[131]. These four lines stand thus in Whitaker's text, Bote holy churche and charité | choppe a-doun swich shryvers, | the moste myschif of molde | mounteth up faste. Whitaker has translated it quite wrong, "May true charity and church discipline knock down these, the greatest pests on earth, who are rapidly increasing!" The simple meaning of the passage, as given by Whitaker, is, "Unless holy church and charity chop down such shrivers (confessors), the greatest mischief of the world is increasing fast." The present text affords a better and equally clear meaning, "Unless holy church and they hold better together, the greatest mischief in the world is increasing, or gaining ground very fast."
[141]. of falshede of fastynge, the comma has slipped in by accident. The meaning is "of breaking fast-days."
[147]. He bunchith hem, MS. Trin. 2.
[168]. the pestilence tyme. See further on, the [note] on l. 2497. The great plague of 1349 and 1350 had carried off so much people, that hands were wanting to cultivate the lands in many parishes, and the distress which followed, with the failure of tithes which naturally accompanied it, drove the parsons to plead poverty as an excuse for going to London and seeking other occupations.
[192]. Whitaker's text inserts the following passage between this line and the one following:—
Conscience cam and acusede hem,
And the commune herde hit,
And seide, "Ydolatrie ye soffren
In sondrye places menye,
And boxes ben y-set forth