The English works of Wyclif hitherto unprinted.Edited by F. D. Matthew.

Capitulum 18^m.

it were to telle ouer þis hou þes herdis shulden kepe þer sheep in hoolynesse of þer oune lif & in preching of goddis word. & þanne þey ledden hem bi grene lesewis & water of heuene þat ben hoolsum, & þis is þe firste offyss of þre þat falliþ to a goostly shepparde. first shulde þe persoun fle in hym silf lustly fode & proud aray, & þenke on þis, þat his godis whanne þei ben gederid, be þey neuere so many, ben gederid of his pore pariȝschens, as ben wedewis & nedy men; so þat o peny gederid þus wolde saue þe lif of his sheep þat steruyþ. & þus it is a fendis boost to a curat to auaunte hym þat he may so myche dispende bi ȝeere, siþ þei ben cuylid pens of pore men; & þis is noon auaunt to þe persoun, but resoun to rikene for al þis almes. & þis is more þan worldly dette, siþen he is holdun to ȝelde betere; & oure iuge

may not be disseyued, siþ he is crist wisdom of god. þes curatis þat lyuen to lustly shulden þenke hou godis þat þey han ben gederid of pouert of symple men bi streit nede & hard lif. but who wolde waste a precious water þat were distillid bi bisy trauel, & caste þis water in a lake where it stood to no mannus profit? & þes men þat lyuen þus lustly ben þe more vnhable to preche & to preye; but no drede, siþ oure [page 12] god is resoun & þe freest man þat may be, he wole þat curatis haue skileful fode; but þer lust may not be iuge heere, but resoun must nedis iuge, for it mut iuge at domes day. & þe same skile is of oþer aparel, to bac, to chaumbre & to halle, as many han to costly cloþis, furrours & girdlis & shap of hem; & ende of þis is worldly glory & no profit to þer soulis; & þe same synne is in aparel of chaumbre, as in proud beddis testeris & curteyns: bi þis may men se veyn dispensis þat þe fendis cautil haþ foundun. curiouste stondiþ in hallis, boþe in making of þe housis, in doseris, bancurs & cuȝshens, & mo veyn þingis þan we kunnen rikene, as ben diȝschis & coupis of siluer & oþer vessel, & costly naprye. in alle siche shulden persouns þenke of þis reule þat god haþ ȝouyn of skileful [skilefuly MS.] ende of alle siche þingis; & mesure þe menes bi þis ende, & euere more drawe to pouert, þat it shyne in alle siche þingis. but prestis wasting in oþere þingis, as ben horsis, haukis & houndis, & costly making of feestis, ben ful dampnable bifore god; for þey shynen wiþ worldly ioye, & ben writun wiþ vicis aȝenus resoun. what skile is it at þe day of doom to answere to þe lord of þes godis þat pore men, þat shulden haue þes godis, periȝsche wiþ-outen bi many defautis, & her godis be wastid wiþ-ynne wiþ rot & wormes & oþer maner. þis is no skileful acounte to god to ȝyue hym rikenyng of his tyþis.