren perdurable And after thys I haue shewed the that more vnsely ben shrewes whan they escapen without her ryghtfull payne than whan they bene punyshed by ryghtfull vengeaunce And of thys sentence foloweth it that than ben shrewes constrayned at the laste with moost greuous tourment whaÌ„ men wene that they ne be nat punyshed â–ª Boece Whan I consyder thy reasons ê™ I I ne trowe nat that men sayn any thynge more verely And yf I tourne ayen to the studyes of men who is he to whom it shulde seme that he ne shulde nat only leuen these thynges but eke gladly herken hem Philo. Certes ê™ she so it is but men maye nat for they haue theyr eyen so wont to the derknesse of erthly thynges that they ne maye nat lyfte hem vp to the lyght of clere sothfastnesse But they beÌ„ lyke to byrdes of whych the night lyghtneth her lokynges and the day blyndeth hem For whaÌ„ men loken nat the ordre of thynges but her lustes and talentes they wene that eyther the leue or the mowynge to done wyckednesse or els the scapynge wythout payne be weleful But consyder the iugemeÌ„t of the perdurable lawe for yf thou conferme thy courage to the best thynges thou ne hast no nede of no Iuge to yeuen the pryce or mede for thou hast ioyned thy selfe to the moost excellent thynges And yf thou haue enclined thy studies to the wycked thynges ne seke no foreyne wrekery out of thy selfe for thou thy selfe hast thrist thy selfe in no wycked thynges ryght as thou mightest lokeÌ„ by diuers tymes the foule erth and the heuen that all other thynges stynten fro without so that thou were in neyther ne se nothynge more Than sholde it semen to the as by only reason of lokyng that thou were nowe in the sterres nowe in the erth but the people loketh nat on these thynges What than shall we than aproche vs to hem that I haue shewed that ben lyke to beestes And what woldest thou sayn of thys yf that a man had al forlorne hys sight and had foryeten that he euer sawe and wened that no thing fayled him of perfection of mankynde Nowe we which mighteÌ„ sene the same thynges wold we nat sayne that he were blynde ne also ne accordeth nat the people to that I shal sayn the which thing is susteyned by as strounge foundementes of reason that is to sayn that more vnsely ben they that doÌ„ wroÌ„ges to other folke than they that the wronge suffren Boe. I wolde heren thilke same reasons ê™ I Philo. Denyest thou ê™ she that all shrewes ne ben worthy to haue tourment Nay ê™ I Philo. But ê™ she I am certayne by many reasons that shrewes ben vnsely Boece It accordeth quod I Phil. Than ne doutest thou not ê™ she that thylke folke that ben worthy of tourment that they ne be wretches Boece It accordeth well quod I Philoso If thou were thaÌ„ sette a iuge or a knower of thynges whether trowest thou that men shulde tourmenten hem that hathe done wronge or els hem that suffred the wronge Boece I doute not ê™ I that I nolde do suffycient satisfaction to hem that haue suffred wronge by the sorowe of hem that hath doone wronge Philo Than semeth it ê™ she that the doer of wronge is more wretche than he that suffred wronge Boece That foloweth well ê™ I Philo. Than ê™ she by these causes and by other causes that ben enforced by the same rote that fylth or synne by the propre nature of it maketh men wretches and it sheweth wel that the wronges that men don nys nat the wretchednesse of hym that receyueth the wronge but the wretchednesse of hym that dothe the wrong But certes ê™ she these oratours or aduocates done all the contrary for they enforcen hem to commone the Iuges to â—aâ—e pyte of hem that done the greuaunces and the wronges the which shrewes it were a more couenable thynge that the accusours or aduocates nat wroth but pyteous and debonayre ledden tho shrewes that haue done wronge to the iugement ryght as men leden syke folke to the leche for that they shulden sekyn out the maladyes of synne by tourment And by thys couenant eyther the entente of aduocates shulde cessen in all or els yf the offyce of the aduocates wolde better profyten to men it shuld be tourned in to the habyte of accusacyoÌ„ that is to sayn they shulden accuse shrewes and nat excusen hem And eke the shrewes hem selfe yf it were lefull to hem to sene at any clyfte the vertue that they haue forletten and sawen that they shuld put ten adowne the fylthes of her vyces by the tourmentes of paynes they ne oughten nat ryght for y e recompensacyon for to geteÌ„ hem bounte and prowesse whiche that they haue loste demen and holde that the ylke paynes weren tourmentes to hem and eke they wolden refuse the attendaunce of her aduocates and taken hem selfe to her Iuges and to her accusours for y e which it betydeth that as to the wyse folkes there nys no place yletten to hate y t is to sayne that hate ne hath no place amonge wyse men For no wight nyl haten good men but yf he were ouer moche a foole and for to haten shrewes it nys no reason for ryght as languysshynge is maladye of body ryght so ben vyces and synne maladye of courage And so as we ne deme nat that they whych that ben syke of her body ben worthy to ben hated but rather worthy of pyte Wel more worthy nat to ben hated but for to ben had in pyte ben they of which the thoughtes ben constrayned by felonous wyckednesse that is more cruell than any languysshynge of body Quid taÌ„tos iuuat excitare motus Et propria fatum sollicitate manu Si mortem petitis propinquat ipsa Sponte sua volucres nec remoratur equos c. WHat delyteth you to excyten so great mouynge of hatredes and to hasteÌ„ and busyen the fatal disposycyon of your deth with your propre handes that is to sayn by batayls or conteke For yf ye axen the dethe it hasteth hym of hys owne wyll ne dethe ne taryeth nat hys swyfte horse And the men that the serpentes and the lyon and the tygre and the beere and the bore seken to sleen wyth theyr tethe yet thylke same men seken to sleen eueryche of hem other wyth swerde Lo for her maners ben dyuers and discordaunt they mouen vnryghtful hostes cruel batayles and wylnen to perysshe by entrechaungynge of dartes but the reason of cruelte nys nat ynough rightful wylte thou thaÌ„ yelden a couenable guerdon to the desertes of men loue rightfully good folkes and haue pyte on shrewes Hinc ego video inquam
of the good workes that he hathe begonne Than cometh Magnifycence that is to saye whan a man dothe and parformeth great workes of goodnesse that he hath begon and that is th ende why that men shuld do good workes For in the accomplishyng of good workes lyeth the great guerdon ThaÌ„ is there Constance that is stablenesse of corage and thys shulde be in hert by stedfast faythe and in mouthe in beâ—ynge in chere and in dede Also there ben mo specyall remedyes ayenst accidie in dyuers workes as in coÌ„syderatyoÌ„ of y e paynes of hell the ioyes of heuen and in truste of the grace of the holy ghoost that wyll yeue hym myght to performe his good entent ¶ De Auaricia AFter Accidie woll I speke of Auarice and of couetyse Of whych syn saynt Poule sayth the rote of al harmes is couetyse ad Timoth. vi For sothly whan the hert of man is coÌ„founded in it selfe and troubled and that the soule hath lost the confort of god than seketh he an ydell solace of worldlye thynges Auarice after the discryption of saynt Augustyn is a lycorousnesse in hert to haue erthly thynges Some other folke saye that auaryce is for to purchace many erthely thynges nothynge to yeue to hem that haue nede And vnderstonde that auarice stoÌ„deth nat onely in londe ne catel but somtyme in scieÌ„ce and glorye in euerye maner of outragious thynges is Auaryce And couetyse is thys Couetyse is for to coueit suche thynges that thou hast nat And auarice is to with holde kepe suche thynges as thou haste wythout right Sothly this auarice is a synne that is ful daÌ„pnable for al holy writ curseth it speketh ayenst y e vice for it doth wrong to Iesu christ for it taketh fro him the loue that men to hym owe tourneth it backeward ayenst al reason and maketh that the auarycious man hath more hoope in hys catell than in Iesu Christ and dothe more obseruaunce in kepyng of hys treasour than he dothe in the seruyce of Iesu Christ And therfore saythe saynt Poule ad Ephesios quinto That an auarycious man is the thraldome of idolatrye What dyfference is there betwyxt an ydolaster and an auaricyous man But that an ydolaster perauenture ne hathe nat but a mawmet or two the auaricious man hath many For certes euery floreyn in hys coâ—re is his maumet And certes the synne of maumetry is the fyrste that God defended as in the .x. commauÌ„dements it beareth wytnesse in Exodi Capitu. xx Thou shalte haue no false goddes before me ne thou shalte make to the no graue thynge Thus is an auaricious man that loueth hys treasour before God an idolaster And through this cursed synne of Auyryce and Couetyse cometh these harde lordeshyppes through whyche they ben streyned by tyllages customes and cariages more than her duetye or reason is or elles take they of her bondmen amercyamentes whyche myght more resonablye be called extortions than mercyamentes Of whiche amerciamentes or raunsomynge of bondmen some lordes stewardes say that it is rightful for as moche as a churle hath no temporel thynge that it ne is his lordes as they saye But certes these lordshyppes do wrong that bereue theyr bondmen thynges that they neuer yaue hem Augustinus de Ciuitate dei Libro ix Sothe is that the conditioÌ„ of thraldom and the fyrst cause of thraldome was for synne Thus may ye se that th offence deserued thraldome but nat nature Wherfore these lordes ne shulde not moche glorifye hem in her lordeshyps sythe that they by natural coÌ„dycion ben not lordes ouer thralles but for that thraldome came fyrste by the deserte of synne And more ouer there as the law sayth that temporel goodes of bonde folke ben the goodes of her lorde ye that is for to vnderstonde the goodes of the Emperour to defende hem in her ryght but not to robbe hem ne reue hem Therfore saythe Seneca thy prudence shulde lyue benygnly with y e thralles Those that thou callest thy thralles ben goddes people and for humble people ben Christes frendes they ben contubernyall w t the lordes Thynke also that of suche sede as chorles sprynge of suche sede spryng lordes as wel may the chorle be saued as the lorde The same dethe that taketh the chorle suche dethe taketh the lorde Wherfore I rede do right so with the chorle as thou woldest that thy lorde dyd wyth the yf thou were in hys plyght Euery synful man is a chorle to syn I rede the lorde certes that thou werke in suche wyse with thy chorles that they rather loue the thaÌ„ drede the. I wote wel that there is degree aboue degree as reson is and skyll is that men do her deuoyre there as it is due But certes extorcions and dispyte of your vnderlynges is dampnable And ferthermore vnderstonde wel that these conquerours or tyrauntes make ful ofte thralles of hem that ben borne of as royal bloode as ben they that hem conquere This name of thraldom was neuer erst knowe tyl that Noe sayd that his sonne Canam shulde be thral to his brethern for hys synne What saye we than of heÌ„ that pyl and do extorcions to holy church Certes the swerde that men yeue fyrste to a knyght whan he is newe dubbed sygnyfyeth that he shulde defende holy churche and not robbe and pyl it and who so doth he is traytour to Chryst And as saythe saynt Austyn they ben the dyuels woulues that strangle the shepe of Iesu christ and done worse than woulues for sothely whan the woulfe hathe full hys wombe he stynteth to strangle shepe But sothlye the pyllours and dystroyers of holy church goodes ne do not so for they ne stynte neuer to pyll Nowe as I haue sayde sythe so is that synne was fyrste cause of thraldom than is it thus that at the tyme that all thys world was in synne thaÌ„ was al this worlde in thraldom and in subiection but certes syth the tyme of grace came god ordayned y t some folke shulde be more hye in estate and in degre and some folke more lowe and that eche shulde be serued in hys astate And therfore in some couÌ„treys there they be thralles whaÌ„ they haue turned hem to y e faythe they make her thralles free out of thraldome and therfore certes the lorde oweth to hys man that the man oweth to the lorde The pope calleth hym selfe seruaunte of the seruauntes of God but for as the estate of holy churche ne might not haue ben ne the comen profyte myght not haue be kept ne peace ne reste in erthe but yf god had ordayned that some maÌ„ had hier degree and some men lower Therfore was soueraynte ordayned to kepe mayntayne and defende her vnderlynges and her subiectes in reason as ferforth as it lyeth in her power and not to distroye ne confounde hem Wherfore I say that those lordes that ben lyke wolues that deuour the possessyons or the catel of poore folkes wrongfully with out
vanities After this cometh the synne of iaperies that ben y e deuels apes for they make folke to laughe at her iaperye as folke do at the gaudes of an ape whych iapes defendeth saynt Paule Loke howe that vertuous wordes and holy comforte hem that trauayle in the seruyce of Christ Ryght so comforteth the villaynous wordes and knackes of iapers hem that trauayle in the seruyce of the deuell These bene the synnes of the tonge that come of yre and of other synnes The remedy ayenst Ire THe remedy ayenst Ire is a vertue that men cal Mansuetude that is Debonairie and also another vertue that men clepe Pacience or sufferaunce Debonayrte wythdraweth and refrayneth the stee rynges and mouynges of mannes corage in herte in suche maner that they ne skyppe not out by anger ne yre Sufferaunce suffereth swetely all the anoyaunces and wronges y e men done to man outwarde Saynt Ierome sayeth thys of debonairte y t it doth no harme to no wyght ne sayeth ne for no harme that men do ne saye he ne chafeth ayenst reason Thys vertue somtyme cometh of nature for as sayeth the philosopher A man is a quycke thynge by nature debonayre and tretable to goodnesse but when debonairte is enformed of grace then it is the more worth Pacience is another remedye ayenst ire is a vertue that suffreth swetely euery mannes goodnesse is not wroth for no harme that is done to hym The philosopher sayeth that pacience is the vertue that suffreth debonairly all the outrages of aduersite and euerye wycked worde Thys vertue maketh a man lyke to God and maketh hym goddes owne chylde as sayeth Christ Thys vertue dyscomfyteth thyne enemye And therfore sayeth the wyse man Yf thou wolde vanquyshe thyne enemye learne to suffre And thou shalte vnderstande that a man suffreth foure maner of greuaunces in outward thynges ayenst the whyche foure he muste haue foure maner of paciences The fyrst greuaunce is of wycked wordes whyche suffred Iesu Christe wythout grutchynge full paciently when the Iewes dyspysed hym full ofte Suffre thou therfore paciently for the wyse man sayeth Yf thou stryue with a foole though y e foole be wroth or though he laugh alwaye thou shalte haue no reste That other greuaunce outwarde is to haue domage of thy catell There ayenst suffred Christ full paciently wheÌ„ he was dâ—spoyled of al that he had in thys lyfe and that was but hys clothes The thyrde greuaunce is a man to haue harme in hys body That suffred Christ full paciently in al his passion The fourth greuaunce is in outragious laboure in werkes â–ª wherfore I saye that folke that make her seruauntes to trauayle to greuouslye or out of tyme as in holy dayes sothly they do great synne Here ayenst suffered Christ full paciently and taught vs pacience when he bare vpon hys blessed shoulders the crosse vpon which he shuld suffre dyspytous death Here maye men learne to be pacieÌ„t for certes not only Christen be paciente for loue of Iesu Christ and for reward of blessed lyfe that is perdurable but certes the olde paynems that neuer were christened coÌ„mended and vsed the vertue of pacieÌ„ce A philosopher vpon a tyme that wolde haue beate his dysciple for hys great trespace for whych he was moued brought a rodde to beate the chylde when this chyld sawe the rodde he sayd to hys mayster what thynke ye to do I woll beate the sayd the mayster for thy correction Forsoth sayd the childe ye ought fyrst correct your selfe that haue lost al your pacience for the offence of a chylde Forsoth sayd the mayster all wepynge thou sayest soth Haue thou the rodde my dere chylde and correcte me for myne impacience Of pacience cometh obedience throughe whyche a man is obediente to Christ to al hem to which he ought be obedieÌ„t in Christ And vnderstand wel that obedience is perfyte when that a man doth glad lye and hastely with good herte entierlye all that he shulde do Obedience generally is to perfourme the doctryne of God and of hys so ueraygnes to whych hym ought to be obeysaunt in all ryghteousnesse ¶ De Accidia AFter the synnes of Enuy and yre nowe woll I speke of the synne of Accidie for enuy blindeth the herte of a maÌ„ and yre troubleth a man accidie maketh hym heuy thoughtfull pensyfe Enuye and yre maken bytternesse in herte â–ª whych bytternesse is mother of accidie taketh fro hym the loue of al goodnesse theÌ„ is accidie the anguyshe of trouble of herte And saynt Augustyne sayeth It is anoye of goodnesse and anoye of harme Certes thys is a dampnable synne for it doth wronge to Iesu Christ in as moche as it benoÌ„meth the seruyce that men ought do to Christe as sayeth Salomon but accidie doth no suche diligence He doth all thynge wyth anoye with wrawnesse slacknesse and excusation wyth ydelnesse and vnlust For whych the boke sayeth Acursed be he that doth the seruice of god negligently TheÌ„ is accidie enemye to euery estate of man For certes the state of man is in thre maners Eyther it is in the estate of Innocency as was the estate of Adam before that he fyll in to synne in whych estate he was hold to worke as in praysynge and laudynge God And ther estate is y e estate of synfull meÌ„ in which estate men bene holden to laboure in prayenge to God for amendement of her synnes and that he woll graunte hem to ryse out of her synnes Another estate is the state of grace in whiche state he is holden to workes of penitence and certes to all these thynges is accidie contrary for he loueth no busynesse at all Nowe certes thys foule synne accidie is also a full great enemye to the lyfelode of the body for it ne hath no purueyaunce ayenst teÌ„porel necessite for it forswoleth forslogeth destroyeth al goodes temporel by rechelesnesse The iiij thynge is that accidie is lyke hem y e bene in the payne of hel bycause of her slouth and heuynesse for they that be dampned bene so bounde that they maye neyther well do ne thynke Of accidie cometh fyrst that a man is anoyed and encombred to do any goodnesse maketh y e God hath abhominacion of such accidie as sayeth saynt Iohn Nowe cometh slouth that wol nat suffre no hardnesse ne penaunce for sothly slouth is so teder and so delycate as sayeth Salomon that he woll suffre no hardnesse ne penaunce and therfore he marreth all that he doth Ayenst thys rotten synne of accidie slouth shulde men exercise hem selfe vse hem to do good workes and maÌ„ly and vertuously catch corage to do thyn kynge that our Lorde Iesu Christe quyteth euery good dede be it neuer so lyte Vsage of labour is a great thyng For it maketh as sayeth saynt Bernard y e labourer to haue stroÌ„ge armes and harde senewes slouth maketh heuye feble and tender Then cometh drede to begynne to worke any good workes For certes