The first eight lines of this appear in the Trentham MS. in combination with ‘H. aquile pullus’ as part of the dedication of the Cinkante Balades.
16 ff. For ‘pietas,’ ‘pius,’ see note on Cronica Tripertita, iii. 462.
CARMEN SUPER MULTIPLICI VICIORUM PESTILENCIA (p. [346])
‘Putruerunt et corrupte sunt,’ &c. This is in fact a quotation from the Psalms, ‘Putruerunt et corruptae sunt cicatrices meae a facie insipientiae meae,’ xxxvii. 6. (xxxviii. 5).
32. quasi Iouiniani. Already in the Vox Clamantis we have had reference to the ‘new Jovinian’ who is a sower of heresy (vi. 1267), and the person meant is no doubt Wycliffe. Jovinian, the opponent of Jerome on the marriage question, is taken as a type of the ecclesiastic of lax principles. Milman calls Jovinian and Vigilantius ‘premature Protestants’ (History of Christianity, Bk. III. ch. iv).
36. sub grossa lana: an allusion perhaps to the simple russet garb of Wycliffe’s poor priests.
52 ff. Cp. Vox Clamantis, ii. 437 ff., whence many of these lines are taken, e.g. 54-57, 60-77.
54. mortis ymago: that is, the mortal creature.
86. ‘time’ was probably written originally for ‘stude’ in SCH, as well as in F, but it was perceived perhaps that ‘reuereri,’ which was required for the rhyme, would not stand as an imperative. Similarly in line 88 ‘Que fantasias aliter tibi dant’ stood no doubt originally in SCH, and was altered for grammatical reasons.
181 f. This couplet is repeated from Vox Clamantis, vi. 861 f.