## On the Seven Deadly Sins

### Publication Statement:

This file is part of the facsimile-edition of the Auchinleck Manuscript was co-edited by Professor David Burnley and Dr Alison Wiggins. The HTML versions of the resource are freely available at http://www.nls.uk/auchinleck/

### Notes:

This manuscript file was originally supplied as sins.html and the header file was located in heads/sins_head.html both of which were converted to TEI XML by Dr James Cummings of the Oxford Text Archive. The notes below were taken from the header file and each HTML paragraph placed in a separate note.

Scribe 3

Short couplets. 308 lines.

Unique copy.

Edition:
E. Kölbing, 'Kleine Publications aus der Auchinleck-hs', Englische Studien, 9 (1886): 42-46.

Another edition:
D. Laing, A Penni Worth of Witte, Abbotsford Club (Edinburgh, 1857): 89-91.

Index 1760.

### Source:

The Auchinleck Manuscript (NLS Adv MS 19.2.1) is one of the National Library of Scotland’s greatest treasures. Produced in London in the 1330s, it provides a unique insight into the English language and literature that Chaucer and his generation grew up with and were influenced by. It acquired its name from its first known owner, Lord Auchinleck, who discovered the manuscript in 1740 and donated it to the precursor of the National Library in 1744.

### On the Seven Deadly Sins

Ihesu, þat for vs wold die [f.70ra] [Image]
And was boren of maiden Marie,
Forȝiue vs, louerd, our misdede
And help vs ate oure moste nede.
To þo þat habben laiser to dwelle,[5]
Of holi writ ich wole ȝou telle,
And alle þat taken þerto hede,
God wille quiten al here mede.
Þer beȝ dedli sinnes seuene,
Þat letteȝ man to come to heuene,[10]
And Ihesu Cristes hestes ten,
Þat children and wimmen and men
Of twelue winter elde and more,
After holi cherche lore,
Euerichone þai sscholden knowe,[15]
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,
Als holi cherche ȝou wolde lere;[20]
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 –
Godes passion biter als galle,[25]
Þat he þolede for vs alle,
To sturen out of dedli sinne;
Of þise þinges ich wille beginne
Þat ich habbe here isaid,
Let hit in ȝoure hertes be leid,[30]
Poure and riche, ȝonge and old,
And ȝe sscholle here hit itold.
We sschulle beknowe to Ihesu Crist
And to his moder Marie
And to alle halewen,[35]
And merci hem crie
Þat we habbeȝ him agult,
In flessches luste oure lif ipult.
In pride we habben lad oure lif [f.70rb] [Image]
And þourgh hete imaked strif; [40] [ hete: MS reads here.]
In glotonie oure lif ilad
And oþer men þarto irad.
Þourgh pride and þourgh glotonie,
We habben iliued in lecherie,
Boþe wiȝ dede and wiȝ þought,[45]
Vnkyndeliche wiȝ mi bodi wrought.
In nithe and onde we habben lein
And wiȝ oure tonges men islein,
To coueitise oure hertes ȝiuen,
In pride of richesse for to liuen.[50]
In sleuthe we habben founden ofte
And loked þe foule bodi softe.
Þise beȝ dedli sennes seuene,
Þat letteȝ man to come to heuene.
Herkneȝ nou, wimmen and men,[55]
Iesu Cristes hestes ten,
Þat we habben broken ofte
And loked þe foule bodi ful softe.
Nowt worsschiped God as we sscholde,
In coueitise lad oure lif on molde, [60] [ 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,
On þe bok falsli sworen[65]
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
In ydel nemned Godes name;[70]
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.]
Þese beȝ Godes hestes ten:[75]
Herkneȝ, men and wimmen,
And ȝe sschulle here on englissch, iwis, [f.70va] [Image]
What ȝoure Pater noster is:
Oure fader in heuene-riche,
Þi name be blessed euere iliche.[80]
In þi kyngdom, louerd,
Þat milde art and stille,
Boþe in heuene and in erthe
Fulfeld be þi wille.
Ihesu, ful of grace,[85]
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,
Þat we habbeȝ agult,[90]
Als we forȝiueȝ oþer men,
In oure grace þat beȝ pult.
In þe fendes fonding, louerd.
Ne let vs neuere dwelle.
Deliuere vs þourgh þi grace[95]
Fram þe pine of helle. AMEN
On englissch þis is
ȝoure Pater noster, iwis;
Lestneȝ nou and taked hede,
And ich wille tellen ȝou ȝour Crede[100]
We sschulle bileue on Ihesu Crist,
Fader alweldinde
Sscheppere of heuene and of erthe
And of alle þinge,
And in Ihesu Crist, fader and sone,[105]
And oure louerd icoren.
Ikenned of þe holi gost
And of a maiden iboren;
Vnder Pounce Pilate
He þolede pines stronge,[110]
Vpon þe rode he was idon
And þolede deȝ wiȝ wronge;
His bodi was iburied
Amang þo Jues felle;
Als his swete wille was,[115]
He liȝte into helle. [f.70vb] [Image]
Þe soules þat were hise
He browghte hem out of sorewe,
And ros fram deþe to liue
Vpon þe þridde morewe.[120]
To heuene he steyghȝ, þer he sit.
Þat al þe werld sschal diȝte.
Vpon his fader riȝt hond,
Oure louerd ful of miȝte.
At þe dai of jugement[125]
He sschal comen to deme
Boþe þe quike and þe dede:
Ech man take ȝeme.
We sschulle bileue on þe holi gost,
And holi churche bileue,[130]
And on alle halewen,
Þat no þing mai greue,
In remissioun of oure sinnes,
Þat we sschulle vprise
And come bifore Ihesu Crist,[135]
Þat sschal be riȝt justice.
We sschulle come biforen him
Alle on domes dai.
And after habbe þe lif,
Þat sschal lasten ai.[140]
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:
Heil be þou, Marie,[145]
Leuedi ful of grace.
God is wiȝ þe leuedi,
In heuene þou hauest a place.
Iblessed mote þou be,
Leuedi, of alle wimmen,[150]
And þe frut of þi wombe,
Iblessed be hit. Amen.
Amen is to seggen
‘So mot hit be.’ [f.71ra] [Image]
Þis is Pater noster and Crede[155]
And Marie Aue.
Nou habbe ȝe herd ȝoure bileue.
Þat is maked to soule biheue;
Herkneȝ a while, ȝe þat mowen,
And herkneȝ Godes passioun,[160]
Þat he þolede for mankynde:
For Godes loue, holdeȝ hit in minde.
In holi writ hit is told,
Þo Judas hadde Ihesu sold,
Þe Jeues token alle o red,[165]
Þat swete Ihesu sscholde be ded,
And comen armed wiȝ lanterne liȝt
And nomen Ihesu al be niȝt
And ladden him forht amang alle
Into Cayfases halle,[170]
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,
Bounden hise eȝghen and buffated him sore[175]
And ȝit he þolede mochele more:
Iwes, ful of pride and hete,
In his visage gonne spete.
Ihesu, for þat foule despit,
Þat hente þi bodi þat was so whit,[180]
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,
Þo hit cam to prime of dai,[185]
Iwes dedin him gret derai:
Bifore þe maistres of þe lawe
As a þef he was idrawe,
Here and þere he was ipult,
And swete Ihesu, he ne hadde no gult,[190]
But al þe sorewe þat he was inne,
Al togidere was for oure sinne. [f.71rb] [Image]
¶ Ihesu, for þat foule derai
Þat þou hentest at prime of dai,
ȝiue vs grace of sinne arise[195]
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
At vndren hise honden him bihinde[200]
To a piler and beten faste,
While þe scourges wolden laste.
Ihesu for þat mochele sorewe
Þat he tholede oure soules to borewe,
Brenge vs out of dedli sinne,[205]
And alle þat liggen ibounden þerinne.
¶ In holi w[r]it hit telleȝ þous:
Wel more þolede swete Ihesus;
Ihesu þolede at middai,
And nowt ones saide nai.[210]
Iwes nailen him on þe rode
For oure gult and for oure gode,
And wel mildliche he let
Þurle his hondes and his fet.
His heued was crouned – þat was sene –[215]
Wiȝ sscharpe thornes and wiȝ kene,
Þat euerich þorn hadde a wonde;
Þe stremes ronnen doun to grounde.
Ihesu, for þo harde stoundes
Þat þou þoledest and bitter wondes,[220]
Forȝiue vs þat we habbeȝ agult,
And lete vs neuere in helle be pult.
¶ Als telleȝ þe profetye,
A litel er he sscholde dye,
Swete Ihesu, þo hit was non,[225]
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
Vpon þe rode for oure loue, [f.71va] [Image] [230]
Þourgh counseil of þe Jwes alle,
Aisil and swot menged wiȝalle;
Ihesu, þat was wonded sore,
Tasted þerof and nolde nammore.
At þat time, wiȝouten bost,[235]
Swete Ihesu ȝald þe gost.
¶ His swete bodi þat was so whit,
ȝit þai deden hit more despit:
Þe Jwes token hem to red,
Þo swete Ihesu Crist was ded,[240]
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;
Moste no þing leue wiȝinne,[245]
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,
Sende pees amang mankenne.[250]
¶ Þise clerkes þat counne of lettrure
Finden in holi scripture
Þat Ihesu, þat al þe werld had wrought,
Heuene and erthe made of nowt,
Þo euensongtime was icome,[255]
Doun of þe rode he was inome
Wiȝ Ioseph and wiȝ oþer mo
Of hise desiples þat were þo.
Þo oure swete leuedi seghȝ
His bodi hangen on rode heghȝ,[260]
His honden þurled and his fet,
Bittere teres and blodi he let.
For þe bittere teres and smerte,
Þat comen fram his moder herte,
Biseche we him, ȝif his wille be,[265]
He ȝiue vs grace helle to fle [f.71vb] [Image]
And in heuene to habben a place,
Þat we moten sen his face.
¶ In holi writ hit is irad,
Ihesu, þat on þe rode was sprad,[270]
Þo he hadde þoled his wo
And þe dai was al ago,
In holi writ hit is iseid,
In sepulcre he was ileid,
And als we here þise clerkes telle,[275]
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,
He ros fram deþe þe þridde morewe,[280]
To heuene he steighȝ þourgh his miȝt,
Þat al þe werld sschal deme and diȝt,
Eueremore þere to wone,
Sohtfast God, fader and sone.
¶ Biseche we þanne God in heuene,[285]
For hise blessed names seuene,
Þat made boþe mone and sterre,
Sende pees þere is werre,
And ȝiue Cristenemen grace,
Into þe holi lond to pace[290]
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,
Þat we mowen gode acountes make[295]
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,
Þat on to wele, þat oþer to wo.[300]
For, als we here clerkes telle,
Þat o part, iwis, sschal to helle, [f.72ra] [Image]
And, forsothe, ȝif þai lie,
Þanne lieȝ þe profetie;
And þat oþer part sschal wende[305]
Into blisse þat haueȝ non ende.
To þat blisse bringe vs he
Þat is and was and euer sschal be.
Amen.