Dear list-members,
It's a very long shot, but ....
I need help in identifying an uncatalogued fragment of
Chapter 7 of a 5th-century Middle English so-called
"Short Form of Confession" in Exeter Cathedral Library
(it can't be all that short, as four pages are part of
Chapter 7.) It is on a bifolium, *not central to the
original quire*, and is severely discoloured, creased,
faded and etched away by ink.
Having no Incipit, I can't really use Jolliffe. The
resources of our library have not enabled me to identify
the text in anything published. We don't hold the Garland
_Handbook of Medieval Sexuality_, either....
The first two pages are headed "of the sinne of leccherie
in deed; of confessioun capitulum vijm", and the last two
"a schort foorme of confessioun; of confessioun in deede
capitulum vijm". The first folio treats lechery, the
second (which, remember, did not directly follow the first)
treats avarice (or sloth?) gluttony and again lechery,
including misuse of the five senses.
In the transciption below, capitalisation and punctuation
are mine. Thorn is replaced by "th", yogh by "3". MS
lineation is preserved. Folio numbers are invented: no medieval
ones are visible. I have tried to indicate the approximate
length of illegible words and passages. Question marks indicate
uncertain readings.
I did just wonder about BL Caligula-Cotton A ii ff.69v-70r,
which Jolliffe lists as beginning "I crye god mercy"---a recurrent
phrase in the fragment, but the BL example is clearly very short...
Perhaps someone out there will recognise the Manual or Examination
of Conscience or whatever? Any help adopted will be formally
acknowledged, of course.
Hopefully, Avril
----------------------
Avril Henry
School of English & American Studies
Queen's Building
Queen's Drive
University of Exeter
EXETER
Devon
UK
EX4 4QH
Tel: 01392-264252
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f.1r
... longe avisement & abidyngeis to sich actuel synne
with persoones of sich degree, & speciali with a
wyf or with an husbonde, if I hadde tyme or place
or durste for drede of the world with ful assent
to that fleischly concupiscen{s} [which is a foul?]
synne & fulli a3ens the precept of oure lord where
I am comaundid that I schulde not desire my nei3eboris
wyf; in this I haue offendid wherfore I crie
god mercy. Also I haue synned in leccherie deedly,
parfoormynge my concupiscens fleischly in deede
of generacioune with sengil men or wymmen,
thus many, thus ofte or thus longe tyme, in sich
tyme or in sich place or in siche vigilis or in siche
feestis; also I haue synned deedly in siche maner
waies & siche placis or siche daies or sich feestis,
with straunge men or straunge wymmen, or with
knowing wymmen or not knowing [....p] that
were seculer or religious, weddid or singil, or my
kyn or of affinite, thus ofte, or thus longe vsid that
synne; also I haue synned in the same [p...at] deed
in siche tymes, siche daies, siche places thus ofte or
with so manye persoones whiche I wiste [..... ]
[.....] waies [..... ..... ..... ....may] to haue [a....]
of kith or ellys with a mayde to [...... ..... .... ]
or ellis to weddeyng; & also I haue synned in the [....]
[...] synne deedly siche tymes, siche daies or [..]
[...] thus ofte with wymmen that hadde a [vow...t]
[f.1v]
or other men or wymmen of religioun. Also I haue synned
deedly in this synne of leccherie siche tymes or
placis thus ofte, with siche maner persoones or siche
or sich in dishonest maner & repreuable maner
to goddis lawe & abhominable in the si3t of god,
which was an orrible synne of leccherie wherfore
I crie god mercy. Also I haue knowe my wyf, sumtyme
or ofte, more to parfoorme the concupiscens
of fleisch than for procreacioun of children, or custumabli
vsid vnhonest cheer togideris to haue more
fleischli dilectaciouns, which was a greuous
synne in matrymonye, or vsid sich synne for lust
oonly, in vigilis or othere fastynge daies & hi3e feestis
or othere tyme whanne I schulde not come ny3
my wyf, which was also a greuous synne in matrymonie;
or I haue vsid my wyf or husbonde wilfully
or a3ens my wil dishonestly in [reprouabell?]
maner, a3ens goddis lawe & the holy sacrament
of matrymonye, which was a foul horrible synne
of leccherie, wherfore I crie god mercy. Also I haue
synned deedly in the synne of leccherie & a3ens
my boond of matrimonye leeuynge my wyf
or husbonde [...yng] othere men or wymmen siche [...] or [...]
[.....] thus many, in sich maner, siche tymes
or feestis or placis, for siche causis, and thus
longe vsid, which was a greuous synne a3ens
the precept of my god where I am comaundid ...
[f.2r]
... [...kynge] of money or fals chartris seelis or keies
of lettre or othere thingis. I haue also withholde
temperal good vnlawefully, & specialy the good that
I haue borowid I haue not paied a3en at the tyme
sett but wilfully withholde it whanne I my3te
haue paied it a3en, or ellis spent it in anothir
vss that I my3te not paie it a3en whanne I wolde
haue paied it. Also I haue withholde good of
deede mennes that was biquethe to othere; also that
I haue founde I haue not restorid it, thou3 I haue
knowe to whom, or ellis I haue not do my bisynes
to knowe to whom. Also I haue withholde weddis vntruli
& othere paiment to pore or to riche wrongfulli. Also I haue
mispendid sotili goodis whiche god hath [sent?] to me or other mennes
goodis that I haue had in gouernaile, as in vanyte [..]
[bonte?], clothinge & greet & gay aray in greete feestis,
in synne with men or wymmen or ministrals
or iogulouris & othere siche vanytees & in manye othere
maners, wherfore I crie god mercy. I haue also
synned, sithen my laste confessioun, in glotenye &
bi to myche excesse in meete, sich a day or ny3t, or
sich a tyme, or custumabli more than were nede,
or more for lust & appetit than for necessite, wherfore
I haue falle in drunkeschipe & be the worse disposid
to serue god in dew tyme. Also sithen my laste
confessioun I haue falle in fornycacioun or auoutrie
or incest or in other maner, or ellis in sich speche of
[f.2v]
leccherie bi dilectacioun of si3t or of heeringe or
of touchinge or of handelynge or bi vnclennes
wakynge or bi siche illusiouns slepinge, wherfore
I crie god mercy. Also sithen my laste confessioun
was, I haue synned in deede-doynge by myspendinge
of my fyue wittis, & specialy in lustful
si3tis of siche maner vanitees or of siche foule
si3tis for dilectacioun, or somer games or pleies
or daunsis or othere folies, also in wilful heerynge
idil talis, foule talis, tidinges, bordis or [falais?]
[h....ynges] or of synne or of wickednes also
[......] or [.......] or [........] or [........]
this ............................................
................................................
...................................................
................. [..3ayinge] ....................
[..] may [...] seyne him also with wymmen [.....]
[...mad] veyne signes & wyte [folies?] & hyre
[...] iapis & vside hem mysilf also with myn
h.... I haue heryd in boorde or in wraththe in
haue ......................... also I haue synned
[.oynge] ......... veyn si3is & plaies ..........
& herynges ................... aray & brou3te [..s]
.................................................
......................................... myspendid
my fyue wittis rathere aboute [vices and?] vanitees
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