POEMS ATTRIBUTED TO SKELTON.

VERSES PRESENTED TO KING HENRY THE SEVENTH [273] AT THE FEAST OF ST. GEORGE CELEBRATED AT WINDSOR IN THE THIRD YEAR OF HIS REIGN.

O moste famous noble king! thy fame doth spring and spreade,

Henry the Seventh, our soverain, in eiche regeon;

All England hath cause thy grace to love and dread,

Seing embassadores seche fore protectyon,

For ayd, helpe, and succore, which lyeth in thie electyone.

England, now rejoyce, for joyous mayest thou bee,

To see thy kyng so floreshe in dignetye.

This realme a seasone stoode in greate jupardie,

When that noble prince deceased, King Edward,

Which in his dayes gate honore full nobly;

After his decesse nighe hand all was marr’d;

Eich regione this land dispised, mischefe when they hard;

Wherefore rejoyse, for joyous mayst thou be,

To see thy kynge so floresh in high dignetye.

Fraunce, Spayne, Scoteland, and Britanny, Flanders also,

Three of them present keepinge thy noble feaste

Of St. George in Windsor, ambassadors comying more,[274]

Iche of them in honore, bothe the more and the lesse,[275]

Seeking thie grace to have thie noble begeste:

Wherefore now rejoise, and joyous maiste thou be,

To see thy kynge so florishing in dignetye.

O knightly ordere, clothed in robes with gartere!

The queen’s grace and thy mother clothed in the same;

The nobles of thie realme riche in araye, aftere,

Lords, knights, and ladyes, unto thy greate fame:

Now shall all embassadors know thie noble name,

By thy feaste royal; nowe joyeous mayest thou be,

To see thie king so florishinge in dignety.

Here this day St. George, patron of this place,

Honored with the gartere cheefe of chevalrye;

Chaplenes synging processyon, keeping the same,

With archbushopes and bushopes beseene nobly;

Much people presente to see the King Henrye:

Wherefore now, St. George, all we pray to thee

To keepe our soveraine in his dignetye.

[273] Verses presented to King Henry the Seventh, &c.] Ashmole, who first printed these lines from “MS. penes Arth. Com. Anglesey, fol. 169,” thinks that they were probably by Skelton: see Order of the Garter, p. 594.

[274] more] The rhyme requires “mo.”

[275] lesse] The rhyme requires “leste.”

THE EPITAFFE OF THE MOSTE NOBLE AND VALYAUNT JASPAR LATE DUKE OF BEDDEFORDE.[276]

Color Ficcio.

Bydynge al alone, with sorowe sore encombred,

In a frosty fornone, faste by Seuernes syde,

The wordil beholdynge, wherat moch I wondred

To se the see and sonne to kepe both tyme and tyde,

The ayre ouer my hede so wonderfully to glyde,

And howe Saturne by circumference borne is aboute;

Whiche thynges to beholde, clerely me notyfyde,

One verray God to be therin to haue no dowte.

And as my fantasy flamyd in that occupacyon,

Fruteles, deuoyde of all maner gladnes,

Of one was I ware into greate desolacyon,

To the erthe prostrate, rauyuge for madnes;

By menys so immoderate encreased was his sadnes,

That by me can not be compyled

His dedly sorowe and dolorous dystres,

Lyfe in hym by deth so ny was exiled.

Hym better to beholde, so ferre oute of frame,

Nerre I nyghed, farsyd with fragyllyte;

Wherwith Smert I perceyued he called was by name,

Which ouer haukes and houndes had auctoryte;

Though the roume vnmete were for his pouer degre,

Yet fortune so hym farthered to his lorde;

Wherfore him to lye in soch perplexite,

What it myghte mene I gan to mysylfe recorde.

I shogged him, I shaked him, I ofte aboute him went,

And al to knowe why so care his carayn hyued;

His temples I rubbyd, and by the nose him hente;

Al as in vayne was, he coude nat be reuyued;

He waltered, he wende, and with himsilfe stryued,

Such countenaunce contynuyng; but or I parte the place,

Vp his hede he caste; whan his woful goste aryued,

Those wordes saynge with righte a pytous face:

Metricus primus. Color repeticio.

O sorowe, sorowe beyonde al sorowes sure!

All sorowes sure surmountynge, lo!

Lo, which payne no pure may endure,

Endure may none such dedely wo!

Wo, alas, ye inwrapped, for he is go!

Go is he, whose valyaunce to recounte,

To recounte, all other it dyd surmounte.

Metricus secundus. C. recitacio simplex.

Gone is he, alas, that redy was to do

Eche thynge that to nobles required!

Gone is he, alas, that redy was to do

Eche thynge that curtesye of him desyred!

Whose frowarde fate falsely was conspyred

By Antraphos vnasured and her vngracyous charmys;

Jaspar I mene is gone, Mars son in armys.

M. iii. C. narracio.

He that of late regnyd in glory,

With grete glosse buttylly glased,

Nowe lowe vnder fote doth he ly,

With wormys ruly rente and rasyd,

His carayne stynkynge, his fetures fasyd;

Brother and vncle to kynges yesterday,

Nowe is he gone and lafte vs as mased;

Closed here lyeth he in a clote of clay:

Shall he come agayne? a, nay, nay!

Where is he become, I can nat discusse:

Than with the prophet may we say,

Non inuentus est locus eius.

Metricus quartus et retrogradiens. Color. discripcio.

Restynge in him was honoure with sadnesse,

Curtesy, kyndenesse, with great assuraunce,

Dispysynge vice, louynge alway gladnesse,

Knyghtly condicyons, feythful alegeaunce,

Kyndely demenoure, gracyous vtteraunce;

Was none semelyer, feture ne face;

Frendely him fostered quatriuial aliaunce;

Alas, yet dede nowe arte thou, Jaspar, alas!

Metricus quintus.

Wherfore sorowe to oure sorowe none can be founde,

Ne cause agayne care to mollyfy oure monys:

Alas, the payne!

For his body and goste,

That we loued moste,

In a graue in the grounde

Deth depe hath drounde

Among robel and stonys:

Wherfore complayne.

M. vi.

Complayne, complayne, who can complayne;

For I, alas, past am compleynte!

To compleyne wyt can not sustayne,

Deth me with doloure so hath bespraynte;

For in my syghte,

Oure lorde and knyghte,

Contrary to righte,

Deth hath ateynte.

M. vii. C. iteracio.

As the vylest of a nacyon,

Deuoyde of consolacyon,

By cruel crucyacyon,

He hath combryd hym sore;

He hath him combryd sore,

That Fraunce and Englonde bere byfore

Armys of both quarteryd,

And with hony soyte was garteryd,

Se howe he is nowe marteryd!

Alas for sorowe therfore,

Alas for sorowe therfore!

Oute and weleaway,

For people many a score

For him that yel and rore,

Alas that we were bore

To se this dolorous day!

With asshy hue compleyne also, I cry,

Ladyes, damosels, mynyonat and gorgayse;

Knyghtes aunterus of the myghty monarchy,

Complayne also; for he that in his dayes

To enhaunce wonte was your honoure, youre prayse,

Now is he gone, of erthly blysse ryfyld;

For dredeful Deth withouten delayse

Ful dolorously his breth hath stifild.

C. transsumpcio.

Terys degoutynge, also complayne, complayne,

Houndes peerles, haukes withoute pereialyte,

Sacris, faucons, heroners hautayne;

For nowe darked is youre pompe, youre prodogalyte,

Youre plesures been past vnto penalyte;

Of with your rich caperons, put on your mourning hodes;

For Iaspar, your prynce by proporcyon of qualyte,

Paste is by Deth those daungerous flodys.

M. viii.

He that manhode meyntened and magnamynite,

His blasynge blys nowe is with balys blechyd;

Through Dethes croked and crabbed cruelte,

In doloure depe nowe is he drowned and drechyd;

His starynge standerde, that in stoures strechyd

With a sable serpent, nowe set is on a wall,

His helme heedles, cote corseles, woful and wrechyd,

With a swerde handeles, there hange they all.

M. ix.

Gewellys of late poysyd at grete valoyre,

He ded, they desolate of every membre,

Stykynge on stakes as thynges of none shaloyre;

For the corse that they couched cast is in sendre,

By cruel compulsyon caused to surrendre

Lyfe vp to Deth that al ouerspurneth:

O, se howe this worlde tourneth!

Some laugheth, some mourneth:

Yet, ye prynces precyous and tendre,

Whyle that ye here in glory soiourneth,

The deth of our mayster rue to remembre.

C. exclamacio.

O turmentoure, traytoure, torterous tyraunte,

So vnwarely oure duke haste thou slayne,

That wyt and mynde are vnsuffycyaunte

Agayne thy myschyf malyce to mayntayne!

We that in blysse wonte were to bayne,

With fortune flotynge moste fauourably,

Nowe thorow thrylled and persyd with payne,

Langoure we in feruente exstasy.

C. reprobacio.

O murtherer vnmesurable, withouten remors,

Monstruus of entrayle, aborryd in kynde,

Thou haste his corse dystressed by force,

Whos parayle alyue thou can not fynde!

Howe durst thou his flessh and spyryte vntynde,

Dissendynge fro Cyzyle, Jerusalem, and Fraunce?

O bazalyke bryboure, with iyes blynde,

Sore may thou rue thy vtterquidaunce!

Thou haste berafte, I say, the erthly ioye

Of one, broder and vncle to kynges in degre,

Lynyally descendynge fro Eneas of Troye,

Grete vncle and vncle to prynces thre,

Brother to a saynte by way of natyuyte,

Vncle to another whom men seketh blyue,

Blynde, croked, lame, for remedyes hourly;

Thus God that bromecod had gyuen a prerogatyue.

C. newgacio.

And yet thou, dolorous Deth, to the herte hast him stynged:

Wenest thou, felon, such murther to escape?

I say, the brewtors of Wales on the wyl be reuenged

For thy false conspyracy and frowarde fate:

We his seruantes also sole disconsolate

Haste thou lafte; so that creatures more maddyr

In erthe none wandreth atwene senit and naddyr.

M. x.

Wherfore, to the felde, to the felde, on with plate and male,

Beest, byrde, foule, eche body terrestryal!

Seke we this murtherer him to assayle;

Vnafrayde ioyne in ayde, ye bodyes celestyal;

Herry saynt, with iyes faynte to the also I cal,

For thy brothers sake, help Deth to take, that al may on him wonder;

For and he reyne, by drift sodeyne he wil ech kynd encumbre.

Dethe.

C. prosopopeya. M. xi.

Fouconer, thou arte to blame,

And oughte take shame

To make suche pretense;

For I Deth hourly

May stande truly

At ful lawful defence:

Deth hath no myghte,

Do wronge no righte,

Fauoure frende ne fo,

But as an instrumente

At commaundemente

Whether to byde or go.

I am the instromente

Of one omnipotente,

That knowest thou fyrme and playne;

Wherfore fro Dethe

Thy wo and wreth

I wolde thou shulde reteyne,

And agayne God

For thy bromecod

Batayle to darayne.

M. xii. C. Introductio.

Than, if it be ryghte, most of myght, thy godhed I acuse,

For thy myght contrary to right thou doste gretly abuse;

Katyffes vnkind thou leuest behind, paynis, Turkes, and Iewis,

And our maister gret thou gaue wormes to ete; wheron gretly I muse:

Is this wel done? answer me sone; make, Lorde, thyn excuse.

M. xiii. C. onomotopeya.

Dyd thou disdayne that he shuld rayne? was that els the cause?

In his rayne he was moste fayne to mynester thy lawes;

Than certayn, and thou be playn and stedfaste in thy sawes,

Euery knyght that doth right, ferynge drede ne awes,

Of thy face bryghte shall haue syghte,

After this worldly wawes:

Than, gode Lorde, scripture doth record, verefieng that cause,

That our bromcod with the, gode God, in heuen shal rest and pause.

M. xiiii. C. probacio.

For first of nought thou him wroght of thy special grace,

And wers than noght him also boght in Caluery in that place;

Thou by thoght oft he were broght with Satanas to trace,

Yet, Lorde, to haue pyte thou oght on the pycture of thy face.

M. xv.

We neyther he dampned to be, willyngly thou wilt noght;

Yet dampned shal he and we be, if thy mercy helpe nought:

Discrecion hast thou gyuen, yde [Lorde?]; what wold we more ought?

After deth to lyue with the, if we offende nought.

M. xvi.

There is a cause yet of oure care, thou creatoure alofte,

That thy gospel doth declare, whiche I forgete noughte;

Howe vnwarly our welfare fro vs shal be broughte

By Deth that none wyl spare, Lorde, that knowe we noughte:

In syn drowned if we dare, and so sodenly be coughte,

Than of blysse ar we bare; that fylleth me ful of thoughte.

C. degressio. M. xvii.

Thou knowest, Lorde, beste thysylfe,

Man is but duste, stercorye, and fylthe,

Of himsylfe vnable,

Saue only of thy specyal grace,

A soule thou made to occupye place,

To make man ferme and stable;

Which man to do as thou ordeyned,

With fendes foule shal neuer be payned,

But in blysse be perdurable;

And if he do the contrarye,

After this lyfe than shal he dye,

Fendes to fede vnsaciable;

For which fendys foule thou made a centre,

In which centre thou made an entre,

That such that to breke thy commaundementes wolde auenter

Theder downe shulde dessende;

But oure maister, whan Deth hym trapte,

In pure perseueraunce so was wrapte,

That thou inuisyble his speryte thyder rapte

Where thy sheltrons him shal defende.

M. quatrinalis. C. transuersio.

If we nat offende,

He wyl purchace

A gloryous place

At oure laste ende;

To se his face

We shal assende,

By his grete grace,

If we nat offende.

Thou haste enuapored, I say, alofte

The soule of Jaspar, that thou wroughte,

Seruyce to do latrial:

And why, Lorde, I dyd the reproue,

Was for perfyte zele and loue,

To the nat preiudicyal;

For, Lorde, this I knowe expresse,

This worldly frute is bytternesse,

Farcyd with wo and payne,

Lyfe ledynge dolorously in distresse,

Shadowed with Dethes lykenesse,

As in none certayne.

C. neugacio.

Yet, me semeth so, thou art non of tho that vs so shuld begyle:

He is nat yet ded; I lay my hed, thou hast him hid for a while;

And al to proue who doth him loue and who wil be vnkynd,

Thou hast in led layde him abed, this trow I in my mynd;

For this we trow, and thou dost know, as thy might is most,

That him to dye, to lowe and hye it were to grete a lost.

C. excusacio.

And he be dede, this knowe I very right;

Thou saw, Lorde, this erth corrupt with fals adulacyon,

And thought it place vnmete for Jaspar thy knyght;

Wherfore of body and soule thou made seperacyon,

Preantedate seynge by pure predestynacyon

Whan his lyfe here shulde fyne and consum;

Wherfore, Lorde, thus ende I my dolorous exclamacyon,

Thy godenes knewe what was beste to be done.

M. xviii. C. conclusio.

As a prynce penytente and ful of contricion,

So dyed he, we his seruauntes can recorde:

And that he may haue euerlastynge fruicyon,

We the beseche, gloryous kynge and lorde!

For the laste leson that he dyd recorde,

To thy power he it aplyed, saynge tibi omnes,

As a hye knyghte in fidelyte fermely moryd,

Angeli celi et potestates;

Wherwith payne to the hert him boryd,

And lyfe him lefte, gyuynge deth entres.

Whiche lyfe, in comparyson of thyne,

Is as poynt in lyne, or as instant in tyme;

For thou were and arte and shal be of tyme,

In thy silfe reynynge by power diuyne,

Makynge gerarcyüs thre and orders nyne,

The to deifye:

Wherfore we crye,

Suffer nat Jaspar to dye,

But to lyue;

For eternally that he shal lyue

Is oure byleue.

M. xix. C. prolongacio.

And than [?] moste craftely dyd combyne

Another heuen, called cristalline,

So the thyrde stellyferal to shyne

Aboue the skye:

Wherfore we crye,

Suffer nat Jaspar to dye,

But to lyue;

For eternally that he shal lyue

Is oure byleue.

Moreouer in a zodiake pure and fyne

Synys xii. thou set for a tyme,

And them nexte, in cercle and lyne,

Saturne thou set, Iupiter, and Mars citryne,

Contect and drye:

Wherfore we crye,

Suffer nat Jaspar to dye,

But to lyue;

For eternally that he shal lyue

Is oure byleue.

Than, to peryssh, thorouthryll, and myne

The mystes blake and cloudes tetryne,

Tytan thou set clerely to shyne,

The worldes iye:

Wherfore we crye, vt supra.

Yet in their epycercles to tril and twyne,

Retrograte, stacyoner, directe, as a syne,

Uenus thou set, Marcury, and the Mone masseline;

Nexte fyre and ayre, so sotyl of engyne,

The to gloryfye:

Wherfore we crye,

Suffer nat Jaspar to dye,

But to lyue;

For eternally that he shal lyue

Is oure byleue.

Water, and erth with braunch and vine;

And so, thy werkes to ende and fyne,

Man to make thou dyd determyne,

Of whome cam I:

Wherfore I cry and the supplye,

Suffer nat Jaspar to dye,

But to lyue;

For eternally that he shal lyue

Is oure byleue.

With him, to comford at all tyme,

Thou ioyned the sex than of frayle femynyne,

Which by temptacyon serpentyne

Theyre hole sequele broughte to ruyne

By ouergrete folye:

Wherfore we crye,

Suffer not Jaspar to dye,

But to lyue;

For eternally that he shal lyue

Is oure byleue.

Than, of thy godenes, thou dyd enclyne

Flessh to take of thy moder and virgyne,

And vs amonge, in payne and famyne,

Dwalte, and taughte thy holy doctryne

Uulgarly:

Wherfore we crye,

Suffer nat Jaspar to dye,

But to lyue;

For eternally that he shal lyue

Is oure byleue.

Tyl a traytoure, by false couyne,

To Pylat accused the at pryme;

So taken, slayne, and buryed at complyne,

Rose agayne, of Adam redemynge the lyne

By thy infynyte mercy:

For whych mercy,

Incessantly we crye,

And the supplye,

Suffer nat our lorde to dye,

But to lyue;

For eternally that he shal lyue

Is oure byleue.

M. xx.

Kynges, prynces, remembre, whyle ye may,

Do for yoursilfe, for that shal ye fynde

Executours often maketh delay,

The bodye buryed, the soule sone oute of mynde;

Marke this wel, and graue it in youre mynde,

Howe many grete estates gone are before,

And howe after ye shal folowe by course of kynde:

Wherfore do for youresilfe; I can say no more.

Though ye be gouernours, moste precious in kynde,

Caste downe your crounes and costely appareyle,

Endored with golde and precyous stones of Ynde,

For al in the ende lytyl shal auayle;

Whan youre estates Deth lyketh to assayle,

Your bodyes bulgynge with a blyster sore,

Than withstande shal neyther plate ne mayle:

Wherfore do for youresilfe; I can say no more.

There is a vertue that moost is auaunsed,

Pure perseueraunce called of the porayle,

By whome al vertues are enhaunsed,

Which is not wonne but by diligente trauayle:

Ware in the ende; for and that vertue fayle,

Body and soule than are ye forlore:

Wherfore, if ye folowe wyll holsom counsayle,

Do for youresilfe; I can say no more.

Kynges, prynces, moste souerayne of renoune,

Remembre oure maister that gone is byfore:

This worlde is casual, nowe vp, nowe downe;

Wherfore do for yoursilfe; I can say no more.

Amen.

Honor tibi, Deus, gloria, et laus!

Smerte, maister de ses ouzeaus.

[276] The Epitaffe of the moste noble and valyaunt Jaspar late duke of Beddeforde] The old ed. is a quarto, n. d. Above these words, on the title-page, is a woodcut, exhibiting the author (with a falcon on his hand) kneeling and presenting his work to the king. On the reverse of the last leaf is Pynson’s device.

If not really written by Smert (or Smart), the duke’s falconer, (see stanza 3, and the subscription at the conclusion, “Smert, maister de ses ouzeaus”) this curious poem was not, at all events, as the style decidedly proves, the composition of Skelton, to whom it was first attributed by Bishop Tanner.

I now print it from a transcript of the (probably unique) copy in the Pepysian library,—a transcript which appears to have been made with the greatest care and exactness; but I think right to add, that have not had an opportunity of seeing the original myself.

Jasper Tudor, second son of Owen Tudor by Katherine widow of King Henry the Fifth, was created Earl of Pembroke, in 1452, by his half-brother, King Henry the Sixth. After that monarch had been driven from the throne by Edward, Jasper was attainted, and his earldom conferred on another. He was again restored to it, when Henry had recovered the crown; but being taken prisoner at the battle of Barnet, he lost it a second time. After the battle of Bosworth, Henry the Seventh not only reinstated Jasper (his uncle) in the earldom of Pembroke, but also created him Duke of Bedford, in 1485; subsequently appointed him Lieutenant of Ireland for one year, and granted to him and his heirs male the office of Earl Marshal of England with an annuity of twenty pounds. The duke married Katherine, daughter of Richard Wydevile Earl Rivers, and widow of Henry Stafford Duke of Buckingham. He died 21st Dec. 1495, and, according to his own desire, expressed in his will, was buried in the abbey of Keynsham, where he founded a chantry for four priests to sing mass for the souls of his father, his mother, and his elder brother Edmond Earl of Richmond. He left no children except a natural daughter. See Sandford’s Geneal. Hist. p. 292. ed. 1707.

ELEGY ON KING HENRY THE SEVENTH.[277]

... orlde all wrapped in wretchydnes,

... hy pompes so gay and gloryous,

... easures and all thy ryches

... y be but transytoryous;

... to moche pyteous,

... e that eche man whylom dred,

... by naturall lyne and cours,

... s, alas, lyeth dede!

... ryall a kynge,

... ianer the prudent Salamon;

... sse and in euery thynge,

... 10 Crysten regyon,

... not longe agone,

... his name by fame spr[e]de;

... te nowe destytute alone,

... as, alas, lyeth dede!

... ater we wretchyd creatures,

... es and tryumphaunt maiestye,

... pastymes and pleasures,

... thouten remedye;

... o wyll the myserable bodye

... n heuy lede,

... lde but vanyte and all vanytye,

... h alas, alas, lyeth dede!

... is subgectes and make lamentacyon

... o noble a gouernoure;

... ayers make we exclamacyon,

... de to his supernall toure:

... dly rose floure,

... yally all aboute spred,

... iated where is his power?

... alas, alas, lyeth dede!

Of this moost Crysten kynge in vs it lyeth not,

His tyme passed honour suffycyent to prayse;

But yet though that that thyng envalue we may not,

Our prayers of suertye he shall haue alwayes;

And though that Atropose hathe ended his dayes,

His name and fame shall euer be dred

As fer as Phebus spredes his golden rayes,

Though Henry the Seuenth, alas, alas, lyeth dede!

But nowe what remedye? he is vncouerable,

Touchyd by the handes of God that is moost just;

But yet agayne a cause moost confortable

We haue, wherin of ryght reioys we must,

His sone on lyue in beaute, force, and lust,

In honour lykely Traianus to shede;

Wherfore in hym put we our hope and trust,

Syth Henry his fader, alas, alas, lyeth dede!

And nowe, for conclusyon, aboute his herse

Let this be grauyd for endeles memorye,

With sorowfull tunes of Thesyphenes verse;

Here lyeth the puyssaunt and myghty Henry,

Hector in batayll, Vlyxes in polecy,

Salamon in wysdome, the noble rose rede,

Creses in rychesse, Julyus in glory,

Henry the Seuenth ingraued here lyeth dede!

[277] Elegy on King Henry the Seventh] From an imperfect broadside in the Douce Collection, now in the Bodleian Library, Oxford. This unique piece formerly belonged to Dr. Farmer, who has written on it, “Qu. the author of this Elegy? Per J. Skelton, tho’ not in his works?” to which Douce has added, “The Doctor is probably right in what he says concerning the Elegy on Henry the Seventh, which is a singular curiosity.”

At the top of the original is a woodcut, representing the dead king, lying on a bed or bier, crowned and holding his sceptre; on one side the royal arms, on the other the crown resting on a full-blown rose, which has the king’s initials in its centre.

Henry died April 21st, 1509: see note, p. 214.

VOX POPULI, VOX DEI.[278]

Mr. Skeltone, poete.[279]

To the Kinges moste Exellent Maiestie.[280]

I pray yow, be not wrothe

For tellyng of the trothe;

For this the worlde yt gothe

Both to lyffe and [281] lothe,

As God hymselffe he knothe;[282]

And, as all men vndrestandes,

Both lordeshipes [283] and landes

Are nowe in fewe mens handes;

Bothe substance and bandes

Of all the hole realme

As most men exteame,

Are nowe [284] consumyd cleane

From the fermour and the poore

To the towne and the towre;

Whiche makyth theym to lower,

To see that in theire flower

Ys nother malte nor meale,

Bacon, beffe, nor [285] veale,

Crocke mylke nor kele,

But readye for to steale

For very pure neade.

Your comons saye indeade,

Thei be not able to feade

In theire stable scant a steade,

To brynge vp nor to breade,

Ye,[286] scant able to brynge

To the marckytt eny thynge

Towardes theire housekeping;

And scant have a cowe,

Nor [287] to kepe a poore sowe:

This [288] the worlde is nowe.

And [289] to heare the relacyon

Of the poore mens communycacion,

Vndre what sorte and fashyon

Thei make theire exclamacyon,

You wolde have compassion.

Thus goythe theire protestacion,

Sayeng that suche and suche,

That of late are made riche,

Have to, to, to myche

By grasyng and regratinge,

By poulyng and debatynge,

By roulyng and by dating,

By checke and checkematynge,[290]

[With delays and debatynge,

With cowstomes and tallynges,

Forfayttes and forestallynges];

So that your comons [291] saye,

Thei styll paye, paye

Most willyngly allwaye,

But yet thei see no staye

Of this outrage araye:

Vox populi, vox Dei;

O most noble kynge,

Consydre well this thynge!

And thus the voyce doth multyplye

Amonge [292] your graces commonaltye:

Thei are in suche greate penvry [293]

That thei can nother sell nor bye,

Suche is theire extreame povertye;

Experyence dothe yt verefye,

As trothe itselffe dothe testefye.

This is a marveilous myserye:

And trewe thei saye, it is no lye;

For grasyers and regraters,

Withe to [294] many shepemasters,

That of erable grounde make pastures,

Are thei that be these wasters

That wyll vndoo your [295] lande,

Yf thei contynewe and stande,

As ye shall vnderstand

By this lytle boke:

Yf you [296] yt overloke,

And overloke agayne,[297]

Yt wyll tell you playne [298]

The tenour and the trothe,

Howe nowe [299] the worlde yt gothe

Withe my neighbour and my noste,[300]

In every countre, towne, and coste,

Within the circumvisions

Of your graces domynyons;

And why the poore men wepe

For storyng of suche shepe,

For that so many do [301] kepe

Suche nombre and suche store

As [302] never was seene before:

[What wolde ye any more?]

The encrease was never more.

Thus goythe the voyce and rore:

And truthe yt is indeade;

For all men nowe do breade

Which [303] can ketche any lande

Out of the poore mans [304] hande;

For who ys so greate a grasyer

As the landlorde [305] and the laweare?

For at [306] every drawing daye

The bucher more must paye

For his fatting ware,

To be the redyare [307]

Another tyme to crave,

When, he more shepe wold have;

And,[308] to elevate the pryce,

Somewhate he must ryce

Withe a sinque or a sice,

So that the bucher cannot spare,

Towardes his charges and his fare,

To sell the very carcas bare

Vnder xijˢ or a marke,

[Wiche is a pytyfull werke.]

Besyde the offall and the flece,[309]

The flece and the fell:

Thus he dothe yt sell.

Alas, alas, alas,

This is a pitious case!

What poore man nowe is able

To have meate on his table?

An oxe at foure [310] pounde,

Yf he be any thynge rounde,

Or cum not in theire [311] grounde,

Suche laboure for to waste:

This ys the newe caste,

The newe cast from the olde;

This comon pryce thei holde;

Whiche is a very ruthe,

Yf men myght saye the truthe.

The comons [312] thus dothe saye,

They are not able to paye,

But miserere mei:[313]

Vox populi, vox Dei;

O most noble kyng,

Consydre well this thynge!

Howe saye you to this, my lordes?

Are not these playne recordes?

Ye knowe as well as I,

This [314] makes the comons crye,

This makes theym crye and wepe,

Myssevsing so theire shepe,

Theire shepe, and eke theire beves,

As yll or [315] wourse then theaves:

Vnto a comonwealthe

This ys a very stealthe.

But you that welthe [316] this bete,

You landlordes [317] that be grete,

You wolde not pay so for your meate,

Excepte your grasing ware so sweate,

Or elles I [318] feare me I,

Ye wold fynde remeadye,[319]

And that [320] right shortlye.

But yet this extremytie,

None feles yt but the comynaltie:

Alas, is there no remedye,

To helpe theym of this [321] myserye?

Yf there shuld come a rayne,

To make a dearthe of grayne,

As God may send yt playne

For our covetous and disdayne,

I wold knowe, among vs [322] all,

What ware he [323] that shuld not fall

And sorowe as he went,

For Godes ponyshment?

Alas, this were a plage [324]

For poverties pocession,

Towardes theire suppression,

For the greate mens transgression!

Alas, my lordes, foresee

There may be remeadye!

For the [325] comons saye,

Thei have no more to paye:

Vox populi, vox Dei;

O most noble kyng,

Consydre well this thyng!

And yet not long agoo

Was preachers on or twoo,

That spake yt playne inowe

To you, to you, and to you,

Hygh tyme for to repent [326]

This dyvelishe entent

[Of covitis the convente]:

From Scotland into Kent

This preaching was bysprent;

And from the easte frount

Vnto Saynct Myghelles Mount,

This sayeng [327] dyd surmount

Abrode to all mens eares,

And to your graces peeres,

That from piller vnto [328] post

The powr man he [329] was tost;

I meane the labouring man,

I meane the husbandman,

I meane the ploughman,

I meane the [330] playne true man,

I meane the handecrafteman,

I meane the victualing [331] man,

Also [332] the good yeman,

That some tyme in this realme

Had plentye of kye and creame,

[Butter, egges, and chesse,

Hony, vax, and besse]:

But now, alacke, alacke,

All theise men goo to wracke,

That are the bodye and the [333] staye

Of your graces realme allwaye!

Allwaye and at leinghe

Thei must be your streinghe,

Your streinghe and your teme,

For to defende your realme.

Then yf theise men appall,

And lacke when you do call,

Which way may you or shall

Resist your enemyes all,

That over raging streames

Will vade [334] from forreyn reames?

For me to make judiciall,

This matter is to mystycall;

Judge you, my lordes, for me you shall,

Yours ys the charge that governes all;

For vox populi me thei call,

That makith but reherssall

De parvo,[335] but not de totall,

De locis, but not locall:

Therfore you must not blame

The wight that wrot the same;

For the comons [336] of this land

Have [337] sowen this in theire sande,

Plowing yt withe theire hande;

I founde it wheare I stande;

And I am but the hayne [338]

That wryttes yt newe [339] agayne,

The coppye for to see,

That also learneth me

To take therby good hede

My shepe howe for to fede;

For I a shepherd am,

A sorye poore man;

Yet wolde I wyshe, my lordes,

This myght be [340] your recordes,

And make of yt no dreame,

For yt ys a worthy realme,

A realme that in tymes past

Hath made the prowdest [341] agast.

Therfore,[342] my lordes all,

Note this in especiall,

And have it in memoryall

[With youre wysse vnyversall,

That nether faver nor effection,

Yowe grawnt youre protection

To suche as hath [343] by election

Shall rewle by erection,

And doth gett the perfection

Of the powre menes refection;

Wiche ys a grett innormyte

Vnto youre grasys commynalte;

For thay that of latt did supe

Owtt of an aschyn cuppe,

Are wonderfully sprowng vpe;

That nowght was worth of latt,

Hath now a cubborde of platt,

His tabell furnyscheyd tooe,

With platt besett inowe,

Persell gylte and sownde,

Well worth towo thousand pounde.

With castinge cownteres and ther pen,

Thes are the vpstart gentylmen;

Thes are thay that dewowre

All the goodes of the pawre,

And makes them dotysche davys,

Vnder the cowler of the kenges lawys.

And yett annother [344] decaye

To youre grasys seetes alwaye;

For the statte of all youre marchantmen

Vndo most parte of youre gentyllmen,

And wrape them in suche bandes

That thay haue halle ther landes,

And payeth but halfe in hande,

Tyll thay more vnderstownde

Of the profett of there lande,

And for the other halfe

He shalbe mayd a calfe,

Excepte he haue gud frendes

Wiche well cane waye bothe endes;

And yet with frendes tooe

He shall haue mvche to doe;

Wiche ys a grett innormyte

To youre grasys regallyte.

Lett marchantmen goe sayle

For that ys ther trwe waylle;

For of one c. ye haue not ten

That now be marchantes ventring men,

That occupi grett inawnderes,

Forther then into Flanderes,

Flawnderes or into France,

For fere of some myschance,

But lyeth at home, and standes

By morgage and purchasse of landes

Owtt of all gentyllmenes handes,

Wiche showld serve alwaye your grace

With horse and men in chasse;

Wiche ys a grett dewowre

Vnto youre regall pawre.

What presydente cane thay shewe,

That fowre skore yeres agooe,

That [345] any marchant here,

Above all charges clere,

In landes myght lett to hyre

To thowsant markes by yere?

Other where shall ye fynde

A gentyllman by kynde,

But that thay wyll ly in the wynde,

To breng hyme fer behynde,

Or elles thay wyll haue all,

Yf nedes thay hyme [346] forstall?

Wiche ys the hole decaye

Of your marchantmen, I saye,

And hynderes youre grasys costome

By the yere a thowsant pawnde,

And so marryth, the more petye,

The comonwelth of yche sytte,

And vndoth the cowntre,

As prosse [?] doth make propertie;

This matter most spesyally

Wolde be loked one quiclye.

Yett for ther recreation,

In pastime and procreation,

In tempore necessitatis,

I wysche thay myght haue grattis

Lysens to compownde,

To purchasse fortie pownde

Or fyfte at the moste,

By fyne or wrytte of post;

And yf any marchantman,

To lyve his occupieng then,

Wolde purchasse any more,

Lett hyme forfett it therfore.

Then showld ye se the trade

That marchantmen frist mayde,

Whyche wysse men dyd marshall,

For a welth vnyversall,

Yche man this lawe to lerne,

And trewly his goodes to yerne,[347]

The landlord with his terme,

The plowghtman with his ferme,

The kneght wyth his fare,

The marchant with his ware,

Then showld increse the helth

Of yche comonwelthe],

And be not withe me wrothe [348]

For tellyng you [349] the trothe;

For I do heare yt everye daye,

How the comons thus do saye,

Yf thei hadde yt, thei wold paye:

Vox populi, vox Dei;

O most noble kyng,

Consydre well this thyng!

But, howe, Robyn, howe!

Whiche waye dothe the wynde blowe?

Herke! hercke! hercke!

Ys not here [350] a pytious werke,

The grounde and the cheiffe [351]

Of all this hole [352] myscheiffe?

For our covetous lordes

Dothe mynde no nother [353] recordes,

But framyng fynes for fermes,

Withe to myche, as some termes,

Withe rentes and remaynders,

Withe surveye and surrenders,

Withe comons and comon ingenders,

Withe inclosyers and extenders,

Withe horde vp, but no spenders;

For a comonwealthe

Whiche [354] is a verye stealthe.

Prove it who shall

To make therof tryall,

Thus goithe theire dyall:

I knowe not whates [355] a clocke,

But by the countre cocke,

The mone [356] nor yet the pryme,

Vntyll the sonne do shyne;

Or els I coulde tell

Howe all thynges shulde be well.

The compas may stand awrye,

But the carde wyll not lye:

Hale in your mayne shete,[357]

This tempest is to grete.

[For pawre men dayly sees

How officers [358] takes their fees,

Summe yll, and some yet worse,

As good right as to pike there purse:

Deservethe this not Godes curse?

There consyenes ys sooe grett,

Thaye fere not to dischare,[359]

Yf it were as moche more,

Soe thay maye haue the stowre.

Thus is oure we[l]the vndone

By synguler commodome;

For we are in dyvision,

Bothe for reght and religion;

And, as some [360] saythe,

We stagger in our faythe:

But excepte in shortt tyme

We drawe by one lyne,

And agre with one accorde,

Bothe the plowghman and the lorde,

We shall sore rewe

That ever this statte we knewe.]

The comons so do [361] saye,

Yf thei had yt, thei wold paye:

Vox populi,[362] vox Dei;

O most noble kyng,

Consydre well this thynge!

Thus runnes this [363] rumour about

Amongest the hole route;

Thei can not bryng aboute

How this thyng [364] shuld be,

Yt hathe suche high degree:

The coyne yt is so scante,

That every man dothe wante,

And some thincke not so scace,[365]

But even as myche to base.

Our [366] merchauntmen do saye,

Thei fynde it day by daye

To be a matter straunge,

When thei shulde make exchaunge

On the other side the sea,

Thei are dryven to theire plea;

For where oure pounde somtyme

Was better then theires by nyne,

Nowe ours, when yt comes [367] forthe,

No better then theires is worthe,

No, nor scant soo good;

Thei saye so, by the roode.

How maye the merchauntman

Be able to occupye than,

Excepte, when he comes heare,

He sell his ware to deare?

He neades must have a lyveng,

Or elles, fye on hys [368] wynneng!

This coyne by alteracion

Hathe brought this desolacyon,

Whiche is not yet all knowen

What myscheiffe it hathe sowen.

Thei saye, Woo worthe that man

That first that coyne began,

To put in any hedde

The mynde to suche a rede,

To come to suche a hiere

For covetous desyre!

I knowe not what it meanethe;

But this thei saye and deamythe,[369]

Væ illi [370] per quem scandalum venit!

For [371] this wyll axe greate payne

Before it be well agayne,

Greate payne and sore

To make it as it was [372] before.

The [373] comons thus do saye,

Yf thei hadde yt, thei would paye:

Vox populi, vox Dei;

O most noble kynge,

Consydre well this thinge!

This matter is to trewe,

That many man [374] dothe rewe

Theise sorowes doo ensue;

For poore men thei doo crye,

And saye it is awrye;

Thei saye thei can not be herde,

But styll from daye defferde,

When thei have any sute,

Thei maye goo blowe theire flute:

This [375] goithe the comon brute.

The riche man wyll come in;

For he is sure to wynne,

For he can make his waye,

With hande in hande to paye,

Bothe to thicke and thynne;[376]

Or els to knowe theire [377] pleasure,

My lorde is not at leysure;[378]

The poore man at the durre

Standes lyke an Island curre,

And dares not ons to sturre,[379]

Excepte he goo his waye,

And come another daye;

And then the matter is made,

That the poore man with his spade

Must no more his farme invade,

But must vse [380] some other trade;

For yt is so agreed

That my ladye mesteres Mede [381]

Shall hym expulce with all spede,

And our master the landlorde

Shall have yt all at his accorde,

His house and farme agayne,

To make therof his vttermost [382] gayne;

For his vantage wylbe more,

With shepe and cattell it to store,

And not to ploughe his grounde no more,

Excepte the fermour wyll aryere

The rent hyere by a hole yeare:

Yet must he have a fyne too,

The bargayne he may better [383] knowe;

Which makes [384] the marcket now so deare

That there be fewe that makes good cheare;

For the fermour must sell his goose,

As he may be able to paye for his house,

Or els, for non [385] payeng the rent,

Avoyde at our Lady daye in Lent:

Thus the poore man shalbe shent;

And then he and his wyffe,

With theire children, all theire lyffe,

Doth crye oute and ban

Vpon this covetous [386] man.

I sweare by God omnypotent,

I feare me [387] that this presedent

Wyll make vs all for to be [388] shent.

Trowe you, my lordes that be,

That God dothe not see

This riche mans charitie

Per speculum ænigmatæ?[389]

Yes, yes, you riche lordes,

Yt is wrytten in Cristes recordes,

That Dives laye in the fyere

With Belsabub his sire,

And Pauper he above satte

In the seate of Habrahams lappe,

And was taken from thys Troye,

To lyve allwaye with God in ioye.

The [390] comons thus do saye,

Yf thei had yt, thei wold paye:

Vox populi, vox Dei;

O most noble kyng,

Consydre well this thynge!

The prayse no les is worthe,

Godes worde is well sett forthe:

Yt never was more preached,

Nor never so playnlye teached;

Yt never was so hallowed,

Nor never so lytle followed

Bothe of highe and lowe,

As many a man dothe trowe;[391]

For this ys a [392] playne perscripcion,

We have banyshed superstycion,

But styll we kepe ambycion;

We have sent awaye all cloysterers,[393]

But styll we kepe extorcyoners;

We have taken theire landes for theire abuse,

But we convert [394] theym to a wourse vse.

Yf this tale be no lye,

My lordes, this goythe awrye;

Awrye, awrye ye goo,

With many thinges moo,

Quyte from the highe [395] waye.

The comons thus do saye,

Yff thei hadd yt, thei wold paye:

Vox populi, vox Dei;

O most noble kyng,

Consydre well this thinge!

Off [396] all this sequell

The faute I can not tell:

Put you together and spell,

My lordes of the councell.

I feare all be not well,

Ambycion so dothe swell,

As gothe [397] by reporte,

Amonge [398] the greatest sorte;

A wonderfull sorte of selles,[399]

That vox populi telles,[400]

Of those bottomlesse welles,[401]

That are este, weast, and so furthe,

Bothe by southe, and also northe,

Withe riche, riche, and riche,

Withe riche, and to myche,

The poore men to begyle,

Withe sacke and packe to fyle,[402]

[With suche as we compownd

For an offys ij thowsant pownde:

Howe maye suche men do reght,

Youre pawre men to requytt

Owtt of there trowbell and payne,

But thay most gett it agayne

By craft or such coarsyon,

By bryberey and playne exstorsyon?]

With many ferrelys moo,

That I could truly shewe:

There never was suche myserye,

Nor never so myche vserye.

The comons so [403] do saye,

Yf we had ytt, we [404] wold paye:

Vox populi, vox Dei;

O most noble kynge,

Consydre well this thynge!

10.[405]

And thus this ile of Brutes,

Most plentyfull of frutes,

Ys sodenlye decayede;

Poore men allmost dysmayde,

Thei are so overlayed:

I feare and am afrayde

Of the stroke of God,

Whiche ys a perelous rodde.

Praye, praye, praye,

We never se that daye;

For yf that daye do come,

We shall dyssever and ronne,

The father agaynst the sonne,

And one agaynst another.

By Godes blessed [406] mother,

Or thei begynne to hugger,

For Godes sake looke aboute,

And staye betymes this route,

For feare thei doo come oute.

I put you out of doubte,

There ys no greate trust,

Yf trothe shuld be discuste:

Therfore, my lordes, take heade

That this gere do not brede

At [407] chesse to playe a mate,

For then yt is to late:

We may well prove a checke,

But thei wyll have the neke;[408]

Yt is not to be wondered,

For thei are not to be nombred.

This the poore men saye,[409]

Yf thei hadde yt, thei wolde paye:

Vox populi, vox Dei;

O most noble kyng,

Consydre well this thinge!

11.[410]

Yt is not one alone

That this [411] dothe gronte and grone,

And make [412] this pytyous mone;

For yt is more then wonder,

To heare the infynyte nombre

Of poore men that dothe [413] shewe

By reason yt must be soo.

Thei wishe and do coniector [414]

That my lordes grace and protector,

That cheiffe is nowe erector

And formost of the rynge,

Vnder our noble kynge,

That he wold se redresse

Of this moste greate excesse,

For yt stondes [415] on hym no lesse;

For he is calde doubteles

A man of greate prowesse,

And so dothe beare the fame,

And dothe desyre the same;

His mynde thei saye is good,

Yf all wold followe his moode.

Nowe for to sett the frame,

To kepe styll this good name,

He must delaye all excuses,

And ponnyshe these greate abuses

Of these fynes and newe vses,

That have so many muses;

And first and pryncipallye

Suppresse this shamfull [416] vsurye,

Comonlye called husbondrye;

For [417] yf there be no remeadye

In tyme and that right shortlye,

Yt wyll breade to a pluresye,

Whiche is a greate innormytie

To all the kynges [418] comynaltye;

For there is no smale nombre

That [419] this faute dothe incombre:

Yt is a wordly wondre.[420]

The comons [421] thus do saye,

Yf thei had yt, thei wolde paye:

Vox populi, vox Dei;

O most noble kyng,

Consydre well this thynge!

12.[422]

Nowe, at your graces leysour,

Yf you wyll see the seisor

Of all the cheffe treasure,

Heapyd without measure,

Of the substance of your realme,

As yt were in a dreame,

I wyll make an esteame,

In the handes of a fewe,

The trothe you to showe,

Howe [423] this matter dothe goo;

For I wyll not spare

The trothe to declare;

For trothe trulye ment

Was never yet shent,

Nor never shent shalbe;

Note this text of me,

Yt may a [424] tyme be framed

For feare some shuld be blamed,

But yt wyll not be shamed;

Yt is of suche a streinghe,

Yt wyll overcome at leinghe.

Yff nowe I shall not fayne,

The trothe to tell you playne

Of all [425] those that do holde

The substance and the [426] golde

And the treasure of this realme;[427]

And shortlye to call,

Allmost thei have all;

Att least thei have the [428] trade

Of all [429] that may be made:

And fyrst [430] to declare

By [431] a bryeffe what thei are,

To make shorte rehersall,

As well spyrytuall as temporall;

The laweare and the landelorde,[432]

The greate reave and the recorde,—

The recorde I meane is he

That hathe office or els ffee,

To serve our noble kyng

In his accomptes or [433] recknyng

Of his treasure surmonttynge,—

Lorde chauncellour and chauncellours,

Masters of myntes and monyers,

Secondaryes and surveyours,

Auditors and receivours,

Customers and comptrollers,

Purvyours and prollers,

Marchauntes of greate sailes,

With the master [434] of woodsales,

With grasyers and regraters,

With Master Williams of shepe masters,

And suche lyke comonwelthe [435] wasters,

That of erable groundes make [436] pasters,

[And payemasters suche as bythe [437]

With Trappes your golden smythe,]

With iij or iiij greate clothiars,

And the hole lybell of lawyars:

Withe theise and theire trayne,

To be bryeffe and playne,

Of theire to, to myche [438] gayne

That thei take for theire payne,

Yt is knowen by ceirten sterres [439]

That thei may [440] mayntayne your graces warres

By space [441] of a hole yeare,

Be yt good chepe or deare,

Thoughe [442] we shulde withstande

Both Fraunce and Scotlande,

And yet to leave ynough

Of money, ware, and stuffe,

Both in cattell and corne,

To more then thei were borne,

By patrymonye or bloode

To enherytte so myche goode.

By cause thei be so base,

Thei wylbe neadye and scase;[443]

For quod natura dedit

From gentle blode them [444] ledyth;

And to force a chorlishe best

Nemo attollere potest:

Yet rather then thei wold goo before,

Thei wolde helpe your grace with somwhat more,

For thei be they [445] that have the store;

Those be they wyll [446] warraunt ye,

Though you toke [447] never a penye

Of your poore comynaltie.

This is trewe vndoubtelye;

I dare affyrme it certeynlye;

For yf this world do holde,

Of force you must be bolde

To borowe theire fyne golde;

For thei have all [448] the store;

For [449] your comons have no more;

Ye may it call to lyght,

For yt is your awne right,

Yf that your grace have neade:

Beleve this as your Creade.

The poore men so [450] do saye,

Yf thei had yt, thei wold paye

With a better wyll then thei:

Vox populi, vox Dei;

O most noble kyng,

Consyder well this thynge!

13.[451]

O worthiest protectour,

Be herin corrector!

And you, my lordes all,

Let not your honor appall,

But knocke betymes and call

For theise greate vsurers all;

Ye knowe the pryncypall:

What neadith [452] more rehersall?

Yf you do not redresse

By tyme [453] this coveteousnes,

My hed I hold and gage [454],

There wylbe greate outrage;

Suche rage as never was seene

In any olde mans tyme.

Also for this perplexyte,[455]

Of these that are most welthye,

Yt ware a deade of charyte

To helpe theym of this [456] pluresie:

Yt comes by suche greate fyttes

That it takes awaye [457] theire wyttes,

Bothe [458] in theire treasure tellynge [459],

Or els in byeng and sellynge.

Yf thei of this weare eased,

Your grace shuld be well pleased,

And thei but lytle deseased

Of this covetous dropsye,

That brynges theym to thys pluresie,

Bothe the pluresye and goute [460],

Vncurable to be holpe [out],

Excepte your grace for pytie

Provyde this foresaid remeadye;

As doctors holde opynyon,

Both Ambros and Tertulian,

Withe the Swepestake and the Mynyon,

The Herte and [461] the Swallowe,

And all the rest that followe,

Withe [462] the Gallye and the Roo

That so swyffte do [463] goo,

Goo, and that apase,

By the Henry [464] Grace,

The Herrye and the Edwarde,[465]—

God sende theym all well forwarde,

Withe all the hole fleete!

Whose councell complete

Saithe it is full mete

That greate heddes and dyscreate

Shulde loke well to theire feate.

Amen, I saye, so be ytt!

As all your comons praye

For your long healthe allwaye.[466]

Yf thei hadde yt, thei wold paye

[With a better wyll then thay]:

Vox populi, vox Dei,

Thus dothe wrytte, and thus doth saye,

With this psalme, Miserere mei;

O most noble kyng,

Consyder well this thynge!

ffinis quothe Mr. Skelton, Poete Lawriate.[467]

[278] Vox Populi, Vox Dei] From MS. 2567 in the Cambridge Public Library, collated with MS. Harl. 367. fol. 130. The latter, though it contains a very considerable number of lines which are not found in the former, and which I have placed between brackets, is on the whole the inferior MS., its text being greatly disfigured by provincialisms.

This poem, which is assigned to Skelton only in the Cambridge MS., was evidently composed by some very clumsy imitator of his style. The subject, however, renders it far from uninteresting.

[279] Mr. Skeltone, poete] Not in MS. Harl.

[280] To the Kinges moste Exellent Maiestie] So MS. Harl. Not in MS. C.

[281] and] MS. Harl. “and to.”

[282] knothe] So MS. Harl.—MS. C. “knoweth.”

[283] lordeshipes] So MS. Harl.—MS. C. “lordshippe.”

[284]

As most men, &c.

Are nowe, &c.

Transposed in MS. Harl.

[285] nor] So MS. Harl.—MS. C. “or.”

[286] Ye] M.S. Harl. “Nor.”

[287] Nor] So MS. Harl.—Omitted in MS. C.—(“to kepe” is governed by the preceding “able.”)

[288] This] MS. Harl. “Thus.” (But see note, p. 86.)

[289] And] So MS. Harl.—Omitted in MS. C.

[290] matynge] So MS. Harl.—MS. C. “making.”

[291] comons] MS. Harl. “poormen.”

[292] Amonge] MS. Harl. “Amownges.”

[293] penvry] So MS. Harl.—MS. C. “povertye” (which ends the next line but one).

[294] to] MS. Harl. “soe.”

[295] your] MS. Harl. “this.”

[296] you] MS. Harl. “youre grace.”

[297] agayne] MS. Harl. “it agayne.”

[298] playne] MS. Harl. “soo playne.”

[299] Howe nowe, &c.] MS. Harl. “Howe this warld now gowthe.”

[300] my noste] i. e. mine host.

[301] do] Not in MS. Harl.

[302] As] MS. Harl. “And.”

[303] Which] MS. Harl. “That.”

[304] mans] MS. Harl. “menes.”

[305] landlorde] MS. Harl. “lorde.”

[306] at] Not in MS. Harl.

[307] To be in the redyare] MS. Harl. “And to be the more redyer.”

[308] And] So MS. Harl.—Not in MS. C.

[309] the flece] A line, which rhymed with this, has dropt out.

[310] foure] MS. Harl. “fyve.”

[311] Or cum not in theire] MS. Harl. “Or elles come not in the.”

[312] The comons, &c.] MS. Harl.

“Youre poormen thus doo saye

Yf thaye haue it thows thay paye.”

[313] But miserere mei] Not in MS. Harl.

[314] This] MS. Harl. “Thus.”

[315] or] MS. Harl. “and.”

[316] welthe] MS. Harl. “wyll.”

[317] landlordes] MS. Harl. “lordes.”

[318] I] Not in MS. Harl.

[319] Ye wold fynde remeadye] MS. Harl. “Yowe fynde some remedy.”

[320] And that, &c.] In MS. Harl. is written, in a later hand, at the beginning of this line, and as part of it, “In tyme.”

[321] This] MS. Harl. “there.”

[322] among vs] MS. Harl. “amownges.”

[323] ware he] MS. Harl. “he where.”

[324] plage] A line wanting to rhyme with this.

[325] the] MS. Harl. “youre powre.”

[326] Hygh tyme for to repent] Altered in MS. Harl. by a later hand from “That it was reght tyme to repente.”

[327] This sayeng] So MS. Harl.—MS. C. “Theise sayenges.”

[328] vnto] MS. Harl. “to.”

[329] powr man he] So MS. Harl.—MS. C. “povertye.”

[330] I meane the, &c.] MS. Harl. omits this line.

[331] victualing] MS. Harl. “vylyng.”

[332] Also] MS. Harl. “And also.”

[333] the] Not in MS. Harl.

[334] vade] MS. Harl. “wadde.”

[335] parvo] MS. C. “paruie.” MS. Harl. “parvū.” Qy. “parvis?”

[336] comons] MS. Harl. “poremen,”—altered in a later hand from “commenes.”

[337] Have] MS. Harl. “Hath.”

[338] hayne] So MS. Harl.—MS. C. “hande.”

[339] wryttes yt newe] MS. Harl. “wrythe new.”

[340] be] So MS. Harl.—MS. C. “by.”

[341] prowdest] MS. Harl. “prowdes.”

[342] Therfore] MS. Harl. “And now.”

[343] To suche as hath, &c.] There appears to be some corruption here.

[344] annother] MS. “and nother.”

[345] That] Qy. dele?

[346] hyme] MS. “hyne.”

[347] yerne] MS. “ywre.”

[348] And be not withe me wrothe] MS. Harl. “Therfore be not yow wrothe.”

[349] you] MS. Harl. “of.”

[350] here] MS. Harl. “this.”

[351] cheiffe] MS. Harl. “pithe.”

[352] hole] Not in MS. Harl.

[353] no nother] i. e. none other. MS. Harl. “noe other.”

[354] Whiche] MS. Harl. “This.”

[355] whates] MS. Harl. “what.”

[356] mone] So both MSS. But qy. “none?”

[357] mayne shete] In MS. Harl. is altered by a later hand from “graett shepe.”

[358] How officers, &c.] This line is added by a later hand.

[359] dischare] There is some error here; and perhaps a line or more has dropt out.

[360] And, as some, &c.] This line and the next added by a later hand.

[361] so do] MS. Harl. “thus doth.”

[362] Vox populi, &c.] This line in MS. Harl. is added by a later hand.

[363] this] MS. Harl. “the.”

[364] How this thyng, &c.] This line omitted in MS. Harl.

[365] scace] MS Harl. “skarese.”

[366] Our] MS. Harl. “Your.”

[367] comes] MS. Harl. “commythe.”

[368] hys] MS. Harl. “the.”

[369] this ... deamythe] MS. Harl. “thus ... dremethe.”

[370] illi] Both MSS. “ille.”

[371] For] MS. Harl. “But.”

[372] it as it was] MS. Harl. “this as was.”

[373] The] MS. Harl. “Youre.”

[374] man] MS. Harl. “a man.”

[375] This] MS. Harl. “Thus.” (But see note, p. 86.)

[376] thynne] A line, or perhaps more, has dropt out here.

[377] theire] MS. Harl. “the.”

[378] My lorde is not at leysure] A line borrowed from Skelton’s Why come ye nat to Courte, v. 622 vol. ii. 46.

[379] dares not ons to sturre] MS. Harl. “darre not ones sture.”

[380] must vse] MS. Harl. “most gowe vse.”

[381] mesteres Mede] The writer, perhaps, recollected that Skelton had mentioned “mayden Meed” in Ware the Hauke, v. 149. vol. i. 160.

[382] vttermost] MS. Harl. “vttmost.”

[383] better] MS. Harl. “the” (the scribe having omitted “better” by mistake).

[384] makes] MS. Harl. “maketh.”

[385] non] So MS. Harl.—MS. C. “now.”

[386] this covetous] MS. Harl. “this corsede covitys”.

[387] me] Not in MS. Harl.

[388] be] Not in MS. Harl.

[389] Per speculum ænigmatæ] This line in MS. C. is added by a different hand; and in MS. Harl. it is one of the various additions by a later hand: “ænigmatæ” (written in both MSS. “inigmatæ”) must have been used for the sake of the rhyme.

[390] The] MS. Harl. “Yowr.”

[391] trowe] MS. Harl. “knowe.”

[392] a] Not in MS. Harl.

[393] sent ... cloysterers] MS. Harl. “showtt ... cloystres.”

[394] convert] MS. Harl. “haue convertyd.”

[395] the highe] MS. Harl. “the kenges hy.”

[396] Off] MS. Harl. “And of.”

[397] gothe] MS. Harl. “it gothe.”

[398] Amonge] MS. Harl. “Amownges.”

[399] selles] MS. Harl. seems to have “sylkes.”

[400] telles] MS. Harl. “tyltis.”

[401] those ... welles] MS. Harl. “thes ... weltes.”

[402] fyle] So MS. Harl.—MS. C. “fylde.”

[403] The commons so] MS. Harl. “Yowr powr men thus.”

[404] we ... we] MS. Harl. “thay ... thay.”

[405] 10] Not in MS. Harl.

[406] blessed] So MS. Harl.—MS. C. “blest.”

[407] At] So MS. Harl.—MS. C. “A.”

[408] thei wyll have the neke] MS. Harl. “we shall haue the werke.”

[409] This the poore men saye, &c.] This and the next four lines omitted in MS. Harl.

[410] 11] Not in MS. Harl.

[411] this] MS. Harl. “thus.” (But see note, p. 86.)

[412] make] MS. Harl. “makethe.”

[413] dothe] MS. Harl. “doo.”

[414] coniector] MS. Harl. “conuector.”

[415] For yt stondes, &c.] This line not in MS. Harl.

[416] shamfull] So MS. Harl.—Not in MS. C.

[417] For] MS. Harl. “So.”

[418] the kynges] MS. Harl. “youre grasis.”

[419] That] MS. Harl. “But that.”

[420] Yt is a wordly wondr.] Not in MS. Harl.

[421] The commons] MS. Harl. “Youre powre men.”

[422] 12] MS. Harl. “10.”

[423] Howe] So MS. Harl.—Omitted in MS. C.

[424] Yt may a] MS. Harl. “Yf a.”

[425] all] Not in MS. Harl.

[426] the] So MS. Harl.—Not in MS. C.

[427] realme] A line wanting, to rhyme with this.

[428] the] So MS. Harl.—Not in MS. C.

[429] all] So MS. Harl.—MS. C. “that.”

[430] fyrst] MS. Harl. “frist.”

[431] By] Not in MS. Harl.

[432] laweare ... landelorde] MS. Harl. “laweres ... lawlorde.”

[433] or] MS. Harl. “and.”

[434] master] MS. Harl. “maisteres:” but perhaps some particular individual is alluded to; compare the second line after.

[435] comonwelthe] MS. Harl. “commen.”

[436] groundes make] MS. Harl. “grownd makes.”

[437] And payemasters, &c.] These two lines added in MS. Harl. by a later hand.

[438] to, to myche] MS. Harl. “to myche.”

[439] sterres] MS. Harl. “stowrys.”

[440] may] Not in MS. Harl.

[441] By space] MS. Harl. “By the space.”

[442] Thoughe] MS. Harl. “Ye thowght.”

[443] scase] MS. Harl. “skarsse.”

[444] them] MS. Harl. “they.”

[445] they] MS. Harl. “thosse.”

[446] wyll] MS. Harl. “I wyll.”

[447] toke] MS. Harl. “take.”

[448] all] Not in MS. Harl.

[449] For] Not in MS. Harl.

[450] so] Not in MS. Harl.

[451] 13] MS. Harl. “11.”

[452] neadith] MS. Harl. “nedes.”

[453] By tyme] MS. Harl. “Be tymes.”

[454] I hold and gage] MS. Harl. “I wold to gage.”

[455] perplexyte] In writing this word with a contraction, the transcriber of MS. C. has omitted the second p.

[456] this] MS. Harl. “ther.”

[457] awaye] MS. Harl. “waye.”

[458] Bothe] So MS. Harl.—MS. C. “But.”

[459] treasure tellynge] MS. Harl. “tresure and tellyng.”

[460] and goute] MS. Harl. “and the gowt.”

[461] The Herte and, &c.] This line and the next omitted in MS. Harl.

[462] Withe] Not in MS. Harl.

[463] do] MS. Harl. “dothe.”

[464] Henry] MS. Harl. “Herry.”

[465] Edwarde] So MS Harl.—MS. C. “Ewarde.”

[466] allwaye] MS. Harl. “awaye.”

[467] ffinis quothe Mr. Skelton, Poete Lawriate] Instead of these words, MS. Harl. has,

“God saue the kenge

Finis quod vox populi vox dei.”

THE IMAGE OF IPOCRYSY.[468]

Vpon....

Of the cruell clergy[?],

And the proude prelacy[?],

That now do looke so hie,

As though that by and by

They wold clymbe and fflye

Vp to the clowdy skye:[469]

Wher all men may espye,

By fals hipocrysye

Thei long haue blered the eye

Of all the world well nye;

Comytting apostacie

Against that verytye

That thei can not denye:

In which how shamlessly

They do ... and aye

Ther concyens testyfye

The poppe[?]....

Curte[?]....

The rest of B ... markes,

That be heresyarkes,

Which do com[yt?] ther warkes,

As one that in the darke ys,

And wotes not wher the marke ys,

Do take the kites for larkes.

Suche be owr primates,

Our bisshopps and prelates,

Our parsons and curates,[470]

With other like estates

That were shaven pates;

As monkes white and blacke,

And channons that cane chatte,

Glottons [471] ffayre and fatt,

With ffriers of the sacke,

And brothers of the bagg,

As nymble as a nagg,

That cane bothe prate and bragg,

To make the pulpett wagge

With twenty thousand lyes,

Do make the blind eate flyes,

And [472] blere our symple eyes,

To make vs to beleve

God morowe is god eve;

For pleynly to be breve,

So nye they do vs dreve,

That we, to our great greve,

Must sey that white is blacke,

Or elles they sey we smacke,

And smell we wote not what:

But then beware the catt;

For yf they smell a ratt,

They grisely chide and chatt,

And, Haue him [473] by the jack,

A fagott for his backe,

Or, Take [474] him to the racke,

And drowne hyme in a sacke,

Or burne hyme on a stake!

Lo, thus they vndertake

The trothe false to make!

Alas, for Christ his sake!

Is the sonnelight darke,

Or ignoraunc[e] a clarke,

Bycawse that thei hath powre

To send men to the Towre,

The simple to devowre?

If they lyst to lowre,

Ys suger therfor sowre?

Dothe [475] five and three make ffour?

As well I durst be bolde

To sey the ffier were colde.

But yet they worke muche worse,

When they for blissinge cowrse;

For Father Friska jolly,

And Pater Pecke a lolly,

That be all full of folly,

Doo [476] fayne them seem [477] holy,

For ther monopoly,

And ther private welthe,

That they haue take by stelthe;

And in the churche they lurke,

As ill as any Turke,

So proudely they vsurpe,

Besyde the spritt of Christ,

The office of a pryste

In any wise to take,

As thoughe it were a iape,

To runne in att the rove;[478]

For some of them do prove [479]

To clyme vpp ere they knowe

The doore from the wyndowe;

They may not stoope alowe,

But backe bend as a bowe;

They make an owtwarde showe,

And so forthe one a rowe,

As dapper as a crowe,

And perte as any pye,

And lighte as any ffly.

At borde and at table

They be full servysable,

Sober and demure,

Acquayntans to allure,

Wher they may be sure [480]

By any craft or trayne

To fyshe for any gayne,[481]

Or wayt for any wynnyng,—

A prestly begynnynge!

For many a hyerlinge,

With a wilde fyerlinge,

Whan his credyte is most,

With mikell brag and bost

Shall pryck [482] owt as a post,

Chafyng [483] lyke myne hoste,

As hott as any toste,

And ride from cost to cost,

And then [484] shall rule the rost.

And some avaunced be

For ther auncente,

Thoughe [485] ther antiquitye

Be all innequitye;

Yett be they called

To the charge of the fald,

Because they be balled,

And be for bisshopps stalled.

And some kepe ther stations

In owtwarde straunge natyons,

Lernynge invocatyons,

And craftye incantatyons;

And so by inchantement

Gette theyr avauncement.

And some by fayned favour

For honour or for havour,

By voyses boughte and solde,

For sylver and for golde,

For lande, for rente or ffee,

Or by authoritye

Of menn of hye degree,

Or for some qualitye,

As many of them bee,

For ther actyvitee,

Ther practyse and industrye,

Sleyght, craft, and knavery,

In matters of bawdery,

Or by helpe of kynne,

An easy liffe to wynne.

I swere by Saincte Mary,

He that thus dothe cary

Is a mercenary,

Yea, a sangunary,

A pastore for to pull

Of bothe skynne and wolle.

Thoughe Christ be the doer,

They force not of his looer,

They sett therby no stoore;

Ther stody is for moore:

And I tell youe therfore

That they ther tyme temper

With a provisoo semper

An other wey to enter,

For love of wordely good,

Not forcinge of the fflode

Of hyme that bledd the roode;

It is not for ther moode.

They make deambulacyons

With great ostentations,

And loke for salutations

On every mannes face,

As in the merkett place

To saye, God saue your grace!

Thus in churche and chepinge,

Wher they may haue metinge

With lordes and with ladyes,

To be called Rabyes:

Nowe God saue these dadyes,

And all ther yonge babyes!

The holy worde of God

Is by these men forbod;

Pater noster and Creede

They vtterly forbeede

To be said or songe

In our vulgar tonge.

Ohe Lorde, thou hast great wronge

Of these that shoulde be trustye,

Whiche sey the breade is musty,

And with ther lawe vnlusty

Make it rusty and dusty!

But I do thinke it rustye

For lacke of exercyse:

Wherfore they be vnwise

That will the lawe despise,

And daylye newe devyse,

So dyvers and so straunge,

Which [486] chaunge and rechaunge

Of fastinges and of feestes,

Of bowes [487] and behestes,

With many of ther [488] iestes,

As thoughe lay men wer bestes;

As many of vs bee,

That may and will not see,

Nor ones cast vpp an eye,

These jugglinges to espye;

For this that nowe is vsed

Is efte ageyne refused,

Chaunged or mysvsed,

That we be still abused:

The lawe that servethe nowe,

Ageyne they disalowe.

Thus forthe and backe,[489]

With bryve and with bull

They dayly plucke and pull,

And yett be never ffull;

For wher one bull makes,

An other bull forsakes;

The thyrde yett vndertakes

To alter all of newe:

Thus none will other sue.

Wherfore, by swete Jesu,

I thinke they be vntrewe

That iuggle tyme and tyme

To gett thyne and myne;

Yea, thoughe the worlde pynne,

No man wyll they spare,[490]

So they ther pelfe prefarre,

The lawes to make and marre,

To bynde vs nere and farre;

Wherto may be no barre

In peace tyme nor in warre;

For none ther is that darre

Replye ageyne or speake,

This daunce of thers to breake;

The trouthe it is so weeke:

They make all men cry creake,

Or fry them to a steake,—

Adieu, Sir Huddypeake!

Lo, Peters barge is leake,

And redy for to synke!

Beware yett least youe drinke;

God dothe not slepe nor wynke,

But sethe lande and brynke;

And yf ye take the chynke,

I feare me ye will stynke,

And corrupt your vnctyon

With an iniunctyon;

Your [491] pride and presumption,

In [492] abvsing your functyon,

Will breade a consumtion,

And make a resumption,

To bringe youe to compunction;

Youre [493] lawes falsely grounded,

That hath the world surounded,

By trouthe shalbe confounded.

Thoughe ye be lordes digne,

Ye shoulde no man maligne,

But ever be benyngne;

And namely in suche case

Wher God his gyfte or grace [494]

Lyst to plante or place:

The poore man, or the riche,

Is to his pleasure lyche;

For Christ, our derest Lorde,

That made the full accorde,

As Scripture dothe recorde,

Betwyxt God and man,

Suppressynge Sattan

And all his kingdom, whan [495]

Vpon the holy roodd

He shadd his blissed bloode,

As muche for one as other,

Exceptinge not his mother,

Made every man his brother,

As many as ther bee

In faythe and charitee.

But nowe by fals abvsyon,

The clergy by collution,

Without good conclution,

Haue broughte vs to confution,

And made an illution:

By great inyquytie,

Avaunt themselfes to be

No lesse then godes, yee,

Of equall authorytye;

Whiche, by ipocrysye,

To exalt ther dignytye,

Call vs the leudd lay ffee,

Men of temporalitee;

But they pretend to bee

A people eternall,

Of powr supernall:

I fere me, infernall;

For they that be carnall,

Idolaters to Baall,

And nothinge gostely at all,

Be named spirituall;

For so we must them calle,

As we aye do and shall,

What happe soever falle.

Ther successyon may not dye,

But lyve eternallye;

For, without question,

Perpetuall succession

They haue from one to other,

As childer of ther mother;

Yea, they kepe all in store

That other hadd afore,

And daylye gather more.

Lo, thus the people rore,

As on a fistred sore

Of matter most vnpure,

That thei ar dryven to indure

Tyll God himself send cure!

That as you be possessors,

So be yee successors

Vnto your predecessors:

And yet ye be questors,

And hoorders vppe of testers;

Ye [496] daylye cache and gather

Of mother and of father,

And of no man rather

Then of your poore brother,

And of euery other;

Yea, all that comes is gayne,

You passe of no mans payne,

Whiche ye allwey reteyne,

Who ever grudge or playne,

It may not out agayne;

Noughte may be remitted

That to youe is commytted;

Ye be not so lighte witted.

The people thinke it true

That ye possession sue

To haue an easy life,

Without debate or strife,

To lyve without a wife,

Lordely [497] and at ease,

Without payne or disease,

Your belly god to please,

And worldly welth to haue:[498]

Ye do your heeades shave,

To make youe sure and save

In every wind and wave,

That wolde as sone rave

As ones to chippe [499] an heare

So farre aboue your eare,

Or suche an habite weare,

With a polled heade,

To fayne yourselves deade;

But for possessions sake

That ye suche rules take,

And bynde youe to the brake,

That ye maye not forsake

Durynge all your lyves:

So well is he that thrives.

Thus be youe spirituall;

And yett ye do vs call

But lewde and temporall;

And that is for that we

So weake and simple be,

To put oure possession

From oure succession

And heires lyniall

Or kynne collaterall,

That be menn temporall,

And so from lyne to lyne;

For ech man for his tyme

Sayes, While it is myne,

I will give while I maye,

That, when I am away,

They shall both singe and saye,

And for my soules helthe pray,

Tyll it be domes day:

So, after this array,

Alake and well away!

We oure landes straye,

And other goodes decay;

Wherat ye laughe and play:

And natheles allwey

We dayly pay and pay,

To haue youe to go gaye

With wonderfull araye,

As dysardes in a play.

God wolde it were imprented,

Written and indentyd,

What youe haue invented!

So great diversyte

Nowe in your garmentes be,

That wonder is to se;

Your triple cappe and crowne,

Curtle, cope, and gowne,

More worthe then halfe a towne,

With golde and perle sett,

And stones well iffrett;

Ther can be no bett;

And for no price ye lett,

How far of they be fett.

Oh ye kynde of vipers,

Ye beestly bellyters,

With Raynes and Cipres,

That haue so many miters!

And yett ye be but mychers.

Youe weere littell hattes,

Myters, and square capps,

Decked with flye flappes,

With many prety knackes,

Like Turkes of Tartary,

Moores, or men of Moscovye,

Or lyke bugges of Arraby,

With ouches and bosses,

With staves and crosses,

With pillers and posses,

With standers and banners,

Without good life or manners:

Then haue youe gay gloves,

That with your hand moves,

Wroughte with true loves,

And made well, for the nones,

With golde and precious stones:

Ye blisse vs with your bones,

And with your riche ringes,

That quenes and kinges,

At your offringes,

Shall kisse with knelinges;

Which your mynykyns

And mynyon babbes,

Your closse chambred drabbes,

When masse and all is done,[500]

Shall were at afternone:

Your curtells be of sylke,

With rochetes white as mylke;

Your bootes of righte sattyne,

Or velvett crymosyne;

Your shoes wroughte with gold,

To tredd vpon the molde;

Wandring, as Vandals,

In sylke and in sandals,

Ye kepe your holy rules,

As asses and mules;

For on your cloven cules

Will ye never sytt

But on a rich carpett;

And nowe and then a fitt,

After the rule of Bennett,

With, dythmunia vennett,

A gaye a vott gennett,

With Gill or with Jennyt,

Wyth Cycely or Sare;

Yf thei come wher they are,

Thei lay one and not spare,

And never look behind them,

Wher soever they ffynd them;

For whan that thei be hett,

And Asmodeus grett,

They take, as [501] thei can gett,

All [502] fyshe that comes to nett,

For lust fyndes no lett [503]

Tyll hys poyson be spett;

Be she fyne or feat,

Be she white or [504] jett,

Long or short sett,

Do she smyle or skowle,

Be she ffayr or fowle,

Or owgly [505] as an owle;

For vnderneth a cowle,

A surplyse or an amys,

Can no man do amys;

Ye halse them from harmes

With blessinges and charmes,

While the water warmes,

In your holy armes,

Broging in ther barmes,

Devoutly to clipe it,

To caste her with a tryppytt,

With, lusty Sir John, whip it

Vnderneth your tippitt,

Prætextu pietatis,

Quam contaminatis

Sub jugo castitatis,

Your burning heate to cease,

And expell your disease,

Vnder pretens [506] of pease,

The paynes to release

Of poore sely sowles,

That hide be in holes

As hote as any coles.

Ye cappes haue and capes,

With many other iapes,

To cover with your pates;

As hoodes and cowles,

Like horned owles,

With skapplers and cootes,

Courtbies and copes,

White knottyd ropes,

With other instrumentes,

Straunge habilimentes,

And wanton vestementes,

And other implementes,

As tyrantes haue in tentes:

But what therby ment is,

Or what they signifye,

I cane not tell, not I,[507]

Nor you vndowtedlye

Can shew no reason whie.

Ye make it herisy

And treason to the kinge,

Yf we speke any thinge

That is not to your lykynge;

The truth may not be spoken,

But ye will be wroken:

Yett marke and note this token;

Yf Gods worde ones open,

Which wyll er long perdye,

Then shall we here and se

In Cristianitye,

Whether youe or we

The very traytours be.

But, by the Trynite,

It wonder is to me

To se your charite

And hospitalite

So littell to the poore;

And yet vpon a hoore

Ye passe for non expence,

As thoughte it non offence

Were in the sighte of God;

Youe fray not of his rod;

Youe loue your bely cod;

For them that haue no nede

Ye dayly feest and fede:

I thinke it be to dreede

Lest here you [508] haue your mede.

Ye drawe and cast lottes,

In hattes and in pottes,

For tottes and for quottes,

And blere vs with your blottes,

And with your mery poppes:

Thus youe make vs sottes,

And play with vs [509] boopepe,

With other gambaldes like,

To pill oure Lordes sheepe,

Your honour for to kepe,

Vsinge great excesse,

Which I pray God represse,

And soone to sende redresse!

For no man can expresse

The wo and wretchednesse

Youe on oure neckes do lye,

By your grett tyrannye,

Your pride and surquedrye,

That ye do openlye:

But that youe secretly

Practyse pryvylye,

May not be tolde,—and why?

Lest it be herysye,

And than by and by

To make a faggott ffrye.

For we can not deny,

And treuth [510] doth playne dyscrye,

And all wysemen espye

That all the falt doth lye [511]

Vpon oure owne foly,

That ye be so iolye,

For with oure owne goodes

We fether vppe oure [512] hoodes.

Youe sanguinolently,

Your mony is so plenty,

That youe make no deynty

Of twenty pound and twenty,

So youe may haue entry;

And then youe laughe and skorne

To se vs were the horne,

Ridinge here and hether,

Goinge ther and thether,

Lyke cokold foles [513] together,

In colde, wynde, and in wether,

For woll, for ledd, and lether;

And yet do not consydre

We wer an oxes fether:[514]

This is a prety bob,

Oure hedes for to gnob [515]

With suche a gentill job:

And we oure selves rob

Of landes temporall,

And jvelles great and smalle,

To give youe parte of all

In almes perpetuall,

To make our heyres thrall

For your [516] hye promotyon,

Through [517] our blynde devotion

And small [518] intellygens,

But that our conscyens,

Laden with offens,

And you vs so incense,

When we be going hens,

To make soch recompens,

By gyvyng [519] yowe [520] our pens,

Our land, goodes, and rentes,

For that [521] holy pretens,

Havyng ffull confydens

That be [522] a safe defens:

So do we styll dyspens

With all remorse and sens

Of harty penytens.

This cane not be denyed;

Your jugglynge is espied,

Your mayster is vntyed,

Which is the prince of pride;

For you on [523] neyther syde

Can suffre or abyde [524]

To here the troth tryed,

Which ye intend to hide

With vehement [525] desyre,

As hote as any ffire.

Thus endeth the ffirst parte of this present treatyse, called the Image of Ipocrysy.

Alake, for Christes might,

These thinges go not arighte!

Oure lanterns give no lighte,

All bisshopps be not brighte:

They be so full of spyte,

They care not whom they byte,

Both frend and foo they smyte

Wyth prison, deth, and flighte;

So dayly they do fyght

To overturne the ryght:

So [526] we be in the plyte,

That, losing of oure sight,

We [527] know not black from whyght,

And be thus [528] blinded quyte,

We know not [529] day from nyght.

But, by my syres soule,

The true Apostell Paule

Wrott, as we may see

In Tyte and Tymothe,

Who should a bisshoppe be:

A man of holy liffe,

The husbonde of one wiffe;

That vseth not to strife,

Or strike with sworde or knyff,

Nor that at any tyme

Suspected is of cryme,

But wise and provident,

Colde and contynent,

But never vynolent;

That when he eat [530] or drinke,

Slepe, awake,[531] or winke,

Doth styll [532] on measure thinke,

And therof vse a messe,

To put away excesse,

Kepe [533] hyme lowe and chast;

That he make no wast

By prodigalite

Or sensualytye,

A waster for to be,

But, after his degree,

With liberallite

Kepe hospitallite;

He must be sadd and sage,

Vsinge non outrage,

But soberly with reason

To spende in tyme and season,

And so to kepe his meason;

He may in no wise streke,

But suffer and be meke,

Shamefast and discrete,

Temperat, dulce, and swete,

Not speakinge angerly,

But soft and manerly;

And, in any wise,

Beware of covetyse,

The rote of all ill vice;

He must be liberall,

And thanke oure Lorde of all;

And, as a heerde his sheepe,

His childer must he kepe,

And all his family

In vertu edyfy,

Vnder disciplyne

Of holsome doctryne,

With dew subiection,

That non obiection

Be made vnto his heste [534]

Of most or of leste;

For thus he doth conclude,

As by simylitude,

Howe he that cane not skill

His housholde at his will

To governe,[535] rule, and teche,

Within his power and reach,

Oughte to haue no speache

Of cure and diligence,

Of suche premynence,

Within the churche of God;

And eke it is forbode

That he no novice be,

Lest with superbite

He do presume to hye,

And consequently

Fall vnhappely

Into the frenesy

Of pride and of evyll,[536]

Lyke Lucyfer, the devyll;[537]

For he playnly writes,

That of these neophites,

And pevishe proselites,

Springe vpp ipocrites;

A bisshoppe eke must haue,

His honesty to save,

Of all men such a name,

That his outwarde fame

Be clene from any blame,

Impeched with no shame,

To draw all people in,

They may repent of synne,

And so [538] he may them wynne,

That thei fall not vnware [539]

Into [540] the devils snare.

Thus Paule, as ye may se,

Taughte Tyte and Tymothe,

Who should a bisshoppe be:

And Christ oure maister dere,

While he lyved here,

Full poorly did appere,

Mekely borne and bredd;

The bare earth was his bedd,

For where to hele his headd,

Or where to lye and rest,

He had no hole nor nest;

But in great poverty

He lyved soberly,

His worde to multyply;

And thus did edifye

His churche that is so holy,

Suppressinge synne and foly:

But not with friska ioly,

As somme do nowe a dayes,

That haue so many wayes

All maner [541] gaynes to reape,

Ther tresures one a heap

To gather and to kepe,

By pillinge of his shepe,

Not forsyng who do wepe,

And to his flocke repayre

As it were to a ffayre;

To sit in Peters chayer

With pride and ambition,

Sowyng great sedition;

And by superstition

Blinde vs with remission,

By bulles vnder led,

To serve both quicke and dead;

And by that way pretend

To clyme vpp and ascend

That Lucifer did discend.

I thinke that suche frykars

Be not Christes vickars,

But crafty intrycars,

And pryvy purse pykars;

For they that be sekars

Of stores newe and olde,

May perceyve and beholde

Howe euery thinge is solde

For sylver [542] and for golde:

The craft [543] can not be told,

What is and hath bene done

By Antychryst [544] of Rome;

For thens [545] the sourdes springe

Of every naughty thinge,

Hide vnderneth the whynge

Of the Sire of Synne;

At whom I will begynn

Somwhat for to speake,

And playnly to intreate

Of this farly freake,

That sitteth in his seat,

Devouringe synne as meatte,

Whiche he and his do eate

As they may catch and geate:[546]

They spare not to devower

Cyty, towne, and tower,

Wherat no man may lower;

For be it swete or sower,

Or be it good or yll,

We must be muett still,

The lustes to fulfill

Of that cocodryll,

Which at his [547] only will

May ech man [548] save or spyll.

This wicked man of warr

So hault is that he darr,

As he lyste,[549] make and marr,

His owne lawe to prefarr

Aboue the worde of God;

It passeth Godes forbod

That ever it should be;

A man to clyme so hy,

By reason of his see,

To clayme auctoritye

Aboue the Deyte,

It is to hy a bost,

And synne one of the most

Ageynst the Holy Gost,

That is not remissable:

For as for the Bible,

He taketh it for a ridle,

Or as a lawles lible,

Which, to the hy offence

Of his conscience,

He dare therwith dispence,

And alter the sentence;

For wher God do prohibitt,

He doth leve exhibite,

And at his [550] lust inhybyte;

And wher God doth commaunde,

Ther he doth countermaunde;

After his owne purpose

The best text to turne and glose,

Like a Welshe manes hose,

Or lyke a waxen nose:

But wyse [551] men do suppose

That truth shall [552] judge and trye,

For lyars can but lye.

He is so hault and taunt,

That he dare hyme avaunt

All erthly men to daunt;

And faynes to give and graunt,

In heaven above or hell,[553]

A place wherin to dwell,

As all his lyars tell,

Which he doth dayly sell,

After his devise,

If men come to his prise;

It is his marchaundyse;

For, as ye will demaunde,

He can and may commaunde

A thowsande, in a bande,

Of angells out of heaven,

To come throughe the leven,

And make all thinge even,

His biddinges to obey,

Which beares the greatist swaye,

Your soules to convey

Frome all decaye

Out of the fendes wey;

But provided alwey,

That ye first mony paye;

At the appoynted daye

Ye present, if it maye;

Then,[554] vnder thi petycion,

Thou gettest true remyssion,[555]

From synnes the absolution,

By this his owne commyssion,

By bryve or els by bull,

To fill his coffers full;

Ye may aske what ye wull.

Alas, ye be to dull

To se this lorde of losse,

The fo of Christes crosse,

This hoore of Babilon,

And seede of Zabulon,

The enemy of Christ,

The devels holy pryst,

And very Antechrist,

To revell and to ride,

Like the prince of pride,

That of euery syde

Warres the worlde wyde,

Whom no strenghe may abide—

The devill be his guyde!

For loke in his decrees,

And ye shall finde out lyes,

As thik as swarme of byes,

That throughe the worlde flyes,

Making parsemonyes

Of Peters patrimonyes,

But great mercymonyes

Of his seremonyes,

To smodder vs with smoke:

For, when he wilbe wroke,

No man may bere his stroke;

So hevy is his yoke,

To Christes full vnlike,

That saide his yoke is swete,

His burthen lighte and meete

For all men that be meke,

To suffer and to bere,

Without drede or fere:

But Popes afterwarde,

That never [556] had regard

Which ende shoulde go forewarde,

Haue drawen vs bakwarde,

And made the yoke so harde

By false invented lawes,

As thoughe lay men were dawes,

And dome as any stone,

With sivile and canon

To serve God and Mammon;

Righte and wronge is one.

Serche his decretalles

And bulles papalles,

Et, inter alia,

Loke in his palia

And Bacchanalia,[557]

With his extravagantes

And wayes vagarantes:

His lawes arrogantes

Be made by truwantes

That frame his finctions

Into distinctions,

With cloutes of clawses,

Questyons and cawses,

With Sext and Clementyne,

And lawes legantyne:

His county pallantyne

Haue coustome colubryne,

With codes viperyne

And sectes serpentyne:

Blinde be his stores

Of interogatores

And declaratores,

With lapse and relapse,

A wispe and a waspe,

A clispe and a claspe,

And his after [558] clappes;

For his paragraffes

Be no cosmograffes,

But vnhappy graffes,

That wander in the warrayne,

Fruteles and barayne,

To fede that foule carrayne,

And dignite papall;

With judges that scrape all,

And doctours that take all,

By lawes absynthyall

And labirynthyall:

His tabellions

Be rebellions;

His laweres and scribes

Live only by bribes;

His holy advocates

And judges diligates

Haue robbed all estates,

By many inventions

Of sundry suspentions,

Subtile subventions,

Crafty conventions,

Prevy preventions,

And evell exemptions;

So hath his indictions

And his interdictions,

With croked commyssions,

Colde [559] compromyssions,

Cursed conditions,

Hevy traditions,

Elvishe inibitions,

And redy remissions:

Then hathe he inductions

And colde conductions;

His expectatyves

Many a man vnthrives;

By his constitutions

And his subtitutions

He maketh institutions,

And taketh restitutions,

Sellinge absolutions,

And other like pollutions:

His holy actions

Be satisfactions

Of false compactions:

He robbeth all nations

With his fulminations,

And other like vexations;

As with abiurations,

Excomunycations,

Aggravations,

Presentations,

Sequestrations,

Deprivations,

Advocations,

Resignations,

Dilapidations,

Sustentations,[560]

Adminystrations,

Approbations,

Assignations,

Alterations,

Narrations,

Declarations,

Locations,

Collocations,

Revocations,

Dispensations,

Intimations,

Legittimations,

Insinuations,

Pronunttiations,

Demonstrations,

Vacations,

Convocations,

Deputations,

Donations,

Condonations,

Commynations,

Excusations,[561]

Declamations,

Visitations,

Acceptations,

Arrendations,

Publications,

Renunttiations,

Fatigations,

False fundations,

And dissimulations,

With like abbominations

Of a thowsand fasshions:

His holy vnions

Be no communyons:

His trialitees

And pluralytyes

Be full of qualitees;

His tottes and quottes

Be full of blottes:

With quibes and quaryes

Of inventataries,

Of testamentaries,

And of mortuaries,

By sutes of appeales,

And by his [562] ofte repeales,

He oure mony steales.

I speake not of his sessions,

Nor of his confessions

Olde and avricular,

Colde and caniculer;

Howe the cubiculer,

In the capitular,

With his pylde [563] spitler,

Playde the knavyculer

Vnderneth a [564] wall:

I may not tell youe all,

In termes speciall,

Of pardon nor of pall,

Nor of confessionall;

For I feare, yf [565] he call

The sentence generall,

I mighte so take a fall,

And haue his bitter curse,[566]

And yett be not the wurse,

Save only in my purse,

Because I shoulde be fayne

To by my state agayne

Ex leno vel ex lena,

Aut pellice obscœna,

Res certe inamœna:[567]

Papisticorum scena,

Malorum semper plena;

For all the worlde rounde

He falsely doth confounde

By lawes made and founde,

By thyr devyse vnsownde,

With no [568] steadfast grounde,

But with fayned visions

And develyshe devisions,

With basterde religions:

Thus this cursed elfe,

To avaunce his pelfe,

Falsely fayne ~~hymeself~~

~~To be semideus:~~

~~No, youe Asmeodeus,~~

~~Ye are Amoreus,~~

~~The sonne of Chanaan;~~

~~O thou monstrous man,~~

~~And childe of cursed Chan,~~

~~Arte thou halfe god, halfe man?~~

~~Gup, leviathan,~~

~~And sonne of Sattan,~~

~~The worme letophagus,~~

~~And sire to Symonde Magus!~~

~~O porter Cerberus,~~

~~Thou arte so monstrous,~~

~~Soo made and myschevous,~~

~~Proude and surquedrous,~~

~~And as lecherous~~

~~As Heliogabalus~~

~~Or Sardanapalus!~~

~~Hatefull vnto God,~~

~~And father of all falsehoode,~~

~~The poyson of prestoode,~~

~~And deth of good knighthoode,~~

~~The robber of riche men,~~

~~And murderer of meke men,~~

~~The turment of true men~~

~~That named be newe men,~~

~~The prince of periury,~~

~~And Christes enemy,~~

~~Vnhappy as Achab,~~

~~And naughty as Nadab,~~

~~As crafty as Caball,~~

~~And dronken as Naball,~~

~~The hope of Ismaell,~~

~~And false Achitofell,~~

~~The blissinge of Bell,~~

~~And advocate of hell;~~

~~Thou hunter Nembroth,~~

~~And Judas Iscarioth,[569]~~

~~Thou bloody Belyall,~~

~~And sacrifise of Ball,~~

~~Thou elvishe ipocrite,~~

~~And naughty neophite,~~

~~Thou pevishe proselite,~~

~~And synefull Sodymite,~~

~~Thou gredy Gomorrite,~~

~~And galefull [570] Gabaonite,~~

~~Tho hermofrodite,~~

~~Thou arte a wicked sprite,~~

~~A naughty seismatike,~~

~~And an heritike,~~

~~A beestely bogorian,[571]~~

~~And devill meridian,~~

~~The patrone of proctors,~~

~~And dethe of trewe doctours,~~

~~The founder of faytors,~~

~~And trust of all traytours,~~

~~The shender of sawes,~~

~~And breaker of lawes,~~

~~The syre of serdoners,~~

~~And prince of pardoners,~~

~~The kinge of questors,~~

~~And rule of regestors,~~

~~The eater of frogges,~~

~~And maker of goddes,~~

~~The brother of brothells,~~

~~And lorde of all losells,~~

~~The sturrur of stoores,~~

~~And keper of hoores~~

~~With gloriouse gawdes,~~

~~Amonge trusty bawdes,~~

~~The father of foles,~~

~~And ignoraunce of scoles,~~

~~The helper of harlettes,~~

~~And captayne of verlettes,~~

~~The cloke of all vnthriftes,~~

~~And captayne of all caytifes,~~

~~The leader of truwantes,~~

~~And chefe of all tyrauntes,~~

~~As hinde as an hogge,~~

~~And kinde as any dogge,~~

~~The shipwrake of Noye,—~~

~~Christ saue the and Sainct Loy!~~

~~Arte thou the hiest pryst,~~

~~And vicar vnto Christ?~~

~~No, no, I say, thou lyest:~~

~~Thou arte a cursed crekar,~~

~~A crafty vppcrepar;~~

~~Thou arte the devils vicar,~~

~~A privye [572] purse pikar,~~

~~By lawes and by rites~~

~~For sowles and for sprites:~~

~~O lorde of ipocrites,~~

~~Nowe shut vpp your wickettes,~~

~~And clape to your clickettes,—~~

~~farewell, kinge of crekettes!~~

~~For nowe the tyme falles~~

~~To speake of cardinalles,~~

~~That [573] kepe ther holy halles~~

~~With towres and walles:~~

~~Be they not carnalles,~~

~~And lordes infernalles?~~

~~Yea, gredy carmalles,~~

~~As any carmarante;~~

~~With ther coppentante~~

~~They loke adutante:~~

~~For soth, men say they be~~

~~Full of iniquite,~~

~~Lyvinge in habundance~~

~~Of all worldly substance,~~

~~Wherin they lodge and ly,~~

~~And wallowe beasteally,~~

~~As hogges [574] do in a stye,~~

~~Servinge ther god, ther belly,~~

~~With chuettes and with gelly,~~

~~With venyson and with tartes,~~

~~With confytes and with fartes,[575]~~

~~To ease ther holy hartes.~~

~~They take ther stations,~~

~~And make dyambulations~~

~~Into all nations,~~

~~For ther visitations,~~

~~Callinge convocations,~~

~~Sellinge dispensations,~~

~~Givinge condonasions,~~

~~Makinge permutations,~~

~~And of excomunycations~~

~~Sell they relaxations;~~

~~For they, in ther progresse,~~

~~With Katern, Mawde, and Besse,~~

~~Will vse full great excesse,~~

~~Withowt any redresse;~~

~~And all men they oppresse~~

~~In syty, towne, and village;~~

~~From olde and yong of age~~

~~They robbe [576] and make pyllage,~~

~~Thyr lusts for to aswage,~~

~~Which they extorte by mighte~~

~~As in the churches righte;~~

~~They may not lese a fether:~~

~~But God, that lyveth ever,~~

~~Graunt that they never~~

~~Haue power to come hether!~~

~~For wher they ones arive,~~

~~So cleane they do vs shryve,~~

~~That I swere by my life,~~

~~The contry ther shall thrive~~

~~Yeres tenn and ffive~~

~~After them [577] the worse:~~

~~Men give them Godes curse~~

~~To shute within ther purse;~~

~~Both lernyd and lewde~~

~~Wolde they were beshrewed,~~

~~They never mighte come nere~~

~~For to visitt here,~~

~~Altho they haue sotch chere~~

~~As they cann well desyre,~~

~~And as they will requier;~~

~~For why, it doth appere,~~

~~The hartes ar sett on fyer~~

~~Of [578] chanon, monke, and fryer,~~

~~That daylye dothe aspyre,[579]~~

~~By bulles vnder ledd,~~

~~How they should be fedd;~~

~~It is therfore great skill~~

~~That every Jacke and Gyll~~

~~Performe [580] the Popes will,~~

~~Hys [581] purse and panch to ffill;~~

~~For, as I erst haue tolde,~~

~~There lyves not suche a scolde~~

~~That dare ons be [582] so bold,~~

~~From shorne ne yet from polde,~~

~~Nor [583] monye, meate, nor golde,~~

~~From soch men [584] to withholde,~~

~~Ther favour boughte and solde,~~

~~That take a thowsand ffolde~~

~~More then that Judas did:~~

~~The trouth can not be hid;~~

~~For it is playnly kid~~

~~Judas for his dispense~~

~~Sold Christ for thirty pense,~~

~~And did a foule offence,~~

~~His Lorde God so to tray;~~

~~And they in likewise say,~~

~~After Judas way,~~

~~What will ye give and pay,~~

~~As the matter falles,~~

~~For pardonnes and for palles,~~

~~And for confessionalles?~~

~~We may have absolucions~~

~~Without restytutyons,~~

~~And at oure owne election~~

~~Passe without correction,~~

~~Besydes Christes passion~~

~~To make satisfaction;~~

~~We feare for non offence,~~

~~So they haue recompence:~~

~~By great audacitees~~

~~They graunt capacitees;~~

~~For heaven and for hell~~

~~They mony take and tell:~~

~~So thus they by and sell,~~

~~And take therof no shame,~~

~~But laughe and haue good game,~~

~~To all oure souls bane:~~

~~God helpe, we be to blame~~

~~Sutch lordes to defame;~~

~~Yett, by the common fame,~~

~~Some bisshops vse the same,~~

~~In Christes holy name~~

~~Soules to sell and bye:~~

~~My mynde is not to lye,~~

~~But to write playnlye~~

~~Ageynst ipocresye~~

~~In bisshopp or in other,~~

~~Yea, thoughe it were my brother,~~

~~My father or my mother,~~

~~My syster or my sonne;~~

~~For, as I haue begonne,~~

~~I will, as I haue donne,~~

~~Disclose the great outrage~~

~~That is in this Image;~~

~~For [585] he that feles the pricke,~~

~~And theron groweth sycke,~~

~~May with the gald horse kike;~~

~~For, as I erst haue said,~~

~~Oure bisshops at a brayd~~

~~Ar growne so sore afrayde,~~

~~And in [586] the world so wide~~

~~Do vse sutch pompe and pride,~~

~~And rule on euery syde,~~

~~That none may them abide:~~

~~Of no [587] prince, lord, nor duke,~~

~~They take will a rebuke;~~

~~All lay men they surmount,~~

~~Makinge non accompte,~~

~~Nor cast no reckonynge~~

~~Scarcely of a kinge:~~

~~This is a wonder [588] thinge;~~

~~They stande so suer and fast,~~

~~And be nothinge agast;[589]~~

~~For that blody judge~~

~~And mighty sanguisuge,~~

~~The Pope that is so huge,~~

~~Is ever ther refuge;~~

~~So be the cardinalles~~

~~Ther suer defence and walles,~~

~~With whom they stifly stande~~

~~By water and by lande,~~

~~To gett the overhande~~

~~Of all the world rounde,~~

~~Wher profitt may be founde:~~

~~They be so many legions,~~

~~That they oppresse regions~~

~~With boke, bell, and candell,~~

~~Any kinge to handell,~~

~~As they haue many one:~~

~~For triall herevpon~~

~~I take of good Kinge John,~~

~~Whom by the bitinge~~

~~Of ther subtill smytinge,~~

~~First by acytinge,~~

~~And after interditinge,~~

~~By fulmynations~~

~~Of excommunications;~~

~~For by ther holy poores~~

~~They stored vpp stoores,[590]~~

~~And kepte suche stvrre with hores,~~

~~And shut vpp all churche doores~~

~~For ther princely pleasure,~~

~~They lyve so owt of measure,~~

~~Till they might haue leasure,~~

~~Ther lieg lorde and kinge~~

~~So base and lowe to bringe;~~

~~Which was a pyttevs thyng,~~

~~That he with wepinge yees,~~

~~Bowinge backe and thies,~~

~~And knelinge on his knees,~~

~~Must render vpp his fees,~~

~~With kingly dignytees,~~

~~Septer, crowne, and landes,~~

~~Into ther holy handes:~~

~~Alas, howe mighte it be~~

~~That oure nobilitee~~

~~Could then no better se?~~

~~For theyrs was the fault~~

~~Oure prelates were so haulte;~~

~~Their strength then was to seke~~

~~Ther liege lorde to kepe;~~

~~They durst not fight ne strike,~~

~~They feared of a gleke,~~

~~That, no day in the weke,~~

~~For any good or cattell,~~

~~Durst they go to battell,~~

~~Nor entre churche ne chappell~~

~~In syxe or seven yere,~~

~~Before Christ to appere,~~

~~And devine seruice here~~

~~In any hallowed place,~~

~~For lacke of ther good grace;~~

~~Ther was no tyme nor space~~

~~To do to God seruice,~~

~~But as they wolde devise;~~

~~Their lawes be so sinystre,~~

~~That no man durst minystre~~

~~The holy sacrementes~~

~~Till they hadd ther intentes~~

~~Of landes and of rentes,~~

~~By lawes and by lyes;~~

~~To inriche ther sees,~~

~~The blind men eat vpp flees;~~

~~For by ther constitutions~~

~~They toke restitutions~~

~~Of cyties and of castells,~~

~~Of townes and bastells,~~

~~And make ther prince pike wastells,~~

~~Till they rang out the belles,~~

~~And did as they wold elles,~~

~~Like traytours and rebelles,~~

~~As the story telles.~~

~~But Jesu Christ hymeself,~~

~~Nor his appostells twelffe,~~

~~Vnto that cvrsyd elfe~~

~~Did never teach hym [591] so~~

~~In any wise to do,~~

~~For lucre or advayle,[592]~~

~~Ageynst thyr kyng to rayle,~~

~~And [593] lieg lorde to assayle,~~

~~Within his owne lande~~

~~To put hym vnder bande,~~

~~And take brede of his hande:~~

~~The Lorde saue sutch a flock~~

~~That so could mowe and mock~~

~~To make ther kinge a block,~~

~~And eke ther laughinge stocke!~~

~~They blered hym with a lurche,~~

~~And said that he must wurche~~

~~By counsell of the churche;~~

~~Wherby they ment nothinge~~

~~But to wrest and wringe,~~

~~Only for to bringe~~

~~Ther liege lorde and kinge~~

~~To be ther vnderlinge:~~

~~Alas, who euer sawe~~

~~A kinge vnder awe,~~

~~Ageynst all Gods lawe,~~

~~All righte and consience,~~

~~For doinge non offence~~

~~To make sutch recompence?~~

~~They gave ther lorde a laske,~~

~~To purge withall his caske,~~

~~And putt hym to no taske,~~

~~But as they wold hyme aske:~~

~~This was a midday maske,~~

~~A kinge so to enforce~~

~~With pacyence perforce.~~

~~Take hede therfore and watche,~~

~~All ye that knowe this tatche,~~

~~Ye make not sutch a matche;~~

~~Loke forth, beware the katche,~~

~~Ye fall not in the snatche~~

~~Of that vngratiovs pacthe,~~

~~Before the rope hym racthe,~~

~~Or Tyburne dothe hym strache.~~

~~But who so [594] preache or prate,~~

~~I warne youe, rathe and late~~

~~To loke vpp and awake,~~

~~That ye do never make~~

~~Your maister nor your mate~~

~~To sytt withowt your gate;~~

~~Take hede, for Christes sake,~~

~~And knowe your owne estate,~~

~~Or ye be tardy take;~~

~~Yea, lest it be to late~~

~~To trust on hadd I wist,~~

~~Imasked in a myst,—~~

~~As good to ly bypist;~~

~~For these his primates,~~

~~Bysshops and prelates,~~

~~And popeholy legates,~~

~~With ther pild pates,~~

~~Dare conquer [595] all estates:~~

~~They do but as they will;~~

~~For, be it good or ill,~~

~~We must be muett still:~~

~~Why lay men can not se,~~

~~It is the more pite.~~

~~Thus endeth the Seconde Parte of this present treatyse called the Image of Ipocresy.~~

~~Of prechers nowe adayes~~

~~Be many Fariseyes,~~

~~That leue the Lordes layes,~~

~~And preche ther owne wayes;~~

~~Wherof nowe of late~~

~~Hathe risen great debate;~~

~~For some champe and chaffe~~

~~As hogges do in draffe,~~

~~And some cry out apase~~

~~As houndes at a chase,~~

~~Whiche for lacke of grace~~

~~The playne truthe wold defase.~~

~~So busely they barke,~~

~~An other in the darke,~~

~~That is a busarde starke,~~

~~And cane not se the marke,~~

~~Wondereth at this warke,~~

~~And therfore taketh carke~~

~~Bycause he is no clarke.~~

~~Some be soft and still~~

~~As clappes in a mill,~~

~~And some cry and yell~~

~~As sprites do in hell;~~

~~Some be here and ther,~~

~~And some I wote not wher;~~

~~Some holde vpp, yea and nay,~~

~~And some forsake ther lay;~~

~~Some be still and stey,~~

~~And hope to haue a daye;~~

~~Some wote not what to say,~~

~~But dout whether they may~~

~~Abide or rune away;~~

~~Ther wittes be so weake,~~

~~They say they dare not speake,~~

~~They be afrayd of heate;~~

~~Some be sycke and sadd,~~

~~For sorrowe almost madd;~~

~~I tell youe veryly,~~

~~Ther wittes be awry,~~

~~They peyne themselves greatly~~

~~To haue the trouth go by;~~

~~Some on bokes dayly prye,~~

~~And yett perceyve not reason whie;~~

~~Tho some affirme, some do deny,~~

~~With nowe a trouth and then a ly,~~

~~To say one thinge openly,~~

~~And an other prively;—~~

~~Here be but youe and I;~~

~~Say to me your mynd playnlye,~~

~~Is it not open heresy?~~

~~Thus say they secretly,~~

~~Whisperinge with sorrowe~~

~~That they deny to morowe.~~

~~Ther tales be so dobble,~~

~~That many be in trobble,~~

~~And doubt which way to take,~~

~~Themselves sure to make:~~

~~A lorde, it makes me shake!~~

~~For pyty that I quake.~~

~~They be so colde and horse.~~

~~That they haue no forse,~~

~~So they be prefarred,~~

~~Tho all the rest were marred.~~

~~Thus the people smatter,~~

~~That dayly talke and clatter,~~

~~Oure preachers do but flatter,~~

~~To make themselves the fatter,~~

~~And care not thoughe the matter~~

~~Were clerely layde a watter.~~

~~Douse men chatt and chide it,~~

~~For they may not abid it;~~

~~The Thomistes wold hide it,~~

~~For littera occidit.~~

~~Thus these sysmatickes,~~

~~And lowsy lunatickes,~~

~~With spurres and prickes~~

~~Call true men heretickes.~~

~~They finger ther fidles,~~

~~And cry in quinibles,~~

~~Away these bibles,~~

~~For they be but ridles!~~

~~And give them Robyn Whode,~~

~~To red howe he stode~~

~~In mery grene wode,[596]~~

~~When he gathered good,~~

~~Before Noyes ffloodd!~~

~~For the Testamentes~~

~~To them, they sey, sente is,~~

~~To gather vpp ther rentes,~~

~~After ther intentes:~~

~~Wherby it by them ment is,~~

~~That lay men be but lowtes;~~

~~They may not knowe the clowtes,~~

~~Nor dispute of the doubtes,~~

~~That is in Christes lawe;~~

~~For why, they never sawe~~

~~The bagg nor the bottell~~

~~Of oure Arrestotle,~~

~~Nor knowe not the toyes~~

~~Of Doctore Averroyes;~~

~~It is no play for boyes,~~

~~Neyther for lay men;~~

~~But only for schole men,~~

~~For they be witty men,~~

~~As wise as any wrenne,~~

~~And holy as an henne.~~

~~For Doctoure Bullatus,~~

~~Though [597] parum literatus,~~

~~Will brable and prate thus;~~

~~Howe Doctoure Pomaunder,~~

~~As wise as a gander,~~

~~Wotes not wher to wander,~~

~~Whether to Meander,~~

~~Or vnto Menander;[598]~~

~~For of Alexander,~~

~~Irrefragable Hales,~~

~~He cane tell many tales,~~

~~Of many parke pales,~~

~~Of butgettes and of males,~~

~~Of Candy and of Cales,~~

~~And of West Wales.~~

~~But Doctoure Dorbellous~~

~~Doth openly tell vs~~

~~Howe they by and sell vs:~~

~~And Doctoure Sym Sotus~~

~~Cann goostely grope vs;~~

~~For he hathe rad Scotus,~~

~~And so the dawe dotus~~

~~Of Doctour Subtyles;~~

~~Yea, three hundreth myles,~~

~~With sutch crafty wyles~~

~~He many men begiles,~~

~~That never knewe an vnce~~

~~At full of Master Dunce.~~

~~Then Doctoure Bonbardus~~

~~Can skill of Lombardus;~~

~~He wonnes at Malepardus,[599]~~

~~With Father Festino,~~

~~And Doctoure Attamino,~~

Dudum de camino,

With ther consobrino,

~~Capite equino~~

~~Et corde asinino;~~

~~Hi latent in limo~~

~~Et in profundo fimo,~~

~~Cubantes in culino~~

~~Cum Thoma de Aquino,~~

~~Tractantes in ima~~

~~De pelle canina~~

~~Et lana caprina.~~

~~Then Doctoure Chekmate~~

~~Hath his pardoned pate,~~

~~A man yll educate;~~

~~His harte is indurate,~~

~~His heade eke edentate;~~

~~His wittes be obfuscate,~~

~~His braynes obumbrate,~~

~~Oure questions to debate;~~

~~For thoughe cam but late,~~

~~His cause is explicate~~

~~With termes intricate,~~

~~I note wherof conflate;~~

~~And therfore must he make~~

~~His bull and antedate.~~

~~Then Doctour Tom-to-bold~~

~~Is neyther whote nor colde,~~

~~Till his coles be solde;~~

~~His name may not be tolde~~

~~For syluer nor for golde;~~

~~But he is sutch a scolde,~~

~~That no play may hym holde~~

~~For anger vnbepyst,~~

~~Yf his name were wist;~~

~~Ye may judge as ye liste;~~

~~He is no Acquiniste,~~

~~Nor non Occanist,[600]~~

~~But a mockaniste;~~

~~This man may not be myste,~~

~~He is a suer sophiste,~~

~~And an olde papist.~~

~~But nowe we haue a knighte [601]~~

~~That is a man of mighte,~~

~~All armed for to fighte,~~

~~To put the trouthe to flighte~~

~~By Bowbell pollecy,~~

~~With his poetry~~

~~And his sophestry;~~

~~To mocke and make a ly,~~

~~With quod he and quod I;~~

~~And his appologye,~~

~~Made for the prelacy,~~

~~Ther hugy pompe and pride~~

~~To coloure and to hide;~~

~~He maketh no nobbes,~~

~~But with his diologges~~

~~To prove oure prelates goddes,~~

~~And lay men very lobbes,~~

~~Betinge they[m] with bobbes,~~

~~And with ther ow[n]e roddes;~~

~~Thus he taketh payne~~

~~To fable and to fayne,~~

~~Ther myscheff to mayntayne,~~

~~And to haue them rayne~~

~~Over hill and playne,~~

~~Yea, over heaven and hell,~~

~~And wheras sprites dwell,~~

~~In purgatorye holles,~~

~~With whote ffier and coles,~~

~~To singe for sely soules,~~

~~With a supplication,~~

~~And a confutation,~~

~~Without replication,~~

~~Havinge delectation~~

~~To make exclamation,~~

~~By way of declamation,~~

~~In his Debellation,[602]~~

~~With a popishe fasshion~~

~~To subvert oure nation:~~

~~But this daucok doctoure~~

~~And purgatory proctoure~~

~~Waketh nowe for wages,~~

~~And, as a man that rages~~

~~Or overcome with ages,[603]~~

~~Disputith per ambages,~~

~~To helpe these parasites~~

~~And naughty ipocrites,~~

~~With legendes of lyes,~~

~~Fayned fantasies,~~

~~And very vanyties,~~

~~Called veryties,~~

~~Vnwritten and vnknowen.~~

~~But as they be blowne~~

~~From lyer to lyer,~~

~~Inventyd by a ffryer~~

In magna copia,

~~Brought out of Vtopia~~

~~Vnto the mayde of Kent,[604]~~

~~Nowe from the devill sent,~~

~~A virgyne ffayre and gent,~~

~~That hath our yees blent:~~

~~Alas, we be myswent!~~

~~For yf the false intent~~

~~Were knowen of this witche,~~

~~It passeth dogg and bitche:~~

~~I pray God, do so mutche~~

~~To fret her on the itche,~~

~~And open her in tyme!~~

~~For this manly myne~~

~~Is a darke devyne,~~

~~With his poetry,~~

~~And her iugglery,~~

~~By conspiracy~~

~~To helpe our prelacy,~~

~~She by ypocresye,~~

~~And he by tyranny,~~

~~That causeth cruelly~~

~~The simple men to dye~~

~~For fayned herisye:~~

~~He saythe that this nody~~

~~Shall brenne, soule and body,~~

~~Or singe his palanody,~~

~~With feare till he pant,~~

~~To make hym recreante~~

~~His sayinges to recante,~~

~~So as he shalbe skante~~

~~Able for to loke~~

~~In writinge or in booke,~~

~~That treatithe of the rote~~

~~Or of the base and fote~~

~~Of ther abhomynation:~~

~~He vsethe sutche a fasshion,~~

~~To send a man in station~~

~~With an evill passion~~

~~To his egression,~~

~~Before the procession~~

~~Slylye for to stalke,~~

~~And solempeny to walke,~~

~~To here the preacher talke,~~

~~Howe he hath made a balke;~~

~~And so the innocent,~~

~~For feare to be brent,~~

~~Must suffer checke and checke,~~

~~His faccott on his necke,~~

~~Not for his life to quecke,~~

~~But stande vpp, like a bosse,~~

~~In sighte at Paules crosse,~~

~~To the vtter losse~~

~~Of his goode name and fame:~~

~~Thus with great payne and shame~~

~~He kepethe men in bandes,~~

~~Confiskinge goods and landes,~~

~~And then to hete ther handes~~

~~With faccottes and with brandes,~~

~~Or make them be abjure:~~

~~These thinges be in vre;~~

~~Youe leade vs with the lure~~

~~Of your persecution~~

~~And cruell execution,~~

~~That the fyry fume~~

~~Oure lyves shall consume~~

~~By three, by two, and one;~~

~~Men say ye will spare none~~

~~Of hye nor lowe degre,~~

~~That will be eneme~~

~~To your ipocrese,~~

~~Or to your god the bele;~~

~~For who dare speake so felle~~

~~That clerkes should be simple,~~

~~Without spott or wrinkell?~~

~~Yett nathelesse alwey~~

~~I do protest and saye,~~

~~And shall do while I may,~~

~~I never will deny,~~

~~But confesse openly,~~

~~That punnysshement should be,~~

~~In every degre,~~

~~Done with equite;~~

~~When any doth offende,~~

~~Then oughte youe to attende~~

~~To cause hyme to amend,~~

~~Awaytinge tyme and place,~~

~~As God may give youe grace,~~

~~To haue hyme fase to fase,~~

~~His fautes to deface,~~

~~With hope to reconcyle hyme;~~

~~But not for to begile hym,~~

~~Or vtterly to revile hyme,~~

~~As thoughe ye wold excile hyme;~~

~~For then, the trouth to tell~~

~~Men thinke ye do not well.~~

~~Ye call that poore man wretch,~~

~~As thoughe ye hadd no retche,~~

~~Or havinge no regarde,~~

~~Whiche ende should go forwarde:~~

~~Ye be so sterne and harde,~~

~~Ye rather drawe backwarde,~~

~~Your brother so to blinde,~~

~~To grope and sertche his mynde,~~

~~As thoughe youe were his frinde,~~

~~Some worde to pike and finde,~~

~~Wherby ye may hyme blinde;~~

~~With your popishe lawe~~

~~To kepe vs vnder awe,~~

~~By captious storyes~~

~~Of interrogatoryes:~~

~~Thus do ye full vnkindly,~~

~~To feyne yourselves frindley,~~

~~And be nothinge but fyndly.~~

~~I tell youe, men be lothe~~

~~To se youe wode and wrothe,~~

~~And then for to be bothe~~

~~Th’accuser and the judge:~~

~~Then farewell all refuge,~~

~~And welcom sanguisuge!~~

~~When ye be madd and angry,~~

~~And an expresse enemy,~~

~~It is ageynst all equitye~~

~~Ye shoulde be judge and partye:~~

~~Therfore the kinges grace~~

~~Your lawes muste deface;~~

~~For before his face~~

~~Youe should your playntes bringe,~~

~~As to your lorde and kinge~~

~~And judge in euery thinge,~~

~~That, by Godes worde,~~

~~Hathe power of the sworde,~~

~~As kinge and only lorde,~~

~~So scripture doth recorde;~~

~~For her within his lande~~

~~Should be no counterband,~~

~~But holy at his hande~~

~~We shoulde all be and stande,~~

~~Both clerkes spirituall,~~

~~And lay men temporall:~~

~~But youe make lawe at will,~~

~~The poore to plucke and pill,~~

~~And some that do no yll,~~

~~Your appetites to ffill,~~

~~Ye do distroy and kill.~~

~~Lett Godes worde try them,~~

~~And then ye shall not frye them;~~

~~Yea, lett the worde of God~~

~~Be every mannes rode,~~

~~And the kinges the lawe~~

~~To kepe them under awe,~~

~~To fray the rest with terroure,~~

~~They may revoke ther erroure:~~

~~And thus, I say agayne,~~

~~The people wolde be fayne~~

~~Ye prelates wolde take payne~~

~~To preache the gospell playne;~~

~~For otherwise certayne~~

~~Your laboure is in vayne;~~

~~For all your crueltye,~~

~~I knowe that you and we~~

~~Shall never well agree:~~

~~Ye may in no wise se~~

~~Sutch as disposed be~~

~~Of ther charitye~~

~~To preach the verytye;~~

~~Ye stope them with decrees,~~

~~And with your veritees,~~

~~Unwritten, as ye saye;~~

~~Thus ye make them stay:~~

~~But God, that all do may,~~

~~I do desire and pray,~~

~~To open us the day,~~

~~Which is the very kaye~~

~~Of knowledge of his way,~~

~~That ye have stolen awaye!~~

~~And then, my lordes, perfay,~~

~~For all your popishe play,~~

~~Not all your gold so gay,~~

~~Nor all your riche araye,~~

~~Shall serve youe to delaye~~

~~But some shall go astraye,~~

~~And lerne to swyme or sinke;~~

~~For truly I do thinke,~~

~~Ye may well wake or wynke,~~

~~For any meat or drinke~~

~~Ye geitt, without ye swynke.~~

~~But that wold make youe wrothe;~~

~~For, I trowe, ye be lothe~~

~~To do eyther of both,~~

~~That is, yourself to cloth~~

~~With laboure and with sweate~~

~~And faste till youe eate~~

~~But that youe erne and geate;~~

~~Like verlettes and pages,~~

~~To leve your parsonages,~~

~~Your denns and your cages,~~

~~And by [605] dayly wages:~~

~~God blesse us, and Sainct Blase!~~

~~This were a hevy case,~~

~~A chaunce of ambesase,~~

~~To se youe broughte so base,~~

~~To playe without a place:~~

~~Now God send better grace!~~

~~And loke ye lerne apase~~

~~To tripe in trouthes trace,~~

~~And seke some better chaunce~~

~~Yourselves to avaunce,~~

~~With sise synke or synnes;~~

~~For he laughe ~~that wynnes,~~~~

~~As ye haue hetherto,~~

~~And may hereafter do;~~

~~Yf ye the gospell preche,~~

~~As Christ hymself did teche,~~

~~And in non other wise~~

~~But after his devise,~~

~~Ye may with good advyse~~

~~Kepe your benefise~~

~~And all your dignite,~~

~~Without malignite,~~

~~In Christes name, for me;~~

~~I gladely shall agre~~

~~It ever may so be.~~

~~But this I say and shall,~~

~~What happ soeuer fall,~~

~~I pray and call~~

~~The Kinge celestiall,~~

~~Ones to give youe grace~~

~~To se his worde haue place;~~

~~And then within shorte space~~

~~We shall perceyve and se~~

~~Howe euery degre~~

~~Hath his auctorite~~

~~By the lawe of Christ,~~

~~The lay man and the prest,~~

~~The poore man and the lorde;~~

~~For of that monocorde~~

~~The scripture doth recorde;~~

~~And then with good accorde,~~

~~In love and in Concorde~~

~~We shall together holde;~~

~~Or elles ye may be bolde,~~

~~For heate or colde~~

~~Say ye what ye will,~~

~~Yt were as good be still;~~

~~For thoughe ye glose and frase~~

~~Till your eyes dase,~~

~~Men holde it but a mase~~

~~Till Godes worde haue place,~~

~~That doth include more grace~~

~~Then all erthly men~~

~~Could ever knowe or ken.~~

~~Thuse endith the thirde parte of this present treatise called the Image of Ypocresye.~~

~~Nowe with sondry sectes~~

~~The world sore infectes,~~

~~As in Christes dayes~~

~~Amonge the Pharisees,~~

~~In clothinge and in names;~~

~~For some were Rhodyans,~~

~~And Samaritans,~~

~~Some were Publicanes,~~

~~Some were Nazarenes,~~

~~Bisshops and Essenes,~~

~~Preestes and Pharisees;~~

~~And so of Saducees,~~

~~Prophetes and preachers,~~

~~Doctours and teachers,~~

~~Tribunes and tribes,~~

~~Lawers and scribes,~~

~~Deacons and levytes,~~

~~With many ipocrites;~~

~~And so be nowe also,~~

~~With twenty tymes [606] mo~~

~~Then were in Christes dayes~~

~~Amonge the Pharisees:~~

~~The Pope, whom first they call~~

~~Ther lorde and principall,~~

~~The patriarke withall;~~

~~And then the Cardinall~~

~~With tytles all of pride,~~

~~As legates of the side,~~

~~And some be cutt and shorne~~

~~That they be legates borne;~~

~~Then archebisshops bold,~~

~~And bisshops for the folde,~~

~~They metropolitannes,~~

~~And these diocysanyes,~~

~~That haue ther suffraganyes~~

~~To blesse the prophanyes;~~

~~Then be ther curtisanes~~

~~As ill as Arrianes~~

~~Or Domicianes,~~

~~Riall residentes,~~

~~And prudent presidentes;~~

~~So be their sensors,~~

~~Doughty dispensors,~~

~~Crafty inventors,~~

~~And prevy precentors,~~

~~With chaplaynes of honour~~

~~That kepe the Popes bower;~~

~~Then allmoners and deanes,~~

~~That geit by ther meanes~~

~~The rule of all reames;~~

~~Yett be ther subdeanes,~~

~~With treasorers of trust,~~

~~And chauncelours iniust,~~

~~To scoure of scab and rust,~~

~~With vicars generalls,~~

~~And ther officialles,~~

~~Chanons and chaunters,~~

~~That be great avaunters;~~

~~So be ther subchaunters,~~

~~Sextons and archedeakons,~~

~~Deakons and subdeakons,~~

~~That be ypodeakons,~~

~~Parsonnes and vicars,~~

~~Surveyors and sikers,~~

~~Prevy pursepikers,~~

~~Provostes and preachers,~~

~~Readers and teachers,~~

~~With bachilers and maysters,~~

~~Spenders and wasters;~~

~~So be ther proctors,~~

~~With many dull doctors,~~

~~Proude prebendaryes,~~

~~Colde commissaries,~~

~~Synfull secundaries,~~

~~Sturdy stipendaries,~~

~~With olde ordinaryes,~~

~~And penytencyaryes,~~

~~That kepe the sanctuaries;~~

~~So be ther notaries,~~

~~And prothonotaries,~~

~~Lawers and scribes,~~

~~With many quibibes,~~

~~Redy regesters,~~

~~Pardoners and questers,~~

~~Maskers and mummers,~~

~~Deanes and sumners,~~

~~Apparatoryes preste~~

~~To ride est and weste;~~

~~Then be ther advocates,~~

~~And parum litterates,~~

~~That eate vpp all estates,~~

~~With wyly visitors,~~

~~And crafty inquisitors,~~

~~Worse then Mamalokes,~~

~~That catche vs with ther crokes,~~

~~And brenne vs and oure bokes;~~

~~Then be ther annivolors,~~

~~And smalle benivolers,~~

~~With chauntry chapleynes,~~

~~Oure Ladyes chamberleynes;~~

~~And some be Jesu Christes,~~

~~As be oure servinge pristes,~~

~~And prestes that haue cure~~

~~Which haue ther lyvinge sure,~~

~~With clerkes and queresters,~~

~~And other smale mynisters,~~

~~As reders and singers,~~

~~Bedemen and bellringers,~~

~~That laboure with ther lippes~~

~~Ther pittaunce out of pittes,~~

~~With Bennet and Collet,~~

~~That bere bagg and wallett;~~

~~These wretches be full wely,~~

~~They eate and drinke frely,~~

~~Withe salve, stella cœli,[607]~~

~~And ther de profundis;~~

~~They lye with immundis,~~

~~And walke with vacabundis,~~

~~At good ale and at wynne~~

~~As dronke as any swynne;~~

~~Then be ther grosse abbottes,~~

~~That observe ther sabbottes,~~

~~Fayer, ffatt, and ffull,~~

~~As gredy as a gull,~~

~~And ranke as any bull,~~

~~With priors of like place,[608]~~

~~Some blacke and some white,~~

~~As channons be and monkes,~~

~~Great lobyes and lompes,~~

~~With Bonhomes and brothers,~~

~~Fathers and mothers,~~

~~Systers and nonnes,~~

~~And littell prety bonnes,~~

~~With lictors and lectors,~~

~~Mynisters and rectors,~~

~~Custos and correctors,~~

~~With papall collectors,~~

~~And popishe predagoges,[609]~~

~~Mockinge mystagoges,~~

~~In straunge array and robes,~~

~~Within ther sinagoges;~~

~~With sectes many mo,~~

~~An hundreth in a throo~~

~~I thinke to name by roo,~~

~~As they come to my mynde,~~

~~Whom, thoughe they be vnkind,~~

~~The lay mens labor finde;~~

~~For some be Benedictes~~

~~With many maledictes;~~

~~Some be Cluny,~~

~~And some be Plumy,~~

~~With Cistercyences,~~

Grandimontences,

Camaldulences,

Premonstratences,

Theutonycences,

Clarrivallences,

~~And Easiliences:~~

~~Some be Paulines,~~

~~Some be Antonynes,~~

~~Some be Bernardines,~~

~~Some be Celestines,~~

~~Some be Flamynes,~~

~~Some be Fuligines,~~

~~Some be Columbines,~~

~~Some be Gilbertines,~~

~~Some be Disciplines,~~

~~Some be Clarines,~~

~~And many [610] Augustines,~~

~~Some Clarissites,~~

~~Some be Accolites,~~

~~Some be Sklavemytes,~~

~~Some be Nycolites,~~

~~Some be Heremytes,~~

~~Some be Lazarites,~~

~~Some be Ninivites,~~

~~Some be Johannytes,~~

~~Some be Josephites,~~

~~Some be Jesuytes,~~

Servi and Servytes,

~~And sondry Jacobites;~~

~~Then be ther Helenytes,~~

~~Hierosolymites,~~

~~Magdalynites,~~

~~Hieronimytes,~~

~~Anacorites,~~

~~And Scenobites;~~

~~So be ther Sophrans,~~

~~Constantinopolitanes,~~

~~Holy Hungarians,~~

~~Purgatorians,~~

~~Chalomerians,~~

~~And Ambrosians;~~

~~Then be ther Indianes,~~

~~And Escocyanes,~~

~~Lucifrans,~~

~~Chartusyanes,~~

~~Collectanes,~~

~~Capusianes,~~

~~Hispanians,~~

~~Honofrianes,~~

~~Gregorianes,~~

~~Vnprosianes,~~

~~Winceslanes,~~

~~With Ruffianes,~~

~~And with Rhodianes;~~

~~Some be Templers,~~

~~And Exemplers,~~

~~Some be Spitlers,~~

~~And some be Vitlers,~~

~~Some be Scapelers,~~

~~And some Cubiculers,~~

~~Some be Tercyaris,~~

~~And some be of St. Marys,~~

~~Some be Hostiaris,~~

~~And of St. Johns frarys,~~

~~Some be Stellifers,~~

~~And some be Ensefers,~~

~~Some Lucifers,~~

~~And some be Crucyfers,~~

~~Some haue signe of sheres,~~

~~And some were shurtes of heres,~~

~~Some be of the spone,~~

~~And some be crossed to Rome,~~

~~Some daunte and daly~~

~~In Sophathes valley,~~

~~And in the blak alley~~

~~Wheras it ever darke is,~~

~~And some be of St Markis~~

~~Mo then be good clarkes,~~

~~Some be Mysiricordes,~~

~~Mighty men and lordes,~~

~~And some of Godes house~~

~~That kepe the poore souse,~~

Minimi and Mymes,

~~And other blak devines,~~

~~With Virgins and Vestalles,~~

~~Monkes and Monyalles,~~

~~That be conventualles,~~

~~Like frogges and todes;~~

~~And some be of the Rhodes,~~

~~Swordemen and knightes,~~

~~That for the [faith] fightes~~

~~With sise, sinke, and quatter.~~

~~But nowe never the latter~~

~~I intend to clatter~~

~~Of a mangye matter,~~

~~That smelles of the smatter,~~

~~Openly to tell~~

~~What they do in hell,~~

~~Wheras oure ffryers dwell~~

~~Everich in his sell,~~

~~The phane and the prophane,~~

~~The croked and the lame,~~

~~The mad, the wild, and tame,~~

~~Every one by name:~~

~~The formest of them all~~

~~Is ther Generall;~~

~~And the next they call~~

~~Ther hie Provincyall,~~

~~With Cvstos and Wardyn~~

~~That lye next the gardeyn;~~

~~Then oure father Prior,~~

~~With his Subprior~~

~~That with the covent comes~~

~~To gather vpp the cromes;~~

~~Then oure fryer Douche~~

~~Goeth by a crouche,~~

~~And slouthfull ffryer Slouche~~

~~That bereth Judas pouche;~~

~~Then ffryer Domynike~~

~~And ffryer Demonyke,~~

~~Fryer Cordiler~~

~~And ffryer Bordiler,~~

~~Fryer Jacobine,~~

~~Fryer Augustyne,~~

~~And ffryer Incubyne~~

~~And ffryer Succubine,~~

~~Fryer Carmelyte~~

~~And ffryer Hermelite,~~

~~Fryer Mynorite~~

~~And ffryer Ipocrite,~~

~~Frier ffranciscane~~

~~And ffrier Damiane,~~

~~Frier Precher~~

~~And ffrier Lecher,~~

~~Frier Crusifer~~

~~And ffrier Lusifer,~~

~~Frier Purcifer~~

~~And ffrier Furcifer,~~

~~Frier Ferdifer~~

~~And ffrier Merdifer,~~

~~Fryer Sacheler~~

~~And ffryer Bacheler,~~

~~Fryer Cloysterer~~

~~And ffrier Floysterer,~~

Frier Pallax

~~And ffrier Fallax,~~

Frier Fugax

~~And ffrier Nugax,~~

Frier Rapax

~~And ffrier Capax,~~

Frier Lendax

~~And ffrier Mendax,~~

Frier Vorax

~~And ffrier Nycticorax,[611]~~

~~Fryer Japax,~~

~~Frier Furderer~~

~~And ffrier Murderer,~~

~~Frier Tottiface~~

~~And ffrier Sottiface,~~

~~Frier Pottiface~~

~~And frier Pockyface,~~

~~Frier Trottapace~~

~~And ffrier Topiace,~~

~~Frier Futton~~

~~And ffrier Glotton,~~

~~Frier Galiard~~

~~And ffrier Paliard,~~

~~Frier Goliard~~

~~And ffrier Foliard,~~

~~Frier Goddard~~

~~And ffrier Foddard,~~

~~Frier Ballard~~

~~And ffrier Skallard,~~

~~Frier Crowsy~~

~~And ffrier Lowsy,~~

~~Frier Sloboll~~

~~And ffrier Bloboll,~~

~~Frier Toddypoll~~

~~And ffrier Noddypoll,~~

~~Frier fflaphole~~

~~And ffrier Claphole,~~

~~Frier Kispott~~

~~And ffrier Pispott,~~

~~Frier Chipchop~~

~~And ffrier Likpott,~~

~~Frier Clatterer~~

~~And ffrier fflatterer,~~

~~Frier Bib, ffrier Bob,~~

~~Frier Lib, ffrier Lob,~~

~~Frier Fear, ffrier Fonde,~~

~~Frier Beare, ffrier Bonde,~~

~~Frier Rooke, ffrier Py,~~

~~Frier Flooke, ffrier Flye,~~

~~Frier Spitt, ffrier Spy,~~

~~Frier Lik, ffrier Ly,~~

~~With ffrier We-he~~

~~Found by the Trinytye,~~

~~And frier Fandigo,~~

~~With an hundred mo~~

~~Could I name by ro,~~

~~Ne were for losse of tyme,~~

~~To make to longe a ryme:~~

~~O squalidi laudati,~~

~~Fœdi [612] effeminati,~~

~~Falsi falsati,~~

~~Fuci fucati,~~

~~Culi cacati,[613]~~

~~Balbi braccati,~~

~~Mimi merdati,[614]~~

~~Larvi larvati,[615]~~

~~Crassi cathaphi,[616]~~

~~Calvi cucullati,~~

~~Curvi curvati,~~

~~Skurvi knavati,~~

~~Spurci spoliati,~~

~~Hirci armati,~~

~~Vagi devastati,~~

~~Devii debellati,~~

~~Surdi sustentati,~~

~~Squalidi laudati,~~

~~Tardi terminati,~~

~~Mali subligati,~~

~~Inpii conjurati,~~

~~Profusi profugi,~~

~~Lapsi lubrici,~~

~~Et parum pudici!~~

~~Oth ye drane bees,~~

~~Ye bloody flesheflees,~~

~~Ye spitefull spittle spyes,~~

~~And grounde of herisees,~~

~~That dayly without sweat~~

~~Do but drinke and eate,~~

~~And murther meat and meat,~~

Ut fures et latrones!

~~Ye be incubiones,[617]~~

~~But no spadones,~~

~~Ye haue your culiones;~~

~~Ye be histriones,~~

~~Beastely balatrones,[618]~~

Grandes thrasones,[619]

Magni nebulones,

~~And cacodæmones,[620]~~

~~That [eat] vs fleshe and bones~~

~~With teeth more harde then stones;~~

~~Youe make hevy mones,~~

~~As it were for the nones,~~

~~With great and grevous grones,~~

~~By sightes and by sobbes~~

~~To blinde vs with bobbes;~~

~~Oh ye false faytours,~~

~~Youe theves be and tratours,~~

~~The devils dayly wayters!~~

~~Oh mesell Mendicantes,~~

~~And mangy Obseruauntes,~~

~~Ye be vagarantes!~~

~~As persers penitrantes,~~

~~Of mischef ministrantes,[621]~~

~~In pillinge postulantes,~~

~~In preachinge petulantes,~~

~~Of many sycophantes,[622]~~

~~That gather, as do antes,~~

~~In places wher ye go,~~

With in principio

~~Runnynge to and ffro,~~

~~Ye cause mikle woo~~

~~With hie and with loo;~~

~~Wher youe do resorte,~~

~~Ye fayne and make reporte~~

~~Of that youe never harde,~~

~~To make foles aferde~~

~~With visions and dremes,[623]~~

~~Howe they do in hevens,~~

~~And in other remes~~

~~Beyonde the great stremes~~

~~Of Tyger and of Gange,~~

~~Where tame devils range,~~

~~And in the black grange,~~

~~Thre myle out of hell,~~

~~Where sely sowles dwell,~~

~~In paynes wher they lye,~~

~~Howe they lament and cry~~

~~Vnto youe, holy lyars,~~

~~And false fflatteringe ffriers,~~

~~For Dirige and masses;~~

~~Wherwith, like very asses,~~

~~We maynteyn youe and your lasses;~~

~~But in especiall~~

~~Ye say, the sowles call~~

~~For the great trentall;~~

~~For some sely sowles~~

~~So depe ly in holes~~

~~Of ffier and brennyng coles,~~

~~That top and tayle is hid;~~

~~For whom to pray and bid~~

~~Thens to haue them rid,~~

~~Ye thinke it but a foly;~~

~~Althoughe the masse be holy,~~

~~The fendes be wyly;~~

~~Till masse of scala cœli,[624]~~

~~At Bathe or at Ely,~~

~~Be by a ffrier saide~~

~~That is a virgine mayde,~~

~~These sowles may not away,~~

~~As all yow ffriers say;~~

~~So trowe I without doubte~~

~~These sowles shall never out;~~

~~For it is rara avis,~~

~~Ye be so many knaves;~~

~~I swere by crosses ten,~~

~~That fewe be honest men;~~

~~So many of youe be~~

~~Full of skurrilite,~~

~~That throughly to be sought~~

~~The multitude is noughte:~~

~~Ye be nothinge denty;~~

~~Ye come among vs plenty~~

~~By coples in a peire,~~

~~As sprites in the heire,~~

~~Or dogges in the ffayre;~~

~~Where yow do repayre,~~

~~Ye ever ride and rune,~~

~~As swifte as any gune,~~

~~With nowe to go and come,~~

~~As motes in the sonne,~~

~~To shrive my lady nonne,~~

~~With humlery hum,~~

Dominus vobiscum!

~~God knoweth all and some,~~

~~What is and hath bene done,~~

~~Syns the world begone,~~

~~Of russett, gray, and white,~~

~~That sett ther hole delighte~~

~~In lust and lechery,~~

~~In thefte and trecherey,~~

~~In lowsy lewdenes,~~

~~In synne and shrodenes,~~

~~In crokednes acurst,~~

~~Of all people the worste,~~

~~Marmosettes and apes,~~

~~That with your pild pates~~

~~Mock vs with your iapes:~~

~~Ye holy caterpillers,~~

~~Ye helpe your wellwillers~~

~~With prayers and psalmes,~~

~~To devoure the almes~~

~~That Christians should give~~

~~To meynteyne and releve~~

~~The people poore and nedy;~~

~~But youe be gredy,~~

~~And so great a number,~~

~~That, like the ffier of thunder,~~

~~The worlde ye incomber:~~

~~But hereof do I wonder,~~

~~Howe ye preache in prose,~~

~~And shape therto a glose,~~

~~Like a shipmans hose,~~

~~To fayne yourse[l]ves ded,~~

~~Whiche nathelesse be fed,~~

~~And dayly eate oure bred,~~

~~That ye amonge vs beg,~~

~~And gett it spite of oure hede:~~

~~It wonder is to me,~~

~~Howe ye maye fathers be~~

~~Your sede to multiply,~~

~~But yf yow be incubi,[625]~~

~~That gender gobolynes:~~

~~Be we not bobolynes,~~

~~Sutch lesinges to beleve,~~

~~Whiche ye amonge vs dry[ve]?~~

~~Because ye do vs shrive,~~

~~Ye [626] say we must youe call~~

~~Fathers seraphicall~~

~~And angelicall,~~

~~That be fantasticall,~~

~~Brute and bestiall,~~

~~Yea, diabolicall,~~

~~The babes of Beliall,~~

~~The sacrifise of Ball,~~

~~The dregges of all durte,~~

~~Fast bounde and girte~~

~~Vnder the devils skyrte;~~

~~For pater Priapus,~~

~~And frater Polpatus,~~

~~With doctor Dulpatus,~~

Suffultus fullatus,[627]

Pappus paralyticus,[628]

~~And pastor improvidus,~~

~~Be false and frivolus,~~

~~Proude and pestiferous,~~

~~Pold and pediculous,~~

~~Ranke and ridiculous,~~

~~Madd and meticulous,~~

~~Ever invidious,~~

~~Never religious,~~

~~In preachinge prestigious,~~

~~In walkinge prodigious,~~

~~In talkinge sedicious,~~

~~In doctrine parnicious,~~

~~Haute and ambicious,~~

~~Fonde and supersticious,~~

~~In lodginge prostibulus,~~

~~In beddinge promiscuous,~~

~~In councells myschevous,~~

~~In musters monstrous,~~

~~In skulkinge insidicious,~~

~~Vnchast and lecherous,~~

~~In excesse outragious,~~

~~As sicknesse contagious,[629]~~

~~The wurst kind of edders,~~

~~And stronge sturdy beggers:~~

~~Wher one stande and teaches,~~

~~An other prate and preches,~~

~~Like holy horseleches:~~

~~So this rusty rable~~

~~At bourd and at table~~

~~Shall fayne and fable,~~

~~With bible and with bable,~~

~~To make all thinge stable,~~

~~By lowringe and by lokinge,~~

~~By powrynge and by potinge,~~

~~By standinge and by stopinge,~~

~~By handinge and by ffotinge,~~

~~By corsy and by crokinge,~~

~~With their owne pelf promotinge,~~

~~With ther eyes alweyes totinge~~

~~Wher they may haue shotinge~~

~~Ther and here ageyne:~~

~~Thus the people seyne,[630]~~

~~With wordes true and playne,~~

~~Howe they jest and ioll~~

~~With ther nody poll,~~

~~With rownynge and rollinge,~~

~~With bowsinge and bollinge,~~

~~With lillinge and lollinge,~~

~~With knyllinge and knollinge,~~

~~With tillinge and tollinge,~~

~~With shavinge and pollinge,~~

~~With snyppinge and snatchinge,~~

~~With itchinge and cratchinge,~~

~~With kepinge and katchinge,~~

~~With wepinge and watchinge,~~

~~With takinge and catchinge,~~

~~With peltinge and patchinge,~~

~~With findinge and fatchinge,~~

~~With scriblinge and scratchinge,~~

~~With ynkinge and blatchinge;~~

~~That no man can matche them,~~

~~Till the devill fatche them,~~

~~And so to go together~~

~~Vnto their denne for ever,~~

~~Wher hens as they never~~

~~Hereafter shall dissever,~~

~~But dy eternally,~~

~~That lyve so carnally;~~

~~For that wilbe ther ende,~~

~~But yf God them sende~~

~~His grace here to amend:~~

~~And thus I make an ende.~~

~~Thus endeth the ffourthe and laste parte of this treatise called the Image of Ypocresy.~~

~~The grudge of ypocrites conceyved ageynst the auctor of this treatise.~~

~~These be as knappishe knackes~~

~~As ever man made,~~

~~For javells and for iackes,~~

~~A jymiam for a iade.~~

~~Well were we, yf we wist~~

~~What a wight he were~~

~~That starred vpp this myst,~~

~~To do vs all this dere:~~

~~Oh, yf we could attayne hym,~~

~~He mighte be fast and sure~~

~~We should not spare to payne hym,~~

~~While we mighte indure!~~

~~The awnswer of the auctor.~~

Ego sum qui sum,

~~My name may not be told;~~

~~But where ye go or come,~~

~~Ye may not be to bold:~~

~~For I am, is, and was,~~

~~And ever truste to be,~~

~~Neyther more nor las~~

~~Then asketh charite.~~

~~This longe tale to tell~~

~~Hathe made me almost horse:~~

~~I trowe and knowe right well~~

~~That God is full of force,~~

~~And able make the dome~~

~~And defe men heare and speake,~~

~~And stronge men overcome~~

~~By feble men and weke:~~

~~So thus I say my name is;~~

~~Ye geit no more of me,~~

~~Because I wilbe blameles,~~

~~And live in charite.~~

~~Thuse endith this boke called the Image of Ypocresye.~~

[468] The Image of Ipocrysy] Is now printed from MS. Lansdown 794. The original has very considerable alterations and additions by a different hand: the first page is here and there illegible, partly from the paleness of the ink, and partly from the notes which Peter Le Neve (the possessor of the MS. in 1724) has unmercifully scribbled over it. I give the title here as it stands at the end of the First Part.

Hearne and others have attributed this remarkable production to Skelton. The poem, however, contains decisive evidence that he was not its author: to say nothing of other passages,—the mention of certain writings of Sir Thomas More and of “the mayde of Kent” (Elizabeth Barton), which occurs in the Third Part, would alone be sufficient to prove that it was the composition of some writer posterior to his time.

~~[469] Vp to the clowdy skye] Originally “Vp into the skye.”~~

~~[470] Our parsons and curates] This line (now pasted over in the MS.) has been obtained from a transcript of the poem made by Thomas Martin of Palgrave.~~

~~[471] Glottons] Originally “Prelates.”~~

~~[472] And] Substituted for “To,” when the preceding line was added.~~

~~[473] him] Originally “vs.”~~

~~[474] Take] Originally “haue.”~~

~~[475] Dothe] Originally “Or.”~~

~~[476] Doo] Originally “That.”~~

~~[477] seem] Is the substitution of a somewhat later hand, the original word being faded: qy. “self?”~~

~~[478] runne in att the rove] Originally “runnynge at the masse.”~~

~~[479] prove] Originally “presse.”~~

~~[480] Wher they may be sure] Followed by a deleted line, now partly illegible,—~~

~~“ ... wayte to haue wynnynge.”~~

~~[481] To fyshe for any gayne] Followed by a deleted line which seems to have been,—~~

~~“With shotinge or with singinge.”~~

~~[482] Shall pryck, &c.] The position of this line, and of the next but one, was originally different.~~

~~[483] Chafyng] Which seems to be the reading intended, was originally preceded by “Wyll.”~~

~~[484] And then] Originally “At lenghe.”~~

~~[485] Thoughe] MS. “Throughe”~~

~~[486] Which] Qy. “With?”~~

~~[487] bowes] Qy. “vowes?”~~

~~[488] of ther] Qy. “other?”~~

~~[489] backe] Something wanting here.~~

~~[490] No man wyll they spare] Originally,—~~

~~“They passe not of a sparre.”~~

~~[491] Your] Originally “For.”~~

~~[492] In] Originally “And.”~~

~~[493] Youre] Originally “And.”~~

~~[494] Wher God his gyfte or grace] Originally,~~

~~“Wher god of his grace.”~~

~~[495] And all his kingdom, whan] Originally,~~

~~“At the good tyme whan.”~~

~~[496] Ye] Originally “That.”~~

~~[497] Lordely, &c.] On the outer margin of the MS., opposite this verse, are the following lines, partly cut off by the binder;~~

~~“Thes be the knavysh~~

~~knackes that ever w ...~~

~~o ...~~

~~ffor Javelles and for J[ackes].”~~

~~[498] And worldly welth to haue] Originally “And possession to haue.”~~

~~[499] chippe] Qy. “clippe?”~~

~~[500] When masse and all is done] Followed by a deleted line;~~

~~“The paynes to release.”~~

~~[501] as] Originally “that.”~~

~~[502] All] Originally “All ys.”~~

~~[503] For lust fyndes no lett] Occupies the place of the following three deleted lines;~~

~~“be she ffayre or fowle~~

~~for vnderneth an amys~~

~~alyke ther hart is.”~~

~~[504] or] MS. “as.”~~

~~[505] Or owgly] Over this is the deleted word “blobcheked.”~~

~~[506] pretens] Originally “the bande.”~~

~~[507] not I] Originally “for why.”~~

~~[508] Lest here you] Originally “Here lest youe.”~~

~~[509] with vs] Originally “your.”~~

~~[510] treuth] Originally “the treuth.”~~

~~[511] That all the falt doth lye] Originally “But all the falt do lye.”~~

~~[512] oure] Qy. “youre?” but compare 6th line of next column. In the following line, “sanguinolently” should perhaps be printed as Latin,—“sanguinolenti.”~~

~~[513] cokold foles] Originally “loutes and knaves.”~~

~~[514] We wer an oxes fether] Originally “And in oure hoode a fether.”~~

~~[515] Oure hedes for to gnob] Followed by two deleted lines;~~

~~“And make vs soch a lob~~

~~To vse one lyke a lob.”~~

~~[516] For your] Originally “With.”~~

~~[517] Through] Originally “With.”~~

~~[518]~~

~~And small, &c.~~

~~...~~

~~To make soch recompens~~

~~This passage is substituted for two deleted lines;~~

~~“To your possessyon~~

~~Without discretion.”~~

~~[519]~~

~~By gyvyng, &c.~~

~~...~~

~~Of harty penytens~~

~~This passage is substituted for three deleted lines;~~

~~“S ... fonde affection~~

~~To oure correccion~~

~~Without protection.”~~

~~[520] yowe] Originally “them.”~~

~~[521] that] Originally “an.”~~

~~[522] be] Originally “to be.”~~

~~[523] For you on] Originally “For on.”~~

~~[524] Can suffre or abyde] Originally “Ye cane here abide.”~~

~~[525] vehement] Originally “diligent.”~~

~~[526] So] Originally “That.”~~

~~[527] We] Originally “And.”~~

~~[528] And be thus] Originally “That we be.”~~

~~[529] We know not] Originally “Not knowing.”—After this line is one cut off by the binder.~~

~~[530] That when he eat] Originally “When he shall eat.”~~

~~[531] Slepe, awake] Originally “Slepe or wake.”~~

~~[532] Doth styll] Originally “He must.”~~

~~[533] Kepe] Before this word stood originally “And,” afterwards altered to “To,” which is also deleted.~~

~~[534] Be made vnto his heste] Originally,~~

~~“Be made to his heste;”~~

~~for which, was first substituted,~~

~~“Made be to his hest.”~~

~~[535] To governe] Originally “Wisely to.”~~

~~[536] evyll] Originally “ill.”~~

~~[537] Lyke Lucyfer, the devyll] Originally,~~

~~“In Judgement of the devill.”~~

~~[538] And so] Originally “For.”~~

~~[539] That thei fall not vnware] Originally,~~

~~“Or elles may vnware.”~~

~~[540] Into] Originally “Fall in.”~~

~~[541]~~

All maner, &c.

~~...~~

To gather and to kepe

~~These three lines substituted for two deleted lines;~~

“To gather and to kepe

~~Treasure in a hepe.”~~

~~[542] sylver] Originally “mony.”~~

~~[543] The craft, &c.] Originally,~~

~~“Yf all the chraft were tolde.”~~

~~[544] Antychryst] Originally “the courte.”~~

~~[545] For thens, &c.] Originally,~~

~~“For ther sourdes the springe.”~~

~~[546] geate] Followed by a deleted line;~~

~~“Be it by colde or heate.”~~

~~[547] Which at his] Originally “That his.”~~

~~[548] May ech man, &c.] Originally,~~

~~“May bothe saue and spill.”~~

~~[549] As he lyste] Originally “At will to.”~~

~~[550] And at his, &c.] Originally,~~

~~“And wyll it clere enhibyte.”~~

~~[551] wyse] Originally “true.”~~

~~[552] shall] Originally “must.”~~

~~[553] above or hell] Originally “or in hell.”~~

~~[554] Then] Originally “But.”~~

~~[555] Thou gettest true remyssion] Originally,~~

~~“To haue remission.”~~

~~[556] That never, &c.] Originally “That haue hadd no regarde.”~~

~~[557] palia ... Bacchanalia] It would seem from the context that the right reading is “Palilia.” The MS. has “Bacchanallia.”~~

~~[558] after] Originally “afterwarde.”~~

~~[559] Colde] Originally “Olde.”~~

~~[560] Sustentations] MS. “Sustentions,” and originally “Substentions.”~~

~~[561] Excusations] Substituted for a word now illegible.~~

~~[562] his] Originally “oure.”~~

~~[563] pylde] Originally “pylde and.”~~

~~[564] a] Originally “the.”~~

~~[565] yf] Originally “leste.”~~

~~[566] curse] Originally “course.”~~

~~[567] inamœna] MS. “In amena” the latter word being substituted for one now illegible.~~

~~[568] no] Originally “out.”~~

~~[569]Iscarioth] Originally “Scarioth.”~~

~~[570] galefull] Originally “gale.”~~

~~[571] bogorian] Originally “bogorane.”~~

~~[572] A privye] Originally “And a.”~~

~~[573] That] Originally “And.”~~

~~[574] As hogges, &c.] Originally,~~

~~“As any pigge in stye.”~~

~~[575] With confytes, &c.] Originally,~~

~~“And portingale fartes.”~~

~~[576] They robbe, &c.] Originally “Wher they take pillage.”~~

~~[577] them] Originally “that.”~~

~~[578] Of] Originally “By.”~~

~~[579] aspyre] Followed by a deleted line (inserted above with a slight variation);~~

~~“Thyr hartes ar so on fyer.”~~

~~[580] Performe] Originally “We do,” the preceding line being an addition.~~

~~[581] Hys] Originally “Ther.”~~

~~[582] That dare ons be] Originally “No man dare be,” the preceding line being an addition.~~

~~[583] Nor] Originally “For.”~~

~~[584] soch men] Originally “them.” This line is followed by three deleted lines (inserted above,—the first two slightly altered);~~

~~“Mony meat or golde~~

~~But be they shorne or polde~~

~~Ther lyves not suche a scolde.”~~

~~[585] For] Originally “And.”~~

~~[586] And in, &c.] Originally,~~

“In all the all the world wide

Vse such pompe,” &c.

~~[587] Of no, &c.] Originally “Of no prince nor of duke.”~~

~~[588] wonder] Originally “wonderfull.”~~

~~[589] agast] Followed by a deleted line;~~

~~“But fede whilst they do brast.”~~

~~[590] vpp stoores] Originally “vpp ther stoores.”~~

~~[591] hym] Originally “them.”~~

~~[592] or advayle] Originally “or for avayle.”~~

~~[593] And] Originally “Their.”~~

~~[594] But who so] Originally “But who euer.”~~

~~[595] conquer] Originally “subdue.”~~

~~[596] grene wode] Is obviously the right reading. MS. has merely “grenes.”~~

~~[597] Though, &c.] This line is added by a comparatively modern hand.~~

~~[598] Menander] See note, p, 130.~~

[599] Malepardus] The abode of Reynard according to the famous old romance: “reynart had many a dwellyng place, but the castel of maleperduys was the beste and the fastest burgh that he had, ther laye he inne whan he had nede and was in ony drede or fere.” Sig. a 8. ed. 1481.

~~[600] Occanist] So written, it would seem, for the rhyme; properly “Occamist.”~~

~~[601] a knighte] i. e. Sir Thomas More.~~

~~[602] his Debellation] i. e. Sir Thomas More’s Debellacyon of Salem vnd Byzance.~~

~~[603] ages] i. e. age is.~~

~~[604] the mayde of Kent] i. e. Elizabeth Barton.~~

~~[605] by] i. e. buy,—acquire, earn.~~

~~[606] tymes] MS. “tynes.”~~

~~[607] cœli] MS. “cely.”~~

~~[608] place] Should perhaps be “plite”—or there may be some omission in the MS. after this line.~~

~~[609] predagoges] Qy. “pædagoges?”~~

~~[610] And many] Originally “Some be.”~~

~~[611] Nycticorax] MS. “Necticorax.”~~

~~[612] Fœdi] MS. “Fedi.”~~

~~[613] cacati] MS. “caccati.”~~

~~[614] merdati] MS. “mardati.”~~

~~[615] Larvi larvati] MS. “Lerui leruati.” The line ought properly to be “Larvæ larvatæ.”~~

~~[616] cathaphi] Qy. “cataphagi” (voraces)?~~

~~[617] incubiones] Properly “incubones.”~~

~~[618] balatrones] MS. “ballatrones.”~~

~~[619] thrasones] MS. “thrassones.”~~

~~[620] cacodæmones] MS. “cacademones.”~~

~~[621]~~

penitrantes] }

ministrantes] }

~~MS. “pennytrantes” and “mynistrantes.”~~

~~[622] Of many sycophantes] Perhaps “many” should be “mony.” MS. “sicophantes:” the proper form is “sycophantæ.”~~

~~[623] dremes] I suspect the author wrote “sweuens,” and that “dremes,” a gloss on the word, crept by mistake into the text.~~

~~[624] cœli] MS. “cely.”~~

~~[625] incubi] MS. “incuby.”~~

~~[626] Ye] MS. “We.”~~

~~[627] fullatus] Qy. “fulcratus?”~~

~~[628] paralyticus] MS. “paraliticus.”~~

~~[629] contagious] MS. “contragious.”~~

~~[630] seyne] Originally “sey.”~~