Middle English Literature

How wedded wymmen, whiche have sette theyr love to some of lower degree than
they be of, are not worthy to be callyd wymmen.
“Also, they whiche putte and sette theyr love on thre maner of folke – that
is to wete, wedded men, prestes, and monkes, and as to servauntes and
folke of noughte – these maner of wymmen, whiche take to theyr peramours
and love suche folke, I hold them of none extyme ne valewe but that they
be more gretter harlottes than they that ben dayly at the bordell. For many
wymmen of the world done that synne of lechery but only for nede and
poverte, or els by cause they have ben deceyved of hit by false counceylle of
bawdes. But alle gentylle women whiche have ynough to lyve on, the
whiche make theyre peramours or lovers suche maner of folke as before is
sayd, it is by the grete ease wherin they be and by the brennynge lecherye of
theyr bodyes. For they knowe wel that, after the lawe of theyr maryage, they
may not have for theyr lordes ne to be theyr husbondes men of the chirche
ne other of no valewe. This love is not for to recovere ony worship but alle
dishonour and shame.”
How hit is almesse
4
 to enhaunce a man in to grete valour.
“At the leste, syth ye wylle not graunte ne accorde that youre doughters
love no man peramours as longe as they shalle be unwedded, please it yow
2
lowered and belittled.
3
pleasure.
4
alms, good deeds.
Marriage
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24
Conventions and Institutions
to suffre that whanne they shall be wedded, they may take somme plesaunce
of love for to hold and behave them self the more gaye and joyefull, and for
the better knowe theyr behavynge and maner emonge folke of worship.
And as before this tyme I have sayd to yow, it were to them grete welthe
and worship to make a man of none extyme ne of valewe to become of
grete valour.”
The answere of the lady of the towre.
“Sire, to thys I ansuere yow: I wylle well and am content that they make
good chere to all worshipfulle men, and more to somme than to the other,
that is to wete, to them of gretter name and more gentyl, or els better men
of theyr persones, and after that they bere to them worship and honour,
and that they synge and daunce before them honourably. But as for to love
peramours sythe they shall be wedded – withoute it be of suche love as men
ought to bere unto folke of worshippe – for to love and worshippe them
after that they be worthy and of valour, and whiche have had grete payne
and travaylle to gete and acquere glorye and worshyp by theyr valyaunce
in armes, these must be loved, doubted,
5
served, and honoured withoute
havynge in them ony plesaunce, sauf only for the bounte of them. But to
saye and hold hit good that a wedded woman shold love and have a peramour,
ne take the othe and feythe of none, to thende that they be theyr lovers and
peramours, ne also to gyve also to gyve their feith and othe to none, I trowe
and wene certaynly that no lady ne damoysell, wedded ne woman of other
estate, shall not put her estate and worship in this balaunce . . .”
Glasgow University Library MS Hunterian 270, fols. 161v–172r. In P. H. Barnum (ed.)
(1980) Dives and Pauper, 2 parts. EETS, o.s. 275, 280. London: Oxford University Press, II:
65–89 (selections).
Language: English (Southwestern)
Manuscript date: ca. 1450
DIVES: Whan gaf God lawys of matrimonye, and what lawys gaf he?
PAUPER: Whan God hadde mad Adam, he put a gret slep in hym and in
his slep he took out on of his rybbys and fylde up the place with flesch, and of
that rybbe he made Eve and broughte hir to Adam. Than Adam awooc and,
as God inspyred hym, he tolde the lawys of wedlac and seyde thus: “This
bon is now of myn bonys and this flesch of myn flesch, for this thing man
5
feared.

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shal forsakyn fadyr and modyr, and clevyn to his wyf, and ther schul ben
two in on flesch,” Genesis 2
6
. In whiche wordys, whan he seide that man
for his wyf schulde forsakyn fadyr and moodir, and clevyn to his wif, he
schewyd the sacrament of trewe love and unyte that owith to ben atwoxsyn
7
housebonde and wyf, and be the same wordis he schewyd what feith owith
to ben atwosxyn hem, for he shal clevyn to hys wyf and medlyn with hyr
and with non othir, and she with hym and with non othir. And in that he
seyde that ther shuldyn ben two in on flesch he schewyd that thei shuldyn
medlyn togedere principaly to bryngyn forth childryn to Godys worchepe,
for in her child, housebond and wyf ben on flesch and on blood. Also, in
that he seyde that the housebonde schulde clevyn to his wyf, he defendyth
8
fornicacion and avouterie. And in that he seyde in the singuler numbre –
“to hys wyf ” and nout “to his wyfys” – he defendyd bygamye, that a man
schulde nout han to wyfys togedere ne on woman to house-boundys togedere.
And in that he seyde that thei two schuldyn ben in on flesch he defendyd
sodomye. And also be the same wordis he schewith that iche of hem hat
power ovyr otheris body and non of hem may conteynyn but thei ben
bothin therto of on assent. DIVES: Why made God woman mor of the
rybbe of Adam than of anothir bon? PAUPER: For the rybbe is nexst the
herte, in tokene that God made hyr to ben mannys felawe in love and his
helpere. And as the rybbe is nexst the herte of alle bonys, so schulde the wyf
ben nexst in love of all women and of alle men. God made nout woman of
the foot to ben mannys thral ne he made hyr nout of the hefd to ben hys
maystir but of his syde and of his rybbe to ben his felawe in love and helper
at nede. But whan Eve synnyd, than was woman maad soget to man, that
the wyf schulde ben rewlyd be hyr housebonde and dredyn hym and servyn
hym as felaw in love and helper at nede and as nest solas
9
in sorwe, nout as
thral and bonde in vyleyn servage, for the housebonde owyth to han his wyf
in reverence and worchepe in that they ben bothin on flesch and on blood.
DIVES: Why made nout God woman be hyrself of the erde as he dede
Adam? PAUPER: For to moryn
10
her love togedere and also to gevyn
woman materie of
11
lownesse. First, for moryng of love, for in that woman
is part of mannys body man must lovyn hyr as hys owyn flesch and blood,
6
Genesis 2.23–4.
7
between.
8
forbids.
9
nest of consolation.
10
increase.
11
reason for.
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26
Conventions and Institutions
and she must also lovyn man as hyr begynnyng and as hyr flesch and hyr
blood. Also, she owyth takyn gret materie of lownesse and thynkyn that
man is hir perfeccioun and hyr begynnynge, and han man in reverence as
hyr perfeccioun, as hyr principal, as hyr begynnyng, and hyr firste in ordre
of kende. God made al mankende of on, for he wolde that al mankende
schulde ben on in charite as they comyn al of on.
DIVES: Wether is avouterie gretere synne in the man than in the woman?
PAUPER: Comounly it is mor synne in the man than in the woman, for the
heyere degre, the harder is the fal and the synne mor grevous. Also, man is
mor myghty be weye of kende to with-stondyn and hat mor skyl and resoun
wherby he may withstondyn and bewar of the fendis gyle. And in that he is
mad maystir and governour of woman to governyn hyr in vertue and kepyn
hyr from vycis, if he falle in vycis and in avouterie mor than woman, he
is mychil to blame and worthi to ben reprovyd schamfully. Therfor, Sent
Austyn, libro De decem cordis, undirnemyth
12
housebondys that fallyn in
avouterie and seith to iche of hem in this maner: “God seith to the that thu
schal don non lecherie, that is to seye, thu schalt medelyn with no woman
but with thin wyf. Thu askyst this of thin wyf, that she medele with non but
with the, and thu wilt nout yeldyn this ne kepyn this to thin wyf. And ther
thu aughtyst ben aforn thin wyf in vertu thu fallys[t] doun undir the byr of
lecherie. Thu wilt that thin wyf be ovyrcomere of lecherye and han the
maystry of the fend, and thu wilt ben ovyrcomyn as a coward and lyn don
in lecherye. And noutwithstondyng that thu art hefd of thin wyf, yet thin
wyf goth aforn the to God, and thu that art hefd of thin wif gost bakward
to helle. Man,” seith he, “is hefd of woman,
13
and therfor in what houshold
the woman lyvyth betere than the man, in that houshold hongyth the
hefd donward for, sith man is hefd of woman, he owith to lyvyn betere
than woman and gon aforn his wif in alle goode dedys that she mon suhyn
14
here housebounde and folwyn hyr hefd. The hefd of iche houshold is the
housebonde, and the wyf is the body. Be cours of kende, thedir that the
hefd ledyth, thedir schulde the body folwyn. Whi wil than the hefd that is
the housebounde gon to lecherie and he wil nout that his body, his wyf,
folwe? Why wil the man gon thedyr whydir he wil nout that his wif folwe?”
15
And a lytyl aftir in the same booc Sent Austyn seith thus: “Day be day
pleyntis ben maad of mannys lecherie although her wyfys dur nout plenyyn
12
reproves.
13
1 Corinthians 11.3; Ephesians 5.23.
14
follow.
15
Augustine (354– 430), Sermons.

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hem on her housebondys. Lecherie of men is so bold and so custumable
16
that it is now takyn for a lawe insomychil that men tellyn her wyfys that
lecherie and avouterie is leful to men but nout to women,” thus seith Sent
Austyn. DIVES: And sumtyme it is herd and wust that wyfys ben takyn
lychynge with her servans and brout to court afor the juge with mychyl
schame. But that ony housebounde is so brout to court aforn the juge for
he lay with ony of his women, it is seldam seyn. PAUPER: “And though,”
as seith Sent Austyn in the same booc, “it is as gret a synne in the housebonde
as in the wif and somdel mor, but forsothe,” seith he, “it is nout the
trewthe of God but the schrewidnesse of man that makyth man lesse gylty
than woman in the same synne.” Men ben nout so oftyn takyn in avouterie
ne punchyd for avouterie as women ben, nout for thei ben lesse gylty but
for that thei ben mor gylty, and mor myghty, and mor sley to meyntethin
her synne, and nyh iche of hem confortith othir in his synne. Men ben
witnessis, jugis, and doerys to punchyn avouterie in woman. And for thei
ben ovyrdon
17
gylty in avouterye, therfor thei travaylyn nyh alle with on
assent to meyntethin her lecherie. In woman is seldam seyn avouterie, and
therfor it is wol slaundrous whan it fallyt and hard punchyd. But in men it
is so comoun that ther is unethis ony slaundre therof. Women dur nout
spekyn agenys the lecherye of men, and men wyl nout spekyn to reprovyn
lecherye of man for thei ben so mychil gylty . . .
DIVES: Women mon betere ben chast than men for thei han mychil
kepyng
18
upon hem. The lawe byndith hem to chaste. Her housebondis ben
besy to kepyn hem, and harde lawys ben ordeynyd to punchyn hem if they
don omys. PAUPER: To this answerith Sent Austyn in the same booc and
seith thus: “Mychil kepynge makith woman chast, and manhod schulde
makyn man chast. To woman is ordeynyd mychil kepynge, for she is mor
frele. Woman is aschamyd for hyr housebound to don omys, but thu art
nout aschamyd for Crist to don omys. Thu art mor fre than the woman
for thu art strangere and lythlyere,
19
thu myght ovyr-comyn the flesch and
the fend if thu wilt, and therfor God hat betakyn the to the. But on woman
is mychil kepyng of hir housebonde, dredful lawys, good norture, gret
schamfastnesse, and god principal; and thu, man, hast only God abovyn the.
Thin wif fleth lecherie for dred and schame of the, for dred of the lawe, for
good norture, and pryncipaly for God. But for alle these thu kepist the nout
16
customary.
17
excessively.
18
attention.
19
stronger and more lithe.
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Conventions and Institutions
chast ne thu levyst nout thin lecherie neyther for dred of God, ne for Godis
lawe, ne for schame of the world, ne for schame of thin wyf to whom
thu art boundyn to ben trewe, ne thu wilt levyn it for no good norture
but lyvyn as an harlot and usyn harlotis manerys; thu art nout aschamyd
of thin synne,” seith Sent Austyn, “for so many men fallyn therynne. The
schrewidnesse of man is now so gret that men ben mor aschamyd of
chaste than of lecherie. Manquellerys,
20
thevys, perjurerys, fals witnessis,
raveynouris,
21
and false men ben abhominable and hatyd amongis the peple,
but hoso wil lyn be his woman and ben a bold lechour, he that is lovyd, he
that is preysyd, and alle the woundis of his soule turnyn into gamyn. And if
ony man be so hardy to seyn that he is chast and trewe to his wif, and it be
knowyn that he be swiche, he is aschamyd to comyn amongis men that ben
nout lyk hym in manerys, for thei schul japyn hym, and scornyn hym, and
seyn that he is no man, for manys schrewydnesse is now so gret that ther is
no man holdyn a man but he be ovyrcomyn with lecherie, and he that
ovyrcomyth lecherie and kepit hym chast, he is letyn
22
no man.” These ben
the wordis of Sent Austyn in the same booc . . .
23
[T]he lawe put many cas in whyche the housebounde may nout accusyn
his wyf of lecherie; first, if he be gylty in the same . . . Also, if he geve hyr
occasion to don fornicacioun be withheldynge of dette of his body . . .
Also, if she be defylyd be strencthe and gret violence agenys hyr wil . . . Also,
if she wene that her housebond be ded . . . And if she be weddyd to anothir
wenyng that hyr housebound be ded, whan he comyth hom, she must
forsakyn the secunde housebonde and wendyn agen to the firste; and but
she forsake the secunde onon as she knowith that hyr firste housebounde is
on lyve ellys she fallith in avouterye and hir firste housebonde may accusyn
hyr and forsakyn hyr. Also, if she be deceyvyd and medelyth with anothir
wenynge that it wer hyr housebonde . . . Also, if he knewe hyr lecherie and
suffryth hyr in hyr synne and medelyth with hyr aftir that he knowyth hyr
synne or forgevy[th] it hyr and reconcylith hyr to hym, than may he nout
accusyn hyr . . . Also, if hyr housebonde put hyr to don omys . . . Also, if an
hethene man forsake his hethene wif and she be weddyt to anothir hethene
man and aftir thei ben bothin turnyd to Cristene feith, than is he bondyn to
takyn hyr agen but she felle in ony othir fornicacioun, nout-wythstondynge
that she be knowyn flechly of the secunde house-bonde . . .
20
man-killers.
21
thieves, rapists.
22
considered.
23