no shame of them that were at the feste to go to oure Lord Jhesu Crist and byknowe to him hire synne. The fifte signe is, that a man or a womman be obeisaunt to receyve the penaunce that him is enjoyned. For certis Jhesu Crist for the giltes of one man was obedient to his deth.

The other condicioun of verray confessioun is, that it hastily be doon; for certes, if a man had a dedly wounde, ever the lenger that he tariede to cure himself, the more wolde it corrupte and haste him to his deth, and eek the wounde wolde be the worse to hele. And right so fareth synne, that long time is in a man unshewed. Certes a man oughte soone shewe his synne for many causes; as for drede of deth, that cometh sodeinly, and he is not certeyn what tyme it shal come, or be in what place; and eek the delaying of oon synne draweth another; and eek the lenger he tarieth, the ferther is he from Crist. And if he abyde unto his laste day, skarsly may he shrive him or remembre him of his synnes, or repente hym for the grevous malady of his deth. And for as moche as he hath not in his lif herkened Jhesu Crist, whan he hath spoken, he shal crien to Jhesu Crist at his laste day, and scarsly wol he herken him. And understonde that this condicioun moste have foure thinges. First thy shrifte moste ben provided byforn, and avysed, for wikked haste doth no profyt; and that a man can shryve him of his synnes, be it of pride or of envye, and so forth alle the species and the circumstances; and that he have comprehendid in his mynde the nombre and the gretnes of his synne, and how longe that he hath leyn in synne; and eek that he be contrit of his sinnes, and in stedefast purpos (by the grace of God) never eft to falle in synne; and eek that he drede and watch himself, and that he flee the occasiouns of synne, to whiche he is enclyned. Also that thou shalt shrive thee of alle thin synnes to oon man, and nat a parcel to oon man, and a parcel to another man; that is, understonde, in entent to parte thy confessioun as for shame or drede, for it nys but strangelyng of thy soule. For certes, Jhesu Crist is enterely al good, in him is noon imperfeccioun, and therfore either he foryiveth al parfitely, or elles never a del. I say nought, if thou be assigned to thy penitencere for certein synne, that thou art bounde to shewe him al the remenaunt of thy synnes, of whiche thou hast ben shryven of thy curate, unless it like the of thin humilité; this is no partyng of schrifte. I say not, when I speke of divisoun of confessioun, that if thou have licence to shryve thee to a discret and to an honest prest, wher thee likith, and eek by the licence of thy curate, that thou ne maist wel shrive thee to him of alle thyn synnes; but let no synne be byhinde untold as fer as thou hast remembraunce. And whan thou shalt thee shrive to thi curate, telle him eeke al thy synne that thou hast doo since thou were last i-shryve. This is no wikkid entent of divisioun of shrifte.

Also thy verrey shrifte askith certeyn condiciouns. First, that thou shrive the by thy fre wille, nought constreyned, nor for shame of folk, nor for maladye, or such thing; for it is resoun, that he that trespassith with his fre wille, that by his fre wille he confesse his trespas; and that noon other man shal telle his synne but himself; ne he shal not naye it or denye his synne, ne wraththe him with the prest for his admonishing to lete synne. The secounde condicioun is, that thy shrifte be laweful, that is to sayn, that thou that shrivest thee, and eek the prest that herith thy confessioun, be verrayly in the feith of holy chirche, and that a man be nought despaired of the mercy of Jhesu Crist, as Caym or Judas. And eek a man moot accuse himself of his owne trespas and not another; but he shal blame and wite himself and his oune malice of his synne, and noon other. But natheless, if that another man be occasioun or ellis enticer of his synne, or that the estate of a persone be such thurgh which his synne aggreggith, or elles that he may not playnly shryve hym but he telle the person with which he hath synned, thanne may he telle it, so that his entent be nought to bakbyte the persone, but oonly to declare his confessioun.

Thow shalt nought eke make no lying in thy confessioun for humilité, paraventure to sayn that thou hast don synnes of whiche thou were never gulty; as seint Augustyn saith, if thou bycause of humilité makest lyings on thiself, though thou were not in synne biforn, yit art thou thanne in synne thurgh thy lyings. Thou most also shewe thy synne by thyn oune proper mouth, but thou woxe dombe, and not by no lettre; for that thou hast don the synne, thou shalt have the shame of the confessioun. Thou shalt noughte peynte thy confessioun, by faire subtil wordes, to cover the more thy synne; for thanne bigilist thou thiself, and not the prest; thou moste telle it platly, be it never so foul nor so horrible. Thou shalt eek shrive thee to a prest that is discrete to counsaile thee; and thou shalt nought shryve thee for veinneglorie, nor for ypocrisie, nor for no cause but only for the doute of Jhesu Crist and the helth of thy soule. Thou shalt not eek runne to the prest sodeinly, to telle him lightly thy synne, as who tellith a tale or a jape, but avysily