DIMEV 6643
IMEV 4150
NIMEV 4150
Whoso will have hell
The Seven Deadly Sins, in the Speculum Christiani (Quarta Tabula) — seven
quatrains with an introductory couplet
Note: For other MSS which lack this couplet see
2144.
Subjects: sins, deadly
Versification: —
four-line
Manuscript Witnesses:
10.Source: Cambridge UK, Cambridge University Library Addit. 6150, ff. 11
v-13
First Lines:Who so wil haue helle
He most do as we hym telle
Bost and bragge
ay with þe best
To mayntene synne I am ful prest…
Last Lines:…ffro synful lust I wil not fle
þoȝ I for hit in
helle ay be
11.Source: Cambridge UK, Cambridge University Library Dd.4.51, ff. 14
v-16
v
First Lines:Who so [ ]
he [ ]
I bost I [ ]
To m[ ]…
Last Lines:…ffro synfull luste I wyll not fle
þothe y for hyt ay in
hell bee
Note: Fragmentary because part of folio torn away; Gula added by later
hand.
12.Source: Cambridge UK, Cambridge University Library Ff.1.14, ff. 34
v-36
v
First Lines:Whoso will haue helle
he muste do as we hym tell
Bost and brage
ay with þe beste
To mayntene syn I am full preste…
Last Lines:…ffro synfful lust I wyll not fle
Thoȝ I ffor it in hell
ay be
13.Source: Cambridge UK, Cambridge University Library Hh.1.13, ff. 21-24
v
First Lines:Who so wolle haue helle
Do as I hym telle
I boste I bragge ay
with þe best
To maynteyn synne I am ful prest…
Last Lines:…ffor synful luste wol I not flee
þough I in helle for hit
ay bee
16.Source: Cambridge UK, Sidney Sussex College 55, ff. 11-13
First Lines:Who so wille haue helle
He moste as we hym telle
I boste and
bragge ay wt the [beste]
To mantene synne I am ful
preste…
Last Lines:…ffro synnfull will I not fle
Thogh I for it in helle ay
be
17.Source: London, British Library Addit. 6716, ff. 61-62
v
First Lines:Whoso will haue hell
he most do as I hym tell
Bost and brag ay
with þe best
To maynteme [sic] synne I am full
prest…
Last Lines:…O luffe lust and lychery
fornicacioun and auowtry
ffro
synful lust i wyl not fle
þof I for hit in hell ay be
Note: Verses are inserted among Latin prose, but are written as verse with the
couplets joined by rubricated brackets. Names of the deadly sins are written in
Latin in the margins. Witness identified and transcription provided by Sonja
Drimmer.
18.Source: London, British Library Addit. 10052, ff. 33-35
v
First Lines:Who so wolle haue helle
do as y hym telle…
Last Lines:…ffro synful lust wole y nouȝt fle
Though y in helle for
hit ay be
19.Source: London, British Library Addit. 15237, ff. 17
v-19
First Lines:Boste and bragge ay with the beste
To mayntene synne y am ful
prest…
Last Lines:…ffro synfull lust I wil not flee
Though I for it in helle ay
be
Note: Rubricated.
20.Source: London, British Library Harley 206, ff. 30-32
v
First Lines:Qwo so will haue hell
He most do as we hym tell
Bost and brage
ay with þe best
To maynten syne I am full prest…
Last Lines:…ffro synful lust I will not fle
Thoȝ I for itt in hell ay
bee
Note: Passim, with usually one quatrain per side.
Attributed Title: Quarta tabula (f. 30)
22.Source: London, British Library Harley 1288, ff. 4
v-6
v
First Lines:Who so will haue helle
He most do as we him tell…
Last Lines:…Thane no reste nyght nor daye
Till he be serued all to his
paye
Note: Stanza 7 missing.
23.Source: London, British Library Harley 2250, ff. 54-55
First Lines:Who so will haue helle
He most do as we hym tell…
Last Lines:…ffro synfull lust I will not fle
Þough I for it in hell
ay be
25.Source: London, British Library Harley 6580, ff. 19-22
v
First Lines:Who so wyl haue helle
Do he most as I hym telle…
Last Lines:…ffro synful luste I wyl not fle
Thoue I in helle for it ay
be
Editions: Holmstedt, Gustaf,
ed.
Speculum Christiani.
EETS
o.s. 182 (1933); repr. 1988: 58-71.
26.Source: London, British Library Lansdowne 344, ff. 20-23
First Lines:Ho so wil haue helle
Do as y him telle…
Last Lines:…ffro synful lust y wil nouȝt fle
Þouȝ y in
helle for hit ay be
Note: Written as prose and rubricated. Folios have been re-numbered to include
the flyleaves, and foliation here refers to the new numbers.
28.Source: Hereford, Hereford Cathedral Library P.7.7, f. 182
v
Editions: Bannister, Arthur Thomas.
A Descriptive Catalogue of the Manuscripts in the Hereford Cathedral
Library.
Hereford: Wilson & Phillips, 1929: 178-80.
30.Source: Ushaw, St Cuthbert’s College 28, ff. 67
v-74
First Lines:Who so wille haue aftir helle
he most do as I him telle
I boste
& brag ay with þe best
to mayntene synne i am fulle
prest…
Last Lines:…fro sinful lust i wille not flee
though i in helle for hit
euer be
34.Source: Dublin, Trinity College, Dublin 159, ff. 160
v-163
First Lines:Who so wyll haue hell
do as I hym tell
I boste & brage ay
wyth the best
To mayntente syne I am full prest…
Last Lines:…ffro synful lust I wyll not fle
Thogh I in hel for hyt ay
be
Print Witnesses:
1.Source: STC 26012.
Wotton, John,
Speculum Cristiani, W. de Machlinia ad exp. H. Vrankenburgh, [1486?]
Editions: Dibdin, Thomas Frognall.
Typographical Antiquities. Revised Joseph Ames and William
Herbert.
4 vols. London: Bulmer, 1810, 1812, 1816, 1818: 2.1.