The Ayenbite of Inwyt (Remorse of Conscience): A Translation of Parts into Modern EnglishMichel, Dan, active 14th century
Religion
The Ayenbite of Inwyt (Remorse of Conscience): A Translation of Parts into Modern English
Michel, Dan, active 14th century
Christian life -- Early works to 1800; Devotional literature
The second bough is excess and want of moderation in meat and in drink.
The same are properly gluttons, who devour all, as does the kite with
his sparrow. There is great sense in observing moderation in meat and in
drink, and great health, for many people die, and often there come great
sicknesses. But whoever will learn this moderation, he shall know and
understand that there are many ways of living in the world. The first
lives by the flesh, the second by his jollity, the third by his physic,
the fourth by his honesty, the fifth by what his (their) sins require,
the sixth by the spirit and by the love of God.
Those that live by the flesh, as says St. Paul, slay their souls, for
they make their god of their belly. The same observe neither reason nor
measures, and therefore they shall have in the other world torment
without measure.
Those that live by their jollity will keep their foolish fellowships, so
that they neither know how, nor are able to observe measure.
Those that live by hypocrisy, who are the devil’s martyrs, have two
measures, for the two devils that torment the hypocrite are much opposed
to each other. The one says to him: ‘Eat enough, until thou art fair and
fat;’ the other says to him: ‘Thou shalt not, but thou shalt fast until
thou art pale and lean.’ Now, it behoves to have two measures, one
little and (one) scant that he uses before people; and another good and
liberal, which he uses so that none sees; this holds not the right
measure. He whom covetousness leads has such a measure as the purse
wills, who is lady and hostess of the house. Then shall we between the
purse and the belly of the glutton have a fair strife. The belly says:
‘I will be full;’ the purse says: ‘I will be full.’ The belly says: ‘I
will that thou eat and drink, and that thou spend.’ And the purse says:
‘Thou shalt not; I will that thou keep and retrench.’ Alas! what shall
he do, this wretch who is thrall to two such evil lords? Two measures
make the wight mad: the measure of the belly, in other men’s house good
and liberal; and the measure of the purse, of her who is sorrowful and
sparing.
Those that live by physic observe the measure of Hippocrates, which is
little and narrow; and it often befalls that he that by physic lives by
physic dies.
Those that live by their honesty, the same observe the measure of reason
and live honourably to the world, who eat at the time and at the hour,
and take with goodwill what they have both courteously and gladly.
Those that live by what their sins demand observe such manner and
measure as one enjoins on them in penance.
Those that live by the Spirit are those that dwell in the love of God,
whom the Holy Ghost teaches to observe order and reason and measure;
those that have control over their bodies, who is so taught that he asks
for no extraordinary thing, and does what the Spirit commands without
murmuring and without contradiction.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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