Front matter (continued 7)

Here beginneth the Plowmans Prologue.

The Plowman plucked up his plow, Whan midsommer mone was comen in, And sayd, 'his beestes shuld ete y-now, And lig in the grasse, up to the chin; 5 They ben feble, both oxe and cow, Of hem nis left but boon and skin.' He shook of share, and cultre of-drow, And hong his harneys on a pin.

He took his tabard and his staf eke, 10 And on his heed he set his hat; And sayde, he wolde saynt Thomas seke, On pilgrimage he goth forth plat. In scrippe he bar both breed and lekes, He was forswonke and all forswat; 15 Men might have seen through both his chekes, And every wang-toth and where it sat.

Our hoste beheld wel all about, And saw this man was sunne y-brent; He knew well by his senged snout, 20 And by his clothes that were to-rent, He was a man wont to walke about, He nas nat alway in cloystre y-pent; He coud not religiousliche lout, And therfore was he fully shent.

25 Our host him axed, 'what man art thou?' 'Sir,' quod he, 'I am an hyne; For I am wont to go to the plow, And erne my mete yer that I dyne. To swete and swinke I make avow, 30 My wyf and children therwith to fynd, And servë god, and I wist how; But we lewd men ben full[y] blynd.

For clerkes saye, we shullen be fayn For hir lyvelod [to] swete and swinke, 35 And they right nought us give agayn, Neyther to ete ne yet to drinke. They mowe by lawë, as they sayn, Us curse and dampne to hell[e] brinke; Thus they putten us to payn, 40 With candles queynt and belles clinke.

They make us thralles at hir lust, And sayn, we mowe nat els be saved; They have the corn and we the dust, Who speketh ther-agayn, they say he raved.'

45 'What, man,' quod our host, 'canst thou preche? Come neer, and tell us some holy thing.' 'Sir,' quod he, 'I herde ones teche A prest in pulpit a good preching.' 'Say on,' quod our host, 'I thee beseche.' 50 'Sir, I am redy at your bidding. I pray you that no man me reproche Whyl that I am my tale telling.

Thus endeth the prologue, and here foloweth the first part of the tale.

PART I.

A sternë stryf is stered newe In many stedes in a stounde, 55 Of sondry sedes that ben sewe; It semeth that som ben unsounde. For some be gretë growen †on grounde, Some ben souple, simple and small; Whether of hem is falser founde, 60 The falser, foul mote him befall!

That oon syde is, that I of tell, Popes, cardinals, and prelates, Parsons, monkes, and freres fell, Priours, abbottes of grete estates; 65 Of heven and hell they kepe the yates, And Peters successours they ben all; This is demed by oldë dates; But falshed, foul mote it befall!

The other syde ben poore and pale, 70 And people put [al] out of prees; And semë caytifs sore a-cale, And ever in oon without encrees, †I-cleped lollers and londlees; Who toteth on hem, they been untall. 75 They ben arayed all for the pees; But falshed, foul mote it befall!

Many a countrey have I sought, To know the falser of these two; But ever my travail was for nought, 80 All so fer as I have go. But as I wandred in a wro, In a wode besyde a wall, Two foules saw I sitte tho; The falser, foul mote him befall!

85 That oon did plede on the Popes syde, A Griffon of a grim stature. A Pellicane withouten pryde To these lollers layde his lure; He mused his matter in mesure, 90 To counsayl Christ ever gan he call. The Griffon shewed as sharp as fyre, But falshed, foul mote it befall!

The Pellican began to preche Both of mercy and of mekeness; 95 And sayd, that "Christ so gan us teche, And meke and merciable gan bless. The Evangely bereth witness A lamb, he lykneth Christ over-all, In tokening that he mekest was, 100 Sith pryde was out of heven fall.

And so shulde every Christned be; Preestes, Peters successours, Beth lowlich and of low degree, And usen none erthly honours, 105 Neyther crown, ne curious cove[r]tours, Ne †pelure, ne other proudë pall; Ne nought to cofren up greet tresours; For falshed, foul mote it befall!

Preest[e]s shuld for no cattel plede, 110 But chasten hem in charitè; Ne to no batail shuld men lede For inhaunsing of hir own degree; Nat wilnë sittings in hy see, Ne soverayntè in hous ne hall; 115 All worldly worship defye and flee; For who willeth highnes, foul shal fall!

Alas! who may such sayntes call That wilneth welde erthly honour? As lowe as Lucifer such shal fall, 120 In baleful blacknesse y-builde hir bour; That eggeth the people to errour, And maketh hem to hem [be] thrall; To Christ I hold suche oon traytour, As lowe as Lucifer such shal fall.

125 That willeth to be kinges peres, And hygher than the emperour; Some that were but pore freres Now wollen waxe a warryour. God is nat hir governour, 130 That holdeth no man his †peragall; Whyl covetyse is hir counsaylour, All such falshed mot nedë fall.

That hye on horse willeth ryde In glitterand golde of grete aray, 135 I-paynted and portred all in pryde; No commun knight may go so gay. Chaunge of clothing every day, With golden girdles grete and small; As boystous as is bere at bay; 140 All such falshed mot nedë fall.

With prydë †punysheth the pore, And somë they sustayn with sale; Of holy churche maketh an hore, And filleth hir wombe with wyne and ale; 145 With money filleth many a male, And chaffren churches when they fall, And telleth the people a lewed tale; Such falsë faytours, foul hem fall!

With chaunge of many maner metes, 150 With song and solace sitting long, And filleth hir wombë, and fast fretes, And from the metë to the gong; And after mete with harp and song, And ech man mot hem lordes call; 155 And hotë spyces ever among; Such falsë faytours, foul hem fall!

And myters mo than oon or two, I-perled as the quenes heed; A staf of golde, and †perrey, lo! 160 As hevy as it were mad of leed; With cloth of gold both newe and reed, With glitterand †gown as grene as gall, By dome will dampnë men to deed; All suche faytours, foul hem fall!

165 And Christes people proudly curse With brode bokes, and braying bell; To putte pennyes in hir purse They woll sell both heven and hell; And in hir sentence, and thou wilt dwell, 170 They willen gesse in hir gay hall; And though the soth thou of hem tell, In greet cursinge shalt thou fall.

That is blessed, that they blesse, And cursed, that they cursë woll; 175 And thus the people they oppresse, And have their lordshippes at full; And many be marchauntes of woll, And to purse penyes woll come thrall; The porë people they all to-pull, 180 Such falsë faytours, foul hem fall!

Lordes motë to hem loute, Obeysaunt to hir brode blessing; They ryden with hir royall route On a courser, as it were a king; 185 With saddle of golde glitt[e]ring With curious harneys quayntly crallit, Styroppes gaye of gold-mastling; All suche falshed, foul befall it!

Christes ministers †cleped they been, 190 And rulen all in robberye; But Antichrist they serven clene, Attyred all in tyrannye; Witnesse of Johns prophecye, That Antichrist is hir admirall, 195 Tiffelers attyred in trecherye; All suche faytours, foul hem fall!

Who sayth, that some of hem may sinne, He shal be †demed to be deed; Some of hem woll gladly winne 200 All ayenst that which god forbed; "All-holyest" they clepen hir heed, That of hir rulë is regall; Alas! that ever they eten breed; For all such falshed woll foul fall.

205 Hir heed loveth all honour, And to be worshipped in worde and dede; Kinges mot to hem knele and coure; To the apostles, that Christ forbede; To popes hestes such taketh more hede 210 Than to kepe Christes commaundëment; Of gold and silver mot ben hir wede, They holdeth him hole omnipotent.

He ordayneth by his ordinaunce To parish-preestes a powére; 215 To another a greter avaunce, A greter poynt to his mystere; But for he is hyghest in erth here, To him reserveth he many a poynt; But to Christ, that hath no pere, 220 Reserveth he neither opin ne joynt.

So semeth he above[n] all, And Christ aboven him nothing; Whan he sitteth in his stall, Dampneth and saveth as him think. 225 Such pryde tofore god doth stink; An angell bad John to him nat knele, But only to god do his bowing; Such willers of worship must evil fele.

They ne clepen Christ but sanctus deus, 230 And clepen her heed Sanctissimus; They that such a sect[ë] sewis, I trowe, they taken hem amisse. In erth[ë] here they have hir blisse, Hir hye master is Belial; 235 †Christ his people from hem wisse! For all such falsë will foul fall!

They mowë both[ë] binde and lose, And all is for hir holy lyf; To save or dampne they mowë chose, 240 Betwene hem now [ther] is gret stryf. Many a man is killed with knyf, To wete which of hem have lordship shall; For such, Christ suffred woundes fyve; For all such falshed will foul fall.

245 Christ sayd: Qui gladio percutit With swerdë shall [he surely] dye; He bad his preestes pees and grith, And bad hem not drede for to dye; And bad them be both simple and slye, 250 And carkë not for no cattall, And †truste on god that sitteth on hye; For all [such] falsë shull foul fall.

These wollen makë men to swere Ayenst Christes commaundëment; 255 And Christes membres all to-tere On rode as he wer newe y-rent. Suche lawes they make by commun assent, Ech on it choweth as a ball; Thus the pore be fully shent, 260 But ever falshed foule it †fall!

They usen [never] no symonye, But sellen churches and prioryes; Ne [yet] they usen no envye, But cursen all hem contraryes; 265 And hyreth men by dayes and yeres With strength to holde hem in hir stall; And culleth all hir adversaryes; Therefor, falshed! foul thou fall!

With purse they purchase personage, 270 With purse they paynen hem to plede; And men of warrë they woll wage, To bringe hir enemyes to the dede. And lordes lyves they woll lede, And moche take, and give but small; 275 But he it so get, from it shall shede, And make such falsë right foul fal!

They halowe nothing but for hyre, Churchë, font, ne vestëment; And make[n] orders in every shyre, 280 But preestes paye for the parchement; Of ryatours they taken rent, Therwith they smere the shepes skall; For many churches ben oft suspent; All such falshed, yet foul it fall!

285 Some liveth nat in lecherye, But haunten wenches, widdowes, and wyves, And punisheth the pore for putrye; Them-selfe it useth all their lyves. And but a man to them [him] shryves, 290 To heven comë never he shall; He shal be cursed as be captyves, To hell they sayn that he shall fall.

There was more mercy in Maximien, And in Nero, that never was good, 295 Than [there] is now in some of †hem Whan he hath on his furred hood. They folowe Christ that shedde his blood To heven, as bucket in-to the wall; Suche wreches ben worse than wood; 300 And all such faytours, foule hem fall!

They give hir almesse to the riche, To maynteynours, and to men of lawe; For to lordes they woll be liche, An harlottes sone nat worth an hawe! 305 Sothfastnessë suche han slawe, They kembe hir crokets with cristall; And drede of god they have down drawe; All suche faytours, foul hem fall!

They maken parsons for the penny, 310 And canons of hir cardinals; Unnethes amongest hem all any That he ne hath glosed the gospell fals! For Christ made never no cathedrals, Ne with him was no cardinall 315 Wyth a reed hatte as usen mynstrals; But falshed, foul mote it befall!

†Hir tything, and hir offring both, They cle[y]meth it by possessio[u]n; Thérof nill they none forgo, 320 But robben men as [by] raunsoun. The tything of Turpe lucrum With these maisters is meynall; Tything of bribry and larson Will makë falshed full foul fall!

325 They taken to fermë hir sompnours To harme the people what they may; To pardoners and false faytours Sell hir seles, I dar well say; And all to holden greet array, 330 To multiply hem more metall, They drede full litell domes day Whan all such [falsë] shall foul fall.

Suche harlottes shull men disclaunder For they shullen make hir gree, 335 And ben as proude as Alexaunder, And sayn to the pore, "wo be ye!" By yere ech preest shall paye his fee To encrese his lemmans call; Suche herdes shull well yvell thee, 340 And all such falsë shull foul fall!

And if a man be falsly famed, And woldë make purgacioun, Than woll the officers be agramed, And assigne him fro town to town; 345 So nede he must[e] paye raunsoun Though he be clene as is cristall, And than have an absolutioun; But all such falsë shull foul fall!

Though he be gilty of the dede, 350 And that he [yet] may money pay, All the whyle his purse woll blede He may use it fro day to day! These bishoppes officers goon full gay, And this game they usen over-all; 355 The pore to pill is all †hir pray; All such falsë shull foul fall!

Alas! god ordayned never such lawe, Ne no such craft of covetyse; He forbad it, by his sawe, 360 Such governours mowen of god agryse; For all his rules †ben rightwyse. These newe poyntes ben pure papall, And goddes lawë they dispyse; And all such faytours shul foul fall!

365 They sayn that Peter had the key Of hevin and hell, to have and hold; I trowe Peter took no money For no sinnes that he sold! Such successours ben to bold, 370 In winning all their wit they wrall; Hir conscience is waxen cold; And all such faytours, foule hem fall!

Peter was never so great a fole To leve his key with such a lorell, 375 Or to take such cursed such a tole He was advysed nothing well. I trowe, they have the key of hell; †Hir maister is of that place marshall; For there they dressen hem to dwell, 380 And with fals Lucifer there to fall.

They ben as proude as Lucifer, As angry, and as envious; From good fayth they ben full fer, In covetyse they ben curious; 385 To catche catell as covytous As hound, that for hunger woll yall; Ungoodly, and ungracious; And nedely, such falshed shal foul fall!

The pope, and he were Peters heyr, 390 Me think, he erreth in this cas, Whan choyse of bishoppes is in dispeyr, To chosen hem in dyvers place; A lord shall write to him for grace, For his clerke †pray anon he shall; 395 So shall he spede[n] his purchas; And all such falsë, foule hem fall!

Though he †conne no more good, A lordes prayer shal be sped; Though he be wild of will or wood, 400 Nat understanding what men han red, A boster, and (that god forbede!) As good a bishop †as my hors Ball, Suche a pope is foule be-sted, And at [the] lastë woll foul fall!

405 He maketh bishops for erthly thank, And nothing for Christes sake; Such that ben ful fatte and rank, To soulë hele non hede they take. Al is well don what ever they make, 410 For they shal answere at †ones for all; For worldes thank, such worch and wake, And all such falsë shall foul fall!

Suche that †connë nat hir Crede With prayer shull be mad prelates; 415 Nother †conne the gospell rede, Such shull now welde hye estates. The hye goodes frendship hem makes, They toteth on hir somme totall; Such bere the keyes of hell-yates, 420 And all such falsë shall foul fall.

They forsake, for Christes love, Traveyl, hunger, thurst, and cold; For they ben ordred ever all above Out of youthe til they ben old. 425 By the dore they go nat in-to the fold, To helpe †hir sheep they nought travall; Hyred men all suche I holde, And all such falsë, foule hem fall!

For Christ hir king they woll forsake, 430 And knowe him nought for his povert; For Christes lovë they woll wake, And drink pyment [and] ale apart. Of god they seme nothing a-ferd; As lusty liveth, as Lamuall, 435 And dryve hir sheep into desert; All such faytours shull foul fall!

Christ hath twelve apostels here; Now say they, ther may be but oon, That may nat erre in no manere; 440 Who leveth nat this, ben lost echoon! Peter erred, so dide nat John; Why is he cleped the principall? Christ cleped him Peter, but himself the stoon; All falsë faytours, foule hem fall!

445 Why cursen they the croysery, Christes Christen crëatures? For bytwene hem is now envy To be enhaunsed in honours. And Christen livers, with hir labours, 450 For they leve on no man mortall, †Ben do to dethe with dishonours; And all such falsë, foule hem fall!

What knoweth a tillour at the plow The popes name, and what he hat? 455 His crede suffyseth him y-now, And knoweth a cardinall by his hat. Rough is the pore, unrightly lat, That knoweth Christ his god royall; Such maters be nat worth a gnat; 460 But such false faytours, foule hem fall!

A king shall knele and kisse his sho; Christ suffred a sinfull kisse his feet. Me thinketh, he holdeth him hye y-now, So Lucifer did, that hye †seet. 465 Such oon, me thinketh, him-self foryet, Either to the trouth he was nat call; Christ, that suffred woundes wet, Shall makë such falshed foul fall!

They layeth out hir largë nettes 470 For to take silver and gold, Fillen coffers, and sackes fettes, There-as they soules cacche shold. Hir servaunts be to †hem unhold, But they can doublin †hir rentall 475 To bigge hem castels, and bigge hem hold; And all such falsë, foule hem fall!

Here endeth the first part of this tale, and herafter foloweth the seconde part.

PART II.

To accorde with this wordë "fal" No more English can I find; Shewe another now I shall, 480 For I have moche to say behind, How preestes han the people pynd, As curteys Christ hath me [y-]kend, And put this matter in my mind To make this maner men amend.

485 Shortly to shende hem, and shewe now How wrongfully they worche and walke; O hye god, nothing they tell, ne how, But in goddes word, †tell many a balke. In hernes holde hem and in halke, 490 And prechin of tythes and offrend, And untruely of the gospell talke; For his mercy, god it amend!

What is Antichrist to say But evin Christes adversáry? 495 Such hath now ben many a day To Christes bidding full contráry, That from the trouthë clenë vary; Out of the wayë they ben wend; And Christes people untruely cary; 500 God, for his pitè, it amend!

That liven contráry to Christes lyf, In hye pride agaynst mekenesse; Agaynst suffraunce they usen stryf, And angre ayenst sobrenesse; 505 Agaynst wisdom, wilfulnesse; To Christes tales litell tend; Agaynst mesúre, outragiousnesse; But whan god woll, it may amend!

Lordly lyf ayenst lowlinesse, 510 And demin all without mercy; And covetyse ayenst largesse, Agaynst trewth[e], trechery; And agaynst almesse, envy; Agaynst Christ they comprehend. 515 For chastitè, they maynteyn lechery; God, for his gracë, this amend!

Ayenst penaunce they use delytes, Ayenst suffraunce, strong defence; Ayenst god they use yvel rightes, 520 Agaynst pitè, punishments; Open yvell ayenst continence; Hir wicked winning wors dispend; Sobrenesse they sette in-to dispence; But god, for his goodnesse, it amend!

525 Why cleymen they hoolly his powére, And wranglen ayenst all his hestes? His living folowen they nothing here, But liven wors than witles beestes. Of fish and flesh they loven feestes, 530 As lordes, they ben brode y-kend; Of goddes pore they haten gestes; God, for his mercy, this amend!

With †Dives such shall have hir doom That sayn that they be Christes frendes, 535 And do nothing as they shuld doon; All such ben falser than ben fendes. On the people they ley such bendes, As god is in erthe, they han offend; Sucour for suchë Christ now sende us. 540 And, for his mercy, this amend!

A token of Antichrist they be, His careckes ben now wyde y-know; Receyved to preche shall no man be Without[ë] token of him, I trow. 545 Ech Christen preest to prechen ow, From god abovë they ben send. Goddes word to all folk for to show, Sinfull man for to amend.

Christ sente the pore for to preche; 550 The royall riche he did nat so; Now dar no pore the people teche, For Antichrist is over-all hir fo. Among the people he mot go; He hath bidden, all such suspend; 555 Some hath he hent, and thinketh yet mo; But all this god may well amend.

All tho that han the world forsake, And liven lo[w]ly, as god bad, In-to hir prison shullen be take, 560 Betin and bounden, and forth lad. Herof I rede no man be drad; Christ sayd, his [servaunts] shulde be shend; Ech man ought herof be glad; For god ful well it woll amend.

565 They take on hem royáll powére, And saye, they havë swerdes two, Oon curse to hell, oon slee men here; For at his taking Christ had no mo, Yet Peter had [that] oon of tho. 570 But Christ to Peter smyte gan defend, And in-to the sheth bad putte it tho; And all such mischeves god amend!

Christ bad Peter kepe his sheep, And with his swerde forbad him smyte; 575 Swerd is no tole with sheep to kepe But to shep[h]erdes that sheep woll byte. Me thinketh, suche shep[h]erdes ben to wyte Ayen hir sheep with swerd that contend; They dryve hir sheep with greet dispyte; 580 But al this god may well amend.

So successours to Peter be they nought Whom [that] Christ madë cheef pastour; A swerd no shep[h]erde usen ought But he wold slee as a bochour. 585 For who-so were Peters successour Shuld bere his sheep till his bak bend, And shadowe hem from every shour; And all this god may wel amend.

Successours to Peter ben these 590 In that that Peter Christ forsook, That had lever the love of god [to] lese Than a shep[h]erde had to lese his hook. He culleth the sheep as doth the cook; Of hem [they] taken the woll untrend, 595 And falsely glose the gospell-book; God, for his mercy, †hem amend!

After Christ had take Peter the kay, Christ sayd, he mustë dye for man; That Peter to Christ gan withsay; 600 Christ bad him, 'go behind, Sathan!' Such counsaylours many of these men han For worldes wele, god to offend; Peters successours they ben for-than, But all such god may well amend.

605 For Sathan is to say no more But he that contrary to Christ is; In this they lernë Peters lore, They sewen him whan he did mis; They folowe Peter forsothe in this, 610 In al that Christ wolde †him reprende, Nat in that that longeth to hevin blis; God for his mercy hem amend!

Some of the apostels they sewen in cas, Of ought that I can understonde, 615 Him that betrayed Christ, Judas, That bar the purse in every londe; And al that he might sette on honde, He hidde and stal, and [gan] mispend; His rule these traytours han in honde; 620 Almighty god [now] hem amend!

And at last his lord gan tray Cursedly, through his covetyse; So wolde these trayen him for money, And they wisten in what wyse! 625 They be seker of the selfe ensyse; From all sothnesse they ben frend; And covetyse chaungen with queyntyse; Almighty god all suche amend!

Were Christ on erthë here eft-soon, 630 These wolde dampnë him to dye; All his hestes they han fordon, And sayn, his sawes ben heresy; Ayenst his †maundëments they cry, And dampne all his to be [y-]brend; 635 For it lyketh nat hem, such losengery; God almighty hem amend!

These han more might in England here Than hath the king and all his lawe, They han purchased hem such powére 640 To taken hem whom [they] list nat knawe; And say, that heresy is hir sawe, And so to prison woll hem send; It was nat so by elder dawe, God, for his mercy, it amend!

645 The kinges lawe wol no man deme Angerliche, withouten answere; But, if any man these misqueme, He shal be baited as a bere; And yet wel wors they woll him tere, 650 And in prisón woll hem [be] pend In gyves, and in other gere; Whan god woll, it may [a]mend.

The king taxeth nat his men But by assent of the comminaltè; 655 But these, ech yere, woll raunsom hem Maysterfully, more than doth he; Hir seles, by yerë, better be Than is the kinges in extend; Hir officers han gretter fee; 660 But this mischeef [may] god amend!

For who-so woll prove a testament Thát is natt all worth ten pound, He shall paye for the parchëment The third part of the money all round. 665 Thus the people is raunsound, They say, such part to hem shulde apend; There as they grypen, it goth to ground; God, for his mercy, it amend!

A simple fornicacioun, 670 Twenty shillings he shall pay; And than have an absolucioun, And al the yere usen it forth he may! Thus they letten hem go a-stray, They recke nat though the soul be brend; 675 These kepin yvell Peters key, And all such shep[h]erdes god amend!

Wonder is, that the parliament And all the lordes of this lond Here-to taken so litell entent 680 To helpe the people out of hir hond; For they ben harder in †hir bond, Wors bete[n] and [more] bitter brend Than to the king is understond; God him helpe this to amend!

685 What bisshoppes, what religio[u]ns Han in this lande as moch lay-fee, Lordshippes, and possessio[u]ns More than the lordes, it semeth me! That maketh hem lese charitè, 690 They mowë nat to god attend; In erthe they have so high degree, God, for his mercy, it amend!

The emperour yaf the pope somtyme So hyghe lordship him about, 695 That, at [the] laste, the sely kyme, The proudë popë putte him out! So of this realme is in dout, But lordes be ware and †hem defend; For now these folk be wonder stout, 700 The king and lordes now this amend!

Thus endeth the seconde part of this tale, and herafter foloweth the thirde.

PART III.

Moyses lawe forbood it tho, That preestes shuld no lordshippes welde, Christes gospel biddeth also Thát they shuld no lordship helde; 705 Ne Christes apostels were never so bold No such lordshippes to †hem enbrace; But smeren hir sheep and kepe hir fold; God amende hem for his grace!

For they ne ben but countrefet, 710 Men may knowe hem by hir fruit; Hir gretnesse maketh hem god foryet, And take his mekenesse in dispyt. And they were pore and had but lyte, They nolde nat demen after the face, 715 But norishe hir sheep, and hem nat byte; God amende hem for his grace!"

Grifon. "What canst thou preche ayenst chanons Thát men clepen seculere?" Pelican. "They ben curates of many towns, 720 On erthë they have greet powére. They han greet prebendes and dere, Some two or three, and some [han] mo, A personage to ben a playing-fere, And yet they serve the king also;

725 And let to fermë all that fare To whom that woll most give therfore; Some woll spende, and some woll spare, And some woll laye it up in store. A cure of soule[s] they care nat for, 730 Só they mowë money take; Whether hir soules be wonne or lore, Hir profits they woll nat forsake.

They have a gedering procuratour That can the pore people enplede, 735 And robben hem as a ravinour, And to his lord the money lede; And cacche of quicke and eke of dede, And richen him and his lord eke, And to robbe the pore can give good rede 740 Of olde and yonge, of hole and seke.

Therwith they purchase hem lay-fee In londë, there hem lyketh best, And builde †als brode as a citè Both in the est, and eke in the west. 745 To purchase thus they ben ful prest, But on the pore they woll nought spend, Ne no good give to goddes gest, Ne sende him some that all hath send.

By hir service such woll live, 750 And trusse that other in-to tresour; Though all hir parish dye unshrive, They woll nat give a rosë-flour. Hir lyf shuld be as a mirrour Bothe to lered and to leude also, 755 And teche the people hir leel labour; Such mister men ben all misgo.

Some of hem ben hardë nigges, And some of hem ben proude and gay; Some spende hir good upon [hir] gigges, 760 And finden hem of greet aray. Alas! what think these men to say That thus dispenden goddis good? At the dredfull domes day Such wrecches shul be worse than wood.

765 Some hir churc[h]es never ne sye, Ne never o peny thider ne sende; Though the pore parishens for hunger dye, O peny on hem wil they nat spende. Have they receivinge of the rent, 770 They reck never of the remënant; Alas! the devill hath clene hem blent! Suche oon is Sathanas sojournant.

And usen horedom and harlotry, Covetysë, pompe, and pride, 775 Slouthë, wrathe, and eke envy, And sewen sinne by every syde. Alas! where thinkë such t'abyde? How woll they accomptes yeld? From hy god they mow hem nat hyde, 780 Such willers wit is nat worth a neld.

They ben so roted in richesse, That Christes povert is foryete, Served with so many messe, Hem thinketh that manna is no mete. 785 All is good that they mow get, They wenë to live evermore; But, whan god at dome is set, Such tresour is a feble store.

Unneth mot they matins say, 790 For counting and for court-holding; And yet he jangleth as a jay, And understont him-self nothing. He woll serve bothe erl and king For his fynding and his fee, 795 And hyde his tything and his offring; This is a feble charitè.

Other they ben proude, or coveytous, Or they ben harde, or [els] hungry, Or they ben liberall or lecherous, 800 Or els medlers with marchandry; Or maynteyners of men with maistry, Or stewardes, countours, or pledours, And serve god in hypocrisy; Such preestes ben Christes fals traytours!

805 They ben false, they ben vengeable, And begylen men in Christes name; They ben unstedfast and unstable; To tray hir lord, hem thinketh no shame. To servë god they ben full lame, 810 Goddes theves, and falsly stele; And falsly goddes word defame; In winning is hir worldes wele.

Antichrist these serven all; I pray thee, who may say [me] nay? 815 With Antichrist such [folk] shull fall, They folowen him in dede and fay; They servin him in riche array, To servë Christ such falsly fayn; Why, at the dredful domes day, 820 Shull they not folowe him to payn?

That knowen hem-self, that they don ill Ayenst Christes commaundëment, And amende hem never ne will, But serve Sathan by one assent. 825 Who sayth [the] sothe, he shal be shent, Or speketh ayenst hir fals living; Who-so well liveth shal be brent, For such ben gretter than the king!

Pope, bishoppes, and cardinals, 830 Chanons, persons, and vicaire, In goddes service, I trow, ben fals, That sacramentës sellen here. And ben as proude as Lucifere; Ech man loke whether that I ly! 835 Who-so speketh ayenst hir powére, It shall be holden heresy.

Loke how many orders take Only of Christ, for his servyce, That the worldes goodes forsake? 840 Who-so taketh orders †on other wyse, I trow, that they shall sore agryse! For all the glose that they conne, All sewen not this [same] assyse; In yvell tyme they thus bigonne.

845 Loke how many among hem all Holden not this hyë way! With Antichrist they shullen fall, For they wolden god betray. God amende hem, that best may! 850 For many men they maken shende; They weten well, the sothe I say, Bút the divell hath foule hem blend.

Some [up]on hir churches dwell, Apparailled porely, proude of port; 855 The seven sacraments they don sell, In cattel-cacching is hir comfort. Of ech mattér they wollen mell, And don hem wrong is hir disport; To afray the people they ben fell, 860 And holde hem lower then doth the lord.

For the tythinge of a ducke, Or of an apple, or an ay, They make men swere upon a boke; Thus they foulen Christes fay. 865 Such beren yvell heven-kay, They mowen assoyl, they mowë shryve; With mennes wyves strongly play, With trewë tillers sturte and stryve

At the wrestling, and at the wake; 870 And chefe chauntours at the nale; Market-beters, and medling make, Hoppen and houten with heve and hale. At fayrë freshe, and at wynë stale, Dyne and drinke, and make debat; 875 The seven sacraments set at sale; How kepe such the kayes of heven-gat?

Mennes wyves they wollen holde; And though that they ben right sory, To speke they shull not be so bolde 880 For sompning to the consistory; And make hem say [with] mouth "I ly," Though they it sawë with hir y; His lemman holden openly, No man so hardy to axë why!

885 He wol have tythinge and offringe, Maugrè who-so-ever it gruche; And twyës on the day woll singe; Goddes prestes nere none suche! He mot on hunting with dogge and bic[c]he, 890 And blowen his horn, and cryën "hey!" And sorcery usen as a wicche; Such kepen yvell Peters key.

Yet they mot have som stocke or stoon Gayly paynted, and proudly dight, 895 To maken men [to] †leven upon, And say, that it is full of might; About such, men sette up greet light, Other such stockes shull stand therby As darkë as it were midnight, 900 For it may make no ma[i]stry.

That lewed people see it mow, Thou, Mary, worchest wonder thinges; About that, that men offren to now, Hongen broches, ouches, and ringes; 905 The preest purchaseth the offringes, But he nill offre to none image; Wo is the soule that he for singes, That precheth for suche a pilgrimage!

To men and women that ben pore, 910 That ben [in] Christes own lykenesse, Men shullen offre at hir dore That suffren honger and distresse; And to suche imáges offre lesse, That mow not felë thurst ne cold; 915 The pore in spirit gan Christ blesse, Therfore offreth to feble and old.

Buckelers brode, and swerdes longe, †Baudriks, with baselardes kene, Such toles about hir necke they honge; 920 With Antichrist such preestes been; Upon hir dedes it is well sene Whom they serven, whom they hono[u]ren; Antichristes they ben clene, And goddes goodes fa[l]sly deuouren.

925 Of scarlet and grene gay[ë] gownes, That mot be shapë for the newe, To clippen and kissen counten in townes The damoseles that to the daunce sewe; Cutted clothes to sewe hir hewe, 930 With longë pykes on hir shoon; Our goddes gospell is not trewe, Eyther they serven the divell or noon!

Now ben prestes pokes so wyde, Men must enlarge the vestëment; 935 The holy gospell they don hyde, For they contrarien in rayment. Such preestes of Lucifer ben sent, Lyk conquerours they ben arayd, Proude pendaunts at hir ars y-pent, 940 Falsly the truthe they han betrayd.

Shryft-silver suchë wollen aske is, And woll men crepë to the crouche; None of the sacraments, save askes, Without[ë] mede shall no man touche. 945 On hir bishop their warant vouche, That is lawe of the decrè; With mede and money thus they mouche, And †this, they sayn, is charitè!

In the middes of hir masse 950 They nill have no man but for hyre, And, full shortly, let forth passe; Such shull men finde[n] in ech shyre That personages for profite desyre, To live in lykinge and in lustes; 955 I dar not sayn, sans ose ieo dyre, That such ben Antichristes preestes.

Or they yef the bishops why, Or they mot ben in his servyce, And holden forth hir harlotry; 960 Such prelats ben of feble empryse. Of goddes grame such men agryse, For such mattérs that taken mede; How they excuse hem, and in what wyse, Me thinketh, they ought greetly drede.

965 They sayn, that it to no man longeth To reprove †hem, though they erre; But falsely goddes good they fongeth, And therwith maynteyn wo and werre. Hir dedes shuld be as bright as sterre, 970 Hir living, lewed mannes light; They say, the popë may not erre, Nede must that passë mannes might.

Though a prest ly with his lemman al night, And tellen his felowe, and he him, 975 He goth to massë anon-right, And sayeth, he singeth out of sinne! His bryde abydeth him at his inne, And dighteth his dyner the mene whyle; He singeth his masse for he wolde winne, 980 And so he weneth god begyle!

Hem thinketh long till they be met; And that they usen forth all the yere; Among the folk when he is set, He holdeth no man half his pere; 985 Of the bishop he hath powére To soyle men, or els they ben lore; His absolucion may make †hem skere; And wo is the soul that he singeth for!"

The Griffon began for to threte, 990 And sayd, "of monkes canst thou ought?" The Pellican sayd, "they ben full grete, And in this world moch wo hath wrought. Saynt Benet, that hir order brought, Ne made hem never on such manere; 995 I trowe, it cam never in his thought That they shulde use so greet powér[e];

That a man shulde a monk lord cal, Ne serve on kneës, as a king. He is as proud as prince in pall 1000 In mete, and drink, and [in] all thing; Some weren myter and ring, With double worsted well y-dight, With royall mete and riche drink, And rydeth on courser as a knight.

1005 With hauke[s] and with houndes eke, With broches or ouches on his hode, Some say no masse in all a weke, Of deyntees is hir moste fode. With lordshippes and with bondmen 1010 This is a royall religioun; Saynt Benet made never none of hem To have lordship of man ne town.

Now they ben queynte and curious, With fyn cloth cladde, and served clene, 1015 Proude, angry, and envyous, Malyce is mochë that they mene. In cacching crafty and covetous, Lordly liven in greet lyking; This living is not religious 1020 According to Benet in his living.

They ben clerkes, hir courtes they oversee, Hir pore tenaunts fully they flyte; The hyer that a man amerced be, The gladlyer they woll it wryte. 1025 This is fer from Christes povertè, For all with covetyse they endyte; On the pore they have no pitè, Ne never hem cherish, but ever hem byte.

And comunly suche ben comen 1030 Of pore people, and of hem begete, That this perfeccion han y-nomen; Hir †faders ryde not but on hir fete, And travaylen sore for that they ete, In povert liveth, yonge and old; 1035 Hir †faders suffreth drought and wete, Many hongry meles, thurst, and cold.

All this the monkes han forsake For Christes love and saynt Benet; To pryde and esë have hem take; 1040 This religio[u]n is yvell beset. Had they ben out of religioun, They must have honged at the plow, Threshing and dyking fro town to town With sory mete, and not half y-now.

1045 Therfore they han this all forsake, And taken to riches, pryde, and ese; Full fewe for god woll monkes hem make, Litell is suche order for to prayse! Saynt Benet ordayned it not so, 1050 But bad hem be [ful] cherelich; In churlich maner live and go, Boystous in erth, and not lordlych.

They disclaunder saynt Benet, Therfore they have his holy curse; 1055 Saynt Benet with hem never met But-if they thought to robbe his purse! I can no more herof [now] tell, But they ben lykë tho before, And clenë serve the divell of hell, 1060 And ben his tresour and his store.

And all suche other counterfaytours, Chanons, canons, and such disgysed, Ben goddes enemies and traytours, His true religion han foul dispysed. 1065 Of freres I have told before In a making of a 'Crede,' And yet I coud tell worse and more, But men wold werien it to rede!

As goddes goodnes no man tell might, 1070 Wryte ne speke, ne think in thought, So, hir falshed and hir unright May no man tell, that ever god wrought." The Gryffon sayd, "thou canst no good, Thou cam never of no gentill kind; 1075 Other, I trow, thou waxest wood, Or els thou hast [y-]lost thy mynd.

Shuld holy churchë have no heed? Who shuld be her governayl? Who shuld her rule, who shuld her reed, 1080 Who shuld her forthren, who shuld avayl? Ech man shall live by his travayl; Who best doth, shall have moste mede; With strength if men the churche assayl, With strength men must defende her nede.

1085 And the pope were purely pore, Nedy, and nothing ne had, He shuld be driven from dore to dore; The wicked of him nold not be drad. Of such an heed men wold be sad, 1090 And sinfully liven as hem †list; With strength, amendes †shuld be made, With wepen, wolves from sheep be †wist.

If the pope and prelats wold So begge and bidde, bowe, and borowe, 1095 Holy churche shuld stand full cold, Hir servaunts sitte and soupë sorowe! And they were noughty, foule, and horowe, To worship god men woldë wlate; Bothe on even and on morowe 1100 Such harlotry men woldë hate.

Therfore men of holy churche Shuld ben honest in all thing, Worshipfully goddes workes werche, So semeth it, to serve Christ hir king 1105 In honest and in clene clothing; With vessels of golde and clothes riche, To god honestly to make offring; To his lordship non is liche."

The Pellican caste an houge cry, 1110 And sayd, "alas! why sayest thou so? Christ is our heed that sitteth on hy, Heddes ne ought we have no mo. We ben his membres both also, And †fader he taught us to cal him als; 1115 Maysters be called defended he tho; All other maysters ben wicked and fals,

That taketh maystry in his name, Gostly, and for erthly good; Kinges and lordes shuld lordship han, 1120 And rule the people with myldë mode. Christ, for us that shedde his blood, Bad his preestes no maystership have, Ne carkë nat for cloth ne fode; From every mischef he will hem save.

1125 Hir riche clothing shal be rightwysnesse, Hir tresour, trewë lyf shal be; Charitè shal be hir richesse, Hir lordship shal be unitè; Hope in god, hir honestè; 1130 Hir vessell, clenë conscience; Pore in spirit, and humilitè, Shal be holy churches defence."

"What," sayd the Griffon, "may thee greve That other folkes faren wele? 1135 What hast thou to donë with hir †leve? Thy falsheed ech man may fele. For thou canst no catell gete, But livest in londe, as a lorell, With glosing gettest thou thy mete; 1140 So fareth the devell that wonneth in hell.

He wold that ech man ther shuld dwell, For he liveth in clene envy; So with the tales that thou doest tell Thou woldest other people distry, 1145 With your glose, and your heresy, For ye can live no better lyf, But clenë in hypocrisy, And bringest thee in wo and stryf.

And therwith have [ye] not to done, 1150 For ye ne have[n] here no cure; Ye serve the divell, †not god ne man, And he shall payë you your hyre. For ye woll farë well at feestes, And warm [be] clothed for the colde, 1155 Therfore ye glose goddes hestes, And begyle the people, yonge and olde.

And all the seven sacraments Ye speke ayenst, as ye were sly, Ayenst tythings with your entents, 1160 And on our lordes body falsly ly. All this ye don to live in ese, As who sayeth, ther ben non suche; And sayn, the pope is not worth a pese, To make the people ayen him gruche.

1165 And this commeth in by fendes, To bringe the Christen in distaunce; For they wold that no man were frendes; Leve thy chattring, with mischaunce! If thou live well, what wilt thou more? 1170 Let other men live as hem list; Spende in good, or kepe in store; Other mennes conscience never thou nist.

Ye han no cure to answere for; What meddell ye, that han not to don? 1175 Let men live as they han don yore, For thou shalt answere for no †mon." The Pellican sayd, "Sir, nay, [nay], I dispysed not the pope, Ne no sacrament, soth to say; 1180 But speke in charitè and good hope.

But I dispyse hir hyë pryde, Hir richesse, that shuld be pore in spryt; Hir wickednesse is knowe so wyde, They servë god in fals habyt; 1185 And turnen mekenesse into pryde, And lowlinesse into hy degrè, And goddes wordes turne and hyde; And that am I moved by charitè

To lettë men to livë so 1190 With all my conning and al my might, And to warne men of hir wo And to tell hem trouth and right. The sacraments be soulë-hele If they ben used in good use; 1195 Ayenst that speke I never a del, For then were I nothing wyse.

But they that use hem in mis manére, Or sette hem up to any sale, I trow, they shall abye hem dere; 1200 This is my reson, this is my tale. Who-so taketh hem unrightfulliche Ayenst the ten commaundëments, Or by glosë wrechedliche Selleth any of the sacraments,

1205 I trow, they do the devell homage In that they weten they do wrong; And therto, I dar well wage, They serven Satan for al her song. To tythen and offren is hoolsom lyf, 1210 So it be don in dew manére; A man to houselin and to shryve, Wedding, and all the other in-fere,

So it be nother sold ne bought, Ne take ne give for covetyse; 1215 And it be so taken, it is nought; Who selleth hem so, may sore agryse. On our Lordes body I do not ly, I say soth, thorow trewë rede, His flesh and blood, through his mystry, 1220 Is there, in the forme of brede.

How it is there, it nedeth not stryve, Whether it be subget or accident, But as Christ was, when he was on-lyve, So is he there, verament. 1225 If pope or cardinall live good lyve, As Christ commaunded in his gospell, †Ayenës that woll I not stryve; But, me thinketh, they live not well.

For if the pope lived as god bede, 1230 Pryde and hyghnesse he shuld dispyse, Richesse, covetyse, and crowne on hede, Mekenesse and povert he shulde use." The Gryffon sayd, he shulde abye— "Thou shal[t] be brent in balefull fyre; 1235 And all thy secte I shall distrye, Ye shal be hanged by the swyre!

Ye shullen be hanged and to-drawe. Who giveth you levë for to preche, Or speke †agaynës goddes lawe, 1240 And the people thus falsly teche? Thou shalt be cursed with boke and bell, And dissevered from holy churche, And clene y-dampned into hell, Otherwyse but ye woll worche!"

1245 The Pellican sayd, "that I ne drede; Your cursinge is of litell value; Of god I hope to have my mede, For it is falshed that ye shewe. For ye ben out of charitè 1250 And wilneth vengeaunce, as did Nero; To suffren I woll redy be; I drede not that thou canst do.

Christ bad ones suffre for his love, And so he taught all his servaunts; 1255 And but thou amend for his sake above, I drede not all thy mayntenaunce. For if I drede the worldes hate, Me thinketh, I were litell to prayse; I drede nothing your hye estat, 1260 Ne I drede not your disese.

Wolde ye turne and leve your pryde, Your hyë port, and your richesse, Your cursing shuld not go so wyde; God bring you into rightwysnesse! 1265 For I drede not your tyranny, For nothing that ye can doon; To suffre I am all redy, Siker, I recke never how soon!"

The Griffon grinned as he were wood, 1270 And loked lovely as an owle! And swor, by cockes hertë blood, He wolde him terë, every doule! "Holy churche thou disclaundrest foule! For thy resons I woll thee all to-race; 1275 And make thy flesh to rote and moule; Losell, thou shalt have hardë grace!"

The Griffon flew forth on his way; The Pellican did sitte and weep; And to him-selfë he gan say, 1280 "God wolde that any of Christes sheep Had herd, and y-takë kepe Eche a word that here sayd was, And wolde it wryte and well it kepe! God wolde it were all, for his grace!"

1285 Plowman. I answerde, and sayd I wolde, If for my travayl any wold pay. Pelican. He sayd, "yes; these that god han sold; For they han [greet] store of money!" Plowman. I sayd, "tell me, and thou may, 1290 Why tellest thou mennës trespace?" Pelican. He said, "to amende hem, in good fay, If god woll give me any grace.

For Christ him-selfe is lykned to me, That for his people dyed on rode; 1295 As fare I, right so fareth he, He fedeth his birdes with his blode. But these don yvell †ayenës good, And ben his foon under frendes face; I tolde hem how hir living stood; 1300 God amende hem, for his grace!"

Plowman. "What ayleth the Griffon, tell [me] why, That he holdeth on that other syde?" Pellican. "For they two ben [of kind], lykly, And with [lyk] kindes robben wyde. 1305 The foul betokeneth [evill] pryde, As Lucifer, that hygh †flowe was; And sith he did him in evell hyde, For he agilted goddes grace.

As bird [that] flyeth up in the ayr, 1310 And liveth by birdes that ben meke, So these be flowe up in dispayr, And shenden sely soules eke. The soules that ben in sinnes seke, He culleth hem; knele therfore, alas! 1315 For brybry goddes forbode breke, God amende it, for his grace!

The hinder part is a lyoun, A robber and a ravinere, That robbeth the people in erth a-down, 1320 And in erth holdeth non his pere; So fareth this foul, both fer and nere; With temporel strength they people chase, As a lyon proud in erthë here; God amende hem for hys grace!"

1325 He flew forth with his winges twayn, All drouping, dased, and dull. But soone the Griffon cam agayn, Of his foules the erth was full; The Pellican he had cast to pull. 1330 So greet a nombre never seen ther was; What maner of foules, tellen I woll, If god woll give me of his grace.

With the Griffon comen foules fele, Ravins, rokes, crowes, and pye, 1335 Gray foules, agadred wele, Y-gurd, above they woldë hye. Gledes and bosardes weren hem by; Whyt molles and puttockes token hir place; And lapwinges, that wel conneth ly, 1340 This felowship han for-gerd hir grace.

Longe the Pellican was out, But at [the] laste he cometh agayn; And brought with him the Phenix stout. The Griffon wolde have flowe full fayn; 1345 His foules, that flewen as thycke as rayn, The Phenix tho began hem chace; To fly from him it was in vayn, For he did vengeaunce and no grace.

He slew hem down without mercy, 1350 Ther astartë neyther free ne thrall; On him they cast a rufull cry When the Griffon down was fall. He beet hem not, but slew hem all; Whither he hem drove, no man may trace; 1355 Under the erthe, me thought, they yall; Alas! they had a feble grace!

The Pellican then axed right, "For my wryting if I have blame, Who woll for me fight of flight? 1360 Who shall sheldë me from shame? He that had a mayd to dame, The lamb that slayn [for sinners] was, Shall sheldë me from gostly blame; For erthly harm is goddes grace.

1365 Therfore I praye every man, Of my wryting have me excused." This wryting wryteth the Pellican, That thus these people hath dispysed; For I am, fresh, fully advysed, 1370 I nill not maynteyn his manace. For the devell is †oft disguysed, To bringe a man to yvell grace.

Wyteth the Pellican, and not me, For herof I nil not avowe, 1375 In hy ne in low, ne in no degrè, But as a fable take it ye mowe. To holy churche I will me bowe; Ech man to amende him, Christ send space! And for my wryting me alowe 1380 He that is almighty, for his grace.'

Finis.

I, Jack Uplande, make my mone to very god and to all true belevinge in Christ, that Antichrist and his disciples, by colour of holines, walken and deceiven Christes church by many fals figures, wherethrough, by Antichrist and his, many vertues 5 been transposed to vices.

But the fellest folk that ever Antichrist found been last brought into the church, and in a wonder wyse; for they been of divers sectes of Antichrist, sowen of divers countrees and kinredes. And all men knowen wel, that they ben not obedient 10 to bishoppes, ne lege men to kinges; neither they tillen ne sowen, weden, ne repen woode, corn, ne gras, neither nothing that man shuld helpe but only hem-selves, hir lyves to sustein. And these men han all maner power of god, as they sayen, in heaven and in earth, to sell heaven and hell to whom that 15 hem lyketh; and these wrecches wete never where to been hemselves.

And therfore, frere, if thine order and rules ben grounded on goddes law, tell thou me, Jack Upland, that I aske of thee; and if thou be or thinkest to be on Christes syde, kepe thy pacience.

20 Saynt Paul techeth, that al our dedes shuld be don in charitè, and els it is nought worth, but displesing to god and harm to oure owne soules. And for because freres chalengen to be gretest clerkes of the church, and next folowinge Christ in livinge, men shulde, for charitè, axe hem some questions, and 25 pray hem to grounde their answers in reson and in holy writ; for els their answere wolde nought be worth, be it florished never so faire; and, as me think, men might skilfully axe thus of a frere.

1. Frere, how many orders be in erthe, and which is the perfitest order? Of what order art thou? Who made thyn 30 order? What is thy rule? Is there ony perfiter rule than Christ himselfe made? If Christes rule be moost perfit, why rulest thou thee not therafter? Without more, why shall a frere be more punished if he breke the rule that his patron made, than if he breke the hestes that god himself made?

35 2. Approveth Christ ony more religions than oon, that saynt James speketh of? If he approveth no more, why hast thou left his rule, and taken another? Why is a frere apostata, that leveth his order and taketh another secte; sith there is but oon religion of Christ?

40 3. Why be ye wedded faster to your habits than a man is to his wyfe? For a man may leve his wyf for a yere or two, as many men do; and if †ye leve your habit a quarter of a yere, ye shuld be holden apostatas.

4. Maketh youre habit you men of religion, or no? If it 45 do, than, ever as it wereth, your religion wereth; and, after that the habit is better, is you[r] religion better. And whan ye liggen it besyde you, than lig ye youre religion besyde you, and ben apostatas. Why by ye you so precious clothes, sith no man seketh such but for vaine glorie, as saynt Gregory saith?

50 5. What betokeneth youre grete hood, your scaplerye, youre knotted girdel, and youre wyde cope?

6. Why use ye al oon colour, more then other Christen men do? What betokeneth that ye been clothed all in one maner clothinge?

55 7. If ye saye it betokeneth love and charitè, certes, than ye be ofte ypocrites, whan ony of you hateth other, and in that, that ye wollen be said holy by youre clothinge.

8. Why may not a frere were clothing of an-other secte of freres, sith holines stondeth not in the clothes?

60 9. Why holde ye silence in one howse more than in another; sith men ought over-al to speke the good and leve the evell?

10. Why ete you flesh in one house more than in another, if youre rule and youre order be perfit, and the patron that made it?

65 11. Why gette ye your dispensacions, to have it more esy? Certes, either it semeth that ye be unperfit; or he, that made it so hard that ye may not holde it. And siker, if ye holde not the rule of youre patrons, ye be not than hir freres; and so ye lye upon youre-selves!

70 12. Why make ye you as dede men whan ye be professed; and yet ye be not dede, but more quicke beggars than ye were before? And it semeth evell a deed man to go aboute and begge.

13. Why will ye not suffer youre novices here your councels in 75 youre chapter-house, er that they been professed; if youre councels been trew, and after god[d]es lawe?

14. Why make ye you so costly houses to dwell in; sith Christ did not so, and dede men shuld have but graves, as falleth to dede men? And yet ye have more gorgeous buildinges than 80 many lordes of Englonde. For ye maye wenden through the realme, and ech night, wel nigh, ligge in youre owne courtes; and so mow but right few lordes do.

15. Why hyre ye to ferme youre limitors, gevinge therfore eche yeer a certain rente; and will not suffer oon in an-others 85 limitacion, right as ye were your-selves lordes of contreys?

16. Why be ye not under youre bisshops visitacions, and liege men to oure kinge?

17. Why axe ye no letters of bretherhedes of other mens prayers, as ye desyre that other men shulde aske letters of you?

90 18. If youre letters be good, why graunte ye them not generally to al maner men, for the more charitè?

19. Mow ye make ony man more perfit brother for your prayers, than god hath by oure beleve, by our baptyme and his owne graunte? If ye mowe, certes, than ye be above god.

95 20. Why make ye men beleve that your golden trentall songe of you, to take therfore ten shillinges, or at the leest fyve shillinges, will bringe soules out of helle, or out of purgatorye? If this be sooth, certes, ye might bring all soules out of payne. And that wolle ye nought; and than ye be out of charitè.

100 21. Why make ye men beleve, that he that is buried in youre habit shall never come in hell; and ye wite not of youre-selfe, whether ye shall to hell, or no? And if this were sooth, ye shulde selle youre high houses, to make many habites, for to save many mens soules.

105 22. Why stele ye mens children for to make hem of youre secte; sith that theft is agaynst goddes heste; and sithe youre secte is not perfit? Ye know not whether the rule that ye binde him to, be best for him or worst!

23. Why undernime ye not your brethren, for their trespas 110 after the lawe of the gospell; sith that underneminge is the best that may be? But ye put them in prison ofte, whan they do after goddes lawe; and, by saynt Austines rule, if ony did amisse and wolde not amende him, ye should put him from you.

24. Why covete ye shrifte, and burying of other mens parishens, 115 and non other sacrament that falleth to Christen folke?

25. Why busie ye not to here shrifte of poore folke, as well as of riche lordes and ladyes; sith they mowe have more plentee of shrifte-fathers than poore folk may?

26. Why saye ye not the gospel in houses of bedred men; as 120 ye do in riche mens, that mowe go to churche and here the gospell?

27. Why covette †ye not to burye poore folk among you; sith that they ben moost holy, as ye sayn that ye ben for youre povertee?

125 28. Why will ye not be at hir diriges, as ye been at riche mens; sith god prayseth hem more than he doth riche men?

29. What is thy prayer worth; sith thou wilt take therefore? For of all chapmen ye nede to be moost wyse; for drede of symonye.

130 30. What cause hast thou that thou wilt not preche the gospell, as god sayeth that thou shuldest; sith it is the best lore, and also oure beleve?

31. Why be ye evell apayed that secular prestes shulde preche the gospel; sith god him-selfe hath boden hem?

135 32. Why hate ye the gospell to be preched; sith ye be so moche holde thereto? For ye winne more by yere with In principio, than with all the rules that ever youre patrons made. And, in this, minstrels been better than ye. For they contraryen not to the mirthes that they maken; but ye contraryen the gospell 140 bothe in worde and dede.

33. Frere, whan thou receivest a peny for to say a masse, whether sellest thou goddes body for that peny, or thy prayer, or els thy travail? If thou sayest thou wolt not travaile for to saye the masse but for the peny, †than certes, if this be soth, than 145 thou lovest to littel mede for thy soule. And if thou sellest goddes body, other thy prayer, than it is very symony; and art become a chapman worse than Judas, that solde it for thirty pens.

34. Why wrytest thou hir names in thy tables, that yeveth thee 150 moneye; sith god knoweth all thing? For it semeth, by thy wryting, that god wolde not rewarde him but thou wryte him in thy tables; god wolde els forgetten it.

35. Why berest thou god in honde, and sclaundrest him that he begged for his mete; sith he was lord over all? For than hadde 155 he ben unwyse to have begged, and no nede therto.

36. Frere, after what law rulest thou thee? Wher findest thou in goddes law that thou shuldest thus begge?

37. What maner men nedeth for to begge?

Of whom oweth suche men to begge?

160 Why beggest thou so for thy brethren?

If thou sayest, for they have nede; than thou doest it for the more perfeccion, or els for the leest, or els for the mene. If it be the moost perfeccion of all, than shulde al thy brethren do so; and than no man neded to begge but for him-selfe, for so shuld no 165 man begge but him neded. And if it be the leest perfeccion, why lovest thou than other men more than thy-selfe? For so thou art not well in charitè; sith thou shuldest seke the more perfeccion after thy power, livinge thy-selfe moost after god; and thus, leving that imperfeccion, thou shuldest not so begge for hem. And if 170 it is a good mene thus to begge as thou doest, than shuld no man do so but they ben in this good mene; and yet such a mene, graunted to you, may never be grounded in goddes lawe; for than both lered and lewed that ben in mene degrè of this worlde shuld go aboute and begge as ye do. And if all suche shuld do 175 so, certes, wel nigh al the world shuld go aboute and begge as ye do: and so shulde there be ten beggers agaynst oon yever.

38. Why procurest thou men to yeve thee hir almes, and sayest it is so meedful; and thou wilt not thy-selfe winne thee that mede?

180 39. Why wilt thou not begge for poore bedred men, that ben poorer than ony of youre secte, that liggen, and mow not go aboute to helpe themselves; sith we be all brethren in god, and that bretherhed passeth ony other that ye or ony man coude make? And where moost nede were, there were moost perfeccion; 185 either els ye holde hem not youre pure brethren, or worse. But than ye be imperfite in your begginge.

40. Why make ye you so many maisters among you; sith it is agaynst the techinge of Christ and his apostels?

41. Whos ben all your riche courtes that ye han, and all your 190 riche jewels; sith ye sayen that ye han nought, in proper ne in comune? If ye sayn they ben the popes, why †geder ye then, of poore men and of lordes, so much out of the kinges honde to make your pope riche? And sith ye sayen that it is greet perfeccion to have nought, in proper ne in comune, why be ye so fast aboute to 195 make the pope (that is your †fader) riche, and putte on him imperfeccion? Sithen ye sayn that your goodes ben all his, and he shulde by reson be the moost perfit man, it semeth openlich that ye ben cursed children, so to sclaunder your †fader, and make him imperfit. And if ye sayn that tho goodes be yours, then do 200 ye ayenst youre rule; and if it be not ayenst your rule, than might ye have both plough and cart, and labour as other good men don, and not so begge to by losengery, and ydell, as ye don. And if ye say that it is more perfeccion to begge than to travaill or worch with youre hand, why preche ye not openly, and teche all men to 205 do so, sith it is the best and moost perfit lyf to helpe of her soules, as ye make children to begge that might have been riche heyres?

42. Why make ye not your festes to poore men, and yeveth hem yeftes, as ye don to the riche; sith poore men han more 210 nede than the riche?

43. What betokeneth that ye go tweyne and tweyne †togeder? If ye be out of charitè, ye accorden not in soule.

44. Why begge ye, and take salaries therto, more than other prestes; sith he that moost taketh, most charge he hath?

215 45. Why holde ye not saynt Fraunces rule and his testament; sith Fraunces saith, that god shewed him this living and this rule? And certes, if it were goddes will, the pope might not fordo it; or els Fraunces was a lyar, that sayde on this wyse. And but this testament that he made accorde with goddes will, 220 els erred he as a lyar that were out of charitè; and as the law sayeth, he is accursed that letteth the rightfull last will of a deed man lacke. And this testament is the last will of Fraunces that is a deed man; it seemeth therefore that all his freres ben cursed.

225 46. Why wil ye not touche no coined money with the crosse, ne with the kinges heed, as ye don other jewels both of golde and silver? Certes, if ye despyse the crosse or the kinges heed, than ye be worthy to be despysed of god and the kinge. And sith ye will receyve money in your hertes and not with youre handes, it 230 seemeth that ye holde more holinesse in your hondes than in your hertes; and than be ye false to god.

47. Why have ye exempt you fro our kinges lawes and visitinge of our bishoppes more than other Christen men that liven in this realme, if ye be not gilty of traitory to our realme, or trespassers 235 to oure bishoppes? But ye will have the kinges lawes for trespas don to you; and ye wil have power of other bishops more than other prestes; and also have leave to prison youre brethren as lordes in youre courtes, more than other folkes han that ben the kinges lege men.

240 48. Why shal some secte of you freres paye eche yere a certaine to hir generall provinciall or minister, or els to hir soverains, but-if he stele a certain number of children, as some men sayn? And certes, if this be soth, than be ye constrayned, upon certaine payne, to do thefte, agaynst goddes commaundement, 245 non furtum facies.

49. Why be ye so hardy, to graunte, by letters of fraternitè, to men and women, that they shall have part and merit of all your good dedes; and ye witen never whether god be apayed with youre dedes because of youre sinne? Also ye witen never whether 250 that man or woman be in state to be saved or damned; than shall he have no merit in heven for his owne dedes, ne for none other mans. And all were it so, that he shuld have part of youre good dedes; yet shulde he have no more than god would geve him, after that he were worthy; and so much shall eche man have of 255 goddes yefte, withoute youre limitacion. But if ye will saye that ye ben goddes felowes, and that he may not do without youre assent, than be ye blasphemers to god.

50. What betokeneth that ye have ordeined, that when such oon as ye have mad youre brother or sister, and hath a letter of 260 your sele, that letter †mot be brought in youre holy chapter and there be red; or els ye will not praye for him? But and ye willen not praye specially for all other that weren not mad youre brethren or sistren, than were ye not in right charitè; for that ought to be commune, and namely in goostly thinges.

265 51. Frere, what charitè is this—to overcharge the people by mighty begginge, under colour of prechinge or praying or masses singing? Sith holy writ biddeth not thus, but even the contrary; for al such goostly dedes shulde be don freely, as god yeveth hem freely.

270 52. Frere, what charitè is this—to begyle children or they commen to discrecion, and binde hem to youre orders, that been not grounded in goddes lawe, against hir frendes wil? Sithen by this foly ben many apostatas, both in will and dede, and many ben apostatas in hir will during all hir lyfe, that wolde gladly be 275 discharged if they wist how; and so, many ben apostatas that shulden in other states have ben trewe men.

53. Frere, what charitè is this—to make so mony freres in every countrey, to the charge of the people? Sith persounes and vicares alone, ye, secular prestes alone, ye, monkes and 280 chanons alone, with bishops above hem, were y-nough to the church, to do prestes office. And to adde mo than y-nough is a foul errour, and greet charge to the people; and this is openly against goddes will, that ordeined all thinges to be don in weight, nomber, and mesure. And Christ himself was apayed with twelve 285 apostles and a few disciples, to preche and do prestes office to all the hole world; than was it better don than it is now at this tyme by a thousand deel. And right so as foure fingers with a thumbe in a mannes hande, helpeth a man to worche, and double nomber of fingers in one hond shuld lette him more; and the more 290 nomber that there were, passing the mesure of goddes ordinaunce, the more were a man letted to worke: right so, as it semeth, it is of these newe orders that ben added to the church, without grounde of holy writ and goddes ordinaunce.

54. Frere, what charitè is this—to lye to the people, and saye 295 that ye folowe Christ in povertè more than other men don? And yet, in curious and costly howsinge, and fyne and precious clothing, and delicious and lykinge fedinge, and in tresoure and jewels and riche ornamentes, freres passen lordes and other riche worldly men; and soonest they shuld bringe hir cause aboute, 300 be it never so costly, though goddes lawe be put abacke.

55. Frere, what charitè is this—to †gader up the bokes of holy writ and putte hem in tresory, and so emprisoune hem from secular prestes and curates; and by this cautel lette hem to preche the gospell freely to the people without worldly mede; and 305 also to defame good prestes of heresy, and lyen on hem openly, for to lette hem to shew goddes lawe, by the holy gospell, to the Christen people?

56. Frere, what charitè is this—to fayn so much holines in your bodily clothing, that ye clepe your habit, that many blinde 310 foles desyren to dye therin more than in an-other? And also, that a frere that leveth his habit (late founden of men), may not be assoiled till he take it again, but is an apostata, as ye sayn, and cursed of god and man both? The frere beleveth treuth and pacience, chastitè, mekenesse, and sobrietè; yet for the more 315 part of his lyfe he may soone be assoiled of his prior; and if he bringe hoom to his house much good by yere, be it never so falsly begged and pilled of the poore and nedy people in courtes aboute, he shal be hold[en] a noble frere! O lord, whether this be charitè!

320 57. Frere, what charitè is this—to prese upon a riche man, and to entyce him to be buried among you from his parish-church, and to suche riche men geve letters of fraternitè confirmed by youre generall sele, and therby to bere him in honde that he shall have part of all your masses, matins, prechinges, fastinges, 325 wakinges, and all other good dedes don by your brethren of youre order (both whyles he liveth and after that he is deed), and yet ye witen never whether youre dedes be acceptable to god, ne whether that man that hath that letter be able by good living to receive ony part of youre dedes? And yet a poore man, that ye 330 wite wel or supposen in certain to have no good of, ye ne geve no such letters, though he be a better man to god than suche a riche man; nevertheles, this poore man doth not recche therof. For, as men supposen, suche letters and many other that freres behesten to men, be full of false deceites of freres, out of reson 335 and god[d]es lawe and Christen mens faith.

58. Frere, what charitè is this—to be confessoures of lordes and ladyes, and to other mighty men, and not amend hem in hir living; but rather, as it semeth, to be the bolder to pille hir poore tenauntes and to live in lechery, and there to dwelle in your office 340 of confessour, for winning of worldly goodes, and to be holden grete by colour of suche goostly offices? This seemeth rather pryde of freres than charitè of god.

59. Frere, what charitè is this—to sayn that who-so liveth after youre order, liveth most parfitly, and next foloweth the 345 state of aposteles in povertè and penaunce; and yet the wysest and gretest clerkes of you wende, or sende, or procure to the court of Rome to be mad cardinales or bishoppes or the popes chapelayns, and to be assoiled of the vowe of povertè and obedience to your ministers; in the which, as ye sayn, standeth 350 moost perfeccion and merite of youre orders? And thus ye faren as Pharisees, that sayen oon, and do another to the contrarye.

60. Why name ye more the patron of youre order in youre Confiteor, whan ye beginne masse, than other saintes, as apostels, or marters, that holy churche holde[th] more glorious than hem, 355 and clepe hem youre patrons and youre avowries?

61. Frere, whet[h]er was saint Fraunces, in making of his rule that he sette thyne order in, a fole and lyar, or els wyse and trew? If ye sayn that he was not a fole but wyse; ne a lyar, but trew; why shewe ye the contrary by youre doing, whan by youre suggestion to 360 the pope ye said that Fraunces rule was mad so hard that ye might not live to holde it without declaracion and dispensacion of the pope? And so, by youre dede, ye lete your patron a fole, that made a rule so hard that no man may wel kepe [it]; and eke youre dede proveth him a lyar, where he sayeth in his rule, that he took 365 and lerned it of the holy gooste. For how might ye, for shame, praye the pope to undo that the holy goost biddeth, as whan ye prayed him to dispense with the hardnesse of your order?

62. Frere, which of the foure orders of freres is best, to a man that knoweth not which is the beste, but wolde fain enter into the 370 beste and none other? If thou sayest that thyn is the best, than sayest thou that noon of the other is as good as thyn; and in this eche frere in the three other orders wolle say that thou lyest; for in the selve maner eche other frere woll say that his order is beste. And thus to eche of the foure orders ben the other three 375 contrary in this poynte; in the which if ony say sooth, that is oon aloon; for there may but oon be the beste of foure. So foloweth it, that if ech of these orders answered to this question as thou doest, three were false and but oon trew; and yet no man shulde wite who that were. And thus it semeth, that the moost part of 380 freres ben or shulde be lyars in this poynt, and they shulde answere therto. If †ye say that an-other ordre of the freres is better than thyn or as good; why toke ye not rather therto as to the better, whan thou mightest have chosen at the beginning? And eke, why shuldest thou be an apostata, to leve thyn order 385 and take thee to that that is better? And so, why goest thou not from thyn order into that?