lokyng, and in beryng, and in laughing, and discrete in alle hir wordes and hir dedes, and above alle worldly thinges she shulde love hir housebonde with al hire herte, and to him to be trewe of hir body; so sholde an housebonde eeke be trewe to his wif; for since that al the body is the housbondes, so shulde there herte be, or elles ther is bitwixe them tuo, as in that, no parfyt mariage. Thanne shal men understonde, that for three thinges a man and his wyf may fleishly assemble. The first is, in entent of engendrure of children, to the service of God, for certis that is the cause fynal of matrimoyne. The secounde cause is, to yelden everych of them unto other the dette of his body; for neyther of hem hath power of his oune body. The thridde is, for to eschewe leccherie and vilenye. The ferthe for sothe is dedly synne. As to the firste, it is meritory; the secounde also, for, as saith the decré, that she hath merite of chastité, that yeldith to hir housebonde the dette of hir body, ye though it be agayn hir likyng and the lust of hir hert. The thridde maner is venial synne; and trewly, scarsly may eny of these be withoute venial synne, for the corrupcioun and for the delit. The ferthe maner is for to understonde, as if thay assemble oonly for amorous love, and for noon of the forsayde causes, but for to accomplise thilke brennynge delyt, thay rekke never how ofte, sothely it is dedly synne; and yit, with sorwe, some folk wole more peyn them for to doon, than to their appetit suffiseth.

The secounde maner of chastité is to be a clene widewe, and to eschewe the embrasynges of men, and desiren the embrasynges of Jhesu Crist. These be those that have been wyves, and have forgon there housebondes, and eek wommen that have doon leccherie, and be relieved by penitence. And certis, if that a wyf coude kepe hir al chast, by licence of hir housebonde, so that she geve non occasioun that he agilt, it were to hir a gret merit. Thise maner wymmen, that observen chastité, moste be clene in herte as wel as in body, and in thought, and mesurable in clothing and in countenaunce, abstinent it etyng and drynkyng, in speche and in dede, and thanne is she the vessel or the box of the blessed Magdaleyne, that fulfillith holy chirche ful of good odour. The thridde maner of chastité is virginité, and it bihoveth that she be holy in herte, and clene of body, and thanne is she spouse of Jhesu Crist, and she is the lif of aungels; she is the preysyng of this world, and she is as these martires in egalité; she hath in hir that tongue may nought telle. Virginité bar oure Lord Jhesu Crist, and virgine was himselve.

Another remedye agayns leccherie is specially to withdrawe such thinges as given occasion to thilke vilonye; as is ease, and etyng, and drynkyng; for certes, whan the pot boylith strongely, the beste remedye is to withdrawe the fyr. Sleping eek longe in gret quiete is also a greet nurse unto leccherie.

Another remedy agains leccherie is, that a man or a womman eschewe the companye of them by whiche he doutith to be tempted; for al be it so that the dede be withstonde, yet is ther gret temptacioun. Sothely a whit wal, although it brenne not fully by stikyng of a candel, yet is the wal blak of the leyte. Ful ofte tyme I rede, that no man truste in his oune perfeccioun, unless he be strenger than Sampson, or holiere than Davyd, or wiser than Salamon.

Now after that I have declared you the seven dedly synnes as I can, and some of there braunches, and there remedyes, sothely, if I coude, I wolde telle yow the ten comaundements, but so high a doctrine I leve to divines. But natheles, I hope to God thay be touchid in this litel tretys everich of them alle.

Now for as moche as the secounde part of penitence stant in confessioun of mouth, as I bigan in the firste chapitre, I say, seint Austyn saith, synne is every word and every dede, and al that men coveyten agayn the lawe of Jhesu Crist; and this is for to synne, in herte, in mouthe, and in dede, by thy fyve wittis, that be sight, heeryng, smellyng, tastyng, or savoryng, or felyng. Now it is good to understonden the circumstaunces that aggreggen moche to every synne. Thou shalt considre what thou art that dost the synne, whethir that thou be mal or femal, old other yong, gentil or thral, fre or servaunt, hool or seek, weddid or sengle, ordrid or unordred, wys or fool, clerk or seculer; if she be of thy kyn, bodily or gostly, or noon; if eny of thy kyndrede have synned with hire or noon, and many mo thinges.

That other circumstaunce is, whether it be don in fornicacioun or in advoutry, or incest or noon, or mayden or noon, in maner of homicide or noon, horrible grete synne or smale, and how long thou hast continued in synne. The thridde circumstaunce is the place wher thou hast don synne, whether in other mennes