The repressor of over much blaming of the clergy.

xviij. CHAPITER.

FERTHERMORE, thouȝ this processe bifore mad fro the bigynnyng of the xvj^e. chapiter hidir to be sufficient forto schewe the ij. opiniouns there rehercid to be vntrewe, ȝit into the same purpos more mai be seid thus: In iiij. maners a man mai ȝeue to an othir man aloone, or to the othir man and to hise successouris,

or to a couent or comounte and her successouris, movable and vnmovable godis.

The first maner is, if a man ȝeueth to me oonli, or to me and my successouris, [sussessouris, MS. (by clerical error?).] or to me and mi felawis and oure successouris, freli and vttirli, that is to seie, withoute eny hope or loking after that eny thing be aȝen ȝouun, or eny other deede as therfore be doon, as bi boond and withoute eny reconuencioun or coue|naunt of bond expressid or priueli vndirstonde forto ȝeue aȝen or for to do therfore eny deede and with oute eny condicioun. Certis in this firste maner fadris and modris ben woned ȝeue to her next children oonli, and sumtyme to her next children and to the succes|souris bi blood of her next children; and this ȝift pro|cedith of pure free loue which the ȝeuer hath to the receyuer; or ellis, thouȝ vndir hope, trust, and entent, ȝit withoute meenyng that [that is interlineated by a later hand.] the receyuer be bounde to fulfille and performe thilk hope, trust, and entent.

The ij^e. maner is: If a man ȝeueth [ȝeue, MS. (first hand).] to me aloone, or to me and my successouris, or to me and to my felawis and oure successouris, eny movable or vn|mouable thing, with hope and trust or entent that y aloone, (if it be ȝouun to me aloone,) or that y and mi successouris, (if it be ȝouun to me and my succes|souris,) or that y and my felawis and oure successouris, (if it be ȝouun to me and hem and oure succes|souris,) schulen ȝeue aȝen or do sum deede as ther fore or as ther with or ther bi to be don as bi boond. And in this caas of ȝifte, if y take not upon me and consente not for me and my successouris in my name and heris forto fulfille and performe thilk trust, entent, and hope born toward me and my successouris, as for that y am absent fro the ȝeuer, whanne he so

ȝeueth; or if y theraȝens reclame or proteste for me and hem, that y for me and for hem wole be fre with|oute boond or couenaunt for to it fulfille and performe, as whanne that y am at the ȝeuer present in tyme of his ȝift making or in tyme of the ȝifte to me de|nouncing, and ȝit the ȝeuer reuokith not the forme of his now seid ȝift, y and my successouris mowen reioice the seid thing so to us ȝouun, and we ben not bounde for to fulfille his trust born vp on or to|ward us.

But aȝenward as for the iij^e. maner of ȝeuyng, if in the caas of the ij^e. ȝeuyng, as doon in the ȝeuers side, y in my name and in the name of my succes|souris bihete or proteste or consente openli bi word or bi other signe, or priueli bi interpretacioun and presumpcioun to be in this mater take bi that, that y, being present and heering the forme of this ȝifte to me and to mi successouris thus vndir trust and entent mad or to me denouncid, am stille in not re|claymyng aȝens the trust neither aȝens the ȝifte, am certis with my successouris bounde not for the putting of such trust upon us oonli, but as bi couplid to gidere couenaunt forto fulfille the seid put upon us trust and entent, if we wolen reioice the ȝift. Of which couenaunt the oon parti is in the ȝeuers side; that we schulen haue the seid thing; and the other partie is in oure side, that we schulen therfore or therbi or therwith do and performe his upon us bisett trust. For couenaunt is a double graunt or a double ȝeuyng couplid to gidere of ij. persoones or parties, graunting or ȝeuyng to gidere in the maner now ex|pressid.

In caas of this iij^e. maner ben tho that ben feffid in othere mennys londis iointli oonli, or ioyntli and deyiseli vndir expressid trust, that thei do sum what therwith. Also in caas of this iij^e. maner ben execu|touris of a testatour, as comoun formes of testamentis

beren open record and witnes, whanne the seid feffers and executouris expresseli or priueli bi presumpcioun of the lawe graunten and consenten as bi couenaunt making, that thei schulen performe the seid trust and entent.

The iiij^e. maner of ȝeuyng is whanne in the forme of ȝeuyng and in the expressioun of the ȝeuyng is sett expresseli a condicioun as a parti of the ȝift or ȝeuyng, bisidis alle condiciouns, whiche ben nedis cost to be priueli vnderstonde in ech ȝift, in ech couenaunt, in ech vow, and ooth, of whiche condiciouns mensioun is made in the ij^e. parti of the book Filling the iiij. tablis. And whanne in this maner ȝift is maad to me and to my successouris, and y or eny of hem fulfille not the condicioun, certis as soone as the condicioun is brokun the ȝift is voide; and the thing so ȝouun vnder condicioun fallith out of his possessioun, which brekith the condicioun; and therwith the thing fallith out of the possessioun of alle hise successouris, bi as miche as the ȝift is oonys voide and come into nouȝt, and therfore mai not come aȝen withoute a new deede of ȝeuyng.

Neuertheles the seide man mai not be put aȝens his wil out of the possessioun of the thing, eer than bi iugement of the iuge he be therto condempned, and sufficient compleint and proof is mad that the ȝift was so [so is interlineated by a later hand.] as is now seid maad vndir condicioun to him and to hise successouris, and proof therwith is mad that he hath brokun witingli and wilfulli the same condicioun; thouȝ as bi strengthe of cleer con|science, as soone as he brekith the condicioun, he fallith fro al riȝt to holde and haue eny lenger the seid thing to him and hise successouris so ȝouun. And therfore vndir ful miche perel of soule ech such

man and ech of hise successouris ouȝten be waar that he breke not the condicioun of the ȝift to him and to [to is interlineated by a later hand.] hise successouris mad, lest he bi thilk breking bringe yn greet losse to hise successouris withoute her deseruyng.

Aftir the descryuyng of thes iiij. maners of ȝeuyngis it is to be considerid, that, (thouȝ the riȝt and lawe forto cleyme, aske, and haue tithis and offringis and othere suche smale paymentis was mad or ȝouun to bischopis and to othere preestis and clerkis in the first maner of the ij^e. trouthe, declarid bifore in the xvj^e. chapitre, as mai be take herbi: It is to be seid that summe temporal godis were ȝouun to hem in thilk maner, bi cause of Cristis speche, Luk x^e. capitulum., where he seith, The werkman is worthi his fynding, and bi cause of Poulis lijk speche, i^e. Thim. v^e. capitulum., and i^e. Cor. ix^e. capitulum.; and noon othere godis kunnen be founde forto be ȝouun to bischopis and to othere preestis and clerkis in thilk first maner of the ij^e. trouthe, saue tithis and offringis and suche othere smale par|cellingis of paymentis; and therfore it is to be take that the riȝt forto aske and haue suche tithis and offringis and suche othere smale godis was ȝouun to bischopis and to othere preestis and clerkis in the firste maner of the ij^e. trouthe, ȝhe, and therfor in hardir maner than is bifore tauȝt, proued, and concludid in the x^e. and xj^e. trouthis the lay peple mowen not iustli procede aȝens bischopis and othere preestis and clerkis, as forto make hem lese tho tithis and offringis,) —ȝit it is to be vndirstonde and to be take that the grete maners, castellis, and court placis, and the grete lordschipis of barunries and othere suche like, whiche weren ȝouun summe to bischopis, summe to archide|kenes, summe to deenys, summe to collegis, weren

ȝouun in the firste of these iiij. maners now in this present xviij^e. chapiter descriued: except oonli tho of whos ȝeuyng it is expressid in the chartour of the ȝeuyng, that thei were ȝouun in the ij^e. maner, or in the iij^e. maner, or in the iiij^e. maner. Forwhi, no man in eny thing receyuyng into ȝifte ouȝte holde him silf and hise successouris ther yn to be more bounde than he knowith him and hise successouris to be ther yn bounde, and that bothe for eschewing of lesing and of vntrouthe, and for eschewing of grete perelis and disturblauncis and debatis, whiche ellis aȝens conscience schulden bifalle, and for that iuge|ment is euere to be ȝouun for fredomys parti, saue into how myche can be schewid sufficientli for bond|age; and so it is, that neither bi witnessing in word of hem that herden the forme of the now seid ȝiftis, neither bi the [the is interlineated by a later (?) hand.] cartis or chartouris writun ther upon to bischopis and to othere seid persoones can be had eny sufficient euydence, that tho now laste seid grete and riche castellis and maners weren ȝouun vndir the iiij^e. maner, or vndir the iij^e. maner, but if it be fewe, and that in late daies, as to collegis vnder hope, trust, and entent, that the maister and the felawis kepe the statutis of the collegis, and as to summe abbeies or monasterijs forto kepe ȝeerli solemp|nytees of certeyn obitis. Wherfore it is to be take, that alle these seid endewingis to bischopis and to othere worthi statis in the chirche weren ȝeue to hem and to her successouris in the firste of the seid iiij. maners oonli in this present chapiter bifore discriued, excepte tho endewingis which now ben seid to be ex|ceptid bi cartis or othere writingis, witnessing other forme of her ȝeuyng.

Confirmacioun to this now concludid trouthe and conclusioun is this, that in the cartis or chartouris, conteynyng the formes of ȝeuyng the seid greet endewing [bi] vnmovable godis (except oonli tho whiche ben now bifore seid to be exceptid) is noon other forme of ȝeuyng expressid, than that this man or thilk man or thilk womman ȝeueth this castel with the purtenauncis, thilk maner with hise feeldis, (and so forth of othere like,) to thilk bischop and hise successouris, or to thilk abbot and couent and to her successouris for euere, into pure and free and perpetual almes. And if this be trewe, (as it wole be founde trewe, if the seid cartis be schewid,) certis thanne folewith needis, that alle tho vnmouable godis so ȝouun weren ȝouun oonli in the first of the iiij. [iiij ^e., MS.] now here rehercid maners. Forwhi if y ȝeue a noble to a poor man and seie to him thus: "I ȝeue to thee this into very and pure almes," y meene not in tho wordis, that he schulde do ther with myn almes or his owne almes; but y meene, that y in so ȝeuyng to him do myn almes, and that y make thilk deede of ȝeuyng myn [of myn, MS. (first hand).] owne almes, and that y comytte to his wil forto do therwith what him likith. Not with stonding y hope that he wole vertuoseli ful weel spende it. Wherfore bi lijk skile, if lordis or ladies seiden and wroten in this wise: "Y ȝeue to this bischop or abbot and hise successouris this town or thilk town or this maner or thilk maner into pure and perpetual almes," thei meeneden not that the bischop and hise successouris or abbot and couent and her successouris schulden do therwith the very and pure perpetual almes of the ȝeuers, neither his owne pure and perpetual almes, but that tho lordis and ladies maden thilk her seid ȝeuyng to be as her pure

and perpetual almes, so that the bischop or the abbot and her successouris receyuyng the seid good vndir this forme of ȝeuyng is free to do therwith what thei wolen, as for eny bound growun to hem bi the ȝifte so mad to hem; thouȝ it were so, that the seid lordis and ladies so ȝeuyng hadden so good opinioun upon bischopis and abbotis in tho daies, that thei trowiden algatis that bischopis and abbotis wolden not spende tho ȝiftis other wise than vertuoseli and weel. But ȝit what is al this for to make eny bond to the abbot or bischop and her successouris forto spende weel tho ȝiftis, more than if the same abbot or bischop and her successouris hadden the same ȝiftis bi heritage or bi biyng or bi wynnyng in waiouring or bi sum other fre maner of geting and receyuyng? And so thus miche more as is conteyned in this present xviij^e. chapiter hidir to y caste to ouer what is seid bifore in the xvj^e. and xvij^e. chapitris forto schewe the ij. opiniouns to be vntrewe, whiche ben bifore rehercid in the bigynnyng of the xvj^e. chapiter.

Forthermore, for more declaracioun to be had in this mater, it is to vndirstonde that a ȝift mad in the iiij^e. maner now bifore spokun muste needis be dyuers and othir than is the ȝifte mad in the ij^e. or iij^e. maner. Forwhi, whanne a ȝifte is mad in the iiij^e. maner, how euer soone the condicioun is not fulfillid, the ȝifte is voide and cesith, bi cause the condicioun is a parti of the forme of ȝeuyng; but whanne a ȝifte is maad vndir entent or hope, thilk entent or hope is not a condicion and a parti of the ȝeuyng, but it is a circumstaunce of the ȝeuyng, which is clepid eende or purpos of the ȝeuer. For|whi, sithen euery vertuose ȝift is doon for sum eende, (for no man mai eny deede do avisidli withoute sum eende and entent and purpos therto take, as y haue proued in othere placis,) it wolde ellis folewe needis, that euery ȝifte maad bi delyberacioun were a ȝifte

vndir condicioun, [a condicioun, MS. (first hand.] bi cause euery ȝifte mad vndir de|liberacioun is mad into an eende, purpos, [or] entent, hopid and trustid to be doon; and therfore needis it muste be trewe, that a ȝift vnder trust and entent mad is not a ȝifte vnder condicioun maad; and so a ȝifte vndir the iiij^e. maner mad is dyuers needis fro ȝifte [Probably we should read a ȝifte.] in the firste or ij^e. or iij^e. maner mad.

Also the iij^e. maner of ȝift, which is a couenaunt, is a double ȝifte of the principal ȝeuer and of the re|ceyuer. Forwhi the principal ȝeuer ȝeueth a thing or a dede, and the receyuer ȝeueth aȝenward, as therto or therfore coupling an other thing or deede; and open it is, that the iiij^e. maner of ȝifte is not but oon symple ȝifte; and therfore the iiij^e. maner and the iij^e. maner needis ben dyuerse, and not oon and the same. And for as miche as the iij^e. maner of ȝeuyng is not oon symple ȝifte but ij. ȝiftis, of which oon passith fro the principal ȝeuer into the principal receyuer, and the other passith fro the seid principal receyuer into the seid principal ȝeuer; therfore in caas of the iij^e. ȝeuyng, aftir that the principal ȝeuer hath mad exe|cucioun and delyuerance of the thing or deede ȝouun to the principal receyuer, eer than the receyuer make execucion or delyueraunce of the thing or deede bi him ȝouun or namelich bihiȝt to or for the principal ȝeuer, if the seid principal receyuer in eny tyme wole not performe what he so bihiȝte, ȝit he fallith not therbi fro the riȝt which he hath bi the ȝifte of the principal ȝeuer mad to him, neithir in that and therbi the ȝifte mad to the receyuer is voide. For whi the ȝifte so mad to him passid into him fulli and hoolli with al the substaunce and alle the parties of the same ȝifte, and therfore it muste needis abide, thouȝ the ȝifte which the receyuer made or bihiȝte forto

make be not performed and executid; sithen this ij^e. ȝifte is not substaunce neither parti of the firste ȝifte, as it is open; for ellis thei weren not ij. ȝiftis, but oon ȝifte, thouȝ thei be ij. ȝiftis couplid and cheyned to gidere. But certis up on this receyuer compleint mai be mad, and he mai be callid into iugement, and whanne it is proued that he hath not performed what he ouȝte haue performed bi strengthe of the seid iij^e. maner, he mai be therfore punischid; but he mai not of what he hath receyued be depriued, al the while he wole amende and continue what he promisid. Neuertheles if he openli knoulechith, that he wole not performe the biheest mad to the principal ȝeuer; or ellis, that he ofte and miche failith, after that ofte and miche he hath be iugid and comandid for to amende, [amende is added in the margin, in a later hand.] —so the discrecioun of the iuge is that the seid receyuer can not frutefulli and conuenientli be punyschid other wise than bi the depriuyng of the ȝifte mad to him,—certis thanne bi sentence of the iuge he may be mad lese the thing so to him ȝouun, and not erst, neither other wise. And this remedie now sett here is al what mai be do aȝens the vn|trouthe of the receiuer in caas of the iij^e. ȝeuyng. And skile whi al this is trewe may be perceyued weel ynowȝ of a diligent considerer, waiting weel to ech word which is now bifore here seid.