The ninth bough of avarice is in evil crafts. In this sin much folk in many ways; as these foolish women, that for a little gain give themselves to sin: also these heralds and these champions and many others, that for pence or for temporal profit give themselves to dishonest craft, which cannot be done without sin, both of those that do it and of those that support them.
THE TENTH BOUGH OF AVARICE.
The tenth bough of avarice is evil games, such as games of dice and of tables and others, whatever they may be, where one plays for pence or for other temporal gain. Such evil games, especially of dice and of tables, are forbidden by right because of many sins that follow such games. The first is covetousness, to win, and to despoil his fellow. The second is too great usury, as nine for twelve, not for a month, nor for eight days, but in one self-same day. The third is to increase lies and idle words and, what is worse, great blasphemies of God and of His saints, wherefore God is angry, as oftentimes He has taken too little vengeance. For sometimes their visage turns round, with the front behind.
A Tale.
There was a knight that swore by God’s eyes; in haste his one eye leapt upon the checker. An archer, because he had lost at gambling, took his bow and shot upwards at God. In the morning, when he sat at play, his arrow fell upon the checker all bloody.
The fourth is the evil example, which he that plays gives to others that see the game. The fifth is loss of time that one should occupy in good works. And many other sins which it were a long matter to tell. One thing I shall not forget, that he that wins cannot well withhold what he wins, but shall give it for God’s love, except it be in such a way that he had it by fraud or by force, like him that by force causes others to play. In that case he should restore it to him that has lost it. Also I speak of what one wins at a tournament.
These are the boughs of avarice: there are enough others. But they are more for clerks than for laymen. And this book is made more for laymen than for clerks, who know the writings.
THE SIXTH HEAD OF THE BEAST.
The sixth head of the evil beast is lechery; that is, excessive and inordinate love, in lust of loins or in fleshly lust. As regards this sin the devil tempts in five ways, as says St. Gregory. First in foolish sight, afterwards in foolish words, afterwards in foolish handling, afterwards in foolish kissing, afterwards one comes to the deed. For from foolish sight one comes to the speech, and from the speech to the handling, from the handling to the kissing, from the kissing to the deed. And thus subtlely the devil makes (one) go from one to another. This sin divides first into two kinds, for there is lechery of heart and lechery of body. The lechery of heart has four steps. For the spirit of fornication, which attends on the fire of lechery, embraces the hearts; first makes the thoughts come, and the delights, and the imaginations of sin to the heart, and makes (it) think. Afterwards the heart dwells on the thoughts, and so is delighted; yet it does not the deed for anything. And in this dwelling and in the same lust is the second step, which may be deadly sin. The great sin may be the lust. The third step is the consenting of heart, and of the reason, and of the will. And such consentings are always deadly sin. After the consenting comes the desire and the great heat that they have to sin, and do more than twenty sins in the day, in sight of ladies and of maidens, who show themselves fairly adorned, who often show and adorn themselves the more quaintly and the more beautifully in order to make fools wonder at them, and think not to sin greatly because they have no will to do the deed. But forsooth they sin very grievously. For by reason of them are many souls lost. And there is much folk brought to death and to sin. For, as says the proverb, ‘Lady of fair adorning is arbalest to the tower.’ For she has not a limb in her body that is not a trap of the devil, as Solomon says. Then it behoves at the day of judgment to give account of the souls that by reason of them are lost: that is to say, when they give occasion to sin wittingly.
Lechery of body is divided into lechery of eyes, of ears, of mouth, of hands, and of all the senses of the body, and especially of the foul deed. And how is it a foul deed since it is natural? Because God forbids it in His Gospel, and His Apostle Paul, who thus says: ‘Let each man have his own, because of fornication;’ that is to say, his own wife. To that sin belong all the things whereby the flesh rises and desires such a deed, such as the great drinkers and eaters, the soft bed, pleasant clothes, and all manner of ease of body unnecessarily, and especially idleness.