her predecessouris or progenitouris in [page 42b] her foly dedis and oþis þat þai han made to mayntene þis mischeuous per|uertynge of cristis ordenance; for as þe state of þe clergi haþ no power ne leve to make þe peple or þe lordis to synne deedly, or to distroye goddis ordenance in his chirche, so þai have no leve or power of god to cowncelle or to constreyne in eny case þe lordis or þe peple to swere to mayntene þis endowynge of þe clerkis and religyous folke, þe whiche is fulle grete þefte, heresy & symony, and wondir harmfulle to cristis chirche; as it is schewyd in þis procese and in oþer writen bifore. But þe lordis specialy schulde se here what wer plesynge not to þes clerkis but to god. And þat schulde þai do; for her-to þai ben bounden by vertu of her office vp payne of dampnacion. And þer may no man dispence [page 43] wiþ hem of þat boonde, stondynge her state. for no man schuld putt an oþer grounde bisidis þat þat is putt, þe whiche is criste ihesu.
Capitulum x.
aNd þerfore men demen it a grete synne to ȝeue lande entaylid by mannys lawe fro þe persone or þe kynred þat it is entaylid to; ȝhe, alle-þouȝ it be not so ȝouen for euer but for a litille tyme. And þouȝ it be so þat þe persone or kynred, þat siche londe is ȝeue to, be nedy and haue leue by goddis lawe to occupie siche maner londe or lordeschip. and þis [is] demyd fulle grete synne amonge þe peple, not oonly to þe ȝeuer, but also to þe takere, for boþe þai done dampnable wronge to hem þat it is entaylid to, as þe peple demiþ; ȝhe, alle-þouȝ it be ȝoue for goode and true seruyce þat þe ressey|uour [page 43b] haþ done to þe ȝeuer bifore, or ellis bi way of almes of relevynge of þe persone or kynred þat is ȝeue to. Houȝ myche raþer þan, I pray þe, wiþ-owte comparyson, is it a grete synne, as wel to þe ressaueris as to þe ȝeueris, to take þe lordeschip þe whiche god, þat haþ fulle lordeschip up-on alle þe worlde, haþ
