chirche was endewid with vnmouable possessiouns the clerkis weren holi and deuoute and goostli, and bi ensaumpling of so holi conuersacioun turneden miche of the world into trewe feith and vertuose conuersa|cioun; and thanne also the clerkis weren redi forto putte her lijfis for witnessing of trouthe and for the goostli helthe of her neiȝboris. And aȝenward aftir in tyme that the clergie of the chirche was endewid with vnmovable godis, the clergie decrecid in holi lyuyng and in alle necessarie gouernauncis to the helthe of the chirche, which bi fore the seid endew|ing thei hadden; and vicis grewen into the clergie miche thickir than bifore, as pride, ambicioun, veir glorie, glotenie, leccherie, coueitise, and speciali sy|monie; and suche othere. [The following passage of Nico|laus de Clamengiis (written about A.D. 1414) agrees substantially with this extract, yet it can hardly be the place intended to be quoted:— "Nemo est, ut opinor, qui non satis audierit et mente teneat, quantum Christi ecclesiæ minis|tri, viri utique probata virtute clarissimi omnique tempore laude merito celebrandi, terrenam opu|lentiam contempserint. . . . Ubi vero, ut fere assolet, paululum ex divitiis rerumque secundarum af|fluentia luxus et insolentia in ecclesiam subiere, tepescere sen|sim cœpit religio, virtus hebes|cere, solvi disciplina. . . . Sed ut pompis et luxui res subesset, avaritia crebrescere," &c. De cor|rupt. Eccl. stat. in Brown. Fasc. Append. pp. 555, 556. He goes on to enlarge on the "simoniaca pravi|tas" a little afterwards, see p. 559.] Wherfore it seemeth that thilk endewing was yuel doon.
The iiije. is this: It is fablid to be trewe, that whanne greet Constantyne the Emperour was baptisid of Siluester Pope, and hadde endewid Siluester Pope with greet plente of londis of the empire, a voice of an aungel was herd in the eir seiyng thus: "In this dai venom is hildid into the chirche of God." ["Anno IIIe.XV. Constantinus baptizatur a Sancto Silvestro, et tunc ditavit ecclesiam Romanam libertatibus, prædiis, et possessioni|bus, et dedit sedem suam imperialem Sancto Petro et suis successoribus. Et illo tempore Diabolus in aere volando clamavit, Hodie venenum ecclesiis Dei infusum est." Sprot. Chron. p. 43. (Ed. Hearne.) "Nar|rant chronica quod in dotatione ecclesiæ, vox audita est in aere angelica tunc temporis, sic dicen|tis, Hodie effusum est venenum in ecclesia sancta Dei." Wicl. Dial. lib. iv. c. 18. "The angel said full sothe, when the church was dowed, that this day is venym shed into the church." Id. Of clerks pos|sess., MS. cited in Lewis' Life of Wicl. p. 122. See also The vision of Piers Plowman, v. 10,659, sqq. vol. 2. p. 325. (Wright's Ed.), where it is said, that—"An aungel men herdenAn heigh at Rome crye,Dos ecclesiæ this dayHath ydronke venym."
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