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

Capitulum 4^m.

See now where þes religious don aȝenst þe werkis of mercy boþe bodili and gostely. ȝif þei wasten delicat metis and drynkis and ȝeuen nouȝt to pore men of here owene secte ne oþere þat ben in gret nede, but drawen pore mennus almes and liflode to here owne couent þat haþ to moche of worldly goodis, to make festis huge to lordis and ladies and riche men of contres; þei feden not pore men but robben hem of here liflode, and so ben manquelleris bifore god.

¶ Ȝif þei feynen hem to be men of abstynence and grete penaunce, and þer wiþ drynkyn dilicious ale and spisid and heiȝe wynes, and beggen of þe comune peple to holden vp

þis realte, and ȝeuen lordis and ladies þes swete drynkys for to magnyfie þes sectis, and suffren here owene breþeren boþe wiþ inne and oute to perische for þrist and myschef; þei ȝeuen not drenk to pore þristi men but raþere drawen here sustynaunce fro hem vndir colour of holynesse, and so ben worse þan comune þeues and outlawis, for þei take fro riche men and parte oft wiþ pore men.

¶ Ȝif þei gederen to hem self many wast and precious cloþes bi feyned beggerie and sotil ypocrisie, and partiþ not with pore nedy men þat han nakid sidis and torne sleues and here children steruen for cold, neiþer here owen breþeren, be þei in neuere so gret myschef & cheueren for cold, hou cloþe þei nakid men, whanne bi ypocrisie þei drawen fro hem þis bodily almes bi whiche þes poralis schulden be cloþid and kept fro deþ. certis þei ben cursed disceyueris boþe of pore and riche, and ben irreguler bi-for god for myschefous deþ þat þes nedy men suffren. Ȝif þei han grete waste houses for to resceyuen lordis and ladies, ȝe to soiorne among hem daies and ȝeris, and oþere riche men nyȝt and day, and helpen not pore nedi men with hereberwe in þo grete placis as kyngis paleis, but raþere drawe pore mennus goodis fro hem to þes waste placis, hou receyue þei pore men to herberwe? namely, whanne þei disceyuen riche men in makyng restitu|cioun of extorcions and euyl geten goodis, and suren hem of al perel ȝif þei maken siche costly houses and wast paleises to men [page 12] þat haue forsaken alle worldly ioie and pride and taken cristis mekenesse and gret pouert bi wilful profession. it semeþ þat þei ben preuy enemys of pore men and dis|ceyueris of riche men and sclaunderis of crist puttyng on hym siche worldly pompe and ypocrisie.

And ȝif þei seyn þat grete chirchis ben worschipful to god and lykynge for þe peple to serue god inne, axe hem what charite it is to laten parische chirchis fallen doun for defaute, where þe peple schulde heere goodis worde, goddis seruyce, and resceyue here sacramentis, and to maken newe chirchis as castelis wiþ outen nede; and wheþer crist preied most in

þe nyȝt in hillis, as þe gospel seiþ, and tauȝte mychel þe peple in desert and in þe wilde felde, and seide þat þe heiȝe temple schulde be distroied for þe synne of prestis þat weren þer-inne. And seyn þat lucifer and adam serueden not god in heuene ne paradis as þei schulden, but iob seruede wel god in þe donge hille and adam also in þe valey of wepynge, and so dide crist in þe hillis, and þe prophete danyel in þe deen of lyonys. and þouȝ men suffreden resonable cost of chirchis whi schulde þei suffre so grete cost of kechenes and ȝate housis and wast chambris for lordis and ladies and riche men, and a frere to haue a chambre for an erl or duk or a kyng whanne he is bounden to þe pouert of crist, siþ þis cost is geten bi beggen of pore men and disceit of riche mennus almes. ȝif þei visiten not pore men in prison for charite of god and sauynge of soulis, bute riche men in here prosperite to han part of here worldly goodis, hou don þei werkis of mercy? for sumtyme for enuye and hate ful trewe men ben sett in prison, and þanne it were most nede to conforte hem in bodi and soule aȝenst defaute of mete and drynk and cloþ and grucchynge aȝenst god or dispeir; but it is worse ȝif þei be ypocrisie and false beggynge reuen fro pore prisoneris þe almes þat þei schulden ellis haue.

¶ Ȝif þei visyten not pore men in here sikenesse but riche men wiþ preue massis and placeboes and dirige, þouȝ pore men ben neuere so deuout and han neuere so myche nede to ben amendid of here lif, hou seken þei þe helpe [helþe AA.] of soule? but only or principaly worldly muk or auauntage. where helpen þei sike men of bodely almes, þouȝ [page 13] þei hem self han neuere so muche wast of mete and drynk, but raþere in siche tyme þei gedren fro sike men al þat þei may.

¶ Ȝif þei ben faste aboute to haue riche men biried in here housis for wynnynge and offrynge and worldly meyntenaunce and forsaken pore men to be biried þere, þei ben false ypocritis, traueilynge in coueitise and pride and þefte, for þei drawen riche men fro her gostly fadris and here owne

parischenys, and so departen in tyme of deþ curatis and here gostly children.

¶ Ȝif þei pursuen pore prestis to prison and bodily deþ, as hangynge, drawynge or brennynge, for þei techen trewely and frely þe gospel of ihū crist and techen men wiche ben false prophetis and ypocritis, siþ holy writt spekiþ of siche and biddiþ cristen men knowe hem bi here opyn werkis and flee fro hem; þanne ben þei perilous ypocritis and heretikis aȝenst goddis worschipe and sauynge of cristene soulis.

¶ Ȝif þei þursuen trewe lige men of þe kyng to endityng falsly and wyttyngly for þei reprouen here open synnes, hou visiten þei men in prison? siþ þei drawe trewe men to prison to loos of catel and deþ wiþ outen resonable cause.

¶ Ȝif þei drawen pore husbondemen to dom for þe bi-heȝten þem almes sumtyme and now ben tauȝt to ȝeuen here almes to pore neiȝeboris aftir þe gospel, or þat may not now paie so gret almes for pouerte and myschif þat þei ben inne, hou don þei þe werkis of mercy? siþ þei don opynly aȝenst charite.