sins to one man, and not of some of them to one man and some to another; when, it is to be understood, the
intention is to split up your shriving out of shame or fear; for this is but the strangling of your soul. For
indeed, Jesus Christ is wholly good; there is no imperfection in Him; and therefore He perfectly forgives all,
or nothing. I do not say that if you are sent to the director for a certain sin you are bound to show unto him all
the rest of your sins, whereof you have been shriven by your own curate, save and except you wish to do so
out of humility; for this does not constitute dividing your shrift. Nor do I say, in speaking of divided
confession, that if you have leave to shrive yourself to a discreet and honest priest, where you wish to do so
and by leave of your curate, that you may not as well shrive yourself to him of all your sins. But let no blot
remain behind, let no sin be untold, so far as you have remembrance of them. And when you shall be shriven
by your curate, tell him as well all of the sins that you have done since last you were shriven; and then this
will be no wicked intention to divide confession.
Also, true confession asks certain other conditions. First, that you shrive yourself of your free will, not by
constraint, nor for shame, nor for illness, nor for any such things; for it is only reasonable that he who
trespassed of his own free will shall as freely confess it, and that no other man tell his sin, but that he himself
do it, nor shall he withhold or deny his sin, nor allow himself to become angry at the priest for admonishing
him to leave sin. Another condition is that your shrift be lawful; that is to say, that you, who shrive yourself,
and also the priest who hears your confession, be verily of the faith of Holy Church; and that a man be not
deprived of hope of the mercy of Jesus Christ, as was Cain or Judas. And also a man must himself accuse
himself for his own trespass, and not another; but he shall blame and reproach himself and his own malice for
his sin, and not another; nevertheless, if another man be the occasion for or enticer to his sin, or the state of a
person be such that because of that person the sin is aggravated, or else if he cannot fully shrive himself
without telling of the person with whom he has sinned; then he may tell; so that the intention be not to
backbite such a person, but only to declare fully the confession.
Also you shall tell no lies in your confession; as to seem humble, perchance, in saying that you have done
sins whereof you were never guilty. For Saint Augustine says: if thou, by reason of thy humility, liest against
thyself, though thou wast not in sin before, yet art thou then in sin because of thy lying. You must also
confess your sin with your own mouth, unless you grow dumb. and not by letter; for you have done the sin
and you shall have the shame thereof. Also, you shall not embellish your confession with fair and subtle
words, the more to cover up the sin; for then you beguile yourself and not the priest; you must tell it plainly,
be it ever so foul or so horrible. You shall also shrive yourself to a priest that is discreet in counselling you,
and moreover, you shall not shrive yourself for vainglory, nor hypocritically, nor for any cause other than the
fear of Jesus Christ and the well-being of your soul. Also, you shall not run suddenly to the priest to tell him
lightly of your sin, as one would tell a jest or a tale, but advisedly and with great devotion. And, generally
speaking, shrive yourself often. If you fall often, then you rise by confession. And though you shrive yourself
more than once of sin. for which you have been already shriven, it is the more merit. And, as Saint Augustine
says, you shall thereby the more easily obtain release from and the grace of God, both as to sin and
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punishment. And certainly, once a year, at the least, it is lawful to receive the Eucharist, for truly, once a year
all things are renewed.
Explicit secunda pars penitencie;
et sequitur tercia pars eiusdem,
de satisfaccione
Now have I told you of true confession, which is the second part of penitence. The third part of penitence is
expiation; and that is generally achieved through alms-giving and bodily pain. Now there are three kinds of
alms-givings: contrition of heart, where a man offers himself to God; another is, to have pity on the
weaknesses of one's neighbours; and the third is, the giving of good counsel, spiritual and material, where
men have need of it, and especially in the procuring of men's food. And take note that a man has need of
these things, generally; he has need of food, he has need of clothing and shelter, he has need of charitable
counsel, and of visiting in prison and in illness, and sepulture for his dead body. And if you cannot visit the
needy in person, visit him by your message and by your gifts. These are general almsgivings, or works of
charity, by those who have temporal riches or discretion in counselling. Of these works you shall hear at the
day of doom.
These alms-doings shall you do with your own proper things, and without delay, and privately, if you can;
but nevertheless, if you cannot do it privately, you shall not forbear to do such works though men may see
you, so long as they be done not for the world's approbation, but for the pleasing of Jesus Christ. For take
witness of Saint Matthew, capitulo quinto: "A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a
candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let
your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in
Heaven."
Now, to speak of bodily pain, it consists of prayers, of vigils, of fasts, of virtuous teaching of orisons. And
you shall understand that orisons or prayers consist of a pious will of the heart that has made amends to God
and expresses itself by spoken word, asking for the removal of evils and to obtain things spiritual and
durable, as well as temporal things, sometimes; of which orisons, truly, in the prayer of the paternoster has
Christ included most things. Certainly, it is invested with three things pertaining to His dignity, wherefore it
is more dignified than any other prayer; Jesus Christ made it Himself; and it is short, so that it may be learned
the more easily, and be held the more easily in the heart of memory, that man may the oftener help himself by
repeating the prayer; and in order that a man may the less grow weary of saying it, and that he may not
excuse himself from learning it; it is so short and so easy; and because it comprises within itself all good
prayers. The expounding of this holy prayer I commit to these masters of theology; save that thus much will I
say: that, when you pray that God forgive your trespasses as you forgive those that trespass against you,
beware that you are not uncharitable. This holy orison diminishes each venial sin, and therefore it appertains
specially to penitence.
This prayer must be truly said and in utter faith, in order that men may pray to God ordinately and discreetly
and devoutly; and always a man shall subject his own will to the will of God. This prayer must also be said
with great humility and all innocently; honourably and not to the annoyance of any man or woman. It must
also be followed by works of charity. It is of avail also even against the vices of the soul; for, as Saint Jerome
says, "By fasting we are saved from the vices of the flesh, and by prayer from the vices of the soul."
After the foregoing you shall understand that bodily pain lies in vigils; for Jesus Christ says, "Watch and
pray, that ye enter not into temptation." You shall understand, also, that fasting stands in three things; in the
forgoing of material food and drink, and in forgoing worldly pleasures, and in forgoing the doing of mortal
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sin; this is to say, that a man shall guard himself from deadly sin with all his might.
And you shall understand, also, that God ordained fasting; and to fasting pertain four things: Largess to poor
folk, gladness of the spiritual heart in order not to be angry or vexed, nor to grumble because you fast; and
also reasonable hours wherein to eat moderately; that is to say, a man shall not eat out of season, nor sit and
eat longer at his table because he has fasted.
Then you shall understand that bodily pain lies in disciplining or teaching, by word or by writing, or by
example. Also, in wearing shirts of hair or coarse wool, or habergeons next the naked flesh, for Christ's sake,
and such other kinds of penance. But beware that such kinds of penance on your flesh do not make your heart
bitter or angry or vexed with yourself; for it is better to cast away your hair shirt than to cast away the
security of Jesus Christ. And therefore Saint Paul says: "Clothe yourselves as those that are the chosen of.
God, in heart of mercy, gentleness, long-suffering, and such manner of clothing." Whereof Jesus Christ is
more pleased than of hair shirts, or habergeons, or hauberks.
Then, discipline lies also in beating of the breast, in scourging with rods, in kneelings, in tribulations, in
suffering patiently the wrongs that are done unto one, and also in patient endurance of' illnesses, or losing of
worldly chattels, or of wife or of child or other friends.
Then shall you understand which things hinder penance; and these are four, that is to say, fear, shame, hope,
and despair. And, to speak first of fear, since a man sometimes thinks that he cannot endure penance, against
this thought may be set, as remedy, the thought that such bodily penance is short and mild compared with the
pain of Hell, which is so cruel and so long that it lasts for ever.
Now against the shame that a man has in confession, and especially of these hypocrites that would be held so
perfect that they have no need for shrift- against that shame should a man think, and reasonably enough, that
he who has not been ashamed to do foul things, certainly he ought not to be ashamed to do fair things, and of
such is confession. A man should also think that God sees and knows all his thoughts and all his deeds; from
Him nothing may be hidden nor covered. Men should even bear in mind the shame that is to come at the day
of judgment to those who are not penitent and shriven in this present life. For all the creatures on earth and in
Hell shall openly behold all that sinners hide in this world.
Now to speak of the hope of those who are negligent and slow in shriving themselves- that is of two sorts.
The one is, that he hopes to live long and to acquire riches for his delight, and then he will shrive himself; and
as he tells himself, it seems to him that it will then be time enough to go to confession. Another is the
over-confidence that he has in Christ's mercy. Against the first vice he shall think, that our life is in no
security; and also that all the riches in this world are at hazard, and pass as does a shadow on the wall. And,
as Saint Gregory says, it is part of the great righteousness of God that never shall the torment cease of those
that would never withdraw themselves willingly from sin, but have always continued in sin; because, for the
perpetual will to sin, they shall have perpetual torment.
Despair is of two sorts: the first is of the mercy of Christ; the other is the thought of sinners that they cannot
long persevere in goodness. The first despair comes of the thought that he has sinned so greatly and so often,
and has lain so long in sin, that he shall not be saved. Certainly, against that accursed despair should be set
the thought that the passion of Jesus Christ is stronger to loose than sin is strong to bind. Against the second
despair, let him think that as often as he falls he may rise again by penitence. And though he may have lain in
sin ever so long, the mercy of Christ is ever ready to receive him into grace. Against that form of despair
wherein he deems that he should not long persevere in goodness, he shall think that the feebleness of the
Devil can do nothing unless men allow him to; and also that he shall have strength of the help of God and of
all Holy Church and of the protection of angels, if he will.
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Then shall men understand what is the fruit of penance; and according to the word of Jesus Christ, it is the
endless bliss of Heaven, where joy has no opposite of woe or grievance, where all evils of this present life are
past; wherein is security from the torments of Hell; wherein is the blessed company that rejoices evermore,
each of the others joy; wherein the body of man, that formerly was foul and dark, is more bright than the sun;
wherein the body, that lately was ailing, frail, and feeble, and mortal, is immortal, and so strong and so whole
that nothing may impair it; wherein is no hunger nor thirst, nor cold, but every soul is replenished with the
ability to perceive the perfect knowing of God. This blessed Kingdom may man acquire by poverty of spirit,
and the glory of humbleness, and the plenitude of joy by hunger and thirst, and the ease and rest by labour,
and life by death and the mortification of sin.
HERE ENDS THE PARSON'S TALE
HERE THE MAKER OF THIS BOOK TAKES HIS LEAVE
Now do I pray all those who hear this little treatise, or read it, that, if there be within it anything that pleases
them, they thank Our Lord Jesus Christ, from Whom proceeds all understanding and all goodness. And if
there be anything that displeases them, I pray them, also, that they impute it to the fault of my ignorance and
not to my intention, which would fain have better said if I had had knowledge. For our Book says, "All that is
written is written for our instruction;" and that was my intention. Wherefore I meekly beseech you that, for
the sake of God's mercy, you pray for me that Christ have mercy upon me and forgive me my trespasses and
especially for my translations and the writing of worldly vanities, the which I withdraw in my retractations:
as, The Book of Troilus; also The Book of Fame; The Book of the Nineteen Ladies; The Book of the
Duchess; The Book of Saint Valentine's Day, Of the Parliament of Birds; The Tales of Canterbury, those that
tend toward sin; The Book of the Lion; and many another book, were they in my remembrance; and many a
song and many a lecherous lay,- as to which may Christ, of His great mercy, forgive me the sin. But for the
translation of Boethius's de Consolatione, and other books of legends of saints, and homilies, and of morality
and devotion- for those I thank Our Lord Jesus Christ and His Blessed Mother and all the saints of Heaven;
beseeching them that they, henceforth unto my life's end, send me grace whereof to bewail my sins, and to
study for the salvation of my soul:- and grant me the grace of true penitence, confession, and expiation in
this present life; through the benign grace of Him Who is King of kings and Priest over all priests, Who
redeemed us with the precious blood of His heart; so that I may be one of those, at the day of doom, that shall
be saved: Qui cum patre, etc.
HERE ENDS THE BOOK OF THE TALES OF CANTERBURY, WRITTEN BY GEOFFREY CHAUCER,
ON WHOSE SOUL MAY JESUS CHRIST HAVE MERCY. AMEN.
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