Another  circumstaunce  is  this,  whether  it  be  don  in
fornication,  or  in  advoutrie,  or  no,  in  maner  of  homicide  or
non,  a  horrible  gret  sinne  or  smal,  and  how  long  thou  hast
continued  in  sinne.   The  thridde  circumstance  is  the  place,

1  See  before,  ys.  17866-71.  "  The  exposition  of  this — I  betake  to  the
maisters  of  Theologie.'*  The  secular  clergy,  in  the  time  of  Chaucer,
being  generally  very  ignorant,  it  would  not  have  been  in  character,  I
suppose,  to  represent  the  Persone  as  a  deep  divine,  though  a  very  pious,
worthy  Priest.  The  Frere,  whose  brethren  had  the  largest  share  of  the
learning  which  was  then  in  fashion,  is  made  to  speak  with  great  con-
tempt of  the  Parochial  Pastors,  ver.  7590.
"This  every  lewed  Vicar  and  Person
Can  say,  &c.''
And  yet  in  the  Person's  Character,  ver.  402,  we  are  told,  that —

"  He  was  also  a  lerried  man,  a  clerk.**
It  may  be  doubted  therefore,  whether  in  these  passages  Chaucer  may
not  speak  for  himself,  forgetting  or  neglecting  the  character  of  the  real
speaker. — Tyrtohin,  2  increase.
574  THE  CANTERBUBY  TALES.
ther  thou  hast  don  sinne,  whether  in  other  meniies  houses,
or  in  thin  owen,  in  feld,  in  chirche,  or  in  chirchhawe,  in
chirche  dedicate,  or  non.  For  if  the  chirche  be  halowed,
and  man  or  woman  spille*  his  kinde  within  that  place,  by
way  of  sione  or  by  wicked  temptation,  the  chirche  were
enterdited*  til  it  were  reconciled  by  the  Bishop ;  and  if  it
were  a  preest  that  did  swiche  vHanie,  the  terme  of  all  his
lif  he  shold  no  more  sing  Masse :  and  if  he  did,  he  shuld
do  dedly  sinne,  at  every  time  that  he  so  song  Masse.
