<fol. 96r>schep & heynesse of þis worlde he deneyde hem þat & or
deynede hem passioun . And byleue techeþ ous he dyde al
for þe betere & so scholde we sue him yf we wille be
his children & loue him more þan þe worlde or oure veyn
name & so god forbedeþ nou3t bodylyche worschep bot þen
ke on manere of ˆ [it] & mesure it by resoun & so it is laweful men
to procure for here children rychesse of þe worlde more þan
þey to hem For as seynt poul seyþ Fadres tresoureþ to
children more þan children doþ to hem for þay loueþ hem
more as god loueþ man more þan man may loue god and
herefore man may neuer loue god to moche . Herefore þis
fader god & holy churche oure moder we scholde worsche
pe ny3t & day praynge to god oure fader to encresce and
to fulfille þe nombre of alle þat schal be saued . Jn þis
manere þou schal worschepe þy fader & moder & þyn el
dres bodylyche & gostlyche & þis is þe fyrste commaunde
ment of þis seuene . <gap>
ÞE secunde commaundement of seuene of þe
secunde table byddeþ þe schortly nou3t slee
þy broþer . and it vnderstondeþ vnskylful sle
þynge and herefore men seyeþ þat men þat~
beþ y-kylled by mannes lawe beþ nou3t slawe of men
bot þe lawe sleyþ hem & here yuele dedes . Bot what~
seyþ a+grete clerke Suppose we he seyþ by oure feyþ
þat god byddeþ þus þat we scholde kylle no man wiþ-oute
auctorite of him . & so many men kylle bestes & wykkede
men boþe by auctorite of lawe & elles no wyse resoun dry
ueþ men to holde þis commaundement . Syþ eche man of þis
worlde is broþer to oþer & eke ney3ebore to oþer by ordynaunce
of god who scholde þanne oþer wyse vnkyndelyche kylle
his broþer . for as we beþ alle þe children of adam oure fa
<fol. 96v>der so we beþ alle þe children of god & alle þat schal be
saued haþ holy churche here moder & so as me þenkeþ no
+man scholde kylle oþer by auctorite of þe lawe bot yf he we
re sykere þat godes lawe bad it & þanne my3te he ywyte
þat he brake nou3t godes heste al yf he kyllede him ne fel
nou3t fro charite syþ boþe loue & sorwe scholde meue
hem to do so & nou3t his owene vengeaunce & þus as me
þenkeþ a man may kylle an oþer as men clepeþ hange-men
& hederys of mannes lawe & þus godes lawe spekeþ whan
we scholde lyue For of þis lawe we beþ certeyne þat it
byddeþ nou3t kylle a man bot yf it be resoun & graciouse
& profetable yf takeþ ˆ [it] wel so þat it were betere him to be
kylled so þan for to lyue forþe vnpunesched for his tres
passe & so yf eny trespasser a3ene mannes lawe taketh
his dey in charite it ys medful for him . Bot muche more
peyne deserueþ man for synne bot . J . can nou3t see þat
eny man scholde putte þis peyne on a+man wiþ-oute auc
torite of god . ¶ Bot wete we wel þis commaundement is
syb to many synnes for seynt+Jon seyþ þat ech man
þat hateþ his broþer is a+man-sleer 3e ofte tymes more to
blame þan he þat sleeþ his body for þe synne is more
& by þis skyle a bacbyter is a mansleer . And he that
scholde 3eue gostlych fode & feyleþ þer-ynne & so eche
man þat synneþ in eny dedly synne . synneþ a3enst
þis commaundement as it is of oþer For who so euere con
senteþ to sleynge synneþ a3enst þis commaundement and
is a mansleer bot as clerkes seyþ . Vpon syxe maneres
ys þis consentynge do & men scholde knowe i&t . He con
senteþ to þe yuel þat worcheþ wiþ þer-to . he þat defendeþ
& conseyleþ þer-to . he by whos auctorite ys þe yuel y-doo
He þat wiþdraweþ his helpe or scharp repreuyng whan
<fol. 97r>he my3te do it & scholde by godes lawe & among alle syn
nes by whiche þe fend begyleþ men non ys more sutyl
þan suche consente . & herefore þe prophetes of þe olde la
we tolde men pereles tyl þay suffrede deþ & in þis cause
þe apostoles of crist were martyred . & we scholde yf we
were trewe men bot cowardyse & defaute of loue of ou
re god makeþ ous sterte a+bak as traytours doo & so yf þe
grounde were sowt in remes þer were fewe prestes oþer
seculeres þat ne were mansleeres vpon som maneres
& specialy prelat3 þat sleeþ here broþer in many weyes
For þey scholde preche hem & teche hem godes lawe : and
by necglygence of hem þey beþ gostlyche sleye & þes schol
de stonde as postes a3enst tyrauntes & telle hem how by
godes lawe þey scholde lede þe peple & þis is a pryuy
synne þat prelates reccheþ nou3t & her-by þay sleeþ of
te boþe lordes & communes & brekeþ þis commaundement~ / /
Alle þes seuene commaundement3 of þe secunde table te
cheþ a man how he schal haue him aneintys his euene
cristene boþe to his frende & to his enemy bot þer is noþyng
more contrarious to þis þan is wrongful manslawte
þerfore euery man skillefullyche & kyndelyche scholde fle &
enchewe suche manslawt for as seyþ þe wyse man in
his boke Eueryche best loueþ þat best þat is lyche to him .
muche more by weye of kynde scholde man þat is resona
ble in alle þynges he scholde do none manslawt & þis
we scholde knowe by pure resoun . For resoun wolde syþ
alle onlyche god 3eueþ putteþ in lyf into þe body whan
him lykeþ . So to him alone it longeþ to take þe soule out
of þat body whan him lykeþ for þou wost neuere whanne
it is goed to þy soule to be take oute : whan to abyde . whan
it is ordeyned to ioye whan to peyne for it is longynge
<fol. 97v>to god to knowe þat knoweþ alle þyng & nou3t to þe~ / /
Wherefore to him alone it longeþ to 3yue lyf & to sle+wham
it best lykeþ . And in tokene of þat þis synne ys so orry
ble & vnkyndely þis on of þe synnes þat in holy wryt
cryeþ to god vengeaunce as wytnesseþ god him-self in
þe fyrste boke of holy wryt . Lo seyþ god to caym þe voys
of þe blod of þy broþer cryeþ to me from þe erþe . For þis
commaundement 3e schulle vnderstonde þat þer is þre maner
of manslawt þat is to seye boþe of honde & of tunge
& of herte or of wyl . Þan man sleeþ a man with his
his honde þat smyteþ his broþer in violence where þurgh
his bodyly strengþes beþ enfybled & his lyf y-schorted oþer
wrongfullyche wiþ-draweþ his bodylyche sustynaunce . And
he sleeþ a+man wiþ his tunge þat conseyleþ or procureþ his
deþ or falslyche lyeþ on him wherfore his profyt is lette or
abreched . Also he sleeþ a man wiþ his tunge þat for hate
enuye or mede bryngeþ a good man or a womman out of he
re goede name or fame wiþ fals sclandrynge of here
tunge & alle suche in as muche as in him is byfore god
þey sleeþ hem . He sleeþ a+man in herte & wyl þat wyl
neþ or desyreþ mannes deþ for eny worldlyche goed or
eny worldlyche cause or trespas y-do to his persone or ha
teþ him in herte . for seynt Jon seyþ . he þat hateþ his
broþer is a+mansleer & þus whan a man oþer womman bereþ
enuye or haterede in herte to here euene cristene willynge
wrongfullyche or enuyouslyche þat myschyf or vengeaun
ce falle vpon hem & þerto curseþ in herte & in mouþ he
is a mansleer & alle suche in þat þat in hem ys þay doþ
perylous manslawt . for þey sleeþ here owene soule and
also here euene cristene & þerfore god byddeþ þat þu schalt
noþer wiþ honde ne wiþ tunge ne wiþ herte do no manslawt
<fol. 98r>Þe þrydde commaundement of god in þis secunde
table forfendeþ men & wommen to synne in eny
manere of lecherye . And þis commaundement of god
seweþ wel þat oþer goynge next by-fore þe why
che forfendeþ to sle man in his persone . and þis forfendeþ
to sle man in his felawe . For as þe gospel techeþ Man
& womman wedded beþ on persone by þe lawe of god & þer
fore þes lechours þat fouleþ on of þes sleeþ in a maner
þe felawe of it . and as we seyde of mansleynge so it
ys of lecherye . som is bodylyche & oþer is gostlyche : Bo
dyliche lecherye is in many maneres somtyme vnwed
ded man fouleþ vnwedded womman & þis is cleped com
munlyche symple fornycacioun . And yis word lecherye
enemy contrarye to þe vertue of contynence & of chastyte
is a+brennynge appetyte oþer a+coueytyse of a lecherouse
wyl hyynge fulfille þe lecherous delectacioun of consen
tynge of resoun . For whenne þat resoun wiþ þe whiche eue
ryche cristene man & womman scholde gouerne hemself
wiþstondeþ nou3t þylke lecherous appetit bot 3eueþ ful
consent to do þulke synneful dede anon he synweþ ded
lyche þey he be let fro þe dede doynge . for in þre-fold
manere a+man or womman may synwy dedlyche on leche
rye ¶ Furst on herte wendynge & turnynge wytyng
lyche & wylfullyche vnclene & wykkede lecherous þou3
tes by-cause of schrewed delectacioun in þou3te . for þe
wyse man seyþ in his bode þat wykked þou3tes departeþ
a man fro god . Also crist himself in þe gospel seyþ . He
þat seeþ a womman in suche entente to coueyty to tres
passe wiþ hure anon he seyþ þat man haþ y-do leche
rye wiþ hure on herte & þis same resoun may be vn
derstonde of wommen . ¶ Þe secunde manere ys whenne